What questions have come up as you read the book? Post your questions here, or reply to someone else's question. Don't forget to click on the Resources link on the right to find more great places to get your questions answered!
Can anyone help me with this question? Ch.12 wants gestures for 3 common knowledge terms. I do not teach regular education. I am a resource teacher for the gifted. I teach thematic units, creative and critical thinking skills, inquiry skills, logic problems, creative writing and a whole lot of brainstorming! These would not be considered common core knowledge terms. I could come up with 3, but would not be really using them in my classes.
Hi Julia! I am sure that within what you teach there are some vocabulary words you want your students to know. You could choose any of these to create gestures for. Using gestures is part of the core of WBT. Think about what you would have your students gesture about in a class and use that for this prompt.
On a side note, please make sure you are posting new comments all the way at the bottom of the page. I could see that you had made a post yesterday but I had to really search to find it. I didn't want to leave you hanging for a response! :)
I have a couple questions about Super Improvers Wall. Next year I will have about 500 elementary kids, k - 4, for just writing. Do you think using CLASS LEADERS for SIW would work as well in elementary as it does in middle school? If not, how do I make SIW work with that many kids?
Andy, that is a great question! There are so many great variations to using the Super Improvers Team. At its core is a program that focuses on setting and breaking personal goals, and rewarding improvement. As long as you keep that in mind, set up a program that works with your situation. Having 500 cards doesn't seem like a reasonable option for you, so class leaders may be one way to go. Since you are focused solely on writing, have you watched the Red Green Marker Writing? This is an awesome way for you to build monitoring for improvement right into your content.
Andy, I agree with SMeador. Why don't you create a Smart board Super Improvers Wall. That way, when the different grade levels come to you, you will have all the 1st graders together, etc. This might help with not taking up your entire wall.
Thank you all for getting back to me. Sorry I didn't respond sooner! I really want to make the Super Improver Wall/Team work. I'm a little concerned because, in my experience with second graders last year, they were so "self-focused". The low-expectancy students were especially motivated when the goal was about THEM. The Smart board might work. I will think on that. I did watch the Red Green Marker Writing. I think it will work perfectly! Thank you guys for the suggestions. But now I have one more question about SIW. Again, I'm going off the elementary perspective - who seem to have a working memory of about 24 hours - would it be a good idea to make the Super Improver reward (sticker, stamp, etc.) something they could shoot for every day? If each kid knows what I'm looking out for, could they score on a daily basis? The number of levels would have to be increased to 180 "points." I might even be able to tie it in to your idea Ms. Meador, using the Red Green Marker technique. Thanks for your help!
Andy, been there, done that! I have 600+ students that I see once a week for elementary school music. This year, I created a SIW for each class by writing each name on a white address label and sticking it on a 9x12 piece of Oak Tag from the supply room. I set them up on a music stand at the front of the room and changed the chart when the new class came in. (I also made small strips of construction paper that were the same size as the address labels for the next levels.) I added stars with markers. When it was time to move up a level, I wrote their name on the new color and used a glue stick to put it right on the old name. IT wasn't nearly as labor intensive as it sounds. Let me tell you, if I didn't have the poster changed, they let me know. =-)
My question is about how to get a traditional administrator, who hasn't read my discipline plan understand that I'm doing something good, really don't want to use the traditional red, yellow, green things, I was using WBT, and he doesn't get it. I've been out most of the year and not sure if I'm going back or not.
Cindy, the proof is in the podding! I am a part time teacher and part time asst. principal at the school Sarah works. She invited my into her classroom last year. I am implementing (or will attempt) WBT in my classroom this year.
Cindy, thanks for your question. One great way to get an administrator on board is to simply invite them into your classroom and show them what your kids can do on a daily basis. Nothing convinces people of the power of WBT like seeing a class in action!
Hi Cindy! I agree with SMeador! NO ONE has heard of WBT in my building until I was observed this year. I had a huge write-up about it ready for my principal, just-in-case she didn't buy into what I was doing, but I didn't need it! Once she saw it in action, she couldn't stop talking about it. Since that time, I have shared it with the staff in our building, and am coming with two other people to the conference next week in Louisiana! Once everyone sees it, they want to know more!
Are there any teachers out there who have used WBT with students who have had it in previous years? Does the motivation continue or does it get boring once the newness is gone?
Cheryl: Better to ask if traditional education gets boring ... kids have the same thing for 12 years straight! We've had teachers roll the same class over for two years and have just as much fun and engagement the second year as the first. Kids never find fun boring.
