How is Your Master Schedule Looking?

Spring...a time in the realm of public school education that is better known as the roller coaster ride. It's a wild ride after spring break! In the midst of year-end assessments, award assemblies, and IEP meetings looms something that keeps many school administrators up at night...the master schedule!

For some, it is a spreadsheet. For others, it's a series of sticky notes on a white board. For me, it's a board filled with magnets of different colors. I'm kind of crazy that way. I sincerely enjoy working to solve the very intricate puzzle/house of cards that makes up the schedule in our building. Someday, I'm going to teach a class on master schedule construction. Regardless of what your method of master schedule instruction looks like, here are a few points to consider as you construct the schedule for your own building. 

Does your schedule line up with your school improvement plan? 

• What are your building's goals? Does the current structure of the schedule support those goals, or does it hinder them? For example: If you want to promote the effective use of the PLC framework, do your teachers have opportunities to plan together during the school day? Do your exceptional education teachers get to plan with teachers they collaborate with? 

Does your schedule accommodate your exceptional students? 

• When thinking about exceptional students, don't forget to take into consideration those students who are in gifted or honors-level classes. Is a student enrolled in Algebra 1 also able to take Earth Science if they want to? On the flip side, is a student able to take self-contained english and collaborative social studies while being able to get their first-choice elective? I'm not saying you should be able to honor every student's course request, but you should construct a schedule which would enable you to accommodate most of them. 

Does your schedule make your teachers' lives easier? 

• When I first started creating a master schedule for this school year, I was pretty proud of myself that things were coming together so easily. Then I started to take a closer look. While the schedule looked like it was going to work, things were going to be difficult for the teachers; especially for those teaching more than one subject/level. The way the schedule was originally set up would have required teachers to teach multiple sections on any given day. By moving around some sections, I was able to construct schedules which more or less had teachers teaching the same course back-to-back, or one section on one day, and another section on another day. 
• On another note, don't leave your teachers in the dark about the scheduling process. Talk with them about the process. Answer their questions. Get their opinion on possible scheduling scenarios. It's likely in this day and age the teachers in your building have been there longer than you have, and have seen things done several different ways. 

In the end, make sure your master schedule is what's best for kids. If it doesn't work for your students, it won't matter how pretty it looks. It's simply not going to work in the long run. That being said, don't be afraid to get creative as you construct your schedule. Just remember to be transparent about your process. 

Brushing Up On Some SAMR

image from ipadforschools.org

Every year, our school division requires teachers to attend a technology-driven staff development day a couple of weeks before teacher work week begins. With all of our middle school students getting Chromebooks, much of the workshop was centered around ensuring students received the best possible blended learning experience.

Teachers were shown how to navigate curriculum based websites, how to enter information into the new electronic gradebook, and were also given a mini lesson on the SAMR model.


As an FYI, Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything has some GREAT SAMR resources for teachers who are just getting their feet wet in SAMR land!

SAMR is an acronym for the following:

• Substitution,
• Augmentation,
• Modification, and
• Redefinition

Basically the premise is that the use of technology in education can be categorized into one of the above four methods. Let's take for example, the act of note taking.

In substitution, the technology is simply taking the place of a more traditional method - like using a word processor instead of a typewriter, or a piece of lined paper.
Through augmentation, the technology is basically a slight improvement on the traditional tool. For example, spell check and formatting tools make the process of note taking easier.  
The modification stage is where the real fun begins. The traditional notes become interactive. Students use the Internet to enrich their notes. Hyperlinks to interesting sites or video may be added. Images are added to the page. Students can utilize Google docs for sharing and peer editing.
Redefinition - The notebook turns into a blog that is published and shared with not only their classmates, but experts in the field. Questions and comments can be posted, leading to a deeper thought process. Students have an audience beyond their classroom.

As I observe classes this year, I would like to give some feedback based on the SAMR model. I want to ask teachers how they would rate their lesson. Would the lesson be more of an S, or more of an R?

I chose the topic of SAMR note taking because there is a debate in our school system right now. Even though students are going to be given Chromebooks, teachers want to be able to continue using paper notebooks because students retain more if they can cut and paste something into a notebook. Even as an administrator, I have found the best way to get my point across is by modeling my expectations. As I think about what this could look like, the idea of an "Interactive PLC Agenda" comes to mind. The agenda with videos, links, and pictures posted on our PLC site teachers can comment on and share. It's worth a shot. I'll let you know how it goes!

