Reflecting on Experiences from 3rd Quarter I reached out to a Connector to co-plan and co-teach a unit with me. I was a little bit skeptical at first because I had never done something like this before, but I really wanted to change things up in my classroom and try something new. I am really glad I decided to do a co-teach. During our planning we came up with some really creative and unique ways to teach. I feel this experience was beneficial to my students also. The students are at very different levels of understanding Spanish. We were able to break the class up into 2 sections and differentiate the content. It was also nice to have help in checking papers and creating materials! I would not hesitate to reach out to the Connectors in the future! --Justin Liddle
During my time with a Connector, we worked with pacing techniques and different ways to engage students in 7/8th grade band. One suggestions was to try "station rotation"and let the students self learn throughout the class period. Over the last couple of months, I have been continually using this method and it has been WONDERFUL! My students are actually stepping up and learning their music faster than they did the first semester.By doing this, I have been able to pace out the class period into smaller, more manageable chunks, which the students really like. It also allows me to work more on an individual basis with the instrument sections. I have enjoyed the extra set of eyes and ears in my class, especially as a first year teacher.--Mollie Emerson Working with a Connector has been a huge asset in my classroom! Teaching in the rural school can be overwhelming when one tries to teach spelling, math, handwriting, reading, language arts, science, and social studies to four or five grade levels. I was excited to have a Connector's assistance in helping me look at my time management in a different light. I was able to break down my school day and make it more manageable to fit all the groups without being so overwhelmed. Ideas were shared from previous teaching experiences and by watching other great teachers here at Jesup. I walked away from my experience with these things: Manage time Keep lessons interesting Learn comprehension strategies Engage students everyday Involve students New and better schedule! --Kelly Henderson For this coaching cycle, I teamed up with a Connector to do a unit on theme using the novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. The collaboration provided an invaluable tool that was an essential guide in my overall unit. When I first sat down with the Connector, I probably overwhelmed them with my ideas for this project! I had done a lot of research prior, and I knew I wanted to incorporate many elements and standards to create something awesome. For a new teacher, planning a unit alone can be scary. Luckily, the Connector was there to basically let me take the reigns, but hold the road-map. They made sure I was clear on which standards were the most essential to be covered. Next, they provided a wonderful array of resources, including videos, websites, and even picture books from the public library! They would pop in every so often and share a thought or idea. They came and observed the class, took notes, and left me with some ideas to adjust the unit accordingly. They also served as a great tech resource, too! We discussed using different online tools, and ultimately decided on Padlet, which worked well. I have thus since continued to use Padlet in my formative and pre-assessments. I really believe this coaching cycle was just the right amount of support I needed to be successful in my planning, preparation, and assessment. --Ashley Chase The Connector helped with two little boys in my classroom. They can read and do some math problems, and I needed some help taking them in the next direction. The Connector worked with them a couple times a week for a few weeks, got them hooked up with an appropriate app and made them individual homework books. The boys loved meeting with the Connector and loved the challenge! They didn't hesitate when I needed help and was more than willing to jump right in with us! I have really enjoyed working this experience! --Brook Kaufman During our time together, we worked on pinpointing behavior problems with a particular student. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other well, be open and honest about what is working/not working, and what we think might be the best possible solutions. Through this process, we saw an improvement in the student's ability to self-regulate and understanding of his actions. We collected data which showed that major incidents in behavior were fewer and several "times" throughout the day improved dramatically because of one-on-one interactions and teaching moments. --Keri Griswold
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I drank the Kool-Aid, and I'm hooked. Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess really fired me up and brought my attention back to student engagement! I've been following their Twitter Chats and trying to implement some of these things in coaching cycles I'm completing or throwing them into conversation with teachers during brainstorming sessions! Here are a couple of examples:
Interested in Trying a Hook...Let us Know!
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AuthorsJesup Connector Teachers Archives
December 2019
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