SBG PD Follow Up!

So I was extremely happy with how the PD went!  Attendees were very eager and open to getting started on their journey!  Below is some of the feedback I sent to my principal that came up during the 3 hour session. 

1. When implementing, learning targets should be consistent across grade levels.  At my middle school, I teach 5 sections of math, my curriculum buddy teaches 5 sections of math and the special education teacher teaches 1 or 2 sections of self contained math.  These are all the same grade level and if it wasn't for the massive amount of collaboration time we put it,  we would never be on the same page.  It was brought up that the ELA classes do not work together as much BUT if the learning targets were come up with ahead of time than each teacher could teach how they like but all students would be measured on the same scale.  

2. Educating staff about SBG best practices and presented workable/relatable research based evidence.  I hate to say it but in order for SBG to be successful, it needs to be done right with constant reflection and altering.  Providing a good foundation and creating an atmosphere where conversation is fostered is key in school wide implementation.  (Disclaimer:  I am not an expert, I just call it as I see it!)

3. Provide ample time for collaboration with grade level partners.  My curriculum buddy and I worked together daily this year but unfortunately not everyone can or will do that.  Designating more than 45 minutes per week will foster a healthy relationship and benefit the students the most!

So as a classroom teacher, how are you supposed to ensure that SBG will be successful?  Well part of the recipe for success if your attitude, dedication and advocacy for your needs. The other part of the recipe is to get your administration on board.  I have been very fortunate to have a principal that encourages teachers to try new things and gives the freedom to do so.  Although I do have this freedom, I also do lots of research and send my principal many emails and have meetings to advocate for SBG and keep him informed of things.  

The saying, "If it were easy, everyone would do it" comes to mind because it hasn't been easy all the time but in the end, students have benefited from the hard work and responded to a different grading system.  What issues have you run into during your journey with SBG?  What successes have you had and would like to share?  The more we as educators talk about SBG the better things will be for teachers, administrators and students!!!!

A math joke for your enjoyment!

Standards Based Grading PD

So tomorrow I am leading my first PD by myself!  I am very nervous but at the same time excited!  So my plan for tomorrow is to overview a little bit about what exactly is Standards Based Grading, what it means for students/parents, where exactly does/should one start and lots of time to start the process and ask questions.  I want to emphasize the ask questions and work with others because sometimes just having focused time on a topic works!  I am by no means an expert on this topic but I try my best to read proven research and adapt to my classroom/personality.

Below is a link to my presentation.  I will update tomorrow with how things went.

SBG PD Presentation

Let me know what you think of the presentation and any ideas/comments you have about SBG.  I would also love you hear your experiences and success stories to improve my out SBG practices. 

Ahhh Summer Vacation!

It is currently day 6 of summer vacation, it's raining and I am running out of things to do!

So far, I have booked a wedding venue, volunteered for a 5K, read a book at the pool, hosted a wedding shower, cut the grass, edged, replanted various plants, cooked (yep!), watched 7 episodes of Orange is the New Black on Netflix (I highly recommend it), completely tore apart and organized my room upstairs, booked a 2 week trip to Nicaragua for July and done exactly 2 loads of laundry.  What am I supposed to do now?

I really wish it wasn't raining is the moral of this whole story!  Till another day here is a really cool dude!


Scott Flansberg is so good at math that Regis Philbin gave him the nickname “The Human Calculator!” His expertise is not limited to a couple types of functions either; he can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and even do square and cube roots - all with lightning-fast speed and precision. Scott holds a Guinness World Record for his ability because he was able to add the same number to itself more times within a period of 15 seconds than a person could do with a calculator. He claims that he would be even faster but for the fact that he cannot articulate the answers as quickly as he can calculate them in his head! 

Watch Scott beat the pants off a group of college math professors in this video: 

Color Cycle Wrap Up!

It has been a successful year of collecting markers, expos, highlighters and sharpies at the middle school!  What started as a commercial I saw on television ended up saving a total of 44 POUNDS of garbage from going into a landfill!  Instead it was turned into clean burning fuel!  Visit Crayola to learn more about the program.

Here were the collection numbers by quarter..
Quarter 1:   8 pounds
Quarter 2:   8.5 pounds
Quarter 3: 11.5 pounds
Quarter 4: 16 pounds

Next year, I think that Color Cycle will 'turn it up' and expand our efforts!  What will you do at your school to help the environment?