Weekly Bulletin for January 20, 2014

West Geauga Robotics Team in action last weekend.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Important Dates

January 21 - Staff meeting is cancelled.  Please use this time to work on completing grades, entering grades and ProgressBook and entering course recommendations.  Grades are due by the end of the day on Wednesday.  

January 22 - Grades due by the end of the day.  

January 22 - 9th Grade Mentoring

January 24 - Report Card Distribution

January 26 - West Geauga Band performance at Severance Hall.  Get tickets here if interested in attending.

January 28 - 1:10 - Senior Class Meeting in the gym.  Wait for an announcement to dismiss the students.

January 31 - 8th Grade Transition Meeting at High School

Important Information

Differentiated Instruction - How do you use teaching strategies that connect with all the students in your classroom?  How do you maximize learning for all types of students?  Differentiation is based on a set of beliefs (from ASCD):

• Students who are the same age differ in their readiness to learn, their interests, their styles of learning, their experiences, and their life circumstances.
• The differences in students are significant enough to make a major impact on what students need to learn, the pace at which they need to learn it, and the support they need from teachers and others to learn it well.
• Students will learn best when supportive adults push them slightly beyond where they can work without assistance.
• Students will learn best when they can make a connection between the curriculum and their interests and life experiences.
• Students will learn best when learning opportunities are natural.
• Students are more effective learners when classrooms and schools create a sense of community in which students feel significant and respected.
• The central job of schools is to maximize the capacity of each student. 

 

How do you reach each child?  What research based strategies do you use?  What data information do you use to inform your instruction?  How often do you use it?  Have you researched your students to determine ability levels?

Bullying and Harassment Behavior - Always be on the lookout for harassing behavior.  If you witness something that throws up a red flag, do not dismiss the situation and chalk it up to teenage behavior.  These small conversations might appear as small incidents but may, in fact, be part of a larger problem.  Report these issues to a guidance counselor or a school administrator.

Positive Phone Calls - Please contact parents when students are to be commended for the outstanding work they are doing in your classroom.  There is not one parent that would not want to hear great news about their child.  This message gets passed to the student and encourages him/her to continually put their best foot forward.

Curriculum Maps and Pacing Guides - Make sure you continue to work in the Google Doc that was shared with you by Sean Whelan.  At this point, curriculum maps should be completed through the end of the first semester.  Keep up the good work!

PD Day - Great work on Friday!  Thank you for being so attentive during the presentation and for the thought provoking conversations.  Click here for additional resources when creating your SLO's. 

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

How to use information text in your classroom.
Writing SLO's using Sample Data (ODE Video)
Teacher Tip: Give Students Multiple "Second" Chances