"What I Need Now" delivers exactly the help each student requires at Gaudet Learning Academy in #MiddletownRI. Read more about how the targeted student led instruction based on assessments done almost daily by teachers is making a positive difference.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
BIG “WIN” FOR MIDDLETOWN STUDENTS, EDUCATORS
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (OCTOBER 30, 2023) – One moment, all eyes were on fifth grade teacher Tara Sweeney and her science lesson about animal survival skills.
The next, it was a flurry of activity in her Gaudet Learning Academy classroom, with students finding their assigned partners to work on a differentiated assignment on decimals.
On the floor by the front door, Zachary Marshall, Heidi Nilsson and Kellan Pickens dug into an interactive card game, working together to get the right answers. In another, some watched a video reinforcing prior classroom work, while others showed their stuff on a fast paced, but challenging worksheet.
Around the corner, Deb Marcellino’s classroom was abuzz with more fifth graders exploring the differentiated instruction around the book “The Mesmer Menace.” Everywhere you looked, students in both spaces were excited and engaged, collaborating.
Known as “WIN” — or “What I Need” — educators and students at the Aquidneck Avenue school raved about the program, which combines almost daily performance assessments by teachers with student guided learning.
“It’s made a huge difference,” Sweeney said. “The best part about it is we’re able to use the data and observations we gather from our assessments and work on what they need work on or give them a chance to move ahead in places where they’re excelling. No two students are ever in exactly the same place, but WIN helps get them where they need to be.”
“As a teacher, WIN has been so important to what we do in the classroom,” Marcellino said. “This time helps us provide exactly what each student needs by offering opportunity for both support and enrichment. The SEL (social and emotional) component is an added benefit. I’ve definitely seen my students gain confidence and take ownership of their learning.”
Learning Academy Principal Kaitlin Gibbins said although she’s new to the district, the idea of WIN was very familiar — including her time in a district in Arkansas.
What makes WIN great is that it’s group work led by the students, but based on almost daily assessments from teachers, Gibbins said.
While one student might knock it out of the park with a lesson about decimals and be rewarded with more challenging work, they could lag behind a bit with fractions and need a bit of boost. Enter WIN.
For the first time at The Learning Academy, Gibbins said every fourth and fifth grader will have a 30 minute WIN block daily in either mathematics or English Language Arts, ELA for short.
“We have amazing teachers here and WIN is showcasing some of their skills,” Gibbins said. “It’s brilliant. It provides an immediate response in areas of student need or where students are excelling and it does it seamlessly.”
The students Zach, Heidi and Kellan said the flashcards were fun and provided memorable experiences for the day. Each said they looked forward to working with different students regularly and hearing and learning from everyone with WIN.
“I like it,” Kellan said. “You never know what you might be doing, but it’s interesting and different. I know it’s helped me make new friends.”
“They’re fun,” Zach added. “If I don’t understand something in class, it’s another way to learn it without falling behind. I also like how we get to switch teachers and do ELA with someone new.”
In Marcellino’s class, the message was very similar from fellow fifth graders Aithan Courtney and Isla Palumbo. Both spoke glowingly about one recent WIN, where they were encouraged to come up with ideas for an invention.
For Isla, that was a customizable magic pet, with Aithan working on an automatic dog food feeder.
“It wasn’t just about the tiger (pet), but the process that goes into inventing something,” Isla said. “How to get the supplies, how to build it, how to promote it, everything. I learned a lot from that.”
“There were a bunch of good ideas from my group,” Aithan said. “Everyone had something different to say and it made what we did a lot better.”
Sweeney and Marcellino said that’s exactly what WIN was all about — getting students to experience joy and engagement with learning while moving forward with the curriculum and every “teachable moment” possible.
“Look around this classroom,” Sweeney said. “It might seem hectic to some people, but when we have the resources and time, WIN is exactly what we need to be doing here to make sure we’re delivering for our students.”
“I love that all students can feel successful during WIN because we are meeting them at their individual skill levels,” Marcellino said. “These are the skills that are going to make a difference as they get older, having the ability to work with others, compromise, listen.”
Gibbins agreed, saying she was proud to work for a school — and district — where programs like WIN were embraced and applauded.
“Trust me, WIN isn’t something that you’ll see everywhere,” Gibbins said. “There’s been buy in from the teachers and it requires a lot of work, but we want to do everything we can to make sure they have the tools they need for our students and their future.”
Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/9721/NYCU-WIN
