There are many questions at the back of my mind when it comes to improving our teaching/learning program. These are questions that I will ponder soon.
How can we foster greater teamwork and SEL during science study?
The team atmosphere of science study is a great opportunity to teach more SEL in ways that matter. Yesterday at Gillette we saw a good example of how to foster greater teamwork. We have many resources and supports available to us with regard to this study. The next step is to make the time to reflect, discuss, and try out new ways to build our efforts in this regard.
How can I turn math units into greater floor-to-ceiling math units of study?
I've got great resources to help me with this. I belong to Boaler's YouCubed Facebook page which gives me a ready group of eager and invested math educators to confer with. I was successful, in part, with a volume unit that included a floor-to-ceiling exploration. The next step is to create a measurement and geometry unit that does the same. I need time to pull together all my resources to make this happen.
How can we better our All Stop and Read Time?
I want to revisit this wonderful part of our day and think about ways to better what we do. I have some ideas and my colleagues have used some great strategies too. I just need to make time to reflect more on how and when we'll make this happen.
How can I develop greater collegiality and teamwork?
Our school schedule gives us great time to collaborate and work as a professional team. Now the goal is to do this better so that we best affect a wonderful, child-centered, results-oriented teaching/learning program. We're not short on ideas, expertise and this is positive. The challenge now is to use processes, demeanor, and strategy well to make the most of what we all bring to the table to better what we can do. This is a positive place to be and a positive challenge.
Am I prepared to be a better recess coach?
After identifying what this means, now I have to ready my clothes and lesson prep to avail this better coaching during our great recesses on a wonderful school playground.
How can we deepen our buddy reading time?
I'd like to turn this time into a time for genre study too so that I can review specific genre with students and then they can relay that information to their kindergarten buddies with genre-related book marks and reading books of that genre. For example if we study the genre of fairy tales, students can read a fairy tale to their kindergarten buddy and then together they can color a fairy tale book mark that reviews the elements of that genre in a kindergarten-friendly way. This will build skill and knowledge for both kindergartners and fifth graders.
I'm sure there are other questions to consider, but these are a few that are on my mind right now. I welcome your thoughts should you have suggestions related to this.
