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Friday, May 12, 2017

Last Update of The Year

This is the last update of the 2016-2017 school year.  We hope you gained something from reading the updates this past school year.  We strive to create and pass along content that is relevant to our nine member school districts.  If you ever have a topic or something you think other teachers would enjoy reading or attending, please let Brandon know and he will gladly place it in the update.

Have an enjoyable and restful break.  As every year, the MRVED offices will be open all summer, so stop by, grab a piece of candy (or a cup of coffee) and say hello.  We always enjoy summer visitors and hearing about all your adventures during the break.  If you need anything over break, do not hesitate to let us know. Get rejuvenated and some rest for another school year. Thank you all for another great year and we will see you in September.

MRVED Meetings
May 15, 2017  Principals' and Teachers' Advisory Council combined meeting (8:30 a.m. start)
May 24, 2017  Superintendents' Council

June 21, 2017  MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
June 28, 2017  Superintendents' Council

MRVED Summer Professional Development

MRVED Summer Professional Development
The MRVED will be offering a couple professional development opportunities over the summer.  See the brochure for more information.

June 20 - Google, Google, and More Google - Brandon Raymo
June 29 - Suicide Prevention - Brian Skogen
July 17 - Vocab Everyday - Laura Byard
July 19 - How to Become a Substitute Teacher - Karen Jacobson & Brandon Raymo

Brochure

Registration Link

MDE Resources

MDE Resources
Holly Brunson, Outreach and Training Specialist from MDE spent the day at the MRVED last week.  She showed the many different data centers MDE has available to users and how to use them.  She also shared a couple resources that should be shared.

MCA Released Items - MCA test questions that have been retired from the test bank.  Currently only math available.

MCA Advisory Panel - Serve on a committee for creating quality test questions for the various content areas.  Great opportunity to see how the MCA tests are created.

Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) - Variety of data points from PreK-Post Secondary.

Achievement Level Descriptors - Describe what Exceeds, Meets, Partial, and Does Not Meet looks like.
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What Great Teachers Do Differently - The Rest & Summary

What Great Teachers Do Differently
Since the first of the year we have been taking a look at one strategy from Todd Whitaker's book What Great Teachers Do Differently.  This week we will quickly highlight the last 5 strategies and then provide a summary.

Base Every Decision on the Best People - "Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: What will the best people think?" (Whitaker, 88)

In Every Situation Ask Who Is Most Comfortable and Who Is Least Comfortable - "Great teachers continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make.  They treat everyone as if they were good" (Whitaker, 95)

Put Yourself in Their Position - "Great teachers have empathy for students and clarity about how others see them" (Whitaker, 101)

What About These Darn Standardized Tests - "Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective.  They focus on the real issue of student learning." (Whitaker, 109)

Make It Cool to Care - "Great teachers care about their students.  They understand that behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change." (Whitaker 118)


Summary
Whitaker's book What Great Teachers Do Differently is a quick read outlining some of the characteristics that set the best teachers a part from the others.  As I finished the book, I tried to summarize a great teacher into one (long) sentence:  A great teacher is someone who cares for kids, keeps kids first in all decisions, treats everyone as if they were good every day, and is empathetic.  Whitaker mentioned when he spoke to the MRVED districts (this is a paraphrase)..."none of these things require money, the newest curriculum, or the fanciest device...all of these things can be accomplished through EFFORT."  It may take a lot of effort some days to treat that one kid as if he was good, but in the end it's worth it.

When I think back to my schooling (and I need to be careful here as some of my teachers are still teaching :-) and remember the great teachers.  I don't remember some of the neat projects we did, or the newest computer games (it was the color version of Oregon Trail), I remember the teachers that treated me with respect and genuinely cared for me.  Some of it was "tough love", but love nonetheless.  Think back to your schooling.  What were some of the characteristics of the best teachers you had?  Do you carry some of those characteristics yourself?  Would you want to be a student in your own classroom?

If you haven't read it already, find a copy of Whitaker's book What Great Teachers Do Differently and read it over the summer.

Summer Reading List

Summer Reading List
With only a month (or less) of school left I thought it would be good to get a list of books to read over the summer months.

What Great Teachers Do Differently - Todd Whitaker

Innovators Mindset - George Couros (MRVED Keynote Speaker Spring 2018)

Teach Like a Pirate - Dave Burgess

On Your Mark - Thomas Guskey

Better Conversations - Jim Knight

50 Myths and Lies That Threaten America's Public Schools - Berliner & Glass


All of these books offer great discussion points and make you think about teaching and learning.  Brandon has read many of these, so if you are looking for something specific, contact him (braymo@mrved.net).