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  • 8/9/2019 Staff Development 5.10

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    Creating Empowered Community Members ThroughReal-World Education

    As staff and faculty, we work hard to expose students toa variety of experiences in the local community. Itmeans that we want our students out learning from theworld and feeling empowered to have an active voicein changing the world. It means that we want ourstudents getting their hands dir ty and their minds active as they grow asyoung adults.

    2010

    Rainshadow CommunityCharter High School

    s

    hine

    RAINSHADOWSTAFF

    DEVELOPMENTVOL. I ISSUE 5

    Staff Reflections

    Alissa, Leta, and the Leadership Team setup for the 2010 prom, held atRainshadow. The theme: MasqueradeBall.

    The Importance of ReflectionsWe are coming to the endof the year. Just as we

    expect our students toreflect upon the classevents that have occurred

    throughout the semesterthrough journaling andportfolio, it is equallyimportant that staff andfaculty members take time

    to do the same. Weveeach had the opportunity to watch ourselveswork in the classroom. Weve had time toevaluate ourselves, and to think about how wemight each do things better next time.

    Reflecting is a way to both be satisfied

    with what has already been done, and stillplant seeds for further improvement. The next

    step after one has reflected is to make goals forthe future. So, today, each of use will think ofthree goals that will help us to be betterteachers at Rainshadow. These goals can be

    related solely to school, or to your life outsideof school. All areas of your life contribute tohow you interact with students, other instructors,

    administration, parents, etc.To create goals, we need to make them

    specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, andtimely (SMART). As you begin to create yourgoals, keep this model in mind. Limit your goalsto no more than three goals, allowing yourselfthe ability to truly focus and achieve success.These goals will become a criteria for yourevaluations next year. They will serve as astepping stone as you think about how youveimproved over the year. A benefit of you

    creating these goals is that you can modify thegoals, or develop new goals, if you have

    already achieved them. After all, it is trulabout you! Internationally known businesphilosopher Jim Rohn states, We want tothe goals that our heart conceives, that ou

    mind believes and that our bodies will carout.

    InsidethisissueTheImportanceofStaffReflections 1ToDoListforStaffDevelopment 2MicroworldsandModels

    2ThemeResources2ClosingtheAchievementGap 3KeepingStudentsEngaged? 3SwearingatSchool3SpringFever&Behaviors 4SchoolEventsandSpringFever 5

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    Theme ResourcesThematic ideas and websites tosupport the theme: Microworlds andModels in its first quarter. Moreresources to be assembled for the StaffDevelopment in August of 2010.

    Truckee Meadows Microcosm

    www.truckeemeadowstomorrow.org

    a site focused on improving the qualityof life in the Truckee Meadows usingten different indicators, includinghealth and well-being.

    www.thinking.netan interesting site devoted to systems,

    creativity, and thinking.

    www.plannevada.orga site that looks at some of thepressing issues facing Nevadans. (Seealso www.myspace.com/102215794to view Citizens for Sensible Growth or

    www.theurbanblog.com)

    www.almanac.coma site where you can gather data fromall over the world, including weatherand a calendar with all kinds ofinteresting tidbits!

    www.newtoreno.com/nonprofits

    a great site with all kinds of links andresources for everything Reno.

    www.volunteermatch.orga site that will link you to volunteer

    experiences anywhere in the country.

    http://dsa.nevadaculture.orglinks to state library and archives forNevada, the arts council, and Nevadahistory resources. All kinds of goodNevada stuff!

    Year Three Theme: Microworlds and Models

    To Do List for this

    Staff Development

    5/10/10

    9:00 a.m.Meet in Kaycees RoomAnnouncements

    Staff Reflections

    9:20Accreditation Reflections

    9:45

    End of Year Survival:

    Student behaviors andteacher reactions

    10:00Break

    10:15Theme for 2010-2011

    Interdisciplinary

    connections and ProjectClass

    Transition Plan for allstudents

    12:30Staff Lunch

    1:30

    Independent work time

    After our previous staff development day, thefaculty determined that we would go ahead withthe theme Microworlds and Models. While itmay seem to be a science-based theme, thereality is that much of the science lends itself toother areas of study. The faculty alsodetermined to make this a whole school theme,though there will be special attention paid tojunior level links across the curriculum. In2011-2012, the year four theme will be usedwith a specific focus on seniors and the yearthree theme will be used with Juniors as a

    focused theme. By 2012-2013, all classes willbe organized by theme. There will be sixcadres of students moving through these themes.

