Friday Focus - January 11th

Great Things I Noticed This week:

• Starting and ending the lesson with the objectives written in kid friendly language on the board, asking students at the end of the lesson if they met their goals for the day.
• Students book shopping with their new "books to read" form and making a plan for what books they would read next. (I actually saw this in THREE classrooms this week-WOW!)
• Overheard a 5th grader and a teacher having a conversation in the hallway about a book they had both read. What surprised me is that this boy was talking about a book versus getting into trouble out in the hallway!

I've enjoyed seeing the student reading resolutions all around the building, but have also enjoyed seeing you share your reading lives with your students. It has been fun to see the different creative ways you are displaying what you are currently reading and to get some book recommendations for myself.  If you haven't had the chance to check out doors, here's a bunch (I only have a free animoto account so I couldn't get all the pictures in):

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

Events Next Week:
Tuesday - the technical due date for the student surveys analysis form due in OASYS (don't sweat it if it's not in by Tuesday, I won't be checking it on time....I know we're all busy right now)
Wednesday - 4/5th grade teachers at Horicon for DART meetings
Friday - Staff Social Lunch

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

• I'm starting to schedule 2nd formal observations and also trying to get informal walkthroughs into OASYS as well.  The informals work the same way as the formals do...it will send you an auto-email to notify you.  After you read it, then click "acknowledge" as your signature.  Let me know if you have any questions with this or anything else in OASYS.
• Just a reminder that we will be practicing scoring the Benchmark together in our next staff meeting to ensure consistency in scoring practices. You do not need to start Benchmarks on your students until AFTER this. 

"Blogs, Pins, and Tweets...Oh My!"

• Once a month Donalyn Miller (author of The Book Whisperer) co-hosts #TitleTalk chat on Twitter.  Last Sunday's chat started out with sharing book titles and then on helping students to set learning goals. I missed the chat, but did read a bunch of the archives HERE. 
•  ‏@Cantiague_Lead
  Ever have a meeting at school that makes you want to run home & hug your own child? Life is so difficult for many of our students.#edchat

Read the teacher's blog post HERE on using post-it's with Literature Circles