New Year, New Ideas

“New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery.” - Sarah Ban Breathnach

As the first semester finished in December, our BUHSD family left for two weeks of vacation and in January, something exciting came out of this transition time . . . as it usually does when we start anew.  BUHSD campuses were abuzz during the first days back and the enthusiastic conversations were plenty.  Teachers and students returning to second semester talked about their desires for NEW . . . new beginnings, new ideas, new structures of support, and of course, new goals.

On the one hand, students have been setting goals and priorities for themselves as they started 2018.  Conversations between LinkCrew leaders and freshmen are promising and the guidance the older students give their younger counterparts is commendable.  Some students were overjoyed with how their first semester finished and are talking about how to continue the trend.  Others were not as productive in the fall and are looking to adjust their energy and time to tackle the second half of the year.  Overall, students returned ready for a new day and a new semester.

While on the other hand, the teacher conversations and actions have been solid in one thing . . . learning from their work in the fall by recognizing the strategies that helped students find success and tweaking the areas that lacked refinement.

A Spanish teacher who flipped one classroom in the fall by using HyperDocs and FlipGrid saw the success her students had on unit exams and language acquisition.  This semester, she has implemented the same strategies in her other classes and has seen immediate improvement from many students.  In addition, she has added flexible seating options and this new freedom in regards to their physical surrounding has improved student engagement in learning as well.

The math department is combing through final exam data to see the areas that may need a second look as they start the semester.  One math teacher is working with her students to give feedback on the final exam to reflect on how students may be able to change their study habits this semester to continue to find success.  From this feedback, the students are learning new ways to categorize math notes and concepts to make the learning more accessible throughout the semester.

Allowing students to put their learning into practice isn’t a new idea, but finding new ways to do it revitalizes lessons sometimes.  Knowing the importance of the Physical Fitness Test in a few months and the cardiovascular calculations needed to complete the exam, a Health teacher shifted gears and moved outside of the classroom to start the semester.  Freshmen are learning about VO2, heart rate, and blood pressure and how to calculate it after they run to understand what the numbers mean.  This first-hand learning is powerful and will stay with the students for a long time.

Many teachers are working with students to set new goals for this semester.  It is always inspiring to see what happens when we allow students to reflect on their personal progress and areas where they want to improve.  In a freshman English class, here are a few goals set by the students through a reflective activity in class.

“My goal for this year is to become a better person and have the energy to wake up every day with a smile on my face and be ready for school.”  

“My main goal of 2018 is to be more organized. Last semester a lot distracted me from being focused on school work, but this year I promised myself that I'm going to be more organized. I'm also going to stop procrastinating. This year I'm going to recreate myself and focus more and work. No more slacking off for me.”  

With students focused on goals such as these, they are bound to continue their progress in high school and soar.

The world wakes up in January with new ideas, resolutions, goals, and a rejuvenated spirit.  This sense of renewal also reached the Brawley Union High School District staff and students.  Here’s to many new questions, a plethora of varying answers, and countless new life chapters positively written for our district family.  Happy 2018!

Personal Progress Report to BUHSD Staff:
Still running the mile and working to get back to 12 minutes.
Planned a fun family outing to see a hockey game in San Diego.
Worked with all departments to collect fall data to help understand how students are progressing.

#ifnotusthenwho #hopesquad #brawleyproud #scorpionpride

Final Exams - The New Frontier

An exciting part of watching new changes in instruction as we look through the Windows Into Classrooms, is seeing the changes in assessment of student learning.  During December these assessments take center stage as students are taking their Final Exams of the semester.  We will look at ways that students are assessed on their learning and progress through the fall.

Performance Tasks have led the change in assessments.  Students are being asked to show their learning through performing tasks that demonstrate skill and knowledge.  The epitome of assessment through performance comes from our Music Appreciation classes.  Most of these students are new to music and this semester they were basically taught how to read the new language of music.  This week, their final exam for the semester was a stunning performance using recorders in the auditorium to a crowd of hundreds.  A true performance of skill, learning, and courage.  We are so proud of their efforts!