Just received my WBT book and can't read it fast enough! I teach Kindergarten and wonder how other WBT Kindergarten teachers have arranged their rooms for whole group instruction. The videos I've watched on Youtube, the kindergartners have been at their desks/tables. Does the teacher have a space where kids gather on the carpet and sit for storytime, etc.... The videos are GREAT and are very helpful in getting a feel of the process of WBT and how to teach the WBT elements to the children.
Sha, so great to have you in the book club! There are some videos with younger kids on the carpet, and WBT works the same way! One idea is to ask your kiddos to sit next to their desk partner while on the floor so they know who they are partnered with for a teach-okay. At the National Convention we watched a great video from the amazing Farrah Shipley in 1st with her kids on the floor doing skip counting, multiplication, division, and inverse relationships! There are also some recent videos from 3rd and 5th graders doing oral essays while on the floor.
I just finished my response to Chapter 3 and one of my rules to work on was that my students are not the same type of student that I was. I teach 8th grade science. Here is my question: The last year or two I have noticed a LARGE increase in students using the 'F word' in their everyday language. It seems to be a part of their "culture" that I cannot seem to except. Any thoughts or suggestions on student language like that. They aren't necessarily using it in regards to someone just simply in as part of their expression. Thanks! ~Jason
Jason, At my elementary school, we discriminate between using profanity towards a person or slips. Use it towards someone and it's a referral. If it slips out, I usually ignore it or say "that's not for school." If it keeps slipping out, incident report. You wouldn't believe the mouths on some of my 5 year olds. But, you'd better not say "stupid" or "shut up" or they're all over you.
That is a challenging problem. Maybe the best "bang for your buck" to begin with is just to work on not letting it get to you. In chapter 4 of the book it talks about how "you can't manage student behavior unless you can manage your own behavior." Most teacher's, including myself, find our OWN behavior quite a challenge! It's not that you're saying it's OK to curse when you overlook it. It's just, you know, in the big picture, you have to be able to control yourself emotionally, before they will take you seriously. Beyond that, you might be able to work it into a game connected somehow to a Super Improver Wall. Hope that helps a little.
I was wondering if you could tie it into "Make your Dear Teacher Happy" and you could give a mini lesson on respectful language and how some language is okay for home/friends and some language is not okay for school. Then if they do not stop you could have them practice Rule #5 or it could even be Rule #4. At our school cursing is a write up offense that you can be sent to the office for discipline action so apparently it's not a smart choice and it doesn't make me happy when you use it. You could say something like that. Then you could challenge your students to earn stars on the SIW by ceasing it....just thoughts off the top of my head ... but not reacting shocked first of all is a good place to start! :)
That would be one of the behaviors that the rest of the class should put their hands out in front and say "Please Stop". Depending on how often he uses profanity you could determine the average times per day or per week an use that as your mental baseline. Then at the end of a day that he has improved his goal of using less profanity, reward him on the SIT board and explain that he is getting the star for progress from 5 times to 4 times. This will give him incentive to try harder the next day and so on. It's highly likely an attention device and replacing responding from the children to Stop That and rewarding the least improvement and telling him why is going to give him something to gain attention and recognition without having to go for the shock element of profanity.
I have a question. I am new to WBT. I have the book I've been reading and watching many things online. I understand about the more you talk the more you lose your students it all makes sense. Now, I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that as a math teacher you usually have 3-5 skills a week that you teach. I did read or hear in a video that you wouldn't do all of your lessons in that WBT lesson format but the most important information. Is that a correct understanding? Or am I misunderstanding. I know you know what I am concerned about...covering all the required content. I need help with this concept/picture here. Are there any upper grade (5th specifically) math teachers that could help me out? I would love to collaborate.
This is a great question. When you use WBT techniques, you will find out that you can actually get through MORE content, not less. The students will be remembering and understanding content at a faster pace. It's your classroom, so do what works. If you think a 5 step lesson plan will work with a certain skill use it. If you have another type of activity that has worked in the past, use it.With this other type, though, try and imnprove it by included the big 7. For example, instead of having one student doing a long division problem on the board like you've done in the past (just an example), have him explain it using mirror words with a teach/okay after each step.
