3 Keys to Find Your Footing and Start the School Year Strong

FIND YOUR FOOTING

This is the second half of a conversation I had with Dr. Susan Densmore-James, Associate Professor at the University of West Florida, and the Director of the National Writing Project at UWF. Susan is a former colleague of mine, and as I mentioned in Part One, I’m super-grateful we were able to find time to connect during this unusual season of COVID 19.

Our conversation is very timely, as teachers are beginning to gear up to start the school year. The wisdom that Susan drops is incredible, so if you’re a teacher – particularly a middle school teacher – make sure you have a pen and paper ready to jot down some notes.

FIND GREAT RESOURCES

For Planning

Use web-based apps, like Planbookedu, to show each other what’s going on in your classroom

Planbookedu allows you to stay focused on your state’s standards

It shows how many days you’ve spent on state standards – you can hook the standards into each day’s lesson plan within the app

Planbookedu is low-cost – the basic (very limited) version is free, and the deluxe version is $25 a year. Many districts have licenses for it and/or other planning tools

For Instruction

Padlet is a great resource to use – it’s a “one-stop-shop” for creating instruction. It’s like a corkboard, where you can “pin” videos, slides, text, etc.

It has a Gallery with examples for inspiration

Students can interact with it

It allows students to take responsibility for what they’re learning

The Online Classroom by Brooke B. Eisenbach and Paula Greathouse

FIND YOUR PEOPLE

Reach out to new teachers

You can’t expect new teachers to reach out – many don’t want to admit when they don’t know something

In this new teaching paradigm created by COVID, it’s important to include reaching out to new teachers, to share what you’re doing and also encourage other colleagues in your same grade level and subject area to reach out as well

Remember that there is so much that new teachers haven’t experienced – not just the COVID-related things, but also how to handle current events that affect our students, like the death of George Floyd

Learn from your colleagues

Find your tribe of people – sometimes you need people outside of your school. Facebook groups are great for this. In the Referenced in this Episode section below, I’ve included links to some of the middle school, subject-area-focused groups I’ve found.

Kudos to U.S. teachers, for all the giving, sharing, and support since COVID changed the education world.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn from what other teachers are doing

Use a 5 – 10-minute zoom to collaborate

We have to think smarter – how can we work together?

Create accountability with colleagues

Use planbook.edu

Check in with each other via texts, calls, or zooms

Stay close to your university – maintaining that connection is valuable

FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT

Balance

7 day work weeks cannot happen

Map out your plan, and the expectations for the days and times you’re meeting

Create a schedule and articulate how it is going to work, in writing and on video. Share with students and parents.

Be upfront about your commitment to balance – tell students “None of us can work constantly.” Help them map out a plan as well.

Creativity

Use this time when most states have suspended standardized testing as a welcome opportunity to engage and get the kids hooked into school

Experiential learning is super-valuable for students – figuring out how to create that in a virtual environment is the challenge

It’s less work on the teacher when students choose what they’re learning about and studying and how they show that learning, using their talents

Feel confident in this moment – and take advantage of the opportunity to be more creative

Focus

Information is at the kids’ fingertips – it’s our job to teach the skills, mindsets, and attitudes that will best serve them

Focus on authentic tasks – students find value in working on projects that have real-life applications. Writing book reviews to publish as blogs, creating a budget based on the job and salary they’d like to have, etc.

I cannot adequately express my thanks to Susan for all the great tips and advice she’s shared with us here on In the Middle of It!

If you’re a middle school teacher looking for more resources to help you as you plan for the upcoming school year, be sure to check out the show notes for this episode at http://theishgirl.com/ep90. 

You'll find an *extra* free bonus there!