Coming up at Arno…
May 2
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!!
PTA Staff Breakfast in the gym 8:00
May 3
Scheduled walk-throughs throughout the day
May 4
9:30 Walkup obs
10:15 Liedel obs
May 5
Jump and Jill Assembly 9:30-Grades 3-5
Grade 4 & 5 Teachers meet with Brian for MiStar DNA data training 9:30-12:00 in his room
(I will hold all 4-5 kids until 12:00)
ICC 4:00
PTA Meeting 6:30
May 6
Teacher Appreciation PTA Luncheon 11:00-12:00- Altered lunch schedule
Lunch Schedule for Friday, May 6- Hour Lunch
K-1 11:00-11:30 Eat Lunch in cafeteria
11:30-12:00 Recess
2-3 11:00-11:30 Recess
11:30-12:00 Eat Lunch in the CLASSROOM
4-5 11:10-11:40 Recess
11:40-12:10 Eat Lunch in cafeteria
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! As I round out my first year here at Arno, I count my blessings that I such a wonderful group of people to work with, that work together like a family in the name of doing everything that’s best for kids. We all got into this profession because we love to work with children, and you show that each and everyday in your classrooms and throughout the building. It has been my honor to work with you and I am truly humbled by your dedication and professionalism. Have a great week and once again, please be sure to stop by the gym Monday before school for PTA breakfast and then again Friday for Lunch- come hungry!
Steve
Happy Administrative Professional Day
A BIG thank you to our office staff Cathy and Michelle for everything they do to keep our school going everyday! The office is certainly the hub of the building and the first friendly face everyone sees when they walk in! Thank you Cathy and Michelle for being there for all our needs and helping to make Arno the best school in Allen Park!
M-STEPPIN
Third grade has now completed their first week of testing, followed bu the PT next week. 4th grade will being their window on May 9th- almost done!! Please refer to the testing calendar as the NWEA testing begins the week of May 2 with 4th grade starting.
Student Review Team Review
We met over the course of a couple of days with all classroom teachers discussing some of the concerns we have about some of our most at-risk students. I felt that the time was well spent listening to the concerns. Some additional thoughts
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We have now started a process that will extend into next year in which we will start to keep track of our at-risk kids in a much tighter way. As we go through the year, their doc will be revisited and we should see what is working and what is not
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I may increase the time another 5 minutes next year- but the slender time frame does keep the conversation on track and specific to what we need to know
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This will all gel when we have a more cohesive schedule across the grades and the building. Having everyone in the room when we create our schedules for next year will only promote a system to better serve these kids
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Be sure that you are filling out the forms accurately. Having good data is important to the process over time.
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We will conduct this type of meeting around every 7-8 weeks throughout the year, with the expectation that any new strategies started with a student will have an 8 week duration of intervention
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If there were suggested strategies to try for your student- the expectation is that you try that strategy and report on the progress of it at our next student review team
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It will be critical next year that we have the docs in by a set date so the team can review CA-60’s or files they may have for the student
This meeting was the first and last this year due to the time of year/testing etc. We will pick up the first meeting of the year by mid-Oct next year.
For additional resources and ideas on intervention, please click http://interventioncentral.com/
Grade Level Scheduling for next year
I have set aside floaters on Monday, June 6 to help us further along our trek into an MTSS system in which your grade level will work on a common schedule framework for the fall. I will try and coordinate with Barb, Michelle, Stella, and Cathy to have them available to forecast kids that you will have next year and how that will mix in. The goals for your schedule should be:
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Common Language arts block (to accommodate tier work, practices like guided reading could be staggered- or at the same time depending how you view it)
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Common Math Time
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Common time for science/SS would help planning for the rest
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Within your common times, please review your current practices so that we can maximize instructional time. This would include recess time not exceeding 25 minutes (plus lunch) daily, exception of K, I don’t mind some initial morning recess, but by week 3- that needs to be over.
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Review your morning arrival work- valuable on-task time is there for the taking. We do not have preps until 9:30- What a great time to plan some grade level interventions!
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Please review the non-negotiables that were agreed to by the grade levels. I should be able to see these practices going on in your room. Please let me know what materials and/or training I can provide to get us in the right direction. Please highlight these items and their times in your schedules- that I would like to have to me by June 17 in whatever format look you wish
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If your grade needs additional time, please see me for some options, please remember the preps are common so as to offer time to meet among the grade- that can be an option
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Working with Michelle/Cathy/Barb/Stella should offer insight to build your schedule around instructional time, not when a student is pulled out.
Please understand that this starts to allow us to implement various degrees of tiered intervention in the classroom, grade level, and building. Please let me know if you have any suggestions as we move forward. I will have info on classroom placement for students very soon. I understand that there may unforeseen obstacles that come into scheduling in the process, try and get as close as you can to the above.
