2010 – 2011
Back to School Inservice
School Means
Success
August 18, 2010
The Year of the Teacher
Who has the single greatest
affect on student achievement in
the school?
Dr. Haim Ginott …
“I've come to the frightening
conclusion that I am the decisive
element in the classroom.
It's my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a
tremendous power to make a child's life
miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument
of
inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that
decides whether a crisis will be escalated
or de-escalated and a child humanized or
de-humanized.”
Barbara Coloroso …
 “If kids come to us from strong, healthy
functioning families, it makes our job
easier.
 If they do not come to us from strong,
healthy, functioning families, it makes
our job more important.”
We will be known forever by
the tracks we leave.
– Dakota Proverb
“Organizations only improve “where the truth
is told and the brutal facts confronted.” -Jim Collins
 “Having an above average teacher for five
years running can completely close the
average gap between low-income students and
others.” – John Kain and Eric Hanushek
 “The questions is not, Is it possible to educate
all children well? But rather, Do we want to
do it badly enough?” – Deborah Meier
How important is the teacher?
 Multiple studies found that teaching had 6 to
10 times as much impact on achievement as all
other factors combined.
 One recent study shows that the best teachers
in a school have six times as much impact as
the bottom third teachers. (Haycock &
Huang, 2001)
 Improved classroom instruction is the prime
factor to produce student achievement gains.
How to Be an Effective Teacher
 Classroom Management
 Teaching for Mastery
 High Expectations for Students
-Harry Wong
As we begin the new year …
 The things that help children succeed
require no money or training and very
little of your time.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
MY Vision for a Perfect School …
 All staff, every day come to work and look into the
eyes of each of our students and say …
 How are you?
 Glad you are here!
 Glad you’re in our school!
 We have a very good school here.
 We care about you here.
 We want you to succeed.
 I want to help you.
Could we all do this?
Does that cost money?
Require a special training?
Take up too much of your time?
Here’s what I think we should do …
 Love these kids, love them enough to provide
the structure they need with lots of love and
“empathy” that will foster them as individuals.
 When they make mistakes we should be SAD
and at the same time hold them accountable.
 That provides structure, safety, consistency
 Something many do not have
 Will you love them enough to set limits?
 We you allow them to grow from their
mistakes?
 Will you celebrate their successes with them
and their parents?
 We you be their teacher, their mentor, their
support system?
 We you be a responsible, loving, emotionally
mature role model?
Procedures Provide Structure
 Many of our students do not have structure at
home, they live in chaos.
 Procedures provide structure.
 Procedures provide a safe and secure learning
environment.
 Students learn best in a safe and secure learning
environment.
 Schoolwide procedures will provide structure for
all of our students – Leveling the learning field for
students who have no structure at home.
Harry and Rosemary Wong
 Suggest for classroom teachers having a script for the First Days
of School.
 Schoolwide Script (Lesson Plan) for the first few days of school.
 Consistency in following the script is critical to its success.
 Non-negotiable ways of doing business in our school.
 Entering a classroom
 Bellwork Assignment
 Setting up Assignments
 Classroom Materials (Paper, Pencil, Independent Reading Book)
 What to do when assignments complete: Reading!
 Walking in the Halls
 Exiting the classroom
The Schoolwide Lesson Plan…
 Please follow the First Days Lesson Plan/Script for our
school the first week of school.
 Please make sure to Practice the Procedures in the Script.
 Please introduce a few new procedures each day.
 Practice the procedures until they are automatic--routine.
 Consistency in every classroom will provide structure.
 Students with structure in their learning environments
achieve at higher levels.
 We are in Level 4 School Improvement Facing
Restructuring: All of our students need to achieve at higher
levels.
Teacher Expectations…
 ALL TEACHERS at their doors before and
after class greeting students
 Paras and support staff in the hallways
 All adults talking to students not each other
during supervision times
 Students are to be supervised at all times
 Students not to be signed out during class
unless emergency – with escort or call office
Teacher Expectations
 Bellwork is posted everyday in the same location. Students
are expected to start bellwork immediately.
 Daily Lesson Objective is posted every day in the same
location. (Before beginning the daily lesson teacher tells
the students what they will be learning today and how they
will be demonstrating that learning.)
 A daily agenda is posted every day in the same location.
