Portrait of a learnerIn January we have had a few teachers so far share out their #POL experiences with their students. Check out a few of the highlights so far! 1) Student presentations of work at the Wilson Symposium. #POL 2) Student sharing about the Lunar New Year. #GlobalCitizen 3) Inspired Innovators in action. #InspiredInnovator 4) #EffectiveCommunicator taking a stand. Keep on posting on Twitter to be entered into our Twitter Challenge. RESOURCESArticles/Blogs from Twitter ---Show What you Know ---Tapping Students' Interest to Develop Literacy Analysis Skills --VR in the Classroom --Use Digital Notebooks to Facilitate Book Clubs and Literature Circles at the Secondary Level ---30 Free Google Drawings Graphic Organizers Self-Care Practice: Assuming Positive Intent Buck the cultural trend of anger and incivility with a simple checklist that helps reframe your understanding about what other people actually want and need. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/assuming-positive-intent-laura-thomas Inspiration "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." Year 3 MentoringThank you to everyone who volunteered to open up your classrooms for our year 2 mentoring earlier this month. We have our year 3 teachers from Milford and Mendon-Upton observing classrooms this coming January 29th from 9:45-11:30. Thank you to those of you who volunteered for that session as well. If you will have visitors to your class on Wednesday, you will receive a schedule from me on Tuesday with the finalized visit schedule. If anyone is still interested in having some in, please use the following form (in case we have anyone out sick on Wed). Thanks again! Seeing teachers in action is one of the greatest resources as part of our mentoring program. Upcoming Events
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January 17, 2020 PD DayThank you to all of you who engaged in our district training this past Friday with Breathe for Change in support of our district goals around educator self-care and well-being. I felt fortunate to be able to participate in the Asana yoga movements and meditation at Nipmuc, followed by concentric circles around intentions at Miscoe, and ending my day with Memorial and Clough staff on building community around self-care. While some of the practices were new for many educators, I appreciate you stepping into your "stretch zone" to learn some new strategies and/or to pause and reflect on your own intentions and self. It's important that you take care of yourself first, before you are able to take care of your classrooms and students. Please complete both End of Day Surveys 1. Breathe for Change Survey. 2. District PD Committee Survey. The following is a follow-up message from your Breathe For Change facilitators: Thank you so much for sharing part of your day with Breathe For Change this past Friday! In the short 2 hours we spent together, we hope that you had a small peek into what can shift in you and your classroom when you prioritize self-care, wellness, and showing up fully for yourself and others. While some moments of the workshop probably nudged you near (and maybe beyond) your comfort zone, we hope that even in those times there was a learning in there. Your feedback, insights, and perspectives are so important to us, and will continue to help us enhance our trainings. So thank you to everyone who's already responded and if you haven't yet, we'd really appreciate if you did! Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Jan17B4C Lastly, we're so excited about everyone who's expressed interest in the upcoming Breathe For Change wellness and yoga teacher training in Sutton (starting in Feb 8-9) and in Boston this summer (July 13 - Aug 1). Spots are filling up fast so apply here if you're interested! And for those who would like free digital Breathe For Change SEL and self-care resources as well as access to monthly webinars, led by our Founder & CEO Dr. Ilana Nankin, that help bring these resources even more to life, then you can find them here: https://www.breatheforchange.com/resources-intro. Thanks again and wishing you well! With gratitude, Jordan (Miscoe), Lauren (Memorial), Wendy (Nipmuc), and the rest of the Breathe For Change Team Success! Kaleidoscope Kick-OffMy own words can't fully articulate how successful and exciting the Kaleidoscope Collective Kick-off event was this past Thursday evening. Thank you to all of the volunteers from across the district who joined in to highlight the inspiring, collaborative, and innovative learning taking place across our district every day. We had more than 200 in attendance and the parent feedback was incredibly positive and enthusiastic. They love the direction our district is taking with the strategic plan and what you are doing every day in your classes. Kudos to all of you! Please take a moment to review the Kaleidoscope Kick-Off page, which is filled with the activities that took place. However, most importantly it includes the insights from all participants (parents, teachers, students, community members) on the direction of our schools. Be sure to scroll down to see all the comments, ideas, feedback, and photos. Year 3 Mentoring January 29Thank you to those of you who opened up your rooms last week for our 2nd year teachers to do observations. Our 3rd year mentoring observation day is next week, January 29th. If you haven't yet signed up to open up your room, here is the link . Thanks in advance for your support. PD OpportunitiesMathematical Mindsets Twitter Booktalk (For math teachers) We are partnering with a few local districts on a Twitter booktalk on the book Mathematical Mindsets. If you are interested complete the google form below. Let Maureen know and she will purchase the book for you. You will then be required to read, respond to discussion questions on Twitter and alter a lesson based on your learning to earn 10 PDPs. More info is posted in the links below. Twitter Booktalk on Mathematical Mindsets Google Form Math Workshop