Personal Professional Goals

At the beginning of each school year, I have to write a professional growth plan based on the goals of our school and school division. In addition to these goals, I also choose some personal professional goals to reach.

I had made a resolution at the beginning of the new year to maintain a Personal Learning Network (PLN) through Twitter. Prior to that point, I had done very little with Twitter or Personal Learning Networks, and I knew I really needed to. In the months to come, a whole new world of FREE professional development opportunities opened up to me. In fact, my personal professional goals for this year come directly from ideas generated through my PLN.

Goal 1: Maintain Regular "No Office" Days.

I am sincerely worried about the amount of change we are asking of our teachers this year. In addition to working with a new student database system which includes a new electronic grade book and method for posting assignments, we are also giving each one of their students a Chromebook. One evening, a member of #cmsk12chat mentioned the concept of "no office" days. Basically, select days to work outside the office. I'm hoping that in doing this, I will have a better idea of what is going on in classrooms. I'm hoping that by spending more times with teachers and students, I will be better equipped to accomplish my second goal.

Goal 2: Make Sure Those I Work With Experience Personalized Learning

As our school division implements so many new initiatives this year, there will be teachers who will embrace them and instantly thrive in their new teaching environment. Others will need some guidance to be more successful. There will also be a group who will struggle, who will need intensive support and coaching. Using "no office" days will allow me to gain a greater understanding of what our teachers need. I can then seek out resources to help provide them with professional development or coaching that fits their individual needs. I'm willing to bet I could pair them up with a PLN that would help them grow like I have. I know there will also be some tough conversations that will take place as a result of what I see, and that is why my final goal is so important.

Goal 3: Maintain Authenticity

One of my absolute favorite chats, #leadwithgiants, takes place on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. They discuss trends in leadership. Back in June the topic was centered around authenticity. Being new to a building last year, I was afraid that I had lost some of who I was trying to fit in with the culture there. What I ended up realizing is that in order to best serve those I work alongside, I need to be true to myself.  I am at my most confident when I am true to myself. The teachers, students, and staff members I work along side deserve the very best from me, and I need to be at my best in order to give my best.

As you reflect on your upcoming year, be sure sure that the goals you set help your school and your division. However, make sure to set some goals which help grow yourself as well; because If you stop learning, those you work alongside aren't going to learn very much either. 

What is Your Most Productive Time of Day?

As long as I can remember, I have been a morning person. Sincerely, I can't remember many mornings when I have slept particularly late.

Sleeping late has rarely been an option for me. I took a job as soon as I could - age 11 or 12 delivering the Boston Globe before school. Later on, I worked at a bakery. The morning shift began at 5:30 for me on weekends and during the summer when I wasn't in school. This may have something to do with being an introvert. I energize by taking some time to myself. I may as well be productive during this time!

I was really glad that I was a morning person when it came time for me to attend college. One of the techniques for weeding out those who aren't particularly serious about becoming music majors is to make sure all required music classes begin at 8:00 a.m.

When I entered, the workforce, I quickly realized that not everyone is a morning person, and I used it to my advantage. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning allowed me to get at work earlier than most; and I got so much accomplished during those "wee hours" of the morning. People who arrived at work at the same time I did had a similar mindset. They were there to get stuff done.

I remember interviewing for a position, and the "time management" question came up. I responded by saying that as far as I'm concerned, time during the school day is not my own. It should be used to work directly with teachers, parents and students. Since my brain is basically fried at the end of the day, I actually put a daily task on the calendar that I refer to as "stuff" between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. This block of time is when I am at my best; and I save the most complex tasks for this time. Depending on the time of year, I may even come to work earlier. I rarely stay past 5:00 in the evening unless there is an evening event. That doesn't mean I don't pull out my computer to answer some emails or take a look at a project I'm working on.

As you begin this new school year, take a moment and consider how you manage your time. Are you taking advantage of your most productive time of day? If not, I recommend you do so. It could mean the difference from being good at your job, and being great at it!

What Book Are You Reading?

Tis the season to interview teachers,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Yup, its that time of year again. Time to sit in the conference room and interview prospective teachers. Individuals who are going to help drive the learning process of what could potentially be generations of students within your building. This is NOT a subject that should be taken lightly.

