This twitter chat stands for "Wins And Losses Ed Chat" and will be a chat where students reflect on the previous week to celebrate victories and reflect on losses to turn them into victories.
Intros: Welcome to #waledchat! Introduce yourself, where you are from, your role in education, and tag a new friend you'd like to see join you here tonight! #waledchat
Hi #waledchat! Megan, STEM Lab Coordinator & Digital Skills Teacher, La Grange Park, IL and co-founder of #122edchat. Would love to see @MrMac_Walker here tonight!
Thanks @jeffgargas for moderating a great #masterychat tonight and thanks everyone for a great discussion! Time sure flies!! Now to switch over to #waledchat
Tracie here! I am supposed to be teaching 7th grade Math and Reading next school year, but I interviewed for an Instructional Specialist position today, so fingers are crossed. #waledchat
Intros: Welcome to #waledchat! Introduce yourself, where you are from, your role in education, and tag a new friend you'd like to see join you here tonight! #waledchat
Caren Long, Rural NC, Media Coordinator for grades 4/5, and would love for @TanyaRFreeman to join us but she is in China on a educational trip! #waledchat
Intros: Welcome to #waledchat! Introduce yourself, where you are from, your role in education, and tag a new friend you'd like to see join you here tonight! #waledchat
Allison from Rockwall, TX but in Georgetown, TX for a conference... museum director... hotel bed is slowly pulling me in, so lurking may be in the future... #waledchat@MarySci17
Intros: Welcome to #waledchat! Introduce yourself, where you are from, your role in education, and tag a new friend you'd like to see join you here tonight! #waledchat
Will do my best! Roman from Ontario, Canada. HS Teacher/Student Success Leader/Agent of Transformation. Doing my best with #waledchat tonight. #computerproblems
In reply to
@MrPStrunk, @harrishyer, @DesrosiersEryka, @CoachJonCraig
I made it! Andrew, elementary principal in Denver, we’ll see if @CJCain7 can join in for some of this tonight before we host #edcochat at 7:30 MST - discussing homework and it’s future in schools! #waledchat
Intros: Welcome to #waledchat! Introduce yourself, where you are from, your role in education, and tag a new friend you'd like to see join you here tonight! #waledchat
A1 Yesterday was moving up day and one of my ss won the Pricipal's award. This is given to someone who impacts the community. He had done a ton of work recycling, gardening and keeping our school looking nice. #waledchat
A1: My biggest win was to get all of our students into our SmartLab. I see the impact that this had in that environment and around the building. #waledchat
Intros: Welcome to #waledchat! Introduce yourself, where you are from, your role in education, and tag a new friend you'd like to see join you here tonight! #waledchat
A1: Biggest win was a Ss who was struggling emotionally all year and felt comfortable enough with me to disclose very serious concerns and issues. I was so happy to be there for her and form that incredibly important relationship. #waledchat
A1 Biggest win? Our Tell Your Intended Audience speeches! Some pitched changes to our school policies, some taught us (Border Separations, diabetes, autism, suicide, DUIs), some entertained us (spoken word, charisma, I Really Like Mario Cart). Ss impressed each other! #waledchat
A1 Didn't have students this year, so it is a bit difficult. But having the engagement from certain grade one students through virtual/global collaborations (between Ontario & Florida) is a win. Students who embarked on any adventure I would give and would shine. #waledchat
A1: Opening up and socializing more was a fantastic win for the year. It allowed for more personalized, interest-based instruction and stronger relationship. #waledchat
A1: station teaching. I collected data comparing whole group instruction and conferencing/ small group during stations and how many times I talked to ss and how many diff ss I talked to during that time. Crazy results. I did a lot more stations after that! #waledchat
A1: I teach AP and I had some learners that were challenging themselves with their first advanced class. They came, they struggled, they learned, they crushed it!!! #waledchat
A1:The biggest win this year was students growing in emotion management. Lots of progress has been made and applying Ss are applying appropriate learned skills for success. Plans were put into place and consistency was found. #waledchat#pbis
A1: Biggest win for my kindergarten students this year was getting them to believe that we are a school family and in that family we use kind words, share and respect others and ourselves. #waledchat
A1) One of my Ss took a risk. He competed in a Great Shake Competition in our district, even though he didn't want to with some motivation from friends and made it further than he ever thought! #waledchat
A1) ESOL student from China with no confidence or English standing in front of class delivering a presentation comparing school life in New Zealand to China. #waledchat
A1. I had quite a few super anxious kiddos this year who really reminded me of myself. Hands down my favorite win was hearing those kids tell me how much they now loved math and how well they understood the content. #waledchat
One of my Ss made the most growth they have ever made in school. From reading comprehension to math facts, they demonstrated understanding and even passed the math section of the STAAR alt!
#waledchat
Conquering the fear of poetry! As an ELA teacher, there is no greater joy than seeing my students' eyes lit with passion and curiosity with allusive poems. They were able to comprehend and connect with themselves with the poets' messages and language styles. 😊
#waledchat
A1: I had a student make HUGE improvements in reading. Not just growth in reading sight words or using decoding strategies, but all the way to enjoying reading! He was SO proud of himself. #waledchat
A1 It was one of the roughest years I have had this year, but I feel like the addition of growth mindset helped many of the to grow as learners! Gotta focus on the positive! #waledchat
I had a S working on 8th grade standards and I could tell she was frustrated. She started crying and shut down. I saw down with her and talked through the problems and it was like magic, she realized she could do it. #waledchat
Hey #waledchat. Kirsten from MD. Been away from twitter chats for a while but my 8 week old just fell asleep and I am wondering what @MrPStrunk has been up to.
