Students in Anjanette Abbs' class at Hartman MS indicate their understanding of a particular concept with signs on popsicle sticks.
Because so many mathematical principles build upon one another like scaffolding on a foundation, it’s critically important for teachers to make sure their students understand one particular concept before moving on to the next.
That’s why Hartman Middle School teacher Anjanette Abbs employs the Teach Like a Champion strategy of “Check for Understanding” in her classroom.
And her secret weapon of choice? Popsicle sticks.
“I am an eighth-grade mathematics teacher, so I always need to know what my students understand and what they may not,” said Abbs. “I created response cards on popsicle sticks that read, ‘NEED HELP’ on one side and ‘GOT IT’ on the other, and I use the cards daily to check for understanding.”
“The cards assist me in accomplishing my most important teaching goal,” said Abbs, “which is for all of my students to be successful. I have a sign in my room that reads, ‘Failure is NOT an Option’ and this technique validates that. It allows me to gather data quickly and informally—and since my students do not realize that I am collecting data, they are more relaxed and the data is more accurate. My students receive immediate intervention when they don’t understand something, and they seem to love the instant response.”
Sixteen HISD campuses are now involved in a partnership with Doug Lemov, the author of Teach Like a Champion, and Uncommon Schools. The pilot program was launched during the 2011-2012 school year at seven HISD middle schools. Read more about it here.
| 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. |
Aetna.com launched a leaner, more consumer-focused site on Sept. 26. Built with “responsive design,” the site was created to provide content that adjusts to laptops, tablets, or phones and takes advantage of the strengths of each device to improve the user’s experience.
Here are some of its highlights:
- Smarter navigation delivers the right content to the right audience when they need it.
- Better technology uses location data and user behavior to improve the user experience.
- Scannable copy focuses on a unified approach to structure, voice, and tone.
- Cutting content ensures users are never more than a few clicks from what they need.
Experience the new Aetna.com on your laptop, tablet or phone today.
In last week’s edition of eNews, we asked readers how often they took advantage of free vaccines, and the vast majority said they got at least one per year.
Half of all respondents said they would take any vaccination that was offered, regardless of what it was for, and a third said they received at least a flu shot annually.
Another 10 percent said that they got vaccinated sporadically, but that they had done so with more regularity when their children were young. Only one respondent said he or she didn’t get vaccinated, due to lack of confidence that it was effective.
Observed that person wryly, “The last time I got a flu shot, I got the flu.”
HISD will be making free flu vaccinations available to district employees through the end of October. For details and a complete schedule, please see this related posting.
In observance of Food Day Houston 2013, Recipe 4 Success, will be hosting a screening of the educational film, What’s on My Plate?, on Thurs., Oct. 24, at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (1001 Bissonnet, 77005).
The documentary, which follows two 11-year-old girls as they explore their place in the food chain, is geared to fifth- and sixth-graders.
Admission is free for schools (transportation not provided), but space is limited, so please register by Sept. 30 to sarah@recipe4success.org. Details are here (.pdf).
Take advantage of special loan rates by Sept. 30
SMART Financial Credit Union, which was launched in 1934 to serve Houston-area educators, is honoring its roots once again this year by offering HISD employees some special financing terms on auto and personal loans through Sept. 30.
For details, please see this related posting.
WITS to co-host fall writing festival for educators Oct. 5
Writers in the Schools will be co-hosting a fall writing festival for educators on Sat., Oct. 5, 2013, at Houston Baptist University from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Participants will work with professional writers, hear from special guest speaker Andrea White, and earn up to six hours of TAGT-approved G/T credit.
The cost is $125 and lunch is included. For complete details, please visit the WITS blog.
Houston Rockets hosting three HISD Nights in November
HISD’s longtime community partner, the Houston Rockets, will be hosting HISD Nights for district employees on Fri., Nov. 1, and Sat., Nov. 9, and Sat., Nov. 23, 2013.
Employees can get tickets to all three of these games at a discount, and everyone who purchases tickets through this special offer will get to shoot a free throw on the Rockets’ home court immediately after the game.