    To begin looking at the year-long theme, we willfirst evaluate everything that has been puttogether at this time by faculty and staff. A

    comparison between our portfolio requirementsfor year three Rainshadow students will becompared to what is being developed for theyear-long theme Microworlds and Models. Thisprocess has been started. From this point, wewill begin to think about potential connectionsbetween each of the disciplines. Brainstormingof specific activities and projects, as well as fieldexperiences, will occur. Collaborations betweenindividual instructors to map out projects willalso be a focus.

    The hope for this curriculum is that it can serveas a skeletal framework for year three studentsat Rainshadow well into the future.Modifications will occur annually, but having abasic framework will help the curriculumcontinue to improve.

    Social CommunEnviro

    ity and Physicalnment

    Utopias and DIndividu

    ystopias: Onels Play

    Quarter 1

    Truckee MeadowsMicrocosm

    Quarter 2

    The Lives of a Cell:from stem cells to fuel

    cells

    Quarter 3

    The Lives of an Atom

    Quarter 4

    Model UniversesNear and Far

    Similarities and

    Differences

    Cellular Makeup Positive and Negative

    Forces

    Storytelling

    Health and Well-being Interactions Matter in the Universe Revolutions and

    Rotations

    Constitutions Divisions Compounds and

    Mixtures

    Motion

    Migrations and

    Expansions

    Spontaneous

    Generation

    Quantum Mechanics The Unknown

    http://nsla.nevadaculture.org/http://nsla.nevadaculture.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.newtoreno.com/nonprofitshttp://www.newtoreno.com/nonprofitshttp://www.almanac.com/http://www.almanac.com/http://www.theurbanblog.com/http://www.theurbanblog.com/http://www.myspace.com/102215794http://www.myspace.com/102215794http://www.plannevada.org/http://www.plannevada.org/http://www.thinking.net/http://www.thinking.net/http://www.truckeemeadowstomorrow.org/http://www.truckeemeadowstomorrow.org/
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    How Do I Keep My StudentsEngaged?Retrieved from: TheApple.com

    Once we are able to keep students quiet, then thereal work begins. I found in my first two years thatthe REAL work for me was keeping the studentsquiet. I fought them all the time. After I began tolearn how to keep them quiet more, I was faced with

    the challenge of having them actually be interestedin what I had to say. Since I over explain mostthings, they tend to not like hearing me talk.

    1. Talk less

    The less I talk, the more work the students do. Themore they work, the more they tend to learn. While Ipersonally learn just as well from hearing or readingas I do from doing, most people do not. And evenso, the overwhelming majority of people actually donot learn more from listening than they do fromdoing. As a result, the more doing that they do, themore learning will be accomplished. The more theylearn, the more they will stay focused and engagedin the learning process. Make sense? Sure it does!

    2. Economize words

    When I do talk, I try to keep what I say to aminimum. Many students have been trained from anearly age that when teachers talk, its acceptable forthem to zone out. We train students to do that exactthing by talking too much. This is not something Ihave mastered or even begun to master, but itworks. Im trying.

    3. Play more

    As a band director, this has obvious applications.The less I talk, and the more the students play theirinstruments, the faster they learn the music. But thatis not the only meaning. Have fun. Have a sense ofhumor. This comes from loving your work. The moreyou enjoy your work, the more fun you will have. Themore fun you have at work, the more you enjoy it.Its a positive spiral. Its a beautiful thing. Make thechoice to have fun at work each day. Let the kidshave fun in your class. If you want them comingback for more each day, this is vital.

    4. Ask questions

    This is a great way to check for understanding.When I give instructions, I ask questions about theinstructions. Were playing four measures, does thatmean four measures and one note? Let me hearthe trumpets play. Who should I hear playing?Open your book to page fourteen. What page?

