12-21-2018

I want to thank everyone for the restaurant gift card. It will be put to good use over break!

Thanks to Jen S. for setting up the wonderful breakfast this morning.  Hopefully, you enjoy/enjoyed it, depending upon when you read this.

I'm looking forward to the talent show today.  Chris and Lynette worked extremely hard to get the acts ready for their shining moment on stage.

Thanks to Angela for allowing us to use her room for the chair massages.  Also, she led the HOPE Group in this excellent podcast.  Her students talk about a variety of topics.  Definitely worth a listen.
https://benjamin.bendist25.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=780978&type=d&pREC_ID=1180158

Jessica has led the Tiger Times staff in another spectacular, hard-hitting, investigative edition of their newspaper.   I particularly like the article in which Natan takes a controversial stance on running being good for you!

I appreciate the effort and hard work that Michelle and Kathy put into running the bookfair this winter.  Despite some obstacles, they, along with some key parent volunteers, raised $2,000.  I thank you and Buddy thanks you.

6th-grade Team put on their annual Sock Hop on Thursday which correlates a unit of study they are completing in ILAR right now.  The addition of the video took it to the next level.

Thanks to Alex and Colleen for organizing the student council winter dance Thursday night and to Marcia, Bill, and Lyn for chaperoning. Students were excited and busily decorating after school. Speaking of decorating, Alex and Colleen should also be recognized for all of the excitement this past week with the kids trying to win the student council dec-a-door contest and dressing into the theme days, they made the school environment electric!

Melissa and Matthew put on the largest attended concert of my tenure here at Benjamin Wednesday Night.  The place was packed and the performances brought the house down.  Special thanks to Todd, Heather, and April for helping out and obviously to Melissa and Matthew for the work they did with their students.

Thanks to Jenny Harvel for working to provide home-bound tutoring to one of our 8th-grade students. This is a student that needs the little extras and leads me to my next entry.

 The following is a re-post, something I wrote in the past (November 5, 2010) that I am reposting now. It is a post I wrote about the loss of my father, how it affected my life, and how it relates to the job all of you do at Benjamin every day.  I am doing this for two reasons:

1.  I keep a lot of my personal feelings close to my vest, but after being in my 5th year at Benjamin I feel comfortable in sharing part of what makes me ...me,...with you. Since it is the original post, there are references to EJH (my old school).  I want to be clear that after the time I have spent here, I can 100% say that my observations about teachers behaviors hold true here at Benjamin.
 2.  After sitting through the data meetings yesterday I think the theme coincides to some of our conversations on students that are affected by circumstances.

One last note, this is not a downer, even though I start by talking about my father's death, the title of the post is Making a Difference...something you do every day. After re-reading this, I also think my grammar and punctuation has improved over the last 8 years, at least a little bit!  😀 Have a great holiday and I hope you spend time relaxing with family and friends.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SI3X04STR4YAXUTNbVh1Xk-t1HxWaEjL/view?usp=sharing

12-14-2018

Thanks to Sherry for filling in and translating a parent meeting for us yesterday.  I'm also excited to see how her tamale party goes today.

Mark Bradbury shared this thought-provoking article from NPR on a later school start time for teenagers.  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/12/12/676118782/sleepless-no-more-in-seattle-later-school-start-time-pays-off-for-teens

Chair Massages anyone?  We will have 10-minute chair massages in the conference room on Thursday 12-20 from  11 am - 1pm. There will be a sign-up sheet that goes out this morning and 24 slots to fill. It is first come first serve.  Happy Holidays.

Teachers perspective on Carol Dweck's Mindset.
https://au.educationhq.com/news/55796/carol-dwecks-mindset-gave-me-a-reality-check/

Thanks to Betty and Melissa for attending the board meeting on Monday to hand over their check to the Honor Flight Chicago representative. 


Keriann showed off these awesome Math Rap Videos at the Math subject area meeting on Wednesday after school.  Even if you don't teach math you have to check them out.

Thanks to Jessica for helping to lead the Assessment Taskforce.  We even had people fighting in PST to be on the committee.  It is a very short commitment.  We have Lauren Dunne, Cathy Arens, MJ, and Jessica.  Please let me know the 5th and 8th-grade representatives today.  

