The Botelle Beat

By Lauren Valentino

The new year is the time when we typically make our resolutions – set goals, make plans, dream big. However, the new year for educators begins in September. That’s the time when we set goals, make plans and dream big, with our students in mind. At Botelle, we are dreaming big and have set important goals for our children to help them learn more and be good citizens, too.

One of the ways we are helping our students learn even more is by telling them exactly what the goal, or “learning target” for every lesson is and what success in learning looks like. By designing lessons that create a teaching and learning partnership with students, the children are more in control of their learning. They understand what is being asked of them

This kind of teaching is especially important in our new multiage classrooms, where children are working on learning goals that are specifically designed to match what they need to learn. A recent learning target in reading that students were aiming to achieve was, “We are learning to put together the letter sounds to read new words.” Students read “just-right” books of their own choosing, every day during reading workshop and had many opportunities to aim for that learning target. For some students, they might put together the letter sounds C-A-T to read the new word cat. For other students, they might put together the letter sounds BUM-BLE-BEE to read the new word bumblebee. But a clear learning target helps students know what their learning should look like.

You may have seen the slogan, “Together we SOAR” on our sign as you drive by Botelle School. SOAR is an acronym we created (because our mascot is an eagle) that stands for the character traits we are teaching our students to demonstrate as good citizens. If you came to the Veterans Day Assembly, you saw our students SOAR when they greeted the veterans and their guests, escorted them to the Hall of Flags and listened politely during the assembly. SOAR stands for Show self-discipline, Offer kindness, Act responsibly and Respect others. We are teaching students what it looks like and sounds like when demonstrating these character traits, and are giving them positive feedback when we see these traits in action in the classroom and hallway or during lunch and recess. Our students SOAR a lot!

Lauren Valentino is the principal of Botelle School.