November 25, 2013

I am thankful that we are at Hixson Middle School together.  I am thankful for all the ways you challenge and support me. And I am thankful we have one another in our joy and our hard work.

I hope your Thanksgiving is a time spent just as you need it.

Differentiated Instruction (DI) Resources on the Network
Might task initiation be challenging during a three-day week before a long weekend? Check out these Task Initiation ideas from the Differentiated Instruction section of the Network.  Click here for more.

Mid-Year Check-In
If you haven't scheduled time with me yet, please do! Both WGSD and SSD staff should click here to do this. I will use our 15 minutes for the following:

• How's your progress toward your growth plan (or what revisions will you be making to it)?
• What's going well that you are glad to share?
• What else might be on your mind for me to know?

11/25 Faculty Meeting
There are two tech sessions offered as choices this month:

• Put Your Hands on a Chromebook, and
• WGCloud Recap.

Click here to indicate how you will spend your faculty meeting time.

Pulitzer Visit
This week I have received phone calls and e-mails from parents who were appreciative and proud as well as from those who were upset and confused by the documentary the Pultizer Center shared with our school last week (about eight of each kind, actually).  Local pastors have written me as well; one praised me for creating a safe space for the discussion and one shared that he was appalled I allowed our visitors to speak at all.  It's a bit confusing.  I apologized, in a blog post to parents, for not communicating about the Pultizer Center's visit better (read it here).  I should apologize to you and Drs. Miller and Roberts, as well, if you or they had to field phone calls or e-mails on my behalf.  Thank you for taking this on, if you had to.

Frankly, I am proud that the Pulitzer Center visits us. I am proud of the ways our students behaved, their compassion, and their interest.  I am proud of all the ways each of you contribute to a school where such a documentary as "The Abominable Crime" can be shared.  I've also learned a great deal about how to better plan for and communicate about such opportunities.

Fall 2014 Conference Schedule Prototype
Click here for an update on where we are with the conference schedule for Fall 2014.  Mrs. Davis is building the referral prototype in Drive, so I'll have that to share soon.  Perhaps I should be farther ahead with the others . . . I'm working on it.

Prototype Update: Conferences

The prototypes for a revised conference schedule appear to have elicited good conversation.  Although the problem statements for each prototype are different, they all contain an element of needing more time slots for parents.

I did speak with Linda Holliday since two of the prototypes require changes in the calendar.  At this time, it is unlikely that the two prototypes requiring district-level calendar changes will work.  In addition, there were concerns that August and November were too early and too late, respectively.  Therefore, we are left with the prototype that designates specific team times for conferences and uses faculty meeting time in October as well.  I am willing to give up both October faculty meetings.  I will rely on what can be conveyed via the Network during October 2014 in favor of this decision.

Click here to review this schedule.  There are some details that will still need to be worked out.

Another theme in the feedback had to do with the expectation for conferences.  I would not say that 100% parent participation is an expectation, so much as a worthy and appropriate goal to improve and support student learning, parent-school communication, and relationship building.  There are many ways that we conference besides the meetings schedule in October; we know that Dr. Roberts advertises the "conference window" such that we are able to count a meetings and contacts beyond just those scheduled explicitly during our afternoon and evening conference designations.

This year we had 95% participation with team conferences; this is excellent.  Your hard work and commitment make this happen annually. I would expect that we maintain or improve this.  I cannot think of a reason why we would not want to conference, in some way, with 100% of our parents.

When I report to the board, I share our conference statistics.  Since 2010, we have been at or above 95% participation for fall conferences.  These percentages show that our parents and care-givers value this time and that we demonstrate a commitment to parent involvement and communication.

November 18, 2013

There is a lot of information below. Please do your best to make time read and click through the links in one sitting.  Some of the information is required (check in, fourth Monday choices) and some is helpful (pre-teaching vocabulary, curriculum style sheet).

Differentiated Instruction (DI) Resources on the Network
(Look up at the dock above.  See the farthest button on the right, with the itsby, bitsy print? THAT is the Differentiated Instruction button for DI resources on the Network.)

There are all kinds of resources "behind" the differentiated instruction button on our Network, and this week, I would like to point you to a resource for pre-teaching vocabulary.  Vocabulary are like envelopes for all kinds of concepts, and pre-teaching vocabulary is an excellent way to front load material and build background for your students.  Click here to read more.

Mid-Year Check-In
I am looking forward to all 56 mid-year check ins! Both WGSD and SSD staff should click here to schedule a time (if you haven't already). I will use our 15 minutes for the following:

• How's your progress toward your growth plan (or what revisions will you be making to it)?
• What's going well that you are glad to share?
• What else might be on your mind for me to know?

So far, reading the special requests have been interesting.  I will not have coffee or snacks available, unfortunately.

11/25 Faculty Meeting
There are two tech sessions offered as choices this month:

• Put Your Hands on a Chromebook, and
• WGCloud Recap.

November's fourth Monday may be the last with this many options.  I understand that time in your classroom or with your team/department is valuable; however, in order to be prepared for a 1:1 environment, in order to honor the work of your peers who are preparing technology sessions, and in order for me to honor a request for me technology development opportunities, fourth Mondays may be limited to tech development options only next semester.  You will have an opportunity to give me feedback when you make your choice for November's fourth Monday. Click here to do this.

