Appetite for Instruction

In this episode, two teachers discuss being new to the profession and the challenges and successes they experienced.  To listen, click the play button above this post and/or subscribe to “Appetite for Instruction” on iTunes. 

As experienced teachers may remember, the first few years can be overwhelming. From learning how to be a teacher to learning how to differentiate for all learners to lesson plans and grading, teaching is a time consuming profession.

Our guests, Nicole Morales and Bridgette Norris, used their mentors, other teachers and friends for advice, support and encouragement. By asking for assistance and keeping their focus on their passion for teaching, they’re being successful and innovative.

 

ITEMS TO NOTE

Class Dojo – helps parents be engaged in what’s happening in the classroom.

Instagram favorites include: Creative Classroom, Head over Heels for Teaching, Hey Hope King, Teach Create Motivate, Teach Outside The Box, Teaching and So Fourth

 

ABOUT THE GUESTS –

Bridgette Norris graduated from the University of Central Florida with a journalism degree and returned to her alma mater (Boone HS) to teach Journalism 1-8, which includes yearbook, newspaper and online media. She will begin her third year teaching this August. As a non education major, Bridgette participated in OCPS’ Professional Development Certification Program to help her meet the state requirements for a professional certificate. Through the program she learned a wide variety of teaching strategies, lesson planning and classroom management.

Nicole Morales graduated from the University of Central Florida with an elementary education degree and she just finished her first year teaching second grade at Timber Lakes ES, which is adjacent to Timber Creek HS, her alma mater.

Sometimes it takes mixing things up to realize how versatile we can be. Listen to hear Jennifer Fontaine and Megan O’Dell discuss how their unique partnership helped them and their students learn and grow.

Sometimes it takes mixing things up to realize how versatile we can be. Listen to this episode  (click play button above) to hear Jennifer Fontaine and Megan O’Dell discuss how their unique partnership helped them and their students learn and grow. 

It all began when Jennifer’s six preps on a rotating schedule and the responsibility of preparing for three All County events became overwhelming. On the verge of being burnt out, Jennifer spoke to her principal to ask for assistance. To her principal’s credit, she knew she needed to find a solution or she might lose a great teacher.

Thinking outside the box, Principal Junella Kriel paired Jennifer (a fourth through eighth grade orchestra teacher) with Megan (a second grade teacher) to assist with her reading focus group. Four days a week, Jennifer pushed into Megan’s reading group to assist with phonics and vocabulary. Using song lyrics, a ukulele and highlighters the pair taught the students how to identify rhyming words and improve their reading skills.

The two teachers, who didn’t previously know each other, developed a deep respect and admiration for one another. Their discussion about the collaboration is inspiring, so we hope you’ll listen.

As mentioned in the podcast – the videos below showcase the special guests that appeared in the 2018 and 2019 end-of-year orchestra concerts.

Must see the T-rex conductor

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Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

 

 

ABOUT THE GUESTS– 

Jennifer Fontaine teaches orchestra at Blankner School, assists in a second-grade reading class and is on the STEAM committee.

Megan O’Dell teaches second grade at Blankner School and is also a STEAM committee member. 

Dr. Jeffery Redding, West Orange High School choral director, shares his passion for music and teaching.

Listen to the podcast (click play button above) to hear Dr. Jeffery Redding, West Orange High School choral director, share his passion for music and teaching. 

This self-professed “music geek,” cannot claim a favorite musician or even genre. He enjoys teaching all types and believes it is his energy toward the music that helps build his students’ excitement for the piece.

By teaching the International Phonetic Alphabet Jeff can choose Italian, German or French musical compositions for his students to sing and appreciate. Not only can his students sing in a foreign language, they’ve also incorporated American Sign Language to express emotion.

Watch a sample here:

 

Jeff takes pride in not only teaching students music, but in helping them “grow their world.” By providing them opportunities to perform in a different city, state or country it expands their world views and helps them realize that “you don’t know what you don’t know.” He loves how choral trips whet student’s appetite for a global understanding of others.

NEWSWORTHY – If you missed the story after he won the GRAMMY, click here.

 

ABOUT THE GUEST – 

Dr. Jeffery Redding is the Director of Choral Activities at West Orange High and a proud graduate of OCPS schools. He attended Orange Center Elementary, Robert E. Lee Junior High (now College Park MS) and Jones High School, which are where he developed his love of music.  He attended Florida A&M University for his undergraduate and Florida State University for his graduate and doctoral degrees. From his own experiences as a struggling learner, Jeff believes “Ordinary kids can do extraordinary things.”  Dr. Redding is the 2019 Music Educator of the Year.