Other performance tasks come from the math assessments that will give students real-world problems that students will have to use what they were taught.  As they solve these issues, they must also explain and write how they were able to use their math skills.  Students in honors science classes will tackle hands-on performance tasks that involve using science tools.  Students will demonstrate proficiency at equipment operation as they use the spectrophotometer, the electric balance, and also execute proper slide preparation and biological diagrams using microscopes.  These experiences reflect college-level exams and will prepare students for their next level of education as well.  STEM students are busy building and testing models showing Kinetic and Potential Energy and their importance to our lives.

Many students will be preparing presentations for various classes.  Ag students will be delivering advocacy speeches to encourage their audience to support agriculture in various forms.  Seniors in their English class will deliver powerful presentations involving their work with The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  Students are reaching deep to make sure their audience understands what is important to their lives.  Freshmen and Sophomores in English are presenting to their classmates about Outsiders and Outcasts, The Joy Luck Club, and Poetry, allowing them to explore the way we interact with the world.  Law Enforcement students, dressed in professional attire, will be speaking in front of the class about jobs in Law Enforcement and encouraging their classmates to explore these careers that are highly needed in today’s world.

At Desert Valley High School, Seniors have been preparing a multi-disciplinary project to present in their English class about the financial, career, or personal learning they have accomplished so far this year.  These presentations take many forms as the students were able to choose how they present their learning.  Taking it one step further, the principal invited parents and the community to the school in the evening so that students can showcase their projects and deliver their message to a larger audience.

Even the traditional exams in the district look differently.  Science classes are using GoFormative to administer digital exams that allow students to answer questions in a variety of ways, including drag and drop, highlighting, and multiple answers.  Math classes will be using an online platform to administer their common final as well and students will be using desmos and other online tools to show their learning.  

Finally, we can’t ignore that most all of the assessments will include some type of writing as a base for students to demonstrate their learning - short answer responses, full essays, and explanations of procedures - to name a few.  Even the presentations have to be written first or prepared through a Google Slide presentation.  After many of the projects, students will write reflective pieces that show how their learning will impact their lives or the world around them.  This exercise of demonstrating learning through writing proves to solidify their understanding of the material.

In the end, Brawley Union High School District is expecting that the almost 1,900 students in our schools will leave for Winter Break full of a variety of learning and knowledge.  Students will also be satisfied that they are able to demonstrate their learning to different audiences - the teacher alone, parents and the community, and even a large audience of hundreds at a music concert.  We are proud of the students and teachers this semester as they have shown their growth in both creating and taking assessments to show student progress and learning.  

Personal Progress Report to BUHSD Staff:

I'm now at a 13 minute 20 second mile.  :(  My goal is to get back on track over the vacation. :)

Cooking and baking has been the family routine lately to keep us connected.

Bringing in my mom and grandma to cook with the Culinary Arts students was a highlight here at the district recently.

#ifnotusthenwho  #hopesquad  #brawleyproud  #scorpionpride

#gratitude

As we move into the winter season and our classrooms get busy with end of semester activities and holiday celebrations, here at the Curriculum & Instruction Department of BUHSD, we’d like to take the time to focus on #gratitude and what we are thankful for in our classrooms. 

In our district, the collaboration between students, teachers, and administrators continues to be a blessing. This entry focuses on those voices in our schools. We reached out to these players and asked this question: If we look through the Window Into Classrooms here at BUHSD, what are you thankful for in the realm of Curriculum & Instruction? #gratitude 

It’s no mystery that as teachers build relationships with their students, it has a positive effect on the instruction in the classroom. Our student voices focused on this concept. Students submitted their responses about their classrooms, but in reality, their #gratitude revolves around the people who teach them.
“They are wonderful teachers who know how to keep their students in check and be fun about it at the same time.”
“Yo estoy agradecida con (mi maestra) porque gracias a ella, he aprendido que no hay límites para ser una gran persona.”
“(My teacher) has taught me that you can’t do everything by yourself and you need to work with other people to be able to make something great and fun.”
“I'm thankful for (my teacher) because he was helpful in class and he was always really funny too.”
“People in band and our teacher have all become my family. We work hard and even on our bad days we work through it and try to achieve as much as we can.”
“(My math teacher) contributes to many fun activities in the Math Club field trips, and inclusively helps students that are not in his math class. #gratitude #MathClub”
“(My teacher) teaches me important things and she loves her work.” 