In Chapter 4 we learn that our students can be grouped into categories. My question is should we tell the students about these levels? Making students aware of their mannerisms often promotes understanding and possible change. If students know where they are at in the categories will the help them to set goals to move up the ladder? With academics I often use the current level a student is at and help them set goals and go back and check in with these goals. I see tremendous growth in academics. I am torn with this, will it fuel the fire with the challenging students? What are your thoughts?
Krystal, I wouldn't tell them but use the super improver wall to keep them progressing. With specific criteria, I start at level 1 and you start at level 3 because you have proven to the teacher you have acquired the skills necessary to move pass level 1 and 2.
Patrick, That is an interesting way to think about it. I found that my top students were the ones that I didn't always have on the top of the SWI because I used behavioral improvements instead of only scholastic improvements. By the end of the year my challenging students were the ones on top (minus a few) based on their improvements throughout the year. I will have to think about this.
Krystal, we don't want to tell them which group they are in (go-alongs, fence sitters, etc). However, we do want to tell the students what specific skills we want them to work on. Tying it in to the Super Improvers Team is absolutely correct. Ask yourself, what does Johnny need to do to move from a fence-sitter to a go-along. Think of one specific skill (keeping feet on floor, following rule #2, using school appropriate words, etc.). This should be something observable and specific. Then tell Johnny that you will be looking for him to improve in that one specific skill. After you notice improvement, award a star on the SIT. Then give Johnny a new specific skill to focus on. Continue this pattern over and over until Johnny moves to a being a go-along! Then ask yourself what Johnny needs to improve on in order to be an alpha.
Hi. I'm a little confused about the option to post on my blog to earn certification points. Do I email each blog post or wait until I've accumulated responses? I posted my reflections for chapters 1 & 2 today and have a scheduled post for chapter 3 on Sunday. Thanks!
Hi Brandi! Thanks for your question about your blog. I am your newest blog follower! Blogs have now been moved to level 5's, so you won't receive any CP for blog posts until you are certified. For now, book assignments posted either to the book club or the grade level Facebook pages can earn CP. Additional Facebook assignments may be posted in each grade level, and can earn CP as well. Click on the certification document on the right to learn more! Thanks!
I wrote and posted an answer for the Intro and Chapter 1, but it is not showing. Does that mean it did not go through? I do not want to double post. Thank you so much for your help! I am so excited to learn more about this system.
Not to be critical, but also not holding back...Can we get bonus points if we find sneaky little grammar errors in replies from the point distributors?
I have a homework/spelling test question. We use Reading Street and Math Expressions. There is homework assignments that go home 4 nights a week that match what is taught in class. After reading the UHM section, I don't see how that will fit a WBT class. Also part of our homework is studying for our required weekly spelling test. Any suggestions?
One of the common themes in WBT is that "it's your classroom". If you have requirements set forth by your school, you need to honor those. Not having seen the assignments for those curriculums, I'm not sure how lengthy or involved they are. Is it possible that you make those assignments your 1 star homework and then add on the writing component for 2 and 3 star homework? We have a spelling matrix for our students where they can choose the activity they want to do for homework that night. It is part of their 1 star homework because we wanted it done nightly. Hope this helps or if nothing else gives you some ideas on how to make it fit within your school. :)
Hi Kathy, Go to the "Freebies" page on my blog. I just added it as a resource for all the free goodies I have found for WBT. The link is http://katebowski.blogspot.com/ . Hope that helps!
I am having trouble getting things right for the book talk post. I want to continue, but not if I am putting a lot of work in for nothing or very little. Who can we contact if we have questions about an assignment?
Newly Energized- Girl, what are you talking about. I just looked at one of your posts and you got 25 points + a 5 point bonus. Your total is one of the top ones. I don't see how you could do much better!
Kate - Thanks. I will be contacting you. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when putting my name to something and like it to be just right. Thanks for your support.
Kathy - Your words are very encouraging. I have received 0 points as well. It is just disheartening to put that much effort into something to receive no credit for it. Truly puts you in your students' shoes. You have convinced me to continue on with this journey. Thanks
I know getting no credit for that one response was major since it was one of the first ones and it would have bothered me too. However, you are writing great posts, getting good points and there will be lots of chances to make those 25 points back plus more. The main thing is to keep on going and sometimes I do think things happen to allow us to see what our students deal with and how grades make them feel. Being a perfectionist is both a blessing and a curse. LOL If you haven't done the quiz game that has 10 levels, you need to go and do that. You can earn up to 248 points in one whack!
