Jess Thomas

English teacher and Department Chair at Metea Valley. Writer. Runner. Reader. Widow. Mom to Jake and Kate.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@avushah_ ❤️ There are few greater compliments! (Side note: one of my all-time favorite teaching moments was watching you brainstorm for your inquiry paper with an expo marker on your desk.)

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@misteradampage 4. Really *seeing* our students’ & their strengths; 5. Lots of formative feedback; 6. Just like any leader, we must truly *care* about the people entrusted to us. We get to walk with our students for a short time in their lives. We must truly care about them while we do.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@misteradampage So many things! 1. Setting an example. A teacher who is transparent is powerful. Students learn a lot from a teacher who is willing to apologize, be vulnerable, and be human, while still being professional; 2. Always giving hope; 3. Providing authentic audience for their work

[MindShift @MindShiftKQED]

"I have been thinking about perfection and teaching a lot lately. So many teachers are sharing on social media that they don’t feel like they are doing enough or they aren’t good enough." @WeAreTeachers https://t.co/rKx20gFWnU

[Angie Thomas @angiecthomas]

Shout out to all of the educators who still had to teach today while all of this is happening.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

No matter how this election turns out, I feel a strong responsibility as an educator to not only welcome all opinions, but more importantly, create environments where we can talk about them. I think our democracy depends on it.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@rissabajusz 1. I had my son’s first PT conference, and I’m so proud of him. His teacher told me that he is kind.
2. I have awesome students this year.
3. I got to have @rissabajusz as a student last year!

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

In my grad class, we were asked to write a response to this discussion question: “What is the purpose of education in 2020?” I was kinda paralyzed in trying to respond. What would you say?

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@turntbull It’s so true... and this made me laugh. Miss having you in class, James!

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@DrBradJohnson We need to “do what’s best for kids.”
“We’re going to have to do more with less.”

But there IS language that has been powerful:
Specific praise
Always explaining the ‘why’
Clear values and policies that support those

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

Does anyone know where I can find videos of teachers teaching face-to-face and on zoom, at the same time? I think it would help us prepare if we could visualize this.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

When I hear convos about @ipsd204 “going back,” I also think about things I don’t want to go back to. Some changes have been good. A focus on student wellness and prioritizing teacher collaboration will be essential for whatever’s next.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

Teacher collaboration is crucial. Research supports this. When designing our remote schedule, I am so thankful that @ipsd204 prioritized time for teacher collaboration and one-on-one time with students. And thankful for the administrators who supported it. @MVPrincipal1

[Metea Bowling💛🐴🎳🖤 @MVHSBowling]

The Metea Book Fair has gone Virtual! You can purchase your English Novels via Anderson’s Bookshop by using this link! Please help us support a local business who gives back to our schools & our students. @meteavalley
https://t.co/1D4DWn5XOI

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

Since schools have gone remote, I’ve heard criticisms about a “lack of creativity,” but I see the opposite: from checking out chromebooks to reimagining how we teach, schools are among the most create we’ve ever been. Proud to be an educator. @MVPrincipal1 @ipsd204

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@ANNELAMOTT Alone! It’s more survivor than Survivor is.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@johnsonNNHS Thank you! Do you set up, or does your dept or school facilitate and make time for vertical teaming?

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

School leaders of twitter: how do you plan to help teachers navigate conversations about what to ‘cut out’ of curriculum? Asking for a friend.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

I get the crisis parents are facing: childcare is a real issue. I am a widowed, working mother of two small children. I am also a teacher. And when it comes to the fall, teachers — and schools — are not the enemy.

[Jess Thomas @MrsJessThomas]

@johnsonNNHS Thank you! Do you have a method or set of criteria to determine what is most essential?