    5. Are there any questions?

    At the conclusion of giving a series of instructions, Iask if there are any questions. If there are none (and

    there usually are none), I summarize the instructionsagain, asking questions in the process.

    I have found that these steps usually end up inkeeping more of the students engaged more of thetime. Part of the deal when working with people,especially children, is that theres no guarantee thatany desired outcome will result. But there is agreater chance of success if you follow these steps.

    Swearing at SchoolHow do you keep school language clean?

    Appropriate Language for the Occasion & PlaceFormal & Casual LanguageI teach at-risk high school students the differencebetween formal language and casual language. Iexplain that formal language is the language of thework world. I explain that I expect them to practiceformal language in my class. All this is taken fromRuby Payne's program. When they slip, I simply askthem to find a better way to express their thought.They have no trouble following this practice most ofthe time. -Beverly Kinnischtze

    In and Out ofSchoolOur district handbook lists bad or obscene language

    as a Level lll offense, meaning that a student can bepunished with anything from a student conference tosuspension. Our school uses Ruby Payne'sFramework for Understanding Poverty. Our childrenare taught that the offensive language they hear intheir neighborhoods, at home, or on the basketballcourt are not acceptable in school. There are twosets of rules and the set for school does not allowobscene language. -Judy Whitson

    Street Talk v. School TalkI have workedwith "ghetto" kids,military kids, andkids from high-income neighborhoods. With all ofthem, I demand respect and I act as a role model forthe students. I let them know that the language they

    are using in my classroom is just "practice" for whenthey go off to college or the work force.

    If they say "yeah," I say, "I'm sorry, didn't you mean'yes'?" After a few weeks, they get it and I see themcatching themselves. If they tell you that it's "streettalk," let them know that there is a differencebetween school and the street. I usually get thestudents by asking, "You wouldn't say that in church,would you?" And they understand.

    Inform parents about your concerns about thestudent. Sometimes the apple doesn't fall far fromthe tree, but no one wants their child to representthem with foul language. Being both a mother andteacher, I know from personal experience. -AngelaMartin

    Creating a Positive Environment for EveryoneConsistencyConsistency is the key. Every swearword must beaddressed immediately. If a student says I dontthink thats a swearword, I say, "In this room it is." Inot only address swearing, but I also address anylanguage that is not "kind" or positive. I say, "Wedon't talk like that to each other." You must start atthe beginning of the year and constantly remind thestudents and praise them when they use kind words.-Natalie

    (Continued on page 4)

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    (Continued from page 3)

    Swearing at SchoolHow do you keep school language clean?Nix On Being NegativeIm a big proponent of maintaining a positiveoutlook no matter how bad your day is going.When I set up my expectations at the beginning ofthe year, the students find out right away that notonly is swearing not appropriate in school

    (including the hallways and locker areas),but alsobeing negative toward each other or themselves in

    any way is unacceptable.

    Students have also learned my rule "It's themeaning, not the word," so they know I don'taccept substitutes for swear words, like "aw snap"or "oh fudge." The students are learning thatmaintaining a positive outlook is not just good forschool, but helps one mentally all-around. -HollyButler

    Mutual RespectI teach 10th-12th graders at a low-income schoolwith a bad reputation. Being a first-year teacher, Iwas overwhelmed with the swearing. It's in thehalls, my classroom. It's part of their normalvocabulary.

    It did not take long for students to realize that partof the mutual respect between themselves and meis the lack of swearing. If profanity is blatant anddirect, I ask for an apology. Nine times out of ten,the student has already caught himself and hasself-corrected and apologized.

    We must remember these students are almostadults, but many of them come from homes that donot value a profanity-free environment. We have tobe flexible and willing to forgive the occasionalexpletive that slips out from frustration. So much isaccomplished through behavior modeling by theteachers and staff, and a true, genuine respect forthe students as people. -Paula Rice

    PolicySwearing Intentionally?Whether in the hall or classroom, when I hear anoffensive word, I just call out to the individual(s),"Language please," in a polite tone and normallythe immediate response from kids is "Oops, sorry!"

    If someone is belligerent or in-my-face, I ask them

    politely if they want to take care of this now or if weneed to invite the principal in for a discussion aboutvocabulary choices. Only once in a blue moon am Itaken up on that one.

