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Calculus Explained

Charlie Smith , Coolidge Middle School, Reading, MA

Mr. Charlie Smith / Pi and Charlie Brown Day

Mr. Smith of Coolidge Middle School in Reading, Massachusetts is a teacher who is consistently able to form wonderful connections with all students and who is able to make his students enthusiastic about the subject matter every day. His classroom exudes a positive learning environment for all, and his annual “Charlie Brown Day” to demonstrate the concept of pi is just one example. He can often be seen with some crazy hat on his head, or he can often be heard cheering his students on by asking, “What’s the most important subject?!” To which the class enthusiastically responds in unison, “Math!” Mr. Smith chooses to focus on students’ strengths, communicates with parents regularly, and gives the extra time necessary to any student who needs it.

A former student of Mr. Smith’s, who is now in college and studying to be a teacher, explains the tremendous impact Mr. Smith has had on her education. She writes, “Over the years, Mr. Smith has helped me overcome Math difficulties. He has tutored me with math for several years. Growing up with learning disabilities, Math had never been my strong point. I found myself not understanding Math problems and what they were asking me. Mr. Smith understood that I was having difficulty in Math and would believe that I could do it. He would find other ways to teach me until he knew I grasped the concept. I verbally could explain the Math problem to him, but when it came to test, I would grow anxious and seem to forget the material that I had mastered. Mr. Smith would let me re-take tests a second time after he met with me to make sure that I understood…I hope to help my students with learning disabilities in the same way.”

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Bringing Poetry Back

Karen Fenney, Joshua Easton Elementary - Reading, MA

What are Poetry Notebooks

Poetry notebooks are a monthly collection of of poems that reinforce curriculum topics that are being taught. Poems are either read or sung to keep children learning and engaged.

The poems are kept in a 3 ring binder or stapled together for easy storage. The binders are reused.

What is the set up?

Each month the notebooks start off with a monthly calendar. On the back of the calendar is a list of monthly words. Following the calendar is the poems from “Chicken Soup with Rice” by Maurice Sendak. This format allows for some consistency.
Poems are introduced once a topic has been taught. This allows for the students to have prior knowledge to base their comprehension on.

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It's Podcastic!

Nancy Bentley, Wood End School - Reading, MA

What are podcasts?

Podcasts are amateur radio shows that you can play on your computer or mp3 player. Podcasts are different from regular audio files because you can subscribe to them using an RSS feed.

How can I use podcasts in my classroom?

There are so many podcasts that are related to your classroom curriculum whether you teach preschool or high school. They can be played for students in school or your students can download them to their MP3 players and listen to them on their own time. The itunes store is a great place to get started. You can find audio and video podcasts under the podcast education section. They are free, educational and often times entertaining.

Why should I have my students create podcasts?

Having students create podcasts is a great way to teach students 21st century skills. They require the students to move beyond the 3 Rs reading, writing, and arithmetic and incorporate the 3 Cs: creating, communicating and collaborating.

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The Blueprint for Excellence National Institute

Register Now!

Visit elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and 
gain first-hand experience from some of the best teachers in the world!

Focusing on the needs of students, a successful journey never ends. Reading Public Schools began their journey of school improvement nine years ago when a team of dedicated educators first attended the annual Blue Ribbon Schools conference. Bringing questions to addressing the many needs of their students – they found the answers to begin school transformation and went home inspired, year after year.

Join us in Boston for an inspirational professional development institute on:

• A Comprehensive School Improvement Process
• Teaching Special Needs Students
• Leadership
• SMART Content Creation
• Literacy
• Integrating Technology and 21st Century Skills
• Successful Classroom Applications
• High School Innovations

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Texas Beginning Educator Support System

TxBESS, Region 10 Education Service Center

The Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) is an induction program for teaching staff that pairs each new teacher with a mentor. Teachers new to the profession work with their mentors for their first two years at Northwest High School while experienced teachers new to the campus have a mentor for their first year only.

New teachers meet monthly as a group with the TxBESS coordinator to discuss areas of concern. Mentors also meet monthly with the TxBESS coordinator to get general feedback and provide the same. Mentors meet at least weekly with their protégés to enact aspects of the program and give the new teachers a touchstone as they transition into campus and/or professional life. The mentor teacher also serves as an informal liaison with administration as well as other teachers in their respective departments and with the support staff.

Each new teacher is teamed with an experienced teacher to provide ongoing professional support. Focused support for experienced teachers principally addresses school culture and professional issues related to the student population, staff acclimatization, procedural details, and general team building.

Teachers new to the profession receive encouragement in classroom management techniques, lesson preparation and assessment, identification of student needs, and establishment of an attitude of professional growth. Mentors assist through direct observation of new teacher classroom preparation and instruction, provide observation opportunities for the new teachers in their own and other teachers’ classrooms and regularly debrief with the new teachers providing moral support throughout their transition into the education profession.

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