I just finished the Super Improvers Team chapter, and I have some questions about Student Leaders. It said in the book to assign special jobs to the Student Leader such as saying class, hands & eyes, etc. How do the students know when you want them to say it? Also, how long does the student remain a Student Leader -- until s/he receives 10 more stars and goes to the next level? Can you have more than one Student Leader at a time?
You would use cues to signal when you want the kids to say Class-Yes, Hands & Eyes, etc. I would keep the leader rotation fluid, changing it as needed. You want to keep the other kids motivated to achieve leader level so that opportunity has to be there at any time. Does that make sense?
When your student leader is in charge of class/yes or any of the others---you cue him by pointing or whatever cue you and he work out. YOU are the one calling for it. You don't let the student leader do it every time. Sometimes you do it. A student leader is usually just for a day. Farrah demonstrated in our first grade break-away session one person doing class/yes, one doing teach/okay and one doing hands/eyes. Well have to work up to that because it's a lot like juggling doing the cues. With practice it will be second nature. I don't think that's something that most teachers begin at the first of the year.
I have a question I’ve been wondering about for a while. I’ve watched videos, read posts, and of course read most of the book but I want to be very clear. After you do “teach, okay” and you use big gestures are the students turning and talking to each other at the same time? For example, on page 54 in the book Mrs. Maestra has told the students that they’ve been doing a fabulous job, she then wants them to repeat what she said. So they turn to their neighbor and pretty much at the same time say to each other that they’ve done a fabulous job. Right? I know it sounds simple but I just want to make sure that both students are talking to each other at the same time. I know that you can have one student be Green while the other is Red or whatever pairing you choose but I guess I’m wondering can you always have student pairs. Thank you for your help! Cathleen
When you are just teaching basic info, I would have both students speaking at the same time. Even though 2 people are talking, the repetition and the gestures are solidifying the information for each child. When you get to a more important part of the lesson, I would throw in "Switch". Not only does this make sure each child can explain the info, they act as an "accuracy check" for each other and the switch itself adds variety to your teach-okay. Adding that variety is important because it keeps the kids from getting bored.
Kate, thanks so much for clearing that up for me. I thought that was the way it worked I just wanted to be sure. I could see my fellow teachers and administrators raising their eyebrows at both students talking. You've explained it very well! Thanks again! Cathleen
I have a general question. I work on a team of teachers in sixth grade and we are all going to implement WBT for the first time (only one other teacher has done it). I am concerned that with four different teachers and I am sure different styles that the students could get confused if one teacher does something one way and one another. Are there any suggestions for our team on how we can all use WBT effectively with continuity? Thanks!
Great question Amanda! My team used WBT for the first time last year as a group. What we found to be successful was to talk about how things were to be done prior to the kids showing up. For example, we had a discussion about when a rule was broken and we said, "Rule 2". Did we want the kids to just repeat the rule or did we want them to say, "Rule 2, Raise your hand..." Make sure you are all on the same page about how you want the teach-okay done. It should be a full turn, not just a head turn. These seem like trivial things but they will make a difference. Something else we did is a whole team "WBT session". One of us (me) reviewed with every child on the grade level how we responded to class-yes, how teach-okay should look, how to do hands & eyes, etc. We built this into our schedule on the 2nd day of school so that we were all on the same page. If you have specific questions, please continue to post them here or email me at katebowski@wholebrainteaching.com. Best of luck to your team this year!
When school resumes in a few days, Russ and I won't be certified WBT teachers nor will our class be recognized as a model WBT classroom, of course. My question is can we put anything about WBT (e.g. WBT being used in this classroom) or something similar?
Kathy, Absolutely! You don't have to be certified to let people know you use WBT. My entire team has a sign outside each of our doors stating that it is a "Whole Brain Classroom" and it explains what that means. None of them are certified yet. We also tell parents about it at open house night. Go for it!
What happened to the drop down menu on mobile devices? I was able to navigate from page to page with a drop down menu. Now it is gone, and I have to go to the main page. Thanks. Melinda Sprinkle
Our school starts August 14 this year. Any chance you'll have the rest of the assignments posted before then? I'm afraid once school starts, I won't have time to finish up with the assignments. Thanks.
Cheryl, We will be posting the additional questions in the very near future. In the meantime, go to the certification document on the WBT website. All of the questions are listed there. You can type them up in to a Word document (or whatever you use) while you're waiting for the questions to be posted. Then you can just copy and paste them into the blog once you are ready. Hope this helps!