Having worked almost ten years as an administrator, I've seen it all when it comes to job interviews. I've also learned a lot, like which interview questions have the greatest impact. A couple of years ago, our school division administrators participated in a summer read of Donnalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer. In that book she mentions job interviews and asking prospective teachers, "what book have you read recently"?

After reading her book, I tried this while interviewing a potential language arts teacher. Her response: "I haven't read anything recently. It's summer vacation!" Ironically, if she hadn't answered that single question in the way she had, she would have gotten the job.

To say the least, I now ask this simple question to every single person I interview for teaching positions. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, I do this to avoid hiring people who answer questions in the manner answered above. Second, I often learn something new. The answer to this question may give me insight to the person I'm about to hire. Frankly, I don't necessarily care what someone reads over the summer, as long as they are reading something, and they are passionate about what they share.

In addition, asking someone what they have read recently may also give me a lead on my own next summer read! From interviews, I've learned about Daniel Pink's Drive, about Tony Dungy's Uncommon and about Jim Knight's Instructional Coaching. The information I gained from these books have been worth so much to me.

The next time you are interviewing possible teacher candidates, ask this question. You may take away more from that question than you do from the entire interview!

By the way, I just finished up Janet Evanovich's Top Seceret Twenty-One and I enjoyed EVERY minute of it!

Stressed?

Recently, there have been quite a few articles about the effects of stress on teachers and students. I'm beginning to wonder if people think this is a new phenomenon. I'm here to tell you that it is most definately NOT something new. That being said, I do think the issue is becoming more mainstream, as more and more teachers and students find themselves in higher stakes situations as the gradual shift in teaching and learning is taking place.

For example, I remember sitting with two other administrators in my division one afternoon. One worked in an at-risk school similar to my own, and the other worked in a building which served a more affluent community. The more affluent school administrator said to us, "Is it just me, or is everyone really stressed out this year?" My colleague from the at-risk school turned to me and said, "I can't remember the last time our teachers weren't stressed!"

I do not work in a Common Core state. Actually, there are times when I wish we followed the Common Core standards because from what I can tell, they allow opportunity to focus on a deeper understanding of the subject rather than just scraping the surface of a multitude of concepts. Regardless of where any of us work, the standardized tests we are administrating to our students have changed in the past couple of years. They require students to use critical thinking and problem solving skills in order to get the right answer. I remember stopping by a computer lab during which some of our honors level students were taking a practice version of the 6th grade reading test, and one of the students expressed frustration to me because she wasn't able to use the test taking strategies to find the answers. She said she actually had to read the entire passage! Read the entire passage? What a travesty! What strategies have we been teaching our students?

Long story short, a passing score is no longer a given, even in schools where teachers and students have taken passing scores for granted for so many years. Teachers are having to go beyond the content area if they are to ensure students are going to be successful with these tests. They have been amping up their questioning strategies, and are providing additional opportunities for students to collaborate, problem-solve, and think critically. Unfortunately, these strategies may not be inevery teacher's toolbox.

As much as we want them to sometimes, these standards aren't going away. In fact, they are going to become more complex as the push to prepare students to be successful in this century continues. It's up to us as administrators to acknowledge the stress our teachers are under, and provide them with opportunities to "upgrade" their toolbox through professional development sessions, peer observations, and, most importantly, guided conversations in grade level and content area PLC meetings.

So, the next time you are talking with your teachers, ask them how they are doing, and be prepared to listen to their concerns. While you may not be able to take away all of their stress, you may be able to help alleviate some of it with a few simple changes.

Another Fabulous Day!

A couple of months ago, I posted a blog titled "Best PLC Meeting Ever". Well, on Friday, some of the PLC members I work with gave me one of the BEST DAYS ever!

Friday was the last day of the marking period. The Success students I work with were working fast and furious catching up on any missing assignments, and my amazing teachers were right there with us helping them get caught up on anything they were missing.

A couple weeks prior to this, the Success students created 3-slide presentations they could show someone who would serve as a potential mentor for them. The presentations allowed the students to share a little about themselves...their likes, dislikes, and what exactly they needed help on. I took each of those presentations and added a fourth slide to them. That fourth slide had their grade from the first semester, and from the last marking period (the period they spent the success class in). I then took all of the presentations and loaded them onto a Google site that our teachers could access. The teachers were able to flip through the presentations, and if they felt so inclined, could use a Google form to select a student they wanted to mentor for the fourth marking period.