A1: The biggest win was seeing one of my ELL Ss go from speaking next to no English to conversing one others and participating in class discussions. We created an environment that made her feel comfortable and confident. #waledchat
A1 The biggest win I saw was having a student who came in trying to be the class clown for attention, to realizing how far he could get when he worked hard and loving that attention even more. It was pretty awesome! #waledchat
A1 - One of the biggest wins this year was with a young lady who already had one child, returned to school, pregnant and needing 27 credits to graduate. She had her second child, completed 27 credits, worked to support herself and graduate! Remarkable young lady! #waledchat
A1: Went to my former school's 8th grade ceremony last night & hearing a couple of Ss I had in 6th & 7th grade got accepted to a middle college & are focusing on getting their associates degree in their passion field. I was very proud to hear their hard work paid off. #waledchat
A1: My biggest win was putting student data walls in place so we could track student growth by grade levels rather than just looking at achievement data... told a whole other story! (A better one.) #waledchat
A1 My Ss are so much more comfortable sharing their thinking. They are willing to record themselves reading and reflect on their fluency. We even performed several reader’s theater plays for our families. #waledchat
A1: Our math classes are converted science rooms so we have tall lab tables at the front... I’ve seen 2 girls grow and really shine getting to do their work standing up and at the front where I’m accessible when they start to doubt themselves... Revolutionary!!! #waledchat
A1: I’m going to go with multiple Ss - many students had their own ideas aside from the choices of project ideas and I said “yes” - they ran with it and it was awesome! #waledchat
A1: a 6th grader was so nervous about going on stage that she’d end up in the counselor’s office. June 4–she volunteered to give up a week during summer to ACT in orientation play!! A complete 180! #waledchat
A1: I had a little lad who didn't see himself as a reader or as a good student. By the end of the year, he was one of the top readers in class. More importantly, he loved reading and learning. He couldn't seem to get enough. #waledchat
A1 Biggest win this year...saw a fifth grade student’s reaction to passing EOY assessments. The embrace between the teacher and child....priceless! #waledchat
A1: The student who showed the most growth in math based on curricular assessment wasn’t who his classmates would have thought of as very academic. But he worked his tail off & never gave up. He LOVED being the top in growth & was very proud. #waledchat
A1: This girl right here has my heart. She has come such a long way in her confidence and willingness to take risks. Our relationship brought us so much closer this year, often having multiple lunch bunches per week. #waledchat
A1 One of my students demonstrated some hidden talents with animations. He was able to be a leader with his peers with technology. Normally he is the one that needs support #waledchat
A1: I had a couple of kiddos learn their way out of SPED! Always a good day when a studnet no longer requires the additional support. Just means we all are doing our job. Watched another kiddo change her mindset over the year. So many wins. #waledchat
A1: I witnessed a student who was failing at the beginning of the year, turn around and end the year with a B in my class. She shared that my class was her favorite because I believed in her. #waledchat
A1: Connection I made with a 1st grader. During our 1st encounter, he let me know he did NOT choose to be in my PAW U group (genius hour). After several weeks together, he greets me with a hug and smile now! #waledchat
A2: There was a lot of planning and coordination that went into the SmartLab, but ultimately it was the dedication of the staff that made it a success. #waledchat
A2 I asked their opinions all year & they gained confidence (according to EOY discussion/survey). Then, I pushed them to say what they wanted to those who needed to listen. So proud of them, especially those who presented outside of class to their intended audience. #waledchat
A2 I provided these opportunities to recycle and garden. I believe it necessary to provide authentic experiences. Ultimately, this is the type of learning as remember. #waledchat
A1~ huge gains with managing out of control verbal & physical behaviors ~ did so thru continuous ❤️, support, hugs, support, positivity & more ❤️ #waledchat
A1. With this child's issues, his one T, complained to P about him in learning difficulty, this Ss had his struggle areas but florished ahead and often lead the class in discussions, reasoning, and verbal problem solving! #waledchat
So important to remember! Every day is an opportunity! PS I'm deep into a leadership program and would always be happy to help with anything! #waledchat
Hi everyone at #waledchat I’m Eric from Ontario, 🇨🇦! I create educational videos on YouTube & make engaging teaching resources. I’m a literacy & numeracy coach for grades 1-6 about to return to the classroom next year! Grade 4!! https://t.co/KlgOxRCoUZ | https://t.co/wiwhJd4lzF
A1 Having my ELs who didn’t speak any English at the beginning of the year leave @Flipgrid videos giving advice to next year’s students in English. #waledchat
A1: We had a kiddo transfer at the start of the school year in 4th grade. Came in 2.5 grade levels behind, not a lot of self-confidence. Met w/ him regularly, made sure to make a connection with his family. EOY he made end of year grade level for 4th grade! what!? #waledchat
Absolutely! Regardless of the students' reading abilities, poetry can be embraced and felt at their personal levels. Powerful poems speak of so many different voices! #waledchat#engchat
A2: Simple - I listened when she needed me to listen and gave advice when she was open to it. My classroom was a safe haven where she could relax. #waledchat
A2: Spent some time chatting with some of his other teachers like @misskoplin and also had some honest heart to hearts with this kid in the hallway. I am sooooo sad I do not have this student next year. :( I am so proud of him. #waledchat
A2: We have an after school ESL program run by @ESL_Adventures that I would stop in to help them. Really though, it came down to them working really hard. #waledchat
A1: I’m actually proudest of several Ss who figured out how to be a contributing member of our community & “navigate the potholes” of middle school. They had some academic victories, but way more social/emotional ones! #waledchat
A1 - One of the biggest wins this year was with a young lady who already had one child, returned to school, pregnant and needing 27 credits to graduate. She had her second child, completed 27 credits, worked to support herself and graduate! Remarkable young lady! #waledchat
A1b: And his self confidence was soaring! He came up to me and gave me a hug and asked if I'd heard he'd met grade level and talked about the books he was going to read! #waledchat
Q2: In my self contained ELA class, I had a student pass the 6th grade Reading SOL. I teach my students basics in reading/writing (my kiddos are often ~4 years below GL), on top of the SOLs. The smile on his face when I told him he passed, I'll NEVER forget that. #waledchat
