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* Champion Launchpad!!!
* Data Dashboard
* Resources
* Recognitions!
* Archived Launchpads
* Feedback
* Network Announcements

NAVIGATION

ARCHIVED LAUNCHPADS

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

RBM Data Developments

6.2.2016

Brilliant Team,

Brendan has written something of greater import than I could ever write. The
message this week belongs to him.

Anyone who steps foot onto Rocketship Brilliant Minds’ campus likely knows the
Welker family. Whether from Noah and Jordan's adorable smiles, or the fact that
their parents are on campus helping almost every day, the Welker family is an
integral part of our community and our collective movement.

This past weekend, the Welker family was struck by a terrible tragedy. While
giving birth to her third child, Lynn Welker passed away. Her baby, Savannah
Angel Welker, survived but she is very sick, and in need of emergency surgery
later this week, as well as what will likely be a lifetime of surgeries.

All of us at RBM are grieving the loss of Lynn Welker. Lynn was a very quiet
person. An educator herself, she loved all children like her own. She and her
husband, Eric, were involved with the movement to open Rocketship Brilliant
Minds from its earliest days. They fought incredibly hard for this community,
spending hours in meetings of the School Board, SCCOE, and the City Planning
Board; often staying out late into the night, even when she needed to be up
early for her own students in the morning. RBM wouldn’t be here without
champions like Lynn. She was a gentle spirit and a powerful advocate for
education equity. Our movement needs more Lynn Welkers.

There is no way to comprehend the suffering of Mr. Welker and his three
children. Moments like these tug at the fabric of our team but I know that the
power of our collective community will be a source of strength and solace for
the Welker family. Families are organizing meals for the family, raising money,
and spreading the story of Lynn’s inspiring example of the power of parent
engagement. The power of our community coming together is truly awe inspiring.

If you would like to support the Welkers, you can click here to make a donation
to support Savannah’s medical expenses and educational future. If you have
questions or ideas about other ways you can support this family, please reach
out to me directly at bcsaposs@rsed.org.

Let us now demonstrate the collective strength of our Rocketeer community and
support this family in their loss.

Onward, with love.

Brendan & Preston

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Brilliant Team,

I do not have much to say this week, because the little that I do want to share
feels so profound, so worthy of simple rumination.

I have been excited and delighted to watch some incredible growth from our
students begin to roll in, but one score in particular has stood out.

This child has been supported by almost every person on this campus in someway;
but directly taught by Tiffany, Jose, Christina, Amanda Myself, Kara, June,
Katie, Abril, Divya, and Bruni.

She is perhaps the embodiment of persistence - the child for which Brendan's
infamous "Palace of Persistence" was named. She works harder than anyone else I
know, and has experience 3 years of disappointing scores (generally after
spending the longest on the assessment in the grade level by far).

Today in literacy, she scored above the 75th percentile. The first thing she
told Ms. Dozal?

"My mother is going to be so happy! I've never done so well!"

I rushed into her class to congratulate her, and the entire cohort of Banana
Slugs (started by wise-beyond-his-years Felix) burst into applause. There was no
ounce of jealously, rather a simple, pure joy.

This launcher is dedicated to a child that I will never forget. A student who
exemplifies the cheesy but often true maxim that our students have more to teach
us than the inverse. A child that I will remember when something is hard, and I
am feeling frustrated, and on the brink on giving up or losing my cool.

This launchpad is dedicated to Giepcia.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

4.7.2016

Brilliant Team,

This week, I invite you to fall down a rabbit hole I recently stumbled upon.

Last night, after the frenzy of SpringFest left my mind and body, I looked ahead
to the consistent, calm, yet focused weeks of May and April and asked myself -
how can we maintain this spirit of joy and friendship in the midst of consistent
academic challenges? Challenges that will only prove more difficult as the
weeks go on and students feel the impending pressure of assessments and desire
to succeed. What exciting events can I think up to excite them, I thought?
What spirit days and dances and games?

I stopped racking my brain long enough to realize (with the help of one of my
favorite Dr. Seuss texts, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day) that all of this Vegas
Showmanship was concealing a deeper, more authentic need.

Now is the time, more than ever before, to actively promote a culture of error;
a culture of risk-taking and joy in the struggle. Eagerness to Answer, one of
our heroic habits, would need to be moved to the foreground.

As I sat down to write a session that would help us dig in again to this
initiative with renewed vigor, I came across a resource more powerful that any I
could create. More importantly, it is a self-directed resource that you can and
should mold into sync with your classroom vision.

Meet the Mindset Kit.

Carol Dweck, creator of the "growth mindset" as we know it, has used to lab at
Stanford to create a freestanding kit for educators and parents. I will be
using these resources to work with parents at the May community meeting; to
prepare to talk to their students about their approach to assessments.

Under teacher resources, you'll find ready-to-go videos and powerpoints to
remind students WHY we're asking them to challenge themselves. You'll videos
teacher videos of closed math tasks and models of how to turn a textbook problem
into a challenging task. You'll find a series of self-guided professional
development that will navigate you through this resources at your comfort and
speed.

So I urge you, go forth and grow your brain.

PBIS Newsletter - updated with daily community meeting topics:

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for a team that is quicker to discuss personal struggles with
emotions that student struggles.
2. I am grateful for the thoughtful leadership Tiffany has displayed throughout
her series on RULER - the Blueprint was so helpful!
3. I am grateful for everyone who made it to Literacy Night despite the
onslaught of events we've been having lately!
4. I am grateful for the all-hands-on-deck approach it takes to make days like
Springfest possible!
5. I am grateful for our newest team member - Courtney Maher - stop by and
congratulate her on a seamless first week, filling very big and fashionable
shoes. Our Gaels and Spartans are so lucky!

Stay Brilliant,

3.17.2016

Brilliant Team,

Over the past two weeks, we've spent a great deal of time discussing numbers and
student performance. Numbers serve a purpose - they capsulate in one
spreadsheet countless hours of struggle, effort, and inspiration. But they do
not tell a complete story.

In the video below; you'll find that Kelly and Mayte do.

In their discussion of what they learned from Sadako - they demonstrate that
which we all instinctively, anecdotally feel; our students are right on the cusp
of something great. And not just academically (but this too! strong answers
with developing evidence!) - you can see the wheels turning as the girls begin
to develop the capacity to articulate what they will one day authentically
believe and understand. As Kelly says..."she had this...thing...inside her..."

Here's to the effort you brought this week, that you will bring next week, and
each after that: the effort to nurture and ignite that "little something" in
each of our heroes.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

Please peruse the following documents in our Restorative Justice revamp! I
would love all the thoughts and advice!

RBM RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DOCUMENTS

Open RBM Restorative Justice Documents

PBIS Newsetter

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Open PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for a team that does not bat an eye as I push further towards a
culture of restorative justice.
2. I am grateful for a team that pulls off two incredible events in one week -
fresh off a grueling data day/retreat - congrats on an amazing literacy night
and Peace Day!
3. I am grateful for the families that attended our events this month in full
force - I can think of at least 30 families that attended Science Night, Chuck E
Cheese, Literacy Night, and Peace Day - such exciting levels of engagement!
4. I am grateful for Cindy Bautista - the new parent organizer for RBM and RSSP
- she has been introducing herself to all of you, make sure you ask her about
her fascinating life story.
5. I am grateful for the countless hours Katya, Lilly, Bertha, Sabrina, and Kim
Bumb put into the Book Fair - we have $3,000.00 worth of Scholastic dollars to
spend - and it is ALL thanks to them!

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Photos of the Week

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - RBM

Open Photos of the Week - RBM

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

It can be hard to be the forest for the trees when it comes to student data
analysis and reflection. As I know from many a data analysis meeting with this
team, we can be far too hard on ourselves and not always stop to celebrate. We
look at student data and work every week, and would love to share some wins we
find; featuring some tremendous growth that has taken our Rocketeers to the next
level!

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

Open RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* Our 3rd - 5th graders are taking their 2nd round of practice SBAC
assessments. There will be extra movement as we shift the 3rd grade into one
space (the large learning lab), so please expect movement around 8:30. More
importantly - be liberal with the high fives and encouragements! Here is the
schedule:
RBM IAB II Schedule

* Here are all the documents I shared on Thursday - please let me know if you
have questions! I also included reflection forms that I wrote using Kimochi
and Ruler.

RBM Restorative Justice Documents
* There is a second 1617 teacher input meeting this Monday - location to be
announced - from 5:00 - 6:30.
* Rhandy Siordia will be on campus Tuesday morning to support with any math
questions/concerns!
* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for a principal team meeting, as
well as Friday Afternoon
* Joelle Azar will be interviewing this Thursday morning, I will likely be
giving her a quick tour as well!
* Multicultural Fest is this Thursday - get ready for delicious snacks, awesome
performances, and shared opportunities to learn from one another - 4:30 to
6:30! We will start in the Church on Thursday (as well as Friday).
* We have a PTC meeting next Tuesday at 5:00 - 6:00.
* Monday meeting will occur normally again this week, please add any agenda
items here:
* Monday Meeting Protocol

*
* Permanent Link to Network Announcements (updated weekly!)
* A new quarter brings a fresh new responsibility tracker - this must be filled
out at least twice weekly for each cohort.
*

Responsibility Tracker Quarter #3

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
*

Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Please reference Week Ahead emails.

Next Thursday PD :

3/24 -

Release day

CPTs:

Not this week, please use to work on pre-work.

RBM Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Open Running SSTs and IEPs

2016March2ndCommunity Meeting-Science Night3rd and 4thSTEP Testing minimum Day;
4th grade Health Class4thSTEP Testing minimum Day; Kindergarten Field
Trip9thChuck-e-Cheese Night 3:00-9:0010th-11thNO SCHOOL (Staff retreat
days)18thSpring Festival22ndPTC Meeting 5-625th1st Grade Field Trip to
Children's Discovery Museum25thParent Coffee 8:15-9:2024thMulti-Cultural Fest
and Hula Dance Performance28th-1stNO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

Personal gadgets are not available while editing

3.11.2016

Brilliant Team,

Thank you all for an incredible week; the gratitude I feel for the energy you
brought to our collective and individual work merits one of the few gifts I can
give remotely; brevity.

ROCKETSHIP BRILLIANT MINDS - SOTS RETREAT MARCH

Rocketship Brilliant Minds - SOTS Retreat March

PBIS Newsetter

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for the dedication and commitment everyone displayed during our
data days. Whether in Monterey or San Jose, it was game on from minute one.
2. I am grateful for tide pools - and, less facetiously, working on a team of
adults with an internal curiosity strong enough to still relish the experience
of exploring them.
3. I am grateful for the opportunity to watch the effects of our important
conversations around nonfiction and narrative guided reading, math boards and
corrective instruction, all unfold over the coming weeks.
4. I am grateful for the Divya's support of all of us in our support of IR;
proving once again how much more impact we can make when working in concert.
5. I am grateful for a dismissal team who used critical thinking and a whole lot
of hustle to get our fastest dismissal ever.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Photos of the Week

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - RBM

Photos of the Week - RBM

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* Literacy Night is this week - let me know if any support is needed!
* Monday meeting will occur normally again this week, please add any agenda
items here:
* Monday Meeting Protocol

* The Book Fair begins next week! It will occur in the Staff Room. Sabrina
will be asking you to shop around and create a "wish list" that parents can
use to make classroom library donations.
* Yoga is back on Monday!
* Weather is putting a damper on our outdoor launch plans - new target is right
after Spring Break!
* Spring Fest has been changed to April 7th (by sensible popular demand)!
Please read Kara's detailed email.
* FYI that the week of 3/21 will see Round 2 of IABs for grades 3 - 5. Plan on
using 1 hr over 1 day in ELA, and 30 minutes, twice, over two days, in math.
* We are working on getting dismissal faster, safer, and more efficient.
Please be sure to have your google doc up by 3:58 so students are ready to
go at 4:00 PM.
* Please be sure to read Divya's if/then document for IR.
* Two prospect teachers will be visiting next week - Jazmin (rising teacher
from Spark) and Diana, an external candidate. They will be here on Tuesday
and Wednesday, respectively.
* We have a tour, this Wednesday the 16th. Several grad students from Brazil
are eager to watch blended learning in action. They should be around no
longer than an hour or two.
*
* Permanent Link to Network Announcements (updated weekly!)
* A new quarter brings a fresh new responsibility tracker - this must be filled
out at least twice weekly for each cohort.
*

Responsibility Tracker Quarter #3
* Make sure to complete mandated reporter retraining by following the
instructions at the following link (deadline is 2/19), it took me less than
20 minutes:
* https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eNBObDTyXYIL4pKCxZUT2reG4NpnVvR-HuO7vZirIEg/edit#slide=id.p4

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
*

Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Please reference Week Ahead emails.

Next Thursday PD :

3/17 -

Improved PPH System
ODRs and CICO Graduation
Manager Survey

3/24 - Release Day

CPTs:

Not this week, please use to work on pre-work.

RBM Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Running SSTs and IEPs

3.4.2016

Brilliant Team,

Last night I tried in vain to plan this message, as I often do, on my Thursday
night commute home. I generally relish this time to reflect and construct my
mental outline - often inspired by whatever story is trilling gently through
NPR.

Last night, however, I listened to the latest debate. And while it is my
responsibility to steer clear of politics; this conversation has made that
functionally impossible. I kept thinking one thought on loop - would I want my
students to listen to this debate? Critical civic engagement experience, right?

We have reached a crux. A moment of American history when I would not permit my
students to listen to the substance-less vitriol, school-boy insults, and crude
insinuations tossed across what should be the most venerable stage in the world.

Our Rocketeers have so much to do. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that
they have the potential to do so - if only they are given the tools.

I am often accused (usually lovingly, I think), of "power-walking" about the
campus as though my heels are on fire. This week, however, I have felt that
proverbial burn in a literal fashion; developing an urgency beyond my typical
pace. Over the last two years, this work has brought many frightening truths
front and center for me: our children are filled with tremendous potential, yet
data reveals to us that much, much, much more needs to be done. It can be
terrifying to face the realities of what their data represents, because one
thing is clear - if you can read, write and do mathematics, you have a fighting
chance, but if you cannot, the door is most certainly shut.

So next week, culminating in our work together on the 10th and 11th, let's
mentally prepare to devote every second of our time together to the brutal
truths, disciplined planning, and serious conversations that will set our
Rocketeers on a path to their rightful destinies.

Because, boy, do we need them.

PBIS Newsetter

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Open PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for the MVPs of Science Night - Kim, Haley, Angela, June,
Jessica Pace, mistresses of the most complicated experiments they've thrown at
us yet, and the amazing families that returned the Learning Lab to pristine
condition with zero direction.
2. I am grateful the prospect of time with our team punctuated by sounds of
seagulls and sargasso grasses.
3. I am grateful for a June and Nikita's thoughtful support for their students'
needs in health class. Once again, our facilitators praised the maturity and
manners of our Rocketeers; a great deal of which is owed to the careful
preparation and debrief provided by their teachers.
4. I am grateful for the awesomely successful week of my friend IO; and the team
of Ms. B, Ms. V, Ms. Price, his mother Karina, and Mrs. Werby-Martinez united to
support him
5. I am grateful for the daily check-in Sabrina, Katya, Brendan, Kara, and I
make space for each morning; it is so powerful to be reminded each day just how
hard each member of our team is working.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Photos of the Week

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - RBM

Open Photos of the Week - RBM

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

Open RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* On Monday, Birdbrain education will be here to work on a science pilot with
Katie M and June!

* Canceling Monday meeting since we have All The Things after school next week!
* Kara's evidence-based thinking training will occur after school this Monday.
* Please consider attending the 1617 input meeting this Monday at Rocketship
Fuerza to discuss a direction for the network in the coming year.
* On Wednesday, Mindy from STEP intermediate will be here all day to support!
Brendan will be out in the morning for his IV appointment.
* STEP minimum day and Retreat Details below (this is draft retreat schedule,
but I wanted everyone to have the info ASAP):
*

RBM STEP and Data Day Schedule (including retreat)
* Permanent Link to Network Announcements (updated weekly!)
* A new quarter brings a fresh new responsibility tracker - this must be filled
out at least twice weekly for each cohort.
*

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
*

Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Please reference Week Ahead emails.

Next Thursday PD :

3/10 - 3/11:

TK - 2: Retreat!

3/18:

Release Day

CPTs:

Not this week, please use to work on pre-work.

RBM Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Open Running SSTs and IEPs

3.4.2016

Brilliant Team,

Our Rocketeers have so much to do. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that
they have the potential to do so - if only they are given the tools.

Because, boy, do we need them.

PBIS Newsetter

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Open PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Photos of the Week

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - RBM

Open Photos of the Week - RBM

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

Open RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* On Monday, Birdbrain education will be here to work on a science pilot with
Katie M and June!

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
*

Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Please reference Week Ahead emails.

Next Thursday PD :

3/10 - 3/11:

TK - 2: Retreat!

3/18:

Release Day

CPTs:

Not this week, please use to work on pre-work.

RBM Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Open Running SSTs and IEPs

2.24.2016

Brilliant Team,

This week, in the cold and tender month of February, we have once again proven
the resiliency of our team. It is a state that you are not likely to have
noticed; not being able to see every space as often I am privileged to do; but
it is there. It is a tough time of year; the pick-up-in-pace portion of the
marathon where you are just close enough to the end to start pulling from those
energy reserves you did not believe existed.

Just this week, I have watched us collectively to dig in on three fronts.

Community:

Literacy teachers came together this week to determine how to engage and enlist
families in mastery of the discrete content students need to lower their
effective filter when attempting to apply these skills in context. This month
is packed with events; yet you have elected to plan and produce one more to
ensure that the school-home pipeline is ever more robust.

Pedagogy:

From math centers, word problems, to Do the Math interventions on our math team;
to STEP intermediate and word study on the literacy team, it is incredible how
much you have enhanced your instructional programs from a content perspective in
less than a week. This does not mention the extra tech pilots that so many of
you have agreed to pursue, from typing to language to science. It would be easy
(as easy as anything gets in this work, at least) to stay the course; but the
pursuit of performance on end of year assessments that will prove to our
students that they can accomplish anything keeps us constantly innovating,
constantly improving.

Culture:

This time of year is becomes easy to rest on our relationships with students.
To cease sweating small details because we know we have the management ability
to call students back whenever we need. We also know that relaxing standards is
the quickest way to erode habits that we have worked tirelessly to nurture; and
that the spring, even more so than the fall, is the time to ceaselessly hold
students to the highest of expectations. To remind them they must be heroic
always, with whomever and wherever, no matter how tired, busy, or stressed they
may be. I so appreciated Amanda's request to us this week to check in our her
little ones in her absence; because while they may be successful with us, we
know that we have not truly succeeded until this transfers to other faces and
spaces.

To that end; we are reigniting our cultural initiatives. We are focusing with
renewed vigor on restorative justice through peaceful conflict resolution;
Sabrina, the ECCS, Kara, and Support Staff are honing in on recess, and soon our
incredible ILS team will pilot an intervention that no other school has
attempted: using the learning lab and its tutors as a space for social as well
as academic intervention.

Maladjusted

This all happened in one week.

Moments like this - particularly when they occur in the midst of Black History
Month - call to mind one of my favorite Dr. King speeches (June's civil rights
lessons that occasionally weaves into math don't hurt either), from 1963. He
addresses modern psychology and introduces a notion that speaks plainly to our
work. This is creative maladjustment, a phrase that was used in the 60s to
describe those who could not adjust to the status quo - or accept things as they
were clearly ordained to be.

Nor are we. Ruthlessly, we are a team that senses out weak points and attacks
them - constantly striving, evolving, improving, for the sake of our students'
academic and social growth.

Dr. King, I hope, would approve.

Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in
modern psychology. It is the word “maladjusted.” This word is the ringing cry to
modern child psychology. Certainly, we all want to avoid the maladjusted life.
In order to have real adjustment within our personalities, we all want the
well‐adjusted life in order to avoid neurosis, schizophrenic personalities.

But I say to you, my friends, as I move to my conclusion, there are certain
things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted and
which I hope all men of good‐will will be maladjusted until the good societies
realize. I say very honestly that I never intend to become adjusted to
segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious
bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take
necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I never intend to adjust
myself to the madness of militarism, to self‐defeating effects of physical
violence…

In other words, I’m about convinced now that there is need for a new
organization in our world. The International Association for the Advancement of
Creative Maladjustment‐‐men and women who will be as maladjusted as the prophet
Amos. Who in the midst of the injustices of his day could cry out in words that
echo across the centuries, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness
like a mighty stream.”

PBIS Newsetter

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Open PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for the fun events on our horizon - from 5th grade camp to
Literacy Night to Science Night to our Staff Retreat - so much time to celebrate
with one another and the children we love most.
2. I am grateful for a renewed focus on restorative justice. Worth a read:
http://www.ousd.org/cms/lib07/CA01001176/Centricity/Domain/134/OUSD-RJ%20Report%20revised%20Final.pdf
3. I am grateful for a 1st grade team that meets as much as it takes to
constantly norm and renorm on the best approaches for our students.
4. I am grateful for the exhaustive spring cleaning Sabrina is planning - get
ready for new, improved, highly-functional spaces!
5. I am grateful for the potential of the next 4 months of maladjustment.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Photos of the Week

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - RBM

Open Photos of the Week - RBM

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

Open RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* STEP minimum day and Retreat Details below (this is draft retreat schedule,
but I wanted everyone to have the info ASAP):
*

RBM STEP and Data Day Schedule (including retreat)
* 5th Grade camp is next week! Kara, Katie M, Ricardo, Domico, Betsy, will all
be supporting our students through an intense week of hands-on science. Ask
them nicely for all the pictures.
* STEP copies are printed for all! Located in the parent room hanging clear
folders. Make sure you do not take the last copy. :)
* Science Night is this week! This is one of my favorite events of the year so
I can't wait to share 2.0 with you guys. Report to the learning lab at 5:00
experiment-training with the Children's Discovery Museum.
* We'll have a few site-based interviews next week, the first being Wednesday,
so introduce yourself if you see anyone looking lost and curious!
* Amy will be off campus for part of Tuesday morning to make-up Thursdays PTM
* Join the PBIS Team for Dinner-and-a-meeting right after Science Night!
* The Basketball League is in full swing, check it out this Friday Night!
* FoodMaxx is having its grand opening, and they are offering RBM a donation to
celebrate joining the community! I'll be heading over at 8:30 with some
awesome 4th graders to introduce our team and say thanks!
* Sabrina is working on a fantastic improvement to arrival. Note that only one
door with be open (the front door) and she will be located at the front to
ensure no unsafe drop-offs occur. All cars will be blocked from using the
gym driveway or Foodmax truck driveway.
* Permanent Link to Network Announcements (updated weekly!)
* A new quarter brings a fresh new responsibility tracker - this must be filled
out at least twice weekly for each cohort.
*

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
*

Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

As normal.

Next Thursday PD :

3/3:

TK - 2: STEP Minimum Day
3 - 5, math, ILS, and ISE: RULER Meta Moment,
Lit only: Evidence-based thinking

3/4:

Minimum Day for data entry

CPTs:

Usual Schedule, agenda linked (this will be updated each week, ignore the week
#):

RBM Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Open Running SSTs and IEPs

2.18.2016

Brilliant Team,

There was a significant amount of content covered today, so I'd like to devote
this message to additional time to facilitate processing. Please let me know if
you have additional conclusions or ideas!

RBM State of the School and retrieval process
(start at slide 56)

RBM Word Study
Vocabulary Corrective Instruction

Math:

Do The Math and Centers Agenda

PBIS Newsetter

PBIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Open PBIS newsletter template

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for the packed hour 4th grade created with their 4th grade play
and fractions night - amazing community engagement!
2. I am grateful for Team IR's thoughtful, meticulous implementation of an
incredibly involved BIP - you should be so proud of week 1!
3. I am grateful for the candid, thoughtful group of parents that make it to
every PTC meeting, eager to help however they can!
4. I am grateful for round 2 of 100s Day - how I wish I had had teachers that
had gotten me half as excited about math!
5. I am grateful for the illuminating Do the Math assessment - it is always
fascinating to see how deep-seated misconceptions lie. Very grateful for the
strong foundations Haley, Liana, and Angela are laying for the future!

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Photos of the Week

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - RBM

Open Photos of the Week - RBM

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

Open RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* Permanent Link to Network Announcements (updated weekly!)
* Courtney Maher, a potential long-term sub for Julia, and future Rocketship
teacher in 1617 for another site, will be visiting Monday morning - looking
forward to introducing you all!
* Wednesday PBIS meeting
* Brendan, Kara, and I have moved into room 201, with Sabrina and Natalia.
This frees up our old office for small group time until YMCA comes at 2!
* I will be off campus next Thursday and Friday for my 2nd-to-last round of my
Principal Fellowship - thank goodness! I will be traveling for most of the
day on Thursday, so will be easy to contact!
* A new quarter brings a fresh new responsibility tracker - this must be filled
out at least twice weekly for each cohort.
*

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
*

Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Rescheduled as needed. Week ahead emails will clarify timing.

Next Thursday PD :

2/26:

2:30 - 3:00: NWEA Debrief
3:00 - 5:00: Word Study - Action planning , Revisiting AIR (Accountable
Independent Reading)
3:00 - 5:00: Follow up on this week

3/3:

STEP Minimum Day

CPTs:

Usual Schedule, agenda linked (this will be updated each week, ignore the week
#):

RBM Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Open Running SSTs and IEPs

2016March2ndCommunity Meeting-Science Night3rd and 4thSTEP Testing minimum Day;
4th grade Health Class4thSTEP Testing minimum Day; Kindergarten Field
Trip9thChuck-e-Cheese Night 3:00-9:0010th-11thNO SCHOOL (Staff PD day)18thSpring
Festival22ndPTC Meeting 5-625th1st Grade Field Trip to Children's Discovery
Museum25thParent Coffee 8:15-9:2024thMulti-Cultural Fest and Hula Dance
Performance28th-1stNO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Usual times, expect to discuss genius hour plans for next data days during your
upcoming 1:1.

