A chat that offers middle school teachers a chance to have a collaborative discussion about a different topic each week. Our topics change from week to week, ranging from Common Core State Standards to Character Education. During the chat, participants exchanges ideas and resources. The chat group ranges in size each week from 10 to 50+ participants. Discussion can be general talking about instructional style or process to specific. Recently members of the chat group help each other create lessons.
Let's start with introductions! I'm Jordan from MI, the chat organizer for tonight's discussion. I currently teach 8th grade language arts in MI. What about you? #mschat
Q1: How are finals set up in your middle schools vs. high schools? Are they weighted as part of semester grades? Are alternate schedules put in place on exam days? #mschat
A1:Our high school has a set schedule for finals. We adjusted our calendar a few years ago so that finals are before winter break. New semester starts after break. Very few teachers in our MS give finals. #mschat
A1: Finals are typically set up as 10% of the students' semester 1 grades. This can vary based on department, but most give finals as these are our post-test data points for evals. #mschat
A1) Halfway through the year, we call them mid-terms, they are only given in classes that count for high school credit. (So Algebra in 8th and Foreign Language in 7th and 8th) Count as a separate part of the grade... not sure on weight. #mschat
A1: Our school eliminated finals a few years ago as they evaluated the ways we were assessing our students. If we were truly focused on a growth mindset, then a one shot exam at the end of the semester wasn’t consistent with that. Now, we progress monitor instead. #mschat
#mschat we use @Schoology to tag standards on a rubric, which is on a 1-4 scale. I personally create LOTS of assignments in the gradebook that have 1 standard tagged. As the progress toward mastery in that standard I change their grade from 1 to 2 and so on
In reply to
@snbeauford, @MsHubbard124, @Schoology
@laciestern is implementing this in her 7th grade science classroom now, she does an excellent job of facilitating through activities and questioning to ensure students reach practitioner on standards #mschat#LATICchat
In reply to
@joegonzalez88, @MrsTaylor617, @MsHubbard124, @laciestern
A2: I think that having smaller tests rather than a week of exams is less stress for our middle schoolers. As a team we even try to space out our tests and not do too many on one day. #mschat
A2: Our schedule mimics that of the high school's. I think this is one that works for classes taken for high school credit but not developmentally responsive otherwise. #mschat
#mschat research shows the age group only has an attention span of about 15 minutes. Our classes are on 45 min schedule, so I do three stations each day. Reading, writing, the 3rd rotation is vocab, grammar, speaking and listening
We do not use midterms or finals assessments at our middle school level. Most of our teachers are using standards based grading. As a SPED teacher I find it much more helpful for my progress monitoring to used standards based. It is easier to plan reteach. #mschat
Me too, but I am nervous to be a pilot. I would want to do it with other folks at my school so I wasn’t alone, and had people to figure things out with #mschat
In reply to
@joegonzalez88, @MrsTaylor617, @MsHubbard124
A1: We do not use midterms or finals assessments at our middle school level. Most of our teachers are using standards based grading. As a SPED teacher I find it much more helpful for my progress monitoring to used standards based. It is easier to plan reteach. #mschat
A2; Our daily schedule has core blocks for 7th and 8th. I think the afternoon block for 7th grade is difficult for many kids unless teachers are being really conscious about changing things up and providing movement/discussion options. #mschat
A2: I often hear the master schedule given as an excuse for lack of creativity, innovation, and gains for academic growth. Those that take risks often move the momentum. #mschat
In the co-taught math class that I work in we break assessments down into standards. And only assess max 3 questions per standard. Maybe assess up to 4 concepts on a test every 2 weeks. #mschat
A2) We are talking about scheduling ideas now, I would love to hear what people love about their schedule (also I realize I answered a question with a question!!) #mschat
A2: We have a flex period the hour before lunch, perfect time for remediation, enrichment, recess, etc. Our team gets to decide how we use it and change it up whenever needed. I love that flexibility. #mschat
A3: If I had to do final exams I would want them to be set up by standard with the option to retake sections where a student didn't show mastery of a standard. This is hard to do at the end of a term but it's worth it! #mschat
A3: I would love to see our schools adopt a different method to gauge student understanding especially on what's considered 'critical' post-test data. #mschat
Hey everybody! I'm Sara from Manchester, NJ - right now I'm a substitute in Middle School but aspiring ELA teacher so I'd love to hear everybody's thoughts as well as share what my school does now #mschat
Love the flex period. We used to be given minutes for the day to split up as we wished, so some days became Social Studies all day. Almost like a Grand Flex. #mschat
We have an advisory period at the end of the day. This is our first year doing this. It is only 25 minutes and the students are done. Not effective. #mschat
Mid School Year Computer Students went to Art and Art students went to Computer. They has no idea where those classrooms even were and it was like day one all over again. #mschat#escchat
A1: Middle school finals seem less stressed than high school. They don't have shorted days for it but instead on occasion extend the periods, depending on the teachers. A majority just allow that class period to complete the final #mschat#gen2108
A2: We are assigned "Core Blocks" that we can be flexible with. We can run a full schedule or block and split classes over two days. Each learning community in our building can determine their need each week. #mschat
That flexibility—and the top-down trust to have it and use it as needed—is awesome! Maybe not all teams could make it work. But when teams can...magic. #mschat
A1: Currently only our 8th graders take exams which is somewhat new. They count as 20% of their semester grade and they’re only in math, science, history, and grammar (we currently have ELA split into 2 classes grammar and lit). Not sure what our hs does #mschat
Advisory works best if VERY intentionally planned. We have a separate 20 minute advisory time. We use it for clubs, grade-check meetings, class competitions, character-building lessons, etc. #mschat
I love this idea! I know a lot of students who have trouble with testing and their score does not measure up to what they deliver on a daily basis in the classroom. More schools should be like this. #mschat#gen2108
A2: we’re evaluating going back to giving exams to 6th and 7th.