A1: When my newcomer started to open up through the use of @Flipgrid All of my bilingual kiddos caught #flipgridfever Once they were no longer shy about speaking up... silence was a thing of the past! The whole dynamic changed. #waledchat
A2 It is funny, whenever I see a student have a win, I always tell them: I am not responsible for what you have accomplished. I am there to support, to cheer on, to believe and to remind. But what you achieve, belongs to you...ALWAYS. Be proud. #waledchat
At the graduation video she was the last student to speak. “thanks to Shap for always being positive first thing in the morning. It’s something I’ll miss!”#waledchat
A2: Provided a listening ear when needed, wrote letters of recommendations. to the middle colleges, & emailed back & forth with them throughout the year to ensure they were keeping on track & helped when I could. Keeping communication with former Ss is important to me. #waledchat
A1. Biggest win was one of my 8th graders telling me he finally read a book from cover to cover for English class and he wanted to know if he could borrow my copy of the sequel to read for fun over spring break. #waledchat
A2 Academic win- through authentic use of the workshop model, my style. Culture win- through connections and partnering with my students as learners and not the typical I teach you learn model. #waledchat
A2: Patience, guidance, support, and true belief. It is one thing to tell and even to share, it is another to follow-up & establish a trust that embodies belief on all sides.
#waledchat
A2: Relationships are built on patience, acceptance, empathy, and time together to build trust. It is so vital our learners know that we are on their team, not the other way around. #waledchat We are but facilitators.
Yes! I looooooved my program, and I've even done 2 additional district level leadership programs - keep finding and joining those to sharpen the saw! #waledchat
I had a student who had high anxiety & bit his nails so much they were almosy bleeding.
I took this home with me nightly. Very soon changes started happening.
That last semester he was so confifident. His mom would email when there was no school to tell me was sad.
#waledchat
A2: Daily, consistent practice through tutoring, guided reading, whole group reading, word study, and independent reading time along with a healthy dose of encouragement! #waledchat
A1: Our students participated in a kindness movement this year with a random act of kindness bulletin board in our main hall. Our entire school and community became involved. #waledchat
A1: One of our Ss really struggled with making good choices. His T was incredibly in tune with his feelings, needs, & antecedents of certain behaviors. Once he developed a level of trust with her - he took off behaviorally & academically. #Waledchat
A2 I just said that I didn't think the outbursts were working and made him breath and talk about whatever was bothering him, Love that kid and love how much he grew #waledchat
A2: By pushing the envelope of expectations and positive reinforcement. Facilitated reflection and told the S about how interested I was in their opinion. #waledchat
A2: Patience. Trying to always remember their 1st yr of MS has to have a big learning curve. More patience. Focusing on the goal for them to stay in the classroom. Did I mention patience? #waledchat
A2 - I taught her in 10th grade and this year. Just believing in her and never letting her initial negativity stop me from seeing her ability. #waledchat
A2: My attitude is just as important as the Ss. Relationship building, patience, & grit. Team support from @renathunderhawk@BrandyLister & great Ts at my building make all the difference as well. Our approach to each individual situation is key in helping Ss improve. #waledchat
We discussed & shared various ways of examining the layers of meanings through the lenses of poets' voices. Ss learned to approach poetry as peeling the layers of allusive meanings with annotations freely recording their thoughts to interact with the power of words.
#waledchat
Q1: In my self contained ELA class, I had a student pass the 6th grade Reading SOL. I teach my students basics in reading/writing (my kiddos are often ~4 years below GL), on top of the SOLs. The smile on his face when I told him he passed, I'll NEVER forget that. #waledchat
Same happened to me- at 5th grade promotion this year, one of our boys stepped off stage, come over to me, hugged me and whispered thank you in my ear. He was a tough cookie to crack but he knew I genuinely cared. Needless to say, the tears were flowing! #waledchat
#waledchat A2: The real trick sometimes is identifying a kid's talent then finding a way to foster opportunities. I eant to generate as many chances in the classroom as possible.
A2 Seeing the growth of our Ss is attributed to the hard work of our Ts at HGS! Our staff goes “all in” for Ss and many of them are working this summer to help Ss pass EOY assessments! #waledchat@pqschools
A2 I started on day one by building a relationship, helping him learn my expectations for behavior, and believing in him. He was a lot of fun and very memorable. #waledchat
A2: With a focus on growth students can be more accurate at setting personal goals, small steps, and be able to identify their strengths and areas of opportunity. Our virtual data walls also helped Ts look for growth and helped admin ID the health of our program. #waledchat
A2: He really responded to relearning & made sure I know to keep it going next year too. If he didn’t hit our 80% target score on a skill, he got to try again (& again) in a small group or individually in a different format. Responded to failure not being end of story. #waledchat
A1: Helped teachers set-up a repeated reading program for struggling grade 4 readers in Sept. All Ss showed progress, but one in particular moved 8 levels (K-S) from within the year & is now reading at grade level! So proud of all involved!#waledchat
A2. Encouraging this child to keep leading and discussing! He was almost at the point of reasoning for the solutions to the problems in discussions! Incredible leadership! #waledchat
A2: created activities that quickly made thinking visible, allowed me to sit next to ss one and one and see what they knew and didn’t know. Act. required little writing so all could do it and they were quick and easy to assess. Appealed to all intelligences. #waledchat
A2: I coached T into focusing on their goals and listened to how the T wanted to build their lessons. My position is to help Ts (and Ss) realize the power of technology and how it can help. I like to focus on their "dream" situation and then help them build it. #waledchat
A2] I told him he could do it, worked with him in a practice round and created a culture in my class where it isn't about the individual its about the team/ family. #waledchat
A2: I touched base with them on a regular basis, provided specific reading and writing strategies, did some one on one tutoring, provided peer support, lots of low stakes practice, detailed feedback, and rewrites/corrections on high stakes assessments. #waledchat
We collaborated with parents to develop a learning style that would benefit the S. Some of the advice we received was invaluable to his growth. Our feedback helped them achieve success at home & show mastery in different settings. Patience & time were also big factors.
