5-19-2017

The kids must be exhausted, because I know the adults are!  Thanks to Melissa and Matt for putting on the awesome musical  performances Thursday afternoon at the assembly, Thursday night at the concert and Friday morning at Evergreen.  I cannot recall a time that both staff and parents came to me with as much frequency to tell me how awesome the performances were.  They also could not have been done without the work of Danielle on the sound board and Mrs. S. (Sophia Johnson's mom) on piano!



Great writers on the power of music.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/03/15/writers-on-music/



Thanks to Lyn for arranging the Leonardo DaVinci performance today for the 6th grade.  This dramatic and interactive assembly is the definition of hands on, engaged learning!

Great article on finding the truth and the interdisciplinary approach to teaching critical thinking skills in the classroom.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/uk/blog/finding-whats-true


Thanks to Jen, Lynette,and Cody for organizing and supervising the 8th grade sports fest at WCHS today.  This fun event lets them compete with each other and other students while making ground with their transition to the high school for next year.

Megan P shared with me this awesome article and Rubric for a students to develop a healthy reading life.
https://threeteacherstalk.com/2017/05/16/rubricks-part-ii-a-follow-up-guest-post-by-julie-swinehart/

Congratulations to the girls track team who actually took first place in the conference meet after Courtney and Keriann realized their were some mathematical errors in the point tabulation at the conference meet.  Also best of luck to our girls soccer team as they prepare to take on Timothy Christian on Saturday in the conference tournament.

Yale launches an archive of 170,000 pictures documenting the Great Depression
http://www.openculture.com/2014/09/yale-launches-an-archive-of-170000-photographs-of-the-great-depression.html
 

Hat's off to Bill and April as their 8th grade students performed their class debates with precision and energy this past week.  These debates are always one of my highlights of the year to observe and judge. Well done!

8 things I know for sure about middle school kids!
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/middle-school-kids/


Thanks to Bill, Megan, Lauren, Colleen, Adrienne, Jessica, Courtney, MJ and Alex for participating in the Pearson My Perspective's training starting today.

No such thing as a "math person".
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/well/family/trying-to-add-up-girls-and-math.html?_r=0

The highlight of my day was getting to teach 10 minutes of Mark's social studies class yesterday when he was solving the Case of the Double Dominos Pizza delivery! I'm so jealous of the student interactions teachers can make everyday as they deliver meaningful content instruction.  I used my time to go over the federal government  rights vs state government rights as listed (or not) in the constitution.  This resulted in many students input, discussion  and laughter as we uncovered the answers together.  Keep up the great job you are doing all day, everyday,  with these students. You are making a difference!



I cannot wait for Barb's retirement party today after school.  I am so thankful for the many years of service and dedication that Barb has shown to the LMC and students of Benjamin Middle School!

Summer Reading List on youth development from the John W. Gardner Center.
https://medium.com/@gardnercenter/youth-development-summer-reading-list-65baffc8b477

5-5-2017

Thanks to Lauren and Bill for giving a great presentation to the board on Monday.  My Perspectives will be our new ILAR curriculum resource to help our students.

A different definition of Innovation focusing on what won't change.
https://www.inc.com/jeffrey-phillips/what-jeff-bezos-gets-right-about-innovation-that-so-many-others-get-wrong.html

Good luck to our Track Team as they have their final home meet tonight.  If anyone can help out and work the meet please see Courtney today.

The teenage brain is wired to learn.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/teenage-brain-is-wired-to-learn-donna-wilson-marcus-conyers?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Congratulations to Mr. Tylk, Mr. Anderson and the girls soccer team who are pushing through bad weather and absences to play hard and be competitive.

Are fidget spinners a threat to America?  Yes.  Thanks to Mr. Feffer for sharing.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/huppke/ct-fidget-spinners-schools-huppke-20170501-story.html


Two great experiences for the 8th graders, Lyric Opera and the Cubs Game back to back.  I have heard great reports about how our students have conducted themselves while having these great experiences.  Thanks to Melissa and Mark for organizing these experiences.  Looks like some people got their world series ring.


I hope everyone enjoyed the awards and food celebrations this week as our celebrations continue next week I want to thank you for making coming to Benjamin everyday an enjoyable experience.  You guys are the best!

Thanks to all staff for the superman cape and McD's gift card for Principal's Appreciation Day.  I will try to live up to the S.  

