Week of April 3

Thursday Thoughts  April 3

If you are reading this on Thursday night, then you have approximately 18 hours until Spring Break.  If it is Friday then you have less than 8 hours and you are almost there! I hope that no matter your destination, you take the time to rest.  Turn off your brain.  Do something that is worth sharing with others when you return.  We have worked hard and deserve a few days off.  For those of you who will be on the road (or on the sea) I wish you safe travels.  For those that will enjoy the benefits of staying home, I urge you to dive into some great books or movies and make a lasting imprint on the couch. Thank you for taking caring of our students....now take care of yourself!

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Jennifer Briskin.  This is Jennifer's first year at Medlock but you would never know it.  Jennifer works closely with the special education team as well as the SST Team to provide strategies, help identify students' needs and administer testing.  Her ability to complete testing well ahead of designated timelines is uncanny.  I have had the opportunity to participate in numerous meetings with Jennifer and she is knowledgeable, compassionate and willing to go the extra mile for students. Although Jennifer is not here on a daily basis, she calls Medlock home and has become a valued member of the team.  Thank you Jennifer for all that you do for our students!

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

A List Of 50+ Teaching Strategies To Jumpstart Your Teacher Brain   

Teachthought Blog

Teaching strategies are among the most important ingredients for highly-effective learning environments.
In addition to literacy strategies, approaches to assessment, and grouping strategies (among many others), knowing the right teaching strategy for the right academic situation may not be a matter of expertise or training, but memory: out of sight, out of mind, yes?
Which makes the following infographic from fortheteachers.org useful.
While it doesn’t offer definitions and explanations for each strategy (it’s an infographic, not a book), and many great strategies are missing (e.g., 3-2-1, exit slip, project-based learning, accountable talk, ask a question, etc.) it does work well as a kind of reminder for what’s possible, even offering categories for each strategy, from progress monitoring (think-pair-share, KWL charts), to Note-Taking (graphic organizers).
There are 87 instructional strategies listed below, but several are repeated across categories, so let’s call it “50+” strategies.
Enjoy!


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

Check out the following website:

www.fortheteachers.org This site is a great resource that gives more detail about each of the strategies in the chart above.

News & Notes:

The security buzzer system will be operable within the 3rd week of April.  At that time, I will send a school messenger letter and a hard copy letter home to all parents with the details.