#waledchat
A1: They were able to connect their passion with animation and our math class to help better their understanding and encourage their engagement. So great! #waledchat
Q2: Aside from teaching the standards, I didn't focus on the importance of passing the test. We had many class discussions about why we take them and what they really mean in 6th grade. I focused on relationships the entire year. Relationships first, ALWAYS! #waledchat
A2: I taught them through modeling and social stories in conjunctionwith our school psychologist @JulieGB7 Also teaching in the moment and correcting/re-teaching without consequences #waledchat
A3 I had two students who were not permitted to attend moving up day. They still attempted to enter the building against the wishes of their parents. We handled it well and they didn't ruin anyone's day. #waledchat
A3 We have to do more, better for students who struggle with depression (and their families). I didn't lose them (more than 1) - thank goodness - & they had smiles in class before summer, but we have to do more. #waledchat
A2 I cultivated a relationship with him and helped him see what I saw in him Lots of talks lots of lunches together lots of reassuring He was extremely active and hyperactive and had accepted his behavior was bad.I let him know he was no different than most 10 yr olds. #waledchat
#waledchat biggest win, having a student fight and cry and play through tears of frustration that she couldn’t play her flute like the others- she went from the back to the leader of the pack- and wrote me a beautiful letter about music in her life
A2 A group of students was having a problem with a program they were running. This student said we can fix that by sending it to IMovie. I said go for it, let's see if we can help them. I trusted him to help the others and he did 👍 #waledchat
A2:
I met the students here she was. I allowed her to perform after the class left for a bit. Then, I let her have a s on stage w her for assessment. I partnered her with strong, but kind, actors. I pushed enough, but not too much and was there to catch or celebrate. #waledchat
A2 I added Seesaw this year. The ability for Ss to record and hear themselves really helped them to reflect on their fluency. They would even re-record a piece without prompting if they didn’t think it was fluent. I also added puppets/flannelboard stories to centers #waledchat
A3: I had a group of students that gave me problems all year long. No matter what I tried, we never really connected. As a result, they weren't as successful as they could have been. #waledchat
A2: Helped achieve that win through ongoing support, professional learning, and being able to notice and name the many small wins along the way. #waledchat
A3 I lost co-teaching for next year. I will be back to mostly honors classes. It is such a great experience for the students to have two teachers to confer with. #waledchat
A3: We had a S with attendance issues that was doing well at coming to school before Thanksgiving break, but really struggled emotionally to be consistent with attendance after. #waledchat
A3 Whenever a student loses engagement, does not want to come learn, shows disrespect, I find it a loss. I always strive to make things as good as they can get for kids and I know I have a huge role to play. Always evaluating what I do & my impact. #waledchat
A2- This T and our admin team, as well as many other individuals, worked closely together to develop an appropriate behavior plan, collect & track data, and make adjustments as necessary. The best part was when we could celebrate his many successes! #waledchat
A2: My students are hard workers and just needed a little extra get over the hump and realize their potential. Hard word paid off for them. They did all the work, I just provided the support! #waledchat
A3: I had a student that was "homeschooled" the year before, he admitted there was no schooling. He also missed a ton of days this year, when he was there he did great, but I just couldn't figure out how to keep him caught up. I feel like I failed him. #waledchat
A2: I invested in finding books that my students could connect with and see themselves in. I built strong relationships with each kid and got to know them as students and people. Then I recommended the perfect books for them. #waledchat
A3: I know that my teaching style doesn’t match everyone’s learning style... most of them came around to my interactive notebooks but a few of them at the end of the course said they didn’t benefit from it and they felt like it was a cop out to somehow learn less #waledchat
A3: A loss for students is a loss for educators. Some struggled more than others with routine and instructonal shifts this year. The struggle was worth it in the end. #waledchat
A3: I had a group of students that gave me problems all year long. No matter what I tried, we never really connected. As a result, they weren't as successful as they could have been. #waledchat
A3: I had a really hard time getting some of my ss to get along with each other and not say mean things when they were paired, even if it was for a hot second. Working on being proactive about that next year! #waledchat
A2 I helped my stu with anxiety by explaining the daily schedule to the class in detail, always speaking calmly, & answering questions whenever asked. Also letting him step out to hug his older brother anytime.