Interactive Periodic Table shows how elements are used.

http://www.openculture.com/2017/07/interactive-periodic-table-of-elements-shows-how-the-elements-actually-get-used-in-making-everyday-things.html

Please help Michelle and Kathy pump up the bookfair for next week.  If they reach their goal then I will be dressing up like Buddy the Elf!

Melissa had the 5th-grade students singing like angels in the small gym this week.  All in preparation for the caroling field trip to the assisted living facilities on the 17th.  I have been to this field trip before and the residents LOVE the opportunity to see and hear our students.  

The US physical activity guidelines have been updated for the first time in 10 years.  Check them out.

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a25059791/physical-activity-guidelines-updated/?utm_campaign=socialflowTWRW&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social-media

Adrienne is organizing the ugly sweater competition for Friday, she also somehow has enough ugly sweaters to outfit the whole staff!  Please see her if your fashion sense is too cool.

Educating children for the jobs of the future.

https://www.raconteur.net/business-innovation/educating-children-jobs-future

If the Bears win against the Packers Monday is Bear Day.  Dress Appropriately!

5 Life Lessons to Learn from Reading The Alchemist.  What?  You have never read The Alchemist?  What is Wrong with you?

https://addicted2success.com/life/5-life-lessons-to-learn-from-the-alchemist/

Next Friday, the board and admin team will be serving breakfast starting at 6:15am.  Set your alarm and bring your appetite!  The reason for the earlier start is the WCCHS Choir will be performing for us again but they have Finals and need to get back.  

12-7-2018

Thanks to Ellen and Kim for organizing the teacher lunch yesterday.  It was awesome. 

Great article everyone should read on the power of reading in class and student choice. 
https://medium.com/@heinemann/transforming-the-first-ten-minutes-of-class-ab1f19a18cf9


The basketball team thanked the Pep band for playing for them and pumping up the crowd.  What a great show of respect and gratitude. 

Thanks to Melissa and Matt Turek for leading the band and choir this weekend to support the PTA's Sweets with Santa. 

How to take Cornell Notes

Thanks to Alicia Wisted our super-sub who has been filling in for Adrienne the past two weeks. The consistency she has provided for the students has been much appreciated. 

Teens reveal their experiences with social media.  Video, infographic and key findings.  Please check them all out.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/social-media-social-life-2018


Thanks to Todd who gave a great presentation Wednesday after school.  Teaching/reminding us of tools and strategies to use to help these hard to reach students is valuable time spent. 

Alex found this cool Ted Talk on Mindfulness.  Check it out.

I'm creating a "This is Benjamin" video for our website.  I will be popping into some classrooms today to capture some footage.  There won't be any sound as I will have music and voice-over narration to the finished product.  Thanks for your understanding.

The power of "chunking" to help your busy schedule. 
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/productivity-performance/power-of-chunking/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Editorial&utm_content=Power%20of%20Chunking

I will be featured on today's BB 300 news episode.  Thanks to Chris for churning out these video announcements each week. 

Pretty cool video of what New York was like in 1911 with a very rare and clear video.
http://www.openculture.com/2018/04/immaculately-restored-film-lets-you-revisit-life-in-new-york-city-in-1911.html

Greg will be pushing out the 5 Essentials Learning Survey link to devices soon.  The student and teacher survey will be open from December 11th-February 15th.   Thanks in advance for giving your honest feedback. 

A starter kit for differentiated instruction from Cult of Pedagogy.
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/starter-kit-differentiated-instruction/

Thanks to April for pushing the Hour of Code to new heights this year and to all of the Special teachers for executing the lessons this week. 


Summer STEAM is just around the corner.  Well not really, but the planning is about to begin. If you are interested all we need is the Title of your session, a short description, and intended grade level.  The rest of the planning can take place later. 


If you are looking for some crafty items for the holiday, head over to the Holiday Bizarre at Evergreen after school today.  It is a great way to kick off your weekend. 

Pretty funny How to Survive December in the Classroom list.
https://www.boredteachers.com/humor/how-to-survive-december-in-the-classroom

11-30-2018

Basketball won some exciting games yesterday!  Thanks to Matt Tylk and Dan B for doing a great job coaching. We also had Mr. turek and the PEP Band, bringing down the house. What a fun time!



