I've had some interesting parent meetings over the last couple of weeks. HP continues to expand parent advisory offerings on campus, dependent upon specific need or interest. For example, our GT Parent-Teacher Advisory has met (took a break last year!) and has many exciting plans in the works. SCORES families continue to come together to support each other, arrange socials for families, and more I hear. And most recently, I met with our latest support group, PODS. Parents of Dyslexic Students. Spearheaded by our reading specialist Kathy Sederholm, along with parents Chesney Szaniszlo and Emily McGinnis, the group has just started meeting with other parents of dyslexic students (or those parents who are simply interested to know more) in order to offer workshop sessions, communicate information on dyslexia attributes and resources, and much more. They even hosted a parent ed night over the summer, showing the well regarded documentary on dyslexia
The Big Picture. In fact, PODS will do the same for our teachers at an upcoming November staff meeeting. Cool. Getting feedback from parents on how we're doing, making plans together for our kids...that's what it's all about in my book. Thanks ladies.
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| Cheeto, new class pet |
Caught some creative classroom in action this week as well. Ms. Zabilka's first graders were extremely motivated by her lesson on the writing process, ie sequencing ideas. Students were actively discussing and writing "how-to" papers, with Ms. Zabilka pulling out those wonderful DBI strategies to solidify the learning (role play of how to properly brush your teeth being one!) and build excitement for crafting their individual how-to's. Her use of the DBI strategy
artifact was a super cool tie in to this final step in their writing. The class received a "special delivery", ie package, going through a mini-DAR strategy to critically think about content and why the box was delivered to their class. When finally opened, we all met the new class pet (see above), brainstorming commenced, and students started a discussion on the writing task, "How to Care for Our Class Pet". Before I left, they were also in the throes of thinking about a name for this pet - I hear
Cheeto was the clear front runner. Fun, motivating, and you better believe these students were eager to write.
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| The Constellation activity! |
Ms. Davidson's Kinders were also busy, busy with all things scientific process this week. She started the lesson through the use of the DBI strategy
Constellations. Students had varied pictures of apples around their necks, the teacher gave prompting questions related to pictures that matched certain criteria given (ie, "Find a person with a picture showing the apple core."), then these Kinders were off and at it. Grouping themselves together by common attributes. Great way to get them thinking classification! Her lesson then followed with making predictions, hands on experiments, and recording results, making conclusions with a float/sink experiment involving apples and other edible items. Students thinking, talking, doing.
Some final thoughts on grace and wisdom. It's been one of those weeks where self reflection and reflection with others seemed to be my norm. Meeting with teachers, problem solving reflections at team meetings, simple impromptu visits with people.... I'm always lifted by these conversations and truly amazed by the level of reflection teachers put into their own practice. You know, hearing their thought processes on questions such as
"How do you think the lesson went? What would you do differently next time you implement this lesson? What ideas can we think of to take it to the next level...or not?" Teachers are typically their own toughest critics and I always exit these type of interactions thinking about how much our teachers do care to give it their all, do their best for kids, and to look ahead to the next time. It is with this type of grace and wisdom most of us hope to have when we too confront those
next times. Grace and wisdom for us all...me included.