“This class has pushed me out of my shell … I am a leader because of everything this class and my teacher have taught me. I can truly say I am less anxious socially.”
“My teacher not only works after school, but weekends and holidays too. I am #grateful for her because I know that if my animal for fair gets sick or needs any kind of help I can call her up and she is on her way no matter what time.”
“I am grateful for (my teacher) because she brings us breakfast.”
“I'm grateful for all my teachers this year because they have all taught me new things.”

The voices we hear in these student statements talk about an array of classrooms and teachers. From grand gestures in lessons to small connections to build self-confidence, teachers have impacted the learning of our students.

At the BUHSD schools, students aren’t the only people who are continuously learning. Teachers collectively point at the opportunities to learn and the support they receive as their main focus for #gratitude.
“I am thankful because I have an administrative team that has created a culture where teachers can feel comfortable to try new things and make mistakes.”
“I am thankful for having the opportunity to help students explore mathematics in their community and watch their excitement as they share their discoveries with classmates.”

"I am thankful to be a part of a school that encourages thinking outside the box and using creativity to inspire our young minds.”
“STEM students taught me how to collaborate on a PREZI. Students are my techies!”
“I am grateful to have a job where every day I have an opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of young people.”
“I am grateful to the district and administration for seeing a need within our student body and addressing it, by creating courses intended to instruct our students in how to plan for life beyond high school.”
“I am thankful to work in a noble profession that keeps me in contact with teenagers, who are our future, and keep me on my toes.”
“I'm grateful for students who are willing to try new things as I continue to adjust my strategies to meet their needs.”
“I am grateful for the incredible amount of support for our CTE programs and thankful for the open communication we have to keep improving them!”
“I'm grateful for administrators and teachers who trust me to implement the best interventions for our students during support.”
“I am so very thankful to work with amazing colleagues and students, they are the reason I love working at BUHS!”
“I am grateful for Student Desmos and the learning activities that it provides to the students. These activities keep the students engaged in learning the concepts we are working on and it is fun.”
“I am grateful for the online version of our textbook and the opportunities to use online assignments and assessments through this curriculum.”
I am grateful for our Instructional Aides and their help and knowledge that they share with students.”

“(I’m) thankful for my colleagues in the math department. I get to work with a very supportive team and learn from them.”
“I am thankful for my department (Social Science) and our ability to be flexible and open minded to new ideas. (Our) department understands that we must be flexible in order not to break.”
“I am thankful for a career that lets me focus on my passion and keeps me connected with my community (I love to see how the young people develop into hard working adults).”
“I am thankful for the resources and support of administration,and I am thankful for the friendship between staff both on and off campus.”
“I am thankful to work with so many hard working and talented teachers and administrators that support each other and inspire each other to be better educators in the classroom."

Administrators in the district are united in their #gratitude toward the teachers and their ability to grow and learn as professionals. Their profession is also profoundly impacted by the students they work with each day. They said:
“I’m thankful for classrooms that are no longer dominated by direct instruction but by students in charge of their learning.”
“The teachers at our schools take risks and include me in these risks so I can learn.”
“Teachers at BUHSD usually run toward technology instead of running away from it.”
“I’m thankful for the continued increase in student engagement and collaboration in every class and the willingness of DVHS teachers to allow for more student voice in their classrooms.”
“I'm grateful for the willingness of our teachers to stretch, grow, reach, step outside of their comfort zone - so that our kids can do the same. Thank you.”
“I'm thankful for teachers promoting student voice in activities so that all kids showcase their learning. #gratitude”

As we spend time this month reflecting on #gratitude, we want to also thank you, our stakeholders, for your commitment to learning about our school and classrooms. 

THANK YOU


Personal Progress Report to BUHSD Staff:
Still at 12 minute & 35 seconds! (Don't forget to hold me accountable!)
Our family has been focused on together time with music.
Watching demo lessons and seeing the creativity of our teachers has been my motivation lately.
#ifnotusthenwho #hopesquad #brawleyproud #scorpionpride