Next Thursday PD :

Retrieval Process Series Pt. 2

2:30 - 3:00 - PPH discussion and strategic planning
3:00 - 4:00 - Retrieval Process Part 2 - Making it Work Within Your Block

CPTs:

Usual Schedule, agenda linked:
Week 19 Grade Level Meeting Agendas

IEPs/SSTs/Absences:

RUNNING SSTS AND IEPS

Running SSTs and IEPs

January6th First Day of school7thParent survey: Communication Sent out8thParent
survey: Returned/Collected 11th Truancy Meeting (by invite only)12th-22ndNWEA
MAP Testing18thNO SCHOOL (MLK Day) 19thHula Class sign ups (only 50 spaces will
be available only) 3:30-4:3019thPTC Meeting and School Site Council
5-629thParent Coffee 8:15-9:2029thChuck-e-Cheese night (more information will be
sent out soon)

12.17

Brilliant Team,

Taking breaks makes us better.

Not the breaks that involve us, our netflix account, a couch, a blanket, and the
indulgences of your choice (be they cheesy, chocolatey, or boozy), though there
is certainly a place for that.

But rather, the breaks that allow us to sleep for 8 blissfully-uninterrupted
hours; that moment before we turn off the light when we know that we will wake
up from sunlight and bacon-y smells, not the harshness of our alarm. The breaks
that include long walks outside, down gritty urban streets or loamy mossy trails
- where the aromas of petrichor and rain leech the proverbial toxins from our
tired and stretched souls. The breaks that provide us with no excuse to leave
coffee dates early, or to get up from the dinner table before the candles burn
out, the moments that facilitate long, drawn-out conversations with family and
friends - the conversations that never fail to yield our very best ideas.

But don't take my word for it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/jobs/take-breaks-regularly-to-stay-on-schedule-workstation.html?_r=0
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2014/12/17/want-to-be-more-creative-take-a-break-from-your-job/
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefan_sagmeister_the_power_of_time_off?language=en

So go forth and rest. Practice self-care. But, most of all - seek out
inspiration whenever you find it - in hills and dales, in alleys or fire
escapes, in pubs or kitchen tables or your own bedroom. Prepare yourself to
come back with a vengeance - we have incredible momentum right now; and come
January 4th, we are poised to ratchet it up.

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for an incredible operations team - Natalia, Cynthia, Dania,
Lupita, Bertha, Lily, MaryAnn, Rachel - for working tirelessly to ensure our
school stay beautiful.
2. I am grateful the many folks who have jumped right in with the
problem-solving narrative - I love having students bound up to me and tell me
about their ideas to make our community better!
3. I am grateful for the time we will all have, in a few short hours, to spend
with ourselves, friends, and families; time to soak up all the love and joy that
we give, give, give in this profession - shore up against the cost of caring.
4. I am grateful for the cold weather and rain (and the green, green, hills!) -
Northern California finally feels like home again!
5. I am grateful for incredible progress we're making on math cumulatives and
STEP tests. Spend some time on schoolzilla if you need some holiday cheer!

Stay Brilliant,

Data Developments:

It can be hard to be the forest for the trees when it comes to student data
analysis and reflection. As I know from many a data analysis meeting we this
team, we can be far too hard on ourselves and not always stop to celebrate. I
look at student data and work every week, and I'm going to start sharing some of
the exciting things I find; featuring some tremendous growth that has taken our
Rebels and Statesmen to the next level.

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

Open RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
* The most important task to be considering in preparing yourself for Data
Day's Genius Hour(s - 12). If you are not attending opt-in sessions,
mentally prep by making the copy of the Genius Hour planning template and
thinking through the brief guiding questions - so excited to see what we come
up with!
*

RBM Data Day

* If you are the sort of person who prefers to analyze data using your own
template, disregard this tool, but I wanted to offer the templates that
Brendan, Kara, and I will be using to cut our grade level's datas and get
ready to talk next steps during our Data Day 1:1s, please just make sure to
make a copy!
* STEP Workbook.xlsx
Data Day 2016 Math Guide: Cumulative Analysis
Data Guide ELA: Cycle 2 STEP Primary Data Revie...

* Check out the fruition of Greg and Smith's hard work on the Special Olympics
here
here: http://blog.rsed.org/2015/12/09/they-shoot-they-score-rocketships-annual-special-olympics/#more-3014
* Responsibility tracker - Katya and I are also planning our February Awards
ceremony, and we want them to be accurate!
Responsibility Tracker Quarter #2
* Here is a link to all the resources we discussed in our meeting on
management:
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/paperwork
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-educators (this video
explains all the research, tools, and methods in detail)

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
* Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

2015December2ndNo community meeting, save the date for your grade level
exhibition nights11thWinter Fest!5thBeautification Day 9:00-12:00pm15thPTC and
SSC Meeting 5-69th,16th9th: TK Exhibition Night, 1st Exhibition Night. 16th:
Kinder Exhibition Night 5-6:0017thChristmas in the Park 5-6:3018thParent Coffee
8:15-9:2021st-31stNO SCHOOL (Winter Break)16th - 18th4th Grade Camp

Meetings/1:1s:

Usual times, expect to discuss genius hour plans for next data days during your
upcoming 1:1.

Next Thursday PD :

We will be continuing our series on re-visioning and next steps.
Draft of session linked for feedback.

2:40 - 3:00 - Next Steps from last round
3:00 - 4:00 - Re-visioning Heroic Habits, commitments, prioritization, and next
steps

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP,
screens for our new huddle meetings, etc.

IEPs/SSTs:
Vict - 18th

Absences:

Christophe: 12/18
Natalia: 10 AM - 12/18
Brendan: 7:30 - 12:30 - 12/16

12.10

Brilliant Team,

It was the night before Winter Fest and all through the school,
Many creatures were bustling to make it look cool,
From Club Frost, to crafting, to dodge balls made-merry,
To teachers of excess glitter glue just-a-wee-bit wary,
The students were nestled all snug in their beds,
With finishes of snack stations dancing in their heads,
With Kara in her sweater vest and Brendan's walkie in his hand,
They had just settled down for the party prepwork's demand,
When up on my iphone there arose such a clatter,
I bought in-flight internet to see what was the matter,
Exit slips and make-ups, and volunteering and queries of all fashion,
So amazed was I by the scope of the families' passion,
So I thought to myself as I flew out of sight,
Happy Winter Fest to all and and to all a good night!

Thank you all for the prep, patience, and dedication that is has taken to track
exit slips, solicit donations, decorate your rooms, and find your zen
happy-place amidst the squeals of fun or grumbles of disappointment. I am so
grateful that we've created an opportunity to celebrate the hard work of YOU and
so much of our young heroes-in-training. I think of our Yunieths, and our Roys,
and our Fernandos, and our Itzels, and our Kimanis, and our Andrews, and our
SirEzras and our Dacias - they deserve to now how proud we feel, and the
HUNDREDS of other students about whom we feel the same way. Take a moment to
tell them, today.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for the diligence of CICO mentors as they fill out the tracker
- Natalia, Katie, Amanda, so many of you have prioritized this critical task;
just one more thing in your day, so that we never lose sight of their behavioral
progress in the midst of a sea of academic data.
2. I am grateful for your patience when it takes longer than usual to answer
walkie calls - and the in-the-moment discussions about content that you indulge
with me (Jessica Price, Nikita, so many more...)
3. I am grateful for the logistic prowess of Natalia, Katya, Brendan, and above
all Kara, to make Winter Fest happen!
4. I am grateful for the dedication of our incredible support staff to their
individual goals - watching Lupita's seamless lunch transitions is so inspiring!
5. I am grateful for the excuse to celebrate - from STEP Spirit Week to Winter
Fest to Secret Snowmen to Shout-Out Stockings to Christmas in the Park!

Stay Brilliant,

Data Developments:

It can be hard to be the forest for the trees when it comes to student data
analysis and reflection. As I know from many a data analysis meeting we this
team, we can be far too hard on ourselves and not always stop to celebrate. I
look at student data and work every week, and I'm going to start sharing some of
the exciting things I find; starting with some tremendous growth that has taken
our Banana Slugs within 5% of their EOY ELA goal (were this the MAP).

RBM DATA DEVELOPMENTS

RBM Data Developments

Scheduling and logistics:
*
* STEP Spirit Week is upon us! To celebrate the hard work our students are
putting into their reading, we'll be dressing down each day and celebrating
their growth. Brendan, Kara, and I are on call to help with assessments, and
have at least one supportive trick up our sleeves besides. Most importantly,
I want to celebrate every student who passed a STEP level in the morning
launch powerpoint - so please write your list daily on the "Brain Growth of
the Day" tab.
* Monday Sports Day
Tuesday Color Day
Wednesday Fancy Day
Thursday Career Day
Friday Jeans Day/ College Day (pajama day for TK)
*
STEP Spirit Week One-Pager

Thursday: Christmas in the Park - this week we will meet until 4 'o' clock to
revisit our Heroic Habits Vision and next steps, as well as debrief next steps
from last week's vision-setting. Natalia will set up scavenger hunt station
outside the Fairmont Hotel, and Amy and Katya will be posted outside with the
scavenger hunt forms and prizes. All you need to do is explore the park and be
merry from 5:00 - 6:00, ideally split yourselves up a bit so it is harder for
kids to find you. Bring a pen, because if they get at least 10 signatures they
get their Christmas gift, a shiny new book.
Map of Xmas in the Park: http://christmasinthepark.com/map.html
* Friday: Staff Party! - come hungry, with your final Secret Snowman gift! It
is right after school, so don't forget to drop by the learning lab!
* Tuesday - Earthquake Drill
* Fourth Grade Camp: 16th, 17th, 18th
* 18th - Jean's Day
* 18th - Make-up Hearing Tests
* Brendan Out - Wednesday morning
* Tuesday - PTC and SSC Meeting
* Wednesday - PBIS Meeting
*

* Facilities Messages from Natalia:

The time for winter break is approaching which means a thorough, deep, clean
is imminent!

Our fabulous cleaning crew will be conducting a thorough cleaning of indoor
spaces: including carpets, floors, walls, desks, chairs, tables, counters,
etc (Dec. 21, 22, 23). They will also do a deep powerwash of our outdoor
spaces (Dec 20, Jan 4th-5th). Prior to cleaning, there are some items we are
requesting your help with. Instead of giving you a list through e-mail,
please take a look at our winter close-out checklist. Make a copy for
yourself and share with me. I hope this holiday season is filled with all
good things for you and yours! Happy Holidays!

We realize many of you are missing hallway and bathroom passes. We ordered
new passes for everyone but they will not arrive until we come back from
break. For now, please use temporary passes. As soon as they are in, you
will receive your passes.
* If you are STILL reading, you are being rewarded with an early link to
the Data Day Schedule!
*

* We will be finishing the grading of writing assessments this week and
beginning math cumulatives.
* Check out the fruition of Greg and Smith's hard work
here: http://blog.rsed.org/2015/12/09/they-shoot-they-score-rocketships-annual-special-olympics/#more-3014
* Responsibility tracker (shout out to Nikita; who projects it on her screen
during breakfast check)! I have a new responsibility cape that is going to
go to the class with the highest average! Katya and I are also planning our
February Awards ceremony, and we want them to be accurate!
Responsibility Tracker Quarter #2
* Here is a link to all the resources we discussed in our meeting on
management:
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/paperwork
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-educators (this video
explains all the research, tools, and methods in detail)

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
* Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

Meetings/1:1s:

Usual times, expect to discuss genius hour plans for next data days during your
upcoming 1:1.

Next Thursday PD :

We will be continuing our series on re-visioning and next steps.
Draft of session linked for feedback.

2:40 - 3:00 - Next Steps from last round
3:00 - 4:00 - Re-visioning Heroic Habits, commitments, prioritization, and next
steps

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP,
screens for our new huddle meetings, etc.

IEPs/SSTs:
Vict - 18th

Absences:

Christophe: 12/18
Natalia: 10 AM - 12/18
Brendan: 7:30 - 12:30 - 12/16

12.5

Brilliant Team,

Very pleased to be closing out a week where the biggest source of stress has
been the prospect of baking 6 dozen cookies. In lieu of a message this week; I
am asking everyone to complete the feedback form linked below that debriefs our
Winter/Spring Initiative brainstorm. They are potential game changers: from
enhancing our students tolerance for risk and error through rigorous team
problem-solving tasks; to creating a positive yet urgent culture of student
investment in their own futures and personal achievement; to re-engaging our
families on discussions of values and community. It is through your renewed
commitment, leadership, and strong team accountability that these dreams will be
realized - please devote as much time and intent as you are able to the nascent
initiative planner below.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for Team Cesar - for their patience, passion, and persistence -
what a victory!
2. I am grateful for a team willing to stay late to debate. :)
3. I am grateful for an excuse to eat 6 dozen cookies. And for Tiffany, the
amazing facilitator of this excuse.
4. I am grateful for the vulnerable and frank feedback I've received from one of
my team members this week; that you so much for coming to me.
5. I am grateful for the excuse to celebrate - from STEP Spirit Week to Winter
Fest to Secret Snowmen to Shout-Out Stockings to Christmas in the Park!

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Open Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Open Fishing for Feedback

Data Developments:

Under Construction - as unit 2 and 3 assessments are wrapping up; there is an
incredible wealth of standard-level progress to celebrate. Look forward to some
weekly highlights here of your tremendous accomplishments.

Scheduling and logistics (repeat from last week):Literacy teachers should be
conducting writing assessments this coming week.

* You will receive a launch and community meeting powerpoint starting Monday!
Get ready for a special dance performance from some of our very own...
* STEP Spirit Week will be the last week before the holiday. Get ready to
discuss details in CPTs!
* Videos from today:

* https://vimeo.com/131701201

https://vimeo.com/136989646

* Winter Fest Logistics:
* Please see Kara for the one-pager and schedule.

* - http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/teacherstore/nav/shops/50%20Book%20Collections/4294368891?appesp=TSO/intraapp/20151201/50for50/tsohp/shopnow/////
* Amy with be off campus Wednesday Morning, from 7:30 to 10:30, for biweekly
Principal Meeting; I will also be gone all day AND MISS Winterfest for my NY
RELAY Principal Fellowship. Worst timing ever.
* Responsibility tracker (shout out to Nikita; who projects it on her screen
during breakfast check)! I have a new responsibility cape that is going to
go to the class with the highest average! Katya and I are also planning our
February Awards ceremony, and we want them to be accurate!
Responsibility Tracker Quarter #2
* Here is a link to all the resources we discussed in our meeting on
management:
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/paperwork
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-educators (this video
explains all the research, tools, and methods in detail)

* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
* Master Interventions Tracker

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

* Now is a great time to be thinking about final field trip ideas! Please send
to Natalia before winter break.
* Important Update on Teacher Performance Evaluations

Over the summer, we shared an overview of the updated teacher performance
evaluation for 2015-16 with school leaders and teachers. As discussed in
August, we have two important updates that all school leaders should review
and understand.

Meetings/1:1s:

Usual times,

Next Thursday PD :
Release Day

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP,
screens for our new huddle meetings, etc.

IEPs/SSTs:
Jav Am - Tuesday
Say Gar - Thursday

Syd Are - 4:30 on Tuesday

Absences:

Amy
(12/11)

11.29.2015

Brilliant Team,

As December approaches, I find myself suffused with a sense of possibility.

Whereas the spring can often bring a sense of tedium, an unavoidable consequence
of ever-more routine routines than we utilize to give our students' structure
and predictability; we are potentially poised to use the coming month to change
the trajectory.

While I'm not done yet; in the past few weeks, I've been able to reorient myself
in so many of your visions; a privilege shared by Brendan and Kara. I can only
hope in rare moments of solitude on this Thanksgiving Break you also found time
for yourself, to reflect on the your hopes and aspirations for the rest of the
year.

And so, December, so after a month of assessments and a not-so-bridled-sense of
just racing to the Winter Break finish line; is rife with opportunity for our
time.

This week, we can seize it in two ways.

First, we'll use this coming Thursday to meet together as a team to discuss our
evolving vision and values for our school, and the coaching, development,
resources, and support, we'll need to make these goals a reality. More on some
pre-thinking for that meeting later!

Secondly, we have a walkthrough this week; on Tuesday, from 1 - 3. This is a
great opportunity to get specific feedback, if you'd like it, on an area of
import to you. Tiffany, amongst others, had a great example of a posted focus
on which she'd like notes and suggestions; if you need some inspiration. The
Schools and Achievement team members who will be visiting will be watching for
so many of the initiatives we've discussed, none of one require any change to
your instructional plan, as many are so deeply embedded in what you do.
Particular attention will be paid to how feedback is given, after and during
independent practice, as well as how data is collected - whether you use
clipboards or other methods - during the course of a lesson to facilitate
responsive teaching. Of particular import to me will be noticings on our
culture of error - do we highlight incorrect and correct work, do our students
embrace risk and error, or fear it? What do we do to facilitate it and how can
we push ourselves further?

Looking forward to an incredible month,

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for all of the thoughtful notes that made their way to me over
Thanksgiving - so lucky to have an extended family!
2. I am grateful for the potential of December
3. I am grateful for people willing to step up to a special dance project (you
know who you are!)
4. I am grateful for the upcoming TK collaboration - certain to alleviate a
fellow Rocketeer's struggles!
5. I am grateful for the feeling of coming home. As a type this on United Wifi
- I am so pleased to count two places that give me this feeling; my little
apartment in the city, and the school that houses the most wonderful students in
the world.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics (repeat from last week):
* Here is a link to all the resources we discussed in our meeting last week:
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/paperwork
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-educators (this video
explains all the research, tools, and methods in detail)

* Key next steps:

* ODRs recorded
* Contemplation space created
* Plan for ruler and kimochi content
* Look for invitations to grade level problem solving meetings!
* Take these forms, put them on your clipboard, and practice!
* Vision setting continues - next up, school vision with a focus on heroic
habits!
* Amazing news! In response to feedback, we are launching copy center 2.0!
Cynthia has agreed to extend her shift by 30 minutes each day to meet your
copying needs! The system is simple:
* At least 48 hours prior to needing complete copies, please place a request
in the upstairs or downstairs copy center (labeled clear mounted file
folders by paper)
* Attach an original of your copy to your request, and fill out all info on
the request (requests will be clearly labeled in same area)
* 48 hours letter, check for your completed copies!

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

* Now is a great time to be thinking about final field trip ideas! Please send
to Natalia before winter break.
* Important Update on Teacher Performance Evaluations

* P/APs REMINDER: The writing assessment window was changed to 12/7-12/11 for
ALL GRADE LEVELS. More information will be coming soon about administration,
but be sure to touch base with your staff so that they know what's coming!
* Exhibition Nights will likewise be taking place on your choice-of-evening in
December. Most have already been scheduled; but let us know if you change
your mind! Exhibition Nights are my very favorite nights because they allow
students to show their families incredible work that is not always reflected
on their report card. It is an amazing opportunity to highlight any work
you've done in the content areas - science or social studies; or strong
writing and speaking practice. I know you'll be going over these in CPTs,
but I wanted to insert a plug here, but here is a one-pager from last year:
* RBM Spring Exhibition Night One-Pager

2015November4thCommunity Meeting - Math Night 5:00 - 6:00 or 6:00 - 7:00
(rolling start)5th & 6thHealth Class for 5th9thNO SCHOOL (Veteran's
Day)14thBeautification Day 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM (MOVED)17thFirst PTC Meeting
5-620thParent Coffee 8:15-9:2019thFriendsgiving for Staff afterschool25th-27thNO
SCHOOL (Thanksgiving Break)

Meetings/1:1s:
Per request, given short week.

Next Thursday PD :
Culture and Management Vision Re-set

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP
and exhibition nights.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -

Ivan - 9:45, Dec. 3rd

Absences:

Bruni
(23/24)

11.19.2015

Brilliant Team,

Thank you all for rolling with an irregular day today! Very grateful, in
particular for our ECC and ISE team, for all the flexibility and generosity of
spirit in ensuring all of our students kept on learning.

Yesterday we discussed the incredibly important topic of prioritizing self-care
when faced with work that involves the "cost of caring." I am going to try to
live this learning on this coming Monday and Tuesday by engaging in travel that
I planned back in August; despite the squeamishness I feel about time off
campus. It make me reflect that I should make a request of each of you in this
message; use some time over this coming break to schedule future time for
yourself - be it a trip, stay-cation, or particular event. Research suggests
the act of anticipation of a future, pleasurable activity is incredibly
sustaining; and the science of break-taking suggests the impact of rest and
leisure on our creativity and memory storage is
profound. https://open.buffer.com/science-taking-breaks-at-work/

I have nothing else to say this week - as I hope everyone will use any
additional reading time to devote to the Lives in the Balance resources linked
below; or an extra chapter of Lost at School.

My chief weekly gratitudes follow, but first, thank you all (in advance) for
redevoting yourselves this week to the immensely challenging, but deeply
rewarding, task of teaching the students who need us the most,

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

WEEKLY COACHING FEEDBACK

Weekly Coaching Feedback

FISHING FOR FEEDBACK

Fishing for Feedback

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for a team willing to get together on a Thursday night to do
nothing more than appreciate.
2. I am grateful for a team that does not bat an eye at the concept that all
children want to succeed, but need to be shown how.
3. I am grateful for the upcoming break and space to spend time with extended
family.
4. I am grateful for the children who are making me better and better at
practicing patience and compassion.
5. I am grateful for the pure, unadulterated joy that students associate with
the academic science block, and I am grateful for the incredible math team
willing to implement the program.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:
* Here is a link to all the resources we discussed in our meeting today:
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/paperwork
* http://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-educators (this video
explains all the research, tools, and methods in detail)

* Key next steps:

* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* RBM Daily CICO Tracker.xls

* Now is a great time to be thinking about final field trip ideas! Please send
to Natalia before winter break.
* Important Update on Teacher Performance Evaluations

Meetings/1:1s:
Per request, given short week.

Next Thursday PD :
Culture and Management Vision Re-set

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP
and exhibition nights.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -

Alanna (OT)

Absences:

Amy
Haley
Bruni
(23/24)

11.12.2015

Brilliant Team,

Thank you all for finishing the day so strong today! It has been an incredibly
productive short week, for reasons I look forward to highlighting in my
gratitudes this week.

Natalia has a few logistical reminders below, and Kara wanted me to let you know
that plans for winter fest are arriving soon, and Brendan and Tiffany want you
all to sign up for food of the StaffGiving and Cookie variety; but the first
thing I'd like to do is set the stage for our team time together next week,
which may potentially (on an opt-in basis) run long as we recraft our vision for
student culture, with a focus on managing difficult behaviors.

I was in the safe room this week with a student, and, as often happens in this
space, said student was telling me that he hated me and spitting at me. He was
incredibly angry, and clearly did not know what to do; feeling trapped into
resorting to base behaviors. I spoke with him calmly, explaining I was there to
help, and I understood that he was upset. I was not getting very far.

Then Ruben knocked on the door. Cheerfully, he poked in his head and ask, "Hi
Ms. Filsinger! Remember when you used to do this with me!?"

I chuckled at his infamous frank expression, "Of course, Ruben."

"Can I try to talk to him? I understand what he is feeling." Ruben gestured to
the student.

"Sure, you can try," I intoned cautiously as I poised myself to get in between
if necessary.

Ruben walked straight over, crouched down, and said in the gentle tones he
reserves purely for peers in crisis, "Hi, I'm Ruben, what's going on?"

And so began, without a lick of training, one of the most successful plan b
conversations I have ever watched.

Next week, I'd like to fully craft our shared vision for culture and management,
and I'd like to do so by grounding ourselves in research about which I am
incredibly passionate.

In order to speak from common knowledge, please do the best you can to
view/review, the tutorial from Lost at School's author, Ross Greene. He provides
a phenomenal summary below:

http://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-educators

Guiding questions, please jot down your responses and bring them to our meeting,
or even better, send to me in advance so I can process!
* What is your interpretation of the belief that, "Kids do well if they can?"
* What is the ALSUP and what is its purpose?
* What is the difference between the empathy step and the invitation step in a
plan b conversation?

Message from Natalia:

Hi Team,

A couple of announcements:

-Hearing Screening is next Monday. Attached is the roster and the schedule.
If you need to refer any students, not on the list, please do so by Friday,
11/13/15.

-A friendly reminder to be out at lunch/recess on time. This is very important
in order for our students to have their full meal time and their full recess
time. It also ensures all other grade levels are not impacted.

- Don't forget to mark students eating breakfast. Attendance information
doesn't count for this. This is reported to the state and is tracked in order to
provide all of our kids with breakfast and aids in our funding. If it is marked
incorrectly, it affects the number of meals we receive and could potentially
leave some of our kids hungry.

- Please don't forget to input any field trips here, before winter break.

- Please don't forget to input any work orders/ops requests here.

- Katya and I will be off campus Next Thursday from 1-4. Ms. Cynthia will cover
the front office.

You're all wonderful!

Some Gratitudes:

1. I am grateful for a 4th grade team that weathered an incredibly demanding
week/s of extras, from 4th Grade Camp to the Middle School Expo. Your
willingness to go above and beyond for the sake of your children never fails to
inspire.
2. I am grateful to work with a network that will put no less than 10 educators
in one room at 7:30AM on a Thursday to problem solve for one, amazing, child.
3. I am grateful for the candid and open feedback I have received from all our
you with whom I have thus far met.
4. I am grateful for the farmers who put together my CSA box, because I had
forgotten how much I love vegetables.
5. I am grateful for the incredible things happening in our learning lab this
year - such an incredible culture of goals, students-helping-students, and
amazing tutoring.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:
* Amazing news! In response to feedback, we are launching copy center 2.0!
Cynthia has agreed to extend her shift by 30 minutes each day to meet your
copying needs! The system is simple:
* At least 48 hours prior to needing complete copies, please place a request
in the upstairs or downstairs copy center (labeled clear mounted file
folders by paper)
* Attach an original of your copy to your request, and fill out all info on
the request (requests will be clearly labeled in same area)
* 48 hours letter, check for your completed copies!

* Thank you to everyone who came to our opt-in session today! We discussed
some initial next steps; expect conversations about coverage for observation
visits, new assessment completion expectations, etc.
* CICO reminders:
* Please remember to update the Master Intervention Tracker each FRIDAY with
the % average
* Please remember to update the Data tracker daily.
* Please double check the list and make sure you have received all your
mentees, if not, connect with their first teacher!
* Kids are SO EXCITED! Thank all for this time-consuming but deeply
rewarding project. So many parents came to our meeting, and they are
deeply invested too! Amanda, Jessica, and Christina, you have to remind
me to tell you an amazing Alan family story.

