Course III
Student - Centric. Personalized professional development positively impacts student success and school climate.
Theme ~ Student Centric
You have reached the third tenet of SLowDrip's sequenced courses. The content of the first two courses consistently sprinkled prompts reminding you of the ultimate goal; to continuously evolve as a positive role model and educator for the students in your care. By now, your personally paced journey of awareness, reflection and documentation has brought you from self and collegially minded to student focused.
During Course III you will be prompted to increase awareness & discern strategies that will benefit student learning and enhance their level of engagement and achievement.
Ten Topics* Student Autonomy
While these ten weeks are designed to guide students to increased productivity, meaningful engagement and student autonomy; the significant shift in Course III is the importance of leading students to self-realization. Each lesson prompts you to evaluate your decisions concerning learning environments, rules, routines, expectations and assessments through the lens of student evolution towards self-realization.
SLowDrip's Driving Question
“What professional considerations regarding self, collegiality and student outcomes are essential to build positive school culture, climate, and student success?”
Similar to Courses I & II, the SLowDrip philosophy of starting with self and accepting that we can not change others remains consistent. Also consistent are the reminders to honor your strengths, identify that which is in your control to change, and encouragement to remain humbly open to the help of colleagues.
Course III presents fresh ways to look at your students' journey to become their best self, thus taking you full circle from your self-discoveries in Course I. Your unique attributes collectively help every child evolve from kindergarten to graduation to succeed as happy, well adjusted and prepared citizens of the world.
Earn PD Credits
As in the first two courses, you can easily earn PD credits by documenting your reflections, observations and/or actions based on the weekly prompts.
Thank you for your receptiveness to explore SLowDrip Professional Development for educators.
It is our hope that in some way you have grown personally and professionally. We also hope that teacher by teacher, school by school, district by district we all continue to evolve in the guidance and preparedness of our most precious entity; our students.
Course III ~ Table Of Contents
Week Twenty-One ~ Supporting self-motivation
101- Leading Students To Find Their Best Self
102- Your Role As A Guide
103- Inspire & Lead
104- Inspire & Lead, CONTINUED!
105- Celebrate
Week Twenty-Two ~ Rules for promoting self-regulation
106- Rules, Rules, RULES
107- Literal Examples To Illustrate Generalized Rules
108- Guiding Principles For Positively-Stated Expectations
109- Breathe.
110- Flow
Week Twenty-Three ~ Arrange & simplify space & materials
111- Simplicity = Ease
112- Invest In your Space
113- Teach And Reteach Expectations
114- Organization At Home
115- Organized Empowerment
Week Twenty-Four ~ Senses: the ultimate filter
116- Sensory Awareness To Optimize Learning
117- Sensory Inventory
118- Sensory Impact On Self
119-Sensory Stimuli Impacts Students
120- Sensory Summary
Week Twenty-Five ~ Success requires investment
121- Assume Nothing(Unless You Enjoy Chaos)
122- What Should You See & Hear As You Work Today?
123- Give Students A Say In Their Day
124- There's Not Enough Time!
125- High Yield Investment
Week Twenty-Six ~ Leaders guide toward independence
126- Self Regulation and Self-Direction
127- Self-Regulation Reflection
128- Starting With"Self"-Regulation Opportunities Gauging student growth
129- Observe & Expand
130- Take A Risk
Week Twenty-Seven ~ Following natural interests & aspirations
131- To Become Our True Selves Is Our Highest Calling! You are born for a purpose
132- Memories Of Joy
133- Honor & Promote Self-Realization
134- Aspirations & Inspiration
135- Guide, Inspire, Lead!
Week Twenty-Eight ~ The value of authentic assessment
136- The Test!
137- What's The Point?
138- Testing, Is It Fair Game?
139- If Not Pass/Fail, Then What? 140- The Test Of Time
Week Twenty-Nine ~ Guiding students to success in life
141- Make It Real!
142- Immediate, Yet Timeless!
143- Trite or Profound?
144- Edu-Evolution Not Edu-Babble!
145- Citizens Of The World!
Week Thirty ~ Celebration fosters further growth
146- Pause. Celebrate!
147- Celebrate Self!
148- The Small Celebrations Count
149- A celebrating audience multiplies the joy!
150- Celebration Of Learning!
SAMPLE LESSON
Lesson 124 - There's Not Enough Time!
© 2 020 Kellogg
Ponder This: Make time to save time!
Simmering Thoughts: Create Time-Saving Strategies
It’s a very common concern for educators to voice “there’s not enough time in the day to accomplish all that we need to do”. It’s true. We wear many hats and fill numerous needs. That’s the greatest reason to invest in time-saving strategies with your students!
We cannot afford to waste the precious time we have. Once we establish clear, simple management routines that become student habits, we can really move them closer to being truly self-directed. Working smarter, not harder is vital. Consider the typical roadblocks that interfere with a student’s self-direction: confusion, the need for assistance, boredom, distraction. Create and offer open-ended activities and time-saving strategies to interest students in trying something new as they complete their daily requirements. Instead of saying “I’m done” they’ll move on to fresh learning that encourages their own interests and motivation.
Here are examples of time-saving strategies. Design ones that work for you and your students.
● Open-ended learning activities: Build in time for students to work independently to complete assignments. Promotes self regulation.
● Take a risk: A ground rule that defines a teacher’s established boundary regarding interruptions when they are working independently with an individual student. The expectation is for students to move forward on your own. Thus taking a risk and decision-making are encouraged.
● Free pass system: Design a hall pass and cue for students to respectfully and responsibly excuse themselves as needed. Signing in and out builds in accountability.
● On the job: free time to explore, expand and create anything that can be justified as connected to curriculum.
● You get a promotion: Create a system with student input that is designed to reward curriculum-based ingenuity.
● 5 - 10 - 15 Minute Blast: Depending on the age level of your students, collectively make a student-generated list of learning tasks class members can do independently, within various chunks of time: five, ten, or fifteen minutes. Display the options on charts for students to access independently.
Today, spend some time to ponder time-saving and time-producing strategies. You’ll love the ‘interest” you earn!
