Does your school do a step up day for the student to meet their teachers for the following year? We are doing it and I am having my students to create a book using an app called Book Creator to tell the first graders what they will be learning in 2nd grade. These digital books will be shared in small groups.
What are some of your favorite websites or publishers of early reading reader’s theater you love?
Would you like to start the upcoming school with less stress and feel more organized?
Right now, at the end of this school year, there are things that you can do upfront to make the upcoming school year start out smoothly:
1. Reflect on your Procedures and Routines - What worked? What didn't?
2. Get your room organized by getting rid of things that you will not use.
3. Plan for the First Day (or Week)
* getting to know you games
*first day read alouds
*procedures to teach
*a fun math about me craft
*tips for managing supplies
*community building ideas
4. Map Out Your Year.
Mapping out your lesson plans a year at a time is an effective way to stay organized and focused as an educator. While it may seem like a lot of work upfront, taking the time to plan out your lessons in advance can help you stay on track and ensure that you’re meeting your students’ needs.
5. Get Ready For Open House / Meet The Teacher:
*Introduce yourself with a slideshow
*Provide important dates
*Share your goals and expectations
*Provide a schedule of a "typical day"
What things can you add to this list?
What curricular materials, if any, does your school use and why were they chosen?
Does your school utilize intervention programs as part of their summer school? If not - what do they use- or what type of program is used?
Differentiated instruction vs. Scaffold Instruction How are they different?
Scaffold instruction provides support for students to understand the material. This type of instruction is temporary, and the support is only used until the student understands the material.
Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach tailoring it to address students' needs. Each student has the same learning goal, but the instruction is varied based on the student’s learning style, strengths, and interests.
To meet the different needs and interests of each student, the teacher may vary the
-course content
-activities or
-assessments
Differentiated Instruction takes time and patience. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach but based on each student's needs.
What are some ways that you differentiate to meet the needs of all your students?
What are your favorite seeds to have your students plant? I usually stick with Lima beans or alfalfa seeds, but I’m looking to branch out.
What are some analogies you have used to make connections with the students? For example:
I am the Costco sampler person. I give you a little taste (the content limit of standards) and hopefully you will buy more (looking deeper into the subject)
I am an academic mechanic, I have to diagnose the issues and solve that problem.
School year- does your school district wrap up the school year by the end of May? Do you teach in a district that has a modified calendar schedule?
I am curious to learn more in your thoughts, experiences etc on this!
How do you plan with your team? Is there one teacher who takes the lead or do you share the planning? How often do you meet?
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How do your teams plan together? Is there one teacher that takes the lead more than others or do you all collaborate together?
Has anyone published a class book with their students? I have done this in the past and it is a good way to help students with opinion writing and to see what they have learned about a particular subject. I use a company called Student Treasures. This is there website: https://studentreasures.com. I am showing pictures of 2 books that I have published with my students. I usually invite parents to my classroom for a book party and each student reads their page. They really enjoy it and it builds community.
In so many schools, play is dismissed as frivolous or not important to include in the day. How do you advocate for the inclusion of play?
We use orange folders for studentswho are a part of our Student Study multidisciplinary team/s. We summarize interventions, response to intervention, etc in a final recommendations report/pdf. This will then go into the student’s file. What does this look like in your school?
What are your favorite ongoing science experiments that you do with your students?
How do you organize your teaching materials?
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I am looking for some ways to enrich our high math students (NWEA MAP scores of 200+). What are some ways you enrich high students without completely teaching outside of their grade band? Any go to resources?
How do you prepare for your small groups so you can make the most of your time? I use these prepared baskets of materials so that students can get right to work when they visit with me!
Do your teaching practices ever get stuck in a rut? What do you do to reinvigorate your teaching?
