The Middle Update 8/31/18

Tuesday is the day!  Most of our students and their parents were here on Wednesday night, and I really enjoyed the buzz of excited kids and parents as they got things organized and ready for the first day of school.  I also really enjoyed our time together this week.  I feel fortunate to be a part of the talented, hard-working, student-centered team that we have assembled here in Poynette.

Article of the Week

Thank you to Mrs. Morton for sharing our article this week.  I believe this article succinctly articulates what our focus from this past week is all about, and why it matters so much.

"What Happened When I Committed to Loving my Students Unconditionally" - Kyle Redford

A memorable quote from the article - "Although my love plan was designed to improve my students' school experience, it radically improved mine as well. It worked magic on my relationships with students and energized me for the school day. My difficult students represented puzzles to solve and relationships to improve, not dreaded obstacles that threatened to drain my teacher joy. By letting go of the assumption that their behaviors were conscious choices, I was able to avoid feelings of resentment when my students blew it. Overall, I felt more peaceful and less angry."

Setting High Expectations on Day 1!
It is so important to set a positive, structured environment filled with a sense of high expectations on day 1 and beyond.  Below are a few examples of phrases that you can use (or variations) to send that important message.

"I am so excited to be your teacher"

"You should see your data from last year.  You guys are going to make me look good."

"It doesn't matter what you've done before, kids in my previous classes have always exceeded anything they thought they could do."

Mindset/Mentality/Message/Body Language is so important for setting our kids up for success.

Collective Teacher Efficacy Work Recap

After reviewing the sticky notes of thoughts that our teachers had on what Collective Teacher Efficacy feels like, sounds like, and looks like, I wanted to share a couple that stood out to really epitomize the culture necessary to break through for our students' experience and achievement.

"Own it!!!  Every child is our own.  We may be all they got."

"Center conversations on solutions rather than problems."

"Always positive attitude.  I believe in you"

"Use encouraging, positive tone of voice and body language"

First Day Reminders

We would like to have all teachers outside on the playground around 7:20 on the first day to greet the students and start building those important relationships.  Students will report to their lockers, gather their things for their first class, and report to the gym for a brief assembly.  After the assembly, students will report to their first class.  The first day is an A day.

Puma Pride Grades
In conversations that started last year, we have had a couple of teachers express interest in assessing our students on Puma Pride standards for their individual classes.  I believe the following standards could be assessed in individual classes:
-Completes and returns work in a timely manner
-Follows classroom expectations
-Puts forth effort to produce high quality work
If you would like to pilot this practice to start the school year for the above standards, or just one of them, please let me know, and we'll work out the details.  Infinite Campus is set up so all teachers have the capability to do this.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site.  Save it as a favorite for your reference throughout the school year.

Homerooms During IE
As a reminder, we will be meeting in Homeroom Groups for the first two weeks of school.  This time period is a crucial time for Social Emotional Learning and creating a close knit group for each student to be connected with.  Providing structure and being prepared are keys to running a successful homeroom.

See you Tuesday morning!!

The Middle...End of Summer Update

We are almost ready to kick off the 2018-2019 school year!  I am looking forward to getting our crew back together again to work towards some ambitious goals for our kids. After visiting with many of you during the floating in-service days, around school, or at the picnic, it sounds like an enjoyable summer was had by all.  I look forward to seeing you all Monday morning...we'll be preparing together over the first 3 days of in-service, but I wanted to share ahead of time some resources for you to review if you get the chance.  Have a great weekend!!

Professional Development Days Schedule
You can find a copy of the schedule at this LINK.  Our first gathering as a staff will be at 10:00 am Monday morning in the High School commons.

Puma Pride Website
The Puma Pride Website is home to many important resources for our teaching staff.  You can find many important resources on this site, including:
     -PMS Master Schedule
     -PMS Early Release/Late Start Schedules
     -Puma Pride Expectations
     -18-19 Schedule of Events
     -PMS Classroom Discipline Continuum

The list above is just a sample of the resources...check it out and save it as a favorite for your future reference.

What Really Makes the Difference
As I worked this summer trying to grow professionally through books, conferences, and PD sessions, it has become very clear to me that the following quote sums up what it takes to have the best impact that we can on EVERY kid in our school...

"Love and kindness need to be at the heart of all we do!"