Mindset Check: Acknowledging Students' Funds of Knowledge

“Kids don’t care what you know

until they know you care.”

Mindset Check

To begin building our foundation for serving ALL students, let’s reflect on our mindset. Ask yourself the following questions with your own students in mind:  

1. How well do you get to know your students? How do you honor their “funds of knowledge” in school? How do you get them excited about learning?

2. How do you show your students that you believe in them? How do you know they trust you? How do you know that they can take risks in your classroom?

3. How do you proactively take responsibility to “know what you don’t know” in terms of what

knowledge and skills you need to improve your craft in reaching ALLs? What is it that you need to be able to do as a result of professional learning targeted at reaching, teaching and nurturing your ALLs?

Thank you South High School!

Last week South High School staff had the opportunity to learn about thinking through an asset based mindset and what it means to honor students "funds of knowledge" on their professional learning day. Thank you to South for their willingness to engage in this learning with me!

Learning about the "Why" using WIDA's Guiding Principles 

Practicing a useful oral language strategy: Parallel Lines

Collaborating, honoring students' funds of knowledge

Opportunity to Learn 

TDP: Success for ALLs

The School District of Waukesha’s data shows significant achievement and opportunity gaps for English Language Learners and students from a low socio economic backgrounds. As this population continues to grow, shared responsibility for their academic achievement is required.  Remember ALL students are academic language learners.  This session will focus on how to best serve our diverse learners and provide useful strategy ideas in how to reach ALL’s through content.  This session will discuss the importance of teaching academic language through content.  Success for ALL will be meaningful and practical session for all teachers K4-12.  Offered November 7th, 14th, and 28th from 4-6 PM.

November TDP Registration