For details, please see this flyer (pdf).
Knowing who lives next to you can sometimes be the first step in preventing crime—and that’s why police departments across the country have been encouraging people to step outside on one evening each year to meet their neighbors.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of National Night Out, a crime/drug prevention event created and sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch.
In Texas, official activities will take place from 4:00–7:00 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 1, 2013, and all Houston-area residents are encouraged to put on a smile, lock their doors, and go outside to meet their neighbors.
For more information, please visit the links above.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- Sept. 18-Dec. 18: Friends of Houston Public Library Farmers’ Market Book Sale
- Sept. 28: National History Day workshop
- Sept. 28: The Museum Experience
- Oct. 1-31: National Principals Month
- Oct. 1: New employee orientation
- Oct. 4 & 5: Friends of Houston Public Library Children’s Book Sale
- Oct. 4-7: Silk Road Festival
- Oct. 9(.pdf): Payday
- Oct. 10: Board meeting (regular)
- Oct. 12 & 13: Bayou City Art Festival
- Oct. 13-19: Teen Read Week
- Oct. 14-18: National School Lunch Week
- Oct. 19: Energy Day
- Oct. 23(.pdf): Payday
- Oct. 26: Marathon Kids Houston Kickoff
- Nov. 2: School Choice Fair
- Nov. 4-8: Magnet Awareness Week
- Nov. 5: Election Day
- Nov. 5: New employee orientation
- Nov. 6(.pdf): Payday
- Nov. 14: ADL’s Houston in Concert Against Hate
- Nov. 18-22: SPARK Parks Week
- Nov. 23 & 24: Vio Colori Street Festival
- Nov. 27-29: Thanksgiving holiday (.pdf)
- Dec. 3: New employee orientation
Doug Perry
It’s been 35 years since Coach Doug Perry first joined Team HISD as a physical education teacher at Eliot Elementary School, but since that time, he has taught students at virtually every grade level and coached teams for just about every sport the district offers.
The veteran educator says he will probably stay “until they kick me out the door,” but the highlight of his career so far took place when he was still the head baseball coach at Lee High School. “It was nine or ten years in a row that we made the playoffs,” said Perry. “And in ‘91 or ’92, we were ranked the #2 team in the nation. We were a real powerhouse here for a while.”
Now, Perry serves as a teacher for Lee students in in-school suspension. “It’s kind of fun working with kids who have had some kind of trouble and helping them get back on their feet,” he said. “I counsel them in terms of what to do, and I see different kids every day, so it’s interesting.”
Perry officially marked his anniversary with the district on Sept. 20, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Sept. 15–21). See if you know anyone on this list:
40 years
- Eleanor Buckner, associate teacher
25 years
- Dinora Espinosa, teacher, De Zavala ES
20 years
- Moises Campos, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Lynn Miller, teacher, Reagan HS
- Consuela Sims-Broussard, clerk, Sharpstown HS
- Mary Ward, teacher, Wainwright ES
15 years
- Mary Cullivan, attendant, Food Services
- Clementina Rodriguez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Ivonne Rodriguez, assistant principal, Austin HS
- Mary Skillern, clerk, Hines-Caldwell ES
- Ana Vasquez, teaching assistant, T. H. Rogers MS
- Laura Flores, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Paula Baker, secretary, YWCPA
- Jarita Cormier, teacher, Janowski ES
- Yolanda Serrano, clerk, Almeda ES
10 years
- Judy Mascione, clerk, West Briar MS
- Mary Elizondo, truck driver, Distribution Operations
- Nicho Brown-Butler, teaching assistant, T. H. Rogers MS
- Blanca Hernandez, teacher, K. Smith ES
- Diana Lopez, teacher, R. C. Martinez ES
- Maria Pena-Sanchez, aide, Moreno ES
- Juana DeLeon, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Elias Gomez, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Nicole McKinney-Turner, secretary, Bonner ES
- Marcia Mills, clerk, Bush Elementary
- Pablo Muniz-Ramirez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Jaiandreia Barron-Williams, teacher, Dowling MS
- Linda Bessard, teaching assistant, Longfellow ES
- Angelic Borunda, secretary, Fonville MS
- Emily Brants, teacher, Pershing MS
- Donald Brown, analyst, Budgeting & Financial Planning
- Robert Carpenter, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Froylan Castillo, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Jason Coronado, teacher, Crespo ES
