Wildcat News
George Washington Creative Arts Center 09/11/16
Coaching, Feedback and Spot Observation
It is the goal of myself, the administrative team and coaches to support you in your growth as a teacher of the students at George Washington Carver Creative Arts Learning Center. This can only be done through the process of teacher coaching. According to Aguilar (2009) Coaching is an essential component of an effective professional development program. Coaching can build will, skill, knowledge, and capacity because it can go where no other professional development has gone before: into the intellect, behaviors, practices, beliefs, values, and feelings of an educator. Coaching creates a relationship in which a client feels cared for and is therefore able to access and implement new knowledge. A coach can foster conditions in which deep reflection and learning can take place, where a teacher can take risks to change her practice, where powerful conversations can take place and where growth is recognized and celebrated.
Our Professional Development on August 29, 216 we began a professional discussion focused on why feedback is vital for the academic growth of students. However, just as feedback is important to students it is also key to your growth as a teacher. Therefore it is very important that you as a teacher at George Washington Carver embrace "the power of feedback " for yourself as a 21st century urban educator. We will continue this discussion at our Monday professional development .
Time Spent Reading and Stamina
We will not close the current reading gaps that many of our students are currently performing at, nor get out of Improvement Required unless our students are interacting with complex reading text on a daily basis.
Therefore it is crucial we use the Journey's Series as a true source to engage our students in scaffold rigorous instructional sequences. This is the only way we will increase our students ability to practice reading, critically think about such literary elements as story parts, story plot, character development can only be done through the reading of authentic text. It should also be noted when the district developed the Close Reading Lesson Sequences ---- they were done using stories from the adopted basal series. You do not have to follow the the series in sequential order, you do have to make sound instructional decision based on the TEKS that must be taught to mastery. Remember, NOTHING MATTERS IF STUDENTS AREN'T BEING TAUGHT WHAT MATTERS!!!!
In closing, we will be purchasing Level Readers for each grade level in October. If you should want to use another resource other than the the basal series, please get prior approval from an administrator or coach.
Concrete to Abtract Instruction in Math
What is it?
- Each math concept/skill is first modeled with concrete materials (e.g. chips, unifix cubes, base ten blocks, beans and bean sticks, pattern blocks).
- Students are provided many opportunities to practice and demonstrate mastery using concrete materials
- The math concept/skill is next modeled at the representational (semi-concrete) level which involves drawing pictures that represent the concrete objects previously used (e.g. tallies, dots, circles, stamps that imprint pictures for counting)
- Students are provided many opportunities to practice and demonstrate mastery by drawing solutions
- The math concept/skill is finally modeled at the abstract level (using only numbers and mathematical symbols)
- Students are provided many opportunities to practice and demonstrate mastery at the abstract level before moving to a new math concept/skill.
- As a teacher moves through a concrete-to-representational-to-abstract sequence of instruction, the abstract numbers and/or symbols should be used in conjunction with the concrete materials and representational drawings (promotes association of abstract symbols with concrete & representational understanding
How do I implement the strategy?
- When initially teaching a math concept/skill, describe & model it using concrete objects (concrete level of understanding).
- Provide students many practice opportunities using concrete objects.
- When students demonstrate mastery of skill by using concrete objects, describe & model how to perform the skill by drawing or with pictures that represent concrete objects (representational level of understanding).
- Provide many practice opportunities where students draw their solutions or use pictures to problem-solve.
- When students demonstrate mastery drawing solutions, describe and model how to perform the skill using only numbers and math symbols (abstract level of understanding).
- Provide many opportunities for students to practice performing the skill using only numbers and symbols.
- After students master performing the skill at the abstract level of understanding, ensure students maintain their skill level by providing periodic practice opportunities for the math skills.
How Does This Instructional Strategy Positively Impact Students Who Have Learning Problems?
- Helps passive learner to make meaningful connections
- Teaches conceptual understanding by connecting concrete understanding to abstract math process
- By linking learning experiences from concrete-to-representational-to-abstract levels of understanding, the teacher provides a graduated framework for students to make meaningful connections.
- Blends conceptual and procedural understanding in structured way
Dates to Remember
SLO and PD Plan September 16, 2016
Assessment (5th Week of the Six Weeks) Week of 22-26.
Second Weekly Targeted Assessment Sept 3, 2016
Development of Wildcat University Calendar Sept. 15, 2016
Targeted Improvement Plan August 14, 2016 8;00 - 4:00
Grade Level Lead Meeting 7:00 - 7:50 (Friday - Sept. 16, 2016
Second Six Week Instruction Calendar (September 12, 2016
Second Six Week Assessment (PK-2) (September 15, 206)
Targeted Assessment Due Every Tuesday one week prior to Test
Intensive Network Writing Baseline Benchmark (September 14, 2016)
Start Reasoning Mind (September 6, 2016)
Lesson Plan and Targeted Assessments are due Wednesday Morning @ 8:00 for the upcoming week.
Grade Level Meetings Wednesdays weekly
PLC meetings on Thursdays weekly
Elementary Fair Day October 14, 2016
George Washinton Carver Creative Arts Center
Email: andnelson@dallasisd.org
Location: 3719 Greenleaf Street, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 972-794-3600