I do a newsletter for my staff each week. For some reason, it is really difficult to write. Some people enjoy it. Some probably trash it right away. ;) That's ok, one person suggested I share it more broadly. So here it is:
Hi Team,
I hope that you had a wonderful break and took some much-needed rest and relaxation. I know I did. I am very grateful to work here and to work with you. Last week I challenged you to thank a student who motivates you and keeps you going at work. I heard a couple neat stories and I did it too. When I saw my student’s eyes light up when he realized what I was saying it was pretty special. We were in the gym, and balls were flying all around us, but it was still special. If you didn’t get to it last week for some reason, today’s a great day to tell someone you are grateful for them. Here is a neat little video of another school doing this.
Upcoming Calendar items:
Assessment Calendar - Please note the following windows for assessments
- K–8: AIMS: Dec. 5–16th (done in ELA and Math Classes)
- K–12: MAP (include writing!): Dec. 1–16 (We will do ours next week. More details to follow.)
- 2–12: SRI: Nov. 28-Dec. 9th (Done in ELA or Social Studies classes)
This Friday will be our grade-level team meetings. Next Friday will be our committee meetings, and the following Friday will be a party by the sunshine committee.
Resources:
Creating a Welcoming Classroom for Special Ed Students - This podcast talks about how to make sure kids feel welcome in your classroom.
This three minute podcast talks about using gardens as a maker space. We’ve got some great gardens going on, but what I liked about this teacher’s short example is that he talks about how he didn’t just give an answer but made sure he went through a rather long and lengthy process to show an answer.
Thanks,
Jethro