Cheryl, I had the same concern and I did what Kate suggested. I have mine all written and then cut and paste as the chapters are called for. I know that the first weeks of school are going to be busy and I have more time right now than I will then.
Will the two Appendix assignments be posted soon. I have them ready, and any work I get done before school starts in a week will really help me out. Thanks in advance. Melinda Sprinkle
I tried posting a comment after I finished rereading chapters one and two. I am new to this book club and when I signed up it asked if I would like to create a blog or add a blog to my reading list. I'm not sure what to put. I have tried to publish something multiple times and it isn't showing up. Do I need a blog to participate? I would love to participate, but don't think I have time to do my own blog right now! Please help! Thanks!
Shannon, You were probably posting on the Chap. 1&2 page that has over 200 comments already. We found that we maxed out that page so we started a new one. Make sure you are using the link on the right side of the page for these chapters, not the one in the middle of the homepage. (I'll see if we can get that fixed.) If you are still having trouble, let us know.
Hello, Does anyone have a letter that they used to send out to the parents asking for permission to videotape their children for the certification videos? I want to make sure I don't miss anything on mine. I know we need to ask for permission to tape and post it on YouTube...anything else I'm forgetting to include? My district's permission letter is so wordy and confusing that many of our ELL families do not sign it because they are unable to read it. Thanks so much! - Shelley - snizynski@gmail.com
Shelley, You can access the letter I use. I wish I could tell you who gave it to me so I can give them credit but I really don't remember! It is on my website at http://katebowski.com/Kate_Bowski/WBT_Teacher_Resources.html. It's called "WBT Permission Slip Template" and it's in a Word document so you can edit it to make it your own. Hope this helps.
I've a question. I've done the Clip Chart in my room for quite awhile and do not want to get rid of it. Has anyone ever done both the Clip Chart and Super Improver Team??
Cathleen, It's your classroom so you can manage it as you see fit. However, with the SIT, you really don't need the clip chart. The idea with the SIT is that the motivation becomes intrinsic. Trust me when I tell you how excited those kids get over earning a simple star. It's like magic. The child wants to keep doing better because he is seeing progress and growth, something many students aren't shown by their teachers. With the clip chart, there is no growth. It is totally behavior based whereas the SIT covers both behavior and academics. I would encourage you to forgo the clip chart and just give the SIT a whirl. If you find that you still really can't do without the clip chart, you can always introduce it later. But I think you will find your kids will be happier with the SIT and less confused without 2 systems to understand.
Wow! Great response! I like the clip chart and it is effective but I do feel the SIT does go deeper. Yes, students do need to see growth. I can't tell you how many times I've given a test and the students never ask me how they did. You really have me thinking now!! So far, I really love this chapter in the book! By the way, I've stocked up on star sticker and there is a good possibility the clothespins and chart will be put away!
I read the Certification 2.0 document but am unclear about when to submit my entries for points. I have 10 entries on the book club. With my quiz score, I have just over 500 points. Do I wait until I get 700 points to submit a certification review?
If I submit my 10 "best" posts (as per the 2.0 doc), what happens to the points for other posts?
Are the videocast responses for CPs on hold for now? (The 2.0 doc doesn't mention earning points for those.)
Diane, Great questions! Hold on to everything for now. A little later this month, we'll post about what to submit and to who. There are no more CPs given for items on the Forum, including webcasts. Right now all CPS are through the Book Club, Facebook pages, and the online quiz.
Help! I've fallen off the wagon train to WBT, but I still see you and I can catch up! I took a detour down a road called "Get Your Classroom Ready for Whole Brain Teaching!" (Truth be told. . . I'm getting ready to step out of my comfort zone too . . . just a bit nervous.) Anyway, I'll be ready to catch up soon.
So the wbtbookclub will be here right? I really do want to finish!
Thanks, Cathleen Cunningham
P.S. I was able to attend WBT with Coach B in Schereville, In. Wow! It was fantastic!
Why couldn't this student keep his or her head up while others are down and sit at the front to see you mouth and not be able to see the other students responses. If she is concentrating on reading your lips, she's not going to be looking around at the other kids up or down thumb responses.
Ive been reading quite a bit of WBT resources. I wanted to ask you specifically about something that is bothering about one of the strategies specifically. For the scoreboard I read to not "punish" a class with a mark on the negative side if 1 student breaks one of the rules. Should I abide by this? My thoughts were to, especially early on make some marks in the "negative" for individual rule breaking. I think most of the class will get the hint and conform to the rules because they want to the right thing for the class. Yes, I know that there will still be a few individuals that continue to break the rules and I will handle them individually with other stratigies later. What are your thoughts about my feelings?
