February: The Month of LOVE

Welcome to 2nd Semester of the PRSD 143.5 Mentoring Program. Hoping that all of you are having great meetings with your mentors and you are receiving all of the support you need to be successful. 

This blog will count for our February meeting. The theme is: "The Second Wind". Please pick three articles and/or videos that interest you. It must be a total of three. You do not have to respond to to your colleagues unless you want to. Your responses will count for your February attendance. You will have until Sunday, February 9, 2025 by 11:59 P.M.

The next time that we will meet in person will be March 5, 2025 at Coachella. This session will be go over preparing for IAR testing and preparing students for the proper testing behavior. 

Make sure that you complete any observations before May 7, 2025. This is the date when all 2nd semester paperwork is due. If you have any questions, please email me or Ms. Lane. 

Hope everyone have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Second Semester Mentoring

 

Second Wind: Reigniting Passion and Purpose in Teaching

Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint. There are moments in every educator’s journey when exhaustion sets in, motivation wanes, and challenges feel overwhelming. But just like a runner pushing past fatigue to find renewed strength, teachers can also experience a Second Wind—a powerful resurgence of energy, inspiration, and resilience.

In our teacher mentoring program, Second Wind serves as a guiding theme, reminding educators both new and seasoned that setbacks are not the end of the road but rather opportunities for renewal and growth. Through collaboration, reflection, and support, we want to help you to rediscover your passion for teaching, refine your instructional strategies, and help you navigate the evolving demands of the classroom.

Teaching can be both rewarding and challenging, and at times, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or off track. The blog provides some articles and videos designed to help you regain your motivation, refine your strategies, and reconnect with the passion that brought you into the profession. As you explore these resources, reflect on the strategies discussed and consider how they align with your current practices. What new approaches can you implement to keep students engaged and on task? How can you use reminders, redirections, and reflections more effectively? Take this opportunity to refresh your perspective, learn from others, and find inspiration to continue making a difference in your students’ lives.

WHY YOU ARE A TEACHER!

 The video titled "Because of a Teacher: A Thank You Letter to Teachers" is a heartfelt tribute expressing gratitude to educators like you for their profound impact on students' lives. It acknowledges the dedication, patience, and passion teachers bring to their profession, highlighting how their efforts inspire and shape the future. 

The video serves as a reminder of the significant role teachers play in fostering learning and personal growth.

Answer only one question of your choice:

How do you see your role as a teacher in shaping students' futures?

What strategies can you use to create a positive, lasting impact on your students?

After watching the video, what new insights have you gained about teaching?

 

 

Click link to read article

The article "Get to Summer Break Without Burning Out" and the image on signs of burnout are closely related as they both address the emotional and physical exhaustion teachers experience, especially toward the end of the school year.

• The image highlights key symptoms of burnout, such as headaches, trouble sleeping, frustration, and feelings of depletion are all common among educators managing heavy workloads and student needs.
• The article although is outdated for 2017-18 school year it still provides great strategies to combat burnout, including refreshing the classroom environment, adjusting teaching approaches, and fostering collaboration with colleagues.

By recognizing burnout signs early (as shown in the image) and applying proactive strategies (as suggested in the article),you can maintain your well-being and finish the school year with energy and motivation.

Choose two of the four questions in response to the article.

• The article suggests refreshing the classroom environment to maintain motivation. What small changes could you make in your classroom to keep both yourself and your students engaged?
• How do you currently manage your workload to prevent burnout? What strategies from the article do you think could help you improve your work-life balance?
• The article emphasizes the importance of teamwork and leaning on colleagues for support. How do you collaborate with other teachers to reduce stress and share responsibilities?
• What role does self-care play in your ability to be an effective teacher? How can you prioritize self-care during the busy end-of-year period?

