Most often when we think about what classroom instruction looks like, we envision a traditional classroom with four walls, some sort of display such as a whiteboard or television, student desks, and hopefully a portal to the outside world (commonly referred to as a window). We reference a teacher delivering instruction at the front of the room in an attempt to engage their students who aspire to meet both the teacher's and parents' expectations. This is not an abnormal expectation of what you might see when you enter classrooms throughout the country; however, Calhoun City Schools aspires to set themselves apart from this traditional model. You may have heard us commonly refer to "The community as the classroom", and have most likely seen our students on field trips throughout Calhoun and Gordon County. The problem we experience is that these field trips are isolated and do not engage students on a daily basis. With that said, I am making it a priority for Calhoun Middle School to focus its efforts on providing field experiences for students on a more frequent basis. Does this mean we will be going to Disney every week and traveling across country? In short, no. What it does mean is that I am challenging our teachers to move beyond the four walls of the classroom on a weekly basis. After we conclude testing, at least one day per week, they have been asked to move their classes from the traditional classroom to the community classroom. This may be as simple as taking their journal activity outside into nature, taking an inspiration walk around campus, putting instruction into motion by calculating percentages in a free throw contest, or visiting one of our many resources in downtown Calhoun and the surrounding area. I have conferenced individually with each of our staff over the past two weeks and shared this vision with them and they are excited! The ideas they have formulated have me excited about closing out the school year in a strong and positive way. As we revisit curriculum and preview upcoming units for next year, our incredible teachers have begun to think of creative and dynamic ways to engage students in hands-on learning. This is the new norm at Calhoun Middle School, and although many teachers have already put activities into action, it is my desire that this style of teaching and learning become the expectation and not the exception. So, when you see students around town having fun during the school day, walking in nature, putting the standards into action, stop and applaud both them and their teachers for creating creative outlets for classroom instruction. As always, I am proud to be a Calhoun Yellow Jacket! I am proud to be your principal, and I am proud to serve the students and staff of this incredible community!
Staff Spotlight
- Brandi Hayes! Brandi Hayes! Brandi Hayes! This is the name we should all be cheering for as she has done an exceptional job navigating the murkey waters of testing at CMS! For this reason, she is our staff spotlight this week, along with all those who have helped with testing. There are too many to name, but to say I am proud of how are teachers and students have acted during testing is a gross understatement.
Student Spotlight
- ALL STUDENTS - 6th through 8th grade. We have had limited to no interruptions caused by students this past week during the testing window. Our students have done an outstanding job following directions and not reacting negatively during frustrating situations, such as tech issues, that have arisen. Kudos to all of our kids. We will celebrate them in the near future!