* Progress reports will be printed on 11/11, please send them home beginning
11/16. We're going to try to have them all by 11/24!
* Now is a great time to be thinking about final field trip ideas! Please send
to Natalia before winter break.
* Schools Team Updates & Announcements

P/APs Middle School Expo
On November 14th, 2015 at 8:15am at RFZ, 7 charter networks will come
together to present their schools to Rocketship families. Last year, this
opportunity allowed more than 600 members of our community to make decisions
on which school best fit our Rocketeers. This year, middle schools are
actively seeking out this expo to recruit from our families! In order for our
students to continue to be enrolled in schools that serve their best
educational interests, help us place this on your schools' radar. All
additional exposure will really help the turn out! Please join us as we
continue this pattern of collaboration to help us place our Rocketeers on a
path beyond college!
Important Update on Teacher Performance Evaluations

1. A full 1-5 rating scale with data cut-offs for all student achievement
and parent metrics. (In the summer we provided the metrics but no data
cut points.) Rating scale may be found in this powerpoint.
2. A complete Teaching Performance Rubric that details what a 1-5 rating
looks like, in alignment with our updated instructional model. The
categories are the same as in previous years but there is now a full
rubric. You may view the full rubric here.
3. P/APs REMINDER: The writing assessment window was changed to 12/7-12/11
for ALL GRADE LEVELS. More information will be coming soon about
administration, but be sure to touch base with your staff so that they
know what's coming!

Followup clarification: The announcement regarding writing assessments in
the SLL this week applies to BAY AREA SCHOOLS ONLY. The writing
assessment windows in Wisconsin and Tennessee remain the same (see dates
below). This change in the Bay was implemented in order to accommodate
our new STEP intermediate window in Jan/Feb and avoid simultaneous
testing as much as possible. All assessment calendars (including gCals)
are correct and up to date. Reach out to datahelp@rsed.org with any
questions.

Attention -- All Teacher Interested in AP Role for 16-17
For all teachers interested in applying for the first round of AP interview,
we will be holding an optional webinar Tuesday 11/10 at 4:30pm to ask
questions about the application. The application will be sent out that day
prior to the webinar but please plan to attend if you anticipate questions.
Email kburi@rsed.org for addition information. Thank you so much!

Principals, please email me with any questions.

Thank you,
Kristen

* Exhibition Nights will likewise be taking place on your choice-of-evening in
December. Most have already been scheduled; but let us know if you change
your mind! Exhibition Nights are my very favorite nights because they allow
students to show their families incredible work that is not always reflected
on their report card. It is an amazing opportunity to highlight any work
you've done in the content areas - science or social studies; or strong
writing and speaking practice. I know you'll be going over these in CPTs,
but I wanted to insert a plug here, but here is a one-pager from last year:
* RBM Spring Exhibition Night One-Pager

Meetings/1:1s:
Schedule as usual unless updated.
PTC meeting and School Site Council next Tuesday from 5;30 - 6:30. Your
presence is always appreciated!

Next Thursday PD :
Culture and Management Vision Re-set

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP
and exhibition nights.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
Ezekiel
Alanna (OT)
Scarlett
Annylessa

11.5.2015

Brilliant Team,

Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our feedback form this week.
It will consistently be re-linked in the launchpad email, so be sure to take a
weekly stab at it!

Two common trends I heard were that folks were interested in giving more direct
feedback on proposed solutions to concerns voiced in the survey, as well as a
concern for the proposed Monday/Friday circles. Therefore, I am going to be
holding an opt-in feedback session from 2:30 - 3:00 (but really, as long as you
want) next Thursday during our release day. Please come with your own ideas and
solutions! Of course, I also heard that people wanted to be really cautious
about meeting times, so I emphasize the opt-in nature.

Likewise, Kara, Brendan, and I always meet from 5:30 - 6:30 on Friday, so please
come and check-in with us whenever you'd like.

Now, on to some great news!

I had my first quarter budget meeting - and we are doing well enough that I can
think about some additional, well-chosen expenditures. I'd like your help in
deciding.

1. More budget for classroom libraries
2. More chromebooks
3. A copy center staffed for an hour daily with the exception of Thursdays.
Meaning, you would not need to run any copies independently.
4. Your ideas? Please respond to the feedback question about budget in the
link.

The main reason why we are doing relatively well is that our ADA (average daily
attendance) is so high. Our budget is set at 94% daily attendance. We have
been averaging over 97%. Likewise, we have very low attrition this year. When
classes like the Tigers, Lumberjacks, etc., average 99 or 100 per week, that
extra money goes into our revenue categories. That can be as much as $1000 per
class for very high averages. Please continue to push for strong attendance,
and hopefully I'll be able to make announcements/requests like this more often!
Also please give Katya and Cynthia huge high fives, because they worked
tirelessly in the evenings to ensure our school was filled. Finally, thank you
to everyone who has taken students mid-year. If anyone has more questions about
this process; I'm always down to talk budget.

Finally, before signing off, I'm going to be engaging in a new ritual starting
in November, and I invite everyone to join me. The article I quoted in last
week's launchpad discusses gratitude (linked on the archived page). It states
compelling evidence that the simple act of intentionally listing those things
for which we are grateful improves our happiness, general satisfaction, and most
surprising, physical health. Given my less-than-consistent gym attendance, this
is kind of a must.

I'll begin doing this with launchpad; but I'm going to work on making this a
daily practice; so feel free the emails I start to send out. It is after all,
the month of Thanksgiving!

1. I am grateful for the constant stream of spontaneous AND planned
brainstorming sessions for the students for whom one set of ideas and
perspectives is never enough.
2. I am grateful for late-night planning meetings with Brendan and Kara, during
which we manage to keep our eye on the proverbial prize despite all the stomping
and shouting.
3. I am grateful for daily moments like those I shared with Noah and Ruben this
week, moments where I am reminded that every single student desperately wants to
do well, proven by positive notes and behavior trackers shoved exuberantly in my
face.
4. I am grateful for my boyfriend and my family for making me cozy fires during
my work bursts; and for letting me cook overly-complicated meals when all they
want is grilled cheese sandwiches because they know my brain needs a
distraction.
5. I am grateful for my health, recently verified at my first physical in
years.

That did in fact, feel pretty great.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:
* Progress reports will be printed on 11/11, please send them home beginning
11/16. We're going to try to have them all by 11/24!
* Ms. Dania is out all week with a personal matter - please send her love and
give support staff team extra high fives as they manage without her!
* Winter Fest is coming! Likewise, details about Winter Fest are coming from
Kara next week. Please continue to track exit tickets as your grade level
has been!
* Now is a great time to be thinking about final field trip ideas! Please send
to Natalia before winter break.
* Exhibition Nights will likewise be taking place on your choice-of-evening in
December. Most have already been scheduled; but let us know if you change
your mind! Exhibition Nights are my very favorite nights because they allow
students to show their families incredible work that is not always reflected
on their report card. It is an amazing opportunity to highlight any work
you've done in the content areas - science or social studies; or strong
writing and speaking practice. I know you'll be going over these in CPTs,
but I wanted to insert a plug here, but here is a one-pager from last year:
* RBM Spring Exhibition Night One-Pager

2015November4thCommunity Meeting - Math Night 5:00 - 6:00 or 6:00 - 7:00
(rolling start)5th & 6thHealth Class for 5th9thNO SCHOOL (Veteran's
Day)14thBeautification Day 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM17thFirst PTC Meeting 5-620thParent
Coffee 8:15-9:2023rdFriendsgiving: All Day25th-27thNO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving
Break)

Meetings/1:1s:
Schedule as usual unless updated. Brendan and Kara and I updated our calendar
to make them reflect new preferences!

Next Thursday PD :
Release day, but please feel welcome at our opt-in feedback session!

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP
and exhibition nights.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
Alejandro

10.29.2015

Brilliant Team,

I waxed plenty-reflective yesterday, so I will keep my soap-boxing limited to
recommending the following article that I have found very helpful to consider
lately.
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf

That said, there are a huge amount of reminders this week, so please ensure that
you pore over them carefully:

1. CICO - will start November 10th. Coincidentally, along with the Pledge of
Allegiance - post-Veteran's Day. CICO Mentors and I need a chance to norm.
Mentors, look over your list and take note! Teachers, make sure the "reason
for participation" is filled out.

RBM CICO Card - Numbers.docx
RBM 1516 CICO List
RBM CICO Teacher Training Skeleton PPT.pptx

2. Vision Screen results are complete, check these two places for results:

RBM Vision Testing Roster 2015.xlsx
Master Interventions Tracker
3. There is a Brown Bag will Preston this Tuesday - so don't bring lunch if
Brendan and Katya's selection, Chili's, sounds appealling. Likewise, we have an
All Staff Meeting at the Loft Bistro on Thursday, during our usual staff time.

4. We have reorganized for optimal efficiency!
* My former office is a meeting room for parents, case workers, and Meron from
Foothill (W-F)
* Kara, Brendan, and I are snugly-together in the AP office.
* Natalia is in the support staff and YMCA office
* Natalia's former office is the safe room
* The former safe room is CN's new classroom (by the way, make sure you talk to
Ashley and Abril about his new social groups. VERY exciting).

5. Walkies: Natalia will be picking up walkies (5 a day starting Monday) to
relabel and redistribute. This will be done by Friday! Apologies for the short
interruption it will cause.

6. New feedback forms: please be patient as we communicate up around their
adoption. Katya is prepping them for the front office.
RBM common appreciation form
7. Amy and Brendan will be gone this Monday!
8. An Updated Team Time SSM is in the hero syllabus for your review, if
interested:
RBM Hero Academy: 1516 Syllabus
9. Sharon will be here Tuesday afternoon, likely observing, and Jaclyn this
coming Wednesday morning.
10. Math Community Meeting night is this Wednesday. VERY excited, as it was a
huge hit last year.

http://cmc-math.org/family/family_math.html
Hope to see you there! Feel free to come on a rolling basis.
11. Friday Assembly in the church, as normal
12. EMERGENCY! We need to begin our new launch dance; who among you will take on
the challenge? Door-dash meal of your choice on me....
13. Don't forget to fill out the responsibility tracker this week!
Responsibility Tracker Quarter #2
14. Finally and most importantly, thank sincerely for engaging throughout this
past week, and your candid communications. A few immediate next steps:
* Please fill out the new weekly feedback form linked in this email!
* Please send me one Culture of Error sspiration, RACE ambition, and math
performance task plan you have coming out of our time together!
* Come to your next CPT and 1:1 with ideas for improvements for how your time
is used in both.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:

2015November4thCommunity Meeting - Math Night 5:00 - 6:00 or 6:00 - 7:00
(rolling start)5th & 6thHealth Class for 5th9thNO SCHOOL (Veteran's
Day)14thBeautification Day 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM17thFirst PTC Meeting 5-620thParent
Coffee 8:15-9:2023rdFriendsgiving: All Day25th-27thNO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving
Break)

Meetings/1:1s:
Schedule as usual unless updated. Brendan and Kara and I updated our calendar
to make them

Next Thursday PD :
All Staff Meeting, the Loft Bistro. Sadly, no team meeting!

CPTs:

As communicated by your manager! We'll be discussing smart approaches to STEP
and getting meta about CPTS in general.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
JM, this Tuesday morning

And Also:

Some adorable things that I have thus far neglected to share. Hanh-Nhi's
student's spontaneously bursting into STORY during gardening (quote Tayler: "I
didn't know what they were doing, but I didn't want to stop them..."), as well
as Haley and Amanda's little ones snuggling up for story time.

10.22.2015

Brilliant Team,

I will keep it brief so that you can get back to relaxing, and girding your
loins for Fall Fest.

I look forward to next week for a multitude of reasons. Among the most
important; you. That is, each and every one of you.

I have never pretended that seeking out opinions and perspectives and democratic
input is anything less than a central tenet of what I value in leadership. Now,
fresh off of surveys, and the notoriously-challenging month of October, seems
like an authentic, and honest time to cultivate this myself.

Expect some cozy 1:1 time to be added to your calendar. Come with thoughts,
feelings, problems, solutions, victories, setbacks. Until then...

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:
October PD Week:

OCTOBER PD WEEK 15.16 - RBM

Open October PD Week 15.16 - RBM

2015October1st and 2ndParent Conferences20thFirst PTC Meeting 5-621stCommunity
Meeting (Restorative Justice), 5:00 - 6:00 or 6:00 - 7:0023rdFall Festival - All
Day!23rdParent Coffee 8:15-9:2026th - 30thNo School, Staff PD

Meetings/1:1s:
None this week, unless they are planning meetings or meetings you request!

Next Thursday PD :
Work from home day!

CPTs:

None!

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
NA

And Also:

see PD schedule!

10.16.2015

Brilliant Team,

I do not like being away. Not, mind you, because I harbor any fantasy that my
presence is a necessary component of a functioning, productive day. Rather it
is the twinge I get, every five minutes or so, thinking about our team and how
hard you must be working. I was resenting my fellowship a bit as I trudged off
to the airport (that could've been the red-eye/time change/crying baby/class at
7 AM combo as well); but within 15 minutes of situating myself amongst 300
principals, public, private, and charter, national and international, all will
the common goal of changing the lives of the 100,210 children in our scope of
influence, I snapped well and fully out of it.

Today I had the privilege to learn from William Kamkwamba - his ted talk is
mandatory viewing, my friends. William was a 14 year old in Malawi when his
family ceased to be able to afford the $80 US annual school fee. He dropped
out, but decided to go to the library, and keep learning. He found a book,
called Using Energy. He did the best he could to discern its meaning with his
limited English.

A few days later, he began to collect trash.

In Malawi, "Misala" means crazy. Soon, all the villagers would watch him
collect trash; every single day, lugging it back to his farm, and point and yell
"Misala," laughing hysterically.

Some time later, using nothing but the library text and garbage, William had
built a windmill. Suddenly, his home had electricity.

Please, immediately, listen to the rest of the story.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

But for now I'll pause it to wax philosophical.

I quickly realized how very "misala" we are. How easy it is for others to point
at the work we do, the hills we climb, and shake their heads; quietly or loudly
proclaiming our craziness at self-selecting into one of the most challenging
careers on the planet. This week in particular I've noticed some pretty Misala
things across campus.

Kinder and TK sprinting around from 2:30 to 4, running two dismissals with no
support, 4 interventions groups, and managing a ever shifting masse of busy
remaining kinders - all because they could not accept the notion of their
students being behind for even one month of school.

* 1st grade pushing multiple choice exit slips and evidence-based response to
literature despite the fact that the motor skills sometimes mask the ideas.
* 2nd grade refusing to wait to fix a known problem - systematically and
aggressively attacking the dramatic sight word deficit their students face,
while relentlessly teaching to the top throughout the majority of the block.
* 3rd grade embracing ambitious performance tasks while simultaneously
considering difficult and necessary accommodations so all students feel safe
and support.
* 4th and 5th grade; sucking every second of social and academic time with
their children back into their day; leaving launch to get in solid community
meeting blocks before enrichment.

All this, on top of our weekly habits foci (many of which are highlighted in
photos below!), on top of data analysis, on top of rigorous weekly planning, on
top of behavioral interventions, is really just Misala.

People who did not know better might think we're collecting trash; pushing
ourselves without a good enough purpose.

But everyday, bit by bit, I realize we've been building a ferocious windmill.
Not always fancy to look at; but an instrument of change in our community.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Repeated from last week, complete sentences are a profoundly challenging habit
to build

Habits of Focus (we will change after the walkthrough!):

Initiative: Speaking habits: Rocketeers speak loudly and proudly in complete
sentences. Remember, if they cannot say it, they won't be able to write it.

Techniques:

Over the shoulder and Check/No Check:

Goal: Circulate twice per class with a clipboard and marker. Check their paper
when they nail it, check yours when they don't. Feedback is everything.

Scheduling and logistics:

Next Thursday PD :
1. Brilliant Team Meeting - 2:30 - 3:00 (going over Fall Fest, October PD,
Walkies)
STEP Grouping PD (literacy team), 3 - 4:30
Inside Math Intervention, (math team and ISE team)

2. Bring your walkie talkies; every walkie you seen in all the land!

CPTs:

By Grade Level, everyone will go through Fall Fest prep.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
Monday: Ant. Q IEP, 3:30

Tuesday: A. Jimenez SST
Huddle: J. Orozco

Thursday: C.Torres SST (tentative)

Friday: 7 - 8 And M IEP; 3:30 Kay B IEP

And Also:

10/19
* Cumulative Assessments Begin (mostly in learning lab)
* Fall Picture Day!

10/20
* Rising Leaders Meeting
* PTC and SSC Meeting

10/21
* 2:45 TK Community Meeting
* 5:30 - 7:30 Community Meeting
* Yoga
* 10:30 - 12:30 Walkthrough from Network Schools Team (rubrics: )

ROCKETSHIP STUDENT CULTURE & HABITS RUBRIC 15-16 ‎(1)‎.DOCX

Rocketship Student Cultur...its Rubric 15-16 ‎(1)‎.docx

10/22
* Payroll
* Brilliant Team meeting
* ILS Team meeting

10/23
* Misha Out
* June Out

And because Divya cannot have ALL the fun; please enjoy some...

Random Acts of Heroism/Misala:

Katie and Hanh-Nhi's Clipboard Tracking Systems:

Academic Celebrations!

Highly-Visual Anchor Charts!

Sticky, joyful language (bonus points for thematicism):

YOUTUBE VIDEO

Oral Drills, Double-planned!

Christophe's Color-Code RACE Model:

10.16.2015

Brilliant Team,

A few days later, he began to collect trash.

In Malawi, "Misala" means crazy. Soon, all the villagers would watch him
collect trash; every single day, lugging it back to his farm, and point and yell
"Misala," laughing hysterically.

Some time later, using nothing but the library text and garbage, William had
built a windmill. Suddenly, his home had electricity.

Please, immediately, listen to the rest of the story.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

But for now I'll pause it to wax philosophical.

People who did not know better might think we're collecting trash; pushing
ourselves without a good enough purpose.

But everyday, bit by bit, I realize we've been building a ferocious windmill.
Not always fancy to look at; but an instrument of change in our community.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Repeated from last week, complete sentences are a profoundly challenging habit
to build

Habits of Focus (we will change after the walkthrough!):

Initiative: Speaking habits: Rocketeers speak loudly and proudly in complete
sentences. Remember, if they cannot say it, they won't be able to write it.

Techniques:

Over the shoulder and Check/No Check:

Goal: Circulate twice per class with a clipboard and marker. Check their paper
when they nail it, check yours when they don't. Feedback is everything.

Scheduling and logistics:

Next Thursday PD :
1. Brilliant Team Meeting - 2:30 - 3:00 (going over Fall Fest, October PD,
Walkies)
STEP Grouping PD (literacy team), 3 - 4:30
Inside Math Intervention, (math team and ISE team)

2. Bring your walkie talkies; every walkie you seen in all the land!

CPTs:

By Grade Level, everyone will go through Fall Fest prep.

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
Monday: Ant. Q IEP, 3:30

Tuesday: A. Jimenez SST
Huddle: J. Orozco

Thursday: C.Torres SST (tentative)

Friday: 7 - 8 And M IEP; 3:30 Kay B IEP

And Also:

10/19
* Cumulative Assessments Begin (mostly in learning lab)
* Fall Picture Day!

10/20
* Rising Leaders Meeting
* PTC and SSC Meeting

10/21
* 2:45 TK Community Meeting
* 5:30 - 7:30 Community Meeting
* Yoga
* 10:30 - 12:30 Walkthrough from Network Schools Team (rubrics: )

ROCKETSHIP STUDENT CULTURE & HABITS RUBRIC 15-16 ‎(1)‎.DOCX

Rocketship Student Cultur...its Rubric 15-16 ‎(1)‎.docx

10/22
* Payroll
* Brilliant Team meeting
* ILS Team meeting

10/23
* Misha Out
* June Out

And because Divya cannot have ALL the fun; please enjoy some...

Random Acts of Heroism/Misala:

Katie and Hanh-Nhi's Clipboard Tracking Systems:

Academic Celebrations!

Highly-Visual Anchor Charts!

Sticky, joyful language (bonus points for thematicism):

YOUTUBE VIDEO

Oral Drills, Double-planned!

Christophe's Color-Code RACE Model:

10.12.2015

Brilliant Team,

If I were to plot myself on a mood meter, right now, I would be a good-humored,
low energy yellow: optimistic.

I have carried this emotion around; a forgotten but persistent little flame, for
a day or so. It has soothed spasms of rage and quelled waves of anxiety that
are the inevitable byproduct of working with our most complicated of
complicateds. The fuel of this fire was nothing more nor less than a
beautifully-written email, simple in its conception yet profound in its
implications.

In her Shout-out message, Divya eloquently listed the consistent cast of players
that, daily, arrange themselves as a fortress of love, structure, and support
for our dear Kayana. In so doing, she reverse-engineered our educational
formula; one so intricate, that no less than ten parties are privy to the social
and academic education of any given child on our campus. Because while Miss
Bradford does have a large team, she is indicative of a common trend. Every
child at our school has an individual set of champions, systems, supports,
communications, interventions, extensions, etc., all carefully tailored and
engineered for them and them alone. Each of us is a part of that structure.
Take a moment, just one, to appreciate a simple, guiltless pride in THAT. I
will be forever grateful to Divya for expressing that simple epiphany.

Thank you all for your engagement with the wonderful Logan Juve this afternoon;
it threw into relief something on which the schools team always remarks after
their visits here: this is a team that is passionate about content and pedagogy.
It was this strength that identified our campus for this pilot; and the
strength articulated in the prior paragraph that has granted us participation in
what I am about to explain. Having been on the topic of our ability to array
teams and resources around individual children; know that this is a strength
that is noted acutely by amazing folk like Genevieve and Brianna, our network
ISE lead and our own school psychologist. We have, as a result, been selected
to participate in a pilot to revisit the Huddle and Student Support Team
process; to ensure that each and every one of our children is getting the
precise support they need, exactly when they need it. Please look forward to
invitations to one teacher per grade level to participate in this pilot within
next week.

Until then, I leave you optimistically, and with a far more important note from
Natalia:

OPS:

Vision Testing:
Tomorrow is Vision Screening Day. Kinder, 2nd and 5th grade will be tested
along with any referrals. I am including a copy of the testing schedule and
copies of the rosters for each grade level. Parent Volunteers/Support staff
will be picking up students/classes from your classrooms throughout the day.

Fridge cleaning:

The time has come to clean/clear our beautiful staff room fridge (there is an
interesting aroma filling the air) and it's good for our health! Please stop by
and label items you would like us to keep and toss any you would like to get rid
of. Any unlabeled, expired, or dirty items will be thrown away at EOD, Monday.

Pre-ID Labels
You will be receiving pre- ID labels for book bags for every student in your
classroom on Tuesday. Use them at your convenience!

RA RC Books

The very last bit of RA RC books are still trickling in. They will be delivered
to your classroom this week and next week. All RA RC books will be labeled and
ready to go!

Ops Request Form
Please don't forget to use the Ops Request Form for any non-immediate need! You
can access the Ops Request form here.

Field Trips
Please don't forget to input any field trips desired here. All field trip
requests must be made at least a month ahead of time- the sooner, the better.
Accounts payable and our transportation vendors need ample time to fulfill our
requests. As a friendly reminder, ALL field trip requests must be made before
Winter break.

As always, you're all wonderful!

Best,
Natalia

Repeated from last week, complete sentences are a profoundly challenging habit
to build

Habits of Focus:

We have made so much traction with listening expectations - now let's give them
something to listen to! Focus on:

Initiative: Speaking habits: Rocketeers speak loudly and proudly in complete
sentences. The importance of this is highlighted by Nicole Knight in her
feature for the Teaching Channel on ELL development:

5. Expect and require extended responses. One of the biggest disservices to our
ELLs is to accept one-word or abbreviated responses — even worse is when we
complete their sentences. Instead, provide wait time, sentence starters,
encourage students to continue, and press students for evidence by asking,
“Why?” or, “Can you give me an example?”

PDF Download: Academic Discussion Continuum of Teacher Practice

We know from GLAD training that there are few things more important for ELLs
than listening and practicing correct grammar. Correct every single sentence
that is incomplete; "Yes/No." is a thing of the past. For our students to
comprehend complete sentences that they read, they must speak and listen to them
daily. So many of you are already drilling this - so keep on, keeping on! I
will be Dojo'ing like crazy for it next week. My favorite strategy? Give a
student a bell or a triangle. Every time an incomplete sentence is uttered
(teacher included) they get to ring it to prompt for completeness.

Techniques:

Over the shoulder and Check/No Check:

While many of us (shout-out to 2nd grade's much needed sight word intervention
small groups!) are already using independent work time as an intervention space,
we can also view the remaining weeks between now and November as an opportunity
to hone the quality of student practice and our feedback mechanisms. This week,
attempt 1 - 2 methods of circulation with 100% feedback; many of you have been
experimenting with editing and RACE checklists and "blue pens," so up the ante
and focus on speed and efficiency. When I had a chance to work with the
Rattlers on their response to literature questions today, I was completely
sucked into conversations with less than 20% of students; by the time the timer
went off, 80% of the students had not gotten feedback - not even so much as a
smile and a check. Tomorrow, with the Tigers, I have an opportunity to work on
this.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:

Next Thursday PD :
1. Release Day!

2. Bring your walkie talkies; every walkie you seen in all the land! See
Tiffany's awesome suggestion below. We will bring tape and labeling tools.

CPTs:

By Grade Level:

10/12: Guided Reading Groupings - prep!

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming -
Tuesday: S. Garcia
Thursday: S. Arrellano

Also:

10/12: Amanda Newberg Out
10/13: Amy out in the AM
PTC and School Site council meeting! (Shout-out to Christina and Kim for their
participation here; if anyone else would like some awesome family engagement
experience; let me know)
10/14: Amanda Newberg's birthday!!!!
10/15: Lockdown Drill
10/16: Christophe Out
Divya Budhraja Out
Amy Filsinger Out

10.5.2015

Brilliant Team,

It is the beginning of what is typically the toughest month of the year. But
when I take a step back and look at October, I am - for the first time in my
educational career - excited about the opportunities it poses. Consider:
* We're done with major assessments and conferences
* Tutoring is up and running, below is the schedule!
* SIPPS Scheduling Tool - RBM

* Guided reading and science does not start until November, so we can focus on
in-the-moment feedback and prepping for these important components!
* Momentum is building for exit slips, as the prospect of Fall Fest invests our
little ones in their own achievement.
* Responsibility expectations are ingrained; speaking of which, get ready for
Round 2 tracking! For this round, give the job of uniform checker to a
student! Focus on the homework/book bag preparedness piece. Take a look at
2nd and 4th grades incredibly thorough tracking for round 1! If you are
struggling to make this a sustainable practice (which I fully appreciate
having tracked the exact same things in my classroom 4 years ago), I strongly
recommend choosing one - two days a week to devote to it. Trends are going
to be indicative of habits!
* Responsibility Tracker Quarter #2

Habits are forming.

