I'm reading a new book called Creating Cultures of Thinking and taking an online mini-course about it; so get ready because you know this kind of stuff gets me all JAZZED!
In my reading for one of my assignments I came across a quote that connected to the thinking we've been doing about math for the past few years due to our new learning about the Science of Reading. We've started to feel like our approaches to teaching reading have become more explicit and that our approaches to math are all about wonder and discovery. So, when I read this quote I couldn't help but think that this is was we've been looking for in math. "We must give students supports that they can hold on to as they take the lead-not just push them onto the path and hope they find their way." (Fisher and Frey 2008) I think that's how I have felt about math, like we are just pushing them onto the path and hoping they figure out the strategies that they need to be problem solvers. The way Fisher and Frey describe teaching and learning is exactly what we're striving for. We want to build independent learners but we must provide them supports and guidance so they can take the lead. I see this happening here at JW through our use of tiny targets. Students know exactly what they are learning and are able to determine if they've mastered what they need to. We have shifted our teaching into explicit instruction of basic facts and are ensuring that students are aware of a engaged in their journey to mastery. As you teach over the next few days, I challenge you to reflect on times you gave students supports that they could hold on to as they took the lead versus times you may just be setting on the path and hoping they get to where you want them to be!
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Mrs. Callif is the perfect example of a teacher who is a warm demander. She cares deeply about her students and pushes them outside of their comfort zones. That's exactly why she gets to have one of our good friends in her class, let's call him Mike. We all love him so much (and he knows it), but we knew he needed some PUSH.
This year, Mrs. Callif has been doing just that and he's been making great growth. But, sometimes, he has enough of her "care and push". Yesterday was one of those days. He ended up in the xSEL room. Some chairs may have been tipped and I may have been called in to help a little. There's nothing I love more than a chance to deescalate an upset friend. And, this time did not disappoint. Upon entering the xSEL room I learned that Mike was quite upset with Mrs. Callif. Then he said the unthinkable.... "Mrs. Callif you're trash!" "YOU'RE DOG WATER!" I said, "Wow! That's going to sting later when Mrs. Callif reflects on her day. She really loves you. How could you say that about her?" Later when he calmed down, I shared his comments with his mom who was also very upset that he would say such things about his wonderful teacher. But, as we all know love is an intervention...so, click on the link to the staff update to see what he brought her today. I just can't get enough of this weather.
Have you taken a minute to appreciate the sunshine and warm temperatures? I didn't realize how much sun and warmth effects my mood. In most Februarys, I feel like it's usually so dark and cold and can it can feel ominous. This February has been bright and enjoyable. I hope you can take some time to enjoy the beautiful weather and take advantage of the benefits of the sunshine and warmth! I hope many of you recognize these amazing kids!
I got this email from Mia Neuhausel's mom, Michelle today and it just MADE MY DAY! I want to share with you that three former JW students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society this morning. We got a picture of the three girls and wanted to share them with you. It takes a village to raise children, and we want to acknowledge everyone's hard work dedication at JW. Sometimes it takes a while to see the work come to fruition. Thank you for all you do. Ryanne Musbah Mia Neuhausel Charlotte Nolan We all like to give crap to our good buddy, Mr. Smalley. But, we also all know that there is no one who values building relationships more than he does.
On Wednesday, I was in my office when Mr. Smalley bounded in carrying a hammer, a home depot flower kit and being followed by a kindergartner. He said, "Mrs. Prati, can Eli and I use your table to build something?" And before I knew it, Mr. Smalley and Eli were using a hammer to build a cute flower holder. After they finished, I asked Mr. Smalley what that was all about. He said that he picked up an extra kit at Home Depot this weekend and brought it to school to find a student who might like to built it. This moment with Mr. Smalley and Eli caused me to pause and think about how quickly we go through our days, checking things off our to do lists. But, in this moment, Mr. Smalley was exactly where his feet were. He gave 10 minutes of his day to Eli and created an experience that he won't soon forget. After finishing his project, Eli said, "THANK YOU! I'm going to put this by my bed!" Thanks Mr. Smalley for reminding of the importance of creating moments for others. I love that one of our students felt safe enough to speak up and ask me this question. I love that he felt comfortable to ask his classmates to sign his letter.
