Weekly Wrap Up: 9/18/15

This week I was happy to meet with all of the intermediate teachers to discuss using STAR data to drive instruction! Don't worry primary teachers...next week on Thursday (I'm out on Wednesday), I will meet with all of you to see how our iReady and STAR data can guide us in the right direction with our instruction.

Thank you to those who came to the STAR and USA Test Prep PDs after school also! I know we have teachers and staff who really want to do what's best for our kids!

During many of our planning meetings, I've heard concern about fitting everything into the instructional block, especially when it comes to interventions and small group instruction. Here are a few things to consider that I mentioned during our block breakdown discussions:

1. Consider how long you are spending on direct instruction -- depending on grade level, attention spans vary and keeping students actively engaged gets more difficult with longer periods of direct instruction.

2. You can maximize student practice during small group instruction while pulling groups of students needing interventions, or a brief reteach of the day's lesson.

3. If students are constantly needing to be retaught each day's lesson, there may be a common deficit in a foundational skill or strategy that needs to be addressed.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are struggling with this. I am more than happy to help look at data or a specific student, model a lesson, or plan with you. I will check in during team meetings, but you can always reach out. :)

Growth Mindset PD coming in October!!



Mrs. Mannine's 2nd graders working towards their IDR goal!