Last weekend I sat on the beach and tried to relax and enjoy the view but my mind was full of preparation for the new school year. As I stared at the waves rolling in, I thought about how teaching often resembles the ocean tides. At times the days roll along with a sense of calm and order and other times, the waves of tasks that need to be done come fast and furious. One aspect remains consistent and that is that ideas and initiatives keep on coming, just as the ebb and flow of the ocean.
To support your efforts this year here are a few resources to help you change with the tide, from summer to fall.
The Curriculum Department was busy all summer and new information was shared at the Principal's Meetings. The Common Core Standards (CCSS) are now the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) The state department has provided crosswalks for us to help with the revisions. Look for ELA Crosswalks and Math Crosswalks on the NJDOE website.
Grade level resources, such as Assessment Calendars, Writing Benchmark Assessments, and Data Collection Spreadsheets have all been revised and aligned to our new RTI direct platform. They can be found on the Curriculum Drive in grade level folders.
The most important task as teachers return to the classroom is of course their students- and getting to know them. Jennifer Serravallo, author of The Reading Strategies Book, says, "The first couple of weeks back to school can feel hectic. There’s routine-establishing, environment-orienting, and community building to be done! As a teacher who wants to instill in all my students a love of reading and the skills to do it well, I want also to make sure that getting to know my readers is also at the very top of my list." Here is her list of Reading Teacher Priority One: Getting to Know Your Students as Readers. TeachThought.com suggests these 6 Strategies For Getting To Know Your Students in a blog post about content geared to prepare you for the 2016-2017 school year.
A favorite resource is back this year. Check out Back-to-School packets of ReadWorks articles and curriculum, designed to help you start the year off right. K-12 Back-to-School Packets.
Finally, we have a variety of subscriptions this year to help you implement the curriculum. A 2016-2017 subscription list has been prepared for you so that you are aware of the resources that are available.
Welcome Back to School!
Just as the sea shows us energy and inertia, let us keep in mind that the ebb and flow of teaching is what keeps us all current and learning. Ride the waves with an open mind and enjoy the energy!