This Week with Sara Fitts is looking at technology in the classroom this week. In a very short time the climate in most high schools has changed from "no cell phones" in sight to "take your cell phones out" for this class discussion. And I, for one, am pleased that the tide has changed - or at least is changing.
I love technology and use it in planning my lessons - and have for the past several years (such as the then-available technology was!) and am so pleased that teachers have so many options available to them for creating exciting lessons.
The first time I allowed texting in class was a few years ago and I used the site Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com) to engage Algebra 2 students in the daily bell work problem. Poll Everywhere allows teachers to use texting for polling in class. Students are able to text their responses to the problem (in my case) and the teacher can use this information as a quick assessment of where the students are with respect to the lesson. The students really enjoyed this site and were much more enthusiastic in their responses to the bell work problems.
Another site that has great benefit for teachers as well as students and parents is Remind (http://www.remind.com). This site provides access for teachers to text students and/or parents with reminders about homework, quizzes, test, projects, or grades. And the best part of this is that no one has to share phone numbers!
These are only two sources for excellent use of technology in just about every classroom in this country. And there are many, many more - which I will explore in later posts. Technology works in the classroom. I firmly believe we should be using it more and more for teaching and learning.
Sara Fitts is a retired educator with 24 years in public education as a math teacher, administrator, and instructional coach. Since 2000 she has owned SLF Consulting and has assisted numerous clients in being admitted to many major colleges and universities - including UMass, Brown, UCLA, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, to name a few. She was named Manassas Park High School's Educator of the Year in 2014. SLF Consulting provides academic and instructional coaching, math tutorials, and SAT prep.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
The Benefits of Instructional Coaching in Today's Classroom
Instructional Coaching can have a major impact in today's classroom. When an instructional coach can be in a classroom, the benefits can be huge for the students as well as the teacher. Another pair of eyes can often see something that can have an immediate impact on teaching and learning. Often the instructional coach's strategy is a simple one that can be implemented in a few minutes while other strategies and techniques will take much longer to put into place.
Another benefit of instructional coaching is being open to trying something new - or to attempt a strategy or techniques that hasn't been used in a while. When educators are open to new things, students will usually follow. Where there is an open mind, there is no limit to the teaching and learning that can happen.
Instructional coaching impacts teaching and learning in many positive ways. This Week with Sara Fitts will focus on instructional coaching and its many benefits all week long.
Another benefit of instructional coaching is being open to trying something new - or to attempt a strategy or techniques that hasn't been used in a while. When educators are open to new things, students will usually follow. Where there is an open mind, there is no limit to the teaching and learning that can happen.
Instructional coaching impacts teaching and learning in many positive ways. This Week with Sara Fitts will focus on instructional coaching and its many benefits all week long.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
The Benefits of Academic Coaching
As we plan the re-launch of SLF Consulting with a focus on academic and instructional coaching, I think it is important to discuss the benefits of academic coaching. Academic coaching is really much more than tutoring. It is a re-teaching with different approaches based on assessment of the immediate need of the student. It combines education, instruction, and motivation in a way that embraces the student's inner desire to improve. And improvement comes more easily for struggling students with academic coaching than with traditional classroom instruction - regardless of strategy or technique.
I believe for a student who is struggling and stressed with a class - or particular concept - the student needs to feel empowered in order to begin the process of improving. In order for that student to feel empowered, the job of the coach is to be a motivator, a teacher, a strategist, an analyst, and a technician. The biggest job of the coach is to believe that the student can be empowered - and then the empowerment begins.
Academic coaching is not only for students with a grade of F hoping to pass a class. Academic coaching is for any student who needs or wants to improve while removing stress and struggle. As we say at SLF Consulting, academic coaching makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for students.
A quick list of some of the benefits of academic coaching include:
I believe for a student who is struggling and stressed with a class - or particular concept - the student needs to feel empowered in order to begin the process of improving. In order for that student to feel empowered, the job of the coach is to be a motivator, a teacher, a strategist, an analyst, and a technician. The biggest job of the coach is to believe that the student can be empowered - and then the empowerment begins.