#waledchat
A2: I took the time to get to know this student. I selected her to participate in a mentoring program and encouraged her to keep trying. I let her know that she could do whatever she put her mind to and she started to believe in herself!#waledchat
I had the same issue with a group of boys. I didn't give up, but I am not sure anything I taught really resonated with them. SO frustrating. #waledchat
A3: One of my students saw herself as a victim. She told herself she didn't get math, this was hard, that was difficult, everyone was picking on her, why was she the only one who...It was a negative mindset and it was a challenge to change #waledchat
A2:
1⃣provide the tool
2⃣flexibility so they could come out on their own terms
3⃣keep working on those relationships so we wouldn't back track
#waledchat
A2: I’ve managed to create an environment in which my Ss feel like they can make mistakes and let others help them. It’s been amazing. Last two years the feedback from Ss has confirmed this. #waledchat
A3) not giving students enough feedback t help them be successful and fill their gaps. Something I’m working on for next year as a teacher and a new admin role #waledchat
This is always difficult. Some Ss struggle with trust and it's nearly impossible to get them to buy-in to the vision of the class. It would make any T feel defeated. #waledchat
Q3: The toughest loss was feeling like I failed my lowest reader. I failed her all year. I implemented a beginner reading curric, worked on finding GNs and low-leveled books that interested her. She didn't make any progress. I wish I could teach her for 10 more years. #waledchat
A3: We had a S with attendance issues that was doing well at coming to school before Thanksgiving break, but really struggled emotionally to be consistent with attendance after. #waledchat
A3 I had a student that even after partnering with his parents, admin and other teachers, i couldn't get through to until the last week of school. #waledchat
A3: Honestly, how much a learner stresses over the STAAR (state assessment) is a loss for me. Children's memories of education should not be pressure/anxiety to master a test. Rather it should be on growing capacity to be a successful human in the real world #waledchat
A3: Harder to answer bc most students had a real win of a year. But my state test score pass rates aren’t quite where I want them to be yet, so maybe I’d say that I’m clearly not quite nailing academic needs just right yet for the highest and lowest scoring ss. #waledchat
A3 We have had a difficult time getting back on track after my medical leave. Many Ss had SEL concerns that amplified as we approached the end of the year. We are still working on community every day #waledchat
A3- I had a S who failed all her Sols (4th grade). I saw how it hurt her! She has a wonderful mind and can beat any STEM challenge. Wish i could have saved her that hurt!! #waledchat
A3:
I allowed 3 students’ behavior affect not only their learning, but also derail the entire class. It led to a toxic environment for all of us. #waledchat
A3: My end goal for the poetry unit was for all of my students to embrace the beauty of language and develop their critical thinking through poetry analyses. It took a very long time for some Ss to become vulnerable as readers and thinkers.
#waledchat
That’s awesome! I’m hoping to film students telling us what they want in a teacher and keeping that feedback rolling for our staff meetings and trainings. Keeping faces on all of our work and reflections brings out the best in us. #waledchat
A3: Not reaching all of my kids! I have 289, and I try very hard, but there are a few tough cookies that I will continue to work on next school year. #waledchat
A3 I can't limit this to a student. I think the biggest loss has been opportunity. The opportunity to tie in our learning with local business and to make a better bond between us and the community. #OnMyToDoList#waledchat
Q3 - The year started with on student losing his mom. He had already lost a sibling, was ostracized from another sibling and had a father in prison. In finding his new home, he had to give up his pets who were his world. #waledchat
Q2: Aside from teaching the standards, I didn't focus on the importance of passing the test. We had many class discussions about why we take them and what they really mean in 6th grade. I focused on relationships the entire year. Relationships first, ALWAYS! #waledchat
A3 I feel like the squeaky wheels this year consumed all my time, so some of the quiet kids did not get the attention they deserved or needed. I know they learned, but it is still frustrating #waledchat
A3: We had a couple of "tough" hard to reach classes of kiddos this year - a loss for them was that it took us, as a staff, way to long to reach them all. So many had a really difficult year. WE will do better in the future. #waledchat
When I went on maternity leave for 9 weeks from March to May
I had a stu change dramatically in behavior due to being angry. He told his mom he was mad I was gone and showed it. I tried to reach out to him with email and calls.
#waledchat
A3 One of my students has been absent way too much. He is missing school to help the family financially. It breaks my heart to see his struggle choosing between school and family obligations. #waledchat
Q3: I would have to say a general challenge that I have is getting everyone to see the potential of technology tools. I have some late bloomers coming to the table, but it's only a matter of time before they try something in their instruction! #waledchat#alwaysforwardneverback
A4 In this case, I think we did as well as we could. Our communication with parents was on point. Our reactions were purposeful and proactive and we had no major incident. #waledchat
A4 We can be open about stress, depression, suicide, and what we should do to 1) recognize warning signs & 2) seek out help. But still, there's more to be done, there has to be; I just don't know what yet. #waledchat
A4: Get more student input on what they like and dislike about their learning environment and talk more about what they need to be successful. #waledchat
Q4: Better assessments, MEANINGFUL assessments. Immediate feedback (@Mrs_Collier525 has inspired me to re-think how I give feedback)! Being organized with my data and using it to drive my instruction the entire, not putting it on the back burner! #waledchat
A4: I think I had settled in my relationships with Ss. You know that comfy spot where you don’t have to work at it anymore? Individual conferencing is #1 on my list for next year. I did not do that enough. #waledchat
A3: My school shifted to a new schedule with writing split between all content area teachers. It was a struggle to figure out how to teach my students everything they needed in a shorter amount of time. #waledchat
I'm quite guilty of this.. As a coach, I feel guilty not working all the time and rarely break for lunch. A new goal next year is to connect with multiple lunch groups on different days! . #waledchat