Pistol Pete's Homework Basketball...kind of about basketball...kind of about life
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-pistol-petes-homework-basketball.html?ref=todayspaper

Thanks to Dr. Ehrhardt for sharing the insurance and project updates as well as the news that he will be our superintendent through the 2019 school year.  We know we are in good hands through the changes and construction in the next two school years.

I'm looking forward to the Poetry Jam in Adrienne's room today.  Poetry by lamp light and bongo drums...yeah man I can dig it.

4-28-2017

The Power of Ted Talk in the classroom.  Watch the video of the discussion or read the article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/58d95b1ee4b0ef7ce8c5c056?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=drrodberger&utm_content=TED%20Talk%20Meets%20Global%20Education:%20Keeping%20Your%20Kid%27s%20Head%20in%20the%20Clouds


Big thanks to MJ, Chris, Melissa F, Danielle, April, Matthew and Melissa L for attending the fourth grade parent night last night.  Your participation was valuable.

The 4th grade visit was equally successful.  These future Bengals are pumped to be here next year!  Thanks to the 5th grade team and Melissa for organizing this successful day.

12 Ways Librarians can promote digital literacy.
http://edtechvision.org/?p=1464&utm_content=bufferf2130&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


Mark Bradbury and Keriann have been sending me DC pics that Janice Youngwith have been putting on the district Facebook and Twitter.  They are having a great time.

 

Thanks to Melissa L and April for participating in our teacher interviews yesterday.  We have great candidates to join our Benjamin Family.

Thanks to Sherry, Adrienne, Nicole and Megan for participating in the PTA McTeacher Night last night.  I heard Sherry was making students order in spanish at the counter.  Me encanta!



Thanks to Adrienne and the seventh grade team for hosting the career fair today at Benjamin.  I know the 7th grade students will benefit from hearing parents talk about their careers.  Thanks to Jessica for being a presenter as well!

Thanks to Michelle F for finishing up the PARCC make-up tests.  It is a thankless job and I appreciate the effort in getting it done efficiently.

Great article on the power of Choice with student reading.  Please read.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-choice-student-reading-susan-barber?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow


Thanks to Mark and Melissa F for running the state science test on Wednesday and to Greg and Ellen B for their support.  We are hoping to get the results of these tests in before they graduate high school so we can recycle the tests as thank you cards and send them to the state for their support!  :)

Thanks to Lauren and Bill for preparing the presentation on our new ILAR curriculum for the Board meeting on Monday night.  Thanks to the entire ILAR staff for their dedication to getting this adoption completed over the last two years.

Thanks to Angela, Jessica and Mr. Johnson for chaperoning the trip to the UIC engineering expo.  Watch the short youtube video below.

Thanks to Ellen and Kim who do a great job everyday in the office.  Jim and Adrienne found out the hard way how difficult your job is. I am glad I was able to assist them by improperly transferring calls and hanging up  on people.  You are an essential piece to the school.

Throw like a girl...Yes Please!

4-21-2017

Red White and Beautiful was an awesome night.  The music, artwork, projects, PE presentations, healthy snacks, NJHS bake sale, photoshop videos and book fair were all a big success.  Most importantly it was a night of great conversations between teachers, parents and students.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this night a great success.

Great article on internal motivation:
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/09/what-separates-champions-from-almost-champions.html

Thanks to Lynette and Jen for having the students make so many healthy snacks that teachers were able to grab bags of them for PARCC Testing.

PARCC testing is working well with students seeming to really enjoy our special schedule and being less stressed.  Most computer issues are solved by restarting the computer.  Special thanks to Michelle Fiorini for conducting the make-up testing as we go along.  One more day on the 25th!

A short podcast (13 minutes) on How trust and communication can improve school culture with the great Todd Whittaker.
http://www.bamradionetwork.com/ascd-learn-teach-lead-radio/4343-how-trust-and-communication-can-energize-school-culture

Alex is at the CEC conference in Boston for the past few days.  Follow his twitter feed to see some updates before he presents information from the staff.

Thanks to Courtney, Bill and Abby.  Running a track team is difficult with all of it's moving parts and they did a wonderful job of hosting our first home meet of the season on Tuesday.

Great picture of Wrigley Field!

 



Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Incrocci are at Student Council State Convention this weekend with many students.   Mr. Bradbury and Mrs. Moore will be in Washington DC wit students starting on April 27th.  I want to thank these teachers as there is a lot of planning on top of giving up weekends and time with their family to make these trips a success.  These trips are valuable and engaging learning experiences that you can't get from reading a book in a classroom.

