As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is

not to utter words, but to live by them

-Jphn F; Kennedy

Date of Meeting
Start & End Time of Meeting
Recorder
Members Present

11/19/2015
3:00-3:56
Young (Additional information in blue)
Lewellen
Young
Wozniak

Green
Carter

1. General Announcement/Administrative Information(15 Minutes)

a. Oh, Happy Day!
b. Grades due on Tuesday at noon. Please do not wait until the last minute.
c. Be certain to be outside your door every morning at 7:50, between each class change, and at
the end of the day. We must be visible and watching.
d. December grade level meeting bring a common planning team data conversation.
e. November showcase looks fantastic. Thanks to all especially Jessica for putting on the
decorators touch.
2. Department Information (30 minutes)
a. I Noticed & I Wondered
i. This video features a quick strategy for helping students give meaningful feedback to
each other. Using sentence frames, students tell one another what they noticed and
what they wondered about regarding each others work. This approach can be used
across grade levels and subject areas to encourage productive peer feedback. Plus, its
simple enough that students will likely start internalizing the language after using it
several times!
Points to Consider
My Thoughts
How does giving
students sentence
frames affect the
feedback they give?
What kinds of feedback
to you see students
giving each other?
How do students
respond to their peers'
critiques?
How can I use this in
my classroom?

b. Conver-Stations
i. In this video, Sarah Brown Wessling shares another helpful strategy for encouraging
student discussions. Students move through conver-stations, talking together in
different groups. This is a great way to encourage student-led discussions while getting
kids up and about. As you watch, think about how this strategy could be adapted for
different activities.
Points to Consider
My Thoughts
How does this strategy
encourage student-led
conversations?
What are the benefits
of using movement
during class
discussions?
How could this strategy
be adapted to other
activities?
c. Praising the Process
i. Speaking of growth mindset, this video shows why its important to praise the process
rather than the end result. Seeing how Chana Stewart uses this approach can help you
to reflect on how well you do or could give process praise.
Points to Consider
My Thoughts
How does process
praise help students
develop growth
mindsets?
How does Ms. Stewart
make sure her process
praise is authentic?
What tips does Ms.
Stewart share for how
teachers can begin to
use process praise in
their classrooms?
How can I use this in
my classroom?

3. Instructional Strategy or Technology Highlight (5-10 minutes) At least one department member will
share an instructional strategy for engagement, in-class remediation or technology integration (i.e. blended
learning, BYOT) with the department. This should rotate from one department member to another.
a. Ms. Carter Plickers app (Useful because students cannot see what others are answering like
on whiteboards and copy.)

4. Closure (5 minutes) - One instructional thing we will be doing as a department over the next month is:
a. Grade Six Tier 2 Interventions
b. Grade Seven Team Planning
c. Grade Eight Tier 2 Interventions