Welcome to tonight’s #WeAreWayne Twitter Chat! We will be discussing ways to start a new semester.
I’m Melony Boyd, Instructional Coach. I'll be joined by Jennifer Nichols, MCE Principal and Matt Molitor, 6th grade teacher.
Let’s start by introducing ourselves! #wearewayne
Love the "gifs and quotes" I notice the teamwork and excitement!
Q2: Share a specific activity(academic/social) that you do when starting a new semester? #wearewayne
A2: I always liked to do 2 truths and 1 lie. It’s simple, allows kids to share whatever they’d like, and let’s us all learn about each other, too. #wearewayne
A2: We are reading “After the Fall”, it’s a story about how Humpty Dumpty worked and worked to gain courage to climb back up the wall. We will work on strategies to gather courage to try after we fall. #WeAreWayne
As an administrator, make sure when I see kids in the hallway and in the building, I tell them I am glad they are back and we sure missed them! Greet as many as I can! #wearewayne
A2: Mindset videos, discussion. Working on team building activities because we are going to need each other and encouragement to finish out the year as it gets more difficult. #WeareWayne
A2: @Erwin13Alicia recently paid my class a visit as we discussed how we want to be defined. Wrote the words on big index cards, & asked ourselves if we would still be recognized as being "that" without the name tag. We discussed how we did/did not embody that label. #wearewayne
I love to welcome everyone back with a delicious breakfast prepared by the Waffle Guy. We use the time for fellowship and to catch up on the events of winter break. It’s a small way to show everyone my appreciation and excitement for the upcoming semester. #WeareWayne
A3: Greeting all students with an enthusiastic “good morning” and giving them a compliment and hug! It’s all about showing them a genuine smile and welcoming them into school without reminding them of past incidents. ❤️#wearewayne
A3: I think what you say to kids is what they say to themselves. And that it’s also important to greet every student at the door as they enter the classroom with a smile and a “good morning” - clean slate and starts the day off right. #wearewayne
A3: Greet each student with a smile, hug, high 5, or fist bump EVERY day!! If needed a little pep talk to remind students that it IS a new day! #WeareWayne
Q3: Encourage, and support students to keep reaching for their goals. Ask questions that are individualized for each student. Work harder and try harder! You can do it!! #wearewayne
A2: community circle, as well as “scoot” or “rotational thinking” to review procedures & get students up and moving to get back in the groove! #wearewayne
A3: Share tradition of the Dine' (Navajo people) of running towards the sun each morning. Each morning, Navajos run east toward the rising sun, a tradition passed down from the oldest generations, Running at dawn, represents new birth. #WeareWaynehttps://t.co/rOIz3ZXQMq
A3: Every day starts with a handshake, a pleasant tone, and an inquiry into how they are doing, how their evening was, etc. Trying to get on another level though.... #wearewayne
A3: Our team is in the hallway during passing periods to monitor and I teract with students. It was great today when about ten girls did a group hug with me. It builds great relationships being present. #wearewayne
WOW! So many engaging ways that support our scholars. Next question...
Q4: How do you help students who are new to your school quickly feel welcome and comfortable? #wearewayne
A2: I'm a big fan of "the baseball song". In July on a student interest inventory, get each student's favorite song. At the end of the year, play a game with the songs and have students guess who chose which song. Kids like to hear their favorite song. #wearewayne
A3: Greet students with a smile and high 5’s or hugs and ask how they are doing. Also, recognizing High 5 winners on morning announcements. #wearewayne
A3: Make in intentional effort each day to call home, send an email, or meet a parent in car rider line just to share something positive #ChangeTheNarrative#WeAreWayne
A3: Offering help continuously every day, even when I was brushed off/ignored/cursed at yesterday. 😂 I've seen students refuse to work all year and suddenly start participating in March. Not ideal, but it's never too late to start! I'll still be here. 😃 #wearewayne
A4: Partner new friend with “veteran” friend, send a welcome postcard home, make sure that our new classmate has all supplies, folders, notebooks, etc set up as soon as they arrive. Of course, lots of talking and welcoming! #wearewayne
A4: I always ask about their past school, what faves they have, etc. We always buddy them up with other students for lunch and getting to each class. Our students are very welcoming and that helps too. #wearewayne
Q4: I always start with - You are going to love McClelland! I always make a big deal when they tell me who their new teacher is when they are in the office!! I try to make sure that we see the new student sometime throughout the first day! #wearewayne
Q4: I like the idea of creating a “Welcome” chart paper for the new student where their classmate can sign up for things like “I’ll sit next to you at lunch” or “I’ll play with you at recess” or “I’ll walk out to the buses with you” #wearewayne
A4: We can make them feel welcome by ensuring they know they've been thought of before they walk through our doors on that first day. Empower them to realize they can contribute and be an active participant from the very get go. Welcoming messages help! #wearewayne
Q4: You acknowledge them and make the time to welcome them to the community as a classroom. If we really want students to grow and learn then we need to acclimate them to their learning environment immediately. Top priority. #wearewayne
A4: Greet them in the front office with a smile and a handshake. Ask them their name and if they know their new teacher’s name. Tell them we are so happy they are here and that they will love the Mac and their new teacher. Talk to their families and welcome them. #wearewayne
A4: LUNCH TABLE. Making sure they meet someone who will find them in the cafeteria and lead them to their table is surprisingly powerful. Hopefully, the friendships last. Just think about every teen movie you've ever seen! #wearewayne
A4: In order to properly welcome a new student, the leg work with community has to start on day 1 with the rest of the class. Create agreements for how new students will be welcomed. #wearewayne
A4: Have a special classmate check in on your new student by being their “buddy.” They can explain things throughout the day, like procedures or concepts, and invite the new S to sit with them at lunch or play at recess. #wearewayne
A4: Have a bag of classroom supplies and materials all ready for a new student. Then they feel like they have all of the things that everyone else has, like they already ‘belong’ #wearewayne
A4: pair them up with a good buddy to help them feel more welcomed! Provide supplies and have things ready & waiting for them. Make a positive call home after the first day/week! #wearewayne
Last question,
Q5: Often, at the start of a new year we talk about New Year’s Resolutions and we think of health, diet, and fitness goals. What are your New Year’s Resolutions you have for your class, students, or staff you support?
#wearewayne
A5: I'm looking for ways to improve my practice and finding some areas of my work to analyze in hopes of finding ways to more effective and efficient on a daily basis. #wearewayne
A5: making sure all my students feel valued and worthy! I want them to set goals and truly believe they can achieve them by putting in the work! #wearewayne
A5: My students resolution is to help solve the issue of prison beds based on 3rd grade reading scores. They recently learned about this in the book The Other Wes Moore. Their community service project is how can we change this? #wearewayne
I will continue to support our students and staff by learning right along side of them! If I don’t know the answer, I will find out!! I will give 110% to MCE everyday! #wearewayne#lovemyjob
Q5, A5: Personal is to try to stay awake. I’m always SO tired this time of year...
Professional is to reach out to more McClelland Bear “Cubs” and make them feel special and important. A smile is worth a thousand words.
Good night all, back to my cave...
Yawn..
#WeAreWayne
