Monday Points: April 22, 2013

Here is wishing you a good Monday. This week we begin Success Academy which means final week for Session Five. I hope you all had a restful and relaxing weekend.

Celebration Points:

 Cheers to our district ELL department and their ability to get students access to Student Proficiency Credit. In my years of working with students for credit recovery/advancement, this is truly one of the most exciting student opportunities to come along. I am flush with joy over this chance for our students to earn language credit based on their proficiency in speaking, writing and understanding another language. CHOICE had its initial meeting last week. This week New Start students who are interested meet in the computer lab on Tuesday at 11:00.  Please do your part to get the word out to our students about this long overdue celebration, and credit earned of their skill in second languages.

Instructional Point:

I’d like to give some words, and remind you, about the importance your role as an Advisor plays in the overall teaching and growth of our students. I am professionally convinced in the power strong advising can bring to good instruction. True, you are a content teacher first, but it is critical that you too understand how your actions advising students can move our teaching into a “Distinguished” level of instruction.

In Charlotte Danielson, Distinguished level teachers are generally characterized by their students taking ownership of their learning. As an Advisor to students, you can substantially affect students taking ownership by setting the core content aside (for a bit) and setting a larger context for our students’ learning.

Thirty minutes of Advisory, each day, gives you the unique opportunity to get to truly know your students by name strength and need. It is not the kind of access that I, our counselor, or other adults will realistically ever have in our current school settings.

When you have built that consistent ongoing relationship with a student, you can have the meaningful, trusting and reflective conversations. You can talk with each of them about what behaviors they can improve upon, and those the can enhance to be a better learner, and ultimately more successful in school. You are truly their daily guide and coach to help them navigate and achieve in our learning environments and the community at large.

Think about it. If you did not exist or provide the advisement you do for many of our students, where would they be? How would they create a vision, or connect these things we call school, teaching and learning to a real world, college and their career for after they graduate?

There certainly are other committed adults who also see to, and ensure our kids are well situated and navigating the larger setting of school. Our counselor, for example, creates, oversees, and very well promulgates a broader more comprehensive program of supporting students socially and academically, which leads them to success. TO some extent office and administrative personnel have a role in this effort. We are strategic and effective in our multiple approaches, but there is a numbers and time challenge to working with every kid every day.

The power of a daily Advisory allows you see your kids every single day. Every day, it is in your schedule, to interact, check in and talk with our kids about their future. You are the one who daily reminds them they need to be ready to learn, and why. (Even if they are not asking yet!)

Do not sideline or underestimate your role as an Advisor. It is a proud and important role, which if done thoughtfully and with tact, leads students to taking ownership of their learning and success. Do not let this opportunity to be the Teacher Advisor fall to the wayside. It is not an additional chore. Advisory is a very important part of your teaching. In fact, Charlotte Danielson, herself, might argue that an Advisory “Distinguishes” your overall instructional practice.

PCT Point: Friday April 26. Team Time or District Job Alike

This Friday PCT is a district wide job alike  collaboration or meet in the building team of your choosing.  Please let me know what you will be doing for PCT.

Mike’s Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
April 22	April 23	April 24	April 25	April 26
Weekly Letter Teach Success Academy CHOICE Parent and PSO Meetings Evaluation Meetings and Writing Teachscape Study Group	District Principal Meeting (All Day ERAC) Evaluation Meetings and Writing	District RTI/PBIS Planning Team (All Day ERAC) Evaluation Writing School Board Meeting	Teach Success Academy In Classrooms Evaluation Meetings SPU Recruiting Fair	Tier III Training Fire Drill Weekly Administrative PCT: Team Time Supervision and EOC Approvals

Have a wonderful last full week of April!

Mike