The First Week of School

The First Week of School

The first week of school brings many emotions for all of our students, staff, and families. On the first day, we had a few tears of sadness, a few tears of fear, and a few tears of happiness. On the second day, students were running into school because they were so excited to come back- it was amazing! On the third day we had one little boy tell his parents he needed to hurry, because the police were waiting on him. J (He loved the high fives.)  We still have a few with some nervousness, but as a whole, you have done an amazing job starting the school year off right!  We are creating a culture where kids are excited to be at school. Take a moment to look at your “One Word” that we wrote in May. Is this still the word that you are using to focus your energy? Is it still your why? Our culture will be set by what we focus on; if our “One Word” is positive and student centered…we will be successful!

I have gotten to read to every class, which is my favorite, and I am hoping to do more of that this week. Everyone enjoys a good story, even the 5^th graders. If there is a particular story you would like me to read to your students, please let me know. Literacy is something that I am personally passionate about and I love to show the students how literacy is all around us. One of the ways I do this is to read to them; another way I like to do this is to have them read to me! If I am not on your reward list, please add me! Any student that wants to celebrate by reading to me….I am all in! Whether they pay tickets or grow a reading level- let me know!

We will be starting walkthroughs next week (September). We will be giving the team leaders our look fors this week at team leader meeting. Please do not think we are evaluating you, these walkthoughs are for a few specific reasons:

-          To help teachers grow in their craft

-          To help the leadership of the building gage what professional development is needed

-          To celebrate the amazing happenings going on around the building

-          To help our leadership team see how we are doing on our Problem of Practice

 You will get feedback from the person that walks your room, and we will use the data to help make decisions for the campus and to give suggestions on topics for PLCs. We look for campus trends and make plans on how to coach our campus to be better. New teachers will start walkthroughs at the end of September; they will be looking for specific strategies to help them grow as teachers. Please do not get nervous when someone comes into your room, it is a positive experience! (I know easier said than done.) I have already been very impressed on the instruction I have gotten to see so far, and this was just the first week.

                Monday starts week two, and I know it is going to be just as amazing as week one. I am truly humbled to work with such an amazing staff; you are all talented, passionate, and enthusiastic. It is a pleasure to come to work each day to such energy. Thank you for making Lance great!

 

BOY

BOY

        BOY, beginning of the year- we all know it is an emotional time of year. We are excited for the year to begin, to meet our new students; you can feel the anticipation throughout society. School supplies are on sale, “back-to-school” signs are posted everywhere, and we see references on social media- school is coming! As educators we are lucky enough to get to be a part of the excitement every year. From the smell of school supplies to the first time you walk into your room for a new school year- we love it all. There are so many pieces that have to come into place for school to start; it is always fascinating to see it all come together: classrooms, themes, PD, PLCs, planning, class lists.  I do not know who is more excited to find out class lists-students or teachers. It is a great time of the year!

        As a principal, I worry about my staff’s stress levels. I want to make sure that you are all taking time to relax and breathe while getting ready for the year. Teachers are such a passionate, dedicated group of people, that it is easy to jump in with both feet and find yourself overwhelmed quickly. Remember what is important, remember why you are here, and focus on what has to be done. Look at how you are using your time; is it the biggest bang for your buck? Focus on what is important- the kids. What needs to be done for kids, before they arrive in August? This is what we need to focus on- kids!

What are you doing to ensure that you are taking care of yourself? Are you spending time with your family? Are you balancing your school work with your home life? Are you spending time with your friends? Are you reading for fun? What do you need to do to relax? Find what helps you find peace and do it. Do not overlook the importance of self-care.

       Make sure you take care of yourself! If you are well, you can be there for your team, your students, and your family. You are amazing, you are strong, and you are talented! I am proud to start this year off with such an amazing group of educators! It is going to be a great year.

Celebration and Reflection

Celebration and Reflection

This time of year is exciting! It is fast paced, busy, and exhausting, but it is also the time we start seeing the fruits of our labors. We get to see the results all of the hard work that both we have done and our students have done; it is truly amazing! We are getting to the time of year where we are in celebration mode- it is a great time. It is important to remember to take time to reflect on the year so that we can grow in our craft.

It is imperative to remember to reflect on the year before we go into to summer. If we wait until August to reflect on the previous year, it is too easy to forget the little things that made the difference in lessons. We never want to do the same thing we did last year, just because we liked it or because it is a fun lesson. Each year brings a new classroom of students with new needs, and by looking at your instruction now, it will save you time next year.  We want to plan lessons for the students who we currently have in the classroom, by starting with previous lessons that are successful and adding questions or tweaking the sequence of the lesson we are tailoring the lesson for the students you currently have.

Look at the practices that have made the difference in our progress this year. Grade level flexible grouping, small group instruction tailored to specific TEKS or skills, innovative schedules to help struggling students, incorporating STEAM activities within your classroom are just a few of the practices that I have watched transform our students into learners that strive to learn more than just the minimum. It is exciting to hear stories about students that have “found their niche” and see how finding it has inspired them to learn more on their own. We have students that are creating dioramas at home because they were intrigued by their passion project. We have students writing their own books to share with their peers, because they have found a love of writing. We have students closing gaps in all areas- math, reading, socially, and even with problem solving.

When we say we know our students, we need to look at the data we are using to make instructional decisions. We are more than STAAR scores, and I love that we have multiple pieces of data that we use to help us make decisions for our students. We look at current data, longitudinal data, and antidotal notes we make during lessons. We look at our students as children and not as one test score- that is the Schluter difference.

We love to show the amazing things that are happening at Schluter. If you are not on Twitter you are missing out on a lot of celebration. From the students participating in the Amazing Race in 4^th grade to the technology challenges, you will see incredible learning happening at Schluter. It is a great to see our students in their learning environments. It does not show everything that is happening, but it is showing off our students- it is amazing!

Make sure you take the time to celebrate all the successes of your students, your team, and yourself. Be vocal, be showy, be proud. Everyone has worked hard for the accomplishments that have been achieved this year. Then, before you get into summer mode, take time to look at what lessons and conversations were the game changers this year. It will help you next year when you are planning for your new group of students.

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