In the first week of school, Mr. H'Dari Jones earned the "Trophy of Excellence" for setting up his room with a data wall with back-to-school assessment scores.
Data walls allow the teacher and leadership teams to look at the data and find trends or areas of weaknesses. Based on the data, teachers can plan their lessons and strategically group students based on their needs.
Mr. Jones, the campus third-grade math teacher, also established a community compact -- an agreement between the teacher and students on the behavioral expectations for the class. The objective is for Mr. Jones's assigned greeter to welcome visitors, share the community compact and ultimately encourage visitors to sign it.
Teachers must turn in lesson plans every week. I found Mr. Jones's lesson plan to be engaging, particularly as it relates to math activities. His "word wall," instead of being blank, contained math vocabulary for the lessons. Word walls are for students to define and use the vocabulary necessary for their mastery of lessons.
This week, Mallori Mazyck used a student restroom break to grill her students about Reading Horizons slides they viewed yesterday. By using this idle time wisely, the second-grade reading teacher earned a "Trophy of Excellence." Reading Horizons is based on a proven method that clearly explains each skill needed for proficient reading and spelling,
Great job team at making "Big Shifts!"
The "Trophy of Excellence" is awarded to teachers, staff members or students who excel in their daily routines.
The kids love it when I give them a trophy!
Ms. Gayle Voltz,
Director, The Varnett School East
Photos by Ms. Voltz