What a Cool idea!  Book Vending machine where kids earn tokens and choose their free book.


Thanks to Michelle Fiorini for meeting with Mrs. Pasker as she gets ready to run the December Bookfair.  There will be a few coverage lapses in the library during the bookfair since it is in the Gym lobby.  I will help out covering the library as well, so I can sharpen my book scanning and shelving skills!

Melissa Falkos is hosting officer Castillo in her room for Too Good for Drugs!  This is a great learning experience for the students to talk to an actual police officer.


Jessica and Chris were fighting off heat issues in their rooms like rockstars the last two days. I'm thankful for their patience as they worked through the different problems. 


April, Sherry, Melissa and Lyn are ready for Hour of Code. They will be showing an awesome video that April found and then will be doing coding games and activities the next day. I want to thank them for joining educators across America (including Josh at Evergreen!) in getting students practicing this skill.

Ellen Behrman's Awesome Tiger Cruise Video. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE2D3pleIgE


If you haven't had a chance yet, take a mini field trip outside today to see the new stair railing, sidewalk and wall that were just replaced.  These improvements greatly enhance the safety of our students.

Tips to use your phone less.

Thanks to Namita for doing an excellent job in the office Tuesday and Wednesday in Ellen's absence. Also thanks to Kim for getting all the grades set and imported for report cards.

6 ways to help students understand math.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ways-help-students-understand-math-matthew-beyranevand?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=twitter


 Good luck to Joe Splinter and our chess team as we host a huge Chess Tournament this Saturday.

Thanks to Bill Wadman for supervising the Northwestern Accelerated Weekend at Benjamin this weekend.  I am excited to hear about the experience from the kids on Monday. 

How drawing something is a massive benefit to your memory.
https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/11/22/the-act-of-drawing-something-has-a-massive-benefit-for-memory-compared-with-writing-it-down/

Good luck to our 8th grade and 5th grade team as they take their reward trip today. These special excursions are a great reinforcement to the majority of our students that are doing things right!

The cafeteria manager has gone bananas!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/11/26/why-this-school-cafeteria-manager-has-gone-bananas-kids-love-it/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.063552781197


I enjoy watching the BB300 announcements in a different classroom each week. Thanks to Mrs. Dunne for hosting me today. 

11-16-2018

Welcome back to Danielle!  It's good to have you back at Benjamin!

Funny video on a Device Free Dinner

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/device-free-dinner?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

What a great Veterans Day Assembly we had on Monday.  Thanks to Melissa and Betty for all of their hard work on the assembly and fundraisers. Also, thanks to Ellen B for a great presentation.


Interesting take on student compliance, behavioral charts and student engagement.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept18/vol76/num01/Tear-Down-Your-Behavior-Chart!.aspx


Betty did a great job at Monday nights board meeting giving a presentation about our ELL services and how she is helping students in our district.



Flexible furniture proposals are due to ne by the end of the day today.

5 Minute math videos for every algebra concept
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAB83F3D1135AC670

Thanks to Nicole for organizing the Kindness day on Tuesday.  What a great message to send to our students.


The generosity article/challenge. 

https://www.success.com/how-30-days-of-kindness-made-me-a-better-person/

Kerry also found this kindness video challenge.  Who wants to give it a shot?

Thanks to Matt T for organizing the Professional Marimba concert on Tuesday night.  This also opened up an opportunity for these professional musicians to work with some of our band students throughout the day.  Matt also did a great job taking one of our students to the ILMEA  music contest last weekend.  Your time and effort outside the school day is appreciated.

Music can make you a better reader.
http://theconversation.com/learning-music-early-can-make-your-child-a-better-reader-106066


Many educators can make a great lesson plan. The true talent of an educator is the ability to adjust it to the needs of students when it is actually taught live.


I was at the PTA meeting last night.  They are having a spirit wear sale. You have to order by December 2nd.  I have attached the link below.  April is also selling some Benjamin Wear as well. heck out the email she sent yesterday for details.  The PTA will also be posting your amazon lists over break. 
http://www.epiapparel.com/ben120.html

I appreciate the great job everyone did on parent visitation day this week.  Parents enjoyed getting a glimpse at their children's experience. 

