HUMS staff week of May 20, 2019

We all need a little sun.  

ITEMS:

1.  Meetings

May 21 - Full Faculty (Part III of Recovery Session Planning) (middle school please meet in Kendra Renz's classroom - want to discuss end of year June 14th meeting)

May 28 - Learning Communities (end of year group work presentations)

May 30 - LT/DH Meeting

June

June 4 - Full Faculty (Kathy/Harkness 30 mins)

June 10-14 Final Week of Classes including 9th & 10th-grade Exhibitions of Learning & Recovery program

June 11 - Full Fac Mtng

2. Reminders:

*8th Grade leadership team selection for next year

*8th and 7th grade - Athlete/Scholars selection - (8th grade is good to go)

3. Last week of school - Meeting with Lisa Therrien afterschool on Monday in Duane's office for Jackie, Sarah and Jon.

4. See Step Up Schedule (coming soon)


5. IMPORTANT End of the year NOTICE

I know the end of the year can be hectic.  Although I spent many years at Harwood, my first year back has been a bit overwhelming and I find myself "so far behind [in the race] that I think sometimes I am first.  I appreciate your time and patience with this process.  

I am reaching out to everyone who is listed on the  email sent last week 5/16 to ask that you submit to me via "hard copy" yep paper, your end of year reflections on your goals that you handed in at the beginning of the year.  I am hoping to receive these by, Friday May 31st.  Please place them in my mailbox in the high school office or give them to liz in the HUMS office.  Once I receive them I will seek you out to briefly meet so you can sign off on them.  Please use the goal template you sent to me to write your reflection.  Thank you!  

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  Harwood utilizes a student feedback tool that all teachers are to administer to their classes prior to the year's end.   This is not part of your evaluation, but a class by class feedback tool for you to view and use to make adjustments or improvements in your classes.  Here is the link to the form - please make a copy of this for your use. DO NOT use as is.. please make a copy.  You will need to sign off (as part of your goals template)  that you have completed this task by the end of the year.  

SURVEY LINK: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1m-F610YAwxCfHiRGynoTf6jG7XGFG-pp_5Tt1nHKVJY/edit

Please let me know if you have any questions.  

The Problem with Saying We “Like” and “Love” Students’ Work

            In this article in Education Week Teacher, author Starr Sackstein pushes back on praising students’ work with comments in this vein: “I like this transition” or “I love this line in your essay.” Praise like this is well-intentioned and conveys warmth and approval, but it draws too much attention to what we feel rather than the content, says Sackstein, and it tends to make the student reliant on the teacher for approval. 

She believes our focus should be on giving students ownership and a sense of efficacy for the skill they’re working on, and pointing them toward what they can do to make it even better. For example: “This transition is effective because it helps the reader see the connection between what you did before and where you are going. It could be even more coherent if you built in an extra sentence in the previous paragraph.” 

            The same principle applies to criticism. Rather than saying, “I’m not impressed with your introductory paragraph as it lacks clear context and a thesis statement,” consider this alternative without the personal, judgmental tone: “Your introductory paragraph needs to be more robust. Make sure to add some context as we’ve discussed, and the thesis needs to be more concise so the reader knows what to expect in your paper.” Red Hen Gift Certificate:  Click here and place your name on the table first.  :) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wX-3UbXOPbzd2vLyHpalqwWDcZqbDqlqNCKBmafeHC0/edit            Sometimes it’s helpful to ask up front what they’d like feedback on. “This is exceptionally true with adult learners,” says Sackstein. “Knowing the reason they are looking for feedback and what they hope to accomplish will provide a lens through which you can share your thoughts that could be most helpful for them.”

“PSA: When Giving Feedback, Don’t Lead with ‘I Love’ or ‘I Like’” by Starr Sackstein in Education Week Teacher, April 21, 2019, https://bit.ly/2E38Bgr; Sackstein can be reached at mssackstein@gmail.com.