Not as many subjects or not counting it as much, but personally, I think having them helped with retention of material for a longer period of time since grammar is such a building block like math. #mschat
A4: Reestablish procedures, expectations, and goals for the new half of the year. Ensuring Ss know what is expected of them is key to success down the road. #mschat
#mschat remind them it’s a #freshstart Keep them motivated thru rewards and start simple. Don’t remind them of past habits and mistakes. Act like it’s a whole new year
A4) New quarter, new start. No missing work, clean slate. I always encourage students to set a new personal goal, and work towards making this quarter better than the last. #mschat
A4: I start each trimester by reviewing the class procedures and reminding students of the resources available to them in the room (extra pencils, etc). #mschat
Also, taking time to reflect on what worked and what needs improvement from the last quarter. I used to tell my students..if you want something different you must do something different #mschat
A4: All of my Ss get jumbled up due to new class schedules, so it's important to reestablish that culture of community we'll already built but with a new mix of people. #mschat
I suspect our admins will be adjusting our schedule again next year after we reflect on the advisory period we implemented this year. I like the idea of advisory being earlier in the day and maybe not every day. #mschat
A4: I start a new semester with telling kids they get a new slate with grades. They’ve had a semester to acclimate to ms(I teach 6th graders), and they’re able to make changes. I encourage them to come seek help when needed and that I’m there in study hall to help them. #mschat
A4: I have Ss reflect on their goals & expectations they have for the remainder of the year. This also includes a survey they fill out about me & what I can do better as their teacher. #mschat
A4: I love to kick off new content with exciting experiences. Breakout rooms. Quests that send them around the building. Immersive experiences. Builds intrigue for what’s next. #mschat
A4: We also start the new semester with student led conferences with parents in attendance where kids get to vocalize (parents watch) how their precious semester went. They reflect and they set goals. These happen the first 2 days before coming back from break #mschat
A4: I do not do anything specific for a new semester. The gen ed teachers I work with have discussed using a survey style reflection with the students at the end of each semester. I am looking for ideas. #mschat
@ScholesE15@from_middle YES! So important that Ss realize that a new semester is a new opportunity for growth - in whatever shape that may take for each individual. #mschat
In reply to
@MrsTaylor617, @ScholesE15, @from_middle
A: I would love for the students to be graded more on their everyday, in-class assignments. I feel it gives a better representation of their academic ability compared to one test score. Hopefully eventually my school can lower the weight on the exams. #mschat#gen2108
When I read Make it Stick (awesome book about memory and learning), the pressure knowing a quiz of some kind is coming actually helps us remember content. Some pressure is good! We just have to be careful about HOW much. #mschat
Q5: One of my favorite parts about teaching is the ability to set the 'reset' button at different times throughout the year. What are some of your 'new semester' resolutions? #mschat
Strongly agree! So often I hear students tell each other "when in doubt, the answer is C" which causes me to wonder if they truly knew it or if it was just a random guess #mschat#gen2108
#mschat reflecting on what I have been doing wrong and making changes to classroom procedures. Setting one day aside for individual student conferences to see what they feel they need more instruction on
A5: I feel like I say this every year, semester, quarter, etc., but I'd love to actually achieve a work-life balance where I don't feel guilty for doing too much school & neglecting life & vice versa. #mschat
It is powerful as a teacher to take that time to reflect on what worked or needs improvement on our end. Just as the kids are growing so are we, as educators #mschat
A5: Being more on top of feedback - in all forms! I know how important it is for Ss to have it in a timely manner, but sometimes those papers pile up.. #mschat
A5: Continue to survey my kids. They don’t sugar coat, which I appreciate, and I want to hear from them more on what they enjoy and want more of, and what they wish I might do differently. Many times students have better ideas for things than I do. #mschat
Always a work in progress. I’m currently trying to figure out an idea of this level of awesome to kick off our memoir study next week. So far, there are crickets chirping in my head...#mschat
A4: Since I'm a sub I have not had to do this myself yet, but you should review expectations. I also think it's important to get feedback from the students of maybe ways the teaching can be adjusting from last semester to be more clear for them #mschat#gen2108
