Friday, March 4th, 2016
(Fine, Sunday, March 6th…)
We completed the first 3 rounds of our book study on Focus, sharing insightful comments, strategies, and concerns with one another. Collaborative thinking must precede collaborative doing, and we took an important step in preparing for the work we have to do next year and beyond. Here are some of the thoughts we heard in the discussion groups:
“Are we teaching effectively with ineffective standards?”
“We have to start calling out our students, we can’t let them be passive anymore.”
“We have to make students more independent – can I (the student) read this page in a text book and understand what is being taught?”
“We have to make decisions about how/what we teach. But when do we have time to do this? What control do we have?”
The blueprint for everything we do moving forward depends on a common 102 definition of: 1) what we teach, 2) how we teach, and 3) how we assess learning, and rest assure sufficient resources will be allocated for this work once grade/subject area/department teams are configured for next year. Per-session curriculum work will begin in May and continue throughout summer; stay tuned.
Highlights
Expertly navigating the high school admissions process once again, Guidance Counselor Ms. Babakitis supported our 8th grade students throughout the year to maximize their chances of matching to the appropriate high schools. 14 students were accepted into specialized high schools this year, and I’m sure we’ll have even more next year as Ms. Babakitis is already working to bring Kaplan tutoring services to 102 for current 7th graders interested in taking the SHSAT next year.
Things You Need to Know (and Do)
Meeting with Parents who are Upset: It has come to my attention that some parents may have used abrasive and accusatory language during parent-teacher meetings. If you ever feel uncomfortable in how a parent is speaking to you, you should immediately call your AP or me for support and/or guidance. It’s not your job to be yelled at by parents; that’s my job.
Teacher-Use Laptops and Other Technology Requests: Please complete this 1-minute survey by Friday, March 11th regarding any laptops that was assigned to you for teacher-use. You can also request other technology items such as document cameras, projectors, etc.
Review the 102+ roster and attendance and communicate with your students’ 102+ teachers. It’s difficult to plan for effective interventions for unfamiliar students, and it’s important classroom teachers collaborate with after school teachers to best support struggling students. You should also monitor your students’ attendance in the 102+ program.
Monday PD: Teachers will briefly meet with their grade band APs at 2:45PM prior to breaking out in grade teams to review/reflect on the progress made regarding the target CCLS standards selected in September. A template will be provided for each grade team to guide and document the process.
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