Have you ever had one of those days that started out great and you really felt like you were killing it? That was me today. My day even started with this nice gift from our librarian. Then this happened.... It's like I'm living in a real live metaphor.
I hope you're having a great day! And on the bright side, I salvaged a few kernels! May you always look for the "kernels"! :) I never thought I'd live in a world where teachers and school staff were vilified. But, I was wrong. I still don't understand how we can go from being heroes during COVID with parents singing our praises for how hard our jobs are, to being accused of pushing sexuality, CRT and more on kids. It's just not right. And, it's easy to feel defeated and on the defensive. So, I write this blog today to remind myself and all of you that we cannot listen to the noise. It's hard to drown it out, especially when parents are directing some of us that noise at us, but we must remember that we are the ones showing up everyday with the best interest of kids in mind. We are the ones who know about all of the sweet, innocent conversations that happen in our classrooms and we are trusted by our students. When you feel yourself getting frustrated with the noise, I ask you to instead focus on the fun of elementary kids! Look for the JOY, count the skippers, think about the 5 or 10 funny things that happened and remember how lucky we are to spend our days with kids.
This is actually the one place where we can come an escape the crazy that is happening on the outside. A student, let's call him "John", hasn't been coming to school at all. And, when he does, it's at about 11:45am. There are two ways that this can be handled. One way is that we can think his mom is neglectful, assume she doesn't care about school and is a terrible parent. We could say that there's nothing we can do and just BCD about the situation. But the other way, the JW way, is to provide some support and love to the family. (Now, don't get me wrong, some families don't want our help and some are neglectful and don't care about school; but it's not up to us to assume which families are which.) Everyone deserves the JW way. Here's what happened this week when love was an intervention.
A phone call was made to John's mom at about 11:45am to find out where he was. In a stern but loving way some questions were asked of mom like, "What's going on? I'm worried! How can we help?" And, in that moment mom was ready to accept help. She happened to be in the car at the time on the way to school with John. Mom and John were invited into school so we could figure out what was going on. We all knew mom was struggling, she just got out of a shelter in August, she'd escaped domestic violence and addiction. John had experienced all of these things right along with her. When they got to the office we started talking and uncovered that Mom works nights while aunt stays over night so John isn't alone. John is not falling asleep at night and is trying to stay up and get on his phone, play video games and watch tv. Mom is at her wit's end, his aunt is at her wit's end, John is exhausted and it seems as if the family is spiraling out of control. So, with love being an intervention we listened to mom and came up with a plan. The plan is simple-John goes into his room at bedtime and does not get to come back out, mom will wake him up at 8am for school. We explained to John that it is going to be hard for a few days until he gets into a routine which leads me to my favorite part of the plan. We made a "quiet box" for John. We filled it with things like putty, fidgets, a sticker book and the BEST PART is that on the top of the box it says "GET OUT OF BED, WE NEED YOU HERE!" and then all of his teachers signed it. AND GUESS WHAT?!?!? John has been to school on time and well rested for the past two days! Mom is happy, he is happy and love truly is an intervention.
If you've been around JW for a while, you probably know that I LOVE WORDS! And, one of my favorite things to do is choose a ONE WORD for each year. Some years my word ends up changing my life and helping me grow in ways I could never have imagined. Other years, my word ends up being something that I still feel like I have fully reached the potential of. But, no matter what, my words energize me and motivate me throughout the entire year.
If you aren't familiar with the concept of ONE WORD (or even if you are but need a refresher) check out this video. Choosing your ONE WORD is just as important and SHARING your ONE WORD! It's important that we put our words out into the universe and breath life into them! My ONE WORD for the year is: CURIOUS This word starting popping into my life in November. I started saying things like..."I'm curious about..." and "I'm trying to be curious here..." I love the possibility that this word brings to my daily life. Being CURIOUS also forces me to listen more and ask more questions, which are two things that I know will make me better in all aspects of my life. I'm ready to get CURIOUS in 2023. I hope you share your ONE WORDs with me! |
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