Click link to read the article

Choose three of the five questions to repsond to:

• The article emphasizes the importance of discussing burnout with trusted individuals. How comfortable do you feel sharing your challenges with colleagues, supervisors, or mentor? What support systems are currently available to you?
• Self-care is highlighted as a crucial strategy. What self-care routines do you currently practice, and how effective have they been in mitigating stress? Are there new self-care strategies from the article that you are considering implementing?
• The article suggests setting boundaries to prevent burnout. How do you manage work-life balance, and what boundaries have you established to protect your personal time?
• Engaging in professional development is mentioned as a way to rekindle passion for teaching. Are there areas of professional growth you are interested in pursuing to enhance your teaching experience?
• Considering the strategies discussed in the article, what is one actionable step you plan to take in the next month to address or prevent burnout?

 

Pocketful of Primary

For the K-5 Teachers

Choose two questions to answer in response to the video:

What strategies discussed in the video can you implement in your classroom to address student behavior?

How can you create a positive classroom environment that fosters respect and engagement?

What challenges in classroom management have you encountered, and how do the video’s suggestions help address them?

How do you balance maintaining control with building rapport and positive relationships with students?

What is one new idea you learned from this video that you want to try in your classroom?

  

Click the link to read the article

As the school year winds down, students often become more distracted and disengaged due to anticipation of snow days, spring break, changes in routine, and fatigue. The strategies outlined in "Strategies for Getting Students Back on Track" can be particularly helpful in managing end-of-year behaviors. Answer one of the three questions in response to the article. 

Choose one question to answer:

• The article suggests strategies for helping students refocus when their attention wanders. Which of these techniques have you tried, and what was the outcome? Are there other methods you've found effective?
• How do you currently teach students to regain focus after being distracted? Can you share an example of a successful approach you've used?
• Reflecting on your classroom management, how do you balance proactive strategies (preventing off-task behavior) with reactive strategies (addressing behavior after it occurs)? Which do you find more effective, and why?

 

Middle School: Dealing with Disrespectful Behavior

Teaching is a demanding profession that requires patience, resilience, and continuous growth. At times, challenges in student behavior, engagement, and motivation can make it difficult to stay energized and focused. The following videos provide practical strategies and inspiration to help you regain momentum and reinforce effective classroom management techniques.

• The first video/ How to Handle Disruptive Behaviors in the Classroom: explores key methods for keeping students on track and fostering a positive learning environment.
• The second video/ How to Manage Disrespect in the Classroom: offers insights into managing student behavior with a proactive approach.
• The third video/ How to Respond When a Student Disrepects You: highlights strategies for maintaining motivation and staying connected to your "why" as an educator.

As you watch, reflect on how these strategies align with your current practices and consider how you can apply them to create a more supportive and engaging classroom.

Video 1:

• How can you incorporate these strategies into your daily classroom routines to prevent students from getting off track?
• What support do you need from your mentor or colleagues to implement these strategies effectively?

Video 2:

• What are the main takeaways from the video regarding managing student behavior?
• What specific strategy from the video do you already use in your classroom? How has it worked for you?
• How does the video emphasize the importance of proactive vs. reactive behavior management?

Video 3:

• What initially inspired you to become a teacher, and how does this video help you reflect on that motivation?
• Have you ever experienced burnout or a lack of motivation? What strategies from the video could help you overcome those challenges?
• What small changes can you make in your daily routine to keep yourself energized and focused on your "why"?

Analyzing Student Data

 

Watch this video on analyzing student data. 

Do you collect data in some of the same ways you this video shows and discusses? If so,please explain one of the ways you collect data as shown in this video.

If you have not collected data in some the ways illustrated in the video, do you think some of the ways the teachers in this video collected data is can be easily implemented? Explain.

 

Analyzing Student Work: Using Peer Feedback to Improve Instruction

This video is a great visual of how to use PLC to analyze student work and plan next steps with your colleagues. During their PLC of analyzing student work, the teachers have a Student Work Protocol. The Student Work Protocol entailed five steps. 

We have our own way of conducting PLCs, do you think that these steps are already implemented in our PLCs when analyzing student work? If so explain how you and your team have used the five steps in analyzing student work. Share some success and or failures. 

If your team is not fully using all steps explain what steps you are using in PLC and steps that you feel you should discuss more in PLCs.

Explanation of Five Steps

The above link will lead you to an article that explains the five steps to looking at student work.