UAI Staff News
Connective tissue. One of my favorite labs I ever led with kids was dissecting a chicken wing. It was really wonderful not only because it's typically the first time kids connect what they eat to the science & physics of body systems, but it's also elegant in it's simplicity in generating real curiosity and engagement.
In that lab, kids studied a whole chicken wing (not just the drum or wing tip - but the whole thing from shoulder to tip). Kids pulled the tendons and watched the muscles bunch and the little wing tip move. We looked at how the muscles, tendons, and connective tissues worked together to make the whole wing moved in a flapping motion - the motion that in other birds would create flight. Each individual part of the wing had it's role and purpose, and there was a clear slimy tissue that flowed through the whole wing connecting all the individual pieces together, connecting their individual work components to realize something more than just the sum of their parts - to generate something as inspiring and as beautiful as flight.
Each of us are in our own part of our little wing. Our own classrooms, offices, and each with our distinct purposes, subjects, or roles. We all work hard to create something incredible - a wonderful UAI graduate - and that something is more than the simple sum of our parts. So what is our connective tissue? What is it that flows through UAI that holds our individual work together?
It is our shared mission - yes
It is our core values - of course
It is our shared goals - absolutely
AND
It is how we reach out to one another (in IR, teams, or random conversations in hallways or lounges). That connective tissue grows when we reach out to one another to lift up and add joy when one of us is feeling down or frustrated. That connective tissues develops strength when we push one another to work harder to rigorously challenge & support our kids to achieve their best outcomes. That connective tissues is powerful when we rally behind one another's successes and achievements - both big and small - cheering them on and knowing that their individual wins are wins for all of us, together.
When connective tissue is damaged, the body's movements are impaired - pain, weakness, stiffness are some of the key symptoms.
Similarly, when we don't reach out to one another, our practice and performance suffers - weakening, becoming stiff, and yes ultimately painful for both ourselves and our students!
December brings a wonderfully delicious time. It is full of celebration and joy, and it is full of 3 interrupted weeks of instruction. This is where we need to dig deep and lean into our values and reach out to one another to strengthen and rely upon our connective tissue.
This month - the goal is to Connect.
- make time to talk to one another about your practice. Run ideas off each other and help each other get better, be better and do better.
- reach for more - don't accept the status quo - challenge assumptions and push one another in teams and meetings to make sure that we only accept the best outcomes - not the ones that are just the easiest or most convenient. Push on your IR learnings - help each other make sure your are challenging and scaffolding (not rescuing).
- celebrate yourself and your peers for the little wins (and the big ones). Share your goals with colleagues and friends AND maybe someone you never talk with. It could be getting that one shy kid to confide and trust you...it could be getting one super flaky kiddo to turn in all her homework for 1 straight week. It could be big - like being planned through the end of January!!!!
- make yourself visible and seen - visit other classes to see how your students are doing, stand in the hallways and chat with adults and kids, drop by offices to check in on counselors, deans, secretaries, and admin. Challenge yourself to learn and know every single person's name and role in the whole building and see & talk to them all by the time the rapid dismissal bell rings on 20DEC.
Important Upcoming Dates
- MON 02DEC -
- Launch of UA Project Cafe - 205A and Farm Classes Relocated 9-11AM in Farm
- First Girls Basketball Home Game vs. Achievement First @ 4:30PM in Gym
- TUE 03DEC - AMNH Trip for 6th & 7th Grade
- WED 04DEC - CUNY Visits UAI to see BTCM in action
- THU 05DEC - Trip to African Diaspora Film Festival
- SAT 07DEC - FAFSA Application Support AND MS/HS Open House Day
- WED 11DEC - District Evaluation Visit (PPO)
- THU 12DEC - Winterfest
- FRI 13DEC -
- UAI Theatrical Production of Rabbit Hole
- UAI Staff Winter Celebration (Details TBD)
- MON 16DEC - APES Trip with Tom (Details TBD)
- TUE 17DEC - Cooper Hewitt Design Museum Trip (Amanda & Judy)
- FRI 20DEC - Rapid Dismissal at 2:20PM
- MON 23DEC - 01JAN25- Winter Recess - NO SCHOOL
- 02DEC-10JAN - Homecoming Court Selection
- 06JAN-10JAN- Homecoming Spirit Week - Details to Come
- 08JAN (7th pd) - Homecoming Assembly (7th pd) HC Court Announced
- 09JAN (7th pd) - Homecoming Parade (thru UAI Halls)
- 10JAN - Homecoming Dance (7:30-10PM)
Announcements & To Dos
December Reset. We need to do a reset and make it stick for this month. For each day in December, please make sure you....
- Cell phones
Start EVERY class with a reminder to silence phones and put them in the charger or put them away. Use this POLICY to reestablish good habits. EVERYONE needs to do this together. Please do NOT be the one person who forgets. If you forget, we all suffer. Please make a reminder and please do it at the start of each class - EVEN if you think you do not have to do so. We just have to do this all together. It will help students get the message faster if we are all in on this together.
PLEASE - DO NOT allow students to take calls during class. That is NOT EVER ok. If you have done that so far, that's ok. Just communicate that you misunderstood school policy, and now you need to follow the correct one. It's not personal, it's just the school rules.
PLEASE USE THE CELL PHONE Violation form and follow up with deans to make sure they are seeing it. - Bathrooms, Halls and Passing.
Bathrooms are closed for the first and last 10minutes of class. If a student asks to use the bathroom, please just delay by saying, "Yes, you can go - but they won't open for 10min. You'll be first to go, I promise!" Or say, "I'm so sorry, they just closed"...If it is an emergency, of course you should let them go - but remind students that emergencies are rare and that you do not expect them to use this emergency excuse too frequently.
Regardless of the reason, no more than 1 student is allowed out of the classroom at a time. I've run into clusters of students from individual classrooms. We need to remind our subs about the rules (we'll give them a one sheet), but we also need everyone to remember.
Passing - please make sure you are ending your classes on time. Classes should end two minutes before the start of the next period. So if 2nd period starts at 9:25, 1st period ends at 8:23. Please do NOT let students out early or late. Set timers for yourself to remember. Of course things will happen, but do your absolute best to get really good at starting and ending on time this month.
- Project Cafe Launch. The UA will be launching Project Cafe, the CLASS rubric feedback tool using video to enhance and grow teacher practice. Many thanks to all who have volunteered to participate in the Beta version! It's exciting to be on the vanguard of what will likely become a staple in teacher development tools! This is happening in the farm on Monday 02DEC.
- CUNY and BTCM Visit. Judy is hosting the BTCM fellows for a visit to our classrooms to see various Building Thinking Classrooms in Math strategies happening across many of our classrooms on Wednesday 04DEC.
- Dept Superintendent Visits for PPO. Dept. Supt. Melanie Lee will be visiting UAI (Formally for the first time) on Dec 11th, to see classrooms, meet with staff, students & families, and evaluate our school!