8 coolest Ted Talks on Psychology (not just for Todd!)  My favorites are the Parodox of  Choice and FLOW.
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-ted-talks-that-will-help-you-understand-the-human-mind.html


Thanks to Ellen for running the UNbirthday Party on Wednesday.  On top of the food and conversations people enjoy by coming together to celebrate, I was able to teach young Matthew Turek what happened to Alice, who the Mad Hatter was, as well as the "unbirthday" song.

JFK On Poetry, Power, and the role of the artist in society.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/01/jfk-amherst-speech/


 April 27th is a busy day, we have 4th grade visitation, 4th grade Parent Night, and the PTA McDonald's fundraiser.  thanks to all of the teachers that are participating in these events and special thanks to Melissa for organizing the 4th grade programs.

ROE Stem Newsletter with great Earth Day links and resources.

https://denebxserve3.denebcorp.com/webmail/api/download/attachment/bendist25.org/mfitzgerald/5ddac126-0fab-47fb-a485-22a173fe32d3/40251/0-1/April%202017.pdf?version=253210&sid=fc0dce03bd4382c50c677e957e16e487e775189829aa1956058180364d06460e&mode=view



Monday morning I will be at the Illinois Principal Association recognition breakfast with two of our 8th grade students and their families.  It is a great program and Laura P from Evergreen will be getting her Principal of the Year recognition.

"Just keep a smile right on your face, don't let 'em get you down."

4-7-2016

Thanks to Chris, Lauren, Jim, Keriann, Nicole and Todd for giving their presentation on the Learning and the Brain Conference.  When teachers get to go to a conference we want that information shared with the rest of the staff.  By presenting their favorite parts of the conference we get to have a general overview of ideas that on the surface level we may agree or disagree with or that intrigue us.  In order to gain from this experience the most important action that we must take is to take time to explore at least one of the concepts/ideas in more depth with the links that they provided.  Thanks again guys.

Successful strategies for teaching gifted learners.
http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10075

Short on Chaperones for tonight's dance.  I will have my dancing shoes on if anyone wants to join me and earn some extra $.


New Math App in google allows students to type, write or voice math equations
http://alicekeeler.com/2017/04/04/math-teachers-screamed-excitement/

Thanks in advance to everyone for the work you have done to prepare students for PARCC.  This includes the trials and practice tests but most importantly the teaching you have done all year to get them where they are at today.  I talked to all of the students in lunches on Tuesday and they seem pumped for the new schedule.

Stephen King's top 20 rules for writers:  good list
http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers.html

Thanks to Greg, Ellen B and Kim for all of the prep work they did to get us ready from a tech/data perspective, for the PARCC Testing.


Continuous cycle of learning.


Thanks to Megan, Cathy and Betty who I watched yesterday do some real-time problem solving and propose some strategies they could try to help student learning while in an annual review meeting yesterday with a parent.  Sometimes we try to pre-plan and have all of the answers, but it is also important to listen to concerns, collaborate and adjust on the fly.  Great job!

10 Dr. Seuss books you might not of heard of.
http://www.parent.co/10-dr-seuss-books-youve-never-heard-of/


Lynn was putting up some amazing artwork in her hallway.  Please take a walk down to check it out.  I was blown away with some of the 8th grade self-portraits.

10 Podcasts that will make you smarter.
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/10-podcasts-that-will-make-you-smarter.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter

Jessica put out another outstanding issue of the student newspaper.  I really liked how RWJ and a student from San Francisco posted the best things about Chicago and San Francisco which I am assuming appeared in both newspapers.  What a great way to share and collaborate with other schools.

How to Learn Faster with the Feyman Technique

Thanks to Michelle for stirring up interest in reading by running the March Book Madness.  Kids were excited to vote and read!



It was great to see that we passed the referendum on Tuesday.  It is good to know that the community supports our schools. Yesterday we had a reception for some of our parents and community members that helped rally the troops and get the word out.  Special thanks to Dr. Ehrhardt for organizing the successful effort.

3-24-2017

 Just a reminder that Greg will have the laptop choices at lunch today and after school for people to tryout.  Input will be taken before the decision is made for purchase.  Please make sure you provide feedback so your voice is heard.

Interesting article on what kids should know by the time they finish school from some educational experts.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/what-students-should-know/497927/?utm_source=atlfb


We are moving forward in the adoption of the new ELA Program.  Pearson, My Perspectives program will be brought before the board for possible purchase.  I was able to observe a school that was using only the online platform with no book as a back-up.  The students were highly engaged and were happy to give me feedback as to the reasons they like the online platform.

