Shana Tova to all!

I hope you all had a lovely chag with your families.

One of my resolutions, as well as my professional goal for this year, is to personalize the learning in our classroom so that each student is getting exactly what they need in order to be successful. Over the next few weeks we will begin that journey by having each student identify what kind of learner they are, and understanding what that looks like for them inside a classroom. We are incredibly fortunate to have Sharon Reichstein, OJCS’ Director of Special Needs, coming into our class to run these workshops. I will post pictures and updates, so stay tuned!

Another step in this process is students assessing their own understanding and communicating that information to me so that I can best tailor the work to them. Last week the students received their first Problem on the Week (POW). At the front of their folder is a recording sheet. In addition to writing the date, title, and finding their score once it’s been corrected, students need to fill out the Level of Understanding column using the levels indicated at the bottom of the sheet.

Problem solving is a skill like anything else that requires practice. However, you can’t practice running before you’ve ever learned to walk. Therefore, I want to make sure that students are getting problems each week that are challenging but solvable! The more honest they are in their self-assessment, the more successful they will be each week, and the more confident they will feel. This may be new and uncomfortable for some, as we (wrongly) feel that admitting we are struggling with something implies that we aren’t smart. My hope is that by the end of the year, every student will not only be able to honestly assess their own learning, but will feel comfortable and safe to share that in our classroom so that we can all support each other.

Until this self-assessment becomes second nature, please support your child in making honest assessments of themselves. It is the key to our successful year of them getting to know themselves so that I can get to know them.

Shana Tova again.

Mrs. Thompson