March 22, 2019

As we head into Spring Break, please take time to reflect, relax and rejuvinate as we are about to head into the busiest time of year with testing, activities, 8th grade promotion, stress, events, and more.  

How do we, as educators, take a step back and avoid burn out (which usually happens around this time for teachers AND students!) so that we are still on top of our game?  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE for 10 EASY choices that you can make to help avoid burn out.  From choosing to be mindful to choosing to disconnect to something as simple as getting outside, it's an easy peasy read to help make your life less stressful and more focused!

This video gives a great example on a very visual process for students to organize their writing. Please watch this video!! Check out this video . 

Writing aligned to the Common Core and the needs ofEnglish Learners

As we continue to focus on the needs of our English learners, it is important to continue to examine how instruction is differentiated.  This article from Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski provides an overarching view of writing.  The article discusses the three types of writing in the Common Core: Argument/Opinion, Information/Explanation, and Narrative.  The author's highlight the integration of reading with writing, especially for Argument and Information writing.

The article provides some specific implications for English learners and writing.

• Create meaningful opportunities to communicate ideas rather than focus on grammar and conventions
• Provide support for citations
• Provide modeling and guidance
• Provide many sentence starters and graphic organizers
• Use collaborative writing projects
• Support students in self-assessment and goal setting 

The article is part of a series.  Part 2 provides more specific strategies including 12 guiding questions to help students when writing.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Mr. Pringle for organizing our college guests to speak to every classroom!! Thank you Mr. Kimble for always going the extra mile and helping out whenever you can. Thank you 4th, 5th, 3rd, and 6th grade teams for coming to academic conferences prepared.

Play: Take some time during spring break and play.

Choose your attitude: 

To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional. Ask yourself throughout the day, "What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you Katie, Heather, and Jamie for planning a fun AR party for students!!