Also, I am having a tough time deciding what are somethings my students and I can "play" for with the scoreboard. I teach Agriculture and generally speaking dont give daily homework, so that wont work. Any ideas of things to play for that would work with with high schoolers? Also any specific reasources that are particular for high school? Seems alot is geared toward elementary and middle school. Ive downloaded the Power Teaching Challenging Teens from the website, but I believe Coach B published that years ago. Any where I can go for newer techniques? Also with the new book seems to be more for K-6 as indiciated on the cover.
Another? What are your ideas on seating charts / partners? How do you decide or do your students decide? Thanks again!
Chad, I would handle this differently depending on what the behavior was. Let me give you 2 examples. If a child calls out without raising his hand, I'd say, "Rule 2" and have the class repeat the rule. This tells the child to remember the rule. I would not give a negative scoreboard point for this. We want the rule repetition to sink in before we start giving consequences for individual behaviors. On the other hand, if I see a child not gesturing or digging in their desk instead of "teaching", I might say, "Oh, not all of my friends were giving me big gestures. Mighty groan," and then put a negative point on the scoreboard. Does that make sense?
Scoreboard rewards - My students play for academic game time. We do things like Sparkle (spelling game), Around the World (math facts), and Mind Soccer (a WBT game). You could certainly make the Mind Soccer applicable to your students and content. I have also seen several content related games on Pinterest (one called Zap and another called Bazinga). They can be geared to subject and grade level. Some teachers do 1 minute dance parties, 1 minute visit time, doodle time, etc. It's all about knowing your kids and what interests them. Don't worry if you do an activity and they don't respond to it. Now you've learned something about them an you can move on to a new idea!
Check out you tube videos of Jeff Battle, Andre Deshotel and Sarah Meador. They have high school and middle school classes. You might get some inspiration from them.
Finally, I let my kids choose their seats the first day of school. They stay that way for about a week. From this I learn who is friends with who, who is the leader within the friend groups, and who I need to separate when I rearrange. The 2nd week, I assign seats based on what I learned from week 1. :) My class will start out this year as tables of 4 so we can do partners in 2 ways (shoulder partners and face partners). Last year I had to do just 2 students together because they couldn't handle the group set up. Feel out your class and do what you think will be most successful. Good luck!
School has started and I've been trying to use some of the WBT. What do you do with a student that refused to participate? He won't do any of the Teach/Okay, gestures, nothing! We're on day 6 of school, so I'm still using just the scoreboard. Any suggestions?
Cheryl, Stay the course! Have you implemented the SIT yet? That is when I see my kids flourish. For this non-participating child, you could make doing gestures his goal for earning a star until he is ready for a new goal. Stay focused on the kids who are learning and improving. You might also have a private conversation with this child about why he is not participating. What grade level are we talking about?
This is third grade. I haven't implemented SIT yet because we've only been in school one week. I will start that next week and see if that helps. Thanks for your response!
I need a clarification on the SIT wall. When you/student have chosen a goal they are working on to move up the SIT wall, is that the goal you keep until they reach Living Legend or do you change it as they've made good progress?
I received an email about earning 25 bonus points for Class-Yes. Where do I go to do this? I can not add as an attachment to the email because our school system blocks blogs.
Is there anyone out there who uses WBT in Physical Education or knows someone who does?
ReplyDeleteI know someone who does! Oh wait, that's YOU Patrick! :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJust got my book yesterday. I need to finish report cards before I can start this book club. Will it be to late to start next week?
ReplyDeleteTerri
On the WBT train, we wait for every passenger!
DeleteGreat I will catch up next week. 6 more school days!
DeleteCan anyone help me with this question? Ch.12 wants gestures for 3 common knowledge terms. I do not teach regular education. I am a resource teacher for the gifted. I teach thematic units, creative and critical thinking skills, inquiry skills, logic problems, creative writing and a whole lot of brainstorming! These would not be considered common core knowledge terms. I could come up with 3, but would not be really using them in my classes.
DeleteHi Julia! I am sure that within what you teach there are some vocabulary words you want your students to know. You could choose any of these to create gestures for. Using gestures is part of the core of WBT. Think about what you would have your students gesture about in a class and use that for this prompt.
