Learning Together
Office of Instruction Newsletter - Template
Message from Troy D. Olin, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
Our March 8 Superintendent's Conference Day is quickly approaching, and we are looking forward to this valuable time learning together.
As you know, the morning session is dedicated to providing each of you with essential professional work time and dedicated collaborative time integral to your growth as professionals and teams.
The afternoon promises to be equally enlightening, starting with a powerful keynote titled, “Ujima: How We Can All Get in This Equity Work.” This keynote, symbolizing collective work and responsibility, serves as a foundational element in our district’s journey toward equity. Dr. Muhammad's presentation is poised to be a transformative experience, challenging each of us to play a unique role in fostering equity within our school community. If you haven't had a chance yet, I encourage you to watch the brief video message from Dr. Muhammad by clicking on the video below.
Following the keynote, each of you will have the opportunity to attend one of the 20 impressive breakout sessions facilitated by students, colleagues and regional and national experts. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, providing you with valuable insights and skills that can be directly applied to your work. If you haven’t done so already, please take a moment to select your top choices for these 90-minute breakout sessions.
One of the key aspects of our district's approach is the intentional provision of consistent learning opportunities throughout the year. This commitment ensures that the impact of each conference day extends beyond the event itself. Our learning blocks facilitated at faculty meetings, coupled with professional learning opportunities provided regionally and by the district, contribute to the ongoing development of our collective knowledge as we “Connect the Dots to Equity.”
Instructional Focus on Student Engagement
Some of the things we look for include:
- Peer to peer interactions
- Student collaboration
- Students initiating and responding to questions
- Small group discussions
- Student participation in whole group lessons or activities
- Teacher talk vs. Student talk
If you are looking to increase student engagement in your classroom, our instructional coaches are a great place to start! They have successful strategies ready to go that will get student moving, talking and collaborating. Click the button below to read an Edutopia article full of great ideas to try too!
Equitable Grading Practices
In many of our conversations about equitable grading, the topic of homework has come up. Homework and practice outside of school definitely have a purpose, but we need to consider the impact of including homework in students' grades.
Teachers typically assign a grade for homework using one of the two approaches:
- The correctness of responses
- Evidence of completion
Does grading homework, whether based on correct answers for just completion, encourage more students to do the work, helping them to practice and learn? Maybe. More students may turn in homework, but it actually can result in fewer students doing the work themselves. If they are in fact, getting help, then grading the work can lead to an inaccurate representation of their learning.
To quote some students:
“If the homework is something that I'll have to know for a test, then I'll take the time to learn it. If it's something I already learned but it's still time consuming, then I feel like it's pointless to sit there and really try to take all that time if I already know it.”
“I copy homework that I feel is busy work and won't benefit me in terms of learning, but I know that I still need to do it because it's going to count towards my grades.”
“The reason I copy is because I don't have enough time in my schedule to do all my homework from all my classes. I always get assigned so much. I have dance from 8:00 to 10:00, and I also do cross country which is from 3:00 to 4:30. I'm always trying to do everything I'm supposed to do in that small time period but it's so much. And I need help understanding some of my work, so if I don't finish it on time, the teacher wants it now. They won't give me extra time.”
We challenge you to talk about homework with your students, or even your own children. Ask them what their thoughts are on homework, if they know why it is assigned, if they copy and why, or what gets in the way of them completing their homework independently or on time.
Gates Chili Literacy Team Update
As shared earlier this fall, the Gates Chili Literacy Team has been dedicating time to reviewing potential literacy programs that contain quality components of a comprehensive program (i.e., phonemic awareness, vocabulary, text comprehension and written expression to name a few!).
In addition, we have focused on the characteristics of a high-quality literacy program, including:
- Alignment to reading research
- Explicit and systematic instruction
- Responsive to student needs
- Ease of use for teachers
- Consistent language and routines
- Varied assessments
- Culturally responsive
The team has spent hours reviewing multiple programs for alignment in the above areas. After careful consideration of the feedback provided by the team, the Office of Instruction has narrowed the field of potential programs.
