An informal learning community for educators worldwide. Our passion for learning and connected learning experiences help us to improve our teaching practices. #txeduchat features guest moderators every week.
Welcome to #txeduchat ! tonight we have Jessica Torres joining us as guest host to talk about finishing the year strong! Tell us who you are and where you're joining in from tonight.
A1: I am the worst at self care for myself, but tend to look for ways for my teachers/staff. When i think about it- reading and just sitting on my front porch does wonders for my soul. #TXeduchat
A1: I enjoy being with the students, so I always encourage continued development of the relationships you built from the beginning of the year. #txeduchat
A2: by speaking to the student(s) one on one letting them know that the end of the semester stress is normal but the best way to beat it is to take each task one at a time. #txeduchat
A1: I just calendared different days throughout May to treat our teachers and staff. Sometimes something as easy as wearing jeans refreshes the soul. #TXeduchat
Yes, anxiety is huge...here in TX we just got first round of scores back in and we've got to ask some of our kids to do it again #frustrating#txeduchat
A1: I try to communicate frequently with my teachers. Walk the building and check on them. Two weeks ago I wrote a personalized note to each teacher and encouraged them to finish strong. I provide a listening ear during this stressful time of year. #TXeduchat
A2: This year I identified a boys group to work with throughout the year. Based on trends in their grades I have a standing individual weekly meeting to talk about their progress and keep them on track. #txeduchat
As an RTI teacher, I get those Ss who really don't want to be in my class because they don't want to be doing a round 2! I try to make what we do fun and different. #txeduchat
A2 For some learners, School is a “ safe place.” The prospect of summer vacation can be daunting. So important to continue to build those relationships and plug families in to community resources. #txeduchat
A1: I take it upon myself to encourage those teachers who are staying too late to go on home and take care of themselves and their families. I also make sure I take time to listen and encourage tired teachers. #txeduchat
A2: Reminding them that what they have left is important. If they are stressed about it helping them to see it is just a piece of a puzzle not the whole picture. #txedchat
This is a great article for self-care...don't be afraid to forward to your administrator or share it with your peers! #txeduchathttps://t.co/VTATq76kE2
A2: I have had teachers speak on a topic or words of encouragement to be played during our first period enrichment period. I also get on the announcements every morning and reinforce our focus and goals we have as we close out the school year. #TXeduchat
A3: One of the most difficult part of the year is trying to get the students to continue to turn in the same great quality of work as they did in the beginning of the semester. Students tend to get lazy or give up #txeduchat
For me, we are getting ready for all of our end of the year music festivals and trips, so we have to stay on point. It gets harder with the nice weather approaching. It was a long winter. #sbpdchat#txeduchat
A2 This is a time to try something new - part of loosing focus is boredom with routine - think outside the box - challenge them to try something new - model failing forward #txeduchat
A3: For me it is getting our testing completed, Field Day, Awards, Career, and any other EOY celebrations while focusing on instructional projects and finishing the year strong. #TXeduchat
Yes, you are def right about that....as a Ts and admin this is why I cannot support "countdowns"....counting down for some of our Ss means more uncertainty #txeduchat
A3: Keeping my focus on my students and understanding that their changing behaviours are more about their anxiety and excitement than about the classroom. #txeduchat
This is a great article for self-care...don't be afraid to forward to your administrator or share it with your peers! #txeduchathttps://t.co/VTATq76kE2
A1: I think self-care is especially important to teachers the whole year. The job is very hard, so to stay motivated we must take care of ourselves. At the end of our day, we all discuss what was a highlight and the stress. That keeps me feeling motivated. #txeduchat
A2: Our school focus/theme is grit for the last 6 weeks of school - a lot of discussion, activities, and examples given. The latest is the Seahawks draft pick Shaquem Griffin #Seahawkshttps://t.co/8F9hCZ0VJU#txeduchat
A3: Hey everyone! Justin, 4th grade teacher from Baltimore checking in late! Most difficult part of the end of the year is organizing all the final chapters in every separate area. #txeduchat
A2: This time of year, students get particularly anxious. I enjoy taking some time out of my day to do something they like to do and talk to them about what is stressing them out the most. This helps them relax and know I am here for them. #txeduchat
Yes, and sometimes I worry about the message some kids might receive. As educators we do get tired and need times of rest, but we always want our learners to know that we love being with them! #txeduchat
Yes, you are def right about that....as a Ts and admin this is why I cannot support "countdowns"....counting down for some of our Ss means more uncertainty #txeduchat
A3: All our commitments at the end of the year can seem overwhelming, but the key is to keep things in perspective. Focus on what you can control. Also focus on the positives at the end of each day. #TXeduchat
