A New Year For Team S
by Jennifer Weaver
August 29, 2008
Our first full week is coming to an end and we couldn’t be more excited about the “new” Team S. Students pour into our classrooms eager to learn and excited to participate. As teachers, we couldn’t be happier with their passion for learning and their excitement of something new. And something new is what we as a team are reaching for.
Our goal is to connect information across curriculum to reach each student. By teaching across the curriculum we can expand their knowledge and give them the ability to bank that knowledge in their long term memory.
We have started early, by guiding students to connect new information to personal experience. We call this “text to memory.” We are linking this in every classroom through our Advisory period. During this time students are learning about heroes around the world. People like, Samia Yusuf Omar, who overcame tragedy, adversity and discouragement to reach her goal, and stand with the best runners in the world. Although our students have not had the same experience they do understand the feelings that she has had and can connect them with their own experiences. By connecting what they read to what they feel, students have a better link to what they are reading.
We will continue the connection throughout the school year. Some exciting units in the future are: cells, 2008 election, biographies, careers, immigration, and many more exciting topics.
