REFLECTION ZONE: Grants

Here are two grants I shared with the learning community. 

Become a Mathematics Teacher-Leader
http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=1310


The purpose of this grant is to increase the breadth and depth of the mathematics content knowledge of one elementary school teacher who has a demonstrated commitment to mathematics teaching and learning. The applicant must have the support of the school principal in becoming a mathematics teacher-leader within her or his school or district. For the 2012–2013 school year, grants with a maximum of $6,000 each will be awarded. Only one teacher per school may receive the award. The desired outcome of the funded project is the development of an elementary school mathematics teacher with mathematics content expertise.

Provide Movement Activities for Children with Disabilities

http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/community-grants
CVS Caremark Community Grants provide funds of up to $5,000 for public school programs that promote a greater level of inclusion of children with disabilities in extracurricular activities.
Proposed programs may include either physical activities or play opportunities for youth
under age 21 and should address the specific needs of the population served.

REFLECTION ZONE: Common Core Standards - Osceola

I too along with Tony and Rick attended the Common Core Workshop at transition in Turtle Lake last year for middle and high school math teachers.  I received a binder that outlines what each grade level math teacher will "own" as their responsibility for their students to master. There are topics I currently teach that are not included in 6th grade of common core, so I will need to remove them.  I also believe there is some checking for understanding that will need to be completed or topics taught or retaught in order to begin teaching the concepts we are responsible for kids to master in 6th grade.
I am concerned about how this will be implemented.  It sounds like all grades will just say 1,2,3 jump, and everyone will start fresh with the Common Core standards.  It is my thinking that some topics will be lost for some kids with that kind of transition.  It would take much longer to start at Kindergarten the first year, and then K and 1st the second year, and so on,  but I'm just worried about all starting the same time. Maybe I just need to have more faith in the people who created the standards.  :)



REFLECTION ZONE: Academic Intervention Tier 1

I chose to implement the academic intervention called Help Signal. I am going to implement this with my entire team taught class.
My team taught class is comprised of 20 students who are special education students and/or struggling learners.  There are two teachers in the room, myself and a special education teacher.  It is great to have two teachers during work time as we can get to and help twice as many students.  While we work hard and try to check in with every student every day, I am hoping that utilizing the help signal will help students communicate their level of need in a non-threatening way instead of us interrupting them to check in.
I am going to use it with the entire class as I feel this is an intervention that could help every student in the class.  If everyone is using it, no one would feel signaled out. I am choosing this intervention because sometimes students do not know the best way to ask for help.  Some are very shy and uncomfortable raising their hand, and some demand attention right away.

I am going to use a two sided piece of laminated cardstock.  One side will be red, and this will be the side to turn up if you are stuck and need help.  The other side will be green, and this side turned up will indicate I am doing ok and do not need help.  This year I am really stressing that I need to see some evidence that you tried before I will help.  That means something needs to be on your paper - the important numbers from the problem, your idea to get started, how you tried it once..  I am planning to introduce the Help Signal this week.   

Help Signal

 

REFLECTION ZONE: RtI

Response to Intervention Reflection

By Abby Marish

Our district is preparing to be ready for when the RtI model needs to be completely in place by the 2014 school year.  Our district has created a problem solving team at each building.  This team consists of the building principal, guidance counselor, teachers who are delivering interventions, a special education teacher, and an aide.  The team received training and met one school day each month the first year.  The second year the team met after school until 7:00 four times as well as three days in the summer. The middle school team has also met at numerous morning meetings before school as we went through the complete problem solving team process with a selected student. 

I am one of the teachers who is responsible for delivering math interventions to sixth graders who are at least one year behind grade level.  This is my second year working with the RtI model.  I have one hour a day called math duty.  I meet with a small group of students, usually around 5 or 6 students for a hex, or 6-week period.  Students attend three days a week for intervention and two days a week for specific math help on the current topic they are studying in math class.  The interventions students work on are Rocket Math, Daily Oral Math, and Do the Math.  This year we are also adding Compass software.  Our curriculum coordinator and special education director are currently looking for research-based math interventions as there are very few research-based interventions identified, and that will be what we must use by 2014.  Besides changing to research based interventions, we will also have to change how the hour is set up.  The law states that a student must receive two 30-day research-based interventions for each subject area he/she is struggling in.  Currently students receive interventions three days a week for six weeks, so this is only 15 days.  This will need to change to 30 days, and students will need to attend for two hexes. 

