JUST RUN

This past weekend students, parents and staff ran a 3k marathon in Pacific Grove, California. We ran because we are a JUST RUN school and have been for many years now.

JUST RUN is promotes active lifestyles and healthy eating to keep students healthy and happy. Our students enjoy being outside and participating in many of the JUST RUN activities. This years activities include tracking students' miles, running in the morning and holding a weekly school boot camp. 

JUST RUN is a fun and engaging program and can be implemented easily at your school.  For more information click on the image below. 

Collaborative Conversations

The last class you were probably in was a giant lecture series in college where a professor stood in front of the class and spoke. 

As a twenty something students you were probably bored but able to follow along. 

Now... imagine how hard that same structured class, of a lecture series, for an 8 year old! 

Even fifty years ago, people knew that kids have a hard time listening to giant heads in front of the class!!

Collaborative conversations are a way to change that because students are the ones doing the talking. To see collaborative conversations modeled in the classroom I recommend the video Formative Assessment: Collaborative Discussions. I tried the lesson with my students and it did not go well. Then as a class we watched the lesson, teacher and students. The next day when students worked collaboratively they improved dramatically. Now I am filming my class as a way to focus students on using one collaborative conversation skill. 

Cult of Pedagogy: The Podcast

A great resource for classroom teachers is the website Cult of Pedagogy. Jennifer Gonzalez started the website with great resources, one of which is her podcast. She has a range of topics that she discusses.Topics include technology, supports for English Language Learners, behavioral issues in the classroom and quick tips for teaching. 

I recently listened to episode 31: The Power of

Being a Dork. In it she talks about how teachers need to be silly and first to dismiss the inhibitions of students.  

You can access the podcast on itunes and 

listen it to your commute to work.