The Road Report
While you are out......
Building Status
For the week of June 12th;
* Custodial Team is now working on 100 Hall floors and the 200 Hall classrooms.
* Building will be open Tuesday 8am - 4pm, Wednesday 8am - 4pm and Thursday 8 am - 4pm. Donna has already left for summer. Kathy and Vicki finish this week.
Staff News
Welcome to Audrey Anglin! Her Deaf/Hearing Impaired class is moving to Poplar Road!
Important Dates
July 31 - SBLT meets from 9am - 2pm
Aug 1 - First Day of Preplanning (3 days this year)
Aug 3 - Meet the teacher (12- 2pm)
Aug 4- First day of school
As you meet with your team -
* New pacing guides
* Lesson Plans (first one will need to be turned in by Friday, August 11th -more details to come)
* Common Assessments
* Data Analysis
* Grade level classroom management (what consequences can you give before you write an office referral?)
* Classroom needs (start making your wish list!)
* What do you need from administration? Instructional coach? Counselor?
Expect More, Achieve More
A research study done by Harvard professor, Robert Rosenthal, showed that there is a direct link to how students perform in relation to the teacher's expectations of them. He had told teachers that certain students in their classroom had an above average IQ (when in reality, they did not). The teachers treated those students differently and over the next few years there was a dramatic growth in their IQ. Rosenthal found it was the moment-to-moment interactions with the students that affected them the most. Because teachers expected more of these students, they gave more feedback, more time to answer questions, and more approval. They also consistently touched, nodded and smiled at those children more.
Researcher Robert Pianta offered these suggestions for teachers who want to change their behavior toward problem students:
Watch how each student interacts. How do they prefer to engage? What do they seem to like to do? Observe so you can understand all they are capable of.
Listen. Try to understand what motivates them, what their goals are and how they view you, their classmates and the activities you assign them.
Engage. Talk with students about their individual interests. Don't offer advice or opinions – just listen.
Experiment: Change how you react to challenging behaviors. Rather than responding quickly in the moment, take a breath. Realize that their behavior might just be a way of reaching out to you.
Meet: Each week, spend time with students outside of your role as "teacher." Let the students choose a game or other nonacademic activity they'd like to do with you. Your job is to NOT teach but watch, listen and narrate what you see, focusing on students' interests and what they do well. This type of activity is really important for students with whom you often feel in conflict or who you avoid.
Reach out: Know what your students like to do outside of school. Make it a project for them to tell you about it using some medium in which they feel comfortable: music, video, writing, etc. Find both individual and group time for them to share this with you. Watch and listen to how skilled, motivated and interested they can be. Now think about school through their eyes.
Reflect: Think back on your own best and worst teachers, bosses or supervisors. List five words for each that describe how you felt in your interactions with them. How did the best and the worst make you feel? What specifically did they do or say that made you feel that way? Now think about how your students would describe you. Jot down how they might describe you and why. How do your expectations or beliefs shape how they look at you? Are there parallels in your beliefs and their responses to you?