Friday Reflections

A little guessing game for our reflections this Friday?  Who fits these descriptors? Who has a ready smile and a helping hand often to our neediest of students? Who knows more of the personality, the quirks, the strengths and weaknesses of special students? Who has the patience to help student/s to break down complex ideas and finish challenging assignments? Who adapts materials, cuts up triangles and squares, creates graphic organizers, cleans up messes? Who never gives up on the student who needs one-on-one help learning sight words or two digit numbers or piecing together a persuasive paragraph and more? Who follows complicated schedules and sometimes has to adjust to the routines and expectations of numerous classrooms? Who is often “sent in” with little formal training and expected to perform miracles with underachieving students? If you guessed correctly, you identified our many paraprofessionals.  They are often our unsung heroes in and out of the clas...

Kathy sent me the note below and she gives credit where credit is due – and she doesn’t beat around the bush about the good works of several important people who make Irving shine. To all the people below - thank you for all your hard work behind, around and in front of the scenes. And include yourself in that count, Kathy.  You have made us more aware of key events and circumstances that we can easily take for granted.  “Just to let you know...

Our Book Fair made over $1,000 in profits which included free books for teachers and new books for our library. Special thanks to our own Mrs. Garcia and parent Mrs. Rangel for set-up, overseeing sales all week, and the close up on the last day!

 Also, Mrs. Rangel was the one who wrapped each squishy in cellophane with a note card attached for the 5th grade fundraiser. 

Danny has been on top of our snow and ice on sidewalks, playgrounds and all doorways!  He continues to do a great job!

 Pat DeSalvo has successfully ...

Recently I met with grade levels to analyze their Map data.  And Map data results can be dry  - and we often come away with an attitude -  “Ok - where do we go from here?”  And where we go from MAP data isn’t always a direct link back to the data, but rather a springboard to grade level concerns that many of us have batted around - both alone and together. When I met with the fifth grade team, Tyler Haar shared a springboard.  He suggested that students need more volume in writing; in other words, students need to write more and more.  Maybe what he is sensing is that too many of his students don’t view themselves as writers.  If I dare get inside Tyler’s talented mind, I would venture to say that he wants to build and encourage writers. And, after talking with Tyler and seeing his writing approach  - absolutely - no doubt about it -  someday many of Tyler’s students will be looking back and asking themselves, “When did I become a writer;...

It’s safe to say that every school has its pillars – staff that do so much heavy lifting that the place would fall apart without them.  Courtney O’Connor is an Irving pillar – a main support who widens and enlightens our path forward.  I was reminded of the many ways she contributes with her excellent presentation this week on reading.  One of my take aways from Courtney’s presentation on Tues - while we are becoming familiar with Jan Richardson’s framework, we know that reading is so much more than recognizing words on a page.  And, we know that even the most accomplished reading researchers are discovering and exploring techniques that unlock the ways that authors of fiction use to build good stories.  Courtney is good at putting “meat on the bones” – inviting us to look deeper and broader at what Kylene Beers & Robert Probst call the Book, Head, Heart Framework. To walk a mile in Courtney’s shoes one would be covering some of the following bases – and, ...

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 ...

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 wr...

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 meanin...