Habits of Focus (last week):

Respect: Heroes listen attentively by tracking to learn from friends and show
their support!
Responsibility: Heroes are prepared for anything! They bring their materials
every day!

We're at about 80% for the former, and nearly 100% when prompted! Keep
prompting for tracking, or use a simple Do it Again when Heroes are not all
listening respectfully.

For the latter, this gets stronger each day. Hopefully messaging around the
responsibility celebration will improve this greatly. I have received so many
calls from parents wondering how their students can be included!

Techniques of Focus:

Stay on Schedule/Work the Clock

Loved the timers on doc cams, around necks, and magnetized to boards. Students
are hearing and feeling that their learning is so important they have no time to
waste; so next week, let's kick it up a notch by adding Challenge

Next Week

Habits of Focus:

We have made so much traction with listening expectations - now let's give them
something to listen to! Focus on:

Initiative: Speaking habits: Rocketeers speak loudly and proudly in complete
sentences.

Techniques:

Challenge: You've put crazy amounts of time and thought in your plans and
systems; so make sure our heroes feel the urgency of completing them! Target:
try out 1 challenge per class each day next week. Some ideas (remember your
vocal variation techniques here):

* I know these problems are tough, but we've gotta talk about them when you're
done, think you can answer them, show your work, AND Model two strategies in
7 minutes? What about three strategies? are you SURE?! Ready, GO!
* Okay, Tigers finished their Do Now in 3 minutes; but they are REALLY fast,
neat writers! Think you can do it too? Great, X COUNT US DOWN!

And my favorite form of challenge, because as a chronic over-talker/explainer I
had to use it with my kids EVERY DAY just to leave enough time for daily
writer's workshop:
* Okay Yeomen, you know Ms. Filsinger REALLY likes to talk about figurative
language, but we've all got to master the difference between simile and
metaphor in the next 18 minutes. Who is going to time me?!? Who is going to
roll their fingers if I've giving too much detail? GREAT, let's go......

Below, please read a reminder about the network survey, along with a message
from Katya about recording family hours for conferences and hour visits!

Please take the survey below prior to Thursday PD, to avoid having to stay past
4:30!

Dear Rocketeers,

At Rocketship, we know that high-performing teams and great team leadership are
critical to our mission. As we move into October, we’re eager to capture your
input on how you and your manager/coach have worked together over this fall and
how things are going on your campuses. We will use this feedback to guide the
development of our school managers and coaches and to guide programmatic
improvements across Rocketship.

You can access the survey here.

You will be asked to select your manager from a drop-down menu. For individuals
with special coaching/manager circumstances, please ask your principal who you
should identify as your manager prior to taking the survey. This survey will
take about 10-15 minutes to complete. All school-based staff are asked to take
this survey no later than Friday, October 9th. This includes teachers,
tutors/ILSs, ISE specialists, paras, ECCs, APs, OMs, and support staff.

Please note that your individual responses are confidential and anonymous.
School leaders only receive averaged responses in ways that fully protect
individual anonymity. We hope this will encourage you to be forthright with your
responses so we have an honest assessment of how we're doing as a network.

Your feedback will help us monitor progress, identify strengths and challenges,
and make improvements. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this
survey.

Best,

Meg Robinson-Li

Message from Katya:

Hi Team!!!

In order to make sure we keep track of all conferences and Home visits and
parents get their hours we will record all hours for Parent Conferences and Home
visits on the advisory Doc. (RBM Class Rosters_2015-16 School Year -
AdvisoryClass) That way everything is in one place. PS IDs have been added to
this Doc. and this is exactly what we need in order to record hours. I will be
sharing this Doc. with Dean who's in charge of all PPH data. (Please note that
some classes are still missing PS ID's but will be updated this upcoming week)

I want to ask for your help: If you see a missing student or a student that is
no longer in your class please write down their first and last name. I will view
and add contact info and PS ID and I will also add any students I don't see on
Roster as I review each one.

IMPORTANT: I WILL BE SHARING THE DOC. BELOW WITH DEAN ON OCTOBER 16TH. MAKE
SURE YOU UPDATE IT BY THE 16TH BY MARKING AN "X" UNDER HOME VISIT AND PARENT
CONFERENCE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEM. THESE FAMILIES WILL RECEIVE THEIR
PARENT HOURS.

https://docs.google.com/a/rsed.org/spreadsheets/d/1wNcFvOnGsVGIsHCokiv81rN4QMPqHpFDLa_raHY7t3w/edit?usp=sharing

***As a reminder all community large events will be tracked by me but all small
classroom/grade level events and field trips will be tracked by you. (library
night, picnic etc.) Parents will sign in on a tracker that I will provide for
you and you will turn in to me after your event:

Thanks and please reach out to me if you have any questions :-)

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling and logistics:

Next Thursday PD :
1. UDL with Logan Juve, Program Specialist for ISE, and RULER refresh with Kara
(optional for TK). Here is an important message from Logan:

Hi Amy!

I hope you're well! I just wanted to touch base about UDL PD next week - hooray!
I can't wait to teach your staff about the wonderful world of UDL. You can find
all the materials for PD here. I will have hard-copy packets for everyone as
well. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Additionally, to make the PD feel more "alive" for your staff, I would love to
ask them to bring a lesson plan for an upcoming lesson. Would it be possible to
include that in your launcher?

Thank you!

2. Bring your walkie talkies; every walkie you seen in all the land! See
Tiffany's awesome suggestion below. We will bring tape and labeling tools.

Good Morning,

We all seem to misplace our walkies or end up with extras. A possible solution
to this problem is to have a walkie reset every Thursday. Everyone brings all
the walkies they can find and we return them to their owner/make sure everyone
has 2.
We should also label them, either with name, room number or position.

This shouldn't take more then 5 minutes. And would result in less "I lost my
walkie" emails.

Thanks, happy minimum day! :)

CPTs:

By Grade Level:

10/5: Re-norm on ODR system now that SWIS is up and running!
10/12: Guided Reading Groupings - prep!

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming - Scarlett P.
Cesar follow-up
Jeshua Barajas

Also:

10/5: Happy Birthday Sheila Salvador!!!
10/5: Yoga Starts
10/6: Inclusion walkthrough for ISE team
10/9: Music for Minors Starts! and Happy Hour! and Friday Assembly!

9.25.2015

Scheduling:

2015September2ndBack To School Night 5:00 - 6:303rdParent Survey: Volunteering
Sent Out4thParent Survey: Returned/Collected7thNO SCHOOL (Labor Day)15thFirst
PTC Meeting 5-617th-18thNO SCHOOL (Staff Work Day)25thSTEP Minimum
Day30thQuarterly Hero Awards

Next Thursday PD :
NA/ Parent Conferences

CPTs:

By Grade Level

IEPs/SSTs:
Upcoming - Scarlett P.

9.20.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

Keeping it short and sweet as we covered so much over data days!

RBM SEPT DATA DAY: INTELLECTUAL PREP TARGETED TEACHING TIME/CIRCULATE 1.0

RBM Sept Data Day: Intell...aching Time/Circulate 1.0

RBM DATA DAY 9.17 URGENCY

RBM Data Day 9.17 Urgency

RBM 15-16 I DO TEMPLATE

RBM 15-16 I Do Template

SOTS - SEPTEMBER

SOTS - September

1. Assembly:

Weekly Friday Assembly is this week, what follows are likely logistics:

* Students will line up outside classrooms each Friday.
* At 7:55, we transition to church two straight lines (who else is humming
Madeline?) with first floor moving first starting with Sheila, and second
floor following starting with Katie. At 8:15, we transition back.

Top 10s

This week, consider just 2:

4. Responsibility - Rocketeers are always prepared (important as we are
introducing book bags whole-school!)
2. Listening behaviors (blue rockets for Respect!) (focusing on tracking; zones
sound great!)

Techniques

Focus:

Fill Your Schedule/Stay on Schedule
This week we'll be helping check on the amount of content in each block to see
if there is room more more at-bats. Keep track of what is working best on your
new clipboards!

Prioritized Tasks/Announcements:
* We will update you as soon as we can regarding report cards!
* Thursday and Friday are STEP minimum days! We have a 20 check-in on
Thursday, the 24th.
* Come to Friday assembly with your student of the week!
* Working on Week 7 plans
* If you have not yet; send your Data Day Pre-Work to your coach
* STEP Copies are here in the Staff Room
*
* Complete your Responsibility tracker daily with the bookbag notation
Responsibility Tracker Quarter #1

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Next Thursday PD :
STEP Minimum Days, no meeting, use for STEP completion or data entry

CPTs:

By Grade Level

IEPs/SSTs:

Tuesday: Autiana, 4th
Friday: Kathy, 5th

6.4.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

Data is not complete, so I'm not going to talk about it. Instead, I'm leaving
you with two pics that exemplify the culture we created for an event that could
have produced anxiety and negativity. Ruben and Ivan are not always content to
sit through the stimuli-fest that is launch, so they often watch from the
windows. They felt the separation most keenly when we were cheering on our
classes before their test, and took it upon themselves to write GOOD LUCK
posters and solemnly hold them up.

I am also going to pass on a shout-out from one of June's uber-feel-good
shout-out circles during her Bulldogs community meeting, in the words of
Sebastian:

"I want to shout-out the whole school but especially our teachers. I used to
feel nervous to take my test but now I feel excited because I know they taught
me a lot. People used to burst-out but now they are all respectful and
persistent. I feel proud."

I feel proud, too.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Reminders for next week:
1. Video Project:
* In the interest of codifying routines for next year and getting our new folks
up to date, Brendan will be taking a lot of videos of routines and procedures
that you awesomely execute each day.

2. Per Team Discussion - we'll have a 1:50 Friday Loudspeaker Landing on 6/12
* Complete with airplane noises

3. Books up for grab in resource room:
* Anything on the table that you want to have in your classroom is yours for
the taking! We're getting ready for a major makeover in there.

4. Potlucks:

Parent Appreciation Lunch (we are inviting 70, likely to get 30):

TK/K: Main Dishes
1st/2nd/ECC: Sides
3rd/4th and ISE: Desserts
LT: Drinks, cutlery, etc.

Santa Cruz Picnic (around 30):

TK/K: Sides
1st/2nd/ECC: Desserts
3rd/4th and ISE: Main Dishes
LT: Drinks, cutlery, etc. and Breakfast

5. Latest Summer PD Details from achievement:

Dates & Basic Information

Below is the macro schedule for summer programming for school staff. The Bay
Area & Milwaukee will be on the same schedule, though will only be in the same
location for a small part of the summer (see below). The Nashville teams will
remain in Nashville throughout the summer.

Week of:

Nashville

BA / Milwaukee

June 1

Reflection Week

June 8

SL Vacation

June 15

SL Vacation

Reflection Week

June 22

SL PD Week 1

June 29

SL PD Week 2 / Planning Week

GLAD Training

SL Vacation

July 6

Summer PD Week 1

SL Vacation

July 13

Summer PD Week 2

SL PD Week 2

July 20

Summer PD Week 3

SL Planning Week

GLAD Training

July 27

Week One

Summer PD Week 1

August 3

Week Two

Summer PD Week 2

August 10

Week Three

Summer PD Week 3

August 17

Week Four

Week One

August 24

Week Five

Week Two

A couple of notes about the schedule and school leader availability:

1. Due to budget constraints and to ensure campuses are fully prepared for
teachers to arrive, Nashville school leaders will be staying in Nashville
throughout school leader PD. Both campuses in Nashville and RSCP have all
recently invested in multiple spaces with teleconferencing set-ups with the hope
of improving that experience for both sides, and to ensure travel budget is
protected for more cross-regional visits when schools are up and running.

2. Milwaukee school leaders will be joining for some part of the July summer
leader PD, but not in June.

3. The first two weeks of school leader PD are largely protected for
development sessions and network alignment from any department with those needs,
but the third PD week is protected for school staffs to shore up preparation for
the arrival of teachers, ensuring their leadership team routines are intact, and
supporting their new teachers with their GLAD training.

4. Unlike past years, GLAD trainings for new teachers will be taking place
before the start of PD (beginning on July 1 in Nashville and July 19 in San
Jose). Milwaukee teachers will be joining the San Jose training. The aim is
not only to make sure everyone is prepared to utilize GLAD strategies in
instruction from day one but also to avoid having to take a week away from
focusing on their own classrooms at some point later in the fall.

General Approach to Teacher PD

While the schedule of programming for both school leader and teacher PD weeks
evolves, we have set forth a vision for teacher PD that is slightly different
from past years. In response to both survey results and learnings throughout
last fall, we are generally limiting the practice of very large group sessions
in the Bay during teacher PD (likely three half days in the Bay, in total).

Instead, we’ll be prioritizing either grouping multiple campuses together (in
groups of 2-4) for specific sessions or with content teams (which could require
teams to give a specific session 3x-5x instead of just once to everyone) or
prioritizing the creation of session plans wherever possible that school leaders
can facilitate directly.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD :

6/11: Family appreciation and PTC lead potluck - please bring a dish to share!
We will provide drinks and serveware. 2:30 - 3:30

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: Promotion Day Planning

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring (fill out charter reflection doc?)

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: by appointment, :)

All the things:
* Amy will be out on 6/8!
* Greg will be out next week
* 6/10 - 6/12, minimum days for p conferences!
* Tuesday 4:45, PBIS Meeting
* 6/11 Parent Appreciation Lunch

5.28.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

Before you read anything else, make a mental note to ask TK how their kids did
on the CPAA today. I will not steal their thunder by sharing details, but
suffice to say most of them did so well we have to reassess them on the kinder
version tomorrow.

For that matter, ask Ashley, Angela, Liana, and Haley about their math
benchmarks.

A few weeks ago in a meeting with Brooke, Natalia, Katya, and Brendan, I said
"everyone is stressed right now. Maybe we shouldn't do a video this year - it's
too much." We nodded solemnly, agreeing that while it was sad, we had to
prioritize order and rest.

Luckily and unluckily, I fixated on that decision and struggled to sleep;
finally throwing head over for heart and hastily writing lyrics, begging my
long-suffering Google-connection for use of his recording studio, and dragging
you poor lot along for the ride.

Kim reminded me about one reason we do these crazy things; to inspire moments
like TK John's, who sat down to his chromebook before the CPAA and exclaimed, "I
am so excited to take this test." As Kim put it, he couldn't wait to show what
he had learned. He deserved and craved the opportunity to prove it.

The second reason is purely for us. Between final assessments, conferences, the
long break-less march past Spring Break, planning for next year, wrapping up
this year, and the sheer WEAR of spending crazy amounts of time with the same
colleagues and students for MONTHS, May and June can feel strained. In that
climate, it is tough to stop, smile, and play. So thank you so much for
choosing to do so today. I had a blast.

I will be completely honest, my friends, I am ridden with anxiety and excitement
for Monday. While I feel incredibly vindicated by the results of the teacher
time study, the things I see in your classrooms each day, the crazily-shifting
STEP bell curve from below to on-track in 2nd grade, etc., I know that for folks
in the network to really stop and pay attention to our little school, the NWEA
numbers are what talk.

I can't wait to watch them come in. Let's prove all the points we have been
trying to make all year....

There is a ton of critical info in the announcement below, so please pore over
in detail! If you don't, you will miss a cameo from June's parents (spoiler
alert: they are almost as talented as her).

Especially read in detail the NWEA MegaDoc, details about coverage for test
observations, ISE pull-outs, etc. abounds.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Reminders for next week:

1. NWEA MAP MPG CPAA Culture Pump-Up
* It is high time for me to introduce a special new motivator to keep up the
energy and positivity through the final push, so:
* We'll unveil the video on Monday! Plan on showing it to them during
Breakfast on 6/1.
* Just click:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B74jINbIaImJYnJ5US1JaUVIRkU&authuser=0
* Learning lab teachers will be decorating the labs with pump-up posters!
*

RBM Spring 2015 NWEA MAP Planning MegaDoc

2. 1516 Planning
* 6/4: 4:30 at San Pedro! Hopefully it will be nice and sunny. Snacks on me!
Bring your notes or computer with thoughts about this doc:
1516 Master Tools

3. CICO Points
* I've noticed some kiddoes getting 9 or more points for their CICO tracker.
We have to stick with 8 being the top because the system only works if it
consistent across spaces. Plus, if a student gets bonus points in one class,
they may feel they can do poorly in others with impunity.
*

4. Video Project:
* In the interest of codifying routines for next year and getting our new folks
up to date, Brendan will be taking a lot of videos of routines and procedures
that you awesomely execute each day.

5. Per Team Discussion - we'll have a 1:50 Friday Loudspeaker Landing
* Complete with airplane noises

6. Books up for grab in resource room:
* Anything on the table that you want to have in your classroom is yours for
the taking! We're getting ready for a major makeover in there.

7. Please send me pics from the year, ASAP, for our final slideshow at our end
of year Community Meeting.
* Cute pics of kiddoes being smarties, and the data point you are MOST proud
of. Can't wait to brag to the families about you!

Manager/Staff Satisfaction survey
* Hey! Fill this out by 6/3 and we get to have a shortened staff meeting!
Thank you, thank you!

* Hi Rocketeers,

We take your feedback seriously and hope you’ve seen how your school team and
the organization more broadly have responded to your feedback from flexible
Thursday PD time to more transparency around our compensation program.

As the school year draws to a close, we’re eager to capture your input on two
fronts: first, how you and your manager/coach have worked together over this
past year and second, your overall satisfaction. We will use this feedback to
guide the development of our school managers and coaches and to guide
programmatic improvements across Rocketship.

We are asking all school-based staff to take end of year surveys no later
than Friday, June 5. This includes teachers, tutors/ILSs, ISE teachers,
paras, ECCs, APs, Principals, OMs, BOMs, and support staff. Each survey will
take about 10-15 minutes to complete. Please access the links in blue below.

1) Manager effectiveness survey. You will be asked to select your manager
from a drop-down menu - for individuals with special coaching/manager
circumstances, please ask your principal who you should identify as your
manager prior to taking the survey.

2) Staff satisfaction survey

Please note that your individual responses are confidential and anonymous.
While we look for trends across multiple criteria such as role, years of
experience, and school, we do not share any of this raw data. Leadership
teams only receive averaged responses in ways that fully protect individual
anonymity (for example, school leaders will never see data about years of
experience). We hope this will encourage you to be forthright with your
responses so we have an honest assessment of how we're doing as a network.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD :

6/4: Close-out procedures with the lovely Natalia Rivera
6/11: Family appreciation and PTC lead potluck - please bring a dish to share!
We will provide drinks and serveware.

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Housekeeping: Promotion Day Planning and/or CELDT reclassification

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring (fill out charter reflection doc?)

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: by appointment, :)

All the things:
* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning (for ATM)
* Tuesday: NSO
* Wednesday: Community Meeting!
* Thursday: 3rd grade field trip!
* STEP minimum Day on Friday
* Yoga on Wednesday

5.20.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

Despite the poor quality, this is my favorite picture of Brooke. Note that
despite the sheen of sweat from a day last year with failed air conditioning in
our office, her glee at seeing the bones of our new school for the first time
cannot be contained.

My first interaction with her was a missed phone call. After being placed at
RBM following my 2nd year teaching with Rocketship, Brooke thoughtfully reached
out to me. I missed it, probably up to my ear in third graders at the time,
forgot to call back, and heard from a mutual friend later on that Brooke - never
having met me - was worried that I might not be excited to be at their "small,
humble school."

This is Brooke in a nutshell. Profoundly concerned about others, even rude
strangers. Relentless in her dedication to this community and their fight for a
permanent site. And now? tireless in her quest to ensure that we finally
create materials that our ELA team can and want to use; all while ensuring BTSA
projects are finished, kinder benchmarks are completed, and SSTs and transition
plans are completed.

I try not to think too much about doing this without her, but the day
approaches. We are determined to send her off warmly, and need your help.
First, keep this secret!

Second, follow this request from Natalia:

Can you send email to teachers/all staff requesting pictures of themselves with
a quote to Brooke and tell them I will be going into their classrooms NEXT week
to take whole class pictures? This is so I can create the pretty picture book.

Third, we're going to have a flash-mob landing to send her off properly in the
last week of school. Let me know if you have suggestions for how to pull this
off RIGHT. Most importantly, which room in the school gets dedicated to her...

Stay Brilliant,

Amy
Reminders for next week:

1. NWEA MAP MPG CPAA Culture Pump-Up
* It is high time for me to introduce a special new motivator to keep up the
energy and positivity through the final push, so:
* We'll be creating an NWEA video on 5/28. Get ready for your close-ups.
Fill out the google form!
* Special Rockets will be introduced
* Spirit Week is the week after next!
* We're asking parents to make special posters for all the kids to hang in
the learning labs!

2. 1516 Planning
* 5/28: 5:30 at San Pedro! Hopefully it will be nice and sunny. Snacks on me!
Bring your notes or computer with thoughts about this doc:
1516 Master Tools

3. Passionate about acquiring specific curriculum or furniture for next year?
* Check out RBM Books or the Furniture Wishlist!

5. Per Team Discussion - we'll have a 1:50 Friday Loudspeaker Landing
* Complete with airplane noises

6. NWEA Funk Dance:
* Blazers, white undershirt, blue jeans, sunglasses
* Come ready to film your chosen portion of the dance!
* Filming in a school near you on 5/28.
* Kim, I feel like I am missing some of the details you suggested I
post...so...gentle request to remind me if I am missing something important.
:)

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD :
5/28: Video Production Day, followed by 1516 Happy Hour
6/4: Close-out procedures with the lovely Natalia Rivera

M CPTs: NA, Plan your dance?!?!

T CPT: : Housekeeping: Promotion Day Planning and/or CELDT reclassification

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring (fill out charter reflection doc?)

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: by appointment, :)

All the things:
* we have 8 people out on Friday the 22nd, and so we need a contingency plan.
It is impossible to get more than 2 subs on any given day, so everyone will
be changing roles, there will not be tutoring, intervention groups, or ISE
interventions on this day. PLEASE READ in detail!
5.22 contigency plan
* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning (for ATM)
* Two interviews on Friday, on campus
* STEP minimum Day on Friday
* Yoga on Wednesday, followed by a Language Arts Working Group
* Last Parent coffee on Friday

5.13.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

This week, instead of reading what I may have to say, consider what our team has
to say. Charter reflections are posted in the staff room; make sure yours is
posted and then take a moment to read the aspirations of your Brilliant
teammates.

1. STEP min days
* I see so many of you already STEP'ing away, but rest assured, time to work
with afterschool kids and to enter that data is coming your way, 5/29 and
6/5. Since they are minimum days, I was not planning on having landing, but
let me know if you think a whole school landing at 2:00 would be good!
* Instead of excessively copying 100s of each purple book, we will copy STEP
booklets as requested - please put your requests in to the copy center (as
2nd grade has already done)!

2. NWEA MAP MPG CPAA Culture Pump-Up
* It is high time for me to introduce a special new motivator to keep up the
energy and positivity through the final push, so:
* We'll be creating an NWEA video on 5/28. Get ready for your close-ups.
Fill out the google form!
* Special Rockets will be introduced
* Spirit Week is the week after next!
* We're asking parents to make special posters for all the kids to hang in
the learning labs!

3. 1516 Planning
* 5/21: 5:30 at San Pedro! Hopefully it will be nice and sunny. Snacks on me!
Bring your notes or computer with thoughts about this doc:
1516 Master Tools

4. FINAL Summer Homework Packet Cover Draft
* is attached!

5. Passionate about acquiring specific curriculum or furniture for next year?

* Natalia and I are buying all the curriculum or furniture for next year in the
coming weeks, if you want something, now is the time to make a case!
* Dying for that IKEA EXPEDIT unit, craving a new projector cart? Let us know!

6. Video Project:
* In the interest of codifying routines for next year and getting our new folks
up to date, Brendan will be taking a lot of videos of routines and procedures
that you awesomely execute each day.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD :
5/21: Book Study, planning time for NWEA Culture Push, Contingency plan for
5.22, STEP tracker during launch or loudspeaker
5/28: Video Production Day!

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Housekeeping: Logistics Promotion Day, NWEA

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring (fill out charter reflection doc?)

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: by appointment, :)

All the things:
* SBAC continues next week with Math on Tuesday/Wednesday, after several days
of ELA make-ups. Check out the megadocs for scheduling (courtesy of the
hyper-detailed mind of Mr. Csaposs)
* RBM SBAC Proctor Training Materials

RBM 14-15 SBAC Planning MegaDoc
On SBAC - Two critical points: 1. Only Brooke and Katya will be
walkie-accessible, Amy, Brendan, Natalia, and the ISE team will be locked in
a room with brave 3rd and 4th test-takers. 2. Please minimize any use of
bandwidth, the SBAC is very audio-visual intensive and to be kicked off
mid-painstakingly-typed paragraph would be motivating for our dear ones.
* On campus interview with Martha Garcia, 5/18, she will be touring in the
afternoon
* Rocketship Brilliant Minds Spring Dinner with Preston at Patxis at the Parc
at Pruneyard, 6 - 8, 5/19
* we have 8 people out on Friday the 22nd, and so we need a contingency plan.
It is impossible to get more than 2 subs on any given day, so everyone will
be changing roles, there will not be tutoring, intervention groups, or ISE
interventions on this day. PLEASE READ in detail!
5.22 contigency plan
* Amy will be off campus Friday afternoon at 2:15 (for interview) and Wednesday
morning (for ATM)
* Yoga on Wednesday

5.7.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

We'll start with Rita Pierson, an truly inspirational teacher whose Ted Talk has
picked me up more than once. Why choose this one? Because Rita emphasizes
what we do best: relationships.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

A few announcements before the important bit:

2. Staff Charter Reflection
* Please complete the reflection by May 14th for a display in the staff room
under our charter. :)

Final Push RBM Charter Reflection Doc

3. Music Sharing Day
* Amy Hunter has her final day of music class with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
graders this Friday. You're invited to their performance! We will be sending
home parent invites as well.

