Start where you are

I know I'm no longer employed by the district, but an old habit of communicating with you all is a hard one to break...please forgive me!  Holly will soon take over and she is fabulous.  She is knowledgeable and willing to jump in with you. 

There's a new book titled: Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There.  It's premise is working with students whose background may not be yours...how to relate and nurture these students and thus work on closing the achievement gap.  I'm not here to tell you to buy the book, but to ask you to think about this title as a mantra for when you return to school and face a different grade level or challenge.  If you stay where you are, you will not be effective,  but where you are is the place to start.  Think about resources - people, publications, Internet, etc. that you can tap into that will help you move forward.  Let the challenges you face this year energize you and make you a more effective teacher. 

I look forward to visiting you sometime this fall and seeing what wonderful things you are doing in your classrooms with your students.

Kathy

P.S. No job yet... :(  still hoping, though!

Summer

Happy Summer Everyone! 
I will be turning this blog over to Holly this summer.  I hope you stop by often to catch up on articles, videos, and news about Centerfield.  I wish you all the best as you return in the fall - keep in touch!

Kathy

Searching for Level VI | SuperConsciousness Magazine

As we think to next year's classroom environment - especially as many of you change grade levels, I hope you take the time to read this article....

Searching for Level VI SuperConsciousness Magazine

Learning to Read - series on YouTube

For those of you moving to primary, here's a series of lessons on how kids learn to read.  I know many of you are concerned that you've worked with intermediate so long, that you need a refresher on how to teach kids to read.  This series may be of interest to you.

Part 1     http://youtu.be/CiICT2ElwnI
Part 2     http://youtu.be/jrd7-HEderk
Part 3     http://youtu.be/hRxvfkOav04
Part 4     http://youtu.be/jjI4eI_tiyg

Jennifer Jacobson Quote

You've heard me say it before, but it bares repeating; publishing is not copying work over! (That's simply copying work over.) Publishing is the experience of having your work received by an authentic audience.


I love this quote from Jennifer Jacobson.  Reflect about when you have had kids just copy a piece to put in their showcase folder and called that publishing, and when you have given kids the opportunity to share their writing with others in a public setting to an authentic audience.  Sharing our work to an authentic audience builds a writer's sence of worth and pride and encourages them to return to the writing process. 
 
I think we are all guilty of both, myself included.  The important thing is where do we go from here and how will this quote define our teaching of writing next year. Hmmmm.....

Dead Poets Society

It's the first day of Spring Break.  I'm furiously trying to clean my house and while cleaning I turned on the TV and a classic was playing: The Dead Poet's Society.  Once again I am transfixed.  I want to be a John Keating kind of teacher; I want my students to be thinkers and wonderers of words and their power.  If you have never seen this movie, please put it on your list.  If you have, watch it once again.  It is powerful.  Here's a clip - watch to the end, the last comments speak to the kind of teachers we are growing in Oldham County... Let me know what you think.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring Break.  If you are in Louisville, hold onto your hats, it's windy!

Common Core Standards Wordle

Here is the link to our Common Core Standards Wordle...

http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/3339949/Common_Core_Standards_CE_at_OC

Misconceptions

This video illustrates in a humorous way, why we must analyze student work in mathematics to catch misconceptions.  Enjoy!

Just a little light humor for today's PD

Letter to a Teacher

Mr. Upchurch's Message, Feb. 2011

Here is the link to Mr. Upchurch's message to us regarding implementation of the new Common Core Standards and the work being done in the district to ensure high standards,student success, and teacher preparedness. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SonZUdpfU_o

The teacher and the surgeon

Here is the video from Tuesday's Meeting.  Come back to it often for inspiration and motivation!

Wonderopolis

I added a new web site to our list. It is Wonderopolis.org.  This is a great site to spur questions, build background knowledge, and spark writing ideas.  Each day a new question is posed.  When you click on the question, you are taken to information, videos, etc. that help answer the question.  You can also go back to see previous questions/answers.  This is appropriate for all grade levels and would be a great morning work activity.  Check it out!

Dog Days of Winter

Welcome to the Dog Days of Winter!  This is such a challenging time of year to be an educator: testing is looming in the back of our minds,we worry we haven't done all we can for our students, pressures of student achievement are high, snow days have ruined the routine we've so carefully set in place in our classrooms, and it's darn cold outside!  Last year, we read a monologue about the creation of a teacher.  I found this on youtube and thought it would be a reminder of the important work we do and what we're made of.  We are a special kind of people.  I hope this touches you as much as it does me...

Workshop Model Website

For those of you looking for more information on developing your reading and writing workshops, this site has been created by a teacher in the Troy school district.  It is a great place to look for the basics.  Thank you Kristie for bringing this site to our attention!


http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/index.htm

From this site, go to literacy links...