Weekly Warrior
Volume 9 Issue 7 April 10th, 2017
Important Dates
April 11th-SCC College Signing Banquet (Gear Up)
April 12th-Work Ethic Seal Luncheon
April 12th-PLC/Program Review Documentation--Switched with Faculty Mtg
April 13th-T3 Midterms Posted by 3:30
April 17th-Senior College Signing Banquet (Gear Up)
April 18th-Senior College Signing Banquet (Gear Up)
April 19th-Statewide ACT Make-up Day
April 19th-Department Meetings
April 21st-Career Fair (During 3rd)
April 26th-Faculty Meeting--Switched with PLC/Program Review
Kagan Day 5 training is scheduled for August 4th, 2017 with lunch on your own. Please bring your white Kagan Book with you to the training.
Thank You!!!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Book Genre Fair. Our teachers and students went above and beyond preparing for and conducting this fair! The extra time spent planning and preparing for this day is much appreciated. Each display was unique and creative and really showcased many of the talents our students and faculty possess.
Thank you to our student volunteers, office staff, administrators, GEAR UP and ETS staff, and custodial staff for all of your help! It takes everyone working together for the successful day that we had.
Student Voice
Student Voice Survey Results are now available in CIITS. When you sign in, hover over Educator Development, and under Tools & Reports select My Student Voice Results. The % you will see reflects when the students chose the 2 positive answers out of 5--Mostly True or Totally True.
This score is not included as part of your evaluation, but can be used to formulate future Professional Growth Goals if you choose. As teachers, student voice feedback can be useful to help us find areas in which we can improve. Student Voice results are yours to do with as you choose. Hopefully we will all engage in self-reflection and strive to become better teachers because there is always room for growth.
Effective Feedback--Tying your Feedback to a Goal
One of the fastest ways to upgrade your feedback is to tie it to a specific goal. Rather than offer generic praise or criticism, connecting your feedback to a specific goal not only shows students and teachers how close they are to achieving the goal, it also helps them choose the next best step they need to take in order to achieve that goal.
When you offer vague or general criticism ("you're not there yet," "this is ineffective," or "try again"), students are more focused on the performance rather on their ultimate goal. The trouble with general praise is that students and teachers know they did well (or poorly) but don't understand how to repeat or correct the performance.
When you tie your feedback to your goal, you keep students and teachers focused on the bigger picture and help them connect the various steps they take to achieve their goal to the goal itself. The key? It's as simple as adding a because statement to your feedback. The because statement explains why you are offering the feedback and connects the feedback to the ultimate goal. See examples below:
Feedback--You need more supporting details...
Because--the more supporting details you have, the more persuasive and convincing your argument will be.
Feedback--You need to use the correct formula...
Because--if you use the wrong formula, your calculations may be correct but it would be impossible to find the correct answer.
Feedback--This is sloppy work...
Because--Neatness is important so that I am able to read your writing and determine whether or not you know the information.
Feedback--Your sentences are unclear.....
Because--I cannot follow your train of thought if I cannot understand your sentences.
Success With Higher Standards
Southwestern High School will strive to graduate every student college/career ready and prepared for the 21st century.