A3 I feel like the squeaky wheels this year consumed all my time, so some of the quiet kids did not get the attention they deserved or needed. I know they learned, but it is still frustrating #waledchat
A3: A couple of our 8th graders couldn't quite get with the program & didn't make it the end of the year. I only hope the lessons learned as a result help them in the future. #waledchat
A3: had a kiddo lose her father the last wk of school. Her wish was to have as normal a last week before the funeral - teachers and myself worked to make that happen. One small change was I had lunch with her and her friends - Mom let me know how much that meant to her #waledchat
A3b - No matter the age, gender or area, there will always be difficult situations and students. That’s why our jobs shape the world. We must never forget the impact educators make on children. And, vice versa! #waledchat
A3: Honestly, how much a learner stresses over the STAAR (state assessment) is a loss for me. Children's memories of education should not be pressure/anxiety to master a test. Rather it should be on growing capacity to be a successful human in the real world #waledchat
A3. I had 3 students never earn above a C on major tasks. I feel like I missed some opportunities for one on one conferences, especially when they returned from absences. #waledchat
A4: I want to do better about conferencing with students at risk of not passing a quarter. Also, with us going 1:1 I want to start integrating more online feedback options so students can access it anytime, anywhere (ideally). #waledchat
A4: Relationships matter. I take that experience and that knowledge into my new job as an ITC. I need to remember that I need to make that connection with my Ts. #waledchat
A4: We had plenty of conversations about the pros of him attending the public HS instead - I just want all Ss to know that THEY determine their educational journey. The name of the school doesn't affect that. #waledchat
A3: A loss this year was a student that I worked 1:1 with all year and still wasn’t able to close her learning gap. It was hard to watch her struggle even though she did it with a smile. #waledchat
A3: Unfortunately, I had a student fall through the cracks and she ended up dropping our of school. I recently found out that this student is pregnant. This situation was disheartening. She has so much potential. #waledchat
A3: An ed. loss was a kiddo we never did reach this year to raise his confidence and focusing his energy towards learning. We won't give up! #waledchat
We tried our chromebook carts with a 1st grade class and spent 45 minutes logging in every single S. Needless to say we didn't even get to the lesson. 😞
#waledchat
A3. Finally breaking the ice with a Ss and then finding out he was moving at the end of the week! I was so broken hearted! I work 1:1 with this Ss in math on HW. Enc. him to tuck away the math table for mult. facts. He came in and wanted to do Math facts with me! #waledchat
A4: Work early and often to really build strong relationships with those Ss who struggle with attendance and help them realize their importance to our classroom vision. #waledchat
A4: We talked about what they would want the classroom to be like next year, the types of lessons that capture their attention and how they can take control of their learning. I am lucky enough to have many of the same students year after year. #waledchat
A3) I had a student who has constantly struggled with getting easily frustrated and throwing fits because of it. Even though I tried a number of techniques and talked to parents he is leaving the waay he came to me. #waledchat
That is such a hard mindset to change. I'm always validating my littles feelings by saying, "yes it is hard, but you are learning the tools to figure it out." Had a new kiddo in summer school come back the next day repeating that to me. He is working on a new mindset. #waledchat
A3: We are a very small rural school where everyone knows everyone. We had some students who had to move due to parents job change. Huge loss for our entire school. We are a close knit community and it’s like a family member had to move away. #waledchat
A4: Next year he is on my daily check-in list for recess and lunch to build that relationship. I'll be on the phone w/ mom - I'll be sure he gets a good news call of the day early, etc. #waledchat
A4: In retrospect, I should have used my Ss more as a peer tutor, especially in math. I also should have had her visit the Collaborative Room to build relationships with students with special needs. I feel she would've benefitted greatly from each. #waledchat
A4: I am going to get the chance to dive deep into just two grade levels next year. I can’t wait to really be involved in ensuring those Ss are getting their ELA needs met. So many ideas as I reflect over improvements needed next year. #waledchat
I am still trying to figure it out. I do try and stand and greet every student, so at least I have that positive contact. At a certain point I have to just turn my attention to those who want my help. #waledchat
So tough to reach them without the face-to-face interaction. Those relationships make a huge difference! #waledchat
P.S. That's a sweet font on your twitter handle!
A4: Work early and often to really build strong relationships with those Ss who struggle with attendance and help them realize their importance to our classroom vision. #waledchat
A4 I've been researching ways to incorporate the community and business. My team and I are planning ways to include our families. I'm looking forward to this year...LOL as usual. #waledchat
A3 I have another student who is a work in progress. He has improved a lot in my class for half the day. But he still cause problems else where ☹️ Working on it ... #waledchat
I bet! And you should. YOU helped that happen. When I heard someone tell a small group this week I am just a teacher....I said you're also a champion. Seriously
#waledchat
A1: They were able to connect their passion with animation and our math class to help better their understanding and encourage their engagement. So great! #waledchat
A4 In our case with Ss moving, we have to take advantage of every student, every moment, every day! We will continue to make the most out of our relationships and our time with Ss! #waledchat
A4: I have really taken to heart an article that I read about glueing and coloring... it rarely adds educational value so while it incentivized some, I really thought about what was/wasn’t worth pushing them on #waledchat
A3: Working so hard all year to close the achievement gap and make up for below grade level data markers and then take end of year assessment only to miss by a few points. Truly heartbreaking but I’m focusing on ALL the growth made and knowing that was amazing! #waledchat
By really staying on top of that S's school day. Finding ways to help cope with stress and anxiety. Building a strong relationship that would enable the S to feel safe and welcome at school. I think some opportunities were missed this year...
