I just got back from a few days at the TEPSA conference in Austin. There was a great deal of fabulous information. I heard things that validated my thoughts and direction we want to go. I heard ideas that I wanted to spur things from, and was able to meet and mingle with other principals. Prior to TEPSA, I was house-sitting and watching America's Got Talent because I live a wild life on a Friday night. There was the most remarkable story of a girl who lost her hearing at age 18. She was a music major. Once she lost her hearing that dream died or so she thought. Her dad encouraged her to get back into music - which she thought he was crazy. She said the most incredible thing as she approached this new journey. She said it's scary, she's nervous but she knew she just had to show up! She said with the use of visual tuning and trusting her voice she was able to continue her dream. Y'all.... she had the most beautiful voice - a lot better than some hearing folks. Her words apply to us. This journey is scary. We are nervous and anxious but we just have to show up! SHOW UP AND TRUST YOUR VOICE. Trust your inner voice that tells you, "You got this!" Trust your voice when you are facilitating the great lessons you are going to deliver. Rise up, show up, and BE AWESOME!
**************************UPDATES*******************************
At the June 20th GISD Board Meeting, the proposed name for our school will be voted on. I will be presenting our current enrollment, demographics, and from which school zone they live. Please send good thoughts Tuesday night as I present this information.
Our GT Training will begin this week (June 19th). Please be at WMAB (Board Room) promptly at 8:30 a.m. so we can get started. I thought we might all go to lunch together on Friday. Otherwise lunch is on your own. Crystal has offered for anyone to bring their lunch and come to her house to eat if you don't live close by.
BOOK STUDY: Chapter 6 - THE THEMATIC APPROACH TO STEM-INFUSION
This is probably the most comfortable approach to STEM infusing for y'all if I had to take a guess. In this particular example, the reading assignment drove the unit. However, it focused on an element of problem-solving and higher-order thinking that may not have been as prevalent in a thematic unit that was planned previously to our STEM journey. I think this chapter came at a perfect time as we delve into our GT training and have some planning time together. This is a perfect jumping off point if you are feeling nervous about the STEM approach. I loved the author saying that this approach allows the teacher to adjust to his or her new role as facilitator instead of giver of knowledge. How true is that? As we go through this week, think of a challenge based on a reading text in which students use a combination of science, technology, engineering and/or math to solve the challenge. Please make some comment regarding our GT training as we go through the week. Let me know what questions you have or where you may need support. I can't wait to spend the week with y'all! We will miss Tonya, Samantha, Brian, and Diana!
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Every Day Feels Like Christmas Morning!
I realize it is June, but seriously- I'm am so excited about everything we are learning from and with each other that I can hardly contain the joy. Spending Thursday and Friday learning together was priceless. I learned so much about each of you, for instance:
Vickie make the best chocolate desserts ever!
Brian will ride thousands of miles on his bike to see a giant cow!
Crystal can come up with a slogan faster than anyone I know.
Vanessa has a 17 year old step daughter! WHAT?
Paige loves a nap and she deserves it because she is keeping a lot of kids at her house in line.
Chandler is a great presenter!
Bea can knock out a cheer when everyone else is brain dead.
Gina is more sure of herself than she gives herself credit for.
Diana could be completely self sufficient if she had to be. She knows how to grow and make ANYTHING.
Karen loves college softball. Seriously, I never knew this.
Samantha has chickens and goats, so we know where to get fresh eggs!
It's going to be an amazing year! This is what we decided for our convocation shirt with the name of our school on the front and #exploretheWHY on the back!
Let's get back to STEM Infusing the Elementary Classroom. We are now looking at Chapter 5: The Standards Alignment Approach to STEM-Infusion. Y'all have I said every day feels like Christmas morning? I am loving everything about this book! It's so real and right! In my mind, this is where I see us spending our time. The author says on pg 40 "this is especially helpful if you work in a school where you are required to follow a set pacing guide." I know Diana loved reading about the brain research as it was reminding us that "Our academic curriculum should reflect the beauty of patterns that blend together, rather than resembling a patchwork of unrelated content and experiences." It then went on to say that the more ways we connect content in our students' brains, the more avenues they have to track that information down during recall. YES, YES, and YES! I also thought the author hit the nail on the head when she said that the skills we are teaching are not yet connected in our own brains, it is difficult for us as teachers to come up with a project that relates them together. Did you love her Operation Secret Message to rescue Princess Reagan? Seriously, I did some crazy things in my classroom, but nothing like this! How awesome! I loved the encouragement of "don't let yourself be intimidated by thinking you have to plan a huge activity involving the entire week's curriculum content the first time." During staff development, we will take time to plan together - which you know is key- to design ideas such as this. Look at your math & science pacing guides for the 1st six weeks. I would ask that we incorporate great writing in these activities and brainstorm some things your grade level can do. This will give us a jump start on our design day.
Here's my question for you: Chapter 6 will get into a more thematic approach but from the two approaches we have read about so far, which do you feel more comfortable starting with and why?
Please respond by Friday, June 9th. Thank you all for taking time from your summer to ensure we start the year strong! You are an amazing group of people and I appreciate each one of you. We should have the final members of our team on board soon! I'll keep you posted.
SK loves Rockets!
Vickie make the best chocolate desserts ever!
Brian will ride thousands of miles on his bike to see a giant cow!
Crystal can come up with a slogan faster than anyone I know.
Vanessa has a 17 year old step daughter! WHAT?
Paige loves a nap and she deserves it because she is keeping a lot of kids at her house in line.
Chandler is a great presenter!
Bea can knock out a cheer when everyone else is brain dead.
Gina is more sure of herself than she gives herself credit for.
Diana could be completely self sufficient if she had to be. She knows how to grow and make ANYTHING.
Karen loves college softball. Seriously, I never knew this.
Samantha has chickens and goats, so we know where to get fresh eggs!
It's going to be an amazing year! This is what we decided for our convocation shirt with the name of our school on the front and #exploretheWHY on the back!
Let's get back to STEM Infusing the Elementary Classroom. We are now looking at Chapter 5: The Standards Alignment Approach to STEM-Infusion. Y'all have I said every day feels like Christmas morning? I am loving everything about this book! It's so real and right! In my mind, this is where I see us spending our time. The author says on pg 40 "this is especially helpful if you work in a school where you are required to follow a set pacing guide." I know Diana loved reading about the brain research as it was reminding us that "Our academic curriculum should reflect the beauty of patterns that blend together, rather than resembling a patchwork of unrelated content and experiences." It then went on to say that the more ways we connect content in our students' brains, the more avenues they have to track that information down during recall. YES, YES, and YES! I also thought the author hit the nail on the head when she said that the skills we are teaching are not yet connected in our own brains, it is difficult for us as teachers to come up with a project that relates them together. Did you love her Operation Secret Message to rescue Princess Reagan? Seriously, I did some crazy things in my classroom, but nothing like this! How awesome! I loved the encouragement of "don't let yourself be intimidated by thinking you have to plan a huge activity involving the entire week's curriculum content the first time." During staff development, we will take time to plan together - which you know is key- to design ideas such as this. Look at your math & science pacing guides for the 1st six weeks. I would ask that we incorporate great writing in these activities and brainstorm some things your grade level can do. This will give us a jump start on our design day.
Here's my question for you: Chapter 6 will get into a more thematic approach but from the two approaches we have read about so far, which do you feel more comfortable starting with and why?
Please respond by Friday, June 9th. Thank you all for taking time from your summer to ensure we start the year strong! You are an amazing group of people and I appreciate each one of you. We should have the final members of our team on board soon! I'll keep you posted.
SK loves Rockets!
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