I really been utilizing exit slips for the “true meaning” of exit slips this year.  Before I used to use them because it was a fun idea. Kids would stay in their seats until the bell.  You know…keep them busy type of attitude.  I now really use them to help me instruct for the next day.  I do have to admit…it is extremely frustrating when you spend what you think is your best lesson ever and then you give the exit slip where the majority of students didn’t get it.  This is frustrating but necessary to know.  Most of my exit slips are made up right then and there.  I want to know subject area.  I do have others that I have used and have included here.

Here are some of my online sources

Scholastic

Exit Slips

Entrance Tickets  (I love this idea and have not yet tried.  What about giving before they leave and it must be done to enter.)

I like to organize my exit slips into three groups.  Those that got it, close, and then completly clueless.  This works well in a classroom where it is co taught.  Remediation can occurr.

Growing and Developing Professionally 2014-2015

I already submitted my professional development in regards to cpdu’s in domain 1.

Data Team/Data Coach:  This job has evolved from data team to data coach.  I feel that we were more effective when we were data team in that we had an impact on how to move forward in regards to data from testing results.  I feel now that we are an “after thought” and are not utilized effectively.  The data coach continues to grow in regards to the evaluative process.  More teachers recognize the importance of data and reflecting on their teaching.  I look forward to how this part is evolving.

HAT:  I have had the most professional growth from this committee.  It has been incredible.  I have seen different top speakers and learned about the current research and knowledge in regards to education.  This used to not enthuse me in any way.  I was all about the classroom and I looked at the researchers as simple that…researchers.  I have enjoyed the process involved in making change for the school district.

Subbing:  When Martha calls, I usually answer “yes”.  I not only do this for the pay, I also like to meet more of the student body and “spy on what other teachers are doing”.  I really think we have many good teachers that need to be showcased.     I have walked into some awesome classrooms.  Many times we are in our on department worlds and feel as though we have the worst situation.  This is so not true.  Seeing the different subject areas and class combos of my colleagues has only enlightened me.  My favorite colleagues to sub for are the foreign language departments.  These teachers are awesome.

Registration:  I always serve here yearly for three days.

Key Club:  I am the treasurer advisor for Key Club.  This club trains leaders through service opportunities.  I attend meetings and advise when necessary.  Last year I had the privilege to attend convention with the students.  This includes participation in Kiwanis Brat Days, Greenich Village Art Fair, etc.

Wellness Committee:  I am a member of the wellness committee.  I think I was chosen as the “unhealthy” person but I am not sure.

Summer School:  I taught the second half of Alg II summer school in 2014.  We used Plato as the program.  My opinion of this is lacking.  I switched the kids over to Khan Academy.  The Plato program is for self learners.  It is not for the struggling student.  It was a learning experience.

SAIL Program:  For 8 days I had the opportunity to teach computer programming to 7^th and 8^th grade students in the SAIL program.  I taught the program SCRATCH.  We had a blast.  Harlem’s SAIL program was a new idea that gave kids exploratory opportunities of learning.  Great idea…great amounts of fun.

I think my philosophy on teaching has grown in the past few years through two major factors.  1.)  Going to the leadership conference in Barrington at Willow Creek Church and 2.) having daily talks with my husband.   My philosophy has changed from the start of my teaching from a “typical” philosophy statement to evolving into something a little bit more solid.

At the leadership conference it is aimed mainly for business leaders.  I sat amongst CEO’s, CIO’s, CFO’s from all over the world.  This conference reaches into countries that most don’t want to attempt to because of the danger involved.  In this conference heard in person Colin Powell, Patrick Lencioni( author five dysfunctions of a team), Bob Goff ( founder of Restore International), Joseph Grenny (author of Crucial Conversations), BreneBrown (great Ted Talk on Power of Vulnerability, Henry Cloud, and more.  One two day conference and my attitude about teaching changed.

I think Bill Hybels summed up leadership in its finest in the workforce this weekend.  What are the top qualitities of a leader?  What does it mean to love your work and be fulfuilled in your daily labors?  How does this come about.  I listened through two perspectives.  One, the perspective of me in the workplace working for my leaders.  Two in the perspective that I am the leader in my classroom and what does this mean.

• 1.)  Clear and Reasonable expectations
• 2.)  Equipment and supplies to perform the job
• 3.)  Doing what you do best
• 4.)  Getting Recognition and Praise
• 5.)  Supervisor to care as a person
• 6.)  Encourages the development in others
• 7.)  Opionions matter to someone
• 8.)  Sense of purpose/  The mission matters
• 9.)  Colleagues committed to quality
• 10.)  Best friend at work
• 11.)  Talk honestly about progress
• 12.)  Have new opportunities to stretch and grow.

I look at these needs in the workplace and really they are very basic.  Hybels talked about how a healthy vibrant culture appears when letting people know that matter occurrs.  This is so true in teaching.

Although they are worded more for boss and employee I think they apply to teacher and student.  I have found looking to the business world on leadership has helped sometimes more than workshops with the trained professionals in education.  Why?  I think because we get caught up in our education brains and don’t see things in a different light.

I rewrote these 12 a s ten teacher statements to post in my room.  I did take the liberty to change the order accordingly.