RtI can be an advantage and a disadvantage.  An advantage is that students are getting extra instruction during the school day in a small group setting. Because the groups are small, students get more individual attention and help.  Their math confidence boosts as they can see and track the progress they are making. It is a good opportunity to help the students who really need extra help understanding and not let them fall through the cracks.  They can make gains if the intervention matches the specific need. Currently the interventions we are using are not tailored to meet the individual need of each student.  Once we have more research-based interventions to choose from, we can do a better job of making sure each student is getting the individualized help in the specific math strand they need.  Another disadvantage is that two 30 day interventions seems like a long time to have a student with a learning disability go without receiving the special education services they need to be successful.  There are both advantages and disadvantages to RtI.  There are changes our school will need to make to be ready to comply with all rules and regulations by 2014.  While there are many areas that we can improve upon and pieces of RtI that need to be ironed out, we are definitely working to help students grow and learn, and that is positive piece of RtI.



REFLECTION ZONE: Communication Alert

Two weeks ago middle school teachers held a Communication Alert night for parents.  We put together a power point presentation on 6th grade subjects, expectations, ways to communicate with your child's teachers, and ways to help your child succeed.  We divided up the slides between all the 6th grade advisors present and spoke from the slides.  The slide show was shown on the promethean board in my room from 6:15 - 7:45.  We also fielded questions when we were done.  We had 26 6th grade parents attend and received positive feedback.  They appreciated seeing us and hearing us explain our classes and certain expectations.  Some were happy to learn more about Advisory, Family Access, Homework Hotline, Message Center, and which teachers had webpages.  Overall, I feel it was a great benefit for those parents in attendance.  It is only our second year, so we are hopeful participation will increase next year as well. 

REFLECTION ZONE: Classroom Management

I read the article "Classroom Management: Whose Job Is It?" by Robert Marzano from the October 2011 edition of Educational Leadership.

The main point of this article was that teachers, administrators, and students all have an important role to play in effectively managing behaviors in school.  Teachers must provide clear direction and create a positive learning atmosphere where students feel valued and challenged.  Teachers must have rules and procedures that are continually referenced and consistently reinforced.  Administrators must establish a schoolwide foundation, and they must enforce guidelines that safe and respectful behaviors occur between teachers and students.  All students, not just student council representatives, must have a voice and help design rules for their school and classrooms. Students also must help support enforcement of the rules.  Teachers, administrators, and students all have shared responsibilities to manage school behavior.  Classroom management is necessary before effective teaching or learning can occur. 

I agree with this article.  We have had students help create our Social Contract, and it has been effective.  I have it posted in my room and reference it as needed throughout the year.  It helps that the entire school has the same contract, and all the kids are on the same page.  It takes EVERYONE to make a successful school. 

REFLECTION ZONE: Single Gender Classrooms

This past Thursday I attended an after school section on single gender classrooms.  Our guidance teacher and 7th grade English teacher recently attended and presented at an educational conference in Florida.  Currently at our middle school, both 6th and 7th grade English students can choose to participate in an all boys, all girls, or mixed English class. After they came back they wanted to share some of their findings and new learnings.  Their main point was that teaching the male brain is different than the female brain.  Females need to help to focus on persistence when problem solving and boys need to focus on getting started.  It was recommended to bold or darken the first word of each direction for boys and to model persistence for girls.  One review game shared was called Fastest and Best for boys.  Boys are partnered up and groups are given a note card with a problem.  Once they figure the answer they have to run it up to your desk with their answer. If they are correct, you give them their second problem card to work on.  It involves movement and competition.  I don't teach single gender classes, but I am interested in trying this review method with one of my classes this week.