September 23rd-27th

Food For Thought...

Parent conferences are coming up soon... and with parents come lots of questions :) Here are some random thoughts for this week's blog!  

Why we need Common Core

I’ve watched this video probably 10 times. Every time it makes me chuckle! Even if you've seen it before, I think the point of this video is well taken- as educators we need to be developing critical thinkers, not test takers. Students need to be able to write -- in the content areas and in different genres. This is why we need the common core standards. I’m excited, for what this means for teaching and learning; for students and teachers. And I'm excited to work with such amazing teachers who lead the way with creativity and passion. No bubbles here!

Putting the “ation” in Education

It seems like there are so many “ations” in education. Collaboration. Technology integration. Frustration. Celebration. Multiplication. Inspiration. Information. Vacation!

The list goes on and on. As I brainstormed this list (remember, writing from a list is my favorite strategy!) , I landed on two that go hand in hand and also create challenges for teachers. 

Differentiation and communication.

Differentiation is hard. It takes work. It takes time. First you meet your kids. Then you find out what they know and what they need to learn. Then find exactly the right lesson to meet each individual kid’s need. Wait, what? What materials do I use? What do the OTHER kids do while you’re providing the perfectly tailored instruction? It’s so challenging! Just when you think you have it figured out, in walks the parent. Or the parent calls. Or emails.

“My child is bored.”

Ack. What to do. Sometimes school is boring! Sometimes kids are getting what they need and it’s still not super exciting. And sometimes the work is too easy or too hard. Differentiation, meet communication. Parents can get the wrong impression when a child says they are bored. When I hear this, I try to reflect on the work. How can I make it more engaging? Is there more than one way for students to demonstrate their learning? Do they know this skill already?

I felt like sometimes half the battle was parent perception. What they really wanted to know wasn’t about their child being bored. They really wanted to know what I was doing to meet the needs of their child, and what we were learning about in class. Sometimes parents need education, too.

Here are some questions I thought about in preparation for their questions:

1. Have I clearly communicated what we are learning about in class each week? (Number one parent comment--”My child can’t tell me what he/she is learning about in class.”) In my experience, kids aren’t the most reliable reporters. Keeping parents informed takes time, but so does responding to their questions. Two of our teachers share a weekly Academic Update. Check out the work of Maria and Julie. So much good information!
2. Can I articulate what I am doing differently? When it’s possible, do I offer choice in assignments? Have I pretested the students to determine needs prior to beginning the unit? Can I compact the learning or provide an opportunity for students to work in learning teams with students with similar strengths?
3. What’s driving my instruction? Yes, standards are important. But what about the students who arrive at the door meeting many of the end of year standards? Can I keep going farther? Can I go deeper? Have I considered my students’ interests?

For more strategies for differentiation, check out this article: 
What Works for Differentiating Instruction in Elementary Schools

I see evidence of so many of these in your classrooms! It's time for a celebration!

Dates and Details

September 24th Family Technology Night 6:00
September 26th- no tech time with Joe
September 27th Kovar's martial arts assembly 11:00 am K-3
September 28th CapCUE techfest at NCS
October 3rd- Read for the Record-- Otis by Loren Long 
October 7th- no school for students (staff day)

October 11th- Harvest Festival
October 14th-17th- Minimum Days for family conferences

October 21-25th- Book Fair!

Tech Tip: Little Bird Tales

I heard about Little Bird Tales this summer and haven't had a chance to try it out. Has anyone used it?