January/February Data Collection (continued from January 1) Best Practice
I wrote on January 1st that walking and talking to the speech clinician helped me to get a grip on collecting data on two of my students. I have been using the form I developed to document the student behaviors of one of my students each day for the past month. I am emailing her mom each day, so I copy and paste into this document. I now have a history of behaviors and parent contact. I have met with the guidance counselor, school psychologist, and last year’s teacher. I think this documentation will be beneficial as we head for a needed behavioral referral.
Lumbering Planning for Lumberjack Day in March Teacher Leadership
For the past ten years or so we have had a State Park Interpreter come into our school and talk to fourth graders about lumbering (bringing a photo slideshow, song, and tools for students to try). This used to be free, but now we need to charge each student $2.00. We are brainstorming how we could do this event ourselves. I ordered some lumberjack resources (a video and a kit) from CESA #11. I have gotten the supplies ready the last few years for students to make paper. I also have access to a cant hook, a pike pole, a cross-cut saw, and wood chunks for sawing. Along with another teacher’s concentration game and a Wisconsin Makes Paper Great video, I think we can make this fun and educational. We also have the students dress up like lumberjacks, and provide a lumberjack breakfast (budgeted for this year). I am going to work on the schedule for the morning, and hopefully lead this event for my group. It is not my forte to work out all of the kinks in rotations and supplies, but I am willing to try. I will value other teacher input as I present this to my team.
Data Day – February 10 Best Practice Fourth grade teachers met for two hours with reading support, special education, curriculum coordinator and guidance counselor to review our math and reading data for January. We highlighted scores 95% or higher, and looked to see that everyone below grade level was being supported. It was a true testimony to how far we have come in the few years. We actually saw that students who were in the lowest 20% and those between 20-30% were provided services to support their needs. To me, this was data and teaching at their best. We are using the scores and being responsive with instruction, re-teaching, and/or interventions. I am proud to be contributing to my students and our school in this valuable way.
Roller Skating in Phy Ed Class February 1 - 13 Social Justice Responsive Classroom My fourth graders are now finishing a roller skating unit in gym class. After the first class students came back and complained how rude some of the students were as they were skating. In response we made a chart for gym class to determine what gym class should look like and sound like. Students had great ideas; most used the word “positive”. We carried it to the gym at our next class and posted it on the wall as a reminder. That class went great. The next class period, we forgot to review the poster and left it in the classroom. There were new complaints. I have a student who struggles with motor activities. We discussed that gym class is for everyone, at every skill level. We problem solved on how to help this student. If they wanted to pass him, they needed to let him know from behind by calling out “Passing”, so he would not fall down. We reviewed the chart, hung it in the gym during roller skating, and again had a terrific class. This experience reminds me that I need to help the students in every aspect of the school day to learn to behave respectfully to their peers, and I cannot just expect it to happen on its own. I am believing that as a class we may need to make another poster for another troublesome area outside of our classroom, namely, the lunch room.
January SOC (Students of Concern) Meetings Learning Community, Teacher Leadership, Curriculum Development , Best Practice
Our guidance counselor came back from an inservice and taught our building how to make data boards. It has four levels, although I cannot remember the programs names for them. I would call them above grade level, at grade level, one year behind, and two years behind grade level, based on MAP scores in reading. We worked together to label our students with attendance issues, MAP scores, special education, behavior, other health impaired, 504, etc. It was interesting to get this visual of these students. I think activities like these unify us and remind us that we are working together to raise achievement for all students. We are learning how third grade is sharing students during RtI to lighten each individual teacher’s workload. Our differing schedule hasn’t allowed us to do this to the extent of third grade, although two of us have stepped forward to serve those in need across the grade level. One teacher is doing a 30-day intervention called Do The Math – Multiplication for those behind in rocket math. She is doing this during her prep time. I am currently spending about 8 days reworking area, perimeter, angles, and naming polygons for those students who struggled with these concepts on the last math test. I am doing this during our Response to Intervention time. I see sharing students as the next step to being effective teachers, and am looking forward when we are all more vested in this practice.