On Friday, the mentors came and visited their students. To say that these students were excited to find out that someone picked them would be an understatement. The teachers were also sincerely excited to meet these students who had come so far. They made plans to meet on a regular basis, and then left to allow the students to finish up their work for the marking period with the teachers who were helping them out. After the mentors had left, I took a minute to sit down with the students and told them to open up the presentation they created, and to take a look at the fourth slide I created for them. I had kids grinning from ear to ear, jumping up and down, and yelling "YES" when they saw the progress they had made. In some cases we weren't just talking about moving from an F to a D. Some of the students moved from a F to a C+. One moved from an F to a B! All were on the right track to passing the grade.

Now the really hard work begins for these students and their mentors. They are going to have to maintain these grades by applying the skills they used in the Success class. My job will be to make sure these students are beng monitored, and that they continue to receive the supports and materials they need to continue to be successful.

When all is said and done, there really isn't any secret formula to this program. It all comes down to establishing and maintaining relationships, and making sure they have everything they need to be successful. Does it take time and effort? Sure! It takes tons of time and effort. Is it worth it? Definately.

A Different Way to Look At Remediation

We have a "watch list" of students established for our grade level PLC. This is a list we began construction on the very first week of school, and have added names to it every single marking period. This list is comprised of students who are of concerns to us based on their ABC's, their potential of becoming dropouts. What does ABC stand for?

A  is for Attendance

• Is this student tardy to class? Tardy to a certain class? Tardy to school? Do they have frequent absences? How come? What have we done to support their coming to school on time? 

B is for Behavior

• How does the student behave in class? Does their behavior have an effect on their academic performance, or of the academic performance of those around them? Have they been suspended from school for an extended period of time? What interventions have been put in place to help correct their behaviors? 

C is for Classwork

• How is the student performing academically? Are they failing a subject? Are they failing more than one subject? What are we doing to provide academic assistance?

Throughout the year, we provide interventions for these students. Their school counselor works with them to determine the reason for their frequent attendance issues and puts interventions in place to try to assist these students and their families. Functional behavior assessments are performed to determine when where the most concerning behaviors are taking place, and a team meets to develop new ways to address their behavior to prevent them from being suspended out of school. Also, teachers meet with the families of these students, as well as one another to develop a plan to make sure they are receiving the proper academic supports. 

In many cases, these interventions are often enough to provide support to our students. However, in working with students, there are always extenuating circumstances. In these cases, an extra level of support is required. 

My teachers and I are in the process of a program for our students who haven't responded to our interventions so far. There may be an underlying reason why they are not responding that we may not have determined yet, or they may have fallen so far behind at this point, that they feel that they can't come back. 

Success! Class

This is where Success! class comes in. At the end of the 1st semester, our team had nine students who were in severe danger of failing the grade level, and it was clear that additional intervention would be needed. The solution, trade nine weeks of electives for a study skills class. In order for this to happen, several conversations had to take place

• The conversation with the teachers: "I'll be willing to take the time to facilitate the class, but I will need your commitment to take a day or two of your time during the marking period to help me out." 
• Their response? Whatever you need! I'll be happy to help!
• The conversation with year-long electives teachers: "I understand I am taking them out of your elective for a marking period. How can they make up the time?"
• Their response? We would be happy to work with these kids during after-school researsals and advisory periods, as long as I get them back after the nine weeks!
• The conversation with parents: Your child is in danger of failing the 6th grade. I would like to place them in a study skills class for the next marking period.
• Their response? Yes...all nine of them...yes! 

Parents may not always be too keen about their child starting the year with a study skills class, but when it's crunch time, they are usually pretty receptive. 

Was There Success? 

For the next marking period, these nine students came to me every other day. We worked in a computer lab so that they had access to Edmodo and Google Drive. They had folders with daily agendas and missing work in them. Special guest teachers came by each class period to work with them one-on-one and in small groups. We organized binders, organized lockers, checked grades, made sure they had supplies, and ensured that any completed missing work ended up in the teacher's mailbox for grading. The result? Well, there is still one more week of Success left, but of the nine students, only two have failing grades at this point, and we have a deeper understanding of the interventions that need to be in place for these students to be successful. 

What Happens Next? 

Students were asked to create a three-slide presentation about themselves: how they work, and what they feel they need to be successful. Our staff members are going to be given the oportunity to look at these presentations and select one student to check in on. Since we fave a staff of over one hundred, I feel pretty confident that a match will be made. 