NPR Student Podcast Challenge.
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/664671123/npr-student-podcast-challenge-turn-an-idea-into-sound-and-win



I hope you enjoy the breakfast this morning.  You guys deserve the best.  Enjoy your fall break and spend some quality time with family and friends.   

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant." -- Horace

“You know, my motto is ‘Excelsior.’ That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onward to greater glory’. It’s on the seal of the state of New York. Keep moving forward, and if it’s time to go, it’s time. Nothing lasts forever.”   Stan Lee

11-9-2018

A big thank you to Julie "the professional" Seeman as she completed another teacher leave. It is so great to have somebody so skilled to teach our students, helpful to her coworkers and someone I can count on.  I'm sure we will see you soon.

Dig a ditch or build a bridge.  Doug Reeves.
https://www.creativeleadership.net/blog/2016/11/29/do-you-want-to-dig-a-ditch-or-build-a-bridge-your-grading-system-will-answer-the-question

PTA wish lists are due today.  Please make sure you added to the team list so that team leaders can send me the links to each teams list today.



While the 5th and 6th grade Camfel Production Assembly sent a positive message, I will have to say that the 7th and 8th grade assembly hit it out of the park.  Lots of feedback from students and staff about how relative it was to what we want students to know and how they can realize "It's Their Life"

Parent Teacher Conferences were a great success. Even last night was quite busy with many positive comments from parents.  Thanks to Kim for working all three nights and for setting up and dealing with the sign-up genius program as well as all the questions and requests from our parents.  Also thanks to the Specials and Special Ed Teachers who called all of the parents last night that had not scheduled conferences.

Help students fact check the web like a professional (or better)

Melissa LaMantia is working overtime to make Monday's Veterans Day Assembly the biggest and best one yet.  The color guard were in practicing last night and I am really looking forward to this assembly.



A big thank you to the growth mindset committee who are presenting this morning to start your day in a positive way.  Please let me know if you have any questions on the agenda for the rest of the day.


Thanks to Debbie L and the PST Team who have been working relentlessly on different situations in our district to make sure kids have everything they need to be successful.  We couldn't do it without your hard work and care for kids.

Megan  P with a great fishbowl activity as students discuss freedom of press and student voice. Student Quote- “kids care about a lot of the same stuff that adults care about. They are just not heard, so people don’t know that they care.”


I was able to also see great lessons from Sherry, Bill, Megan D and Courtney recently.  Please make sure you are scheduling your observations with me if you are on the regular evaluation cycle and don't forget to check in regularly with your student growth data to make sure that you are on track.



Speaking of data, I have good news to share.  We were in the top 5% of student growth scores in our PARCC math and reading in DuPage county as outlined in Dr. Ehrhardt's letter last week.  In addition we were in the top 10.8% in PARCC scores for the whole state.  This is a big improvement of which much credit goes to you.  Nice Job!

Cooperative Learning Roles a 60 second video to help!

Next week is American Education Week.  Thank you to all of the staff for everything you do for kids.  I feel very lucky to work in such a great district with such a caring and hardworking staff.  Please review the calendar for foodapalooza updates and remember that parent visitation is on Tuesday.

11-2-2018

I was able to sit in on the 8th grade Team as they recognized the students of the month.  Students had no idea why they were being called down and were very surprised to be "attacked" with praise from multiple teachers about why they were chosen.  The smiles were from ear to ear.  What a great way to make the recognition even more meaningful. Great Job!

Great article on going from consuming to creating.
http://www.spencerauthor.com/consuming-to-creating/


Kim Gerster did a great job of serving with a smile yesterday as she checked in parents for Parent Teacher Conferences.  I also want to thank her for organizing the conferences in Sign-up Genius.  Things went very smooth.

Speaking of Conferences, thank you for starting and ending your conferences ON TIME!  It makes such a difference in terms of parent demeanor and anxiety about being late for their next conference.  Please let me know if you need any conference ending strategies.  I am an expert in this area.

Megan P celebrating her student's reading achievements with a "reading stack" photo bulletin board.


