Internal Check

Winter Break.  It is here.  You are in it.  So, we invite you to take a moment to PAUSE and CHECK-IN with yourself.  REFLECT.  How are YOU doing?  How are YOU feeling about first semester?  What are YOU proud of that you have done?  What impact have YOU made on your students?  How will YOU stay committed to your goals to eliminate the racial achievement gap?  What do YOU need from your equity coach to stay on track?

After you take an internal check, consider the list below.

• Trust yourself.  You know what you want and need.
• Let your feelings be known. They are important.
• Put yourself first.  You can’t be anything for anybody else unless you take care of yourself.
• Express your opinions.  It’s good to hear yourself talk. 
• Value your thinking.  You do it well.
• Take the time and space you need — even if other people are wanting something from you.  
• When you feel like running away, let yourself feel the scare.  Think about what you fear will happen and decide what you need to do.
• When you need help, ask.  

  (Hartman, 1987)

                                 “WE CANNOT START OVER, BUT WE CAN BEGIN NOW, AND
                                  MAKE A NEW ENDING.”  (Zig Ziglar)

Enjoy your well-deserved break, 

Joy and Arika

HELP! How can I keep my students engaged?

In our conversations with teachers and support staff, many have made their goals around student engagement.  To assist in this goal, we found a great list compiled by students about what engages them.   

• Working with their peers 
  
• Working with technology
• Connecting the real world to the work we do/project-based learning
• Clearly loving what you do
• Get me out of my seat
• Bring in visuals
• Student choice
• Understand your clients – the kids
• Mix it up
• Be Human

 Source:  edutopia.com
Blog:  Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement

After reading the list, reflect on the following:

• How often am I lecturing versus facilitating?
• In what ways could technology play a part in my lesson?
• How is my assignment relevant to students?
• In what ways am I demonstrating my passion for teaching?
• How can I use movement in my day-to-day lessons?
• How can a visual enhance my lesson?
• What would it look like to differentiate my assignment?
• What do I know about each student?
• How can I deliver my content differently?
• What do my students know about me as a person?