https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=2210
Hello Everyone,
Just seven items of note for this week:
• Back to Fundamentals (from Brianna Stiller) – Similar to Kim’s reminder in last week’s PBIS minutes, here is an email from Brianna Stiller that was shared with principals which I thought was worth passing along:
I saw Karen Hardin today and she reminded me that in the past, I have usually sent some nagging emails out this time of year, reminding us all to breathe deeply and remember what works. It’s like in golf: When you are playing badly, they remind you to start by checking your grip, stance, ball position, and alignment, because 90% of the problems start with errors in one of those fundamentals.
We all know there is no huge mystery about how to manage behavior effectively. Most of us are well aware. What we don’t always do is check fundamentals when student behavior is going south. So, if you or any of your fellow staff are struggling with end of year “Lame Duck” syndrome, check the following fundamentals:
1. When is the last time I retaught my expectations? If it was more than two weeks ago, do it again.
2. How often do I talk to kids, or use physical prompts, right after they do something right, as opposed to how often do I look at or talk to them right after they do something wrong? The ratio should be 4 or 5 to 1. In well managed classrooms, where the rate of AET is over 85%, the ratio is often about 2:1. In poorly managed classrooms, where rate of AET is less than 75%, it is often as low as 1:10. I know this not only because of the research, but I observe in 2-10 classrooms per week and I always take this data. Rarely is the ideal of 4:1 actually reached!
3. Active Engagement; Opportunities to Respond: How much of the total class time is the teacher talking; versus how much of the total class time are the students talking (talking about the content, of course!!!!!). The percentage of time the teacher is talking should be less than 50% across activities. For some types of instruction it should be more, and some less, but kids learn most when there are very high rates of active responding.
Whenever I have taught kids and had less than perfect behavior, I have never had to look beyond these three variables to figure out what was wrong.
End of Speech!!!! Carry on! You can each decide whether to send this to your entire staff — if you think it is a good reminder, do so. If you think they will say “Oh no, not her again” I won’t be offended if you don’t.
Brianna
—
Brianna Stiller, Ph.D.
Positive Behavior Support Coordinator
School District 4J, Eugene, Or. 97402
(541)790-7816
stiller@4j.lane.edu
• Life Skills Staffing Update – If you haven’t already heard through the grapevine, Rae was offered and accepted the Howard Life Skills position for next school year! Yea! The postings for Life Skills EAs should be going up next.
• Spring Writing Work Samples Due May 24th – A reminder that writing work samples are due at the end of next week. Attached are the K-2 and 3-5 writing prompts for the spring writing work samples. Be sure to carefully read the teacher directions before administering the assessment. All student final copies are due to me by the end of the day on Friday, May 24th. We will have a roving sub schedule for grading the week of May 27th. Let me know if you have any questions.
• Roadrunner Awards Assembly, Friday at 10:00 – Friday, 10:00-10:30 in the gym will be will be our final Roadrunner Awards Assembly. Attached is a map for the assembly. Students will be called to the gym, by classrooms, via the classroom phone, at approx. 9:50-10:00. If you haven’t done so already, remember choose students who have demonstrated our PBIS focus areas (“Safe Bodies,” “Encouragement,” “Positive Attitude”) though you can also customize awards as necessary. Some teachers have already given them to be, but be sure to give me your awards to sign before the assembly, which I will give back to you in your mailbox. Remember to invite families of students receiving awards to the assembly. At the assembly, I will do a short introduction about the awards and also the focus areas. We will then give out the awards. I will read off the names and why students are getting their awards, but teachers should also come up to help pass out the certificates and congratulate their students. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas.
• IEP Meeting Compensation – Many teachers attend IEP meetings during planning times or outside the workday. The EEA contract entitles classroom teachers to be compensated for up to four hours additional pay. I wanted to remind folks that the form will be accepted between 4/26 and 6/7 and can be found on the HR Forms section of the 4J website.
• Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program – Although it’s likely a corporate scheme to get people into their stores, here’s a summer reading incentive program that may be worth sharing with students and families. Kids read any eight books and record them on their reading journal. They then bring the completed journal to a B&N store and get to choose a free book from their selection on the Reading Journal list.
• Schedule of Events for the Week – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for this week:
May 13 (M)
9:00-10:00, Story Teller Paulette Ansari (Gym)
*9:00-9:25 4/5s, 9:35-10:00 KG, 10:10-10:40 1st-3rd
1:00-3:30, Melissa & Allan to Title 1 Meeting (Ed Center)May 14 (T)
Fluoride Varnish Treatments
9:00-11:30, Kindergarten and 1st Grade to Wildish Theatre
2:30-3:30, Collaborative MeetingMay 15 (W)
Regular DayMay 16 (H)
7:30-6:00, Room 13 to Hatfield Marine Sciences Center
9:30-11:30, 4/5 to Regional Track Meet
7:00-8:00, BEST Beginning Strings ConcertMay 17 (F)
Sprit Friday – PJ Day
10:00-10:30, Roadrunner Assembly (Gym)
2:00-3:00, Allan to Kindergarten EA Staffing Committee Meeting (Ed Center)
Just two more five-day weeks, two four-day weeks and that one odd half-day Monday left to go!
Allan
BONUS Teacher Appreciation Cartoon – Jon Saphier names three key messages skillful teachers send out to kids (particularly our challenging ones) constantly: 1) This is important. 2) You can do it with effective effort. 3) I will not give up on you. This cartoon I saw in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week reminded me of these three messages:
