Friday Reflections

No regrets about putting this cold January behind us… We all know the importance of early reading – and the positive impact on kids who come to school having been read to by parents.  But our first-grade teacher Claudia Bielicki puts “her money where her mouth is” – she has developed a weekly communication format that offers encouragement and support to parents so they will foster not only reading but other literacy activities at home.    I have attached a couple screenshots of communication that Claudia has with her parents.   Bravo for all the thought and hard work and perseverance – I’m sure the parents who are picking up so many of her ideas are grateful; their kids are surely benefitted.  I would really like to plug the importance of reading and encourage ways we can bring in reading support from home. Hats off to you Claudia - you are laying the ground work for how readers are nurtured – and how reading brings satisfaction, knowledge of what it means to be human, knowled

Two highlights of this last full week of cold January – 1.  I recently “caught” Kelly Will in Hannah’s second grade classroom observing Hannah teach a math lesson.  Hannah was working with the “ 3 Acts of a Mathematical Lesson ” that Kayla has been using in her approach to teaching math to her kindergarteners.  The interaction among this trio of teachers shows how we all can stretch, learn and grow as educators; Kayla has stepped up to lead us in learning a sound method to teach certain mathematical concepts, Hannah has run with Kayla’s approach and Kelly recognizes the potential that such an approach has for helping her students learn math! Is this not a great example of how team players make public what in the past would have been private?  All three teachers are going to improve their practice – not only their individual practice, but the collective practice of all of us who inquire about how we might do something similar. 2.  Tuesday’s in-service on writing by Jennifer Serval

I’m going old school this week - back to Psychology 101 - Remember learning about Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs - the most basic needs physiological needs - food, clothing, shelter and rest.  As a staff we’re all fairly blessed that our basic needs are met.  And, as we move up the ladder, we humans have a driving need to belong.  A former colleague, Sally Ziegler from Pershing, shared an Harvard Business Review survey that targeted three buckets that comprise the unspoken psychological contract between employees and employers - that is, employees are looking to fulfill the following needs: Career is about work: having a job that provides autonomy, allows you to use your strengths, and promotes your learning and development. It’s at the heart of intrinsic motivation. Community is about people: feeling respected, cared about, and recognized by others. It drives our sense of connection and belongingness. Cause is about purpose: feeling that you make a meaningful impact, i

Several Irving highlights of the first few days of 2019 So this week we listed some of our goals for the remainder of the school year.   A common theme emerged – we need to take care of ourselves. “be present”, “exercise”, and “find balance”. We wear many hats to the 500 plus students who walk into Irving each and every day.  We are educators, nurses, parental figures, data managers, friends, advocates, buffers, negotiators, servants, gatekeepers, comforters, and on and on. We give and we give and we give – and because of all the giving we need to replenish ourselves.  And, we have a wonderful resource in our midst to help us – Nancy Healy. Nancy shared a YouTube resource she is using – the work of Mel Robbins “ Mindset Reset ”.  Ms. Robbins works on developing habits that develop a positive mindset and emphasizes that positivity isn’t an event but a process. Who isn’t drawn to a person who has a positive mindset – and one who wants to share how she got there and share wha