DeleteOn a side note, please make sure you are posting new comments all the way at the bottom of the page. I could see that you had made a post yesterday but I had to really search to find it. I didn't want to leave you hanging for a response! :)
I've been teaching for 12 years and just starting WBT ... no late start in this business!
ReplyDeleteI have a couple questions about Super Improvers Wall. Next year I will have about 500 elementary kids, k - 4, for just writing. Do you think using CLASS LEADERS for SIW would work as well in elementary as it does in middle school? If not, how do I make SIW work with that many kids?
ReplyDeleteAndy, that is a great question! There are so many great variations to using the Super Improvers Team. At its core is a program that focuses on setting and breaking personal goals, and rewarding improvement. As long as you keep that in mind, set up a program that works with your situation. Having 500 cards doesn't seem like a reasonable option for you, so class leaders may be one way to go. Since you are focused solely on writing, have you watched the Red Green Marker Writing? This is an awesome way for you to build monitoring for improvement right into your content.
DeleteAndy, I agree with SMeador. Why don't you create a Smart board Super Improvers Wall. That way, when the different grade levels come to you, you will have all the 1st graders together, etc. This might help with not taking up your entire wall.
DeleteThank you all for getting back to me. Sorry I didn't respond sooner! I really want to make the Super Improver Wall/Team work. I'm a little concerned because, in my experience with second graders last year, they were so "self-focused". The low-expectancy students were especially motivated when the goal was about THEM. The Smart board might work. I will think on that. I did watch the Red Green Marker Writing. I think it will work perfectly! Thank you guys for the suggestions. But now I have one more question about SIW. Again, I'm going off the elementary perspective - who seem to have a working memory of about 24 hours - would it be a good idea to make the Super Improver reward (sticker, stamp, etc.) something they could shoot for every day? If each kid knows what I'm looking out for, could they score on a daily basis? The number of levels would have to be increased to 180 "points." I might even be able to tie it in to your idea Ms. Meador, using the Red Green Marker technique. Thanks for your help!
DeleteAndy, been there, done that! I have 600+ students that I see once a week for elementary school music. This year, I created a SIW for each class by writing each name on a white address label and sticking it on a 9x12 piece of Oak Tag from the supply room. I set them up on a music stand at the front of the room and changed the chart when the new class came in. (I also made small strips of construction paper that were the same size as the address labels for the next levels.) I added stars with markers. When it was time to move up a level, I wrote their name on the new color and used a glue stick to put it right on the old name. IT wasn't nearly as labor intensive as it sounds. Let me tell you, if I didn't have the poster changed, they let me know. =-)
DeleteHey Gwenn, That sounds perfect! Thank you soooo much! That is a big load off my mind. I really appreciate your help!
DeleteMy question is about how to get a traditional administrator, who hasn't read my discipline plan understand that I'm doing something good, really don't want to use the traditional red, yellow, green things, I was using WBT, and he doesn't get it. I've been out most of the year and not sure if I'm going back or not.
ReplyDeleteCindy, the proof is in the podding! I am a part time teacher and part time asst. principal at the school Sarah works. She invited my into her classroom last year. I am implementing (or will attempt) WBT in my classroom this year.
Deleteshould be "pudding", not podding.
DeleteCindy, thanks for your question. One great way to get an administrator on board is to simply invite them into your classroom and show them what your kids can do on a daily basis. Nothing convinces people of the power of WBT like seeing a class in action!
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy!
ReplyDeleteI agree with SMeador! NO ONE has heard of WBT in my building until I was observed this year. I had a huge write-up about it ready for my principal, just-in-case she didn't buy into what I was doing, but I didn't need it! Once she saw it in action, she couldn't stop talking about it. Since that time, I have shared it with the staff in our building, and am coming with two other people to the conference next week in Louisiana! Once everyone sees it, they want to know more!
When we save our posts, do you want your comments included?
ReplyDeleteCheryl, good question! You'll need to copy both your post, and the reply awarding points.
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ReplyDeleteAre there any teachers out there who have used WBT with students who have had it in previous years? Does the motivation continue or does it get boring once the newness is gone?
ReplyDeleteCheryl: Better to ask if traditional education gets boring ... kids have the same thing for 12 years straight! We've had teachers roll the same class over for two years and have just as much fun and engagement the second year as the first. Kids never find fun boring.
