Ways to improves Professional Communities:

Norms or standards: represent procedures and commitments developed the plc team to guide Members work collaboration. Norms help clarify expectations concerning how they will work together to attain shared goals. Examples of Team Norms includes: positive tone, listening, collaboration, offering solutions and time oriented.

Insight into Knowing 3 components of PLCS which includes Learning, collaboration and authentic results. Learning: considering PLCs, building principals observe teaching, instruction and talk over important issues, such as instructional information and student efficiency. However, the attention stays with results but should be on instruction.

 Learning forward describes PLCs as Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness. The results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment. It can also be described as is a method to foster collaborative learning among colleagues within a particular work environment or field. How does your school or district organize PLCs?

Teachers are required to create an implementation plan to integrate Writing in Math.

Teachers will use S.M.A.R.T. Goals with the implementation plan

To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:

· Specific (simple, sensible, significant)

· Measurable (meaningful, motivating)

· Achievable (agreed, attainable)

· Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)

· Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)

Keep it Simple Approach - Begin with a task where students write about how they feel about math. At the beginning of the school year, I like to read The Math Curse. Then, I ask students to write about how they feel about math as the first entry in their math journals. This type of task helps students get familiar with writing in math and the expectations for math journals

House Keeping Rules - Add required tasks to the journals

What Is Math Talk?

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) defines math talk as “the ways of representing, thinking, talking, and agreeing and disagreeing that teachers and students use to engage in [mathematical] tasks” (NCTM, 1991) Begin by relating something that is current in today news that fits the specific standard you are teaching. Take some TIME to discuss it with students in groups or as a class. Use any kind of physical demonstrations if possible. Use the THINK, PAIR and SHARE strategy. "This opportunity to connect math and language benefits all the students and deepens their understanding of math concepts. The teacher listens as students converse about their problem-solving process."

Have student groups share their thoughts before writing. Students are cautious to write in math because of failure and lack of confidence in themselves. They may struggle to out their thoughts in writing with Language arts so you can understand how math may scare them. A small group practice before will help them get their thoughts straight. It also provides support as their group members is able to ask questions for clarification.

To every teacher, EYPD EDUCATION honors each of you! You touch our lives and make us stronger and better! That is no amount of thank you’s that can every suffice. PreK-12 Teachers should be one the highest paid professions. You spend more time with our kids. You even talk with them more! You are a strong influence in their lives! Without teachers, our future would be bleak. You also protect and serve our communities as a role model for our youth! Your job never ceases to end. With so many initiatives and policies, you manage to keep students as your focus! Thank you for what you do each and every day!

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