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The Week Ahead........Monday September 25th-
Day 6-
Grade 6 Data Meeting
DORA/ADAM Testing Window
Out of Building- None
Tuesday September 26th-
Day 1
Title 1 Committee Meeting
DORA/ADAM Testing Window
Out of Building-Atkinson (Full Day), Paup (Half Day PM)
Wednesday September 27th-
Day 2-
Faculty Meeting
DORA/ADAM Testing Window
TANK
Intramurals
Out of Building- None
Thursday September 28th-
Day 3-
Dress Down will be today.
DORA/ADAM Testing Window
Out of Building-Roy (Half Day PM), White (Full Day)
Friday September 29th-
Day 4-:
Parent Visitation Day- No jeans today!!!
SLOs Due
Out of Building-Mellinger (Half Day PM), White (Full Day)
PLC in Print
from Education Update/September 2017
T.G.I. "Feedback" Friday
"In classrooms, teachers are accustomed to hearing administrators ask, "Would you like some feedback?" But when I began hearing my students as the same question, it completely altered my outlook.
To receive feedback on my practice (especially feedback for growth), I placed a folder inside my classroom with forms asking for one positive comment and one thing to think about. I invited my fifth-graders, as well as colleagues, administrators, and visitors, to observe the class and offer feedback. This practice quickly spread.
Soon students were asking adults for feedback when they visited our room. They asked questions about participation: Did I build on the ideas of my classmates? They also began asking one another feedback-style questions: Was I reading with expression and fluency? We discussed the positive effect the feedback was having in our classroom, and then we took it one step further, to Feedback Friday.""
To receive feedback on my practice (especially feedback for growth), I placed a folder inside my classroom with forms asking for one positive comment and one thing to think about. I invited my fifth-graders, as well as colleagues, administrators, and visitors, to observe the class and offer feedback. This practice quickly spread.
Soon students were asking adults for feedback when they visited our room. They asked questions about participation: Did I build on the ideas of my classmates? They also began asking one another feedback-style questions: Was I reading with expression and fluency? We discussed the positive effect the feedback was having in our classroom, and then we took it one step further, to Feedback Friday.""
What is Feedback Friday?
"Feedback Friday was a designated time each week when students could sit down with me one-to-one to share their observations. Students were comfortable providing feedback on my teaching practice when I modeled a math problem or shared a piece of my own writing - but I wanted to move past that into what they were thinking and feeling about our classroom. Prior to implementing Feedback Friday, I gave students a specific look-for, something I wanted feedback on. But one we normalized the culture of feedback in our classroom, they understood that I was soliciting feedback to become more effective, not to hear praise. If they offered positive feedback, they also had to give me feedback the fed forward."
Among many other ideas, students have made these suggestions:
-Offer encouragement or feedback related to student-specific goals
-Be more aware of whom I cal on in different specific areas (a student pointed out that I rarely call on her during math).
-Keep up-to-date with things like anchor charts and the class schedule.
-Utilize one-to-one devices in different ways during the math block.
One student even let me know that I unconsciously use a "telling signal" when a student gives me the wrong answer - I tilt my head to the right slightly."
Why Ask Students?
"When students occasionally provided unhelpful feedback - such as comments on my hair or clothes - we talked about ways to reframe statements or offer something new.
There were times when the feedback I received couldn't be acted upon - and I missed an opportunity to communicate that with the class. Students sometimes wanted to know why we used a specific instructional approach - for instance, why we studied social issues in our book clubs or why we had to explain our thinking in math. I regret that I didn't always explain these approaches fully. This wasn't feedback from students trying to get out of work; it was feedback from students who hadn't heard a viable reason why yet. It was my job to provide that."
