Responsive Classroom for Middle School
Posted on August 12, 2021 by Ally Glass-Katz
7th Grade English Teacher
Summary of workshop/opportunity
A four-day workshop focussed on student-centered social and emotional learning methods.
Triangle/Square/Circle
What are 3 things I took away/learned?
1. Brain breaks are important & fun!
2. The first month is vital; slow down on curriculum and focus on creating a strong environment/community.
3. Small group learning enables students to take positive risks by lowering the stakes and by helping students develop social and emotional skills.
What squared with my existing practice/beliefs?
Teaching students to have set roles in their small groups. Also really focussing on creating a strong classroom routine.
What is still circling around in my head?
Thinking more about how and why to incorporate informal assessment into my classroom.
Would you recommend this opportunity?
Yes
PD #235
Curriculum Camp
Posted on August 12, 2021 by Ally Glass-Katz
7th Grade English Teacher
Summary of workshop/opportunity
A two-day conference on adapting and creating inclusive and engaging curriculum.
Start/Stop/Continue
What are you going to START doing?
I'm going to start trying to create a storyline with my curriculum. I'm also going to start posting the essential questions that go with each unit and asking students to add their own thoughts/questions throughout the unit.
What are you going to STOP doing?
I'm going to stop putting a focus on superficial learning and instead focus on bigger ideas and transferable processes.
Would you recommend this opportunity?
Yes
Optionally, offer a one sentence recommendation for the opportunity.
It was very big picture—not a lot of time to think about your own curriculum. Instead, a lot of very good but slightly nonspecific lectures.
PD #236
7th Grade Curriculum Review and New Faculty Member Prep
Posted on August 12, 2021 by Ally Glass-Katz
7th Grade English Teacher
Summary of workshop/opportunity
Cami walked me through a detailed introduction to the entire 7th grade English curriculum with a special emphasis on sections that need to be revised.
Goals & Collaborations
What were your big takeaways from your workshop or project?
We overviewed the entire 7th grade English curriculum, going over the units, goals, and particular books. We focused on discussing where the curriculum needed to be rewritten/created and where it was already strong.
How does what you learned connect to your goals this year?
I'm so excited to be joining the team, and I can't overstate how helpful it was to get an overview of the curriculum along with an opportunity to ask questions. This opportunity allows me to hit the ground running in a couple weeks!
How might this opportunity lead to collaboration with other faculty?
This opportunity allowed me and Cami to pinpoint what parts of the curriculum still need revision. We'll be able to enter the school year aware of what units to focus on as we collaborate throughout the Fall and Spring.
Would you recommend this opportunity?
Yes
PD #237