I believe that admin can support countdown for teachers in the sense that we ONLY have X number of days left to make a profound, positive impact on student lives...this is what I tell anyone who tells me how many days are left :) #txeduchat
Yes, you are def right about that....as a Ts and admin this is why I cannot support "countdowns"....counting down for some of our Ss means more uncertainty #txeduchat
A4: a reward system has its benefits. Its a way of students knowing that if they finish strong the good things will happen. The con is that they will always expect a reward for their work #txeduchat
A3: I think sometimes we forget abt the anxiety that Ps have too...imagine having to find adequate care for your child for 2.5 months...always stressed me out #txeduchat
Maybe because the goal all year was the "test". Once that's done - they need a new goal. Try a new challenge - great time to experiment with gamifcation? #txeduchat
A4 When I was in the classroom, we would make memory books of our year. Brainstorm all the things we have done and learned and put it into our books. #TXeduchat
A3: All of the students are ready for summer and so are we, so frustrations usually run very high. I’ve noticed less focus and students giving up on school work. Also, their peer interactions aren’t as positive. Any ideas on keeping positivity and excitement alive? #txeduchat
A4: I want to create a movie of all the amazing work we have accomplished over the year. I want to give the Ss time to see how they have grown this year. I have also begun to create a special project for each one of my Ts. #TXeduchat
A4: Just last week I started doing “Friday Highlights” for positive things I saw around our campus. It can be a teacher, student, or staff member. My district also has an “extra miler” celebration for staff that have gone the extra mile at each campus. #TXeduchat
A3: All of the students are ready for summer and so are we, so frustrations usually run very high. I’ve noticed less focus and students giving up on school work. Also, their peer interactions aren’t as positive. Any ideas on keeping positivity and excitement alive? #txeduchat
Yes! As a GT Specialist, I work with K-5 learners. I miss all of them over the summer, but saying goodbye to those 5th graders is especially tough! #txeduchat
A4: we have Friday video announcements which highlight students working hard on different Tier I & II tools such as #lexialearning and #reflexmath, students love making it into the top 3 each week. 4 Ts - personal conversations saying thank when going above and beyond #txeduchat
A5: OK, saw two great ideas that I would love to try...one sending kids postcards every 2-3 weeks suggesting books or reminding to read; the other reading a book on FB live for kids to listen to #txeduchat
Agree! as well as project based learning - this could be the most engaged some students have been all year if we approach it in an interesting and dynamic way! #txeduchat
A3 one day at a time✏️ remember children first 💙 remember that this time of year can be super difficult for some kids who are wondering who will love them and where their meals will come from over the summer months🙁 be sensitive to this - #txeduchat
A4: Some of the teachers at my school have agreed to have a VIP of the day to finish out the school year. We are going to print a special tag for them to wear. We will interview them and treat them like queens/kings of the day. #txeduchat
A4: We have an amazing incentive called Lion Loot. This motivates the children to work hard all week. However, not every student is the same nor do they care about the same incentives, so some students have incentives each day or each hour. #txeduchat
#TxEduChat A1.1: Sandra in San Antonio, K-5 Music, and we finish in the first week of June. Whoever decided that #TeacherAppreciationWeek should be in May was a brilliant soul. There are often gifts that encourage and allow us to care for ourselves.
A5 Help them relate it to something they like - they can plan to do something they like, "for fun" and the learning can be the side effect. It's important that we don't force our ideas of summer learning on them, but rather find the meaning in their digital world #txeduchat
A5 Our district has an Appetite for Reading program where we partner with our local food bank to provide books for children to read over the summer. Ts volunteer to deliver food and books each week during the summer! #txeduchat
#txeduchat A5 I provide my students with gamification options, meet ups at a public library and of course using @Seesaw to continue conferring on a favorite book or topic! @googledrive is also a great tool to continue learning and thinking!
A5: Our campus partners with a church and we host a Book Nook. Anyone can come and checkout books during the summer lunch hour. Our neighborhood is a literacy desert b/c our closest library is over 2 miles away. This allows us to continue reading in summer. #TXeduchat
A5 Social media is a great way to keep in touch and encourage kids to keep learning. Use your school or classroom hashtag to share what you are reading, math you “see” around town,etc. Ask them to do the same with you. #txeduchat
A5: thats a hard one. Maybe finding a topic that interest them and having the students report back about what they have learned. So from a trip or anything #txeduchat
Howdy #txeduchat from Barbara, school counselor in FISD.
A5: Our local library does a great job of engaging readers and incentivizing reading, so we make sure they all have a library card before we leave for the summer. We also offer Comm Ed camps in June!