A5: I need to keep consistent with feedback. We have some writing pieces and projects that will require strong feedback for student success and it will be important for me to be timely and meaningful with my feedback to my students. #mschat
Timely feedback is crucial. When I started using some teacher cloning tools (like making screencasts for math) this allowed me to sit and facilitate with students to provide in the moment feedback and instruction. You don't get that availability whole group. #mschat#LATICchat
Ooh I love this! I've been thinking about ways I could do this in ELA.. Now you got me thinking about how I could incorporate screencasts during our research unit! GENIUS. #mschat
A5: I plan to reorganize myself - including my desk, my classroom, my planner, etc. and try to stay on top of things from the beginning. I'd also like to not bring too much of that work home with me when unnecessary in order to focus on being home #mschat#gen2108
A6: Reflection. I plan to incorporate web-based portfolios (using G-Sites) and having Ss blog each week about their learning and progress toward their goals. #mschat
Maybe a lot of work... Maybe not “big” enough, but what about listening stations, where you can sample audio versions of current autobiographies (I am super loving listening to authors read their own books) #mschat
Providing feedback to students is essential. They want to know where they stand and will often become more engaged when they know all of the work that they do really counts. Validation #mschat
A6: For the constant paper grading struggle, I tell my Ss my goal deadline. They know that life happens, but that it's important we all keep each other in check. Especially if Ms. Hubbard is taking too long.. :) #mschat
So fast and efficient, and since they KNOW their peers will read and evaluate, they tend to take their work seriously. I’ve found I have to train them a bit to be good reviewers & use the rubrics well. #mschat
Only 14 minutes until our #forsythpln chat.
Topic: The power of collaboration, connection, and inspiration!
It's going to be exciting!! #g2great LFAcademy20 #mschat
Now that’s reminding me of this site...can’t remember the name...booktracks maybe?... where you can creat soundtracks for books to reflect the mood. Hmmm... #mschat
Q7: It can be difficult to maintain a 'fresh start' mentality during the dreary winter months. What are some ways you keep yourself at your best for the remainder of the year? #mschat
Self-assessment is powerful and it's a great conversation to have with students. How does their self-assessment aligned with the expectations placed in the rubric and with what I am seeing? #mschat#LATICchat
I'm test piloting it with my STEM elective to get a process of implementation and procedure in place. I'll be sure to share it on the blog or on the podcast. #mschat
I am currently listening to “American Like Me” by @AmericaFerrera Each chapter is a different person’s story about being American. (Political I know) but each story could stand on their own. And there are a wide variety of folks, athletes, authors, movie stars. #mschat
In reply to
@MsHubbard124, @Beyond_the_Desk, @AmericaFerrera
#mschat remind myself snow happens and don’t plan projects/units that’ll be disrupted if we are out for 3 random days mid week. Hit those “easier” standards you can cover in one or two days that can be reviewed later
A7: I started a quest to run at least 1 mile everyday for 365 days. Will be completing day 57 after the edchats tonight. It's been a great way to unwind at night and it hasn't hurt the ole waistline either. #mschat
A7: I try to find little things to propel me through rough days. Whether it's going to school sporting events (which I LOVE) or just spending 5 minutes at the start of class chatting about life, I think it's so important that we continue to see our Ss as our 'why.' #mschat
A7) My struggle is real on this one!! Finding ways to laugh, that helps for sure! Being honest and talking with my students, having them share their own thoughts on how to keep going strong! #mschat
A7: With my Ss, I make sure to have at least 2 brain breaks during a block. We all need some time to step away from work and refresh our minds and bodies. #mschat
Ooooh, also, cleaning out our binders. I am doing a huge binder clean out/organization tomorrow, and I am SO excited! Great way to get a fresh start!! #mschat
YES! Especially after binging the new Marie Kondo show on Netflix?! I'm constantly asking myself if I need things or if they 'spark joy' now LOL. #mschat
I recommend all of those after school activities as ways for new teachers to build relationships. Seeing students in a setting outside of the classroom shows your commitment to who our students really are. #mschat
My planner is my life! I want to accomplish my goals because highlighting it off of my to-do list probably gives me more joy than something so simple should. I'd never be able to function without it #mschat#gen2108