    Our policy: Swearing intentionally without stoppingafter a reminder equals in-school suspension.Swearing repeatedly with intent to upset people,and/or swearing at a staff member is an automaticout-of-school suspension. -Kimberly Fandi

    For More Tips and Ideas about Swearing inSchool

    Check out http://www.nea.org/tools/16088.htm fora list of other articles related to this topic. Specialthanks to Alissa for finding these great resources!

    Spring Fever and BehaviorsPosted by Charles Fox on April 12, 2006

    While I have not seen any scientific or statisticalstudies, in my personal experience the period frommid-April to the end of the year can be among themost problematic periods for serious behaviors inschool. I do not think that it is an accident orhappenstance that some of the worst violence inschools has occurred during this period of time.Bad things can happen in school at any time butduring this period the odds seem higher.

    Among the factors that in my view contribute to thehigher prevalence of serious behaviors are thefollowing:

    behaviors and dysregulation have beenunaddressed or poorly addressed all year and thecumulative effect of these omissions takes its tollover time;

    teachers who have been under stressall year reach a breaking point with "that kid"contributing to the probability of serious behaviors;

    often parents are able to providesignificant interventions (e.g. ABA, sensoryintegration) during long vacation periods which canhave a lasting effect for a number of monthsfollowing. These effects seem to wind down as theyear draws to a close. I had one child who beganto take a decided turn for the worse in March andculminating in May. My reading of the data sheetsover a period of years showed a discernible trend.The school staff had never taken a historical viewof the records so they could not pick out this trend;each year was a unique and separate periodwithout reference to other periods.

    work demands increase during thisperiod, as unfinished parts of the curriculum createpressure throughout the school, which cantranslate into stressed students, staff and finallyserious behaviors;

    the end of the school year represents

    transitions between grades and between schools.For many students transitions within the day aredifficult and contemplating more momentouschanges can trigger anxiety and behaviors;

    the most obvious factor is the weather.Warm weather can raise student's boiling points.Also there tend to be more field trips and outdooractivities; for students with elopement behaviorsthis period of time can be especially problematic.

    Some proactive solutions are as follows:

    examine past data to see if there areany trends indicating problems during this period oftime;

    children with a history of elopementneed to be watched more closely during thisperiod;

    use the nicer weather as an opportunityto build in more sensory activities like playgroundswings;

    consider spreading work out into thesummer school period if "finishing" now meanscreating intolerable stress for all concerned;

    parents should ask for the behavioralplan data to see the degree to which interventionshave been taking place and have been working. Ifthe child does not have an FBA/BIP this might beprime time to ask for the school to undertake thisdata gathering and planning;

    develop social s tories, pictureschedules or other means to ease transitionsbetween grades and especially between schools.School staff need to be mindful that this period maybe stressful for some students as the school yearwinds down.

    as a last resort, on especially hot daysor when there have a string of problematic days,consider taking a "floating holiday" if possible.While I am not suggesting skipping a day of schoolis the best or even legal answer, it may be themost practical. Better to skip a day and stay home

    in the air-conditioning or at the park, rather thanrisk a major blow up with long lasting ramificationsthat could take years to unravel. A well chosen dayoff may the ticket to getting to the end of the yearwithout a serious episode.

    i f the teacher or other staff have beenworking especially hard and have stayed thecourse through tough behavioral episodes all year,acknowledge this hard work with a note or otherexpression of support. Such support may be justwhat is needed to give staff the boost they need toget to the end of the year. Idle praise, however, isworthless and can come back to bite you if thingsgo poorly.

    Parents need to be proactive and especially awarethis time of year. As always document yourconcerns and suggestions, so if all else fails theschool can not later claim that they had no idea ofthe risk to your child. Using certified mail toauthenticate your documentation may benecessary. Some of the most hard fought dueprocess cases either directly or indirectly pertain tobehaviors. Avoiding and heading off seriousbehaviors is obviously best, but if the schoolviolates the behavioral provisions of IDEA it shouldbe held responsible.