Thanks to Dan for organizing the staff vs. student game.  The 8th grade boys were excited!

The age at which you peak....at everything.  article goes into explanation
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-age-for-everything-2017-3/#learning-a-second-language-is-easiest-when-youre-about-7-or-8-1




Thanks to everyone for their input on the master schedule for next year.  A decision was reached to have two sections of 5th and 6th grade special classes. In addition, we will be keeping the 1/2 time teaching position for next year. We will be moving to IMSA Fusion for our 5th, 7th and 8th grade technology special classes with a teaching assistant being scheduled in those classes for academic and program assistance. Finally, RTI Math classes were added to the existing ones for smaller class sizes with increased support.


I know grade level teams are scheduling trials for PARCC with Greg.  It is important to be able to catch the mistakes that will pop up as well as for teacher and student comfortability to have these trials.

The student musical Oklahoma was off the charts this past weekend.  The students were amazing and Melissa and Danielle put in a lot of work to make the production run smoothly.  Every year this event is a showcase for the amazing talent in our building.  Thank you.

Sometimes writing is about just sitting down and doing it.

Matt Tylk, Dan Baker, Nicole Colburn, Rich Feffer and Keriann Moore did a great job presenting the sports awards on Wednesday night.  It is nice to know that our students not only get great coaching, but great role models in their interactions with our staff.

Melissa and the choir performed beautifully Tuesday night at West Chicago High School. The students were thrilled to perform on the big stage and with the high school students.

8 ways that Middle Schools can build College and Career Readiness:
https://www.middleweb.com/34228/ms-8-ways-we-can-build-collegecareer-readiness/

We will have a summer band program for the first time this summer.  Hat's off to Mr. Turek for getting this off the ground.  I am excited to see this program take place that will strengthen our band program as a whole.

Mike D will be working in the conference room on some curriculum topics on Tuesday.   Please stop by to check-in and say hello.

How to focus in the age of distraction:


Thanks to Jen and Lynette for bringing in the Teen Decision group to work with our health students.  Having guest speakers is a great way to engage students in important information.

How to Read more when you feel like you don't have time. (Hint put your phone away)
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/03/how-to-read-more-when-it-feels-like-you-never-have-time.html


We will be sending out a bike/walker permission letter soon after break to emphasize safe practices when students start riding their bikes to schools now that the bike path is officially open.

Sherry did a great job of speaking to the 6th grade students about spanish opportunities that they have next year.  Making a decision between Spanish for 2 years or study skills can be a tough decision and now they are informed!

I'm going to try this challenge after spring break.  Anybody want to try it with me?


I hope that everyone has a wonderful spring break and gets to enjoy the time with their family and friends.

3-10-2017

The 5th Grade Team did an awesome skype with Evergreen teacher Julie M who is in El Salvador right now.  They were able to ask a ton of questions and learn a lot about the country and culture.


Good luck to our Basketball Teams as the girls play in the SWAC Tournament this weekend.

Also, good luck to Alex Oda and 5th Grader Lam Truong as they enter the State Chess tournament in Normal IL this weekend.

UC Berkeley will erase more than 20,000 online lectures due to Justice Department Accessibility Order.  Interesting article on a tough problem.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/03/06/u-california-berkeley-delete-publicly-available-educational-content?utm_content=buffer77e52&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer


Please remember to turn in your extra duty sign-up form for next year.  In my mailbox or email is ok.

Also, please review the end of year purchasing deadlines that were outlined in an email I sent out this week.


Please make sure that you get any important dates to Ellen T so she can get them on the "school calendar".  Thanks


How 5 post-it notes can make you Happy Confident and Successful
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/04/post-it-notes/?utm_source=sumome&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=sumome_share


Please remember that PI Day is Tuesday.  Sign up now.

This one will take some extra time, but carve some out to check it out:  Highlights the most important research on teaching from the past year:
https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-highlights-2016-youki-terada?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Good luck to the 8th grade team at their reward trip today.  It is a good reminder that most of our students are doing what they are supposed to do academically and behaviorally.

A good reminder that the struggle is necessary.



Thanks to everyone for participating in our Learning Meeting Discussion on the Master Schedule. I really do think it was a valuable conversation that helped us understand questions and misunderstandings.   I'm sure we will find a solution that helps kids and relies on our teaching strengths.