Curriculum Writing
Click here to read the style sheet I created for curriculum writers in our district.  I am sharing this with you in the hope that it will be helpful to your writing (if you are, indeed, writing curriculum).  One of my district-assigned tasks this year is to read and give feedback on curriculum drafts in the district.  I hope you find this sheet helpful (coordinators and others have it as well).

Prototype Feedback
I apologize that I do not have another prototype for your review this week. Some of suggestions for conferences I need to run by Linda Holliday, and I'm nearing a draft of a revised referral to share.  The next, most immediately useful information to share is probably regarding hallway supervision. What did stand out from both prototypes is that teachers need to be visible in the hallways during passing times. 

Out of the Building Reminder
As a reminder, I will be out of the building to travel to and participate in the National Safe Schools Roundtable Wednesday-Friday of this week.  I will make time to check e-mail during the week.

November 11, 2013

There was a lot to make last week interesting and several points of pride stand out to me as the principal of Hixson Middle School regarding our work; things like:

• The use of both faculty and team time on Tuesday,
• The prototypes you generated as a part of Tuesday's meeting, and 
• The data meetings of which I was a part on Friday.

Thank you for your energy and good thinking.  

Prototypes

I was not able to get through all of the notes and ideas from last week in such a way that I can present all of them here, so part of our faculty meeting will be devoted to giving feedback on one of the more concrete ideas: a different conference schedule.  The assistant principals and I will take a look at the prototype for a new referral together, and I will do my best to share other ideas for your feedback this week. 

11/11 Faculty Meeting

Dr. Riss and I scheduled her time for a faculty meeting after winter break.  I will use Monday's faculty meeting time to gather feedback on the conference schedule prototype and to address a couple of other ideas. One of these will be a post-it that appeared on my door from last week regarding back packs.  Another of these will anticipate our faculty service project that will take place during our December meeting.

Attendance
In general, teacher attendance tracking has improved somewhat.  Thank you.  I am trying to give feedback when I notice patterns.  This time of year presents many unique challenges, and slowing down intentionally to take care of tasks like attendance is both important and a value.

Out of the Building
I have permission to take half of a personal day on Tuesday afternoon, so I will be out of the building.  Next week, I will be a part of the National Safe Schools Roundtable discussion in Portland, Oregon, so I will miss three days (11/19-22).

November 4, 2013

As much as I appreciate the extra hour this weekend, it still feels odd that it's so dark outside right now.

Professional Development Day: 11/5

8:30-10:00: Department Time
(If I haven't heard from your department, please e-mail me.)

10:00-11:00: Teacher Plan Time

11:00-noon: Lunch (on your own)

Noon-2:00: Team Time
(If I haven't heard from your team, please e-mail me.)

2:15-3:30: Faculty Meeting
(Click here for the faculty meeting agenda; click here to indicate your small group discussion topic preference.)

Hixson Network Blog Calendar
Click here to see how can customize the calendar view on the Hixson Network Blog.

Flu Video
Our nurse and some of our students created this video with some helpful reminders about staying healthy during flu season.  Introduce your students to Flu-Bee by showing the video below (during Discovery, GEMS, Learning Strategies, etc.); it's two minutes long.

 

November's Thinking Strategy

November's Thinking Strategy is inferencing.  The ability to infer is a useful skill for reading, learning, and good decision making.  It's application, therefore, is valuable across disciplines. It is also related to the Elaborating on New Information strategy in iObservation (DQ 2.11).  The desired effect of this strategy is that students are able to draw conclusions, or to make inferences, that were not explicitly taught.  Teaching students to infer will increase their abilities to elaborate on new information.  Click here this month's resources related to inferencing.

11/5 Faculty Meeting Agenda

There are two required topics for future faculty meetings: the intruder drill training, per SB75 (postponed by the district) and DQ 2-5, tabled for a later day by me.  I know days are busy, so please take time to read this carefully and following the instructions in one sitting.  =)

Why? I’ve been doing something about our faculty meeting scheduled for the 11/5 PD day, and I would like to use this time as  faculty workshop to give you an opportunity to design some possible solutions around ideas that appeared on my wall last spring.  These include:

·         Drafting a New Discipline Referral

·         Rethinking the Dates, Times, and Duration of Fall Conferences

·         Devising a Proto-Typical Student-Led Conference

·         Drafting a Hixson Belief Statement or Policy for Homework (this gets to another idea about consistency among teams and should honor our work with Marzano)

·         Brainstorming School-Wide Student and Teacher Recognitions

·         Outlining Common Expectations for Hallway Supervision and Morning Students in Hallways

I hear about these topics and often do not have a ready answer.  With your input, perhaps we can come to some agreement.  All input is important, regardless of the conclusion we reach.  So, you will have an opportunity to choose a first and second choice topic.  I will sort you into groups of 3-5 and you will have the hour to create a prototype, an actual draft or idea that responds to your topic, using a modified design thinking process. 

For example, if you choose to work on a new referral, you will need to create an actual draft, a prototype, of what the new referral might look like (you could draw it, create in in Drive, e-mail it, etc.).  My hope is to get your input about some concerns and ideas that faculty shared during last year.  (I’ve moved these post it notes to my white board if you’re interested in seeing them.)

Click here to indicate a first and second topic choice for the 11/5 faculty meeting.  Click reply above to e-mail me a question or concern.

Sincerely,

Jason