Gator Run Friday Focus - September 6, 2013

Most of you have probably seen this posted outside my office this week.  The You Matter Manifesto was created by Angela Maiers, an educator and motivational speaker.  Angela believes that everyone, children and adults, have an innate need to matter, to be noticed.  Angela says that the need to matter is in our DNA.  Students come to Gator Run each day hoping that they will be noticed for who they are.  That is a big reason why I try so hard to remember each child's name and something unique about them.  There is something powerful about hearing your name mentioned, about being noticed, about being heard.  How many of our students truly feel like a genius?  Why shouldn't they all feel that way?  I promise you that I will let each of you know in some way that You Matter.  How will you go about noticing your students?  How will you let them know that they matter? 

RtI

Let's make sure that we identify students in need of interventions early on in the school year.  The RtI (Response to Intervention) process can be extremely beneficial if we bring up those students who are not benefiting from our current instruction.  The biggest shame that I have ever seen in schools is when a teacher notifies us at the end of the year that a child is in danger of being retained.  We need to rely on formative assessments as we move forward and not wait until the end of the year summative assessments.  This quote from Dr. Justin Tarte puts this into perspective - "Formative assessments are the preventive check-ups throughout the year; summative assessments are the autopsy. Which do you prefer?"  If we wait until the end, we have wasted a child's entire year when interventions could have been put into place and we could have brainstormed ways to reach him/her.  We also put pressure on next year's teacher, who will have to start the RtI process over again.  Don't wait until it's too late - your students' lives are counting on you!

• As we prepare for our upcoming Open House nights, please remember the following: 
• Make the focus on what is taking place in the classroom and what you will do to help your students.  
• Inform parents that you are excited to welcome them into the learning process and their participation is vital for their children's success.
• Make it fun and enjoyable - don't spend so much time on rules and procedures.  Instead focus on how awesome this year will be. 
• Let's talk about collaboration!  Please know that I will be promoting this concept any chance I get and with every group.  Students and parents have already started talking about collaboration with me and the excitement is building.  Don't get left behind! 
• Innovation - discuss some of the new things that you will be attempting this year.  I promised our community that we will become the leaders in innovation.  The time to start is now.  Why not now?  Why not here?  Why not us?

• We will hold an Edmodo discussion on Monday at 2:20.  If you are not using it yet, you should come to at least see the level of conversation that students have in this format.  Edmodo opens up a whole new world of collaboration. 

Quote of the Week - "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon.  Do you find yourself always wishing for the weekend?  Or for that special event or trip?  Life is happening while you are wishing - enjoy every moment of every day.  Who knows how many moments we actually have.   

Think Like a Detective - Can you determine the Gator Run teacher based on the following clues?

• From Bogota, Columbia
• Went to school at Florida International University
• Is a political news junkie
• Loves spending time with two granddaughters
• Has a translation degree