Instructional Minute

Dear Lansing Educators,

In the Lansing School District, we are dedicated to providing a high-quality education in a culturally safe and nurturing environment that supports all students to live purposeful and fulfilling lives. Each new school day is a chance to bring that mission to life. The vision we share for our students becomes reality when every moment of learning is purposeful, every lesson is intentional, and every interaction builds toward success.

That’s why it is so important to make every school day count. By now, instruction should be in full swing and moving forward in alignment with the pacing outlined in the Instructional Minute. Staying on pace ensures that all students experience the full depth and breadth of grade-level content. Every lesson, every check for understanding, every conversation with a student contributes to their growth—and together, we are building the momentum that drives achievement.

I also want to encourage you to take advantage of this year’s Innovation Grant opportunity. These grants provide resources to help you bring fresh, student-centered ideas to life in your classrooms—projects that spark engagement, creativity, and joy in learning. Please see the link for more details and to apply for up to $500 for your classroom! We can’t wait to see your innovative ideas in action! Click here to access the application

Sincerely,
Paden Stalter, Ed. D.
Senior Director of Student Success

Welcome to Amplify Science, our streamlined digital platform that simplifies your lesson planning. You'll find digital content, tools for student engagement, and more, all in one convenient place.

You’ll start at the new and improved Educator Home, your command center to access lesson content and student data. Updates include a new sidebar for quick access to key resources like Content, the PD Library, and Apps, as well as a growing library of free, ready-to-use science activities you'll reach with the Discover button.

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Did you know that you have a personalized digital intervention resource already at your fingertips this school year? Boost Reading is specifically built to provide individualized remediation and acceleration for your students. All you have to do is log in to Amplify!

Getting started is easy:

1. Log in.
2. Get students logged in.

Boost Reading is proven to move the needle for at-risk students by the end of the year with only 30 minutes of use per week, and the earlier in the school year that students log in and start playing, the more effective the program is. It’s flexible, it’s easy to use, and most importantly, it works.

Whether you incorporate it during small-group time, as a bell-ringer activity, or when students finish early, Boost Reading fits into even the busiest schedule. And once students are logged
in, Boost Reading takes it from there.

We are excited to share that all K–5 instructional minutes now include a designated block of time for math intervention (tier 2). This dedicated period ensures that every student has the opportunity to receive targeted support, practice essential skills, and strengthen their understanding of core math concepts. Thank you for making the most of this time to meet the unique needs of your learners!

Using keywords in mathematics can be problematic because it can lead students to rely on superficial clues rather than developing a deeper understanding of the problem, often resulting in incorrect solutions when faced with complex or non-standard word problems, hindering their critical thinking and problem-solving skills; essentially, it teaches them to find quick fixes instead of reasoning through the situation.

Key reason why keywords can be problematic:

Multi-step problems often require a deeper understanding of the problem structure and relationships between quantities, which keywords fail to address.

Consider the following problem: A fruit stand sells apples for $0.50 each and oranges for $0.75 each. John buys 4 apples and 2 oranges. He pays with a $5 bill. How much change does John receive?

The start of the school year is the perfect time to establish clear routines and expectations that set students up for success. Structure in the first few weeks pays off all year long. But while we’re setting those classroom norms, it’s also a great time to introduce thinking routines that help students engage in deeper learning and dialogue. Starting these routines early and using them consistently will promote increased rigor and student access to learning.

Thinking routines are short, simple strategies that prompt students to reflect, share ideas, and engage in meaningful academic discourse. When paired with your daily lesson structure, they can transform student participation into a powerful moment of connection and critical thinking. The idea is to pick 1-3 routines that will be utilized in your classroom regularly.

Here are two routines to consider weaving into your practice this month:

• I Used to Think… Now I Think…
  This strategy encourages students to reflect on how their thinking has shifted after a lesson or activity. It’s a simple way to get students articulating changes in understanding while building metacognitive awareness.
  

• Connect – Extend – Challenge
  This routine asks students to identify how new learning connects to what they already know, how it extends their thinking, and what challenges or questions it raises. It’s a powerful tool for deepening conversations and encouraging inquiry.
  

Both of these routines are excellent choices to use during the debrief portion of your lesson, when you want students to synthesize, process, and engage in academic discourse with their peers.

For examples of these routines in action—and dozens more, organized by the types of thinking they support—visit Harvard Project Zero: Thinking Routines. The site organizes routines by thinking categories (see picture)

Let’s make sure that from the very beginning of the year, our routines don’t just shape behavior but also shape how our students think, talk, and learn together.

Co-Create the Environment

• Allow students to help decide on seating arrangements, wall decorations, or other

classroom elements. (Grade level specific)

• Regularly update bulletin boards with student projects, artwork, and achievements to

give them ownership of the space.

• Include posters or quotes that encourage perseverance and a love of learning.

Classroom Connection Smore Link

For more tips for a student-centered classrooms, check out our brand new Lansing School District educator's Guide located here on the district's staff forms page!

"The fundamental purpose of schools is not to simply teach, but to ensure students, in fact, learn."

Below you can find the new, updated required instructional minutes by grade level and content area. Each grade level also includes a sample schedule.

The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website. *Please note that pacing for Illustrative Math powered by Kiddom and Reveal Math will become available as the year progresses.

The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

A resource to use as you see fit.

The newsletter is created each week by the Instructional Division: