Week of March 20

Thursday Thoughts March 20

I don't know about you, but for the last month I feel like I have been on a treadmill and the off switch is broken.  It seems like I am running full speed but going nowhere fast.   It is amazing how your body will force you to slow down and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.  It is in those times that you actually realize that you are not a robot, but a person, who gets tired and must take a break.  It is also in those times that you remember your purpose.  I want to take a moment to remind you (and myself) that we are in the business of kids.  Yes we have important deadlines to keep, emails to return within 24 hours and tasks that are imposed upon us by external forces.  But we have students to teach, minds to reach and colleagues to support.  We are not here to push papers.  We are here to touch lives.  Now of course we have the job demands that we can't ignore (please don't stage a boycott against the progress reports that are due).  But we have to to remember that our interaction with people is what matters most. Period.

 

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Mary Beth Eby.  Most of the teachers on staff don't get the pleasure of working with Mary Beth as she primarily works with the little ones.  But those teachers that do have the opportunity would agree that Mary Beth is a true professional.  She not only provides the OT services that our students need, but she is a resource for the teachers that work closely with her.  On many occasions I have watched her assist with a little one that may not be complying with the teacher or a little one who needs to get to the sensory room immediately.  Mary Beth is quiet and goes about the business of helping children without much fanfare.  On a personal note, after raising her own children, Mary Beth and her husband decided to become foster parents and have recently become the proud parents of a seven year old little boy.   She is a valued member of the Medlock Team.  Mary Beth we thank you for all that you do!

  

  

4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills

26 Sentence Stems For Higher-Level Conversation In The Classroom

3/12/14 Teach Thought Blog

Meaningful conversation can make learning more personal, immediate, and emotional.
During meaningful conversations, students are forced to be accountable for their positions, to listen, to analyze opposing perspectives, and to adapt their thinking on the fly.
There are many popular strategies for these kinds of conversations, each with slightly unique rules and applications. Among them are Socrative Discussions, Accountable Talks, Debate, and Literature Circles. Whichever strategy you employ, students need support.
It is sometimes argued that the these kinds of conversations favor students that are confident expressing themselves verbally, and that’s hard to argue. But consider that academic writing favors gifted writers, traditional tests favor those comfortable with proving what they know, learning through technology favors students with a more diverse history of using technology, and so on.
And all can benefit from scaffolding, so that students are given different levels of support–maybe unique tiers of index cards with easier to use or more natural stems–so that they can be successful on some level.

If you have any useful conversation stems, let us know in the comments so we can update the list!
26 Sentence Stems For Meaningful Conversation In The Classroom
Clarifying
Could you give me your thesis in one sentence?
Is it your position that…
To be clear, you’re saying that…
I’m confused when you say Z, Can you elaborate?
Paraphrasing
Put another way, you’re saying…
So you’re saying that…
Is it fair to say that you believe…
I hear you saying that…
Agreeing
I agree with Y because…
Z’s point about X was important because…
The evidence for Z is overwhelming when you consider that…
X and I are coming from the same position.
Despite disagreeing about Y, I agree with Z that…
Disagreeing
I see it differently because…
The evidence I’ve seen suggests something different.
Some of that is fact, but some of it is opinion as well.
I agree that Y, but we also have to consider that…
We see Z differently.
Building On
Y mentioned that…
Yes–and furthermore…
The author’s claim that Z is interesting because…
Adding to what X said,…
If we change Xs position just a little, we can see that…
Summarizing
Overall, what I’m trying to say is…
My whole point in one sentence is…
More than anything else, I believe that…

Technology Tidbits: (If you have websites to share please email me and I will share with all)

Check out the following website:

www.masteryconnect.com
MasteryConnect makes it simple to share and discover common assessments and resources,
track mastery of standards, and collaborate.  You can join for free and have access to Common Core assessment questions that have been created by teachers all over the country.  For a subscription you have access to thousands more questions.  May be a good resource for math but has questions for all subjects.

News & Notes:

Please check out the FCS School Psychology Newsletter.   There is an article about a quick research-based strategy that can be taught to students to reduce their stress and test anxiety for the CRCTs http://fcspsychservices.uberflip.com/i/261925  Many thanks to Jennifer Briskin for sharing!