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When you started the year, you didn’t know what to ask. Now you do! Research tells us that New Teachers get the most out of being mentored when they are able to ask for help; especially when they know who and how to ask.  In addition to your mentor, there are others you can ask for ideas.  Older, more experienced teachers are great resources to assist you with any questions you may have about students, curriculum, procedures, and how to end the year.  You will get helpful responses to your requests when you do the following:

  • unnamed You have the responsibility and right to ask others for help.
  •  Ask for help in different ways: email, face-to-face, notes, etc.
  •  Be willing to ask teachers outside your school for help.
  •  When you ask for help, decide whether you are asking for action, information or emotional support.

Remember to thank your mentor and others for giving you support this year.

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specific praise 1Although praise can be a useful way to motivate students to do their best, teachers who use specific praise find that it is much more effective. At its best, specific praise offers sincere and constructive feedback about what a student has accomplished.

Specific praise differs from general praise in that its focus is on students’ actions rather than on the students themselves.

Compare these examples:

  • General Praise: “You did a great job on this!”
  • Specific Praise: “Your Venn diagram is balanced and complete!”
  • General Praise:  “Good answer”
  • Specific Praise:  “I tell you understand the steps to solve this problem.”
  • General Praise:  “You are behaving well.”
  • Specific Praise:  “Thanks for following classroom rules by staying in your seat and sitting quietly.”

Specific Praise creates a risk-free environment in which students learn to control their own success and become lifelong learners.

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This time of year can be a good time to fine-tune teaching strategies. These ideas deal with asking questions in the classroom to foster learning.

  • Allow sufficient wait time after you ask a question. This may be 5, 10, or 15 seconds or more depending upon grade level, student ability and the complexity of the question.
  • It’s a good idea to allow students to jot down notes so they can remember what they want to say when called upon.
  • Use factual questions to lead into higher-order questions.  After the student tells you that Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, a follow-up question could be, “Why do you think the Japanese chose that day to attack?”
  • Use sustained higher-order questions to facilitate a deeper understanding of the objective or concept. “What is significant about the time of day of the attack?”
  • Use note cards, sticks, name tags, a seating chart or other means to make sure everyone gets a fair chance at answering questions.
  • Comment on each response to add depth to the discussion.

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MC header1Mastery Connect Basics and Mastery Connect Intermediate training classes are now open for registration in JPLS.

You must be a Jordan District teacher contracted for the 2015-16 school year to attend these trainings and receive a stipend.

Mastery Connect Basics Training (2 hrs stipend)
Below are the training dates for the Basics class.  Register in JPLS for the one training session that works best for your schedule.

  • June: 10, 11, 12, 16, 22, 23, 24
  • July: 6, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 27, 28
  • August: 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18

Mastery Connect Intermediate Training (2 hrs stipend)
Below are the training dates for the Intermediate class.  Register in JPLS for the one training session that works best for your schedule.

  • June: 10, 11, 12, 17, 22, 23, 24
  • July: 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 27, 29
  • August: 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18

Mastery Connect Basics training will cover

  • The reason/purpose for MasteryConnect.
  • Log into the MasteryConnect.
  • Access and edit your profile and reset your password if necessary.
  • Find and use the MasteryConnect “Help Section” to answer your questions.
  • Create a Mastery Tracker.
  • Add students to a Mastery Tracker individually, through SIS integration, and/or copying students from another Tracker.
  • Navigate all the drop-down menus in a Mastery Tracker.
  • Find a common assessment and add it to a tracker.
  • Create an assessment in your Mastery Tracker.
  • Assess student learning by using a printed bubble sheet, the MasteryConnect app, a rubric, or the performance grader.
  • Export assessment scores to Skyward Gradebook.
  • Archive and delete Mastery Trackers.

Mastery Connect Intermediate training will cover:

  • Create and/or copy a Curriculum Map.
  • Customize a Curriculum Map.
  • Collaborate with others on a Curriculum Map.
  • Organize standards in a Curriculum Map.
  • Add resources to a Curriculum Map.
  • Create a Mastery Tracker from a Curriculum Map.
  • Identify District benchmarks and SLO Assessments. (Student Learning Objectives Assessments)
  • Interpret data in a Mastery Tracker.
  • Access reports in a Mastery Tracker.
  • Create, add, and use a rubric assessment in Mastery Tracker.
  • Use the performance grader to assess students.
  • Archive/delete a Mastery Tracker.

