Student Expectations Assembly

Since we have twelve teams of teachers/students, I wanted to create an experience about why we go to school and what we expect for the year.  I decided to use Prezi instead of a PowerPoint.  I loved the theme of a road for the journey that is ahead of us.  I had a few videos in mind that I used as a teacher.  Also I read and saw pictures of what students around the world do to go to school.

We decided to present to both buildings together to again show that we are one school and have the same expectations of all students.

I created a presentation that had some talking by us, cooperative learning for the students with themed music while they worked, and short videos to watch.  I made 3 large R's that were hung on the cafeteria windows.  The R's represent respect, readiness, and responsibility.  For the cooperative learning part, students worked to answer the questions with the 3 R's on different colored notecards which were then taped to the large R's on the windows. Each table shared out one answer from their notecard.

View presentation here:  Prezi

We had numerous positive comments from the teachers and students clapped at many different parts.

Staff Weekly Memo Reinvented

The assistant principal last year started using Smore for our weekly staff memos.  I wanted to keep using it since I loved it.  You can share it via a link in email to all staff and print it out to post in the mailroom and all bulletin boards in the faculty rooms.

After reading one of Todd Whitaker's books, I decided to do two new things in the weekly memo.  I decided to add in a section where staff shares about themselves.  Whitaker spoke about giving the memo out on Friday to uplift the staff and so they can plan the week ahead.  I decided to call our memo, Friday Flash Forward.  It also includes a two week schedule, inspiring quotes and videos, along with other information the staff may need.

I'm using Smore for our monthly parent newsletter to share it on the school's web page and printed copies are sent home.

First Day Fun

For the first day, we wanted to welcome back all the staff for the entire school.  We had custom pins made for the teachers with the following saying:

We made survival kits for the 12 new teachers.

I made some welcome back pencils for other staff.  We made bags of chocolate treats just in case we needed more.  We made labeled water bottles with chips for the bus drivers and monitors.  We gave the custodians water and munchkins.

For the entire first day, we went to every classroom to greet the students and teachers. We, also, visited all other staff to welcome them back.

We did all this to be a united team and school.  We wanted to boost the staff and student morale.  

In a survey using Google Forms, 91% said it made a great start to the year.

Survival and EdCamp Professional Day

I wanted to build team spirit among the teams of teachers and found an idea to do a Survivor competition.  We scheduled two hours for this portion of the afternoon.  Upon arrival in the cafeteria, we had locally made cookies and coffee.

For the first part of the Survivor competition, the teams had to create a banner and chant that represented them.  Each team them presented to the entire group.  The competition was broken down into three categories: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.

For Outwit, the teams had to list as items they could for the given topic in 60 seconds. We used countries, vegetables, cheese, and cars.  Next, they had to do a quiz about the school's mission and vision statements.  Finally, they had a quiz to create school goals based on our action plans.

For Outplay, teams had a Scrabble competition.  We paired up the teams and they were given eight minutes of game time.  How ever many points they got in the game, it was added to their overall score.  Using iPad minis, the teams were matched for a chess competition. They earned a point for each piece captured.  I was amazed at how many didn't know how to play chess!

For Outlast, teams had a relay competition around the square field.  A team member had to run a leg while carrying a big orange cone.  After we moved to the gym for a free throw competition.  Each team member was given two turns to add to the final score.

The winning team was given a huge box of supplies to divide among themselves.

For the second part of the afternoon, we held an EdCamp with a focus on using more technology with students.  We had four twenty-minute sessions.  Each session had four different options.  We had seven people present the technologies.  Here are the following technologies that were presented:

Edmodo
Remind
Twitter
Weebly
Snapshot (part of Edmodo)
Subtext (also a free app on Edmodo)
NoRedInk (also a free app on Edmodo)
Piktochart
Pinterest
QR Codes
Symbaloo
Croak.it
YouTube
ClassDojo
Skype Classroom
Animoto
Code.org
Tackk
Padlet

Uplift Teachers' Spirit

On August 18th, I've embarked on a new journey as the assistant principal at the middle school I work at.  I spent many hours since the spring doing some soul searching about applying for this position.  I knew that the competition would be tough so I read and read and read book after book.  The key author that helped me was Todd Whitaker.  His books helped me to think about and come up with ideas that would help improve the school.  I began to have difficulty sleeping because so many ideas were popping into my brain.

The first thing I knew the school needed was an amazing welcome back for the teachers.  Working in an inner city school has many ups and downs.  As a teacher, you need as much inspiration and support you can get.

The first ideas was to spruce up the faculty rooms with much needed supplies.  I had approval from the principal to buy for each room: a comfy chair, set of dishes, set of silverware, and curtains.  The school is one campus but two separate buildings.  Each floor has a faculty room for a total of 6 rooms. The other assistant principal and I started by cleaning and organizing the rooms including the refrigerators.  Next we put in the dishes and silverware, set up the chair in a cozy corner with inspirational quotes from Scholastic Instructor magazine around it, curtains, dish rack and created a tree of thanks on the bulletin board.

                               


It ended up taking us from 9 am to 7:30 pm on a Friday to finish all 6 rooms.  The teachers were definitely surprised. It's great to see all of it being put to use!