K-5 non negotiables
Grade 2
Thinking Outside the Box
Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign
I remember exactly where I was when I had a watershed moment that changed me as a teacher forever. In fact, it inspired my EdSurge column,Why the 21st-Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks. I was working on my TEDx presentation at my local Starbucks and, looking around, I realized that everyone seemed to be happy, engaged in their work, and relaxed. Some people chose the traditional chairs and tables while I opted for a big, comfy chair with my MacBook on my lap. The quiet music, perfect lighting, and overall aesthetics of the coffee shop were favorable for a variety of learners. And if I wanted to switch up my seat during my stay, I was free to do just that. That’s when I decided that our classroom in 2015-2016 was going to look radically different than anything I’d ever done before.
Problem Solvers Now = Problem Solvers Later
I’m a firm believer in keeping the focus on what’s really important: the students. If student motivation and higher engagement is truly the desired end game, then we as teachers must adapt right along with our students in our classrooms. To see that some classrooms look the same now as they did 70 years ago is shameful. The students we share our classrooms with don’t know life without constant connectivity, wi-fi, and a global audience. Outside the windows of our classroom is a dynamic, fast-paced, and ever-changing world full of choices. How can we expect our students to solve problems and make choices independently if we constantly solve their problems and make their choices for them? Our classroom environments should be conducive to open collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. This simply cannot be done when kids are sitting in rows of desks all day. Consider involving your students in a classroom redesign project with the LAUNCH cycle design thinking mentioned on A.J. Juliani’s blog.
What the Research Says
Everything I do in my classroom is based on research and best practices for kids. Redesigning my classroom was not any different. I’ve found that some of the immediate benefits (PDF) of flexible seating include burning more calories, using up excess energy, improving metabolism, increased motivation and engagement, creating a better oxygen flow to the brain, and improving core strength and overall posture. It’s no surprise that physical activity is linked to higher academic performance, better health, and improved behavior. In fact, a paper by Matthew T. Mahar, et al (PDF) finds that:
Simple in-class activities can boost performance. Studies suggest that children who participate in short bouts of physical activity within the classroom have more on-task behavior, with the best improvement seen in students who are least on-task initially.
Additionally, if you’re looking to convince your administrators that flexible seating is right for your students or even your entire school, my principalJason Markusen has some interesting thoughts on this subject. Finally, Erin Klein, with her brain-based classroom redesigns, was my original inspiration. She encouraged me to “ditch the desks.”
Classroom Redesign on a Budget
Redesigning an entire classroom doesn’t have to be expensive, especially with the help of Donors Choose. Sure, the Hokki stools in my classroom cost about $100 each, but other items range from free to about $30. If you want to redesign your classroom on a budget, begin by purchasing some bath rugs or yoga mats, and raising a table to appropriate standing height using bed risers. Or simply take the legs off of a table and add some pillows or core discs for students to sit on. The crates pictured in my classroom cost around three dollars each. Most of the wall hangings and lamps were taken from my house, with the exception of frames from The Dollar Store. Parents are also a great resource for classroom donations. They often have money to help, but not time to give, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Up Your Classroom Management
I have a strong conviction that simply swapping out desks for tables doesn’t ensure higher motivation, engagement, or accountability. Redesigning a classroom or implementing unassigned flexible seating is a shift in both structure and teaching philosophy — an entire mindset shift. In fact, teachers need a keen intuition about where the students are working and their level of engagement at all times. We must be willing to give up the power of the seating chart and truly hand over the responsibility of seating choices to our students. I’ve found that the more power I give up in our classroom, the more power I get back. I’ve also noticed that it helps my students become more self-aware of what types of seating and environment help them learn best. And they’re empowered by the opportunity to have choices.
Other Considerations
- We follow the Responsive Classroom approach. The supplies that the students contribute at Open House are put into a community supply crate and used throughout the year.
- Each student’s personal learning materials (math journals, notebooks, etc.) are housed in bins in the corner of our room. If you don’t have this option, three-drawer stackers or crates of materials would be a solid substitute.
- Be open to removing much of the furniture in your classroom. At the beginning of the year, I got rid of four tables, my huge teacher desk, a file cabinet, and 20 traditional chairs.
- Our whole-group instruction still happens on the big rug in the middle of our classroom. This is where we spend much of our day.
- Before allowing your students to self-select seats, I strongly suggest having them try all of the seating options for an entire day. They probably won’t know where they learn best until they try all the options.
- Students know that I reserve the right to move them at any time if they aren’t fully engaged and able to work in their self-selected spot.
- It’s a good idea to have more seating combinations than students in your classroom. I never have disagreements between students about seating because I have far more options than students. However, if I did, I would settle it the same way that I’d settle an argument over any other material in our classroom.
Best Practice Starts Now
I’m often asked, “Why should I do flexible seating this year if next year’s teacher won’t be doing it?” Here’s my response: Teachers can never base what happens in our classroom this year on what next year’s teacher may or may not do. If it’s best practice for our kids, do it now. Remember, our classrooms should be student-centered, not teacher-centered.
