He has seen it all the way from Pre-K-12

Definition of Assessment: Can students apply the knowledge? Can they show me they understand what I am teaching? Give students different opportunities to show that they understand and are growing in the certain area.

Go-To Assessments: Open-ended tests. Break down the standards and understand what it actually means. How would I apply those standards?

Gave students opportunities to teach something to the class that they just learned themselves.

Work Smarter not Harder: Start with slow. Take small pieces at a time and ace it and keep doing that and then after a while it becomes a routine. What is the smallest thing I can do that makes the biggest impact?

*You don’t have to do it all at once*

Advice: Do you know and care about their kid? Learning and curriculum doesn’t matter, making connections and taking time to get to know them is what’s important.

Resources: "Culture Code” “Deeper Learning” “Small Bets"

Quotes: "Figure out their combination” Find your compass!"

Why Teach? The impact you have on your students. Hold on tighter and love a little bit more in todays world.

Go-To Assessments: Having small groups gives the opportunity to understand your students one-on-one and making connections. Students make more progress because they’re either one-on-one or with the teacher individually.

*They will take more risks when they’re in small groups with you*

Work Smarter not Harder: Be a team to be successful. One teacher might have strengths that another teacher may not have. Use the students in your classroom to help you whether it's a rough day or not.

A student told his classmates that he had dyslexia and he thanked his peers for being so patient with him. Then another student told the class that she had dyslexia. The student chose that moment to tell the class because everyone in class was so kind that he knew they would understand.

Greatest Advice: Make relationships with students, parents, and staff. Take the time to understand everything about your students. Make a phone call to parents when you have something important to say, you will gain the respect from those parents.

Started in interior design but did not feel fulfilled and wasn’t making an impact. She then moved to education where she felt fulfilled and was finally making an impact on the world. She is thinking that her calling is now teaching middle school.

Why Teach: It's the impact. It's the connections. You are responsible for helping students achieve their dreams in the future. Teachers support, love, and challenge kids. It's a career where you get the privilege to be apart of a story.

Assessment: An estimation of the quality of something and nature of something. Snapshot of a student in a particular state

*There are no valid assessments, only valid interpretations

Go-To Assessments: MTSS assessments, good diagnostics, formative assessments, day-to-day exit tickets

Work Smarter not Harder: Have to have a process where all team members are on the same page. Have a framework for how to utilize assessment and how to look at the assessment data

Worked with a new adopted student and saw indication that he was not on his grade level. Further assessment and found that he had a big communication deficit. Average to above average on his non-verbal skills. Worked together as a team to better understand his needs. Communicate back and forth got the student way ahead of the game.

Advice: Respect your impact. Students will look to you to form a relationship so create those relationships and the impact you make on students will go a long way

Resources: Thinking Fast and Slow, Jack Fletcher, Child’s Right to Respect

Why Teach: Kids need you. You will instantly change a child's life the second they see you. Teachers are shaping the future of our world.