 

Two teachers discuss why creating an Eco Club at their school has immense value. Their list of accolades helps prove others thought it a valuable idea too.

Listen to the podcast (click play button above) to hear Dawn Chehab and Josh Garrett discuss why creating an Eco Club at their school has immense value. Their list of accolades helps prove others thought it a valuable idea too.

Earning a $65,000 grant from State Farm, Dawn and Josh, along with three other teachers, started the Eco Club in November 2016.

This cadre of teachers and club members spend countless hours working with a variety of community partners, like the University of Florida, Sea World and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, to focus on recycling, campus clean ups, energy conservation, building oyster reef mats and gardening for human and wildlife consumption. 

The Eco Club spearheaded the creation of a butterfly garden and a quarter-acre wildlife sanctuary that houses an Osprey perch, a frog pond and a certified Gopher tortoise habitat continually reinforce ecology lessons. Plus students in the Eco Club grow lettuce in a hydroponics garden that they donate to the SeaWorld manatee rehabilitation center.

Bridging the extra-curricular into the classroom,  Millennia Gardens identified one teacher in each grade level to attend an Everglades literacy workshop at SeaWorld. The teacher learned how to apply the state-aligned curriculum across all grade levels, and received a class set of lesson materials, like hula hoops, animal identification cards and handout activities, to make implementation easy. Their continued commitment to teaching students about the fragile area earned them the distinction of being named an Everglades Champion School.

Dawn and Josh share how the unique experiences the Eco Club provided positively affected the students, many of whom have never left Orange County before these opportunities. They’ve also seen the benefits of making parents a partner in their club and how it has impacted student learning.

You have to listen to hear specific details. It’s goosebump worthy.

To see a visual synopsis of the Eco Club’s 2018-19 school year, watch this video

In addition to their overnight trip to the Everglades, Eco Club members fed the lettuce they grew to the manatees at SeaWorld.  Check out this video:

 

Dawn and Josh are proud  their students are seen as “loving animals, investing in the environment and are willing to take the steps to make it a better world.”

 

ABOUT THE GUESTS – 

Dawn Chehab teaches third grade at Millennia Gardens ES and is one of the Eco Club founders.

Josh Garrett taught fifth grade at Millennia Gardens ES but is moving this next school year to teach science at Westridge Middle. He is also one of the Eco Club founders.

Amy London-Tauriello shares some thoughts on what makes an innovative teacher, tips on reflecting on one’s practice, classroom organization and preparing for a new year.

In this episode, Amy London-Tauriello shares some thoughts on what makes an innovative teacher, tips on reflecting on one’s practice, classroom organization and preparing for a new year. To listen, click the play button above this post and/or subscribe to “Appetite for Instruction” on iTunes. 

Since this podcast is focused on innovative teaching practices, we began our discussion asking Amy what she thinks makes an innovative teacher.

To her, innovation is taking what’s already available for OCPS teachers (curriculum resource materials) and adapting the standards based lessons to fit the needs of the students. This is best accomplished when a teacher knows and understands his/her students. By building relationships with students, teachers have a better ability to know where they are and can help move them toward mastery of the material. 

The video below is the culmination of one principal’s yearlong efforts to build school community, culture and respect. Had she not garnered all three, it’s highly doubtful this video would exist. Check out the costumes, choreography and how EVERY student has a role. 

 

Aside from altering the CRMs to differentiate for one’s students, it’s also important to have an organized classroom. Having a place for everything helps students know where to find materials and school supplies, as well as where to submit work.

For those who want to get an early start on planning for the new year, the Curriculum Resource Materials are available on the Instructional Management System using your OCPS login credentials. Also, the first two District Professional Learning Community courses are available on Canvas.

ABOUT THE GUEST –

Amy London-Tauriello is an ELA program specialist and is working on writing curriculum with the DPLC team. Previously, Amy taught middle and high school ELA.

Whether we are reading texts messages, emails, news articles, lesson plans, educational periodicals or a book to help us escape the daily grind, reading is a part of our everyday lives. However, for struggling readers, it's often seen as more of a punishment than pleasure.