Resources Articles/Blogs from Twitter
Self-Care Practice: Sleep "Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.The way you feel while you're awake depends in part on what happens while you're sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. The damage from sleep deficiency can occur in an instant (such as a car crash), or it can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you're sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It's forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information. Studies show that a good night's sleep improves learning. Whether you're learning math, how to play the piano, how to perfect your golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps enhance your learning and problem-solving skills. Sleep also helps you pay attention, make decisions, and be creative. Studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change. Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior." --National Heart, Lung, and Brain Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency Suggestions on getting better sleep
Inspiration "The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." --Martin Luther King Jr. Upcoming Events
As you are aware we are involved in cross-district mentoring programs for our year 2 and year 3 teachers with Ashland/Mendon-Upton/Milford. For the mentoring programming, we all alternate in hosting a full-day professional development for our teachers, which include teacher teams participating in classroom observations in the morning. Our district is the host site for the Year 2 Mentoring on Wednesday, January 15th and Year 3 Mentoring on Wednesday, January 29th. The classroom observations will take from about 9:45-11:45 on both days. We need teacher volunteers who are willing to have the teams visit their classrooms. In particular on the January 15th date we will need the most teacher volunteers as we have a number of year 2 teachers. Here is a link the teachers can use to sign-up to volunteer. So far only 16 teachers have volunteered (THANK YOU!!) and we have more than 40 teachers who will be visiting classrooms across the district, so we need your assistance. Thanks in advance for your support of this great program! Our district has been chosen as a finalist for the Kaleidoscope Collective of Learning - one of 18 districts across Massachusetts asked to reimagine school for students across the Commonwealth. Driven by Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley, the Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning is a group of schools/districts selected from more than 500 applicants to move beyond traditional practices to focus on deeper learning. Members of this pilot group will also be given waivers from MCAS testing at selected grade levels and content areas in lieu of piloting performance-based tasks that assess student learning in a more meaningful manner. MURSD was selected for this program in recognition of the shared steps our district has taken in bringing our strategic plan, Inspire, to life for learners in our communities. We are excited to build upon these programs and to lead the work to reimagine schools in Massachusetts. We will begin our work with the Kaleidoscope Collective by hosting a community event on January 16 at 6:30pm in the Nipmuc Auditorium. You are invited to join us at this kickoff event to learn about Kaleidoscope, experience the innovative work taking place in our schools, and lend your voice to the future of school and learning. RSVP for this event HERE. January 17 PD DayWe are extremely fortunate to be bringing in Breathe For Change to the entire district on the January 17th PD Day to further our own wellness, self-care, and how to translate social emotional learning into our classrooms. Below is a brief overview of the description and overview of the day. All of the details for the PD day can be found on our PD Website for information about the trainers, timing, and what to bring. Breathe For Change’s research-backed curriculum combines mind-body wellness, community building, and social-emotional learning practices to empower educators to transform education from the inside out. During this workshop, you will gain tools to practice self-care, facilitate social-emotional learning in the classroom, and use wellness as a vehicle for social change in your entire school community. Workshop Outcomes: - Enhance your well-being, and reduce stress and burnout - Increase your ability to integrate mindfulness and wellness into instruction - Improve social-emotional learning outcomes for your students - Enhance your school-wide climate and capacity to foster equity and inclusion PD OpportunitiesMathematical Mindsets Twitter Booktalk (For math teachers) We are partnering with a few local districts on a Twitter booktalk on the book Mathematical Mindsets. If you are interested complete the google form below. Let Maureen know and she will purchase the book for you. You will then be required to read, respond to discussion questions on Twitter and alter a lesson based on your learning to earn 10 PDPs. More info is posted in the links below. Twitter Booktalk on Mathematical Mindsets Google Form Webinar: Growing a Child's Mind Without Losing Yours (For math teachers) January 16 5pm Registration information lSDO Dinner Series (For all) There are still spots open for the various offerings through our partner organization of LSDO. Some of the series begin this week. LSDO Dinner Series Primary Source Offerings (For social studies) 1) ’Building Blocks’ Learning Modules: Mendon-Upton has 1 remaining spots in our learning module series Building Blocks for Global Citizenship. This 6-part, self-directed series is designed to help educators build the foundations of global awareness while providing concrete strategies for supporting global competence in classrooms and school communities. The module series is perfect for those looking for time flexible PD options. 