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Academic Coach Team » Coaching Corner Newsletter

Coaching Corner Newsletter

WUSD Academic Year 2024-2025

 

Welcome back to school! We are excited to see you back here for another outstanding new year! Check back in for weekly updates to our Coaching Corner Newsletter. 

 
District: 
 
 
Jefferson:
 
 
 
Bonnie Brennan:

 

 
Washington:
 
 
Winslow Junior High:
 
 
Winslow High School:

 

My name is Ellen Cooper, a Senior Manager with TNTP.  We wanted to highlight a free professional development opportunity for some of your staff that will begin in mid-February. Participants will receive certificates of completion to use for recertification as well as a $50 gift card to use on classroom supplies.  If you could please forward the information to your staff, or provide me with names of teachers who might be a great fit, I'd be happy to reach out personally to them.

 

Our team here in Arizona is thrilled to have received an APS grant to host a Rural Educators Math Collaborative for educators in Navajo, Apache, and Yavapai counties.  Thanks to the generous grant funding from the APS Foundation, participation is free and we would love to invite educators from Winslow to participate. 

The collaborative is geared toward math teachers in Grades 3 through 6, although we are open to 7th and 8th-grade educators who might be interested as well. The collaborative includes 2-3 virtual professional development sessions and  2 cohort-level PLCs per month.  Through the Collaborative, teachers will:    

  • Be exposed to, reflect on, and process shifts in strong mathematical instruction 

  • Consider how these shifts in math instruction disrupt narratives about who can learn mathematics and open doors to historically marginalized students like multilingual learners and students with learning and thinking differences 

  • Unpack what research says about how our expectations influence student achievement and reflect on how to build an asset-based mathematics culture in our classrooms. 

  • Explore the science behind how to support learners who need it the most and identify what just-in-time supports look like for grade-level content.  

  • Collaborate with colleagues in their region to apply and plan for key concepts in their classrooms.  

  • Engage in focus groups to share reflections on their vision for excellent math instruction and work through challenges that arise. 

 

We have a limited number of slots available in the region. The Collaborative will run from mid-February through May.  I’ve attached a flyer with more details.  Due to the nature of the funding, our timeline is somewhat tight.  Please let me know if you have any questions and we look forward to partnering with your teachers on this amazing project. 

The Mitch Warnock Act, also known as A.R.S. 15-120, went into effect at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year and mandates that all Arizona school staff who interact with students in grades 6 through 12 must receive suicide prevention training at least once every three years. Each person who is required to obtain training shall complete that training at least once every three years.

 ACT on FACTS is an updated version of the school-based suicide awareness program “Making Educators Partners in Suicide Prevention.” Like its predecessor, ACT on FACTS is a two-hour online interactive training program, designed in a series of modules. It addresses the critical but limited responsibilities of educators in the process of identification and referral of potentially suicidal youth. It focuses on the practical realities and challenges inherent in the school setting through a variety of training formats that include lectures, questions and answers with content experts, interactive exercises, and role-plays. In addition to its other content, the program highlights four categories of youth who may be at elevated risk for suicide: youth involved in bullying, LGBTQ youth, gifted youth, and students being reintegrated back into school after a suicide attempt. The training includes optional content that addresses suicide in elementary and middle schools. There is also an additional module that includes the stories of individual survivors of suicide loss as well as a high school that experienced an episode of contagion. The focus in telling these stories is to highlight the importance of emphasizing resilience and protective factors after a loss event.

Structure: Two hours online in a series of modules. 

  https://padlet.com/mputman2/im2sh17631tjcxeo 

The CRR has been made aware of the following grant opportunity for K-5 teachers with awards of up to $1000

"The purpose of this program is to support classroom teachers as they seek a better way to help their students learn in grades K-5. The funding agency seeks to encourage teachers who hope to innovate, try a new idea, or explore a different approach. Awards will generally be directed to teachers in K-12 schools; however, educational nonprofit organizations and universities working with K-12 teachers are occasionally considered with prior approval.
Funding will be provided for innovative projects in elementary school classrooms that improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning. Activities should involve project-based learning with measurable outcomes to make learning STEM subjects fun for students."

All details can be found at: http://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5.jsp
 
 
Effective instruction and meaningful learning are crucial to student achievement. The lesson cycle is pretty simple, yet powerful:

  1. Model and explain

  2. Guided practice

  3. Independent practice

  4. Formative Feedback

  5. Improved Performance


Effective Instruction means the teacher is well prepared with high-quality Learning Targets and Success Criteria. Clear instructional delivery using the above cycle. Effective questioning and meaningful feedback allow students to think more deeply and improve their performance. Appropriately scaffolding learning and gauging student progress helps those students who might otherwise struggle to understand. Finally, differentiating instruction for those children who did not understand the concept the first time around allows access to all.


