Better Schools & Playgrounds Recipe for a Successful School Year

Better Schools & Playgrounds Recipe for a Successful School Year 

Ingredients:

·       Varied number of students ranging in diverse intellect, ethnicity, skills, social background and physical    abilities

·       184 days of learning goals

·       184 nights of intense reflection

·       36 weeks of engaging instruction

·       Content knowledge

·       Formative and summative assessments derived from base of instruction

·       Empowering learning environment

·       Just enough professional growth to stay relevant and humble

·       Insight and knowledge of families, individuals, communities and cultures

·       Cooperative attitude mixed well with generous amounts of collaboration from co-teachers, staff and administration

Directions

Preheat learning environment with fresh paint, new posters, innovative information and positive atmosphere

1.  Embrace the varied number of students and meet them where they are in regards to their intellect, social status, ethics and values, physical abilities, strengths and weaknesses, sprinkle generous amounts of positive re-enforcement and genuine care until they all appear equal in your eyes

2.  Present 36 weeks of enthusiastic content knowledge and engaging instruction layered within diverse lesson plans that challenge each student to their appropriate level, use fair amounts of technology, kinesthetic, visual and auditory learning styles

3.  Intermittently add small amounts of formative and summative assessments to ensure that instruction is fresh and adequate for students---If not, repeat instruction in a new manner by implementing additional explanations in specific learning styles to meet each student

4.  Add balanced amount of professional growth and continual personal learning to keep ingredients fresh and new

5.  Mix with large amounts of collaboration from administration, other teachers and staff to ensure your perspective of each student is accurate and non-biased

6.  Season with several layers of interaction between family members, individuals, communities and insight into other cultures on top of entire mix to bring out natural flavor and individuality of each student

7.  Wrap entire mixture in 184 days of individualized learning goals and 184 nights of intense personal reflection to ensure that nothing is overlooked or missing

8.  Bake completed recipe every single day from 9:15-3:15 with an attitude of joy and a pound of sense of humor in the confines of the preheated learning environment

9.  Assess progress regularly and adjust your personality, daily schedule and general mood to best fit personality, daily schedules and general mood of students

At the end of the school year you should have the final product, baked evenly and ready for the next phase of learning. Be careful not to scorch recipe from a lack of flexibility or under bake mixture from a lack of structure.

Finally, enjoy the sweet aroma of a year’s growth as your students leave with an educational experience they will remember forever!