    Rainshadow Staff and Faculty pose for apicture at the 2010 Prom. Look at all those

    http://www.nea.org/tools/16088.htmhttp://www.nea.org/tools/16088.htmhttp://www.nea.org/tools/16088.htmhttp://www.nea.org/tools/16088.htm
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    School May June July/AugustEventsThe following displaysu comin events, discussions,

    12Aces Game

    3Staff/Student Softball GamePortfolio Night for Seniors

    J 5Standard Summer SchoolBegins

    accreditation concerns, etc.

    14Barnes and Noble Fundraiser

    4Graduation

    A 6Last Day for Summer School

    20Who Cares concert

    9Last Day for Students

    23Staff Development

    27Art Auction 11Last Day for Staff/Faculty

    26Tentative Orientation

    31Memorial Day, No School

    14Summer School Begins

    31Students Return

    Coping With Spring Fever inSchool Children

    Helping Parents and Students Survive

    Springtime Blues

    Hildra Tague

    As spring fever sets in, students start looking onteachers and parents as "jailers" than helpers.Finding the middle ground is a not-so-welcomechallenge for parents.

    As dreamy eyes look outside the schoolroomwindow, teachers and students alike wonder if itwill ever end. Bickering between students is on aroll. There are ways to deal with spring fever instudents. Start by understanding the reasons forthis behavior, realize it can be even worse after

    spring break, plan to cope rather than cure it,and stay with the plan.

    Understanding Reasons for SpringFever Behavior Changes

    As flowers blossom and the cool breeze hits achild's skin, restlessness begins to wrench itsway towards consciousness. Young minds maybe distracted by by the seasonal changes.

    Fear of change is foremost in their minds as theywonder if they'll be able to survive the milestoneof the next grade, anxiety about summer, andfearing how it may be next year in school. These

    issues present enough to make any mind drift.

    Separation anxiety is a factor as studentsanticipate the loss of daily playmates, familiarroutines, and teachers with whom they'vereached an understanding. A common reactionto this is anger because then it isn't necessary to

    be sad, and the painful embarrassment of griefcan be avoided.

    Seeing Worse Behavior after SpringBreak

    Parents are often shocked that avoidance ofwork and oppositional behaviors can rise afterspring break week. Keep in mind the magneticdraw of springtime has pulled the multitudes forgenerations.

    Even though the break has its value, there isalso a grief at its ending. So don't be surprised ifthe students have a hard time getting their

    motors started again.

    Plan to Cope with Spring Fever

    By now it can be seen that there's no cure forspring fever. So, plan to cope. Accept thefeelings (not necessarily the behaviors) thatcome with it. Don't waste time challenging theanger; instead encourage the child to move on.Provide more rewards, more often. Emphasizeearning rewards by staying afloat academically.

    Provide structure. Don't steer into the problem;spring fever isn't an icy road. Channel the energyby putting a soft comfortable harness on therestlessness. Letting it go makes it harder to

    remedy in the end. So stay on a schedule whichshould start gently a bit before school startsagain.

    Help the student transition from spring break.

    One way to guide a student to accept thenecessity of working in springtime is to help infinding a sense of closure at the end of springbreak. This can include psyching up for thecoming school tasks, setting up reward systems,and promising to make summer plans after thechild is back in the routine of school andhomework.

    Stay with the Plan after Spring BreakCelebrate accomplishments more often andmake privileges easier to earn. Yet, don't makethe reward staying up late or anything whichwould work against the child in school.

    Purposely avoid crises. Don't overreact. Keepyour responses in line with the offense whencorrecting. Adults may need to count to ten (byfractions if needed) to carry this off graciously.

    Stay consistent with your plan. Don't change therules when a child's world is already in a whirl ofchange. Parents and other adults need to takecare of themselves. This will generate moreenergy to bring to the child even on bad days.

    So this year when spring fever shows up, copeby understanding the reasons, expect behaviorto be a bit worse after spring break, make a plan,and stay with it while you nurture yourself.

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    http://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_parents_at_the_end_of_the_school_yearhttp://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/taguehttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_helping_children_with_homeworkhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/assertive_parentinghttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/assertive_parentinghttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_parents_at_the_end_of_the_school_yearhttp://parentingmethods.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips_for_parents_at_the_end_of_the_school_yearhttp://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/taguehttp://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/tague

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