Weekly Warrior
Volume 12 Issue 6 April 9, 2018
Important Dates
Apr 13th-Truth & Consequences for 10th Grade Students
Apr 13th-Midterms Handed Out to Students
Apr 14th-National ACT Test Date
Apr 17th-English 2 EOC Field Test (uses all computer labs)
Apr 18th-Algebra 2 EOC Field Test (uses all computer labs)
Apr 19th-Clubs 8:20 - 8:40 (Students w/out club remain in 1st)
Apr 19th-Biology EOC Field Test (uses all computer labs-starts after clubs)
Apr 20th-Career Fair during 3rd
Apr 23rd-Soft Skills for Seniors
Apr 24-27th-Soft Skills Daily Workshop for Select Seniors
Apr 28th-Prom 7:00 pm
May 4th-Registration Deadline for June 9th ACT
Effective Feedback--Tying Your Feedback to A Goal
One of the fastest ways to upgrade your feedback is to tie it to a specific goal. Rather than offer generic praise or criticism, connecting your feedback to a specific goal not only shows students and teachers how close they are to achieving the goal, it also helps them choose the next best step they need to take.
When vague or general criticism is offered ("you're not there yet", "this is ineffective", or "try again"), students are more focused on their performance rather than their ultimate goal. The trouble with general praise/criticism is that students and teachers know if they did well (or poorly) but don't understand how to repeat or correct the performance.
When you tie your feedback to the end goal, students are able to focus on the bigger picture and connect the various steps they need to take in order to achieve the goal. This can be done by simply adding a because statement to your feedback. This statement explains why the feedback is offered and connects the feedback to the goal. Examples below:
Feedback--You need more supporting details....
Because--the more supporting details there are, the more persuasive and convincing an argument will be.
Feedback--You need to use the correct formula....
Because--Calculations might be correct but without the right formula it would be impossible to find the correct answer.
Feedback--Your sentences are unclear...
Because--The way this sentence is written is confusing. There were too many pronouns and it was difficult to keep track of who did what to whom.
Effective Feedback is 1)Timely 2)Targeted 3)Tangible 4)Tied to Goals
Summer PD for ALL Teachers
Win-Win Discipline is mandatory for all teachers this summer (July 30-Aug 3). SWHS has a specified date scheduled on August 2nd, but if there is a conflict with that date, please register for another day that week with another school.
Follow these steps to register for any district PD offerings:
- Go to the District website www.pulaski.net
- Click on the Calendar Tab, then select Professional Development Calendar
- Change the month and date to the date of the training (For summer Win Win Discipline through Kagan, change to August 2nd)
- Click on the title of the training and then follow the instructions to register
If you register for any other professional development the district offers and are unable to attend for some reason, please be sure to cancel your registration. Some offerings have a limited number of seats available, so please be considerate of those who might be waiting to attend.
Success With Higher Standards
Southwestern High School will strive to graduate every student college/career ready and prepared for the 21st century.