We are making an IMPACT

The first three days of school were AMAZING!! Staff came dressed to impress, students moved busily around campus finding their classes and meeting their new teachers, ALL teachers introduced the new policy changes, and REAL learning and teaching was happening from the moment students walked through the classroom door. Continue to push the rigor in your classroom. Focus your planning on the appropriate level of Depth of Knowledge for what is being introduced. And remember..... the learning needs to be in the hands of the students. Introduce the material and step back, allow students time to ponder, think, struggle, and make meaning. Provide students a safe place to make mistakes, the right answer does not always need to be presented the first time. And....for many situations, there are multiple right answers and maybe even some that we have not thought of yet.

Honors Chemistry students working on a Dry Ice lab on day 3 of school!

Teacher May Cranford assisting a student in AVID on how to navigate the College Board website.

Teacher, Laura Shafer, getting the Hon Chem students their dry ice for the lab.

Teacher, Von Wolf, using Chromebooks & Edmodo in his Math 1 class.

FHS Staff Day One 

Club Rush @lunch 8.15.14

Club Rush @lunch 8.15.14

Club Rush @lunch 8.15.14

I had the pleasure of attending the Visible Learning Conference this summer.  The overarching theme was Know Thy Impact, Make the Learning Visible. I have included a few of my Tweets from the conference and added a link to resources. visiblelearningplus.com  You can also check out many more Tweets from all attendees at the conference at #vlconf2014





#VlConf2014 #everydayvl Learners are thinkers: Connect, Feedback, Collaborate, Persevere, Wonder, Reflect

#VlConf2014 #everdayvl Think of the scene from Nemo. ALL fish swim down together!!! It works when you work together!

#VlConf2014 #everydayvl Engaging start to presentation!! Resources: http://tinyurl.com/WSD3-VL 

#VlConf2014 Growth mindset vs fixed mindset. Embrace and do what is possible for all learners. Meet the needs of the student.

#VlConf2014 Cause learning, Be determined, Be Courageous....

#VlConf2014 Ensure learners experience being stuck. Equip learners with learning strategies, progress visible....

#VlConf2014 "Learning is way beyond 9:00-3:00 when kids are engaged." @sarahmartin74


#VlConf2014 A visible learner knows where they are at and the next step. You can see the progression.

#VlConf2014 Surface to Deep, Near to Far. Making Meaning, Apply Understandings, and Build Knowledge. The Learning Process

#VlConf2014 Ask yourself this question: "Would your kids turn up for school if they didn't have to?" @sarahmartin74 Think differently!

#VlConf2014 Teaching self-regulation. The skill of knowing when to think fast or slow. Reciprocal teaching, problem solving. -John Hattie

#VlConf2014 Learning: The process of developing sufficient surface knowledge to then move to conceptual understanding. -John Hattie

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence! 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!