#waledchat
#Waledchat A very quiet student who would never speak during group presentations- last week of school- played guitar and sang a song about Texas Ecoregions it was amazing
A4 Continue having conversations with the parents to try to get them to see that with a good education the students will be better prepared to help themselves and ultimately the family. #waledchat
A4 - Working with high school students, we always speak about our “voice!” Meaning, verbally, body language and online. The message we send to others should always be done carefully and in a purposeful manner. Lots of life lessons. 10 deck day rule. #waledchat
Q5: My husband, son, and I spent a week in Disney. Since we've been back I've spent every second playing with my son (he turned 1 on 6/14) and snuggling with my pups. Heading up to Cape Cod in a few weeks to spend time with my family. Gotta start my summer reading. #waledchat
A2: NEVER giving up on, even when they tried so hard to push away and put up a front that they didn’t care. That’s when Ss need someone the most. #waledchat
I hope so. When I graded the finals, most of the grades were on par with what they have shown all year, so I know I taught them content. I am more upset I didn't help them develop as people! #waledchat
A4: My goal for next year is to make connections with each and every one of my students so that they know that at least one adult is in their corner. I plan on being a champ for my students. #waledchat
A4. I want to explore other avenues for conferencing and feedback (besides face to face and written) like video or audio messages for students. I also want to keep better records of meetings with students to be sure I don't miss someone. #waledchat
A4: Continue to provide extra support as needed and make sure to continue to let them know they matter and I believe in them. The student I worked with this year struggled with a smile on her face because she knew no matter what, I wasn’t giving up on her. #waledchat
A4: Test results paired with student feedback, I plan to spend on more time in-person feedback. They need to know not just what they got but WHY and where to go from there. #waledchat
A4:
I’m going to start next year with a plan, and I’m sticking to it. I’ve got colleagues that will be accountability partners that will help when I slip or am frustrated. #waledchat
A4: We have to continue to work toward becoming more restorative in dealing with student behaviors, beginning with ensuring relationships are strong to begin with. #waledchat
A4. Work harder on breaking the ice with those hard to reach Ss. 1:1 activities to find out what's going on! There's a front hiding behind behavior! #waledchat
A4 - This year we focused a lot on grief, support and making good choices through it all. It was a struggle, but the emotional support was critical to his survival. Literally. This coming year, we will focus more on academics and graduating! #waledchat
An awesome plan. Building that PLN and collaborating will help strengthen both your instruction and your colleagues' instruction. This will be best for Ss growth in learning! #waledchat
A3: Several variables can affect Ss behavior and academic performance. Some outside factors were incredibly impactful on one of our kiddos this year, and the bounce back just never happened. 😔 #waledchat
A5: Summer has started!! Not necessarily resting, but I am spending a lot of time reading, cleaning and I am so happy to be back into my fitness routine. So much more energy. #waledchat
A5 I'm doing a Bridge Course in Summer School to help prep incoming 9th graders. It's light & energizing, but as of July 3, I'll be at the beach with 2 under-5 kids every single day, looking for dolphins, building castles, finding sand crabs! A Padres game or two! #waledchat
Thank you! Some saw it as a lack of structure and discipline but I saw it as the only place where students could relax and learn what they felt they needed to learn. Important for high school ELLs who have limited time to learn an entire language. #waledchat
A4- I think more student led conferences and feedback would’ve helped that student. I think she had a lot of test taking anxiety and maybe if we had worked around that she would’ve seen her own successes. #waledchat
Q4: Attitude adjustments! Student apathy is severe with the ELA curriculum. I’m banking on gamifying my classroom and collaborating with @DeemAlysia & @Woodshopcowboy for Makerspace ideas & cross-curricular planning with @MrPStrunk to amp up 7th grade knowledge! #waledchat
A4~ I’ll be more proactive with/similar situations w/Ss & families and openly communicate ways to mitigate the losses of this unfortunate, seemingly commonplace, scenario #waledchat
A4: I need to stay more consistent with tech through the year. #eduprotocols has given me some great ideas. I need to offer more student choice in each lesson. #waledchat
A5) I will go and coach my school soccer team - that always helps recharge my batteries. Then go and watch my daughter play followed by lots of family time #waledchat
I have to train my students that they have more champions then me. I just can't be their all. I will work harder to show them who adores them and who they can go to.
I want them to build that inner strength.
#waledchat
A5: Spending lots of time with my husband & son! But also just had my 1st meeting with my new district & I'm so excited to start planning for the upcoming school year and beyond! #waledchat
A5: I'M GOING TO DISNEYWORLD! No really, I AM! @LBStrunk and I leave on Sunday and will get back on Friday only to head to the beach on Saturday! Lots to do in the two weeks ahead, but they are the fun/relaxing things! #waledchat
A5: I am spending time trying to catch up on rest, relaxation and personal PD. It might be summer, but I will always have a thirst for new learning. #waledchat
A4: as a building we, the staff, are working on changing our mindset and how we approach academic learning and SEL. Our principal got the entire staff Midnset for Learning to read this summer and we will start working with that in the fall. #waledchat
Q3: A loss are those Ss whose learning we are still puzzled about and haven’t found a great way to fully engage them...yet. As with all losses, there is a win in that we recognize that we aren’t there yet and won’t stop trying until@we reach them too! #waledchat
It's true! We can't force information into students' brains. We can't force people to learn. People only do what they want to do. We have to make them want to do it. #waledchat
#Waledchat Through 1-minute check ins and talking to her and encouraging her every day to find her voice. Helped her build her confidence with baby steps.