 The Content Standard is also posted in the same location.
(Please note the difference between the Content Standard
and the Daily Lesson Objective..
Teacher Expectations…
 Teach, review and practice the procedures regularly.
 Don’t be the weak link. This will cause hard feelings
among the staff and I will have to talk to you about it.
 All teachers are expected to teach students that the bell
does not dismiss class.
 Teachers should dismiss class from the door and speak
to each student as they exit the room.
 This could be a time to collect a “Ticket out of Class”
formative assessment of the daily objective.
Teacher Evaluation
 New Teacher Evaluation Policy This Year
 Minimum of 4 Classroom Observations
 Observations will be drop in visits.
 I will probably drop in at least once a week, more if
necessary.
 First observation will be to assess the use of
procedures. (Rubric is provided).
 Procedures will be observed using the rubric
quarterly.
 We will be “Creating a Culture of Consistency.”
Are you up for this challenge?
Do you want to make an impact?
 I challenge you to deeply consider how you can get
to know them, gain their trust, build a positive
relationship, build a team, a family, develop
camaraderie.
 Will you take the time and care enough to develop a
positive relationship with each student?
 Will you love them enough to provide structure and
the most effective learning environment possible?
OUR KIDS DESERVE NOTHING LESS!
Team Effort
 We have to work together
 We have to get along
 We have to be nice to each other
 We can’t be critical of each other
 We can’t be critical of our school
 There will be no place for negativity and
criticism in our school
 We need to be Builders not Destroyers
Words of Discipline Wisdom
(expected staff behavior)
 Do not raise your voice, yell or scream at
students – model respectful behavior at all
times.
 Do not use sarcasm or insults.
 Always remain calm, respectful and in control.
 Do not get in a student’s space/face.
 Do not overreact.
 Do not embarrass a student in front of others.
 Do not let them see you get angry.
Instruction (Monitoring)
 Lesson Plans using template
 Classroom Observations and feedback
 Monitoring PLCs
 Faculty Meeting every Wednesday focused on
instruction (not events)
 3:30-4:30 with K-8 once a month
 3:30-4:15 all other weeks
Assessment
Summative Assessments
Daily Formative Assessments
Work on Assessments during PLCs
Need to improve Assessments
School Improvement Status
Level 4 for Reading
Level 2 for Math
Must submit Restructuring Plan in
May
Goes beyond last year’s Corrective
Action Plan
Immediacy
Ready, Set, Go …
 Back to School Night
 Agenda
 Procedure
 First Day of School Lesson Plan/Script
 First Week of School – PROCEDURES!
 ENRICH – Go over the changes in the
handbook with students
 Get to Know You Activities
 Student agendas are in the office.
 Use Sharpie to write name on the inside cover.
 Use Highlighter for hall pass pages
 More student handbooks will be printed after Back
to School Night for students to have a copy.
 All students who registered already have their
locker assignment.
 A list will be sent to staff. (Amy)
 All others will get their locker during ENRICH on
the first day of school.
The First Week of School for Staff
 First PLC meetings on Wednesday
 K-8 Faculty Meeting in the PAC at 3:30
(Dr. Harry Wong Video Series)
 Developing Positive Relationships with
Students and Parents
 Teaching Procedures
Do’s
 Arrive each day on time.
 Notify Mrs. Whitney in advance and always sign out
if leaving early.
 Speak positively to each other, about each other and
about our school.
 Bring concerns directly to the principal.
 Teach procedures.
 Turn in lesson plans by noon on Friday.
Do’s
 Show up for your assigned supervisory duties on
time. Paras clock in at 7:55.
 Submit all vouchers to Mrs. Whitney for a signature
after your team leader has signed off on your hours.
 Do get approval for time submitted on all vouchers
prior to doing the work.
 Be considerate and communicate with each other
(using the library, computer lab…).
Do’s
 Build Positive Relationship with Students.
 Communicate positively with parents.
 Remember why we are here – STUDENTS.
 Compliment each other and recognize
successes every day!
 Remember why you became a teacher.
Don’ts
 Gossip and complain – NOT Acceptable,
NOT Professional.
 Have conversations in the office –
Confidentiality.
 Children in the middle school after school
 Use the WASP program
 Free to school employees
Here’s to the best year yet
@
SMS where
School Means Success