Scantron Professional Development at Paine

Jenni Peters and Jennifer Cardwell are meeting with Paine teachers today and sharing valuable information regarding accessing and using various Scantron Performance Series reports.

Learning Targets for the Day:
1)      I can access my Performance Series Reports.
2)      I can find Performance Series Resources (including TEAM Drive and on the ALSDE site).

The teachers are looking at the Class Profile Report, Student Profile Report with Suggested Learning Objectives, NPR (Percentile), Performance Bands, and Gains Report. 

Quotable Quote

“The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness.”

—Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Poet, Dancer, Producer, Playwright, Director, Author

Paine Readers Rewarded with "Reading Cows"

The Paine reading cows are back and on the mooooooove!!!!!  Classes can earn the Chick-Fil-A cows for reaching reading goals throughout the year.  This month the cows were awarded to the classrooms with the highest number of student participants in the AEA Be a Champion and Read Contest.

The following are winners in each grade level:
K-Childs
1st-Wainwright
2nd-E. Perry
3rd-Kuhn
4th-McKinley
5th-Brasher/Bresnan

Thank you to all students who turned in a reading log for this challenge!  Team Alabama had the most readers!!!!  The next time the cows moooooove will be to the classrooms with the highest number of Ticket To Read minutes logged for their grade level.  Keep up the great reading, Paine Elementary!

Science Teachers Collaborate

Fifth grade science teachers throughout the district met Friday, October 13, to collaborate and learn together.  Their goals for the collaboration included developing better assessments, creating effective lessons, Participants included Mary Wilson, Cheryene McGuire, Monica Bramlett, Blaire Perry, Rashel Darnell, and Rhianna Redding.  Dr. Phyllis Faust, K-12 Science Coordinator, facilitated.

Elementary Math Teachers Attend NCTM

Participants in the TCS Elementary Math Teacher Institute traveled to Orlando this week for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Conference.  These teachers will provide turnaround training and modeling for colleagues.  Participants include Nancy Camara, LeDerricka Dickerson, Emily Durham, Haley Dykes, Cheryl Enoch, Laney Horn, Holly Howard, Lori Jackson, Nicole Jenkins, Sabrina Johnson, Erin Philpot, Callie Russell, Lynette Summers, Cynthia Wyerman, and Stephanie Wilkerson.  The group is led by Math Coach Lisa Lothspeich.  

Happy First Birthday, Magnolia Elementary!

One year ago today, Magnolia Elementary celebrated its opening day!  Today, on their first birthday, students, staff, and invited guests were treated to delicious birthday cake.  Everyone wore red for the celebration.  Congratulations to Dr. Jeter and the entire Magnolia Staff on creating a very special learning environment for their community. 

Revising Pacing Guides

Teachers throughout the district used Tuesday, October 10, as a day to revise and update pacing guides and curriculum guides.  These guides will be uploaded to school websites for teachers, parents, and students to view.  We are thankful for the thoughtful work of our teachers to create learning progressions that insure the state standards are being taught in ways that students can deeply learn grade level content.

TCS Administrator Collaborative Meets to Learn Together

TCS administrators met October 4 at HTHS to learn together through a shared book study of Learning That Lasts by Ron Berger.  The group is also carefully studying the indicators of effective instruction through discussion of the TCS Plan for Educator Effectiveness.  A makeup session was held October 6 for those unable to attend October 4. 

TCS Schools Host Math Nights

Elementary schools in Trussville are working to build schoolwide cultures of mathematical literacy and achievement.  An effective culture is not easy to build and maintain, and it does not happen overnight, according to Ron Berger in Learning That Lasts.  Our schools are building a new mindset for mathematical learning, building excitement in teachers and students to dig into, embrace challenging problems, and work hard at fluency and conceptual understanding.  The biggest change in instruction is that lessons begin with intriguing and challenging problems that students grapple with on their own before they get help and confer with others.  Classrooms are filled with rich mathematical discourse; whether in kindergarten or high schools, students are discussing mathematical concepts and patterns with sophistication.  

Educating parents is a vital step in successful implementation of mathematics instruction that provides opportunities for students to grapple and construct their own knowledge.  Most parents learned mathematics in classrooms where the teacher modeled procedures and students memorized the steps and mimicked the teacher's process.  Oftentimes, this can cause confusion and frustration for parents.  To support parents' new learning, our schools are hosting Math Nights, where parents can participate as students alongside their own children in number talks, mini-lessons, math games, and rigorous problem solving. 

Walkthroughs Across TCS

According to Kachur, Stout, and Edwards in their book, Engaging Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs, walkthroughs are a valuable tool for continuous improvement of schools. Walkthroughs are brief, frequent, informal, and focused visits to classrooms by observers for the purpose of gathering data on educational practices and engaging in some type of follow-up.

TCS principals, assistant principals, academic coaches, and central office personnel regularly engage in walkthroughs.  We encourage teachers to join in walkthroughs as this practice is a valuable source of professional growth for teachers at every stage of their careers.  Walkthroughs provide a means for teachers to observe, reflect on, and discuss their practices and to focus on individual, collegial, and schoolwide improvement.

Last week, walkthroughs in TCS classrooms yeilded important data and affirmation.  We are focusing on the nine TCS Educator Effectiveness indicators and on the impact of professional development that the district is providing.

Mrs. Bramlett Leads Number Talks 

Mrs. Moore Confers with a Student about their Reading 

Music with Mr. Byars 

Mrs. Evans' Kindergartners Are Building Reading Stamina

Mrs. Sing's Kindergartners Learning to Write and Tell Stories

Students in Ms. Coleman's Class Participate in Socratic Seminar to Discuss "Story of an Hour"

Mrs. Johnson Confers with Second Graders about their Reading Progress

Time for Independent Reading in Mrs. Odom's Class

Rhythm Activity with Mrs. Fortenberry

Mrs. Camara Utilizes Manipulatives to Demonstrate Decimals

Mrs. Brasher's Students Stopping to Predict and Discuss Part of a Readaloud

Rigorous Problem Solving in Ms. Bresnan's Class

Maki Maki Club at HTMS

Data Display for Students at HTMS