#TeachersWrite Day Six

I have only used Word to type up my story.  After reading today's blog by Kate Messner, I'm definitely going to look into this writing program, Scrivener. Just after looking at it for a few minutes, I feel it will help me with my writing and actually get writing more.

She also talked about how to go about writing a professional book.  I've looked in to writing an article for EL from ASCD.  I think an article is a good way to start then maybe move into a book using Stenhouse or Heineman.

Lesson/Prompt

Ben Candido- 8 key points of change in his life

1.  Ben begins career of a fisherman on dad's friend's boat (senior year in high school).
2.  He dates Lorraine (throughout high school) and proposes to her at their graduation.
3.  Just before his wedding, Ben changes to be a lobsterman for a little bit better money where he meets his boss, Cal.
4.  Six months after their wedding, Ben and Lorraine find out that she's pregnant.
5.  On the boat, Ben tells Cal about his worries of not having enough money for the baby. Cal offers him a special "pay day".
6.  Ben does a special "pay day" behind Cal's back.  Cal finds out and threatens him and his family.
7.  Ben sends pregnant Lorraine away and never contacts her again.
8.  After Cal's death, Ben attempts to contact his daughter (freshman year in college) because he believes it is now safe to do so.

     A ring with a diamond speck burned a hole in Ben's jean pocket.  In his silver cap and gown, he stood in a single file line with the rest of his graduating class just outside the metal gym doors.  The ring had been in his pocket for over a week waiting for the right moment.  Right now it started to feel like the time, but Lorraine was at the back of the line while Ben was about sixty people in front of her.  Having the last name of Zapata always had Lorraine out of reach throughout all of high school.  Not in the same homeroom. Not near her every time a teacher sat them by alphabetical order on the first day of school.
     "Ben, what's with all the looking over your shoulder? Is my hair sticking out in a crazy way with this awful cap?" asked Liz trying to push her hair back under her cap without it falling off again.
     "Huh? What are you talking about?"
     "Why do you keep looking at me?"
     "I'm not looking at you."
     "Oh, I get it.  You're trying to find Lorraine.  You just can't live a few minutes without her. Can you?"
     "Whatever, Liz." Ben said as he left his spot in line and began walking towards the back.  All the others watched and began to whisper to each other wondering what he was doing.
     "Ben, Mr. Barbosa's going to have your head if your still out of line when we start to move!" said Jose as Ben passed him.
     As Ben neared Lorraine, the ring grew hotter and hotter.  He couldn't possibly keep this inside any longer.  The entire graduating class and their families knew how much he loved her, but he wanted everyone to know.
     "Ben, what are you doing? Get back in line," said Lorraine motioning with her hand towards the front of the line.  "You can get a kiss from me once you walk across the stage."  Lorraine smiled knowing that one kiss was never enough for him.
     Suddenly, Ben dropped to his knees.  He lifted one knee while taking his hand out of his pocket.  "Lorraine, will you be mine forever?" he asked while the entire line started to form into a semi-circle around them.  "You have been part of my heart for so long.  I can't imagine not seeing you every day.  With school ending, I feel like I won't see you as much, and my heart can't bear that.  Marry me, Lorraine."
     Unable to find words, Lorraine held out her hand while shaking her head yes.  Already standing, Ben put the ring on her ring and lifted her into the air.
    "Now can we get back to this little event called graduation?" said Mr. Barbosa who had popped his head out the gym door to let them all know it was time.
   
This is a very first draft with no revisions.  I'd love for some feedback in the comments section.

#TeachersWrite Day Five

Lesson/Prompt

I decided to do these sentences for each of the main characters.  It is really helping me flesh out who they are and what they are all about.  These are in draft form and can change once I learn more about the characters.

Ben
This is a story about a man who thought he was making good decisions, but it cost him his family.
But underneath that, it's a story about redemption and what it really means to be a family.

This is a story about a man who wants to provide for his family
But underneath that, it's about a man who really wants to give his unborn child a better life that he had been dealt.

This is a story about a man who needs to be loved.
But underneath that, it's about a man who really needs to learn what a good decision is.

This is a story about a man who is afraid of turning out just like his dad.
But underneath that, it's about a man who is really afraid of disappointing his wife and having his life not be successful.


Lorraine

This is a story about a woman who thought she married a man who was going to provide a better life than she had.
But underneath that, it's a story about keeping secrets for too long and ruining a relationship because of it.

This is a story about a woman who wants her daughter to go farther in life than she has.
But underneath that, it's about a woman who really wants to tell her daughter the truth about her father.

This is a story about a woman who needs the truth to be told.
But underneath that, it's about a woman who really needs to find her daughter's dad so that they can reunite and lift the burden of the secrets from her chest.

This is a story about a woman who is afraid of telling her daughter who her father is and what happened.
But underneath that, it's about a woman who is really afraid of losing her daughter once she finds out the truth.

Sarah

This is a story about a girl who thought she had the perfect small town family.
But underneath that, it's a story about learning that some secrets are not bad.

This is a story about a girl who wants to get out of the small town and make something of herself in the big city.
But underneath that, it's about a girl who really wants to know her mother more deeply.

This is a story about a girl who needs to understand who she is.
But underneath that, it's about a girl who really needs to know where she came from.

This is a story about a girl who is afraid of disappointing her mother.
But underneath that, it's about a girl who is really afraid of finding out the hidden parts of her mother's past.