What I Learned

Many of the things that we did to help these students weren't necessairly academically related. Instead they were more relationship driven. We made sure they were organized, had all their supplies and materials, and recognized them for their accmplishments. They were given opportunities to be successful, and took us up on that opportunity! I can't wait to see how the mentoring component works out! 

Don't Forget Where You Come From

On Monday night, one of my favorite Twitter chats #vachat was cancelled, so I went through my followers to see what else they were jumping in on that night. One of the people I follow, Jayme Linton, hosts a chat called #edteach. #Edteach is a site primarily for new and aspiring teachers, but I decided to jump on. The topic for the evening was all about the importance of relationships; and being new to a school this year, it's been a topic at the forefront of many conversations I've had this year.

I really appreciated this chat for several reasons: The questions were posted ahead of time, the facilitator provided guidance to those who were new to "Tweeting as a professional", and the questions and answers were extremely thoughtful.

What I appreciated most was the extreme positive vibe I was getting from being a participant. Though it has been over 15 years since I watched my very first set of students walk in my classroom door, I remember that day like it was yesterday. I also remember the extreme feeling of completely untarnished optimism I had. While I remain optimistic of the profession I have chosen, I've had to become adept at navigating those obstacles which can prevent us as educators from making the impact we desire.

These new and aspiring teachers (and some veterans) were also able to offer one another some sage advice that we can sometimes forget in our day-to-day pursuits of educational excellence.

• @mj_maher - Be genuinely interested in all of your students. Especially those who seem out of place. 
• @ruralteacher - Be careful of the negative view some people have of others. Form your own opinions, especially with students. You may be their shining light!
• @lfarnsworth12 - Show them that you care about them inside and outside of the classroom. 

My mother, who is a retired educator, has always told me to make sure that your professional development experiences are not strictly centered around being an educational leader. Participate in some of the same PD sessions teachers participate in. It's profound advice. Not only will you learn something new, your educational foundation will strengthen. If you participate in some of the same PD sessions as YOUR OWN teachers, you will strengthen your relationship with them as well.

Remember, as long as you are an educator, never get so far from the classroom that you are unable to make your way back.

Increasing Teacher Comfort With Google Drive

Since every middle school student in the division that employs me is getting a Chromebook next year, I am doing my absolute best job to embrace everything that is Chrome; especially since there is currently no plan to give Chromebooks to the adults who work directly with these middle school students.

Thankfully, anything that can be done on a Chromebook can be done on a computer with the Chrome browser installed. I can still completely understand why teachers would like to have their own Chromebook on hand, though. It's all about increasing the comfort level. While our school system has done a fairly good job of providing opportunities for teachers to learn how to use Google Drive, (through workshops and online modules) it's really up to administrators to make sure they have plenty of opportunities to practice. Of course, we all know that the best way to practice any newly acquired skill is being able to apply that skill to real-life situations.

Here are some things people in our building have put in place which basically ensure teachers get to use Google Drive on a regular basis.

Lab Schedules - We have an amazing technology integrator who visits us a couple of days a week to share with teachers all that is cool and fabulous with technology. He worked with our library staff to create a Google Spreadsheet teachers could access to sign up for computer lab time. The revision history makes sure someone doesn't go in and erase someone's time and puts their own name in their place.

PLC Meetings - PLC Agendas are drafted in Google Docs. The link to the agenda is shared 24 hours before the meeting, and teachers are able to add items to the agenda. On the day of the meeting, one person types notes directly into the agenda creating instant minutes. The minutes are then stored on a Google site created just for the grade level so teachers don't have to go searching through their email if they were unable to make a meeting. The site also stores other important bits of information like meeting schedules, bus duty rosters, and links to state and division resources. In addition, I used tinyurl.com to create a shortened link that is easy for teachers to remember.

The School Calendar - Our office staff are responsible for keeping the calendar up to date. Now they put all events on a School-Use Google Calendar that is share with all staff members. I have gone a step beyond to place that very same calendar on the home page of the PLC site I mentioned above for easy reference.

Lesson Plans - I teach a class every other day for a small group of students who are in danger of failing the grade level. My plans for the class are stored as a Google spreadsheet that teachers can access to see what I'm doing. I've given editing rights so they can also list any missing or make-up work Some teachers in my building have started using Google docs to store their own lesson plans. One teacher recently commented to me that it is actually easier to store plans on Google Drive because she can simply share the plans with other members of her PLC.