What if we had parents meet us somewhere like the zoo or movie theater one day...kids could connect w/Ts...all enjoy a summer pasttime together. #txeduchat
A5 I saw a teacher who was traveling during the summer use social media to do a “Where in the World is...” with her kids throughout the summer. She would give clues and they would try to figure out where she was. How fun is that?! #txeduchat
The next question is coming...giving you a moment to take a breather or catch up...loving all the great ideas...make sure to follow someone new! #txeduchat
#TxEduChat A2: I help the children verbalize what they're dealing with. Some summer-anxieties are big and scary, but they are manageable once they've been labeled. Some summer plans can be exciting, but acknowledging the calendar helps them focus to the end. Usually. 😝
#TxEduChat A3: For me, it's the realization that there are so few classes left in which to teach so much content / so few classes left in which to leave the kids with the best, most heart-touching moments ever to "tide them over" for the summer. (That, and doing inventory. Ugh!)
I {often}do pen pals with my incoming kids all summer - writing each at least one letter and responding to all who come to me 💌‼️ I know the kids when they walk in the door first day - have already built a relationship 💌❤️‼️#txeduchat
A6: We do an information card that has EOY data as well as relationship information on it that would be helpful to the new teacher. Helps us build better class lists too! #txeduchat
A6: I ask my graduating students to tell me one thing that they want next year's counselor to know about them. The rest I really want the next school family to figure out. Too much info ahead of time could cloud their perceptions. #txeduchat
A6: In the past be worked with Principals like @utjprice who use a formula to create classes for the next year. I’m a firm believer that teachers and students should build their own unique relationships so I’m not big on teachers comparing lists. #txeduchat
A6: With my campus utilizing teaming this year, it would be great for teams to discuss the progress of their students as well as opportunities for growth with the receiving teams. #txeduchat
I agree, I want Ts to develop their own unique relationships w/kids, but walking in blind makes the process harder...some of our kids from trauma backgrounds need trusted strategies immediately. #txeduchat
A5: One super cool way we do this is through a summer program that is free to students. The summer program includes curriculum and life skill lessons as well. They have fun being able to learn in new ways that aren’t as strict as they are throughout the year. #txeduchat
#TxEduChat A4.1: We look at the timeline for all their 6 years as my students. The sequence stays the same from year to year, so it's pretty cool for the kids to see how many units we made it through, and even cooler to count up how many "little things" we learned along the way.
A7 I’ve found so many opportunities through twitter and my PLN. I love Edcamps. My district does Pd in person and online. Lots of training online in the summer for me. #txeduchat
A7 We have "flex days" built into our calendar - so Ts need 2 days of PD of their choice. My team and I are hosting a HyperDrive Institute that kicks off a year of collaboration on flipping, blending, #eduprotocols, & engagement #txeduchat
A7: We have great opportunities from @Region12 and @BaylorSOE for@our teachers this summer. We are sending two teachers to @ronclarkacademy and a couple to @ConsciousD PD. It is important to me to give teachers the opportunity to learn and grow. #TXeduchat
#TxEduChat A4.2: Looking at the _complete_ sequence also allows the kids to say "I remember ___" about xyz-unit from previous years, providing an organic cumulative review. Seeing what's to come is inspirational to them, often, as well.
A7: Every summer, I host Poolside PD for my counseling colleagues; this summer it's going to COUNT for Flexible PD hours! We also have a tech symposium for hours and can get together with our teams to plan morning meetings, etc. Conferences count, too. It's FUN growth. #txeduchat
Last summer we shared our SMART goals, made sensory bottles, role played a new activity I'd seen at @TEPSAtalk and set up a Voxer group. Oh, and we offered flexible seating!! #txeduchat
A7: We are also offering a book study for our Ts this summer through Google Classroom and some face to face opportunities. Looking forward to learning with my teachers. #TXeduchat
A6: We made math journals in my class. I would “pass that baton” to the next teacher. She could see their progress and would add to them the next year. #txeduchat
A8: Really important to breathe, take care of yourself, be kind to others and know that sometimes our kids react in "interesting" ways when angst is upon them. #txeduchat
A7 We are providing a Make and Take for our K-2 Ts to create activities to use in reading groups and centers. Our district is also hosting a local conference for area Ts to learn about best practices going on in districts around them. #txeduchat
#TxEduChat A5: I try to give the kids a project over the summer - write a parody of this song using our mascot, sing to your mother every day, use the @NotateMe app and send me your composition, make an instrument out of a shoebox - but with no strings attached. It's all for fun!
A6: I think it’s important for their next teacher to understand strengths and weaknesses, yet I don’t like the idea of giving the teacher preconceived notions about the child. I like the idea of the students coming up with ideas they want their next teacher to know. #txeduchat
This summer I'll be sending home a #mindfulness calendar so that Ss can continue to practice staying in the moment, mindfully aware, without judgment.
Got the idea here: https://t.co/PnaTK4wCtR#txeduchat
#TxEduChat A6: Well, I /am/ their teacher next year, except for the 5th graders... so with them, I spend the whole year relishing our time AND prepping them for what will be different in middle school. I usually try to introduce them to their upcoming music directors, too.
