A0: Hi Tom Ashley, Tech Coach @PalomaValley in the @puhsd. The funniest thing I did over Winter Break was crack some good jokes on D.J. Trump on twitter. If interested, look at my feed. #IEedchat
A0: Chris Lara 8th grade history. Went to the San Diego zoo a couple times with my girl friend. I also bought and built this 7,000 piece beauty #IEedchat
Q1: Should teachers treat the first day of the new semester like a brand new school year or should they just pick up where they left off, your thoughts? #IEedchat
A1: Ts should definitely treat the new semester like a clean slate. Students that had a rough previous semester almost always hope to do better and don't need a teacher pre-judging or having low expectations of them. #IEedchat
Q1: Should teachers treat the first day of the new semester like a brand new school year or should they just pick up where they left off, your thoughts? #IEedchat
A1: I think it depends on what you are teaching. In my experience teaching ELA, it helped to treat the new semester like a new start to the class with a new unit. It was a nice reset button #IEedchat
A1:
More toward continue on from next step.
I'm not huge fan of big new beginnings. Lot of pressure. I prefer smaller chunks.
Just posted my take on New Years Resolutions with similar perspective:
https://t.co/0EBRcgquAs#IEedchat
I will say though - when trying to re-establish norms for a team/group/class, the timing is convenient as most see it as a transitional moment
#IEedchat
Q1: Should teachers treat the first day of the new semester like a brand new school year or should they just pick up where they left off, your thoughts? #IEedchat
A1b: I am not a fan of “icebreakers”. I am for structures that help in belonging. One quick thing I did in my English class was to have students write things on the whiteboard that make them interesting. We would fill up all the whiteboards with our word cloud.
#IEedchat
A1b: I typically treat it like the first day of school. Ice breakers, review of class norms, etc. Make students excited for the class and help them feel they belong in it. #ieedchat
A1B: I always have some sort of Ice breaker and I also ask to share what they did over the break. Need to learn more about them, syllabus can wait and so can the content. #ieedchat
A1 cont'd
I think my most major issue with fresh start of learning is don't flush away the old, learn from it and grow. It's not gone forever, still a part of you.
#IEedchat
Q1: Should teachers treat the first day of the new semester like a brand new school year or should they just pick up where they left off, your thoughts? #IEedchat
A1b: I get them to reflect on the past year and not just from a school stand point. I have them think about the future and come up with goals and objectives #IEedchat
A1b:
This year @HeritageHSPats we're doing a lot of Digital Citizenship with Ss in Soc Sci and ELA classrooms,
routines that come to mind are...
...all of them, Ss need to be rebooted, especially after weeks off.
#IEedchat
A2: We would review the systems of feedback found in my class and let students know that “grades” are just one system of feedback they will encounter. Some students get so far behind that they think they can't work their way back up.
#ieedchat
A2: Encourage them by reminding them that if they didn't do well last semester that this is a brand new semester and they can start meeting their goals right now. #ieedchat
A2:I always mention it to them that it's a clean slate and that what they did previously does not affect them currently. I want to build positive classroom vibes #IEedchat
A2: The best way to let Ss know that the new semester is a new beginning is 1) tell them a couple of time during the 1st week that it is a clean slate, & 2) actually structure your class so that Ss who fell behind have a usable onramp to start over and be successful #IEedchat
A2:
There's a newness with new semesters, some schedules change, gradebooks restart, curriculum often has some sort of split. It's not start from scratch, but it is reflect on how last round went, plan for growth in this "new" one.
#IEedchat
A2: I tell them it’s a new beginning. I explain how their grades are a blank slate for 2nd semester and it’s time to learn from mistakes made during 1st semester #IEedchat
A2: Some teachers at my school say you start with an F and have to work your way up, others say you start at an A. I tell they you start with your first assignment. So do your first week’s HW!! #IEedchat
A2B: Allow opportunities for Ss that will enable you to know them and vice versa, remind them you are human. Classroom culture is important and in order to have good one get to know the individuals #ieedchat
A2b: Suggestions: 1. Quit using sarcasm if you do that sort of thing. 2. Are you sure you know everyone's name and how to pronounce it? 3. Have them fill out a few interesting things about themselves on an equity card that you can use and share with other Ss. #IEedchat
I've been on both sides of this, pros and cons to each. I found that I agree with your approach - it's not some huge magic thing that when it changes should knock us down. Focus on what is there and now, not a fantasy.
#IEedchat
Q3:Please share one thing from last semester that was an epic failure in your classroom or school and how might you tweak it to make it successful? #IEedchat
A2b: I would say be personable with the students. They want us to ask about their break and they want to hear about our breaks. Sharing truly is caring #IEedchat
A2: I tell them it’s a new beginning. I explain how their grades are a blank slate for 2nd semester and it’s time to learn from mistakes made during 1st semester #IEedchat
A3: Communication was a big failure in my classroom, I need to make sure I relay deadlines on a more regular schedule. This will minimize questions and large amounts of emails #ieedchat
My biggest thing was having Ss show the new kid in town around the routines - HW turn in, calendar info, makeup/absent, warmup procedures, restroom, group discussion roles, reviewing them is fast when only 1 person in audience. Let students direct the instruction. #IEedchat
A3: Maybe not an "epic" failure, but I was schedule to teach our district ELD team how to use Google Translate and the web-filter inadvertently blocked the app so I couldn't demonstrate it properly. #IEedchat
A3: things that went great one year might not work the next and sometimes you have to just stop, that is always hard but I'm learning it's kind of cool too #MIndset#IEedchat
Q3:Please share one thing from last semester that was an epic failure in your classroom or school and how might you tweak it to make it successful? #IEedchat
A3:
Still need to do more workshop and training with teachers and staff. Need to organize it more, communicate it more, market it more, survey more.
#IEedchat
A3: First time I used @edpuzzle I didn’t have students use headphones. 30 screens playing they same video at slightly different rates. It was maddening #IEedchat
A3: Didn't complete the dig cit certification by the end of the semester and didn't start a Google certification group. Now goals for 2nd semester. #IEedchat
Q3:Please share one thing from last semester that was an epic failure in your classroom or school and how might you tweak it to make it successful? #IEedchat
I can hear it now... ;-)
I've had students small group in that moment. Cuts down some noise and remixes it with healthy real world audio too.
#IEedchat
have also learned to relax when tech goes down for a nano second -then the kids do too-we take much for granted and have so much to be thankful for #IEedchat
A3: rant warning: I’ll be honest having student houses was a big miss. No student buy in, not allowing students to have a say in names and mascots for the school houses and not following through on promises of activities was not a good recipe. Rant over #IEedchat
Q3b: changing up the order of topics from last year. I think it was super beneficial. Also not getting too bogged down in any one chapter and only offering retakes after corrections and study. #IEedchat