Academic coaching is not only for students with a grade of F hoping to pass a class. Academic coaching is for any student who needs or wants to improve while removing stress and struggle. As we say at SLF Consulting, academic coaching makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for students.
A quick list of some of the benefits of academic coaching include:
- Less stress
- Less struggle
- Understanding of the topic or particular concept
- Better grades
- Higher self-esteem
- Increased self-worth
- Happier student and happier parent
- More balanced academic life
- More time for other activities
- Better behavior
If you or someone you know wants to find out more about how Sara Fitts and SLF Consulting can improve math grades, please contact us today to schedule an initial assessment. We really want to reduce stress and struggle for parents and students.
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
Sara Fitts and SLF Consulting Back at Work
Yesterday was a fabulous day back in the office! We updated This Week with Sara Fitts and gave it a fresh new look and also created a new blog, Sara's Little Formula, that you can view at http://SaraFitts.blogspot.com . How I work with clients is actually what I call Sara's Little Formula - so I decided that the new blog would be devoted to strategies and techniques while This Week with Sara Fitts will have a broader view of SLF Consulting.
In the next few weeks we will be updating our company website and enrolling new students for the fall SAT and ACT dates as well as enrolling students for math tutorials. This is an extremely exciting time for me and SLF Consulting. I sincerely want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and help students improve their SAT and ACT scores as well as improve their grades in math classes. While I enjoyed my public school teaching, I'm very excited to have a chance to help students in a much broader way.
If you or someone you know is in need of improving SAT or ACT scores, please contact us to reserve your slot in one of our new programs.
In the next few weeks we will be updating our company website and enrolling new students for the fall SAT and ACT dates as well as enrolling students for math tutorials. This is an extremely exciting time for me and SLF Consulting. I sincerely want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and help students improve their SAT and ACT scores as well as improve their grades in math classes. While I enjoyed my public school teaching, I'm very excited to have a chance to help students in a much broader way.
If you or someone you know is in need of improving SAT or ACT scores, please contact us to reserve your slot in one of our new programs.
Monday, July 07, 2014
SLF Consulting is Getting Ready for a Re-Launch!
Today is an exciting day for me - and for SLF Consulting! We are getting ready to re-launch the business with an emphasis on test prep for SAT and ACT and math tutorials. The actual re-launch will likely take place in August - which gives us time to get ready for new students.
When I founded the business in 2000 my focus was on making stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and getting results for my clients. That focus really hasn't changed in 14 years. We still want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and get results for students (and their parents!) so they can get into the colleges of their dreams. We are removing stress and struggle for students and providing them with the tools, strategies and techniques to get good grades in math classes and good scores on the SAT and the ACT.
We have a proven track record of getting results for our clients. We work with students on their individual needs based on an initial assessment and continue to adjust instruction based on their individual progress.
If you are interested in hearing more about what SLF Consulting can do for you (or the student in your life), contact my assistant, Clay Carter.
Sara Fitts is the owner and founder of SLF Consulting. She is a professionally trained instructional and academic coach with more than 30 years of experience in education and business. With a M.Ed. in Supervision of Instruction and expertise in education, test prep, curriculum and instruction, Sara Fitts makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for her clients.
When I founded the business in 2000 my focus was on making stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and getting results for my clients. That focus really hasn't changed in 14 years. We still want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and get results for students (and their parents!) so they can get into the colleges of their dreams. We are removing stress and struggle for students and providing them with the tools, strategies and techniques to get good grades in math classes and good scores on the SAT and the ACT.
We have a proven track record of getting results for our clients. We work with students on their individual needs based on an initial assessment and continue to adjust instruction based on their individual progress.
If you are interested in hearing more about what SLF Consulting can do for you (or the student in your life), contact my assistant, Clay Carter.
Sara Fitts is the owner and founder of SLF Consulting. She is a professionally trained instructional and academic coach with more than 30 years of experience in education and business. With a M.Ed. in Supervision of Instruction and expertise in education, test prep, curriculum and instruction, Sara Fitts makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for her clients.
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