4. 1516 Planning
* 5/8: We'll be discussing bell schedule, arrival/dismissal systems this week
* Next week Thursday, 5/14: Event Calendar and PBIS/cultural structures
* Week after 5/22: Break for Memorial Day

5. Summer Homework Packet Cover Draft
* is attached!

6. A Note of Appreciation
* There are few experiences more appropriate for engendering appreciation that
the absence of a support to which one has grown accustomed. You don't
realize how reliant you are on something until it is suddenly not there.
Tuesday morning saw myself and Ms. Katya alone for launch, with 500 kiddoes
and none of you. While there was no formal mutiny, it was clear that
students were 95% less bought in to what I was selling without the assurance
of their teachers' presence. I felt frustrated, especially with an audience
of skeptical parents, and a little bit lonely, to be honest. Even simple,
joyful moments, absent the stress of planning and assessment, lose all their
magic without the team. You took an incredible leap of faith with me this
year, a new building, my first full year of Principalship, and I have
observed THOUSANDS of moments when members of the team have quietly,
gracefully, stepped in to fill a gap I ought to have anticipated without
looking for thanks or recognition.

So let me offer it now, universally and humbly, thank you for every
single thing that you do, both within and without the doors of your classroom.
Those small, daily, heroic acts of community are the building
blocks of a truly incredible future for Rocketship Brilliant Minds.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 5/14: Hold for 10 minute team meeting check in, then release day
5/21: Book Study, planning time for NWEA Culture Push, Final STEP Round

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Student Huddles or SSTs (fill out charter reflection doc?)

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring (fill out charter reflection doc?)

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: by appointment, :)

All the things:

* Even if you've seen it 1,000
times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU
* SBAC continues this week with Math on Thursday, after several days of ELA
make-ups. Check out the megadocs for scheduling (courtesy of the
hyper-detailed mind of Mr. Csaposs)
* RBM SBAC Proctor Training Materials

* Amy will be off campus Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning
* Yoga on Wednesday
* WHEW!

.1.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

Oh, goodness. It is May. I sat down to write a generic note reflecting on the
year thus far and how far we've come, and then I bumped into Emma, Logan, and
Genevieve, our network ISE managers, who could not contain their glee at the
satisfaction our ISE families felt with our school team.

So, I thought, this week's reflection should really belong to the engineer
behind that program: our very own Divya Budhraja.

Take it away:

The past two weeks have been so emotional.

Not emotional in a bad way.

More like there’s just so much going on and everything is spinning and my heart
is just so full and, just when I think it can’t fill up anymore, it just goes
ahead and proves me wrong. Crazy organ. Get under control.

Last week, I broke down in an IEP meeting. Partially because some of my
favorites are going off to middle school and I can’t imagine what my life will
be like without seeing them every day. And partially because I’m just worried
that whoever inherits my babies aren’t going to love them in the same way our
school and staff and community do.

I want to follow them. As they make their journey through middle school and high
school and college. I want to make sure they get all the things that they need.
And I want to make sure that nobody turns their back on them just because they
can get a little crazy and a little defiant.

I want to tell all their future teachers that they don’t necessarily need a
behavior plan simply because they refuse to do work. What they need is a
relationship. Someone that they can rely on. Someone that they can feel safe
coming to and saying, “I don’t understand. I need help.”

I want parents to know that they are in control. That they have a voice in
everything that is discussed in an IEP meeting. That they are their
child’s biggest advocate. That they have the incredible privilege of following
their kids year after year. And that, despite what anybody tells them, THEY are
the ones that know their kids the best and their opinion is so incredibly
valuable.

There is just so much emotion going on. I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

Maybe I should just sit with all the emotion for a little bit. Because when I
sit and really THINK about how I feel at any given moment of the day, I realize
just how UNBELIEVABLY lucky I am to get to be doing what I’m doing.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy (and Divya!:))

PS. Next week is teacher appreciation week. We've got some tricks up our
sleeves, of course, but in the meantime, get those jeans laundered over the
weekend, because every day is free dress day. :)

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 5/7: Hold for 10 minute team meeting check in, then release day
5/14: release day

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Student Huddles or SSTs (fill out charter reflection doc?)

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring (fill out charter reflection doc?)

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as usual

All the things:

* SBAC begins this week, check out the megadocs for scheduling (courtesy of the
hyper-detailed mind of Mr. Csaposs)
* RBM SBAC Proctor Training Materials

* 1516 planning happy hours start next week, topics include:
* bell schedule
* evening events calendar
* PBIS structures, etc.

* Feedback from our PBIS walkthrough (ISE and Operations feedback will follow
next week):
RBM PBIS Walk Through Summary and Scores

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning
* Kinder field trip on Wednesday!
* Ladies Zumba is kicking off next Thursday evening!
* Open Enrollment Lunch is on Friday
* WHEW!

4.23.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

There are two items of note today and a more than a bit of gratitude.

First off, thank you all for your collaborative and enthusiastic approach to
attendance! As announced, our Blue Hens are the 2nd winners, and will be
receiving their prizes during landing tomorrow. For the next round, we are
going to simplify the system a bit and ask simply write a letter on your board
when your class has 100% present - I'll announce recipients during launch.

The second piece has evolved from the incredible foundation of participant
culture that is readily observable in each of your spaces; the work that we
began together months ago to raise our expectations for our students' speaking
presentation as well as written. 3rd graders call one another out for not
tracking, 2nd graders turn and talk at incredible rates of frequency in response
to clever sentence starters, 4th graders call on one another for conversational
turns, 1st graders agree and disagree without prompting, kinders tackle complex
"how the text works questions," and TKers produce incredible accountable talk at
their centers.

With such a dedication to these habits of discussion, pacing can often move
painfully slow. Yes, we want everyone to track the speaker, yes, we want
everyone to remember to evaluate, but wow, does it take time and energy and
patience in infinite quantities to wring it out of our Rocketeers. And so, I
did some digging to find some best practices for a rapid-fire discussion routine
that holds kids accountable for listening, incorporates cold-call, and has an
evaluation routine. It still requires teacher facilitation, but could be given
over to students in time. I've been playing with it at launch, and I encourage
you to try it during community meeting; here is the formal draft (soft copy
attached):

· Listen Responsibly and Answer the Question

· Paraphrase Respectfully In Your Own Words

· Take Initiative to Explain Why You Agree or Disagree

Thank you guys for all your patience during interview season - I am not done
yet, but I am done with those marathon days and time spent off of campus. I'm
trying to be creative with the last few one-offs and scheduling them outside of
school hours (such as during John Deasy's speech, unfortunately, about which I
heard great things). I am, and will continue to, ramp up the time I spend in
classrooms, so please let me know if there is anything you'd appreciate some
thought partnership with - or coteaching - given that our corrective instruction
methods tend to run thin by this time of year!

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 4/24: 2:45 - 4:00: 4/30: SBAC and Community Meeting/New Student
Orientation Planning, which means we're following that up with two consecutive
release days, 5/7 and 5/14.

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Student Huddles or SSTs

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as usual

All the things:

* Next week look out for final event plans, and a summer homework packet cover.
* Amy and Katya will be off campus Wednesday
* 1st grade exhibition night is on Wednesday - get ready for the Wonderful
World of Oz!

4.16.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

We are knee deep in exhibition nights and I am delighted. But not, perhaps, for
the reason you are thinking. Absolutely, TK and 2nd have done exciting work
preparing their students to show off what they’ve learned, confidently and in
detail.

More basically, while I am profoundly pleased to see parents engaged in their
students’ content knowledge, I feel more passionately about the fact our
students always are, just like I remember from the best parts of my own
elementary education.

Today an AP candidate from the network toured a bit, and all she could talk
about was science and social studies. Admittedly, it is unabashedly adorable to
run into kinder Andrew on the stairs and be informed in the MOST serious of
voices that he needs “to get fresh, clean water for Ms. Pellegrino’s
experiment.” Something about 5-year-olds in lab coats navigating the stairs
with huge bowls of water – so determined not to spill a drop and fail their
sacred mission – gets to you.

Because yes, I am inspired by Kendra’s letter sound improvement and Aurelio’s
emergent writing and the giggly, silly, purposeful joy that Julia brings to an
alphabetization lesson. I am inspired by 2nd grade John’s new love for
fractions and Kayla’s assertive (bossy) correction to a peer that the character
is the cowardly lion, not the coward lion.

But nothing gets to me quite like Max explaining the connection between trash
and water pollution (earnestly, of course, with much hand-flailing) or David and
Axel needed to be gently correctly for running back too quickly to class in
their labcoats to not miss out on Ms. Choi’s lesson. I can debate the merits of
writing to congressional representatives or the president with Jocelyn, while 1
class over Genesis inquires about whether I may be Jewish or German.

This constant, persistent expansion of background knowledge is not a question at
our campus. It is not something people seek praise for, nor is it something we
hide. It is a basic expectation of our team that we are tasked with teaching
children about reading, writing, arithmetic, AND our world.

Each day I am more grateful to have found a team that shares my values and
vision.

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 4/24: 2:45 - 5:00: All Staff Meeting, Santa Clara Convention Center,
4/30: SBAC and Community Meeting/New Student Orientation Planning, which means
we're following that up with two consecutive release days, 5/7 and 5/14.

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Student Huddles or SSTs

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as usual

All the things:

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for achievement team meeting,
Natalia on Tuesday for BTM, Brendan Friday morning
* The much-anticipated dairy nutrition assembly is this Wednesday! Check your
calendars
* 1st grade field trip on Tuesday!
* All staff meeting on Thursday
* PBIS walkthrough on Friday
* 3rd Grade Exhibition Night -Wednesday at 5!

4.9.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

I have already had the opportunity to write one reflection this week, so I will
save this space for the presentations from this week, and ask you to spend the
time you might have spent reading to completely the LCAP survey linked within.

RBM TEAM MEETING 3.5

RBM Team Meeting 3.5

PART II-READING CLOSELY.PPTX

Part II-Reading Closely.pptx

Stay Brilliant,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 4/9: 2:45 - 4:00: Staff meeting, CICO part 2, FireCode part 2, Math:
CommonCore Flipbooks, Lit: Book Study, Part 3.

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Student Huddles or SSTs

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as usual

All the things:

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for achievement team meeting, as
well as Friday
* Brendan will be off campus on Friday for interviews
* 2nd Grade Exhibition Night on the 9th!
* Landing will start the Friday we get back, April 10th, by popular vote,
thanks, everyone!!!
* Please send Katya Exhibition Night Dates if you have not so she can update
our calendars! Katya is updating our school calendar with ExNight dates,
check it out on Mastery Quest

3.26.2015

Most Brilliant of Teams,

There are practical matters buried in this launchpad, certainly, do check the
scheduling tidbits and mind Natalia's close-out procedures. But they are not the
reason I hope you read on tonight. This reason is hidden, cryptically, but
steadfastly, in the following quote:

"The mountains are calling and I must go."

As a dear friend (and, I suppose, John Muir) recently reminded me.

My mind, lately, has not felt like the most most tidy of places. While I never
fail to get through the day without experiencing profound bursts of enthusiasm
and gratitude for our community and what we do, the purposeful narrative of
"this now, this next, this after that...until we meet our goal" that usually
drumbeats in my brain has been rattled by a tremendous amount of
over-processing.

A strong cortex can process 110 bits of information at a time; following a
conversation requires 60 bits (this is the simple explanation for not being able
to listen to two people at once). I walk into work and three parents are queued
with concerns and Natasha has something to show me and a sub didn't show up and
I want to observe this lesson today to give feedback and I have to check in with
Divya and I have homework for achievement team meetings and plans to review and
resumes to assess and meetings to plan and data to analyze and attendance is
down and the budget is improving but slowly and...

All of which pales into comparison to the mental mindflow of an educator:

The copier is jammed and a breakfast is missing and Andres left his coat and
where is that marker and I need to get to three guided reading groups today and
I have to ask Julissa THIS question and Janelle THAT question and I have to
check those sight words and I have to remind Mitzel and Michelle hasn't passed
Lexia this week and I have to write a note on that CICO form and I have to call
Jonathan's parents and I have to finish this lesson in two minutes and I have to
check for understanding and I have to read the exit slips and I have to organize
the room and I have to plan for next week and I have to find that book...

When you’re really in the groove of a task or project, the ideas are flowing and
you feel great. But it doesn’t last forever—stretch yourself just a bit beyond
that productivity zone and you might feel unfocused, zoned out or even
irritable. What changes? We just completed the longest unbroken run of the
school year. You should feel a bit stretched.

Basically, the human brain just wasn’t built for the extended focus we ask of it
these days. Our brains are vigilant all the time because they evolved to detect
tons of different changes to ensure our very survival. So focusing so hard on
one thing for a long time isn’t something we’re ever going to be great at (at
least for a few centuries).

The good news is that the fix for this unfocused condition is simple—all we need
is a brief interruption (aka a break) to get back on track. University of
Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras explains:

“…Deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused,” he said.
“From a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long
tasks (such as studying before a final exam or doing your taxes), it is best to
impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay
focused on your task.”

What follows is an extended treatise on the neurological implication of breaks
and their positive correlation to professional satisfaction, and counter
intuitively, productivity. Before waxing scientific, allow me to leave it at
this.

The mountains are calling and I must go. I am craving the mental space to
daydream, to narrow my focus, to shut off the necessary but less important
intrusions that come with the job. I must go because the work I want to guide us
through when we get back will be the most important work we do all year - the
months we close the circuits and dry the ink on the impact we will make in each
one of our Rocketeer's lives. I need to turn down my brain....so that I can
think.

There is one question and one answer that will be my new drumbeat. Are we done?

Not yet.

Stay safe, well, work-free, and brilliant,

Amy

2. Breaks help us retain information and make connections

Our brains have two modes: the “focused mode,” which we use when we’re doing
things like learning something new, writing or working) and “diffuse mode,”
which is our more relaxed, daydreamy mode when we’re not thinking so hard. You
might think that the focused mode is the one to optimize for more productivity,
but diffuse mode plays a big role, too.

In fact, although our brains were once thought to go dormant when we daydreamed,
studies have shown that activity in many brain regions increases when our minds
wander. Here’s a look at the brain scan of one daydreamer:

Some studies have shown that the mind solves its stickiest problems while
daydreaming—something you may have experienced while driving or taking a shower.
Breakthroughs that seem to come out of nowhere are often the product of diffuse
mode thinking.

That’s because the relaxation associated with daydream mode “can allow the brain
to hook up and return valuable insights,” engineering professor Barbara Oakley
explained to Mother Jones.

“When you’re focusing, you’re actually blocking your access to the diffuse mode.
And the diffuse mode, it turns out, is what you often need to be able to solve a
very difficult, new problem.”

3. Breaks help us reevaluate our goals

The Harvard Business Review examines another prime benefit of breaks: they allow
us to take a step back and make sure we’re accomplishing the right things in the
right way.

When you work on a task continuously, it’s easy to lose focus and get lost in
the weeds. In contrast, following a brief intermission, picking up where you
left off forces you to take a few seconds to think globally about what you’re
ultimately trying to achieve. It’s a practice that encourages us to stay mindful
of our objectives…
How to stop feeling guilt about breaks

OK, so we know taking breaks is a scientifically proven method for regaining our
focus, sharpness and motivation. But taking a walk or a reading break in the
middle of a workday? Can we really get over how guilty that’ll make us feel?

A study of office workers and managers by Staples discovered that even though 66
percent of employees spend more than eight hours a day at work, more than a
quarter of them don’t take a break other than lunch. One in five employee
respondents said guilt was the reason they don’t step away from their
workspaces.

And that’s with 90 percent of the bosses surveyed saying that they encouraged
breaks and 86 percent of employees agreeing that taking breaks makes them more
productive! It’s become normal to think that if you never take a break from
work, you’ll get more done, get promoted and be more successful.

“When demand in our lives intensifies, we tend to hunker down and push harder,”
says Tony Schwartz, head of New York City-based productivity consulting firm The
Energy Project. “The trouble is that, without any downtime to refresh and
recharge, we’re less efficient, make more mistakes, and get less engaged with
what we’re doing.”

Here’s how Tim Kreider describes breaks in The New York Times:

“Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as
indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we
suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets…It is, paradoxically,
necessary to getting any work done.”

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 4/9: 2:45 - 4:00: Staff meeting and Book Study, Part 2.

M CPTs: NA

T CPT: : Student Huddles or SSTs

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as usual

All the things:

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for achievement team meeting
* Interview with Nicole Garner, teaching candidate, on campus on Thursday the
9th
* Amy off-campus Friday afternoon for AP interviews
* TK Exhibition Night will be on the 8th!
* 2nd Grade Field Trip on Thursday the 9th!
* 3rd Grade Field Trip on Friday the 10th!
* Landing will start the Friday we get back, April 10th, by popular vote,
thanks, everyone!!!
* Please send Katya Exhibition Night Dates if you have not so she can update
our calendars! Katya is updating our school calendar with ExNight dates,
check it out on Mastery Quest

3.20.2015

Brilliant Team,

Jeans day tomorrow!!! It is, after all, the day of the multicultural
celebration, and what is more American than your best denim?

Natalia has all the updates this week, but I couldn't possibly turn it over
without a glimpse into the havoc that a leprechaun wrecked throughout our fair
school this week.

It is inspiring to watch each of you balance post-data day planning and
implementation with conferences, spring break prep, new students, and a bouncing
mass of very excited school children. It is inspiring to watch you spring back
from frustration with renewed purpose and alacrity, and recasting it in a
positive light (Tayler, I am looking at you, but everyone does this daily in a
less obvious fashion).

Hopefully we can help alleviate a bit of the noise. Please give us feedback on
the copy centers, and check out Natalia's message for translation and fire audit
support.

Hi Team,

Thanks again for always being wonderful and proactive throughout the day! I
wanted to let everyone know that we have received official word from the San
Jose Fire Department regarding our yearly facilities/room inspections. This
year's inspection will be on April 21st at 10am. I will be going around the
school and to each classroom checking for facility compliance items that I know
may be looked at during the inspection. Should I see any potential findings, I
will let you know what needs to be corrected. Should it be a task that you deem
difficult to correct and need assistance with, support staff and I will be happy
to assist you. For now, if there are any of you that are daisy chaining for
your extension needs, please let me know so I can order a longer extension cords
as this is definitely out of compliance is is quickly fixed.

Daisy Chain No-No:

You all rock!

Hi Team,
Conferences are fast approaching and many of you have already started. In
order to reserve a SS translator for your conference times please input your
name in this document for the desired time and language slot (blue= Spanish,
yellow=Vietnamese). There will be 3 SS available for Spanish translations and 1
for Vietnamese. Please look for any empty time slots in their schedules. If
their schedules already show a sign-up, please respect this time. This document
is a live document, you will have it available any time you need. Please
remember it is first come first serve so make sure to sign up ASAP. Once gain,
here is the link to the document: RBM Translation Sign-Up For Parent
Conferences Spring 2015.

Should you have any requests for other days, please inform me and I will try my
best to accommodate them, although it may not always be possible. If you would
like Vietnamese translation, specifically, on any other day, we could
potentially accommodate it only between the hours of 12-3pm.

Best,

Thank you everyone! Have an incredible weekend,

Amy

3.12.2015

Brilliant Team,

Plenty to read and reread! Thank you all for engaging in long sessions today!
Divya, can you send me Rocketmath so I can add!

RBM 1415 SOTS.MARCH

RBM 1415 SOTS.March

READING CLOSELY.PPTX

Reading Closely.pptx

Thank you everyone! Have an incredible weekend,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 2/5: 2:45 - 5:00: Release Day

T CPT: SSTs or Student Huddles

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: OLPs

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as scheduled

All the things:

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for achievement team meeting and one
interview

* AP interview on Monday and Friday

* Tuesday PTC Meeting

* 3/20 Multicultural Festival! Mark your calendars!

* Katya is updating our school calendar with ExNight dates, check it out on
Mastery Quest

3.6.2015

Brilliant Team,

Math team - the attendance and palpable excitement at science night is a
testament to your work this year:

Support Staff - just a small pocket of the ever-more-joyous recess culture!

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to attend!

Instead of committing egregious repetition, I will save my excitement over new
STEP walls for our State of the School on Thursday.

Wherever you are in your analysis process, let's make sure we arrive on the 13th
to hit the ground running. I'll keep this brief, and guard your time against
random tasks, to hopefully yield a few extra minutes to spend zeroing in on the
those few places in your data that resemble the latter part of the Dr. Seuss
classic more so than the former.

Just don't forget to stop and take a similar break to our friend Jasin, once in
awhile:

MOV_9165.MOV.MOV

Here are the two tools we're using to cut and process data into actionable
information before the March 12th/13th Thursday/Data Day.

Spring 2015 Step Analysis.docx
RBM Benchmark Data Analysis Template

Thank you everyone! Have an incredible weekend,

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 2/5: 2:45 - 5:00: State of the School, Math: Rocket Math and
Science Consultancy; ELA: Close Reading Book Study Launch, Tier 2 Behavioral
Stepback

T CPT: SSTs or Student Huddles

W CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: Tutoring

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as scheduled

All the things:

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for achievement team meeting and one
interview

2.27.2015

Brilliant Team,

Boring but critical bit first - check out network announcements for detailed
report card guidelines.

Now on to the good stuff.

I've been STEP'ing furiously in some of our upper grades this week,
concentrating on our on-track or close-to students. I am particularly invested
in monitoring their progress personally, given the leap of faith we have taken -
with my explicit recommendation - to focus small group instruction on our middle
tier. Suffice to say, the impressive growth of this subgroup is encouraging;
looking at the grades that are closer to finishing

4th grade:
8.1% on track in September to 18% on track

3rd Grade:
15.2% on track TOTAL in September to 15.2% JUST advanced currently

Kinder:
50% on track in September to 60% on track

This sort of independent growth allows our Tier 1 instruction to focus on our
students just below grade level, knowing that growth follows focus.

Another critical assumption we've made is to trust in the strength of our Tier 2
supports. The impact of this strength, however, will be exponentially
compounded by our collaboration as a team. With Jose adjusting programming to
align with key common core standards, and Smith and Ariana tracking mastered
sight words, and Isabel and Christina using common language from classrooms to
help students through stumbling blocks; our message to each student is clarified
and thereby cemented.

Can't wait to see where this takes us,

Amy

Also, take a moment to reflect on all that we have accomplished in the last
10(5) days of school:

IMG_5853.MOV

Data Analysis

Here are the two tools we're using to cut and process data into actionable
information before the March 12th/13th Thursday/Data Day. Please speak with
your coach about timelines or support if you have questions:

Spring 2015 Step Analysis.docx
RBM Benchmark Data Analysis Template

Scheduling:

Thursday PD 2/5: 2:45 - 5:00: Consultancy, Copy Center Launch, Vocabulary
Session

T CPT: Tier 2 Collaboration: OLPs

W CPT: Quick Q&As: Budget, Report Cards, Exhibition Night, PTC Leads

F CPT: IEP premeets if contacted by Divya

1:1s/team meetings: as scheduled

All the things:

* Key assessment documents (and the coverage calendar, very important to note
since so many folks will be out for the Teachers College!):

> February Assessment Calendars
> 2014-15 FAQs Assessment Administration

* Amy will be off campus Wednesday morning for achievement team meeting and one
interview

* Adam Nadeau, Director of Achievement, will be touring classrooms this coming
Friday as part of his "listening tour" initiative, introduce yourself and
share any and all opinions and thoughts for the direction of achievement!

* An AP candidate will also be visiting this coming Friday.

* We will have a Brown Bag lunch on Thursday (this is updated 2/27, I was off
by one week, sorry for the confusion!) from NeST this week (thanks, Jessica
Devine!). They are trying to get feedback on the new Mission Control.

* Remember, arrival now starts at 7:15 to help parents fight morning traffic!
We will open the gates at the time for children to be supervised by Mr.
Csaposs.

1. MAKE IT VISUAL

“Avoid giving instructions in the air,” says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based
ESL teacher. “ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language.” So
instructions – even basic directions for classroom procedures – should be
written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be
diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or
showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way
toward helping students understand. “Sometimesshowing our students what to do is
all they need in order to do it,” Eddington says. Not only will this kind
of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will
help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. BUILD IN MORE GROUP WORK.

“Kids aren’t just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of
the day they dump it back onto a test,” says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the
subject of my very first podcast interview. “If you really want the kids to
learn, they’ve got to be engaged.” That means less teacher-led, whole-class
instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with
their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend
your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the
resource teacher doesn’t have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they
can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to
improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

4. HONOR THE “SILENT PERIOD.”

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will
speak very little, if at all. “Don’t force them to talk if they don’t want to,”
says Eddington, “A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America
want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they
are at a point where they’re perfect.” Just knowing that this is a normal stage
in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move
them toward talking too quickly.

5. ALLOW SOME SCAFFOLDING WITH THE NATIVE LANGUAGE.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community,
allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2)
classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a
language, it’s okay to pair him with other students who speak his native
language. “Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of
sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use,” Yurkosky says. “Letting
them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to
relax and feel like a part of the class.”

And this doesn’t only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written
assignment, but the ELL student doesn’t yet have the proficiency to handle
writing his response in English, “Don’t make them just sit there and do
nothing,” Eddington says. “Allow them to write in their first language if
they’re able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math
extended response, even if you can’t read what they write.” There has even been
some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm
in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing
process (Yigsaw, 2012).

6. LOOK OUT FOR CULTURALLY UNIQUE VOCABULARY.

“For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with
things that are unique to American or westernized culture,” says Eddington. It’s
important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: “Show them videos of what
it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing
rack – things that are not common in their own language.”

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms
you’re going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be
overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to
understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. USE SENTENCE FRAMES TO GIVE STUDENTS PRACTICE WITH ACADEMIC LANGUAGE.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic
conversations. Sentence frames – partially completed sentences like “I disagree
with what _________ said because…” – show students how to structure language in
a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and
require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a
regular part of class. “They won’t do it if it’s not the norm in the class,
because they’ll be embarrassed to use it among their peers,” she says. “But if
they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes
me talk like this, then they don’t look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise.”

8. PRE-TEACH WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

If you’re going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a
copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to
your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview
material will increase the odds that they’ll understand it on the day you
present it to everyone else. “That kind of thing is wonderful,” Yurkosky says.
“The kids feel so empowered if they’ve had a chance to look at the material
ahead of time.”