As we look to the second half of the year, the team will focus on the following programs for further review:
- Amplify – CKLA (Foundational Skills and/or Language Comprehension)
- Wit & Wisdom (Language Comprehension only)
- 95 Core (Foundational Skills only)
- UFLI Foundations (Foundational Skills only)
Our goal will be to identify a program for foundational skills and language comprehension to serve as the foundation of our program. Recognizing that there is no perfect program, we are looking to find one that complements the 'human' element that you bring to supporting each student.
As we continue to move this work forward, we want you to know how vital the role is that each of you plays in the success of our literacy program. Your knowledge of students and literacy development will ensure our students become confident and skilled readers, writers, listeners and speakers.
We'll continue to share updates in this e-newsletter as our work progresses.
Professional Learning Reminders
Lead a Professional Learning Course or Collegial Circle
If you are interested in leading a professional learning course or collegial circle, but don't know where to start, check out the staff intranet for some helpful resources. You can also talk with one of our Professional Learning Plan team members in your building or call the PL office at ext. 12107.
- Start with the Professional Learning page where you will find the district vision and learning strands - be sure the proposed PL aligns with one or more of these learning strands
- Next, visit the Professional Learning Procedures page where you will find some helpful information as well as a link to a step-by-step guide for facilitating a PL
- Finally, submit the proposal using the 2023-24 In District PL Proposal Form OR if you still have questions call the PL office at ext. 12107
Gates Chili Professional Learning Catalog
Take a look at some of the offerings in our district professional learning catalog! Some have a few spots left, and some are new to the catalog. Be sure to check back regularly for new additions!
Date: Wednesday, March 13
Ready to start using Canva this spring? This course will give you a basic overview of the Canva design studio. Participants will learn how to navigate Canva, download and share designs, create visually appealing classroom resources, and projects your students will enjoy. No Canva experience needed. If you have taken the Canva for Beginners asynch course but would benefit from an in-person learning environment, this course is perfect for you!
The Restorative Journey book study - K-12 Instructional Staff
Dates: Tuesday, Feb. 27 to Tuesday, March 26
The Restorative Journey is a framework for understanding and applying social principles to prevent and heal harm and restore relationships. This framework challenges the punitive system of discipline which is the norm in our current society. This book explores the key aspects to Restorative Practices, including emotional vocabulary, restorative questions, and restorative circles. This book will start you on a journey to transform your approach to authority, discipline, and community building. Each in-person meeting will be 1.5 hours, with 30 minutes of time built in for outside reading.
Dates: Thursday, Feb. 1 to Thursday, March 7
This collegial circle is designed for science teachers to explore the use of storylines in the science classroom to engage students. We will also explore how the NGSS can be infused into activities to prepare students for future Assessments. Time will be spent exploring the New Visions curriculum, Inquiry Hub, and more resources to develop an engaging hook for students to be engaged in the science lesson! We will take a deeper dive into the NGSS and how NYS will look to make future changes in the Regents Exams. Participants will need to be in attendance for at least two (2) hours for each meeting that runs 3-5 p.m. for HS staff, and 3:30-5:30 p.m. for MS staff. Additional learning is included to be done asynchronously between meeting times.
Winter Book Club: Relationship, Responsibility and Regulation *Elementary Teachers Only*
Dates: Monday, Feb. 26 to Friday, April 12
How do we create a culture of safety in which everyone feels valued, important, and capable of learning? Elementary Teachers are invited to join us for a mix of in person and asynchronous book club work using Kristin Souers and Pete Halls book "Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners. Our meeting dates will be Monday, Feb. 26 from 4-5 p.m. and Friday, April 12 from 4-5 p.m.
Riddle Me This...
Congratulations to Sara Collom, Patrick Coughlin, and Alexander LeClair who were the first three to respond to last month's riddle correctly - Heroine
If you know the answer to this month's riddle, click HERE to submit your answer. The first three (3) people who answer the riddle correctly will receive a special prize in their mailbox next week!
Good luck!
December Riddle: A is the brother of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. So how is D related to A?
Look out for future issues of the "Learning Together" newsletter on the first Friday of each month this school year!
The Gates Chili Central School District is dedicated to fostering curiosity, growth, and diversity within our school community. The district celebrates and embraces differences and strives to dismantle exclusion, bias, racism, and prejudice of all forms.