# data[].attributes.body
Background:

teaching for 12 years

coaching position - 2020 national teacher of the year

Definition of Assessment:

an accurate picture of where students are, academically and social/emotionally

Go to Assessments:

My igdies - references all pre schoolers

dial 4

aeps - gets families involved

Tips/Techniques:

taking your days linear, expectations of students and yourself

routines, systems to help students function independent

Advice to new teachers:

Lean on support! Take help, don't do it all yourself.

Book for help:

Easy to love, difficult to discipline

any book that addresses your own biases

How to build an equitable classroom

Why?

no job with the same amount of joy or fulfillment than being a teacher

having a purpose everyday you wake up!

# data[].attributes.body
Background:

-teaching 10 years

- math coordinator

-worked for Kansas alignment

Definition of Assessment:

- Assessment is simply a procedure for making inferences

Go to Assessments:

As a teacher - whiteboards (pace of class is opportunity)

As advisor - more processing time (more understanding)

Advice for new teacher:

- teach to the test; problems to be unique then instruction needs to be surrounded by it

Books support educators:

Early journey -> teacher clarity playbook

IAS practice guides

Assessment -> John Pegg, solo taxonomy

Dylan William

How Learning Happens

Why Teach?

Won't know until meet your kids, then you will know.

# data[].attributes.body
Background:

- 3rd grade teacher

- teaching 6 years

Definition of assessment:

- getting to know what the kids know and how you are going to use that information

Go to Assessments:

- exit tickets on everything (sticky note, drawing, one question, etc.)

Work smarter not harder:

- more kids do, less you do

- kids work together (assess each other)

- resources are your friend

Advice to new teachers:

- relationships

- systems/procedures

Book:

Enders game

Why:

the students. the struggles, making it worth it for them. the joy.

# data[].attributes.body
Background:

Teaching for 21 years

EdCat :)!!!

Definition of Assessment:

Assessment is all the time. Assessing how ready they are to learn, what they are feeling, where they are at. Pre-assessment, where are we going, where do we need to go.

Growth!!

Go - To Assessments:

know standard tool - look at all kids at the same basis

Map testing, basis/springboard - good in some areas but lower in others

big on small group assessments - visually seeing where students are and moving them accordingly

Work smarter not harder:

collaborate. team!

advice:

do not walk alone. take everyone with you

books/resources:

twitter

look for new things

core books, mentor texts: How do you hug a porcupine.

Why?

No other job with the stories you take with you. Have students come back because you had an impact on someone. No other career has the connections.

# data[].attributes.body
Background:

14 years of teaching

Elementary Resource the whole time

K-2 certified

Definition of Assessment:

social skills checklist

depends on subject, but constantly assessing

anecdotal/data driven:

depends on the student or situation

data = concrete, graphs, show parents

Work smarter not harder:

strategic things, pulling resources, time allows help

Greatest advice to new teachers:

be careful of who/what you surround yourself with

Great things happening - find them!

shut out chatter

Behavior Snap - app

Why teach?

Impact. Special connections, help students everyday for a long lasting impact.

# data[].attributes.body
Instructional Coaching Coordinator

Personal Definition of Assessment:

When you have a goal or objective you want to meet, assess the goal to see where you are at in that progress. (formative or summative, professional or personal life)

Go to Assessment:

rubric to match expectations

work smarter not harder:

for assmt: rubrics, expectations are clear

mass production of assignments not necassary

grading not always essential

Advice to new teachers:

have procedures and routines from day one - do not wing it and expect students to fall back in

Books/Resources:

Learning By Doing

Think Again

Podcast by Adam Grant, Renee Brown

Why?

teach for kids

care!