9. LEARN ABOUT THE CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF YOUR STUDENTS…

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to
learn the basics of where a child comes from — exactly, not ‘somewhere in the
Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa’ — tells the student that you respect her
enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight
about the diverse South American population at her school: “I was listening to
the teachers talking about the ‘Mexican’ kids in our building,” she says, “and I
was like, ‘We don’t have any Mexicans.'” Not taking the time to at least
correctly identify a child’s country of origin, much like not bothering to
pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle
insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to
be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about
students’ religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim,
he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has
sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is
viewed as disrespectful, you’ll know not to force her to look you in the eye
when she’s talking.

10. …BUT DON’T MAKE A CHILD SPEAK FOR HIS ENTIRE CULTURE.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new
Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of
class. “That’s not cultural inclusiveness,” she explains. “I’ve seen teachers do
this and then pat themselves on the back. The students’ English is limited so
they can’t express themselves very well, and they don’t want to ‘represent';
they just want to be there.” If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class
that’s going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with
them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it’s
appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. SHOW THEM HOW TO TAKE THEMSELVES LESS SERIOUSLY…

By modeling the risk-taking that’s required to learn a new language, you help
students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of
humor about it. “I tried to say the word ‘paint’ (pinta) in Portuguese and
instead I said the word for ‘penis’ (pinto). They all roared with laughter while
I stood there with a What?? look on my face,” Yurkosky says. “When they
explained what I’d said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine
because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay.”

12. …BUT ALWAYS TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY.

One of Kim’s pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language
learners is the way they often see students’ efforts as ‘cute,’ missing the
whole point of what the student is trying to say. “A student will be desperate
to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the
message,” she says. “That’s painful for me to watch.” It bothers her when
teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When
a child can’t express themselves as well as they would in their native language,
it’s far too easy to assume the concepts just aren’t in their heads.

“It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don’t know anything,”
says Eddington. “These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can’t
tell us in English yet.” Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the
mispronunciations and treat every interaction — every student — with the
respect they deserve.

“They’re doing twice the job of everybody else in the class,” Kim adds, “even
though the result looks like half as much.” ♦

FURTHER READING

When I asked Melissa Eddington to recommend a book that would deepen teachers’
understanding of these concepts, she immediately pointed me to the ESL Manual
for Mainstream Teachers: How to Help Limited-English-Speaking Students, by
Janice Yearwood. “It breaks things down over different content areas, talks
about new students, intermediate students, how to talk with ESL parents, how to
welcome newcomers. It’s a fabulous book,” she says. “It really gets right to
what a mainstream classroom teacher would need. Good stuff.”

12.19.2014

4th graders changing the digital world during Jose's Hour of Code!!!!
Future computer scientists, Corayma and Aristbeth!

Team,

Just a few lines of import and then off we go!

As a teacher, January, February, and March always blew me away. I felt like I
was driving myself into the ground in the fall and early winter, only to see
mildly encouraging growth in December. I'd hunker down with my data in front of
my family's Christmas tree, and glower at my STEP wall while my long-suffering
mother pacified me with Schnapps-laden cocoa. Fortunately for me, frustration
is the mother of inspiration; and I stormed back into data day with a plan of
attack.
Looking through STEP, illuminate, and Schoolzilla, our team has much to
celebrate, but just like I always did, we have much more to do. The next three
months typically yield more growth than all of fall combined, particularly when
action plans are driven by data. I am absolutely going to take more than a few
days off this break, but to be honest, I am also itching for the quiet space to
reflect and plan. May the coming weeks be full of whatever it is you need to
come back with a vengeance; rest, friends, reading, family, reflection, quiet
work, long walks, longer naps, grape juice, and in the spirit of the new year,
the one and only constant that has brought each of us to this place and life's
work: hope.

hope in our students. hope for what we can do for them. hope for the
trajectory of our community - family and team.

With all my love and gratitude,

Amy

A few reminders:
* All data must be in by the 21st, as data day reports will be drafted by the
network starting on Monday (their holiday starts on the 21st!).
* Everyone should have their Data Day Prework, please speak with your coach
about requested modications.
* No need to fill out the readiness tracker yet, but we'll continue using it
starting the 7th!
* See the data day document to see slight updates (don't forget to finish Lost
at School)!
* Recruitment - if your travels take you to fellow teachers, feel free to let
them know that our amazing school is expanding to one self-contained class of
5th grade, a 2nd ISE specialist, and a full 3rd grade! That means we need at
least three new incredible folks to fill the spaces. Our referral policy is
pretty snazzy; feel free to give people my email:
The best thing we can do for Rocketship students is ensure they have
extraordinary teachers. All Rocketship teachers, staff, and parents qualify
for these awesome rewards, so reach out to your network, help us find the
best teachers from across the country, and win amazing prizes! The deadline
is January 16th, but referrals will be prioritized to the schools from which
they're referred, so get 'em in quickly!

WEEKLY INSPIRATION -

1. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AS THE KEY TO CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

“To grow up as the child of well-educated parents in an affluent
American home is to hit the verbal lottery,” says Robert Pondiscio in
this Education Gadfly article. “In sharp contrast, early disadvantages in
language among low-income children – both the low volume of words they hear and
the way in which they are employed – establish a verbal inertia that is
immensely difficult to address or reverse… When it comes to vocabulary, size
matters.” A robust vocabulary correlates strongly with school achievement, SAT
scores, college attendance and graduation, and higher adult earnings even among
those who don’t attend college.

So how do less-fortunate students build vocabulary? Not through
studying and memorizing decontextualized word lists, says Pondiscio, but through
repeated exposure to unfamiliar words in context – especially Tier 2 words
like verify, superior, and negligent. These middle-tier words “are essential to
reading comprehension,” he says, “and undergird more subtle and precise use of
language, both receptive (reading, hearing) and expressive (writing, speaking)…
There is a language of upward mobility in America. It has an expansive and
nuanced vocabulary that it employs to nimbly navigate the world of
organizations, institutions, and opportunities.”

Consider the word durable. Here’s how a student might gradually
master the word and add it to long-term memory by encountering it in four
content-area texts:

- The Egyptians learned how to make durable sheets of parchment from the
papyrus plant.

- With this lightweight and durable telescope, young scientists can explore
the natural wonders of the earth or the craters of the moon and beyond.

- Many durable Roman concrete buildings are still in use after more than 2,000
years.

- Instead of having to find caves to create makeshift shelters for protection
from the weather, man started to look for more durable materials with which to
build long-lasting dwellings.

In each case, context is vital to figuring out the meaning of durable and
gradually solidifying it in long-term memory. So is background knowledge. “This
is the Matthew Effect in action,” says Pondiscio. “Those who have the broadest
general knowledge, whether acquired at home, school, or elsewhere in their
lives, are most likely to possess the ‘schema’ necessary to intuit the meaning
of the word in context and ultimately incorporate the new words into their
vocabulary; those who do not fall further behind. The language-rich grow richer;
the poor get poorer.”

Students’ knowledge base is the “context-creating engine of language
growth,” he continues. “In short, schools that hope to educate for upward
mobility should be doing all they can to make children as rich as possible in
knowledge and language – so that they can grow richer still… Low-income children
most specifically need more science, social studies, art, and music to build the
necessary ‘schema’ that drive comprehension and language growth.”

“Without a common body of knowledge and its associated gains in
vocabulary and language proficiency as a first purpose of American education,”
Pondiscio concludes, “the achievement gap will remain a permanent fixture of
American society, and the odds of upward mobility – already depressingly long –
will become nearly insurmountable.”

“It Pays to Increase Your Word Power” by Robert Pondiscio in The Education
Gadfly, December 10, 2014 (Vol. 14, #50),

http://edexcellence.net/articles/it-pays-to-increase-your-word-power

12.12.2014

Brilliant Team,

Glad to have affirmed that there is nothing we can't handle - including natural
disasters! I started to write Jim Spencer, the AP from RDP who helped us out
yesterday, a thank you note, and instead found a message from him, thanking US
for a great experience:

Amy & Brooke,

I just wanted to take a second and say thank you for doing such an amazing job
with RBM. Even on one of the worst weather days of the year, the school
functioned very well and students/teachers had great attitudes. It was my first
time on another campus helping out with school leadership besides RDP and I can
honestly say I was impressed. Hope you both enjoy the day and stay dry this
weekend.

Best,

Jim

Thank you so much for your persistence yesterday, now on the important stuff:

The best running record:

More Results.

* Phonics Instruction in 1st grade is resulting in huge gains for our Tier 2
(not to mention Mr. C's tutoring); every single student in tutoring and
flagged for tutoring passed their phonics assessment above the 50th
percentile; now on to passage fluency!

* Noah Rocha - STEP 4 to 7

* Savannah Magdaleno Hernandez (AKA, Ms. Cintya's daughter): STEP 4 - 8!!!

* Axel Blas STEP 4 to 6

* All of Ms. Bond's pre group moved to a STEP 3!!!

* 1st Grad Daniel Cao - 100% on the 1st Grade Math Benchmark.

Message from Katya:

I have only received packets from 2nd grade, 1st and TK math, and 3rd grade Lit.
Please advise teachers to put their packets together if possible so that it can
be one full packet versus 2.

I would like to print all ASAP and get that out of the way. Next week I have PTC
to plan for, Holiday fundraiser items, Christmas in the park flyers to print,
parent coffee and Friday food sale. I will be using the printers a lot and we
only have one. I want to print as much as I can today.

We are reminding parents that chronically picking students up early is not
acceptable, and they will not make their instructional minute targets. This is
tantamount to truancy, and could result in a forced retention. Don't hesitate to
pull a Ms. Pham and tell parents they need to wait 10 more minutes. :)

Message from Natalia:

Look for a close-out instructions email early next week! F

Scheduling:

Thursday PD: Hold 30 minutes (2:45 - 3:15) for possible team meeting (in case it
is needed, likely we will cover data data and clean-up), but likely full release

M CPT: Writing grading time/math extra prep to compensate for grading BCRs later
in week/STEP

T CPT: Writing grading time/math extra prep to compensate for grading BCRs later
in week/STEP

W CPT: Writing grading time/grading BCRS/STEP

F CPT: Writing grading time/grading BCRS/STEP

1:1s/team meetings:

* Xmas at the Park! Cesar Chavez Plaza, 4:30 - 6:20

* Xmas Staff Party, 360 Residences Lounge, 6:30 - 8:00

* 1:1s by request

All the things:

* Don't forget to check the network announcement tab! I update each week but
never remember to remind folks.
* 4th grade is at camp on the 15th, 16th, and 17th! Amy will be there on
Wednesday, Divya, June and Amanda will be gone the whole time. Jose will be
spending a lot of quality time with our 3rd graders, so give him a high five.
* Brooke will be gone Tuesday morning.
* Data Day, agenda in draft form exists here:
Data Day 1.5, 1.6
You will receive data analysis prework that is optional in preparation for
data day. It is a deliverable for the end of data day, so it is up to you to
determine if you would prefer to wait, or get it out of the way for 1.5 and
1.6 can be devoted to planning. Note the return of Genius Hour!
* More grading/assessment coverage details:
Jay and Proctor schedule
* CICO has started this week, and I will share initial data in our SOTS. I
know it can be cumbersome to fill out 3 - 5 forms daily; and I need to take
pictures of the excited faces running towards me with screaming about 26
points and smiling faces so you can see the fruits of your labor. So many of
our students already feel more successful.
* Staff Party Details from Brooke, our lovely host
* Its' time for RBM's Annual Holiday Party!
Here are some of the details for this year's celebration. Remember food will
be provided but you are welcome to bring any "adult" beverages or other
holiday treats.
Location:
360 Residences (Brooke's apartment building)
360 S. Market St., Downtown San Jose

5th Floor Resident Lounge

You can enter through the back on 1st Street (door will be open, take
elevator up to 5th floor, and walk across the courtyard) OR You can try and
sneak in with a resident in the front entrance on Market street.

The building is walking distance from Christmas in the Park- so you can park
anywhere nearby.

Final notes:
We will be having a white elephant gift exchange, gift should be no more than
$10.

And finally.... looks like there will be enough space and so guests are
invited, but please no children.

Excited to see you all there!

WEEKLY INSPIRATION - SASSY COMMENTARY ON MULTIPLE CHOICE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF
RAISING ENGINEERS

2. THE BEST WAYS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR COMMON CORE READING TESTS

In this article in The Reading Teacher, Timothy Shanahan (University
of Illinois/ Chicago) says the “data-driven” approach to improving reading
achievement – using item analyses to identify the skills students haven’t
mastered and drilling test-aligned curriculum items – doesn’t work. Why?
“Research long ago revealed an important fact about reading comprehension tests:
they only measure a single factor…” says Shanahan: “reading comprehension. They
don’t reveal students’ abilities to answer main idea questions, detail
questions, inference questions, drawing conclusion questions, or anything else.”
Having students practice answering questions on various reading subskills won’t
produce better test scores. In fact, they may even depress reading achievement
by wasting time that could be spent on productive activities.

Shanahan believes there are two reasons traditional standardized reading tests
fail to produce useful data on subskills:

• First, reading is a language activity, not the execution of
various subskills. To make sense of a text, students must simultaneously use a
hierarchy of language features. When a student answers a main-idea question
incorrectly, it doesn’t mean the main-idea part of the student’s brain isn’t
working. Here are some possible explanations:

- The passage looked too hard and the student didn’t have the confidence to
read it all the way through.

- The student is a slow reader and didn’t read far enough to grasp the main
idea.

- The student’s decoding skills are weak and a lot of important words weren’t
understood.

- The main idea was embedded in a particularly complex sentence, and although
the student understood the rest of the text, this sentence wasn’t understood.

- The text had a lot of synonyms and pronouns and the student wasn’t able to
form a coherent idea of what it was all about.

So what does explain students’ performance on standardized tests? Text
complexity, says Shanahan: “[I]f the text is easy enough, students can answer
any type of question, and if the text is complicated enough, they will struggle
with even the supposedly easiest types of questions. That means reading
comprehension tests measure how well students read texts, not how well they
execute particular reading skills…”

• Second, reading tests are designed to separate proficient from
struggling readers. To achieve this and create reliable tests, psychometricians
reject questions that don’t have the best properties. “Test designers are
satisfied by being able to determine how well students read and by arraying
students along a valid reading comprehension scale,” says Shanahan. “They know
that the items collectively assess reading comprehension, but that separately –
or in small sets of items aimed at particular kinds of information – the items
can tell us nothing meaningful about how well students can read.”

Won’t the innovative tests being created by PARCC and Smarter
Balanced do a better job? Not at producing useful data on subskills, says
Shanahan. “These new tests won’t be able to alter the nature of reading
comprehension or the technical requirements for developing reliable test
instruments.” The simple reason is that they can’t be long and fine-grained
enough. So does that mean the PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests will be useless
to educators and parents? Not at all, says Shanahan: “These tests will ask
students to read extensive amounts of literary and informational text, to answer
meaningful questions about these texts, and to provide explanations of their
answers. These tests should do a pretty good job of showing how well students
can read and comprehend challenging texts without teacher support.”

So how should we prepare students to do well on the new tests – and
be prepared for college and career success? Not by focusing instruction on
question types, says Shanahan – instead, by striving to make students
“sophisticated and powerful readers.” Here’s how:

• Have students read extensively within lessons – not free reading,
but reading that is an integral part of instruction, with students frequently
held accountable for understanding and gaining knowledge. Round-robin oral
reading is highly inefficient, says Shanahan. “Teachers like it because it
provides control and it lets them observe how well a student is reading, but a
reading comprehension lesson, except with the youngest children, should
emphasize silent reading – and lots of it.” And this should also be happening in
social studies, science, and math classes.

• Have students read increasing amounts of text without guidance and
support. Many reading lessons involve students reading a paragraph or a page
followed by teacher questions and group discussion. “This model is not a bad
one,” says Shanahan. “It allows teachers to focus students’ attention on key
parts of the text and to sustain attention throughout. However, the stopping
points need to be progressively spread out over time… Increasing student stamina
and independence in this way should be a goal of every reading teacher.” It’s
noteworthy that the shortest prototype that PARCC and SBAC have released so far
is 550 words long.

• Make sure the texts are rich in content and sufficiently
challenging. “Lots of reading of easy text will not adequately prepare students
for dealing with difficult text,” says Shanahan. They need to be reading
grade-level texts with gradually decreasing teacher scaffolding around
vocabulary, sentence grammar, text structure, and concepts needed to reach
target levels.

• Have students explain their answers and provide text evidence
supporting their claims.This is an important part of increasing intellectual
depth and constantly moving students toward reading more-challenging material.

• Engage students in writing about text. Writing does a much better
job of improving reading comprehension than answering multiple-choice questions,
says Shanahan: “Although writing text summaries and syntheses may not look like
the tests students are being prepared for, this kind of activity should provide
the most powerful and productive kind of preparation.”

“How and How Not to Prepare Students for the New Tests” by Timothy Shanahan
in The Reading Teacher, November 2014 (Vol. 68, #3, p.
184-188), http://bit.ly/1wr4JOa; Shanahan can be reached at shanahan@uic.edu.

5. EVERY CHILD AN ENGINEER

(Originally titled “Engineering for Everyone”)

In this Educational Leadership article, Christine Cunningham and
Melissa Higgins (the Engineering Is Elementary program at Boston’s Museum of
Science) suggest six ways schools can get all students involved in the E in
STEM. “Making engineering instruction more inclusive is important,” they say,
“because women and minorities are disproportionately underrepresented in
engineering fields in the United States.”

• Set engineering in a real-world context by weaving it into a news
item, problem statement, or fictional story. For example, Lerato Cooks Up a
Plan is a story about a girl in Botswana who improves the workings of a solar
oven to reduce the drudgery of gathering firewood. After reading the story,
students engineer the insulation of their own solar ovens (made from a shoebox)
and conduct a controlled experiment on how successful they are.

• Show how engineers help other people, animals, and the
environment – for example, constructing an electrical circuit that will sound an
alarm when an animal’s water trough is empty.

• Design open-ended activities with multiple solutions. The idea is
to foster creativity, encourage risk-taking, and invite exploration and sharing
of original ideas, say Cunningham and Higgins. An example: challenging students
to design a flexible knee brace that allows an injured person the normal range
of motion, using only jumbo craft sticks, rubber bands, string, felt, craft
foam, fabric, and cardboard.

• Value mistakes. “Engineering activities should embrace failure and
cast it as a learning opportunity,” say Cunningham and Higgins. “We should
communicate that students don’t fail, thedesign fails. In our experience,
students welcome the opportunity to improve their designs.”

• Foster collaboration. Competitive environments are discouraging
for a significant number of students, while cooperative activities draw them in
and show their areas of strength. One group activity in the Museum of Science
program has students designing a parachute that will float down as slowly as
possible. “Of course, students, like adults, need to learn how to work in
teams,” say Cunningham and Higgins. “Teachers should actively encourage students
to share their thoughts, consider other people’s perspectives, argue from data
and evidence, and compromise to select the best ideas.”

• Use readily available materials – for example, using water, salt,
and flour to make play dough.

“Engineering for Everyone” by Christine Cunningham and Melissa Higgins
in Educational Leadership, December 2014/January 2015 (Vol. 72, #4, p.
42-47), http://bit.ly/1G7mrr3; the authors can be reached
at ccunningham@mos.org and mhiggins@mos.org. Their curriculum is available
at www.eie.org/engineering-everywhere.

Back to page one

12.4.2014

Brilliant Team,

STEP results are trickling in...and it is finally starting to feel like the most
wonderful time of the year. Turkey and mashed potatoes were nice, I suppose; it
was lovely to spend time with my family, but the events from which I am deriving
my holiday joy?

Results.

* David Nunez STEP 2 - 5
* Natalie Corona, STEP pre/pre - 2
* Marely Cobain - STEP 2 - 5
* Brendy - after 1.5 years of no growth, our girl is finally on a 5!
* I will update as they roll on it....please shout them out to me! I will be
recognizing STEP growth and Benchmark growth during launch everyday from now
until the 19th.

As I have said often this year, however, student achievement is my number two
priority this year. I appreciated a discussion I had with Julia this week
regarding the importance of team, and the power of teams that stay together, and
learn how to work best with one another. I won't harp on to avoid sounding
repetitive, but I do want to request that each of you pay special attention to
the inspiration articles I've included following our long message this week. It
highlights the importance of creating a staff culture that is optimally
inclusive, and highlights the importance of a debate-safe decision-making model.
I know I have much to improve upon, and I would find your personal reflections
on the wisdom of the article immensely productive.

Have a lovely, cheer-filled weekend,

Amy Filsinger

Message from Natalia:

Brilliant Team,

Thank you for your constant dedication and desire to improve systems and to
adhere to the ones already in place.

Hearing test Make-ups/Retakes are tomorrow.

They will be testing students from 10-11am. Since there will not be a large
number of students tested, we will pull ALL students needing retakes at the same
time from all classrooms.

The list of students pulled from your classrooms is HERE. Students will be
pulled from your classes tomorrow between 10-11am.

In order to improve our breakfast and rainy day lunch system, we will be
purchasing these little handy drawers:

Dania and the support staff team will use these drawers to store utensils,
napkins, condiments, etc in every class. Please make sure you leave space on
your cabinets' counter tops in order to accommodate these in your classrooms.
Please do not use these drawers for classroom supply storage- these should only
be used by Dania or Support Staff. You should expect these in your classrooms
no later than beginning of next week.

Important Reminders:
* Please transition timely to lunch and return timely to your classrooms
(during rainy days) or to pick up students timely on regular days. Late lunch
drop off and pick up negatively impacts the efficacy of our lunch system and
the timeliness of our support staff between tight transitions.
* Please transition timely to dismissal. Again, late transition negatively
impacts the efficacy of our dismissal system and causes heavy traffic for
parents and our community. During rainy day dismissal, please make sure you
are ready for dismissal on your scheduled times and make sure to use
the google doc and be on channel 21 (rainy days).
* Please inform Katya and Natalia of any PTO days approved in order to ensure
Substitute coverage. Although the new system is amazing and can be done with
the click of a couple of buttons, it doesn't notify Katya or Natalia when the
time off is approved.

IMPORTANT FIELD TRIP INFORMATION, BELOW:

Any and all field trip dates must be scheduled with Natalia, before going on
winter break (transportation needs to be scheduled for these field trips in
advance in order to ensure best pricing).

* Transportation, for any field trips not scheduled before we go on
break, will not be paid or arranged.
* In order to ensure all requests are tracked, scheduled and turned in before
we go on break, please fill out this document-even if you've already informed
Natalia of desired dates and times.
* Only fill out all fields in white, Natalia will fill fields in purple.
* This must be completed even if you've already requested a field trip- Make
sure to do this before we go on break.
* If your field trip is not on this document, whether you send out an email
request or not, we will not schedule your transportation or pay for it.
* Please make sure you do this before going on break.

Again, thank you ALL for ALL that you do and ALL of the hard work and
dedication. You're amazing!

Scheduling:

Thursday PD: Hold 30 minutes (2:45 - 3:15) for possible team meeting (in case it
is needed, likely we will cover the walkthrough debrief), but likely full
release

M CPT: Writing grading time/math extra prep to compensate for grading BCRs later
in week/STEP

T CPT: Writing grading time/math extra prep to compensate for grading BCRs later
in week/STEP

W CPT: Writing grading time/grading BCRS/STEP

F CPT: Writing grading time/grading BCRS/STEP

1:1s/team meetings:

* 3/4 Library Night
* 1:1s as normal, but shortened to 30 minutes

All the things:

* STEP, Math benchmarks, and writing assessments are all next week, give out
all the high fives!
* New enrichment system (beginning 12/8)
* RBM Enrichment System Update

* Remember to keep asking parents about HFW, ask Katya if you want a one-call/.
* Remember to fill out the readiness tracker prior to 12/8. I'll send reminder
calendar alerts each week on Friday and Sunday (not the ones that wake you up
at 11:50).

RBM Readiness

* Katya is working with our Copier liaison Mike, to get our oldest copier
replaced since the parts are backed up.
* Make sure you read the field trip memo very carefully, if you cannot find a
precise time/date for a specific location, please consider another location.
It is cost prohibitive to order buses after December 19th.
* Red Plus Ones are being printed today, more will be printed Monday.
* 2nd grade lunch will start 5 minutes later, and recess will end 5 minutes
later (on minimum days)
* On Friday when we have music that align to enrichment blocks, Tayler (and the
other enrichment coaches) will stay in the class with Amy Hunter, instead of
gardening. No transitions for you!
* Please save the date for our Holiday Party! We will be leaving Christmas in
the Park around 6:30 and walking to the venue....check the invite for more
details!
* Language Rich Environment Walkthrough coming up. Let's show them what we can
do. :) . Brooke and I will be giving initial rubric feedback the week of the
1st, with the walk through following on Monday, the 8th. Check out the
monitoring for language and student habits of discussion rows - I think those
are the most natural place to push. Language rich environment 2014.pdf
* Copy of language rich observation schedule

* Per the discussions Meg Robinson-Li has been having with many of us about the
evolving evaluation process for teachers, the rubric to be used for our core
characteristic ratings has been finalized. Please peruse and follow up with
Brooke or I with questions! We'll bring them to upcoming 1:1s to solicit
thoughts. A message from her:

* Teacher Core Characteristics Rubric -

1. Teacher Evaluation Refresher_14-15

2. Teacher Evaluation Overview (for reference) (Has ratings for data
dashboard)

3. Core Characteristics Rubric

4. Core Characteristics Scoring Guide (for SLs)
As a reminder, the rubric itself as well as other docs related to the teacher
role can be accessed by teachers OR school leaders by visiting Mission
Control-->Key Resources -->Human Resources --> “Teacher PGP, VOE, Evaluation
and Compensation Resources”.
* Amy will be off campus on Tuesday for 1516 AP interviews, and for 2 hours on
Wednesday to attend RSSP's language rich walkthrough.
* We will only be using the STEPtool.org tracker, so no worries about an
internal tracker, but be prepared to be pleasantly bothered by Brooke if
you're not updating steptool.org as you go along. :)
* Writing assessments should be completed next week to allow time for grading
and entering data.
* Winter break packets are upon us! Katya will be sending out a translated
cover page shortly (same as what we covered in the staff meeting). We would
love to copy these for you, if you can get them to us by 12.11. If you would
like to copy them yourself, please send a copy to Amy and Brooke by 12.17.
* The final FINAL assessment calendar (the date of a few writing and benchmark
windows changed slightly) follows and is updated in Mastery Quest: 14.15 Bay
Area Calendar w Assessments.pdf

WEEKLY INSPIRATION - TEACHER LEADERSHIP AS ACHIEVEMENT DRIVER, SOCRATIC
SEMINARS!:

1. TEACHER INVOLVEMENT AS THE KEY TO SCHOOLWIDE CHANGE

IN THIS TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD ARTICLE, SUSAN MOORE JOHNSON,
STEFANIE REINHORN, AND MONICA NG (HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION), MEGIN
CHARNER-LAIRD (SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY), AND MATTHEW KRAFT AND JOHN PAPAY (BROWN
UNIVERSITY) REPORT ON THEIR STUDY OF TEACHERS’ LEADERSHIP ROLES IN SIX
HIGH-POVERTY URBAN SCHOOLS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT IMPROVEMENT PLANS.