The Chess Championship Sign is being installed outside the office.  What, you didn't know that Benjamin is a multiple time state champion in Chess.  Well now you do and we will have a sign to prove it. 


Kerry K and Alex A  took their students on a field trip to Kuipers Farm this week.  It was a fun and educational trip for everyone.

6 strategies for challenging gifted/talented learners.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/apr16/vol58/num04/Six-Strategies-for-Challenging-Gifted-Learners.aspx

The 5 Essential Survey is now live. I will be checking in with Team Leaders to make sure we are setting students up to take the survey in a knowledgeable way.

Long Work vs. Hard Work
https://seths.blog/2011/05/hard-work-vs-long-work/

The time between Halloween and Thanksgiving Break can be a combination of restlessness and high energy mischief.  (and that's just the teachers!) Please make sure you make classroom and hallway supervision a priority during these next two weeks.  (video of one of our district 25 kids below on November 1)



Thanks to the growth mindset committee who met this week to plan our November 9th training.  Dr. LeBlanc, Laura P, Courtney, Melissa L, Megan P, Megan D, Angela S and Julie M who represent our district on this committee.  Here is something to read to hold you over until then:

10 ways to instill a growth mindset in students.
https://www.prodigygame.com/blog/growth-mindset-in-students/

Best of luck to Dr. Ehrhardt, Laura Pfanenstiel and Allison who will be traveling to Washington DC to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award.  You can see below that Laura is very excited about the opportunity to get a selfie with Donald .



No matter what you're doing, throw yourself into it. People notice and appreciate it. And Karma always pays you back with interest.

10-26-2018

I was able to get into a lot of classrooms this week and saw a lot of engaged students.  Thanks for "being there" for your students!

Take a minute to look this over:


Thanks to everyone who baked or volunteered at the Fall Fest last weekend. I had a blast being the costume judge and hanging out with District 25 parents, students and staff.

Fishbowl Method to spark student dialogue.
http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol14/num04/Inside-the-Fishbowl-A-Tool-for-Student-Discussions.aspx?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=Social-Organic&utm_medium=social


Thanks to Dan Baker, Matt Tylk, Bill Wadman, Keriann Moore, and Kerry Kuhn for presenting the student awards at our Fall Sports Awards Wednesday Night.  It was a great cap to some very successful seasons.

The 5 second rule for a talkative class.
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/5-second-solution/


Thanks to Gail for the great job she is doing with the "Check In / Check Out students.  Her thoroughness and consistency is a key component to help students that need some extra assistance.

I appreciate the 8th grade teachers efforts in organizing and helping to facilitate the HS PSAT Testing on Tuesday.



Congratulations to Melissa L, April and Danielle for running a very successful audition clinic and three days of auditions.  The stage is set for an awesome production. Now the hard work begins.



A big shout out to Michelle F for running our next book fair. It is such a great event for student reading and money maker for the LMC I appreciate the extra effort she will be putting into this event. It should be noted that she will not be working on her regular day to day duties during the book fair week ( 5th grade library skills as an example) so she can focus on putting on a great book fair.

Take some time to check out this website,  a lot of cool resources.  Search by subject, topic, teaching strategy.  https://www.teachervision.com/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=belinblank

Thanks to Colleen and Alex for providing student council kids with another great opportunity by taking them to their Leadership workshop today. Follow the Clues to the Leader in You!



Jessica Erickson and Newspaper Club put together another outstanding issue of the Tiger Times.  I am always amazed at the thoroughness and quality of the  paper.  I also confess that only got a 9 out of 15 on the PE Teacher quiz and had to google "Halloween Color" to get "purple" on the crossword!



In case you noticed the construction trucks in the parking lot yesterday.  We are having a sidewalk installed from the bottom of the outside stairs to the upper lot that will connect to the front sidewalk.  this will greatly improve student safety.



Thanks to Tim for working with our architect Andy yesterday and to Jim, Mark and Colleen for their continuous communication on the update of items to be completed in the science labs. 



Books saved me...Fairy tales are important not because they tell children dragons exist—they already know that. Instead they tell children terrible situations can be beaten, defied, or at the very least survived.” -Kate DiCamillo