Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Problem-solving conversations among staff focusing on solutions. Together we are better!
*Students in ELA focused and hard at work to write strong essays. They were writing about big themes/claims such as loyalty, jealousy, growing from adversity and trust.
*I had a conversation with a new student this week to find out what he thinks about Dodgeland compared to his previous school. He said the biggest difference is the teachers--our teachers are very friendly to students and seem to really take time to work with individual students, "they seem like they care about us kids here."
"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*If we are not telling the stories about the great things happening in our schools, then people will make up their own stories. Facebook can be a place of people complaining and spreading negativity or we can use it as a place to share the good work happening here. I'd like to ask your help with this...if you ever have a moment in class that you can snap a picture of to share with me and a sentence or two. Maybe a hands-on activity, experiment, students collaborating, presenting, etc.
In addition, I would love to start highlighting one staff member a week on our Facebook pages. This is a great opportunity for us to connect with our community and share why we work at Dodgeland. If you are interested, please share with me:
- Your hometown/where you graduated from
- Your career experience (this could be years taught, previous positions/schools, etc.)
- Family, hobbies, fun facts that you're comfortable sharing
- Why you love Dodgeland
- Picture(s) of you, your classroom, your family...again what you're comfortable with (otherwise I have to take your school picture off the website, but you probably have more fun pics!)
*Reminder - When we go into administrative hold it is an expectation for all staff and students to remain in classrooms with doors closed. It isn't just that we want a quiet hallway. ;)
Tech Tip of the Week:
Kajeet, hotspots. Just as the students can check out a Kajeet hotspot to work or research or read outside of school, so can staff. If you fill out the form, you can pick up a hotspot at the end of the school day. Works well at conferences or if you have cellular service but limited or no WIFI. Here is the link to the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/
Inspirational Thoughts:
We are at the point of "disillusionment" at this time of the year.
The best thing you can do for yourself at this time of year is take care of yourself and take care of each other. Please take time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy your families, because I know you've been spending a lot of time here taking care of your classrooms. It's time for you all to Balance Like a Pirate! Do something for yourself to fulfill your personal quadrant in life. Do something totally fun to fulfill your passions quadrant-read for pleasure, go see a movie, craft or whatever makes you happy...do it! :)
*I will be up in the middle of nowhere northern Minnesota where the internet hardly exist so I will not be checking emails over break.
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