A4 In our case with Ss moving, we have to take advantage of our instructional time with every student, every moment, every day! We will continue to make the most out of our relationships and our time with Ss! #waledchat#waledchat
A5: Our last day was 5/25 so I’m finally getting my summer rhythm (relaxing, reading, lazy pool days) but meetings & BTS events are already creeping back on my calendar! A week at the beach is still on the sched, too! #waledchat
A5: I’ve been sleepin in... until about 630 when one of my littles is up. But it’s better than their 515 wake up call! And I’m sleeping through the night... #waledchat
A5: Can't say I've done a great job on this... I've been out of school nearly 2 weeks but have worked part of almost every day. The struggle is real for work/life balance.
#waledchat
A5: I have gone to visit my former school twice to renew and rebuild the relationships I have with my former Ss. Though, I will always think of them as my Ss, they need to know I'm always there for them. It's been refreshing. #waledchat
A4: I have actually rearranged my classroom so that it is harder for me to do non-teaching tasks like email without turning my back on my learners. Fixed by architecture. A more present me is a me that can better serve my kids! 😃 #Waledchat
A4: In retrospect, I should have used my Ss more as a peer tutor, especially in math. I also should have had her visit the Collaborative Room to build relationships with students with special needs. I feel she would've benefitted greatly from each. #waledchat
A5: I’m currently in my second summer session for my Admin degree. I’m using this time to be a sponge. During my down town I take strategic walks with my wife and kids, gym, etc. #waledchat
A5: I have gone to visit my former school twice to renew and rebuild the relationships I have with my former Ss. Though, I will always think of them as my Ss, they need to know I'm always there for them. It's been refreshing. #waledchat
A5: Last day of school tomorrow, one week off before summer school starts. I’ll be spending time with former co-workers and friends. Oh and packing... a move is on the horizon. Rejuvenation- maybe. Exciting things- of course. #waledchat
A5- i’m reading things that interest me, spending time with friends and family, and sleeping in! I’m so glad I don’t have to set that morning alarm right now #waledchat
A5 School ends at 1pm tomorrow. Beach house for a week starting on SUNDAY!!! I plan to enjoy lots of adult beverages and cards against humanity with my family so no twitter chats for me!!! #waledchat
Thank you all for coming! I will be in Disney next week with @LBStrunk but I leave you all in very capable hands with the AMAZING @ScottLewisITC to moderate #waledchat next week! I guarantee an amazing time!
A5b: Two weeks of traveling are coming up with family time and a mini vacation. Unplugging during this time and reconnecting FTF with family and friends!
#waledchat
A5: I’m so excited to have been accepted to present at a handful of conferences. That invigorates me like no other, even better than the beach! I love the Twitter book studies and also taking time to read and get organized. (And sleep, let us not forget that treasure) #waledchat
A4: I am already looking forward to this coming school year! I'm hoping to integrate powerful literary pieces especially written by @JasonReynolds83 to inspire the reluctant readers to see their lives through his stories and poems. Can't wait!! #waledchat@MrPStrunk
A5:
I’ve been out 2 weeks. The first week I did an integratedarts camp, and this week I did grad class work. Now—I got a great report and clean scans from@my oncologist, so I can relax. July 19-30, I will be in Puerto Rico! Relaxing, learning, recharging! #waledchat
A5: I plan on spending time with my family, and hopefully I will enjoy a day at the beach on Saturday! I also plan on getting some reading and of course a little PD in between the family time! #waledchat
A5: I've been out for 3 weeks. I'm reading #SparksInTheDark by @TechNinjaTodd and @teachermantrav to recharge my ELA mind and I read Marilyn Burns' blog daily to recharge my Math brain. I also do lots of therapeutic projects around home #waledchat
I went to all my 3rd-5th grade classes and read this before testing and had a discussion about test anxiety and the importance of beeping in themselves as well as realizing all the things that tests don’t measure that are important. #waledchat
Tomorrow I'm turning in my last paper for the Summer term so my "Summer break" will start with hanging out with my little guy and my birthday weekend kick off. Then, I go into a staycation. My husband and BF have surprises for Saturday, and I can't wait! #waledchat
A5.2: You will never feel more like a celebrity than you do when making the return to the Ss you previously taught. Sooooo many selfies and hugs.
Really makes you realize the impact you have on your Ss & it can recharge your passion to continue being your best for Ss. #waledchat
#Waledchat A student struggled with science because of her Dyslexia- she failed tests & stopped doing her HW- she lost her juju we called it. She was quiet and had difficulty relating to other students so she worked alone a lot
A5. Spending as much time as I can with family and my furbabies. Also just got home from a fantastic getaway with my guy. Sneaking in time to read fiction for pleasure between my stats book for my research class. #waledchat@MrPStrunk@KTuttleEDU@gett_marissa@ERobbPrincipal
A5 My son just graduated and we said farewell to my airman daughter yesterday. So my summer now consists of helping my son train for college soccer and playing with my younger 2 at the beach, park, Busch Gardens etc. #waledchat
A5: Our students are out for summer. I have been working and planning for next year. Monday I attendeda global symposium and the last two days we have been in a leadership academy at our central office. Love life-long learning. #waledchat
A5 My last day is tomorrow. This weekend is all about preparations. It is time for a family trip to DISNEY (monday). That will be my time to relax, recharge and be with family. Cannot wait. Plus, my new adventure back in the classroom in August is keeping me motivated #waledchat
Thank you all for coming! I will be in Disney next week with @LBStrunk but I leave you all in very capable hands with the AMAZING @ScottLewisITC to moderate #waledchat next week! I guarantee an amazing time!
I hate worksheets! And remediation this week was hard for me! I'm not a kill and drill type teacher, but with only three half days to remediate, that is what I did!
I love writing! I’ve only gotten one blog post written this summer but at least have my Google Keep list ready... been tweeting a bit too much maybe but these chats are so great #waledchat
