Lincoln Agenda
April 27-30, 2015
What's Happening....
Monday, April 27
8:05 Istep update - Amanda's room
No testing today
ISTEP specials schedule
IVAN books go home
Tuesday, April 28
No morning meeting
ISTEP specials schedule
Ivan trivia begins
Wednesday, April 29
8:05 morning meeting - Jackie's room - Class Dojo presentation
ISTEP specials schedule
Melissa off - PM medical appt.
Thursday, April 30
8:05 RTI-
Friday, May 1
8:05 Talent Show Meeting in Jackie's room
10:30 Melissa ECD Case Conference
Please be on time to our morning meetings, unless there are unforeseen circumstances.
Link to RTI Meeting Schedule:
Link to PD Calendar:
https://www.google.com/calendar/render?tab=oc#g%7Cmonth-3+22910+23075+22920
TEACHERS-Be sure to write classroom events on the dry erase calendars in the office.
The Words on the Walls by George Couros
I was reading a blog and this struck me. I think it's true regardless of whether we are in schools, stores, offices, etc. I wanted to share it, so here it is.....
As I walked into a school, I noticed a sign that something similar to, “For the safety of the school, please stop at the office to sign in.” Immediately, I felt a tinge of anxiety as I wondered if something was there that would make the building unsafe, and I wondered if the students had ever felt the same. Maybe most of them weren’t worried, but the sign shouldn’t evoke a feeling of the school being “unsafe”.
I remember listening to Martin Brokenleg earlier this year and he had mentioned this exact idea. He said to think about the tone we set in the building when we have signs like this, compared to a message of, “We would love all visitors to come to the office so we can welcome you upon your arrival.” The message was the same, but the difference in words sets a totally different tone once you enter the building.
There are so many little things around our building that we don’t notice and hence the importance of trying to look at things with fresh eyes. We encourage risk taking, yet I have seen signs in schools about the importance of not making mistakes. Risk taking often comes with mistakes, so which one is it? Saying something once in awhile is sometimes not as powerful as words on the wall that are there all of the time.
Do the words on the walls encourage a welcoming environment, a sense of community, and opportunities for innovation? Or do they create a cold environment, that sometimes could pressure a fear of making mistakes, or sometimes even for one’s safety? Ask your students, ask your community, and ask yourself. What do the words on the walls tell you about the environment that you are trying to create?
The One and Only Ivan
- Books will be delivered to your rooms Monday. One book per family, so if a student does not receive a book, his/her sibling will. If a student does not have siblings at Lincoln, please let me know.
- Trivia will begin on Tuesday. Trivia questions pertain to the readings from the night before. The questions will be read on the announcements, and you are in charge of having the students write the answers. You will receive prizes to give to the winners. (Detailed instructions will be given out with the prizes on Monday.)
- Please discourage students from reading ahead. If you notice that certain students aren't reading it at all, we can talk about ways to read it to them, but I'd like to let the process get started first.
- I would like to have students write their favorite parts, not as an assignment, but as an "extra," and put it on display for others to read. We can get that going mid-week.
- If you haven't seen the interaction on Facebook, I posted the Ivan video from Friday with a description of what we are doing with OSOB. It has reached over 1,200 people - that's how many people have seen that post from others viewing it, liking it, and sharing it. This is the power of social media, and why we tell our story online. Share the good things!!!
- Katherine Applegate, the author of The One and Only Ivan, favorited one of my tweets about our OSOB preparation. This can make it meaningful for our students too; the author knows we are reading her book!