# data[].attributes.body
Kindergarten Teacher for 27 years

Def of Assessment:

tool to see what they learn now and what should they learn next

go to assessments:

hands on - quick

boundaries between work and life - plan every tuesday for the following week

get early, prep for the next day so when leave the next day is already planned

work with team

listen to coworkers - leave home at home

why teach?

laugh, enjoyable, impacting the future

making a difference everyday

# data[].attributes.body
23 years of teaching

Personal definition of assessment:

can students apply the knowledge

don't bottle in one area

not final. it is a process

Go to assessments:

students know expectations on any assessment

open, students choose, pick the time and assessment

work smarter not harder:

pieces, do the best you can - make a routine

small things you can do that makes the biggest impact

compass instead of a map

parents - knowing their kid

Resources:

culture code

small bets

deeper learning - equity

Why?

giving a stable/consistent/caring figure in so many peoples lives

# data[].attributes.body
Personal Definition of Assessment:

make observations. day to day not paper pencil

Go - To Assessments:

small groups (no matter the level of student!!)

work smarter not harder:

be a team! (divide and conquer)

make relationships - students, families, staff. every kid has something they love, support it.

Resources:

dyslexia, morning meeting book

why:

success stories - impactful!!

# data[].attributes.body
Special Services Coordinator (prior school psychologist)

Personal def. of assessment:

estimation of the quality/nature of something about a kid (better for success)

no valid assessments only valid interpretations

General education assessments, day to day check ins

Work Smarter not harder:

have a process

all team members on the same page

framework

Advice:

respect your impact!

Books:

thinking fast and slow (choice making, thinking patterns)

Jack Fletcher (learning disabilities from identification intervention)

Why?

kids need you

instant impact

investing in humanity - shape our future!

# data[].attributes.body
1. What did you notice about their advice?

A lot of their advice was the same. Many pieces like keeping life/work boundaries, using your resources and team, routines, small things, and take help. Yet, their advice was also different because they all were in different positions. Which, in my opinion, was extremely insightful and interesting to hear what each position had to offer! No matter how long they had been teaching it was reassuring to hear the things you may be questioning, or will eventually question, you will never be alone with.

2. What are the strategies that you hear most often?

I often heard having good procedures/systems/routines. I heard a lot of using your resources, doing all the little things that add up to big things in order to work smarter not harder, expectations, and keeping boundaries between school and work life. Which, I feel like they would not be saying unless they had gone through trials with each of them and learned that those are truly the best ways to be successful. My favorite part is that within all of these pieces of advice, there is still plenty of room to make each of them your own.

3. What lessons will you add to your toolbox from listening to these mentors?

Making relationships with students, coworkers, parents, everyone you surround yourself with! But still, be mindful of who you walk along with. I will definitely use all of the advice above but also the lessons about using assessment. I learned a lot of insightful things like, using your resources around the room, exit tickets, using the students, rubrics, hands on, and so many other things. I think assessment is one of the hardest things I have had to grasp because it often feels like it depends on the lesson, so learning how to make it easier on yourself, but yet still efficient, knowing it has worked in the classroom for all of these teachers was reassuring to hear.

4. Which mentor did you connect with? Explain why!

I really enjoyed hearing from Natasha Roseberry, which was guest speaker #3. I really liked her definition of assessment which was getting to know what the kids know and then how you are going to use it. I liked that because it was not set procedure, it was basing the information simply on the kids, which seems the most effective. I also liked her advice of using the kids to do more tasks, making them work together, assess each other, using resources. All of these things allowing teachers to work smarter not harder, which I thought were all productive reasons! Her advice really aligned with her why. She preached relationships and systems. Which allows her why to occur which is the students, and making it worth it for them, making them love school! Overall, I just really enjoyed the information she had to share and enjoyed listening to what she had to offer.

5. What are 5 of the suggested books/podcasts you are drawn to? Why?

Thinking fast and slow; I think this sounded so interesting because not only can we connect it to our students, but also ourselves. Making us better educators and better understand our students.

morning meeting book; I think this would be very effective especially since I want to teach lower elementary. I love ways I can find to connect with my class and not enforce curriculum for all 8 hours I spend with them!

Learning By Doing; Kelly was quick to suggest this and I really liked her advice she had given. It made me intrigued to want to use this resource not only for my classroom knowledge, but for me as a person.

How do You Hug a Porcupine; I thought this was super intriguing especially with my interest in special education. Even though every teacher will experience this. Learning how to see through someone else's eyes and learning to empathize is such an important and most importantly, helpful, tool to have.

Early Journey-Teacher clarity playbook: I thought was just interesting and could be helpful/useful as a new and beginning teacher! Because, all the help is never going to be a complaint!