#Whatsup Wildcats - Classroom Edition

Organized. Productive.  Creative.  Collaborative.  We want our students to possess all of these qualities because we know that they will help them succeed in and out of the classroom. But realistically, are students properly equipped with these qualities to survive and "do school" in a digital world? While traditional instructional practices will always have a place in the classroom, we must acknowledge that our students also need to possess the qualities listed above in a digital setting.  This year, our Advisory program decided to provide simple, effective lessons to teach digital tips and tricks to freshmen students. Yes, it was time to GET DIGITAL!   (Cue Olivia Newton-John) Let's Get Digital is designed to teach students how to utilize various digital resources available on their Chromebooks and mobile devices. It also provides tips and tricks to help them be organized, productive, creative, and collaborative.  ...

I'm excited to be co-authoring this post with my BFF and partner in crime, Steve Wick . Check out his blog, Know Your Why! for some awesome instructional ideas and resources. If you need any information or support for anything EdTech, he is your guy! We are in our second year of 1 to 1 with Chromebooks, and we have been amazed by the incredible engagement we’ve witnessed as teachers have enhanced and transformed their instructional practices. Our classrooms are full of students engaged in a variety of activities enhanced with a variety of digital resources. Teachers are facilitating and our students are collaborating, communicating, creating, and thinking critically on a daily basis. We’ve enjoyed visiting classrooms and observing, but we needed something more. We wanted to encourage teachers to come together and share how they are engaging students. We believe that one of the most rewarding professional development activities is when teachers find time to talk to eac...

Educators talk a lot about student artifacts and how we can show evidence of student thinking and learning. Student artifacts are powerful because they not only show off what our students are doing, but they can also demonstrate student growth and developed skills. We often forget that teacher artifacts can have the same power and importance. What is a teacher artifact, you ask? Well, I would say that it is an artifact that demonstrates how teachers think and how they are growing in the profession in order to support their students. They are achievements of what we are actively doing in the classroom to provide a safe, welcoming, and student-centered environment.  While there are many artifacts created by individual teachers and groups of educators teaching similar content, it can be rare to find an artifact that demonstrates the learning, growth, and passion of all teachers in one building. Well, my friends, our staff created a pretty awesome artifact of learning and ...

A school is a special place. Not just for students, but also for the teachers who work tirelessly to engage their students and provide a memorable learning experience. Our work not only inspires students, but it also inspires our colleagues...and these professional relationships create an environment that breaks beyond expectations.  As I explained in my last post, it is a new year, with a new, contagious energy. Teachers have jumped right back into instruction and are excited to share the awesome things they are trying or want to try in the classroom. As I worked with a few teachers this week, I continued to be amazed and excited about the way they are making instructional shifts while keeping the focus on student learning and growth. While trying something new in the classroom can be scary and overwhelming, the result will not only benefit our students, but it will also inspire others around us. Here are a few ways our teachers are working to enhance classroom instruction ...

Well, well, well.....here we are again. New year. New students. New goals. Probably one of my favorite parts about being a teacher is that each year, we get a chance to regroup, reflect, and refocus on our goals as an educator. The beginning of the school year brings so many emotions - excitement, anxiety, hope, fear...and many many more - and as teachers, we have to find balance and focus as we decide how we will create a memorable experience for our students. When the students arrive on Day 1, we slip right back into the role we left a few months back and already start thinking about the potential and future growth of our students. There is a new energy among our teachers this year, and this new energy is exciting and contagious. Last year, with the adoption of 1:1 in all of our classrooms, many teachers were curious but nervous to try new things in their classrooms. Taking risks in the classroom can always be nervewracking as we have 30 students staring at us, and if something g...

And just like that....we have reached the end of our school year. While we are always thankful for a break, I find it important to reflect on the year and to mentally start preparing for August. This year has been one to remember. As I've shared in the past, I experienced the best professional development of my career and am extremely thankful for the opportunity. This PD was free and gave me a chance to not only work with teachers but also work with more students. It made me a better colleague, teacher, and learner. This PD was right here at Neuqua and available to all staff at all times. This PD, my friends, came from observing classrooms. As I reflect on this awesome professional development, these two words come to mind:  Exposure and experience. Exposure: Sitting in different classrooms, collaborating with various teachers, and revisiting courses I haven't experienced since high school provided new ideas, perspectives, appreciation, and most importantly, awar...

Trying something new always brings about an element of excitement. This week, I tried something new, and it was awesome. Was it easy? Nope. Did I do my best work? Nope. Did I feel comfortable? Nope. Did students have to help me? Yep. Did they look at me like I was crazy? Yep. Did I have fun? Absolutely. I learned something new and had a memorable experience. As teachers, this is what we should strive to do in our classrooms for our students: Create memorable experiences. This is when the best learning happens. It was just a normal Tuesday morning until we received an email from one of our fantastic art teachers, Ms. Carol Kinast, inviting staff into her Ceramics class. Her students were on an in-school field trip and had the opportunity to complete a raku and horse hair firing with Fox Valley Hall of Fame Artist, Joe Hernandez. Here are two videos that Ms. Kinast shared with staff showing the process of a raku and horse hair firing: Last semester, I observed a few ceramics...