JOHNSON AND HER COLLEAGUES BEGIN WITH A BLUNT STATEMENT ABOUT THE
LOOSELY-COUPLED NATURE OF K-12 SCHOOLS: “WHATEVER DECISIONS PRINCIPALS MAKE OR
MANDATES THEY ISSUE, TEACHERS REMAIN THE ‘STREET-LEVEL BUREAUCRATS’ WHO
INDEPENDENTLY DECIDE WHAT THEIR STUDENTS’ TRUE POTENTIAL AND PROBLEMS ARE, WHICH
OF THE PRINCIPALS’ INITIATIVES DESERVE THEIR SUPPORT, AND WHAT THEY THINK MIGHT
IMPROVE THE SCHOOL.” IT’S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE, SAY THE RESEARCHERS, “FOR
PRINCIPALS TO CLOSELY MONITOR AND DIRECT WHAT TEACHERS DO.” THIS MEANS THAT ANY
SCHOOLWIDE REFORMS WILL RISE OR FALL BASED ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH TEACHERS
BELIEVE IN AND SUPPORT THEM.

IN ALL SIX SCHOOLS, TEACHERS RECOGNIZED THE URGENCY OF THE WORK THEY FACED, KNEW
THAT IT COULDN’T BE ACCOMPLISHED BY WORKING IN ISOLATION, WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED
ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS’ CURRENT WELL-BEING AND FUTURE LIFE CHANCES, AND FEARED THE
SANCTIONS THEIR SCHOOL FACED IF SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WEREN’T MADE. IN OTHER
WORDS, TEACHERS WEREN’T HUNKERED DOWN IN THEIR CLASSROOMS: THEY WERE READY TO
WORK WITH THEIR PRINCIPALS ON SCHOOLWIDE CHANGE. AMONG THE CHALLENGES: IMPROVING
CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, ENSURING ORDER AND DISCIPLINE, EXPANDING SUPPORT SERVICES
FOR STUDENTS, INCREASING LEARNING, AND RAISING TEST SCORES.

TEACHERS LOOKED TO THEIR PRINCIPALS TO SET THE GENERAL DIRECTION FOR CHANGE AND
DEFERRED TO THEIR POSITIONAL AUTHORITY AND ACCESS TO A BROAD ARRAY OF
INFORMATION AND RESOURCES. AT THE SAME TIME, TEACHERS WANTED A CHANCE TO
INITIATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO CHANGE, RATHER THAN BEING EXPECTED TO IMPLEMENT THE
PRINCIPAL’S PLAN. “THEIR CONTINUING INVESTMENT IN THE PRINCIPAL’S AGENDA,” SAY
JOHNSON ET AL., “DEPENDED ON WHETHER THEY THOUGHT A PROPOSED STRATEGY WAS SOUND
AND WHETHER THE PRINCIPAL TOOK AN INCLUSIVE OR INSTRUMENTAL APPROACH TO THE
TEACHERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS.”

THE RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT WHEN A PRINCIPAL TOOK AN “INSTRUMENTAL,” TOP-DOWN
APPROACH, MARGINALIZED TEACHERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS, AND ASKED FOR SUPERFICIAL
BUY-IN, TEACHERS WERE RESENTFUL, WITHDREW TO THEIR CLASSROOMS, AND CONSIDERED
LEAVING THE SCHOOL – AND THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WAS REJECTED OR WAS
IMPLEMENTED IN A PERFUNCTORY MANNER. IN ONE SCHOOL WHOSE PRINCIPAL TOOK THIS
APPROACH, TEACHERS COMPLAINED ABOUT CONSULTANTS WHO WERE BROUGHT IN TO IMPLEMENT
AN IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, MICROMANAGEMENT OF TEAM MEETINGS, AND ADMINISTRATORS’
“SNOOPERVISION” VISITS TO CLASSROOMS. “FORMAL AUTHORITY CAN ONLY GO SO FAR IN
CHANGING DAY-TO-DAY PRACTICE,” SAY JOHNSON ET AL.

IN ANOTHER SCHOOL, THE PRINCIPAL TOOK AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH AND TEACHERS
ACTIVELY INVESTED IN SCHOOLWIDE REFORMS. “WHEN TEACHERS BELIEVE THE PROPOSED
CHANGES ARE SOUND AND THAT THE PRINCIPAL HAS TAKEN THEIR VIEWS, SUGGESTIONS,
NEEDS, AND INTERESTS INTO ACCOUNT,” SAY THE RESEARCHERS, “THEY ARE MORE LIKELY
TO LEND THEIR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE COLLEAGUES TO DO SO AS WELL.” A VETERAN
TEACHER IN ONE OF THE SCHOOLS WITH THIS APPROACH SAID OF THE PRINCIPAL, “HE’S
THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE SCHOOL, BUT THE TEACHERS ARE SORT OF PUSHING BEHIND
HIM. HE’S NOT LIKE PULLING US THROUGH.”

“ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PUZZLES RAISED BY THIS STUDY,” CONCLUDE JOHNSON ET
AL., “IS HOW INDIVIDUALS (SUCH AS TEACHERS) WHO HAVE LESS FORMAL AUTHORITY IN
THE ORGANIZATION CAN LEAD OTHERS (SUCH AS PRINCIPALS) WHO HOLD MORE AUTHORITY.
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WITHIN SCHOOLS DO PRINCIPALS BECOME FOLLOWERS AND
TEACHERS BECOME LEADERS AS THEY EXERCISE ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP? IS IT SIMPLY
A MATTER OF INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN A TEACHER IS UNUSUALLY
ARTICULATE OR PERSUASIVE? IS IT THE CALCULATED POLITICAL RESPONSE OF A PRINCIPAL
CONFRONTING A STRONG ALLIANCE OF TEACHERS WHO DISAGREE WITH HIM? OR DOES ACTIVE
LEADERSHIP BY TEACHERS ARISE BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL DELIBERATELY SEEKS THEIR
PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROBLEMS OF THE SCHOOL AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE ADDRESSED? …
PRINCIPALS MUST RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP THAT RUNS THROUGHOUT THEIR ORGANIZATION
AND ENSURE SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS WHO ARE PREPARED TO TAKE THE LEAD ON SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT BEYOND THEIR CLASSROOM. IN DOING SO, THEY WILL SEE THAT THIS DOES
NOT MEAN THAT THEY HAVE LOST AUTHORITY BUT RATHER THAT THEY HAVE INCREASED
INFLUENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS AS THEY AUTHORIZE OTHERS TO LEAD ON BEHALF OF THE
SCHOOL.”

“READY TO LEAD, BUT HOW? TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES IN HIGH-POVERTY URBAN SCHOOLS” BY
SUSAN MOORE JOHNSON, STEFANIE REINHORN, MONICA NG, MEGIN CHARNER-LAIRD, MATTHEW
KRAFT, AND JOHN PAPAY IN TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD, OCTOBER 2014 (VOL. 116, #10,
P. 1-50),

HTTP://SCHOLAR.HARVARD.EDU/FILES/MKRAFT/FILES/READY_TO_LEAD_080513.PDF; JOHNSON
CAN BE REACHED ATSUSAN_MOORE_JOHNSON@HARVARD.EDU.

BACK TO PAGE ONE

2. STUDENT-RUN SOCRATIC SEMINARS

(ORIGINALLY TITLED “SPINNING THE WEB”)

IN THIS EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ARTICLE, INSTRUCTIONAL COACH ALEXIS
WIGGINS DESCRIBES HOW HER CLASSROOM APPROACH WAS RADICALLY ALTERED WHEN SHE
TAUGHT ENGLISH AT A HIGH SCHOOL WHOSE RUBRIC FOR SOCRATIC SEMINARS INCLUDED THIS
CLAUSE: “BECAUSE THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT, THERE WILL BE A TEAM GRADE. THE WHOLE
CLASS WILL GET THE SAME GRADE.” LOQUACIOUS STUDENTS HAD A POWERFUL INCENTIVE TO
DIAL BACK, SHY STUDENTS NEEDED TO SPEAK UP, AND ALL STUDENTS HAD TO LEARN TO
FACILITATE BROAD PARTICIPATION BY ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS AND REALLY LISTENING.
“THIS IS A SHIFT IN THINKING ABOUT LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT FOR MANY STUDENTS,”
SAYS WIGGINS, “BUT I THINK IT TARGETS SOME MAJOR GAPS IN HOW WE EDUCATE STUDENTS
TO BECOME ETHICAL, COLLABORATIVE THINKERS AND PROBLEM SOLVERS.”

WIGGINS FOUND THIS APPROACH SO EFFECTIVE THAT SHE DEVELOPED A
VARIATION THAT SHE CALLS SPIDER WEB DISCUSSION. FIRST, SHE EXPLAINS THE PROCESS
TO STUDENTS, HANDS OUT COPIES OF THE DISCUSSION RUBRIC, SAYS HOW MUCH TIME THEY
HAVE, AND SPELLS OUT THE GOALS FOR THE DISCUSSION (WHICH IS USUALLY ON A TEXT
THEY READ THE NIGHT BEFORE). FOR EXAMPLE, HERE ARE THE CRITERIA FOR AN ENGLISH
CLASS TO EARN AN A:

- EVERYONE PARTICIPATES IN A MEANINGFUL AND SUBSTANTIVE WAY, MORE OR LESS
EQUALLY.

- THERE IS A SENSE OF BALANCE AND ORDER, FOCUSING ON ONE SPEAKER AND ONE IDEA
AT A TIME.

- THE DISCUSSION IS LIVELY AND THE PACE IS NEITHER HYPER NOR BORING.

- STUDENTS BACK UP WHAT THEY SAY WITH EXAMPLES AND QUOTES FROM THEIR JOURNALS
AND/OR THE TEXT.

- AT LEAST ONE LITERARY FEATURE, ELEMENT OF WRITING STYLE, AND CLASS
VOCABULARY WORD IS DISCUSSED CORRECTLY.

FOR OTHER SAMPLE RUBRICS, SEE HTTP://BIT.LY/15LWXTL.

DURING THE DISCUSSION, WIGGINS SITS OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE WITH A MAP OF THE CLASS
AND KEEPS TRACK OF THE “WEB” OF TALK BY DRAWING LINES ACROSS THE CIRCLE AS
STUDENTS RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER. SHE ALSO CODES WHAT’S GOING ON – INTERRUPTIONS,
CITING THE TEXT, INSIGHTFUL CONTRIBUTIONS, THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS – AND NOTES
STUDENT WEAKNESSES FOR INDIVIDUAL CHATS AFTERWARD. FOR EXAMPLE, SHE SPOKE TO A
GIRL WHOSE COMMENTS WERE OFTEN SUPERFICIAL AND URGED HER TO USE HER JOURNAL TO
DEVELOP DEEPER INSIGHTS ABOUT THE READING. “USING THIS KIND OF DATA TO HELP
STUDENTS CORRECT ERRORS IN THINKING AND UNDERSTANDING BEFORE THE BIG TEST OR
PAPER WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL OUTCOMES OF MY CODING SYSTEM,” SAYS WIGGINS.

ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES OF HER APPROACH IS THAT STUDENTS RUN THE
DISCUSSION. FROM THE BEGINNING, WIGGINS INSISTS THAT THEY ASK THE QUESTIONS,
REDIRECT THE CONVERSATION WHEN IT’S GETTING OFF TRACK, CORRECT
MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AND ENSURE THAT THE TONE IS CIVIL. AT FIRST, THINGS ARE
AWKWARD AS STUDENTS ADJUST TO AN UNUSUALLY LAID-BACK TEACHER, BUT THERE’S A
STEEP LEARNING CURVE. AFTER EACH DISCUSSION, STUDENTS DEBRIEF AND ASSESS
THEMSELVES ON THE RUBRIC. THEY’RE USUALLY RIGHT ON TARGET, SAYS WIGGINS,
PROVIDING USEFUL DATA FOR IMPROVING FUTURE DISCUSSIONS. “STUDENTS ARE FAR BETTER
REFEREES AND MASTERS OF KNOWLEDGE THAN WE USUALLY GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR,” SHE
SAYS. “BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, THEY DO IT VERY WELL, AND I TAKE GREAT
PLEASURE IN SEEING HOW IRRELEVANT I AM.”

WHAT ABOUT SCHOOLS THAT DON’T ALLOW GROUP GRADING? WIGGINS HAS FOUND
THAT EVEN IF THE GROUP ASSESSMENTS DON’T “COUNT,” STUDENTS STILL CARE ABOUT THEM
AND THE DYNAMIC IS THE SAME.

“SPINNING THE WEB” BY ALEXIS WIGGINS IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, NOVEMBER 2014
(VOL. 72, #3, P. 78-81), HTTP://BIT.LY/15LWO2G; WIGGINS IS
AT ALEXISWIGGINS@SPIDERWEBDISCUSSION.COM. FOR A SHORT VIDEO OF SPIDER WEB
DISCUSSION IN ACTION, SEE WWW.AUTHENTICEDUCATION.ORG/ALEXIS.

BACK TO PAGE ONE

11.24

Brilliant Team,

Before this turns into the obligatory "I am grateful for..." missive that the
season inspires, I'm going to walk you through a day in the life.

7:20 (okay, 7:26) AM: walk into building, open front gate, greet several parents
who are displeased and been waiting to tell me why in the front office. Try to
make it through in time to make coffee before launch.

7:35: upstairs for coffee, oh wait, Kamyla lost her scrunchie.

7:42: HOW IS IT ALREADY LAUNCH?! Run to launch and ignore 7 children pointing
out my untied shoes.

7:44 - 7:47: Wrestle emotionally and physically with our sound system; trying
desperately to avoid the accusatory gazes of parents.

7:50 - 8:05/8:10: sing, dance, say "Rocketeers" sternly. Try watch students
OTHER than the Blue Hens and Gators dance. Usually fail. Make significant eye
contact with my mini-me (Samantha Ledsinger).

8:15 - 8:30: Breakfast with my special crew of raucous breakfasters. Clean
cream cheese off of faces while talking about breathing exercises and the mood
meter. Try to teach Ivan how to whisper. Fail.

8:30 - 9:00: Meet with Brooke. Talk about small groups. Talk about Hugo Correa.
Feel better.

9:00 - 9:15: Check in with Katya and Cintya. Discuss attendance. Discuss lice.
Cry. Review parent volunteers for the day.

9:15 - 9:45: Walkthrough with Natalia. Pretend to know as much as she does
about organization. Fail. Freak out about bathroom cleanliness. Plot. Check in
with support staff.

9:45 - 10:00: phonecall with network

Walkie call - first EPB of the day, everyone's back on track!

10:00 - 10:20: first observation of day. walk into Nikita's room and stifle my
tears as ZERO students look up from their partner reading to greet me. except
Brendy, thank goodness for Brendy.

almost get ran over by Ruben. get hugged instead. surreptitiously steal his
lego gun. walk with him to Amanda's class and discuss oral presentation
strategies and whether or not colonies had women in them with Abraham.

10:20 - 11:00: first grade walkthrough with Brooke. Try to be unobtrusive
amongst 30 little demands to be read with. ask students about vocabulary
they're learning. get schooled.

Walk by Sheila's class. Dance with Izaiah.

Walk by Ricardo's class. Cut out shapes with Jay.

Walk by Tayler's class. Journal about seeds.

Walk by Coach Brown's class. Try to keep a rhythm. fail.

12:00 - 1:00 Lunchtime conference call. lengthen to-do list. cry.

1:00 - 1:30: Truancy meetings.

Walk by kinder classrooms, notice that Julia and Hanh-Nhi are so on pace they
are essentially on the same word in their lesson plan. gasp in perpetual awe.
notice Liana's 117th new positive reinforcement and the pure happiness it
inspires.

1:30 - 1:50: Playground drama, crisis averted. walk quickly through learning
lab only to get caught up in Smith's pirate chant, Christina's laserlike
tutoring focus, and Isabel's astounding patience with a shoe-less Nathan.

1:50 - 2:00: walk into Haley's room, get greeted by my NAME (not just Mrs.
Singer), weep with joy. walk into Kim's room. stand up straighter because all
the students are.

2:00 - 2:30: student work sample assessments. emotional rollercoaster.

2:30 - 3:00: biohazard in boy's bathroom. strap on gloves.

walk by Katie and Tiffany's rooms, watch 60 graders take a Gonoodle break.
giggle.

3:30 - 3:45: watch Ashley's 2nd graders cheerfully act out an exothermic
reaction and squeal (I guess I did that too...) at the result of an experiment.

3:45 - 4:00: gird loins for dismissal after collapsing on divya's u-table. try
to have serious conversation with divya while supine. sometimes fail.

4:30 - 7:00: ALL the meetings, with ALL the interesting questions, and ALL the
critical and fascinating problems to be solved.

7:00 - 8:00: office work, avoid traffic.

8:00 - 8:45: commute home. call parents. get yelled at for calling too late
(rightfully so). 15 minutes to go, call MY parents. get yelled at more due to
lack of grandchildren (less rightfully so).

All of our days are hectic. Each of our hours are exhausting. Every single one
of our minutes are demanding. Yet it is the output I witness each day to our
input; the art lessons, the experiments, the peer discussions, the no-nonsense
focus of our littlest ones, the help from our families; those are the scenes
that fill me with a profound and serene gratitude, that buoy me from task to
task to paperwork to task to complaint to meeting to....reflection.

Because from my perspective?

We are winning the game.

Thanks for, and to you all. Please do your very very best to enjoy the
imminent, epically well-deserved break.

Amy

Scheduling:

Thursday PD: NA

M CPT: None, extra prep for Thanksgiving

T CPT: Thanksgiving festival

W CPT: NA

F CPT: NA

1:1s/team meetings: None this week!

All the things:

* Thanks to Amanda for the suggestion to archive old launchpad messages. Check
the new tab at the top!
* Language Rich Environment Walkthrough coming up. Let's show them what we can
do. :) . Brooke and I will be giving initial rubric feedback the week of the
1st, with the walk through following on Monday, the 8th. Check out the
monitoring for language and student habits of discussion rows - I think those
are the most natural place to push.
Language rich environment 2014.pdf
*

* Check the network announcements for clarity on the writing assessment! As
stated, data due on the last day of December (the 19th), it will be reported
via Illuminate.
* Contrary to the children's popular belief, YMCA does NOT allow them to brings
toys or candy. Jesse has the same policy as we do, so act accordingly
despite the protests.
* Per the discussions Meg Robinson-Li has been having with many of us about the
evolving evaluation process for teachers, the rubric to be used for our core
characteristic ratings has been finalized. Please peruse and follow up with
Brooke or I with questions! We'll bring them to upcoming 1:1s to solicit
thoughts. A message from her:

* Teacher Core Characteristics Rubric -

1. Teacher Evaluation Refresher_14-15

2. Teacher Evaluation Overview (for reference) (Has ratings for data
dashboard)

3. Core Characteristics Rubric

4. Core Characteristics Scoring Guide (for SLs)
As a reminder, the rubric itself as well as other docs related to the teacher
role can be accessed by teachers OR school leaders by visiting Mission
Control-->Key Resources -->Human Resources --> “Teacher PGP, VOE, Evaluation
and Compensation Resources”.
* Due to parent concerns regarding the cold weather and outdoor launch, we will
be allowing them to await in the big learning lab with their Rocketeer if
they'd prefer not to have them stand outside. They must be supervised. The
outdoor launch upper limit is 45 degrees.
* Winter break packets are upon us! Kim suggested I write a cover letter
explained the purpose/general content of said packets, and I absolutely will;
likely during the first week of December. We are not attaching a big ticket
extrinsic incentive, but I will try to brainstorm a smaller treat, like a
pencil or pin. General guidelines are similar to regular homework: some sort
of reading record, a journal, and some fluency work with math and sight
words/letter names/sounds is all that is required. More is to your
discretion.
* The final FINAL assessment calendar (the date of a few writing and benchmark
windows changed slightly) follows and is updated in Mastery Quest: 14.15 Bay
Area Calendar w Assessments.pdf
* Caris Cardona, our math director, will be in and out of math classrooms on
Tuesday, and would love to debrief with math teachers! Let me know if you
would like to despite the busy day!
* Literacy teachers Please look over Jessica Devine's writing assessment email
and email Brooke with any questions!

WEEKLY INSPIRATION - THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND LEARN AND HALLS - WHY WE MUST
CONTINUE TO EXPECT GREAT THINGS. ALSO, ABOUT 5 OTHER FASCINATING TIDBITS THAT I
COULDN'T BEAR TO CUT:

1. CAN BODY POSTURE CHANGE A PERSON’S LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE AND EFFICACY?

In this New York Times article, David Hochman reports on the work of
Harvard Business School social psychologist Amy Cuddy, whose research shows the
surprising impact of body posture on self-assurance and success. Cuddy, whose
phenomenally popular TED talk on this subject is available in the link below,
has demonstrated that a confident, expansive, “Wonder Woman” stance is not only
an outward manifestation of confidence; striking such a pose
can createself-assurance that wasn’t there before.

Conversely, a number of less-confident body postures are common among those who
are worried, have low self-esteem, or don’t think they really deserve to be
there – for example:

- Shoulders hunched inward;

- Arms crossed;

- Legs crossed;

- Ankles tightly entwined;

- Touching one’s face or neck;

- Raising one’s hand only half-way up in class.

These are part of a self-reinforcing cycle of low confidence and decreased
efficacy. Women are particularly prone to less-confident body posture, says
Cuddy.

But if a person about to walk into a high-stakes situation – an
interview, a date, a stage performance, teaching a class – takes a couple of
minutes alone to strike a confident pose, there’s a boost in confidence and
success. Cuddy and her colleagues have measured significant increases in
testosterone (a hormone associated with high efficacy) and decreases in
cortisone (a stress hormone) after only a short amount of time standing up
straight, shoulders back, head up, arms on hips, legs in a wide stance.

Cuddy’s own story is testament to this phenomenon. She once worked as a
roller-skating waitress and while in college in Colorado, was seriously injured
in a car accident and given little hope of recovering full mental capacity. She
persisted, graduated from college, went through graduate school at Princeton,
all the time thinking she was an impostor, and worked her way into a
professorship at Harvard and finally felt she belonged. “Fake it till
you become it,” is Cuddy’s rallying cry for people who struggle as she did.

“Amy Cuddy Takes a Stand” by David Hochman in The New York Times, September 19,
2014,http://nyti.ms/1sFpldD

2. THE LINK BETWEEN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND COMMON CORE SUCCESS

IN THIS KAPPAN ARTICLE, MAURICE ELIAS (RUTGERS UNIVERSITY) BEMOANS
THE FACT THAT SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL FACTORS ARE NOT ALWAYS ADDRESSED IN THE CURRENT
PUSH TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS. “COLLEGE POSES MANY
CHALLENGES,” HE SAYS, “PARTICULARLY FOR STUDENTS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS,
WHOSE DROPOUT RATES HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AS HIGH AS 90%. THERE IS A TREMENDOUS
EMOTIONAL CHARGE ASSOCIATED WITH MANY ASPECTS OF COLLEGE, RANGING FROM FEARS
ABOUT FAMILY IDENTITY AND ACCEPTANCE, LOSS OF PEER GROUPS, CONCERNS ABOUT
FITTING IN AND MANAGING THE WORKLOAD, IMPLICATIONS OF CHOICES OF COURSES AND
MAJORS, HOW TO ESTABLISH A RANGE OF NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND ADULTS, AND
LIFESTYLE CHOICES ABOUT THE USE OF LEISURE TIME, STUDYING, EATING, AND
SLEEPING.” STUDIES SHOW THAT IT’S PROBLEMS IN THESE AREAS, MORE THAN
INTELLECTUAL SHORTCOMINGS, THAT LEAD TO MOST COLLEGE DROPOUTS.

FORTUNATELY THERE’S AN EMERGING CONSENSUS ON THE BROADER SKILL-SET
THAT PUTS STUDENTS ON THE PATH TO COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS:

- BEING ABLE TO REASON CLEARLY, SUPPORT ARGUMENTS, AND RESPECTFULLY CHALLENGE
OTHERS;

- APPLYING STRATEGIC THINKING, INCLUDING ANALYZING ONE’S OWN STRATEGIES AND
TRAITS;

- POSSESSING A MINDSET SUPPORTIVE OF HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE IN THE FACE OF
DIFFICULTY;

- BEING ORIENTED TOWARD INDEPENDENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE’S LEARNING AND
ACTIONS;

- DEVELOPING SOLID SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCES, INCLUDING SELF-AWARENESS,
SELF-MANAGEMENT, SOCIAL AWARENESS, RELATIONSHIP SKILLS, AND RESPONSIBLE
DECISION-MAKING.

STUDENTS NEED THIS FULL RANGE OF COMPETENCIES TO TACKLE THE COMMON CORE’S
CHALLENGING STEPPINGSTONES TO COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS: DIFFICULT READING,
UNFAMILIAR VOCABULARY, GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH HEARTY DISAGREEMENTS. TO SUCCEED
ACADEMICALLY, STUDENTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE AND MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER STRESS, ANXIETY, FRUSTRATION, AND DISAPPOINTMENT.
THEY NEED STAMINA AND GRIT, AS WELL AS EMPATHY FOR OTHERS’ PERSPECTIVES,
INCLUDING AUTHORS AND FICTIONAL CHARACTERS.

