Monday, November 20, 2017

Goals Ahead: November/December 2017 Teaching

It's a short and celebratory week with Thanksgiving just a few days away

This week I'll focus on the following:

Math Assessment
Students will do their best on the unit two assessment. I'll coach them to use good test taking strategy. Later they'll positive learning strategy to puzzle through a number of relatively new concepts using online exercises.

Mars Expedition and Space Exploration
Students will have the opportunity to virtually travel to Mars and explore the universe. It will be an exciting and eye-opening event.

Coordinate Grids
Students will learn the basics of plotting points, then practice by making coordinate grid pictures.

Good Character Campaign
Students will continue to focus on our school wide Good Character Campaign with a focus on how we make the attributes of good character visible using this page as a guide. The rationale for this unit is that people with good character typically enjoy greater happiness and more success.

Thanksgiving Breakfast
Our school sponsors an event to foster our collegiality. It is a long held tradition that recognizes the strength and promise of our camaraderie.

After the holiday, the focus will include these events:

Unit Three Math
Students will review their learning success so far this year as we discuss ways to successfully master the standards in unit three. Then we'll get started with the learning.

Culture Focus
Prior to Thanksgiving, students focused on culture in their social studies class. That focus will continue as we entertain many cultures during December when students discuss their holiday celebrations. A deeper focus will occur with respect to the ancient Mayan culture.

STEAM
There will be a number of days devoted mostly to science in order to complete our first science units.

Character Campaign
With posters, announcements, and other activities, students will foster a school-wide good character campaign.

Math Fun
Wednesday math will be devoted to a number of fun math activities to build skill in numerous standards-based areas, areas often not taught with depth until the end of the year, but areas that are included in mid-year and spring assessments.

Keeping the focus is essential to good teaching, and naming the priorities is a good way to support fidelity to that focus. Onward.