Play. It's such a fun word and can mean so many things. The five year old who enters Kindergarten for the first time is all he or she wants to do. So why does it stop when we reach adulthood? There are moments we get the chance to play, but it seems so scheduled or organized. Hockey from 10-11pm; Run after school 3:30-4:30pm; tennis 9-10am on a Saturday; language arts 9-10am; art class Friday afternoons. Where I would like to see more play is in how we approach our work with students. Play can also mean taking risks and having fun with the subject one teach's or the experiences that students are exposed to. If a child or young adult see you, the teacher, as having fun with a particular subject, there is no doubt that they will too; thus increasing the motivation to learn or take risks too. So get out there and play a little.
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Today three of us were able to attend a Pro-D on Building an Inquiry Classroom with @Neilstephenson in Richmond. I knew what to expect listening to Neil and could only hope that the two staff members I brought along felt the same. It all came true; it was a real eye opener and there is a sense of excitement to bring back to the rest of the school. The goal: Make our classrooms a thinking classroom. A small percentage of my time as an administrator is teaching small groups as part of the school Resource Team. My morning reading group is already up and running with my 15 Grade 2/3's signed on to Edmodo; the platform I will use to deliver material and instructions. My other project, which both the student I'm working with and I are excited about, is producing a news style podcast for the rest of the school to hear. We just recently sat down to brainstorm some ideas as to what other students would be interested in listening to. We both felt the ideas had to be interesting and informative. This project will provide my student with many different skills, maybe the most important being self confidence. Our goal is to get the first podcast out before Halloween. You can probably guess the theme. Stay tuned! Most often the best part of working in education is continually finding ways to provide positive experiences for the students we serve.
This evenings meeting is no different. This years Acceptance Project is entering it's 5th Campaign and 3rd with the @whlgiants hockey team. It is a great partnership that has been formed and each time we all get together, the energy generated just gets you even more excited to get the project going. So stay tuned for more things to come; almost 10,000 students and social campaign we hope will really inspire others to #spreadtheword. Yes, when you are a way from school for a day due to illness, it seems there is so much to catch up on. It makes it even more so after a long weekend.
Surprise parent meeting in the morning, another in afternoon. Issue with a group of boys that happened while away. Teach my reading group using Edmodo.com. Another scheduled meeting about a great up and coming project for students. Attend a funeral over lunch. Meet with our YFW to plan out the school year. All on a half cup of coffee and two muffins. There is always tomorrow. Ok so conferences are over. Teachers, parents/guardians and child have all had the chance to meet formally for the first time. Expectations are set and routines are laid out. Now what? With all parties present there is no excuse for students to have a successful school year. Teachers work hard at building and reinforcing those routines for the 6 hours a day they have the students. The real work is at home. In the words of Jon Montgomery - Let's git'er done! It's goal setting conference time at our school this week. It's been a bit of a shorter time for teachers and students to get to know one another, but this is still a great way to set some high standards for the rest of the year.
We are just past the proverbial "honeymoon" period, so having some one-to-one time with parents (with student in tow) really ensures that every opportunity for a positive educational experience be had. Having parents and teachers both working toward a common goal in terms of the child is the best recipe for success. This happened yesterday, but I thought I would save it for today.
Kids just say the funniest things. So a Grade 2 student walked up to a staff member and was pointing to their mouth and gap where a tooth was. S: Look, look! T: Oh you lost your tooth? S: Yes, the cemetery pulled it out. T: Oh, you mean someone in the office. S: Yes, the cemetery helped pull it out as it was just dangling. Of course we all know what the student really meant, but too funny all the same. I am very excited and honoured to be apart the 2nd year of @gcouros School Admin Virtual Mentorship Program. This is a great way to share the leadership opportunities with other Admin from schools all over North America.
Although we come from different schools, different parts of the country, different educational backgrounds - the word leadership is a universal term that is required in everything we do. It may be the single most important aspect of ensuring the students we work with get the best possible education. So let's roll up our sleeves and lead! Cool! To meet any athlete is an exciting time. For the Intermediate girls at our school, it was an even more of a thrill. Our school was lucky enough to have Carrie Serwetnyk, former Canadian Women's National Soccer Team Player, come by and talk about an upcoming program for all of the girls interested. It will be a lunch hour program using the game of soccer to promote fair play, leadership and creating positive change.
Great way to get all girls involved with someone as passionate as Carrie. |
About Me
I am the Provincial Coordinator for SET-BC. I'm passionate about inspiring others to be creative, curious, inclusive, collaborative and current in their learning Archives
July 2020
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