I've Got Your Back Vocabulary

Ideas in Education: I’ve Got Your Back Vocabulary

I know many of us are focusing on reading in the content area this year and at the heart of reading and learning is vocabulary instruction. This activity can be used as a pre- or post-assessment activity and is a way to get students moving and getting to know each other.

How it works:

1. Tape a definition to the back of each student.
2. Provide all students with a list of words.
3. Have students walk around the room, find the correct definition for each word on their list.
4. Students copy the definition onto their list.
5. Optional: Have students keep their lists and place a check mark next to the words as they are used in class.

By focusing on vocabulary instruction, we lay the foundation for more complex cognitive tasks. The more words our students know, the more connections to learning are possible.

Reflection: A Person’s Name--And the Pronoun They Chose--Is Their Identity

Occasionally, I use this space to reflect and share my own mistakes. Last week, I wrote about a person’s name is their identity and the importance of getting names right. And then, 3 days later I spelled a teacher’s name wrong. I was upset, disappointed and apologetic. I hope to make things right.

A couple of days later I was reminded that a student’s name extends beyond their name to the pronoun they prefer. “Pronouns. It would be nice if they asked because I’m always too scared to go up to the teacher or say something to the entire class.”

Tasks, Important Information, Upcoming Events

Required task: Please complete this form as part of our required crisis management plan. Please complete by Friday.

Please welcome Jan Coiner back to Monticello. After a couple of years in central office and with transportation, Jan rejoins us as our OA (Office Associate) V as our office manager. Some of Jan’s roles will include: managing/updating calendars, SchoolDude (building/room reservations/usage), managing main office matters, etc.

Crisis management plan in brief. Emergency in your classroom: call x61911

Clubs or Study Hall, please see Jeannette Stott's email. Add your name to this list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gdSLUJ-3CZfTHZCHbuyFf4g4IaLxYyWCLfbSU-3KytI/edit?usp=sharing  Add your club to this slideshow https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nyF57L8T2MUCzQWIDKijg12b-XB9B__DHiPvP8arnEg/edit?usp=sharing . This goes live after 1st period on Monday. Let’s see if we can add some more clubs: soccer, Frisbee, Ultimate Frisbee, Interact, Improv (Comedy), Amnesty International, Capture the Flag, Outdoors, Coding, Step, Feminist, Film Club, Gaming are all possibilities. Some of these require minimal teacher commitment. 

For freshmen, sophomores, juniors please have them view the club preview on Monday http://bit.ly/341bPft  If you have a freshman class, please take some extra time to explain the intricacies of clubs. Students can change clubs throughout the year. This link is also live in the Daily Bulletin in PowerSchool and Schoology.  

I will be completing Mustang Morning Course Creation on Sunday. Please review your courses for the next couple of weeks and let me know of any errors. You can make adjustments to locations and cap sizes. Our sophomores (and I’m sure others) will begin signing up for this on Tuesday.

Please sign up for the Schoology Teacher/Staff Course. The login info SV98-9878-JMCB6

Don't forget, Monday is last day to order your staff apparel.

Please see Maria on Monday if your phone extension needs updating.

Shout Outs  

Thank you all for making the first 3 days a great success for our students. It was great to see so many students engaged in learning about content, each other, and classroom expectations through collaboration and community builders.

Birthdays

Coming soon!

Useful Information

Bell Schedules http://bit.ly/MustangBells 

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm

Announcement Request

Athletic team schedules, rosters, etc.

Teacher Manual

Want something included on the Monticello Outlook Calendar, the Monticello website, in the PowerSchool Daily Bulletin, schoolwide Schoology accounts, or the student newsletter (viewed by parents, students and staff)? Please use this link https://goo.gl/forms/bIjfJLKokWPcEHx33 

Worth Your Time

Creating a welcoming classroom for students with special needs

Three students you need to reach right away

Extended 1st Block Schedule
7:40 – 8:40	0 Period
8:55-11:00	1st Period 8:55-9:03 Announcements/Attendance taken during announcements
11:05-12:57	2nd Period Lunch Class 1st: 11:05-11:30 11:35-12:57 2nd: 12:32-12:57 11:05-12:27
1:02-2:23	3rd Period
2:28-3:50	4th Period

	Freshman	Sophomores	Juniors	Seniors
August 23	Assembly	Schoology Computer Citizenship
August 26	Club Presentation	Club Presentation	Club Presentation	Assembly
August 27	TBD	Mustang Morning and Club Sign-Ups	Assembly	Club Presentation
August 28	Mustang Morning and Club Sign-ups	Assembly	Mustang Morning and Club Sign-Ups	Mustang Morning and Club Sign-Ups
August 29, August 30	Club Days

A Person's Name Is Their Identity

mohsmustangmemo.blogspot.com

Ideas in Education: A Person’s Name Is Their Identity

Growing up, I had a male friend whose first name was Michel. I still remember riding the bus home from Tilden Intermediate and him lamenting that one teacher acted surprised that he was a male and another pronounced his name Michael. Looking back at this, I’m sure I didn’t empathize with him enough, and I’m actually quite surprised because Tilden Intermediate’s student population was quite diverse and truly worldly. Michel’s identity as a person and a French Canadian was compromised on this first day of 7th grade.

