Kevin Li with fellow biology teacher, Erika Boyd
Most academic “boot camps” don’t involve drill sergeants, camouflage clothing, or anything else related to the military. But the same can’t be said for those run by Kevin Li, a first-year biology teacher at Sharpstown High School.
“Every Monday, our biology team dresses up in ‘camo’ clothing to play the part of boot camp instructors,” he explained. “We also have three ‘stations’: ‘lieutenant drills,’ at which students practice with me on whiteboards and review past concepts and vocabulary; ‘team bunkers,’ at which students work together in small groups; and ‘battle stations,’ at which students work independently on problems.”
Li says that the military symbolism and imagery has meant less talk, more action, and greater mastery of subject matter. “Since switching to this method, my student data has jumped significantly,” he said. “A greater percentage of my class scores are frequently above the 85 percent threshold of mastery on weekly quizzes and exams.”
To further build class cohesion, Li deputizes two of the highest performing students in each class to act as his assistants. They complete the following day’s class work as homework so that they can help other students during class the next day.
“We wanted the classroom to be much more student-centered, since it is a very effective way to enhance learning,” explained Li. “By using stations and rotations, as well as spicing up the notes and including guided practice and independent practice, it puts the emphasis on the individual student to promote his or her success. This way, I can focus more of my efforts on my lower-performing kids, whereas my medium- and higher-performing kids can get help from my teacher assistants.”
| Had a breakthrough in your classroom? Tell us about it! Just send an email to info@houstonisd.org briefly describing your situation, and we could feature it here. |
In this week’s I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Class of 2014 member Minh Nguyen talks about what creating art means to her, why it’s so important to help others, and how she went from being a fourth-grader speaking no English to the valedictorian of her senior class.
When you moved to the United States in the fourth grade, you spoke no English, yet within a year you were helping other Vietnamese students to learn the language. What allowed you to master English so quickly? And what advice would you give to other students who want to do the same?
Minh Nguyen
I think the primary reason was immersion in the language. Being in an ESL class with only one other Vietnamese student forced me to try my hardest. For the first time in my life, I was constantly struggling, and that resulted in horrible grades. There was simply no other way for me to be better than taking advantage of all my resources.
For students who want to learn English quickly, I would say to try to speak English or find ways to get familiar with it. In the beginning, I stayed afterschool, playing with games on the computer that would help me. I find that learning through songs or books is particularly helpful, as I would try to decipher the meaning of the words. Also, don’t be afraid to talk; most people are more than happy to help.
You went from being an English as a Second Language student as a child to the valedictorian of your senior class, taking Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and even earning the honor of AP Scholar with Distinction. At what point did you become comfortable enough in English to start taking advanced classes? And how did you know you were ready?
I was lucky, in that I came to the U.S. at a young age, so I was able to absorb things better than if I was an adult. I was learning English in elementary school, so I was only a few years behind the rest of my classmates.
My transition to advanced classes was gradual. I progressed with math first and then began a Gifted and Talented reading and English class in eighth grade. My success in one class enabled me to move on to the next level.
Most of the science or math terms I know are in English, not Vietnamese, so if you ask me for some words in Vietnamese, I would have no idea how to translate them, despite understanding them.
You’ve been recognized at the regional, state, and national levels for your work in the Scholastic Art and Writing awards and the Visual Arts Scholastic Event. A previous interviewer described the arts as being “therapeutic” for you. Can you explain why? What role have the arts played in your life?
Drawing has always been a hobby. I started in daycare. For me, arts have been the thing that were on a different spectrum than math and science. It took some of the analytical and computational aspects and replaced it with freedom. I’m usually a perfectionist, but drawing allows me to take a small break from it, though I still pay attention to detail.
I understand you also serve as a tutor at Kumon and a teacher at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s summer camps. Why is sharing your knowledge with other young people so important to you?
Though I have come a long way, there will always be some confusion. I was a child who struggled, so I want to be someone who can relieve some confusion, as my old teachers did for me. Whenever my students understand something, I feel proud to be a part of their learning.
I see that you plan to pursue a degree in biochemistry, biology, or another science-related field with an eye toward entering medical school later. Do you feel called to be a doctor? If so, what kind and why?
I have always had an interest in sciences, but right now, I am still unsure about my path. I plan to major in biomedical engineering or bioengineering, and I hope to explore both the technical and medicinal sides of the medical field.
Though I am attached to medicine, I am still unsure about committing to becoming a medical doctor. Being a doctor is an option, but there is more than that, too, such as being part of a technological invention or research that could improve human health. The medical field will address all my interests in math and science, while at the same time allowing me to achieve what I want in a career, helping others and improving myself.
| If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org. |
If you’ve been looking forward to two months of three-day weekends, you’re not the only one.
In response to a flurry of inquiries, Chief Human Resources Officer Rodney Watson sent an email to all employees on April 3, announcing the return of the 4-10 (or “40 in 4″) summer schedule on June 2.
