Week of February 4

Thursday Thoughts February 4

The quote above makes me laugh, probably because it speaks to my role as a principal.  I often find myself in situations where I realize....oh yeah I have to make the final decision.  Some decisions are easy and won't cause major damage or disruption if I make the wrong call.  Other decisions are pretty lofty and require much contemplation.  There are also those rare occasions where I have to make split decisions and just pray that everything works out (remember Snowpocalypse 2014).  In all of my decisions, I try to keep the main thing the main thing....the best interest of the students.  One of the things that makes me so proud of you as a staff is that you also keep the students at the forefront of your decision making.  Our work is not easy (we are reminded of this daily), but it is worthwhile. One of the most important things that we can do for kids, as adults, is make good decisions. I believe that at Medlock we are making the best decisions we can for ALL students and we are the adults who will make a difference in their lives.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Karen Gilbert.  You will always see Karen with a smile on her face and a trail of students in front or behind her.  From the moment she arrives, Karen is working with small groups and individual ESOL students to help accelerate their acquisition of language skills.  She is using her Orton Gillingham training to provide specialized instruction to those students who need it most.  In the absence of one or both of the ESOL teachers, Karen makes sure that students are still able to attend class.  Recently we adjusted Karen's schedule to better accommodate ESOL students in their general education classrooms.  She was understanding and jumped right into the classrooms to provide assistance.  Karen has been a steady constant to an ever changing ESOL program at Medlock.  We are thankful for her dedication to the program and appreciate her contribution to our school.

Personalized Learning

7 Pros & Cons Of Teaching With Genius Hour

by TeachThought Staff   01/05/2016

Genius hour is trending in education, and for good reason. It is an attempt to restore the personalization, creativity, and authenticity that has been designed out of many schools and classrooms in the modern testing era of ed reform.

We’ve offered a definition for genius hour in the past, and discussed the principles of genius hour before. Below we’ve listed 7 strengths and challenges of teaching with/through genius hour (we’ve used the simpler but slightly less accurate terms “pros” and “cons”).

7 Pros of Genius Hour

1. Student-centered & open-ended
2. Encourages students to design meaningful and authentic work
3. Easily supports tech-centered and tech-limited classrooms
4. Students are able to practice navigating “unfiltered” and non-academic content with a focus on inquiry and research
5. Promotes learning beyond the classroom
6. Can be successful for the student that struggles in traditional settings
7. Students that “play” with ideas tend to think laterally, critically, and creatively since they’re not seeking to play guess-what-the-teacher’s-thinking

7 Cons of Genius Hour

1. Though genius hour seeks to be “passion-based” and curiosity-centered, in most public schools and formal learning environments it is still essentially a mandatory and compulsory model of learning. Students aren’t learning “because they want to,” but rather because they’re told to–they just have freedom in what they’re learning and how.
2. Students accustomed to being told what to do, when, and how can feel uneasy without “assignments.”
3. Learning resources necessary are “different”
4. In genius hour, models (examples of what students can do/build/design/create) and connectivity (working with different people for different reasons) become paramount. Without them, this open approach to learning can do more harm than good.
5. Teacher role and planning has “new rules” in genius hour; teachers must adjust their planning–and role–accordingly
6. Grading requires rethinking, and parents and students must understand the idea and purpose and expectations of this new idea.
7. Some students, whether from having their curiosity suppressed for years, a lack of confidence, or some other missing element, may feel anxiety in a genius hour setting. They also may not respond at all; while you’re expecting them to take this change and unleash their inner Picasso, Thomas Merton, or Steve Jobs, they may just sort of ‘sit there’, unwilling or unable to do anything without being told.

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

The School Governance Council is gearing up for another election council.  We will have  both elected and appointed staff position openings for the next school year.  Please see current members if you want to learn more about the council and/or the commitment.  Current staff council members are Poonam, Traci, Andrea and Dorian.   This is a great opportunity to be a part of the decision making body of our school.