My name, of course, is quite easy to pronounce, but is often misspelled Reid. There have been times where I’ve gotten a complimentary email/card from a superior and the salutation spells my name Reid. It devalues the message.

As you prepare for the first day, please remember that a student’s name is their identity. Please ensure that you have a process to ensure correct pronunciation of student names and learn their names as quickly as possible.

My first day routine looked like this:

I stood at the threshold of my classroom and greeted each student with a handshake. As I shook their hands, I introduced myself. Of course, many introduced themselves in response but others needed prompting And what’s your name?

I then tried to ask a generic conversation starter using the student’s name. Some of my favorites were to compliment and ask about their clothing or to ask about their other classes or what was for lunch. Of course, during these mini-conversations, the line grew outside my classroom, but what the heck, this set the tone for the entire year. Although I do remember one year when I was in a trailer and it was raining on the first day, but that’s another story.

Most importantly, I wanted to make sure I pronounced each student’s name correctly.

What’s your first day routine? How do you learn your student’s names?

Ideas in Education: Egg Hunt Challenge Follow-Up

I had a ton of fun watching you complete and compete in our Egg Hunt PLC Challenge. A couple of reflective notes: First, If I were to do this again, I would’ve split the groups in half to ensure everyone was learning and I would have more golden egg questions. I’m still trying to tweak this instructional strategy to make ALL students are engaged in learning and how it could be differentiated and scaffolded. Ideas? 

A couple of tidbits:

Many groups skipped the questions on Common Challenges. This makes sense since this is brand-spanking new. The common challenge serves a couple of purposes. First, it is a way for a PLC to tackle an agreed upon problem. For example, our students are struggling with graphing equations. The common challenge protocol helps the PLC decide on a research-based strategy. The common challenge can also be used whenever a teacher is experiencing an instructional challenge.

4 pre-assessments and 4 common assessments should be administered.

PLCs should meet for 45 minutes per week.

Keep reading for the winning teams!

Important Dates and Information 

Monticello Staff/Faculty Schoology: Access code: SV98-9878-JMCB6

Be sure your Morning Announcement Stream is working. The broadcast is currently streaming a loop of our opener from last spring. I will keep it broadcasting all day. When you have a free minute, please test the stream by going to the following link: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm 

Make sure to click “Monticello”.  Also, please note that you can mute and adjust volume in the flash player of the stream. Please drop Cullen (cwade@k12albemarle.org) an email if you’re experiencing problems or have questions.

Monday, August 19
9:00-10:00	Collaborative and Co-teachers	All teachers who co-teach (ESL, Special Ed)	Forum
10:15-10:35--Three members from each group attend a session together. Session Location Budget/Fundraisers/Kronos/SUBS Parking in spaces/School Security/what is your hope for your students--tuesday at lunch Rick/Nanette Forum Field Trips/Crisis Management/Anonymous Alerts Hank Media Center TPA/Lunch Schedule/MM signup Reed/Patricia R102 Counseling/Athletics Matt/Irvin R103 10:45-11:15 Reconvene as your team and share out your session information 11:15-11:30 Team Assessment--winning team gets lunch
12:30-1:30	PLC Group 1
1:45-2:45	PLC Group 2
Tuesday, August 20
11:15-1:00	Faculty Meeting/Lunch (Provided)	All Staff	Forum

PLC 1 Groups

AFDA

Chemistry

Geometry

Earth Science

World Geography

US Government

English 9

English 12

Spanish

PLC 2 Groups

Geometry

Algebra

Biology

World History

US History

English 10

English 11

German

Health/PE

Shout Outs  

BEST. TEACHER. TURNOUT. Thank you to all of our staff who attended our Southwood Community Back to School Festival. Each year, we have more faculty attend this event every year. Record setting!

Congratulations to Groups 3 and 7 who tied in the Easter Egg PLC Challenge. Be on the lookout for a prize in your mailboxes.

Birthdays

Coming soon!

Useful Information

Bell Schedules http://bit.ly/MustangBells 

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm

Announcement Request

Athletic team schedules, rosters, etc.

Teacher Manual

Want something included on the Monticello Outlook Calendar, the Monticello website, in the PowerSchool Daily Bulletin, or the student newsletter (viewed by parents, students and staff)? Please use this link https://goo.gl/forms/bIjfJLKokWPcEHx33 

Worth Your Time

Three life skills your kids’ college professor wishes you taught them

How testing kids for skills can hurt those lacking knowledge

Setting Up Classrooms and First Day Activities

Ideas in Education: Setting Up Your Classroom

Earlier in the week, I was reflecting on how I set up my classroom to ensure it was a student-centered space. And honestly, I fell short. Here are 4 things I did well and 4 ways I’d change.