2) Free Online Access to Resource Guides, Lesson Plans: All educators in partner districts have free premium access to our entire library of resource guides, multimedia lesson plans, and teacher toolkits. Individuals can sign-up for personal accounts by selecting the premium membership option on our website, indicating that they’re a member of a partner district, and choosing their district from the drop-down menu. 3) “What Teachers Need to Know: Africa Edition” podcast and Scholar Webinars: This January, Primary Source will be launching the next season of our “What Teachers Need to Know” series, focusing in on the diverse cultures, regions, and experiences of the African continent. Teachers can listen to the 13 episode Middle East edition now and access our library of scholarly webinars and recorded talks by visiting our website, no sign-in required. Civics Literacy Conference (For social studies) DESE is pleased to again host the annual Civics Literacy Conference, which this year will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate and select rooms at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. This conference is a convening of representatives from educators from K-16 as well as leaders from state and community organizations to promote high-quality civics teaching and learning. Events will include an opening plenary, a panel discussion, and more than 20 workshops on civics knowledge and skills. The Department will announce when registration is open and when workshop proposals will be accepted. ResourcesSelf-Care Practice "Compassion for ourselves, as well as for others, helps us deal with the interpersonal challenges we face on a daily basis. Perspective allows us to empathize with others, see the long view, extricate ourselves from the drama of the moment, and identify a wider range of responses to an event. Start your year by strengthening your compassion for yourself and others, and unlock another resource for resilience." Onward Workbook. The People Who Support Me Activity When you are feeling stressed, threatened, or insecure, but you want to feel caring and connected to others, this exercise can help. Just thinking about the people we turn to when we're distressed can make us feel more compassionate toward others. 1. Write down the names of one or two people to whom you turn when you feel stressed or upset. 2. Write down three to five qualities that are common to these people. Maybe they are both good listeners, or they have a sense of humor. 3. Recall a specific situation in which you felt worried or upset and one of those people helped you. Visualize that time. 4. Write a brief description of that situation and how you felt. Onward Workbook p. 454. Articles/Blogs from Twitter Inspiration "To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have." Upcoming EVENTS
kaleidoscope Collective for learning Our district has been chosen as a finalist for the Kaleidoscope Collective of Learning - one of 18 districts across Massachusetts asked to reimagine school for students across the Commonwealth. Driven by Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley, the Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning is a group of schools/districts selected from more than 500 applicants to move beyond traditional practices to focus on deeper learning. Members of this pilot group will also be given waivers from MCAS testing at selected grade levels and content areas in lieu of piloting performance-based tasks that assess student learning in a more meaningful manner. MURSD was selected for this program in recognition of the shared steps our district has taken in bringing our strategic plan, Inspire, to life for learners in our communities. We are excited to build upon these programs and to lead the work to reimagine schools in Massachusetts. We will begin our work with the Kaleidoscope Collective by hosting a community event on January 16 at 6:30pm in the Nipmuc Auditorium. You are invited to join us at this kickoff event to learn about Kaleidoscope, experience the innovative work taking place in our schools, and lend your voice to the future of school and learning. RSVP for this event HERE. Classroom observations-- |
Self-Care Practice: Intention At the beginning of the school year we set our intention for the school year. Do you remember what your intention was? Do you still have the same intention? At the beginning of a new year, it is a great time to set a new intention. What will be your One Word for 2020 connected to your role as an educator? Check out My One Word to help you choose your word for this year: http://myoneword.org/pick-your-word/ As we head into a busy and exciting rest of the year, I'll share one of my intentions that have been on my mind. CALM--Be the calm in the storm. With many goals to accomplish in support of our teachers and students, my second intention is Momentum. |