Welcome back!!

I hope everyone had a relaxing summer. Mine was very busy, both at home and at school. I was able to attend several training workshops as well as provide some training that has really helped me better understand some of the initiatives that the district is supporting.

To begin with, I was able to develop and present a half day workshop on formative assessment with Kathy Southwell. In preparing for this presentation I was able to understand some of the layers of this topic in greater detail and to see how the idea of formative assessment fits so well with other best practices that we support in this disrtict. Using formative assessments not only allows us to gather data prior to a unit test, but also allows us to provide students with authentic, relevant feedback about their progress and shows us where to make adjustments for students proactively to better insure their success. As the year progresses I will be presenting this information for staff either in department meeting or as an afterschool workshop. I would also be willing to work with any groups or individuals on incorporating these strategies into their planning and teaching. Take a few minutes and view the attached videos.

I was also able to attend the Covey training and to refresh my skills and knowledge regarding the "seven habits" . Once again, it was interesting how incorporating these habits into our daily practice weaves right into the fabric of what we have all been doing.

A third focus for me this summer was sharing ideas with teachers and support staff regarding proactive behavior management at a workshop facilitated by David Karem from OCM BOCES. We were able to look at the basic values of PBIS , as well as other behavioral dynamics, and become better able to support those values in our respective schools and classrooms. It is our plan to continue working with this core group as the year progresses.

So - as I said- busy!! Don't get me going about yard work and home repair!!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like more information and /or support with the above topics.

Take a few minutes and have a look. Let me know what you think.

http://www.teachers.tv/video/565

http://www.teachers.tv/video/566