Four Things I Did Well In Setting Up My Classroom

1. My classroom was neat and organized with a student station. The student station was where students could get supplies, check their grades, pick up missing work, and turn in work.   Students who were absent the day before knew exactly where to go to get missed work. A cluttered classroom is distracting to students, especially those with processing or attention difficulties.
2. Seating was dynamic. Most often students sat in quads, but seats were constantly moved around based on the learning activity. Horseshoes and circles were used for discussions, seats were moved to the side for games and act-outs, and students could move seats or make use of some tables when doing individual work.
3. I rotated posters based on the unit of study. For example, when we were studying Greece, I put up posters of the Parthenon, the Athenian Acropolis, and previous student work from that unit. Those then came down at the end of the unit and were replaced by Roman posters and the like.
4. I was strategic about my own space. I’m not a big fan of when the teacher desk is front and center or when it occupies prime classroom real estate. I tried to have as small a desk as possible and tucked it away in the corner.

Four Things I’d Change About Setting Up My Classroom

1. I would have liked to encourage students to co-create and co-own the space. This would have given students immediate ownership of the class.
2. Although, there was some flexibility in seating arrangements, I would have liked more student options for students to work individually.
3. My classroom lacked vibrancy and creativity. I would have loved to have a themed classroom that perhaps would rotate based on the season or unit being studied. For example, I love baseball. So I could’ve used a baseball theme. Instead of listing the agenda, for example, I could have a baseball field diagram with the first activity on first base and the second activity on second base, etc. Learning criteria/rubrics could be baseball themed as well (haven’t tried=strikeout, work in progress=contact made, proficient=base hit, advanced=homerun). In addition, I could have baseballs and softballs hanging from the ceiling and make use of them for various activities, stations, etc. Heck, I could even add popcorn since it’s cheap as a reward for students. I’m now thinking about themes that I could’ve easily (and frugally) incorporated into my classroom: a day at the beach, a kitchen, and a basketball court are just some of the ideas I’d like to run with.
4. Nowhere were my passions and interests evident to the students. I’m passionate about my family, sports, cooking, and teaching. Having a small section of the classroom dedicated to passions makes sense. Let students see your passions and use them in your lessons. For example, if I posted my educational belief statement in the classroom, that could definitely empower my students and propel my own growth and keep me focused. So while I wouldn’t want to make the whole classroom about me, dedicating some space allows you to share who you are with your students and build relationships with them.

As a teacher, I overlooked how the classroom design can feed student and teacher passion. We should strive to create an environment that feeds our own passions and the passions for our students.

Of note, I am a believer in seating charts and I’ve blogged about this before. For some classes, I stayed with seating charts for the entire year; for others I canned them pretty soon. Also one of the things I’ve noticed about flexible seating and such is that the comfortable spots (couches, bean bag chairs, etc.) often go to the students who arrive first (have the closest class the period before) and they often become a management nightmare. I’d encourage anyone with this type of set-up to have students discuss and create procedures about these choices.

As you setup your classroom, ask yourself, “How can I set up my room to ensure that it empowers student learning?”

Ideas in Education: 6 Keys to a Great First Day

Our new teachers were challenged to work collaboratively to answer this question, “What will we do on Day 1 that EXCITE our students to come back for Day 2?” Here are some of their answers:

1. Greet students at the door with a handshake and an introduction. Require them to introduce themselves to you so that you will be able to say their names correctly. 

2. Don’t overwhelm them with rules and procedures on Day 1. These can be spread out over the first couple of days. 

  

3. Avoid being in front of the students all period or even for most of the period

4. Avoid icebreakers or connectors that:

• Require students to take social risks. Many students are not ready to share personal stories or how they’re different. This results in embarrassment, generic answers, and uncomfortableness.  
• Ask about past experiences or their summer. Some students may have had a crappy summer and they’re looking forward to coming back to school, don’t ruin it by asking them to think about something bad. Not all of our students have the same opportunities either, so it’s important that we frame our questions and activities with that in mind too. For example, some students may have travelled the world, while others never left Albemarle County.
• Require students to share out our speak in front of the whole class.

5. Engage and excite students about your content. I was thrilled to hear this from 2 teams. In my opinion, far too often we ignore the content during the first few days. We should be finding a way to excite students about our content and demonstrate the importance of students engaging with it and one another.
 
6. Set the tone for high expectations, respect and togetherness.

• Maximize learning time; don’t finish class early.
• Create opportunities for collaborative activities like station work, interdependent tasks, etc.

Important Dates and Information 

Teacher Work Week Schedule

Southwood Back to School: Aug 14, 5-7

Open House: Aug 15, 6:30-8

Shout Outs  

We had over 220 new students attend Fresh Start. What a great start to these students high school experience!

Thanks to all the teachers who helped out and in particular to Mike Schafer and Thomas Warren for their leadership.

Birthdays

Coming soon!

Useful Information

Bell Schedules http://bit.ly/MustangBells Please review to ensure everything is good. Please let me know of any errors, omissions, etc.

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm

Announcement Request

Athletic team schedules, rosters, etc.

Teacher Handbook 

Want something included on the Monticello Outlook Calendar, the Monticello website, in the PowerSchool Daily Bulletin, or the student newsletter (viewed by parents, students and staff)? Please use this link https://goo.gl/forms/bIjfJLKokWPcEHx33 

Worth Your Time

If it’s easy, then it probably isn’t learning