ONE PIECE OF THIS DEEPER EDUCATION, ELIAS BELIEVES, IS TAKING
STUDENTS BEYOND SIMPLE WORDS LIKE MAD, SAD, AND GLAD AS LABELS FOR EMOTIONAL
STATES. OUR ABILITY “TO CONSTRUCTIVELY THINK AND ACT WHEN WE ARE ‘MAD’ IS MUCH
MORE LIMITED THAN WHEN WE ARE ‘FRUSTRATED,’ ‘PUZZLED,’ ‘ANNOYED,’ OR EVEN ‘PUT
DOWN,’” HE SAYS, “ALL OF WHICH ARE ALTERNATIVE AND OFTEN MORE LIKELY ACCURATE
LABELS TO ATTACH TO SITUATIONS THAN ‘MAD.’ SIMILARLY, PERCEIVING THAT ONE IS
‘MAD’ AT YOU OR OTHERS FORECLOSES POSSIBILITIES THAT MIGHT BE PRESENT WITH A
MORE ACCURATE EMOTION LABEL… STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE A NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF
EMOTIONS ARE UNLIKELY TO SEE DEEP MEANING IN MUCH OF THE LITERATURE THEY READ
AND ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED IN IT.” THE SAME IS TRUE IN MATH, SCIENCE,
PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND OTHER SUBJECTS.

ELIAS CONCLUDES WITH A PLEA TO DIAL BACK HIGH-STAKES TESTING
PRESSURE SO THAT A MORE BALANCED EDUCATION CAN TAKE SHAPE OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
“SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING A RICH CONSTELLATION OF
CORE ETHICAL AND CIVIC VALUES, MUST BE INTERTWINED WITH EVERY STRAND IF CHILDREN
ARE TO USE THEIR KNOWLEDGE FOR GOOD AND NOT ILL, AND TO SERVE NOT ONLY
THEMSELVES BUT OTHERS,” HE SAYS. “THE THREADS OF CHARACTER MUST TOUCH THE
THREADS OF KNOWLEDGE AT EACH AND EVERY POINT, OR ELSE THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE
TAPESTRY WILL UNRAVEL.”

“SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS CAN BOOST COMMON CORE IMPLEMENTATION” BY MAURICE ELIAS
IN PHI DELTA KAPPAN, NOVEMBER 2014 (VOL. 96, #3, P.
58-62), WWW.KAPPANMAGAZINE.ORG; ELIAS CAN BE REACHED AT RUTGERSMJE@AOL.COM.

BACK TO PAGE ONE

3. TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO SPEAK EFFECTIVELY IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE

(ORIGINALLY TITLED “NOW PRESENTING…”)

IN THIS EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ARTICLE, CONSULTANT/AUTHOR ERIK
PALMER SAYS THERE ARE THREE REASONS THAT SO FEW SCHOOLS DO A GOOD JOB TEACHING
STUDENTS PUBLIC SPEAKING: IT’S NOT ON STATE TESTS; WE THINK STUDENTS ALREADY
KNOW HOW TO SPEAK; AND WE DON’T HAVE GOOD TECHNIQUES – WE ASSIGN SPEAKING BUT
DON’T TEACH IT. THE RESULT IS DREARY BOOK REPORTS, DEADLY EXPLANATIONS OF
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS, AND DISAPPOINTING POETRY SLAMS. “IF WE EXPECT STUDENTS TO
LEARN TO SPEAK,” SAYS PALMER (ADAPTING CAROL JAGO’S DICTUM ON WRITING), “WE NEED
TO TEACH THEM HOW. THIS MEANS EMBEDDING IN OUR PRACTICE DAILY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDENTS TO SPEAK, COMBINED WITH DELIBERATE INSTRUCTION ABOUT THE MOVES GOOD
SPEAKERS MAKE AS THEY TALK.” HE CHALLENGES SCHOOLS TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO
DEVELOPING MORE-EFFECTIVE SPEAKERS BY AGREEING ON A COMMON LANGUAGE AND ACTUALLY
TEACHING STUDENTS.

PALMER SUGGESTS USING THE ACRONYM P.V.LEGS AS THE BASIS FOR AN
EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM ON SPEAKING:

- POISE – APPEAR CALM AND CONFIDENT.

- VOICE – MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT.

- LIFE – PUT PASSION INTO YOUR VOICE.

- EYE CONTACT – VISUALLY ENGAGE EACH LISTENER.

- GESTURES – MAKE MOTIONS MATCH YOUR WORDS.

- SPEED – ADJUST YOUR PACE FOR A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE.

HERE ARE SOME DETAILS FOR EACH ONE:

• POISE – STUDENTS NEED TO BE AWARE OF ODD TICS AND BEHAVIORS –
TUGGING ON A SLEEVE, FIDGETING WITH ONE’S FINGERS, TWIRLING THE STRING OF A
HOODIE, ROLLING AND UNROLLING PAPERS. STUDENTS CAN BE TAUGHT TO OBSERVE
BEHAVIORS IN ADULTS AND PEERS THAT KEEP AN AUDIENCE FROM FOCUSING ON THE MESSAGE
– AND THEN PRACTICE COMING ACROSS AS POISED THEMSELVES.

• VOICE – STUDENTS NEED TO MODULATE THEIR VOLUME SO THEY’RE LOUD
ENOUGH – BUT NOT TOO LOUD – SO THAT EVERY WORD CAN BE HEARD AND CONTRIBUTES TO
THE MESSAGE.

• LIFE – TEACHERS CAN MODEL PUTTING PASSION INTO THEIR VOICES AND
THEN HAVE STUDENTS PRACTICE SAYING A SHORT SENTENCE – I WANT A PEANUT – WITH
GREAT EXPRESSION. THEN STUDENTS CAN TAKE TURNS DELIVERING A MORE SUBSTANTIVE
SENTENCE WITH TREMENDOUS CONVICTION: 800 MILLION PEOPLE ARE STARVING ON THIS
PLANET! OR IT WAS THE GREATEST SHOW I’VE EVER SEEN!

• EYE CONTACT – TEACHERS MIGHT HAVE A STUDENT SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES
ON A FAMILIAR TOPIC AND THEN POLL THE CLASS TO SEE HOW MANY STUDENTS BELIEVE THE
SPEAKER MADE DIRECT EYE CONTACT WITH THEM AT SOME POINT – IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK FOR
THE SPEAKER! POLLS AFTER SUBSEQUENT PRESENTATIONS WILL RESULT IN BETTER AND
BETTER EYE CONTACT. STUDENTS CAN ALSO DISCUSS WHY IT’S IMPORTANT, MODEL IT IN
ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS IN SCHOOL, AND OBSERVE ADULTS AS THEY SPEAK IN PERSON
OR ON TV OR IN MOVIES.

• GESTURES – PALMER SUGGESTS PLAYING A SCENE FROM THE PRINCESS
BRIDE IN WHICH VIZZINI AND THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS DRINK FROM POISONED GOBLETS
– WITH THE SOUND MUTED – AND NOTICING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, HAND GESTURES, AND
BODY LANGUAGE. FOR HOMEWORK, STUDENTS MIGHT FIND A HIGH-GESTURE SCENE AND SHARE
IT WITH THE CLASS.

• SPEED – A TEACHER MIGHT GIVE DIRECTIONS V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y,
SHOWING HOW PACE CAN AFFECT ATTENTION AND COMPREHENSION. PALMER ALSO SUGGESTS
PLAYING THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH,
WHICH IS QUITE STATELY, AND THEN THE LAST PORTION, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY FASTER,
AND DISCUSSING WHY KING VARIED THE PACE AND THE IMPACT IT HAD ON THE AUDIENCE.

“IF TEACHERS EXPLICITLY TEACH THESE SKILLS,” PALMER CONCLUDES, “WHEN
IT’S TIME FOR STUDENTS TO GIVE A BIG PRESENTATION, THE STUDENTS WILL KNOW WHAT’S
REQUIRED AND WILL HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE GOOD SPEAKING ALONG THE
WAY. THEY WILL HAVE MADE STEPS TOWARD BECOMING EFFECTIVE ORAL COMMUNICATORS.”

“NOW PRESENTING…” BY ERIK PALMER IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, NOVEMBER 2014 (VOL.
72, #3, P. 24-29), HTTP://BIT.LY/1HAXOVH; PALMER CAN BE REACHED
AT ERIK_PALMER@COMCAST.NET.

BACK TO PAGE ONE

4. FOSTERING HIGH-QUALITY CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS

(ORIGINALLY TITLED “SPEAKING VOLUMES”)

“STUDENTS LOVE TO TALK. SO DO TEACHERS,” SAY DOUGLAS FISHER AND
NANCY FREY (SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY) IN THIS EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ARTICLE.
BUT CLASSROOM TALK IS NOT ALWAYS PRODUCTIVE, AND IN MANY CLASSROOMS, ESPECIALLY
THOSE WITH LOW-ACHIEVING STUDENTS, TEACHERS ARE TALKING AS MUCH AS 80 PERCENT OF
THE TIME. FISHER AND FREY SUGGEST A NUMBER OF WAYS TO MAXIMIZE THE QUALITY OF
SMALL- AND LARGE-GROUP CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THINKING,
READING, AND WRITING:

• OFFER MEANINGFUL AND COMPLEX TASKS. THE PROMPT FOR A DISCUSSION
SHOULD BE RELEVANT, INTERESTING, AND ENGAGING, NOT JUST COMPLETING AN ASSIGNMENT
OR ACTIVITY.

• MODEL BEHAVIORAL CUES. TEACHERS OFTEN NEED TO EXPLICITLY TEACH AND
THEN CAREFULLY MONITOR THE BODY LANGUAGE OF GOOD GROUP WORK – STUDENTS LEANING
IN, GESTURING, WITH ATTENTIVE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. VIDEOS OF GROUPS ARE HELPFUL,
AS IS A FISHBOWL IN WHICH STUDENTS OBSERVE AN EFFECTIVE GROUP AT WORK.

• ENCOURAGE ARGUMENTATION, NOT ARGUING. STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN HOW
TO DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE – MAKING CLAIMS, OFFERING EVIDENCE,
SEEKING CLARIFICATION, USING ACCOUNTABLE TALK, OFFERING COUNTERCLAIMS, AGREEING
TO DISAGREE, OR REACHING CONSENSUS.

• USE THE BEST FORMAT. FOR WHOLE-GROUP DISCUSSIONS, A CIRCLE OR
U-SHAPE ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SEE EACH OTHERS’ FACES, WHICH MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

• PROVIDE LANGUAGE SUPPORT. SOME STUDENTS ARE SHY AND RARELY GIVE
VOICE TO THEIR IDEAS. TEACHERS CAN HELP STUDENTS TAKE PART IN DISCUSSIONS BY
PROVIDING SENTENCE FRAMES, LANGUAGE CHARTS, WORD WALLS, AUDIO DEVICES, PEER
SUPPORT, OR TEACHER MODELING.

• FIND THE RIGHT GROUP SIZE. SMALL GROUPS IDEALLY HAVE 2-5 STUDENTS,
SAY FISHER AND FREY, AND DON’T ALL HAVE TO BE THE SAME SIZE; SOME STUDENTS WORK
BEST WITH ONE PARTNER, WHILE OTHERS THRIVE IN A LARGER GROUP – BUT NOT MORE THAN
FIVE. HETEROGENEOUS GROUPS CAN BE FORMED BY MAKING A LIST OF ALL STUDENTS IN
ORDER OF ACHIEVEMENT, CUTTING THE LIST IN TWO, AND FORMING EACH GROUP WITH
STUDENTS FROM THE TWO COLUMNS.

• LISTEN, QUESTION, PROMPT, AND CUE. TEACHERS SHOULD TUNE IN ON
STUDENT TALK AND INTERVENE STRATEGICALLY, SAY FISHER AND FREY: “IN ADDITION,
TEACHERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THEIR COMMENTS CAN BUILD STUDENTS’ SENSE OF SELF –
THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, AGENCY, AND IDENTITY – OR DAMAGE IT.” HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL
PROMPTS:

- CAN YOU TELL US MORE?

- WOULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN?

- CAN YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER EXAMPLE SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND?

- I’D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT OTHERS ARE THINKING ABOUT ROBERT’S COMMENT.

- TAKE YOUR TIME. I CAN SEE YOU’VE GOT FURTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.

- WHY DO YOU THINK THAT?

- WHERE COULD WE FIND THAT INFORMATION YOU JUST BROUGHT UP?

- I’LL RESTATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID. LISTEN TO MAKE SURE I GOT IT RIGHT.

- THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. LET’S POSE IT TO THE REST OF THE CLASS. WHAT DO YOU
THINK?

“SPEAKING VOLUMES” BY DOUGLAS FISHER AND NANCY FREY IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP,
NOVEMBER 2014 (VOL. 72, #3, P. 18-23), HTTP://BIT.LY/1VJ7Z7L; FISHER CAN BE
REACHED AT DFISHER@MAIL.SDSU.EDU, FREY AT NFREY@MAIL.SDSU.EDU.

6. USING SMALL-GROUP ROUTINES TO BUILD ELLS’ SKILLS AND SELF-ASSURANCE

(ORIGINALLY TITLED “FOSTERING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ CONFIDENCE”)

IN THIS EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ARTICLE, RHONDA BONDIE AND AKANE
ZUSHO (FORDHAM UNIVERSITY) AND LAURIE GAUGHRAN (A NEW YORK CITY ACHIEVEMENT
COACH) DESCRIBE TWO CLASSROOM ROUTINES DRAWN FROM ALL-ED
(WWW.ALL-ED.ORG/GROUP_LEARNING_EXAMPLES) THAT GREATLY IMPROVED DISCUSSIONS FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN A NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOL:

• ELBOW PARTNER EXCHANGE – TWO STUDENTS SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER
DISCUSS A SPECIFIC QUESTION POSED BY THE TEACHER – FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE TEACHING
A MATH MINI-LESSON, THE TEACHER ASKS ELBOW PARTNERS TO READ A SAMPLE MATH
PROBLEM AND LIST QUESTIONS THAT COME TO MIND. THIS ELICITS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE,
RAISES QUESTIONS, AND PRIMES THE PUMP FOR THE MINI-LESSON. “WHEREAS IN
WHOLE-GROUP DISCUSSIONS, TEACHERS ONLY CALL ON A FEW STUDENTS,” SAY BONDIE,
ZUSHO, AND GAUGHRAN, “IN THESE BRIEF EXCHANGES ALL STUDENTS HAVE SOMEONE
INTERACTING WITH THEM.” BEFORE INDEPENDENT PRACTICE, THE TEACHER MIGHT HAVE
ELBOW PARTNERS TALK AGAIN, THIS TIME ABOUT WHICH IS THE HARDEST PROBLEM, THE
STRATEGIES THEY PLAN TO USE, AND QUESTIONS THEY STILL NEED TO ASK.

• HOMEWORK ROUNDS – IN SMALL GROUPS AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS,
STUDENTS COMPARE ANSWERS TO EACH HOMEWORK PROBLEM, DISCUSS DISAGREEMENTS, AND
FIGURE OUT IF THERE’S ONE CORRECT ANSWER OR SEVERAL POSSIBLE ANSWERS. ONE MEMBER
OF THE GROUP IS THE DESIGNATED RECORDER, JOTS DOWN CONCLUSIONS AND REMAINING
QUESTIONS, AND PASSES THEM TO THE TEACHER. THIS “LIVE” CORRECTING OF HOMEWORK
ALLOWS THE TEACHER TO INCORPORATE INSIGHTS AND ADDRESS DIFFICULTIES AND
MISCONCEPTIONS IMMEDIATELY, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT DAY.

THE KEY WITH ROUTINES LIKE THESE, SAY THE AUTHORS, IS TEACHING
STUDENTS TO ENACT THEM WITHOUT DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. HERE ARE THEIR TIPS:

- GROUP STUDENTS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING.
MANY STUDENTS ENJOY BEING “TEACHERS” TO THEIR PEERS.

- USE SIMPLE, MEMORABLE ROUTINES WITH A NAME – FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN ONE TEACHER
ANNOUNCES “TRIAD STATIONS,” STUDENTS MOVE INTO ASSIGNED GROUPS OF THREE AND
COMPLETE TWO TASKS IN FIVE MINUTES.

- USE TIME LIMITS AND A SPECIFIC CHALLENGE TO INCREASE FOCUS. IT’S ALSO
HELPFUL TO COLD-CALL MEMBERS OF GROUPS SO EVERYONE MUST PAY ATTENTION AND BE
ACCOUNTABLE.

- INVOLVE STUDENTS IN IMPROVING ROUTINES. STUDENTS CAN HELP PROBLEM-SOLVE WHEN
ROUTINES TAKE TOO LONG OR NEED MORE STRUCTURE.

- SET RULES THAT FOSTER CONFIDENCE. ONE SUCH RULE, ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE FOR
STUDENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH, IS CONFIRM OR CONTRIBUTE – STUDENTS HAVE THE
OPTION OF REPEATING WHAT ANOTHER GROUP MEMBER SAID OR ADDING A NEW IDEA.

- DON’T GIVE UP TOO EASILY. NOT ALL ROUTINES WORK THE FIRST TIME, BUT WITH
PRACTICE, STUDENTS CAN MANAGE THEM INDEPENDENTLY AND MAKE THEM THE BACKBONE OF
SUCCESSFUL LESSONS.

- ASSESS STUDENTS’ EMERGING SKILLS. STUDENTS MIGHT USE A RUBRIC OR DAILY
JOURNAL TO MONITOR THEIR OWN PROGRESS. ONE TEACHER REPORTED, “THE LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT IS BIG; SOME STUDENTS WHO DID NOT SPEAK BEFORE ARE TALKING NOW. THEY
ARE ALL COMMUNICATING… THEY HAVE TO USE THE VOCABULARY AND LISTEN FOR IT.”

“FOSTERING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ CONFIDENCE” BY RHONDA BONDIE, AKANE ZUSHO,
AND LAURIE GAUGHRAN IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, NOVEMBER 2014 (VOL. 72, #3, P.
42-46),

HTTP://BIT.LY/1ZX4PLF; THE AUTHORS ARE
AT RBONDIE@FORDHAM.EDU, ZUSHO@FORDHAM.EDU, ANDLGAUGHRAN@SCHOOLS.NYC.GOV.

B. STORY STARTER WEBSITES – IN THIS SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL FEATURE,
RICHARD BYRNE SUGGESTS APPS TO HELP STUDENTS GET STARTED WITH THEIR WRITING.
HERE ARE THREE THAT ARE FREE:

• WRITE ABOUT THIS HTTP://OW.LY/CWMBT

• WORDWRITER HTTP://WWW.BOOMWRITER.COM/WORDWRITER

• STORYTOOLZ HTTP://STORYTOOLZ.COM

11.13 Launchpad:

Brilliant Team,

I will keep this very brief as you all have plenty of Check-In, Check-Out
reading to do this week! What follows is the folder with all necessary
materials.

I walked into Natalia's office today to debrief today's semi-lockdown. I asked
if she had any notes. We spent a solid minute squinting into space trying to
think of a growth area, and came up empty. Thank you all, sincerely, for calmly
and gracefully reacting to a potentially stressful scenario.

CICO

Announcements:

Thursday PD: Guided Reading Comprehension Question Planning and Miscue Coding:
suggestions from STEP trainer. Math: complete and turn in formative
assessments, logistics of BCR grading.

M CPT: Review Thanksgiving event document (see inbox)

T CPT: Language-Rich Walkthrough rubric reading

W CPT: Discretionary!

F CPT: ISE, Tier 2 data and potential SST flags

All the things:

* Brooke will sadly be off campus all next week. See Amy, Natalia, and Katya
for any and all support. Ms. B, Ms. T, and Mr. Curry will also be
walkie-available when they are not in groups. Do not hesitate to call or ask
for any kind of help, I will wear roller skates if need be!
* Caris Cardona, our math director, will be in and out of math classrooms on
Tuesday, and would love to debrief with math teachers!
* See Natalia's hearing test email for Monday's logistics

WEEKLY INSPIRATION - ONE RESOURCE, TWO ARTICLES ON STUDENT DISCOURSE, AND...THE
CIRCUS?

3. STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS

(Originally titled “Talking to Learn”)

“Some of my happiest, most rewarding moments as an educator have
been hearing what comes out of learners’ mouths when I get out of the way,” says
Elizabeth City (Harvard Graduate School of Education) in this Educational
Leadership article. “Talking matters to learning. Although it’s possible to
think without talking – and to talk without much thinking – each can strengthen
the other. Talking also provides windows into what students are learning.” Rich
classroom conversations also go to the heart of democratic schooling, she says:
the better students get at thinking, speaking, and listening, the better off
we’ll all be.

So why do teachers do most of the talking in classrooms? And why is so much
student talk unimpressive? City believes there are five reasons:

- We have other priorities. Curriculum coverage. Test preparation. Even if
“accountable talk” is in the school-improvement plan, other things push it
aside.

- It’s hard to step outside the traditional paradigm: the teacher steers
discussions, the students follow in familiar roles.

- We’re afraid. Teachers fear losing control. Students fear not knowing how to
play the game of school. Both fear sounding stupid.

- We believe that only “advanced” learners can drive discussions.

- Everyone thinks silences should be avoided at all costs.

There’s no question that having rich, authentic discussions is difficult, says
City. It involves balancing each of these elements: safety, challenge, authentic
participation, and ownership.

Students must feel safe from being attacked, but discussions shouldn’t
be so safe that no one takes risks. The level of challenge must be just right –
not too hard and not too easy. This is tricky, but City believes we often
underestimate what students can handle. “Authentic participation means students
offer questions or comments that deepen their own and others’ understanding and
make space for multiple voices and ideas to be heard,” she says. And ownership
is key: not anarchy, in which students “veer wildly from one side of the
intellectual road to another while the teacher sits back like a powerless
passenger,” nor dictatorship, with the teacher saying, “I want you to discuss…”
In a successful discussion, says City, “students ask most of the questions,
connecting with and building on one another’s ideas, taking responsibility for
the tenor of the conversation, and talking with one another… The teacher is
valued and respected as a member of the discussion community – albeit one with
more experience and expertise – but she or he is not deferred to as the
authority.” How can this happen?

• Set the stage. Students should be in a circle or U so they can see each
others’ faces.

• Think-pair-share. Getting students to think, jot down ideas, and chat with an
elbow partner is an excellent way to ramp up participation and authenticity.

• Use discussion protocols. In Save the Last Word, students read a text in
advance and choose a sentence or passage they consider important or striking. A
group convenes, one person reads the passage he or she chose aloud, the others
have one minute each to respond, then the first person gets “the last word,”
with 2-3 minutes to explain the choice and connect with what others said.
In Four A’s, students read a text with four questions in mind: What do
you agree with? Whatassumptions does the author hold? What do you want
to argue with? And what parts of the text do you aspire to?

• Use texts. It’s possible to have student-driven discussions without texts,
says City, but well-chosen texts are very helpful. They provide common ground
for a conversation and offer pathways to ideas, experiences, and feelings. They
don’t have to be print – art, music, maps, primary documents, essays, political
cartoons, and math problems are fine. One discussion used two photographs of
Abraham Lincoln, one taken shortly before he became president, one shortly
before his death.

• Focus on process. Content is the central focus, says City, but “a little
attention to process can make a big difference in quality.” Facilitators and
participants can set goals – “Talk more,” “Listen more,” “Ask a question” – or a
collective goal like “Let’s try to connect with one another’s ideas” or “Let’s
refer to the text more.” And at the end of the discussion, it’s good to reflect
on how it went. How did we do on safety? How challenging was the conversation?
Who participated and who didn’t? How authentic and educative was it?

“Talking to Learn” by Elizabeth City in Educational Leadership, November 2014
(Vol. 72, #3, p. 10-16), http://bit.ly/1wMkBce; City can be reached
at elizabeth_city@gse.harvard.edu.

Back to page one

4. GETTING STUDENTS TO EXPRESS SUBSTANTIVE IDEAS IN CLASS

(Originally titled “Research Alert: High-Press Talk”)

This item in Educational Leadership gives a short summary of a study
of 4th- and 5th-grade teachers who used “high-press” questions to challenge
students to think and discuss at a deeper level. The author, Dot McElhone, found
that specific classroom conditions were conducive to deeper thinking:

- Teachers positioned students as competent and capable thinkers.

- Students had multiple opportunities to share their ideas in discussions.

- Students felt safe taking risks with their thinking and exploring ideas.

- Teachers conferenced frequently with students.

- Teachers mixed low-press questions (yes/no, either/or) with high-press
questions.

- Teachers framed reading as a collaborative endeavor with ambitious goals,
versus an individual process of finding correct answers to narrow comprehension
questions.

“Research Alert: High-Press Talk” in Educational Leadership, November 2014 (Vol.
72, #3, p.
8),http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov14/vol72/num03/Double-Take.aspx; the
full study is “Pressing for Elaboration in Student Talk About Texts” in the
January 2013 issue ofJournal of Classroom Interaction.

Dear Fellow Educators in Schools and in Life,

My name is Lesley Ernst and I write, compose, and record social songs for
learning. These original songs derive from real life situations with real life
individuals. They are designed to help people of all ages and abilities learn
and remember important skills for life. You may access these songs at:

http://www.reverbnation.com/lesleyernst

The songs may be streamed via Internet for free and may be downloaded in mp3
format from the full website. Sheet music in pdf format may also be
downloaded. If you have real life situations with real life individuals that
are not yet addressed in my songs, and you would like to have a song to help
with the situation(s), send me an email with the following information:

1. What is happening that is problematic (target behavior)?

2. What you would like the student to do in place of the target behavior
(replacement behavior)?

I will update the song list periodically, using your ideas as inspiration!
Enjoy!

Lesley Ernst

Hello Amy Filsinger,

My name is Ken Massalone and I am an Account Executive at TicketsatWork. One of
our partners Cirque du Soleil has a performance “KURIOS” coming to San Francisco
November 14th- January 18th.

I want to offer the teachers and staff of your school the discount opportunity,
which is free for your school to offer. Your teachers and staff would be
receiving the group discount without having to purchase a group and it’s as
simple as sending a discount link and/or placing it on your intranet. The
discount would be for up to $30.00 off each ticket.

Please feel free to contact me for the discount link and/or to ask me any
questions you may have.

If you are not the appropriate person to speak with could you please guide me in
the right direction and or kindly pass along my e-mail?

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Thanks, Jerry, looks great!
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