UAI Staff News
- Positive Climate (Elevate JOY) - How many kids are smiling throughout class? If lots - what are you doing to make that happen? If not so much - what can you change to make more joy? Stuck with figuring out ideas - then ASK (ask your co-teacher, your ILT lead, a colleague, or Kiri!)
- Teacher Sensitivity (Center RIGOR & EQUITY) - How often are your students taking risks? How often are they raising their hands to contribute, asking good questions, and being brave enough to be wrong? If lots- nice job!! Take note of what you're doing and share with colleagues. If not so much, think about how you're showing kids it's safe to take risks. Use video to see how kids interact with you!
- Regard for Adolescent Perspectives (Grow their POWER). To what extent are you following students' ideas/leads? How often are you finding a good idea from your student and using that idea to further the lesson? 1 or 2 times a lesson?? Can you push that to be 2-4 (or MORE) times per lesson?
- And never forget....Love, Live and Breathe the STEM. Curiosity..Problem Solving...and Innovation - STEM Thinking needs to be everything, everywhere, and all at once (love that movie). Where are you inviting students to be curious? What are you giving them to figure out? how many opportunities do they have to try out their learning in new ways or novel situations?
I cannot promise informal feedback for everyone - there are many of you and only one of me. Also - I want you to begin to find multiple sources of feedback. You can rely on your ILT leads for feedback always. We are normed and aligned.
Important Upcoming Dates
- THU 26SEP24 - IN PERSON Curriculum Night 5-8PM
Announcements & To Dos
For this first round of visits, I will be really looking at how well you are establishing a strong Emotional Support Domain (the CLASS Rubrics). So, you'll want to get good feedback from peers and your ILT folks in the next two weeks, prior to my visit! ILT and I have normed on CLASS together, so they definitely know how to support you the best.
- Which of the 3 parts of the Emotional Support Domain is your strength - why?
- Which is your Area in need of the most growth, and
- What are you planning to do to work on it?
The Restorative Practices Equity Team (RPET) is responsible for providing an inclusive, culturally aware, and equitable environment for all students/staff. Our mission is to educate our community on how we can foster an environment where different perspectives and cultures are accepted and respected despite differences.
Our three main objectives are:
- Create structures and systems of support that empower our community to continue to become one where all stakeholders of all backgrounds feel that they belong and are valued.
- Educate all students and staff about our diverse backgrounds and learn how to respect and accept all who are different from us
- We will work actively towards becoming an anti-racist, fully inclusive, caring community that proactively builds community and education to reduce instances of all types of identity-based bias.
This year's focus is to be determined but the core of the work will be driven by the idea noted in the first sentence above: "...[being] responsible for providing an inclusive, culturally aware, and equitable environment for all students/staff." Equity work is hard work, but it's essential we challenge ourselves to commit to it not only for the students we teach, but for ourselves, our school community and the community at-large.
Per session is available to 1 hour per week for meeting and planning and for after/before school events
Recruitment Committee. This committee will support Jen in planning, executing, and following up on all recruitment activities for the Fall 2024 recruitment seasons. There are significant after school, weekend, and in-day time commitments as we are intensifying our work this year. You do not have to participate in all, but you do need to commit and follow through on some if you choose to join the committee. Jen will lead the committee with team support. Per session available for 1 hour a week meeting and for after/before school events.
Staff Sunshine Committee. This is strictly a volunteer committee - primarily because it can't be per sessionable without kids being the direct recipients. Unlike the other committees, this committee is really aimed about building camaraderie and community of the adults on staff, and while important, the DOE can't use tax dollars to do that....BUT it is important, and we do need more than just my or Annie's or Jen's brain thinking about how we uplift the well-being of our UAI grownups. Please join if you can!
Other Committee. If you have another idea for a committee, please do submit it! Just because it's not here doesn't mean that it's not important! Share your thinking. It may be a blindspot in our school, and we'll make it happen. (It's also possible that your identified need is being addressed in the work of another body - we'll let you know if that's the case too!)
[REPOST] After School or Lunch Time Clubs Sign Up. All staff are encouraged to offer lunch time and/or after school clubs for students. All clubs should be a confluence of teacher interest and student interest. Examples of clubs in the past have been: Guitar Club, Piano, Mural Painting, Running, Dungeons & Dragons, Photography, Youth Leadership Council, Gay Straight Alliance, Muslim American Club, Journaling, Journalism, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, STEM Club, and more!
If you have an interest that you think kids would be interested in, sign up to share!! Please sign up by MONDAY 23SEP24 All before and after school clubs are per sessionable (and max meet 3 hours per week). Clubs must have at least 10 students that attend regularly to remain active. Lunch time clubs will be eligible for coverage pay and staff must collect students from the cafeteria.
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