From Little Seeds Grow Mighty Trees
Thoughts for the Week
Upcoming Dates
10/19 Data Meeting/GOFAR Training
10/22 Balanced Literacy Professional Learning
10/28 I will attend Grade Level Planning Meetings
I want you to know that I love working here. I love being around so many teachers who want to grow and who are here to help students. I know that it's been stressful with all of the visitors popping in, but I want you to know that there are a lot of great things going on in your classrooms and in this building. We all have room to grow and we are all growing every day. Try to take a deep breath, step back and think about why you became a teacher. We are all here because we love children and we love learning. When the going gets tough and there are teams of people stopping by to visit your classroom, just remember that you're here because you want to make a difference. Please let me know how I can support you as we grow together and move our students to the next level.
Monday Planning
During your planning on Monday we will do a quick walk-through of using GOFAR to create assessments. We will use the rest of the time to complete the CAAS Data on your data sheet. Please bring your computer to the Professional Learning Room during your planning. It will also make it easier for you if you bring a printed copy of your CAAS Reading and Math Scaled Scores and NPR Scores.
GOFAR Online Assessment System
Here is the link to GOFAR information from the state. We will discuss this on Monday, but I wanted you to be able to find this resource easily.
Backwards Design Planning
We are going to be reviewing how to plan using the backwards design in the upcoming weeks. We need to really focus on understanding what the standards say. Then we can determine how students will demonstrate their knowledge of the standard and use that to plan how they will accomplish that task. On October 28th, I will work with you to really dissect the standards you are teaching and see how we can effectively plan how the students will show that they have learned what they need to learn.
Ideas for Authenitic Assessment
Please print a copy of the attached authentic assessment ideas and try to incorporate some of these ideas into your planning. We can easily increase student achievement by increasing student engagement. Consider creating a list of some of these ways for students to choose from to demonstrate their learning.