Shiny and New

One of my favorite principal duties is walking the halls of TMS, slipping into classrooms like a Ninja (that's what the kids say!), and seeing many of our "oldies but goodies," those units, lessons, and activities that have stood the test of time.  And, they're goodies for a reason:  they're engaging, relevant, rigorous, and enriching, ensuring student access to necessary learning standards.

But, I'll admit, I'm a little like a magpie...drawn to those things that are shiny and new.  While these diamonds may not shine on my finger, they exemplify how our Truman staff search for new strategies to engage students in their learning.  These shiny and new lessons result from our own creativity, the collaboration of peers, and the realization that instructional risk-taking has merit.

Channeling Lucy:  Students find a new place in the room to participate in the mini-lesson.  Students apply their knowledge of journalistic writing using a mentor text.

Anchor Charts:  These charts aren't wallpaper - they are relevant learning tools continually revisited as students expand their writing skills.

Math Workshop:  As the class works independently in learning stations, the teacher leads a guided lesson with students working on a similar skill set.

Math Workshop:  As the teacher leads one group, students collaborate in mathematical work, expanding their math discourse.

Math Workshop:  Computers are great tool to engage students in mathematical skills.

Topic Time:  Students dialogue about literature, each taking turns adding a specific topic to the discussion and engaging their group in how that topic is an elemental part of their book.

Topic Time:  As each group wraps up their discussion, they highlight a topic that was particularly engaging to share with the whole class.

Topic Time:  Check out the number of topics these students discussed!