Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
Kenneth M. Smith
1.1K posts
Kenneth M. Smith
@Mr_KMSmith
Proud Principal of Suffield Middle School, a school where we: Work Hard, Work Smart, and Work Together
Connecticut, USA Katılım Kasım 2015
164 Takip Edilen229 Takipçiler
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
🙋🏼♀️ What are other students doing at the other stations in a real-time feedback station rotation?
It’s totally up to you!
More here: bit.ly/3ym5nU7
#k12 #edchat
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
Followed by the 8th-grade Chorus, small but powerful group, singing a traditional English carol @SuffieldPS
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The Seventh Grade Chorus then followed with a performance piece Light a Candle @SuffieldPS
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The SMS Choral Winter Concert begins with some high energy from our 6th grade chorus! @SuffieldPS
English
This would be a great exercise/discussion for both staff and students when working with a new concept being learned…
Dr. Catlin Tucker@Catlin_Tucker
🧠 “Connect, Extend, Challenge” is one of my favorite ways to help students reflect & stretch their thinking in meaningful ways. See how this routine can come to life in elementary and secondary classrooms: bit.ly/4dnfPdC #edchat #k12
English
@Catlin_Tucker This would be a great exercise/discussion for both staff and students when working with a new concept being learned…
English
🧠 “Connect, Extend, Challenge” is one of my favorite ways to help students reflect & stretch their thinking in meaningful ways.
See how this routine can come to life in elementary and secondary classrooms: bit.ly/4dnfPdC
#edchat #k12
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
I have no idea how we ever strayed from reading whole books in class as the rule and not the exception.
Karen Vaites@karenvaites
“In 2015, researchers at the University of Sussex in England asked a group of 20 English teachers in Year 8, the U.S. equivalent of 7th grade, to change their practice for 12 weeks. During that period, they would read two novels back to back, with all of the reading done in class—a much faster pace than these students, who usually read two books over the course of a year, were used to. At the end of the 12 weeks, average reading comprehension for all students—as measured by a standardized test—improved by the equivalent of 8.5 months of regular instruction. The effect nearly doubled for struggling readers, who made 16 months improvement during that period.” @s_e_schwartz explores the issue of books disappearing from US curriculum. Including evidence like this study, in favor of work with whole books.
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In the SMS Media Center today, our 6th-grade students engaged in a “Book Tasting” of various YA books. Hats off to the 6th-grade ELA teachers and Mrs. Barrette, our School Librarian for facilitating such a great opportunity!! @SuffieldPS
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
NEW WALK!! LEADERS!!We are a few weeks into the new school year. When is the next thank you?
You don’t need to
GIVE THEM STUFF.
You need to
GIVE THEM YOUR TIME.
Recognize. Acknowledge.
Extend.
#LeadFromWhereYouAre #1minwalk2work #CraftingTheCulture #GiveYourselfAChance
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” - John F. Kennedy
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
Questions are not always about getting kids to answer — they're about getting kids to think 💭
Sketchnote via @woodard_julie
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
Just finished revisiting What Great Principals Do Differently by Todd Whitaker, and it hits differently every time—especially as we gear up for a new school year.
The biggest reminder? It’s not about programs. It’s not about policies. It’s about people.
Whitaker is crystal clear: great principals focus on what they can control, and they make every decision based on what is best for students. That sounds simple—but it’s bold, especially when pressure is coming from every direction.
A few takeaways that stand out every time:
•Great principals treat every person with respect—especially the difficult ones. It’s not about letting things slide, it’s about modeling composure and dignity in every interaction. I think about hallway conversations, parent emails, and teacher evaluations. How we show up matters.
•They don’t just support great teachers—they replicate them. Instead of spending all your time trying to “fix” underperformers, great leaders create structures that amplify what the strongest teachers are already doing. That’s why we’ve been focusing so hard on learning walks, peer coaching, and cross-team sharing. Excellence is contagious—if we create the right conditions.
•They never lower expectations to protect feelings. They hold tight to the belief that every student can learn and every adult can improve. That belief shapes how they lead PD, how they talk about data, and how they build trust.
The book asks this simple but game-changing question: Would you want to be a teacher in your own school?
The more I lead, the more I sit with that.
If you’re leading a school, or thinking about what kind of leader you want to be, revisit this book. Then look at your culture, your language, your time, and your decisions—and ask: Are we walking the talk?
Let’s build schools where every kid, and every adult, knows they matter. @ToddWhitaker
English
Kenneth M. Smith retweetledi
Choices for the graduate that apply to us all.
Much of where we are in life is the result of our choices.
Yes, there are things we don’t control in life…but we always have a choice in our response to those things!
Choose wisely!👇👇👇
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SMS science students taking advantage of great weather to study the impact of environment on living things…fantastic job by Mrs. Davis and the rest of the science department to engage their students in real-life science data collection! @SuffieldPS
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