- Saeideh Ghodrati, teacher, Furr HS
- Nghia Le, teacher, Washington HS
- Andrette McClain, teacher, Dowling MS
- Roshanda McClain, teacher, Sam Houston MSTC
- Shirley Moan, teacher, Durham ES
- Jesus Quiroga-Castillo, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Raoul Rodriguez-Zavala, senior producer/director, Multimedia Services
5 years
- Caleen Allen, general manager, Strategic Partnerships
- Fabion Henry, senior plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Joel Jack, sanitation attendant, Food Services
- Noe Lopez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- George Montemayor, plumber, Construction & Facility Services
| Check back next Friday for more September Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
HISD’s department of Onboarding and Organizational Development is offering two workshops on the topic of “Fostering Mentoring Relationships” to interested employees on Wed., Sept. 25, 2013.
The workshops will take place in Room 1E02 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), and both morning (9 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1–4 p.m.) sessions are available.
Attendees will learn how to maximize their influence as mentors, how to adapt their mentoring style to accommodate generational differences, and how to improve existing mentoring relationships or approach potential protégés who show tremendous promise.
To register or for complete details, please visit http://tinyurl.com/HISD-FMR.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science’s (HMNS) Educator’s Guide (.pdf) is out, and this year, it includes a full page of coupons—one for each month!
These coupons grant educators access to a variety of HMNS venues for a discounted price, so if you haven’t received one yet, be sure to download it.
The annual guide is targeted to educators and provides extensive information about all three of the HMNS campuses: Hermann Park, Sugar Land, and the George Observatory, including details on permanent exhibits, special exhibitions, how to book a field trip, and much more.
Visit the museum’s website for more information.
SMART offering special loan rates through Sept. 30
SMART Financial Credit Union, which was launched in 1934 to serve Houston-area educators, is honoring its roots once again this year by offering HISD employees some special financing terms on auto and personal loans through Sept. 30.
For details, please see this related posting.
Free movie screening for fifth- and sixth-graders on Oct. 24
In observance of Food Day Houston 2013, Recipe 4 Success, will be hosting a screening of the educational film, What’s on My Plate?, on Thurs., Oct. 24, at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (1001 Bissonnet, 77005).
The documentary, which follows two 11-year-old girls as they explore their place in the food chain, is geared to fifth- and sixth-graders.
Admission is free for schools (transportation not provided), but space is limited, so please register by Sept. 30 to sarah@recipe4success.org. Details are here (.pdf).
HISD recently announced the assignment of two new leaders: a new principal for Worthing High School and a new school support officer at the elementary level.
John Modest Jr., who comes to us from the North Carolina Department of Education, has been named the new principal of Worthing High School. He began his career in education as a history teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but he has also served as a school principal and a regional superintendent. Modest holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from North Carolina Central University.
Dr. Robert Lundin has been named the school support officer for Elementary School Office Area 3. He replaces Beth Dow, who recently retired. Dr. Lundin began his career as a bilingual fifth-grade teacher at HISD’s own Garcia Elementary School. He has also taught at the middle and high school levels, and in 2004, he was picked to serve as the founding director of YES Prep-Southwest. In 2007, Dr. Lundin was a founding regional director of Teach First, the United Kingdom’s foremost educational charity. After returning to the U.S., he served as the national vice president of Teach for America. He currently serves as a professor at both Rice University and the University of Saint Thomas. Dr. Lundin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and policy studies from Rice University, a master’s degree in bilingual education from the University of Saint Thomas, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Vanderbilt University.