First implemented in 2011, the 4-10 schedule was designed to save the district money on operating expenses during the hot summer months.
HISD offices will be open for business from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and closed on Fridays (through Aug. 1, this year). Employees must work a 10-hour day M-Th, excluding their lunch period. Work hours are flexible, and can be scheduled within the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with supervisor approval. All employees must participate.
Details of the 4-10 summer schedule will be posted as an Academic Services Memo closer to the end of the regular school year.
In the March 7 edition of Friday eNews, we alerted you to the district’s Windows 7 migration, which will require the replacement of approximately 39,000 devices across the district before the start of the 2014-2015 school year.
With the pilot program complete, that process has now begun in earnest, and HISD’s Department of Communications has created a website to provide you with all the information you might need to make the transition a smooth one.
The site contains details on the program and why it is necessary, Frequently Asked Questions, a list of tips and tricks, and many other helpful resources.
Questions may be directed to the HISD Help Desk at 713-892-7378 or windows7@houstonisd.org
HISD has traditionally been closed on Good Friday, but remember: this year, that day (April 18) is the first of two make-up days that will be used to replace instructional time lost due to wintry weather earlier this year. All HISD students, faculty, and support staff are expected to report to class or for duty (respectively), but employees may use a personal leave or vacation day if they wish to observe the religious holiday. Check with your supervisor for details.
The next make-up day will be Monday, May 26. For details, please see this related article and list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- April 1-30: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
- April 18: Good Friday (school in session)
- April 22: Earth Day
- April 23 (.pdf): Payday
- April 24-27: Shell Eco-Marathon Americas
- April 26: School Choice Fair
- April 26: CSTEM Challenge
- April 26: National Take-Back Day
- May 2: Gen TX Day
- May 4: Lemonade Day
- May 7 (.pdf): Payday
- May 8: Regular Board meeting
- May 10: Houston Art Car Parade
- May 17: Empty Bowls
- May 21 (.pdf): Payday
- May 26: Memorial Day (school in session)
- May 29: Last day of school (students)
- May 30-June 8: Graduation ceremonies (.pdf)
- June 4 (.pdf): Payday
- June 2-Aug. 1: Summer schedule in effect
Dr. Grier with Corporal Garcia
Superintendent of Schools Terry Grier recognized five district employees at the regular quarterly staff meeting held on April 8. The following staff members were recognized with Team HISD hats:
- Corporal Gilbert Garcia, HISD Police Dept., who serves as the head of school safety, for his efforts to keep kids safe by conducting intruder drills and traffic assessments
- Amanda Norwig, Office of Communications, who serves as “the voice of HISD” on social media, for quadrupling the district’s Twitter following to more than 22,000 and doubling the number of “likes” on Facebook to about 8,700.
- Dana Sturdevant, Career & Technical Education, for organizing the district’s second annual, very successful When I Grow Up Expo on March 8
- Michael Webster, School Support Services, for his efforts to make sure that same event went smoothly and was a success
- Dr. Michele Pola, HISD’s chief business and community relations officer, who is retiring this year (read her bio here) with more than 28 years of service to the district.
To see a gallery of all the hat recipients, please view the gallery below.
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HISD’s longtime community partner, the Houston Rockets, is hosting five HISD Appreciation Nights for district employees this spring. The first three have already passed, but two more remain: Friday, April 4; and Saturday, April 12, 2014.
Employees can get tickets to all games at a discount. For details, please see this flyer (pdf).
Giving one’s body adequate rest is critical to functioning well in our day-to-day lives.
That’s why the Onboarding and Organizational Development Department is offering a new professional development session to help employees understand the basics of sleep so that they can understand how its quality affects their health, productivity, and emotional well-being.
“Sleep: Understanding the Basics” will take place from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, in room 3C12 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), and participants will learn about:
- the components of good sleep habits
- treatments for sleep disorders.
Interested employees should register on eTRAIN using course code #BN0038.
To avoid disrupting the many students, teachers, campus staff, and administrators taking part in STAAR exams this week, we are taking a look back at your favorite “I Am HISD” profiles from past editions.
A new profile will appear in the next issue (April 11, 2014), but in the meantime, we hope you’ll take a few moments to check out some of the links below, and read a few of the profiles you may have missed the first time around.
Top 10 “I Am HISD” profiles (Employee edition)
- DeAnda ES teacher shares secrets behind 50+ years in the classroom
- Daughter of bodybuilder now leading HISD Food Services
- Recent Jordan HS graduate has designs on another HISD school
- Hartman MS principal sees success by keeping the focus on children
- Harper principal dedicated to helping students others have forsaken
- Milby HS alumna plans to lead her old school one day
- Israeli muralist has designs on almost a dozen HISD schools
- Henry MS assistant principal steeped in HISD culture since birth
- Senior ‘hooper’ becomes first athlete to be crowned ‘Miss Wheatley’
- And coach makes four: A look inside a football family
To see the favorites from the community edition, please visit this related article.
| If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org. |