Mastery Connect Intermediate training will cover:

  • Create and/or copy a Curriculum Map.
  • Customize a Curriculum Map.
  • Collaborate with others on a Curriculum Map.
  • Organize standards in a Curriculum Map.
  • Add resources to a Curriculum Map.
  • Create a Mastery Tracker from a Curriculum Map.
  • Identify District benchmarks and SLO Assessments. (Student Learning Objectives Assessments)
  • Interpret data in a Mastery Tracker.
  • Access reports in a Mastery Tracker.
  • Create, add, and use a rubric assessment in Mastery Tracker.
  • Use the performance grader to assess students.
  • Archive/delete a Mastery Tracker.

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We have made it to Spring Break! We hope that you take time to relax and enjoy your time off from work. Here are some fun ideas of things to do or places to visit that might help you to rejuvenate:

Go walking in a park
Go on a hike
Take a bicycle ride
Go bowling
Visit a museum
Take a nap
Visit a library & check out a book for fun
Invite guests for the first BBQ of the season
Prep the soil for your flowers/garden

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Check out some place new such as the following:

 

  • Museum of Natural Curiosity
  • The Leonardo
  • The Aquarium
  • Tracy Aviary
  • Clark Planetarium
  • Red Butte Garden

 

 

 

Take time to smell the flowers and enjoy your spring break.

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  1. Begin with the end in mind
  1. Keep your energy and time focused on teaching and learning
  1. Communicate expectations for students
  1. Promote collaborative practice
  1. Support learning for ALL students
  1. Analyze and make data-driven decisions
  1. Recognize and celebrate growth and accomplishments
  1. Lead with enthusiasm!

 

Adapted from 21st Century Mentor’s Handbook: Creating a Culture for Learning

 

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Although the best way to adapt a lesson for your students who are less proficient at mastering material quickly is to respond to them as individuals, sometimes you may find that several students are experiencing difficulties. In the following list, you will find some ways to adapt lessons so that all of your students can be successful.

  • Vary the learning modalities in a lesson that will make it easier for all students to learn and use their preferred learning styles.
  • Provide more examples, models, and demonstrations.
  • Build on students’ prior knowledge.
  • Build students’ self-confidence by encouraging their efforts as well as their achievements.
  • Allow students to work with peers in mixed-ability groups.
  • Supply students with support materials such as word banks, graphic organizers,  technology practice, and outlines.
  • Give more time to complete an assignment.

Helping struggling students in a variety of ways will guide them on the road to success and make your classroom a fun and interesting learning environment for everyone.

 

Adapted from The First-Year Teacher’s Checklist: A Quick Reference for Classroom Success by Julia G. Thompson

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Utah teachers can access UEN premium services through their UEN teacher account.  The premium services are only available to Utah teachers.

Log on to your UEN account.
UEN login

Click on your Personal page.  Look at UEN Premium Services.  Do you see the following services as shown below?

UEN premium services

If you do not see the premium services listed on your UEN personal page, click on "Edit name and login" located in the upper righthand corner of your personal UEN page.

edit name and login
Enter your Jordan District email address in the field labeled "Email address" and save your changes.

email address

You will then have access to UEN's premium services, UIMC + eMedia, Pioneer Online Library, Digital Science Online and Adobe Connect.

Learn more about UEN's premium services here.

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Listed below are a few suggestions to demonstrate that we are professionals:

  • Be on time
  • Dress in a professional manner
  • Follow rules, policies, and directions
  • Have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content you teach.
  • Learn more about current best teaching practices
  • Be organized and efficient
  • As a new teacher, be appreciative of your colleagues’ experience and expertise
  • As a veteran teacher, realize the new and fresh ideas that new teachers bring to the profession and incorporate them into your teaching practice
  • Use school resources wisely
  • Be flexible
  • Resist the urge to complain.
  • Remember to laugh every day