It is important to regularly reflect on your teaching practice. As John Hattie tells us, “…those teachers who are students of their own impact are the teachers who are the most influential in raising students’ achievement.”

 

Using Total Participation Techniques helps to engage students in the lesson. If you haven’t already, try using one of these this week. 

 

Think-Pair-Share

1) Ask students to reflect on a question or prompt, provide at least 30 seconds to formulate response.  

2) Ask students to find a partner or turn to assigned partner. 

3) Ask them to share responses with each other.

 

Chalkboard Splash

1) Create a sentence starter, prompt, or question for which you would like students to see all of their peers’ responses.

2) As students generate responses, ask them to copy their responses onto random or designated places on the chalkboards, whiteboards, or chart papers. Give them a word limit (like 15 words)

3) Debrief by asking students to walk around, analyze, and jot down similarities, differences, and surprises, perhaps using a form (short chart – similarities, differences, surprises)

4) Ask students to get into small groups and share what they noticed in terms of similarities, differences, and surprises, before asking for volunteers to share.

 

Lecture T-Chart

1) During presentation students take notes in left-hand column.

2) Periodically stop (at pause points) to allow students to read over their notes and summarize in the right-hand column.

3) Allow time for pair-share summaries and for recording questions on index cards or Chalkboard Splash.

4) Allow time to answer any questions students have.

 

Quick Writes

1) Select prompt you would like students to address

2) Give students a specified amount of time to collect their thoughts and jot down a response (about 3-5 minutes)

3) Follow up with pair-share, networking session, chalkboard splash, or other TPT

 

The Biggest ‘Aha’ Quick-Write

1.) At end of lesson ask students to think about and record their biggest “AHA” on a quick-write half sheet, index card or scrap paper.

2) Ask students to meet with someone they haven’t spoken to in over a day and share their “aha.”

3) Ask volunteers to share with whole group

4) Collect cards and review them, or a select few.  Be sure to return reflections even if you didn’t get a chance to read them all. Let students know that you randomly selected a few.

 

https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/self-care-for-teachers/
Arizona's test development process involves an extensive review before an item will count toward students' test scores. During the item-development process, all assessment items are written in accordance with Item Specifications. A committee of Arizona educators reviews and approves the items to confirm alignment and appropriateness for inclusion on the test. Each step in the process is designed to ensure that test results are valid, reliable, and appropriate for Arizona students, families, and other members of Arizona communities. Participating educators are representatives of Arizona's geographic regions and represent culturally diverse populations. For these committees, we are inviting content area teachers, teachers of students with disabilities, teachers of EL students, and instructional coaches/administrators to provide their perspective on the items and standards set on Arizona's statewide assessments. If you are interested in serving on an Assessment Educator Committee, please complete the form linked below.
 
Professional Development for Educators
 
https://www.azk12.org/events
 
The Arizona K12 Center improves teaching and learning through high-quality professional development. The organization is a one-of-a-kind hub that supports educators along the teaching continuum. 
 
 
The National Education Association (NEA)  believes in opportunity for all students and in the power of public education to transform lives and create a more just and inclusive society. A micro-credential is a short, competency-based recognition. NEA offers over 175 micro-credentials that have been created by educators for educators.

As you continue planning for the new school year, consider making the Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy a part of your comprehensive professional learning plan.

 

These courses are best facilitated by a school or organization-level literacy leader. Participation is best completed in a collaborative and job-embedded manner.

 

Before you register, please watch our OnDemand Academy Introduction Video to learn more. Each knowledge block recommends a companion text. Please browse the Professional Development webpage for all details prior to registering.

https://www.azed.gov/specialeducation/behavior-support

Neuroplasticity

  • The idea that our brain (neuro) can be molded (like plastic)
  • What we focus on and how we discipline our thoughts and attitudes encourages brain growth in those areas 
  • New neural pathways are made

 

Fixed v. Growth Mindset

 

Fixed Mindset

~Intelligence is fixed 

~Angered or discouraged by criticism

~Valuing the end result

~A desire for approval

~Failure

~Challenges

 

Growth Mindset

~Intelligence can change

~Active and responsive to criticism

~Valuing the process

~Satisfaction from the growth along the journey

~An opportunity to learn from your mistakes

~Opportunities

Check out this video!

 

~Simon Sinek on Creating a Circle of Safety

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOnXcrmgAw8.
https://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw
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