*Several teachers greeting kids at their doors-I saw hugs, high fives and heard such welcoming messages. Such a small gesture that makes a HUGE impact on starting each student's day out right and providing them with a safe and welcoming place to be each day!
*Students SO engaged in their books during readers workshop that when the teacher rang the chimes, kids groaned!!!!
*Staff brainstorming/problem-solving how to revisit lunch room procedures. We are a team and all the ideas and support make a difference!
*A grade level data meeting with many points of student gains (measured by iReady growth monitoring) to celebrate! I personally enjoyed connecting with individual students at lunch time to tell them about their gains--each of their faces lit up!
*Students reflecting on/writing things they are thankful for.
For Today's Assembly:
Just a reminder that after we pass out awards, we will give a minute for transition to spread out a bit more in the gym to circle up as classes. Teachers- you might want to make up a team name with your class before coming to the gym, because when you get onto Kahoot with your iPad you'll have to enter your team name first. Have fun with this!
Events Next Week:
Happy Thanksgiving Break (Wed-Fri) - Please take time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy your families, because I know you've been spending a lot of time here taking care of your classroom family! It's time for you all to Balance Like a Pirate! Do something for yourself to fulfill your personal quadrant in life. Do something totally fun to fulfill your passions quadrant--read for pleasure, go see a movie, craft, whatever makes you happy....do it! :)
(*I will be up in the middle of nowhere northern MN where the internet hardly exists so I will not be checking emails.)
"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Some of our students are already telling us that it's that time of the year...when stress from home with winter and holidays on their way affects them in ways that we don't alway realize. It could be overhearing the adult conversations about money to buy winter gear, arguing over where they will be for Thanksgiving, etc. Many of our students will enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with family and good food, but think of how many of our students would rather be at school than at home for five days. Just around that corner is the countdown to Christmas...another major stressor in their lives. Some of our students will be feeling the adult stress of everything that has to get done before Christmas, they might hear threats that "Santa won't be coming." For students in these situations, we are likely seeing the affects of this on them manifest in their behaviors/emotions. We can't control what's happening in any of our students' lives, but we can control our classrooms to still be consistently structured (to not add more chaos to their days) and show them the caring relationships that they may not be getting at home right now.
Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*5 Questions to Ask Yourself about Unmotivated Students
*3 Things Teachers Focus on in High Poverty Classrooms that Get Real Results (great tips to read, but this is also a podcast you could listen to on a long car ride over break!)
No comments:
Post a Comment