Hampton Bays Middle School
Monday Memo #20
Powerful Learning
Dear T.E.A.M. :
I hope this Monday Memo finds you enjoying a three-day holiday weekend.
This past week, when we joined together for our Faculty Meeting, we discussed Powerful Learning; a term used by Dr. Nancy Doda, a middle school specialist who our District is doing some work with this year. For your information, here is the link to the presentation I created, to accompany the questions we used:
https://www.haikudeck.com/p/07bc242c51 .
Since Tuesday afternoon, I've heard good feedback on where and how these questions can be used. Some of the ideas shared were during extra help, advisory, support classes, tutorial, and even during clubs. I appreciate such immediate feedback from you. Keep sharing and experimenting with these ideas with your teams, your co-teachers, and colleagues. We all know, when we have built trusting relationships, powerful learning will be one of many outcomes.
Following Tuesday's Faculty Meeting, anyone who was around for our Winter Concerts or HMEA got to see powerful learning in action. Our Music Department deserves a huge shout-out for the level of careful planning, preparation, and execution of all facets of our concerts as well as HMEA. Students were proud of themselves, as individuals and as a group, parents provided positive feedback on their experience, and this all propelled us into a weekend of HMEA, in which over 300 students from various East End Schools were here, demonstrating what it takes to be a great student musician.
I could go on and on, but this is what powerful learning is all about. It means so much while it is happening, and it transcends the school day and school walls, fueling students' passion to keep growing, improving, and succeeding.
Here's the best part of powerful learning: It can happen anytime and anywhere, for any student or group of students. All that's required is a teacher or group of teachers committed to making it happen for kids.
So this week, challenge yourself to spark a powerful learning experience. Because, not only is it powerful for those who are experiencing it, but we also benefit. It reminds us why we became educators to begin with. And, it helps us to build a culture where powerful learning is the rule, not the exception.
Thank you for your dedication to our students and our middle school program.
Sincerely,
Dennis
5 Articles to Push Our Thinking
4 Blogs for Reflection
3 Images to Discuss with Kids
2 highly effective instructional tools
1 must-watch video clip
Powerful Learning at HBMS this Week!
Let's keep sharing and celebrating the great things happening in our classrooms and school.