FOCUS First Days of School

For an organization to maintain a focus on its highest priorities , it must simplify repeatedly clarify them so that everyone in the organization knows implicitly what to do and what not to do.  

Think of literacy as a spine; it holds everything together.  The branches of learning connect to it, meaning that all core content teachers have a responsibility to teach literacy.  


As we move into our second full week of school the above quote is a great reminder that we must continue to be very clear and simplify what is most important instructionally here at Lincoln.  Students should be engaged in abundant amounts of reading, writing, and discussing everyday.  The time that students should be engaged in these fundamentals must be purposefully planned as you plan lessons each week.  As you reflect on your lessons think about whether you have provided the appropriate amount of time for these essential fundamentals to prepare our students to be literate and college and career ready.  All teachers have permission to ignore other stuff in order to make reading, writing, and discussing our highest priority.  Here is a reminder to the Seven Steps to a Language Rich Interactive Classroom.

• Teach students what to say when they don't know what to say
• Have students speak in complete sentences 
• Randomize and rotate when calling on students
• Use total response signals to check for understanding (white boards, note cards, thumbs up/down) 
• Use visuals and vocabulary strategies that support your objectives 
• Have students participate in structured conversations (sentence stems, turn and talk/tell, share with several partners) 
• Have students participate in structured reading and writing activities.  

These should be common practice in all classrooms and redundant.

Also as students become more comfortable at school it is important that we continually actively supervise hallways throughout each day.  Help students be on time, every time.  Once students are in classrooms they should stay in classrooms.  Continue to teach, reteach students how to be respectful, responsible, positive, and safe.  

I have been impressed with your efforts to connect to students and to call home when needed thus far. Remember that phone calls are the best way to communicate with parents.  As you begin to enter discipline points remember the differences between teacher and office managed behaviors.  Behaviors that start as teacher managed can become office managed when students continue to be insubordinate simply write a referral then the office manages from there.  Be sure to log teacher managed behaviors and be consistant with your classroom management plans.  Once students have made poor choices and you have intervened remember that great teachers REPAIR, REPAIR, REPAIR.  

Upcoming at Lincoln: 

Monday PD - Departments- NWEA Instructions - New School Plans 

Monday Lunch Andy Hartley Listening post at Lunch 

Weekly Collaborations 

Friday- PD work day PBL Humanities  both grades a.m. 7th Science p.m. request subs 

Monday August 21st Interdisciplinary RTI