Gator Run Friday Focus - October 25, 2013

One of my favorite things to do is to have lunch with our students.  It allows me to get to know them better and to find out what's important to them.  I learn a lot about what they like and don't like about school and how we might be able to make things better.  Having lunch with them helps me build relationships which I believe is a cornerstone of education - students won't learn as much from us if they don't like us.  Every year I invite all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students to eat lunch in my office sometime during the school year.  I have already begun to do so this year.  Here is a short blog post on why teachers should eat lunch with their students - Why You Should Eat Lunch with Your Students

At the beginning of the school year I encouraged teachers to join Twitter as I feel that Twitter is an important avenue for professional development.  I have learned more on Twitter about education in general in the past 5 months than I have in any of the previous years that I have been in education.  Reading about and reflecting on multiple perspectives on education has shaped my beliefs.  If you would like to learn about how you can get more out of Twitter, please let me know and I will sit down with you and show you how to do so.  Educators who actively participate on Twitter receive continual support, encouragement, resources, links and more.  

• Team Work is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.  
• Author Adam-Troy Castro will be here on Wednesday to speak to our 4th and 5th grade students.
• Our next Teach Like a PIRATE book study will take place next Wednesday at 2:30 in the Media Center.  If you are interested in participating, please make sure that you have read the section on Immersion.  
• Batty Bingo is next Wednesday evening.
• Thursday is Fall Festival Treat Day.  Please make sure to remind students that masks and accessories are not permitted. 
• Make-up Picture Day is next Friday.  Any staff members with children at Gator Run who wish to have their picture taken with their children should let Ms. Felton know ASAP.

Quote of the Week - "If you love the road, don’t worry about the destination and if you love the destination, don’t worry about the road."

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

• Is from Medellin, Columbia
• Went to Normal Mariano Ospina Rodriguez and Nova University
• Hobbies include traveling, running, scuba diving, and reading.
• Started working as a teacher at the age of 17.  
• Lived on an island for 7 years working as a teacher in different levels.  

Gator Run Friday Focus - October 18, 2013

This is a great article based on a speech by the author, Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming  It's a little bit long, but worth a read (especially if you love reading and care if our students love reading). 

And one more article that I feel is quite relevant - Simple Ways to Cultivate Happiness in Schools

• Teachers, we need your assistance with making sure that the students clean up their tables and the floor before lining up.  Please ensure that you have assigned sweepers for your class.
• Collaborative Learning within teams is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.  Please continute to work on your instructional units with your teams..
• Our next SAC meeting is Wednesday afternoon at 2:15.
• Family Night at the Carolina Ale House on Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.  Hope to see you there!
• Early Release Day is Thursday.  We will have a staff luncheon provided by the Carolina Ale House. 
• Thursday is the last day of the 1st quarter and also Student Council Elections.
• Friday is a Planning Day - 1st Grade, Administration and Support Staff will be providing breakfast at 8:00.  We will also have a brief meeting at 9:00 in the Media Center. 

Quote of the Week - "You can be "effective" (i.e. raising scores) without engaging students." - Cristina Milos.  What do you think about this statement?

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

• Is from Sioux City, Iowa
• Went to the University of Florida
• Enjoys scrapbooking and reading 
• Trained to be an Emergency Medical Training before teaching
  

Gator Run Friday Focus - October 11, 2013

I promoted the book, Through the Cracks, a few weeks ago but only one person borrowed it from Ms. Felton or myself.  It is a short children's book with a powerful message that I believe will resonate with you.  Check it out!

• We have our first Family Night of the year at Carolina Ale House on Monday night from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.  I know that it is sometimes difficult for people to attend night time events but it sure would be great to have a nice representation of staff members from our school there.  I hope to see you there!
• Book Fair continues next week through Wednesday.
• We had a Faculty Collaboration scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in the Media Center but the Book Fair is still going on so we will cancel for now and try to reschedule within the next few weeks.  I would like to discuss what Ms. Felton and I have seen so far in our Snapshot Observations.  I apologize for not coming around the past few weeks but our schedules filled up.  We will be coming around next week for more Snapshots.  
• Team Leader Day is next Wednesday.  
  

Quote of the Week - "I wish to do something Great and Wonderful, but I must start by doing the little things like they were Great and Wonderful." - Albert Einstein.  What little things are you doing as if they were Great and Wonderful?

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

• From Hollywood, FL
• Attended FAU
• Enjoys going to the beach, swimming, long distance running, shopping for produce at the Farmers' Market
• Was the captain of her high school football cheerleading team
• Her family has a business making horse racing saddles
• Her father-in-law raced for (and once owned) a NASCAR Cup team

Gator Run Friday Focus - October 4, 2013

In last Friday's Focus I brought up two ideas, a school museum and a film festival, and I asked that you brainstorm how we might implement these in the school.  I have done some research and found an article on school museums, which I have attached in an email to you, and another which shows short film examples of what students can create using simple apps - Five-Minute Film Festival
Check both of these out when you have a moment.  I know that our students would thrive if given the opportunity to create. 

If you haven't signed up with TeachingChannel.org yet I suggest that you do so.  There are a wealth of strategies and ideas there that are shown to you through the use of videos.  You can input your interests and they will email you videos that align with those interests.  I just received this video last week - Choosing Collaborative Groups  I know that this is for older students but you might be able to gleam something from viewing it.  

• We have data meetings next week: K and 1 on Monday; 2 and 3 on Thursday and 4 and 5 on Friday.  Please bring your completed data sheets with you.  
• Next week's Faculty Collaboration has been moved to October 15.  Team Work has been moved to next Tuesday, October 8.  
• RtI meetings are next Tuesday.  Please remember that you need to identify students who are not responding to your current instruction so that we can discuss strategies to try to reach them.
• Our Fall Book Fair kicks off next week.  There will be a teacher preview on Wednesday after school and then an Evening Book Fair on Wednesday night.  It would be great to see teachers out on that night.

Quote of the Week -  “You cannot get better at reading if you don’t spend time reading; it’s just that simple.” - Frank Serafini.  How much time are your students reading and talking about reading during the school day?

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

• Grew up in Washington, DC and then Boca Raton
• Went to school at the University of Florida
• Loves the outdoors - beach, mudding, boating, hiking and traveling
• Plays the piano and building Legos
• Has a Bachelors Degree in Advertising
• Is an identical twin