I could go on and on with examples, but the purpose of sharing these is to get your own mind thinking about things you can do in your own building if you end up in a similar circumstance. It is my ultimate hope that teachers will be able to take the skills they learned and use them to assist their students when they get their Chromebooks next fall!

Uplifting Thoughts for the Second Semester

This past week marked the beginning of the second semester in my school system. It was actually delayed a week because we have had quite a few snow days. Now when I talk snow, its nothing like the weather I experienced growing up in Massachusetts; but I also have to remember they just aren't as equipped to handle the winter down here in Virginia.

With the week delay, and the promise of more winter on the way, came the realization that there is now even less time to do everything that we need to do to help our students. In addition, the release of mid-year assessment results (not great) caused feelings of depression, panic, and uncertainty among our staff members. It was a wake up call that we needed to reexamine what we were doing and make adjustments accordingly. While I appreciate the sense of urgency among many of our staff members to make these adjustments, I worry about two groups:

• Those who are not doing a good job and are not particularly worried about it, and
• Those who are doing a good job and are getting so stressed out that I fear for their health.

From someecards.com

As a school leader, I feel accountable for both groups of teachers. Ironically, I feel that its easier to work with the first group. I can sit down with them, show them the data, and start conversations to help them shift the conversation from blaming the students to helping the students. 

For the other group, I feel the need to lift their spirits. I write thank you notes on gold star cutouts and place them in their mailboxes, include them in shout-outs during PLC meetings, bake cookies, surprise them with pizza, and most importantly, listen to their frustrations and concerns. I also keep a bank of quotes, pictures, and websites to share with them. Here are a few that I use:

For quotes:

• 20 Awe-Inspiring Quotes for Teachers and Parents
• Quotes for Teachers - Love this because they can be used in presentation slides
• Quotes About Teaching - Goodreads actually lets you search for all sorts of quotes

For Pictures: (By the way - I typically use pictures for humor. I may throw one into the middle of a presentation or email a random picture to a teacher who is having a bad day. I'm also into memes right now, but they are mostly of funny cats...)

• Some E-Cards - Humor teachers can relate to
• Pinterest - Good collection of teacher humor

It doesn't really matter what you do to provide your teachers with uplifting experiences. After all, we all have different personalities, and share humor in different ways. What's important is that you share humor in a way that is comfortable to you, and appropriate for the occasion. What may be acceptable for some people and venues, may not be acceptable for others. A good rule of thumb is to keep it G-Rated! 

Best PLC Meeting Ever!

Image From - www.bn.com

I am a firm believer that the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model is one of the best tools we canpublications provide strategies that are easy to implement and can produce results quickly.
utilize to support teaching and learning for our students, and for one another. This purpose of this post is not to describe what a PLC is, or how to establish one in your building. If you want to start using PLCs with fidelity start by reading up on the Dufour's work on the subject. Their

The purpose of this post will hopefully paint a picture of why PLCs can ROCK!

Our grade level PLC meets every other week to discuss student performance, upcoming events, and discuss any issues among the grade level or the building. A couple of days before, our admin team meets to draw up a broad agenda, and I send it out to the grade level so that they know what to expect. I send it out as a Google doc so that they can add items if they need to. The really nice thing about using a Google doc is that the agenda transforms into the meeting minutes when our note taker types notes under each agenda item. I also have all agendas stored under a single shared folder.

On this past agenda, I added a line titled academics, and put this underneath:

• Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies

I asked teachers to share with one another what was going on within their content area. The results were pure magic! The language arts teachers shared that they were working on the concept of comparing and contrasting. While they were discussing their strategies, the math teachers jumped in and said they easily integrate the vocabulary and strategies when they talk about graphing. Social studies and science teachers began to ask questions about reading strategies and non-fiction passages, and wanted to learn how they could help. I was soooo proud of my teachers! The teachers left feeling energized and ready to work. I really thought it was one of our best meetings so far. 

I've said before that I am new to this building this year, and the first thing I did was implement PLC procedures and protocols. I've also made the commitment to never miss a meeting unless I'm out of the building. Though these norms are revisited often, we still get off track from time to time, but bringing the team back to task gets easier; and when they are on task, there is nothing they can't accomplish!