• • • 1.)  I care about YOUR Education!  Do YOU?
    • 2.)  My expectations are clear and reasonable.  If not….just ask.
    • 3.)  Together we will provide what you need to get the job done!
    • 4.)  Everyone has their own learning style.  I will try to help you reach your potential in how you work best.
    • 5.)  Recognition and Praise is important.  I will give it when earned.  It will never be a lie.  It will mean something.
    • 6.)  I see your potential growth and I will push you towards that daily.   I hope you learn to see that in others and encourage them to grow also.
    • 7.)  Your opinion matters.  Use it appropriately.  I have one also.
    • 8.)  The mission you and I are embarking on is important.  You might not realize it now.  The world out there is tough and I want you prepared.  It is easier to forget knowledge than to have to relearn it after you find out you hate your job and have to go back to school.
    • 9.)  Are your peers committed to quality like you?  Are they helping your grow in class or are they keeping you down?  Are you willing to call them “boss” in your in a few years?  Keep yourself around others that have ambition and concern for their futures.
    • 10.)  Do you know at least one person in the class?  If not, make a friend.
    • 11.)  I will talk honestly about your progress.  I am not a “sell out” teacher where a word search will get you your grade.  I am committed to you and true learning.  Sometimes the truth hurts when you are not doing well.   We can get through it together.
    • 12.)  It isn’t fun to relearn the same thing.  It is important to stretch and grow your brain.  I will provide opportunities for you to do this.

My other influence in my philosophy is my husband.  I have learned more from his own personal life experience that I could have imagined.  You see I was the Brady Bunch kid.  I had the two parents, good family, etc.  And well…he was simply that “other” kid.  I think you when you come from a family as I did you start to get the “I’m going to save the world” attitude.  You see kids coming in from poor homes, dysfunctional families and some horrifying situations.  This is where my husband came from.  The questions becomes, “Honey, how did you make it”.  His brutal honesty is what I have learned from.  Simply put, a person does not make it by being babied and enabled.  In fact, (although it seems so unfair) these kids will have to work harder than those children where things are given to them.  I am the encourager but not the enabler.  I have learned to recognize this and it has been hard at times to show tough love.   Many times I don’t have success stories but when I do the rewards are tremedous. My motto is EMPOWERMENT.

I have had to use this tough love in raising my own step children in conditions that were horrendous.  Guess what, they were “those kids”.   We raised them with few days to our name and we fought every interaction of the attitude of “entitlement, victimhood, and enablement”.  Every moral and value taught was a fight.  I experienced court cases, dcfs, and a constant fear that my children were going to be harmed.  Through it all we taught empowerment, and the importance of God and an education.  I have straight A students and one is currently at IMSA and interning at Fermi lab.  My husband KNEW what is important in education and in being human.  Our fight was to make a legacy that is not dependent on welfare and low paying jobs but one that can go out into the world and make change for the good.

I recognize that the role of the teacher is a powerful one.  Constantly I am learning and modifying my thinking.  I keep coming across new situations that through off my previous thoughts.  I do know that simply letting students know you care has never done harm.  I think that this is the greatest attribute I have.

When I post the objective I have it between my signs that say “Goal for the Day” and Learning Objective.  I used to seperate and do both but my students had trouble understanding the “official” standard and needed it simplified for their benefit.  I show it for their benefit not for my admins benefit.

Key Club International is the high school organization sponsored by Kiwanis International. Key Club assists Kiwanis in carrying out its mission to serve the children of the world. High school student members of Key Club perform acts of service in their communities, such as cleaning up parks, collecting clothing and organizing food drives. They also learn leadership skills by running meetings, planning projects and holding elected leadership positions at the club, district and international levels.

I have served as a volunteer advisor for the treasurer for Key Club from Spring 2013-Fall 2014.  Wenesday meetings are weekly.  Board meetings are monthly.

I also attended the Key Club conference in 2014.

My first semester in Directed STudies 2014 has been mere survival.  Many changes have occurred in our district and this has been the year in which directed studies has taken a huge hit in regards to priority.  When I first started teaching DS, I had mentors in my classroom.  Four to be exact.  The goal was to build relationship with the mentors who would then keep track of a certain group of students and help them to maintain on tast.  At this point people realized that many of these students were doing poorly in all classes (not just math).  The idea was for them to be connected with an adult who would provide care and concern.  We focused on basic skills so that test scores would improve.  Class size was kept to around 24 at the most.

When the contract was negotiated we lost our mentors.  This was doable the first year in that the class size was reasonable.  This year however, we have no mentors and I am working with 34 students who are all needing one on one help.  To make matters worse I have cliques, and groups of enemies all in the same class.  I am have racial issues where the class if left to do group work will move into “their own”.  Daily I dreaded teaching DS.

I have come back this semester with some new goals.  The admins have redesigned the purpose for the class to help with the students current math class.

My goals include:

1.)  Divide the class into their groups by their math teacher.  I have 8 groups of GEo by their math teacher, 1 group of Alg II, and 1 group of Alg I.

2.)  In their groups I promote teacm building activities.  They are with students that they normally might not hang with.  This will hopefully help with all of the put downs and language issues.  We need to promote each other up not put down like last semester.

3.)  Students are going to see application and relevance to what is being taught in their regular math class.  This is going to be a big challenge especially with the diversity in my class.

So far, I have started off with team building activities such as their team flag and have purchases team binders.  This is a work in progress.

This site will be proof of all of the domains for my teaching evaluation for the 2014-2015 school year.