Saturday, August 10

Science Fact or Fiction?

If you have a few minutes left of class, this game is fun to play!

*Borders by Lindy du Plessis and fonts by Kimberly Geswein
1.  Divide students into teams.
2.  Read a question. Players have to decide whether the answer is Fact or Fiction.
3. The 1st team to say the correct answer earns a point.

Wednesday, August 7

Does your school use PLC's?

Our school does and it can be a challenge!  
I was inspired by this blogpost that summarizes industry research and the experiences of the educators, and gives guidelines  to implement PLCs.
I have been a part of a PLC for many years so I skipped down to "Author Tips" for establishing norms. These are a great example to start from:

(1) Be present and engaged. Laptops and multi-tasking are allowed as long as we make sure to be active in collaborations.
(2) Come prepared with materials and ideas. Be ready to work.
(3) Work hard until 4pm. Make sure to allocate one short break around 3pm.
(4) Open to all voices and opinions. Honor all “directions.”
(5) We are the leaders. We take ownership. Ask ourselves “what else can WE do?”
(6) Rely on one another for support and guidance.
(7) We remember Q-TIP (Quit Taking It Personally).

The other "Author Tip" that is important to keep in mind when working with PLC is that “Successful PLCs should use data to talk about and share teaching strategies."  

PLC's are not about one person planning - it is about everyone collaborating😊