ReplyDeleteJust received my WBT book and can't read it fast enough! I teach Kindergarten and wonder how other WBT Kindergarten teachers have arranged their rooms for whole group instruction. The videos I've watched on Youtube, the kindergartners have been at their desks/tables. Does the teacher have a space where kids gather on the carpet and sit for storytime, etc.... The videos are GREAT and are very helpful in getting a feel of the process of WBT and how to teach the WBT elements to the children.
ReplyDeleteSha, so great to have you in the book club! There are some videos with younger kids on the carpet, and WBT works the same way! One idea is to ask your kiddos to sit next to their desk partner while on the floor so they know who they are partnered with for a teach-okay. At the National Convention we watched a great video from the amazing Farrah Shipley in 1st with her kids on the floor doing skip counting, multiplication, division, and inverse relationships! There are also some recent videos from 3rd and 5th graders doing oral essays while on the floor.
DeleteI just finished my response to Chapter 3 and one of my rules to work on was that my students are not the same type of student that I was. I teach 8th grade science. Here is my question: The last year or two I have noticed a LARGE increase in students using the 'F word' in their everyday language. It seems to be a part of their "culture" that I cannot seem to except. Any thoughts or suggestions on student language like that. They aren't necessarily using it in regards to someone just simply in as part of their expression. Thanks! ~Jason
ReplyDeleteJason,
DeleteAt my elementary school, we discriminate between using profanity towards a person or slips. Use it towards someone and it's a referral. If it slips out, I usually ignore it or say "that's not for school." If it keeps slipping out, incident report.
You wouldn't believe the mouths on some of my 5 year olds. But, you'd better not say "stupid" or "shut up" or they're all over you.
That is a challenging problem. Maybe the best "bang for your buck" to begin with is just to work on not letting it get to you. In chapter 4 of the book it talks about how "you can't manage student behavior unless you can manage your own behavior." Most teacher's, including myself, find our OWN behavior quite a challenge! It's not that you're saying it's OK to curse when you overlook it. It's just, you know, in the big picture, you have to be able to control yourself emotionally, before they will take you seriously. Beyond that, you might be able to work it into a game connected somehow to a Super Improver Wall. Hope that helps a little.
ReplyDeleteWhen is the next chapter reading posting???
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you could tie it into "Make your Dear Teacher Happy" and you could give a mini lesson on respectful language and how some language is okay for home/friends and some language is not okay for school. Then if they do not stop you could have them practice Rule #5 or it could even be Rule #4. At our school cursing is a write up offense that you can be sent to the office for discipline action so apparently it's not a smart choice and it doesn't make me happy when you use it. You could say something like that. Then you could challenge your students to earn stars on the SIW by ceasing it....just thoughts off the top of my head ... but not reacting shocked first of all is a good place to start! :)
ReplyDeleteThat would be one of the behaviors that the rest of the class should put their hands out in front and say "Please Stop". Depending on how often he uses profanity you could determine the average times per day or per week an use that as your mental baseline. Then at the end of a day that he has improved his goal of using less profanity, reward him on the SIT board and explain that he is getting the star for progress from 5 times to 4 times. This will give him incentive to try harder the next day and so on. It's highly likely an attention device and replacing responding from the children to Stop That and rewarding the least improvement and telling him why is going to give him something to gain attention and recognition without having to go for the shock element of profanity.
DeleteI have a question. I am new to WBT. I have the book I've been reading and watching many things online. I understand about the more you talk the more you lose your students it all makes sense. Now, I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that as a math teacher you usually have 3-5 skills a week that you teach. I did read or hear in a video that you wouldn't do all of your lessons in that WBT lesson format but the most important information. Is that a correct understanding? Or am I misunderstanding. I know you know what I am concerned about...covering all the required content. I need help with this concept/picture here. Are there any upper grade (5th specifically) math teachers that could help me out? I would love to collaborate.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question. When you use WBT techniques, you will find out that you can actually get through MORE content, not less. The students will be remembering and understanding content at a faster pace. It's your classroom, so do what works. If you think a 5 step lesson plan will work with a certain skill use it. If you have another type of activity that has worked in the past, use it.With this other type, though, try and imnprove it by included the big 7. For example, instead of having one student doing a long division problem on the board like you've done in the past (just an example), have him explain it using mirror words with a teach/okay after each step.
DeleteIn Chapter 4 we learn that our students can be grouped into categories. My question is should we tell the students about these levels? Making students aware of their mannerisms often promotes understanding and possible change. If students know where they are at in the categories will the help them to set goals to move up the ladder? With academics I often use the current level a student is at and help them set goals and go back and check in with these goals. I see tremendous growth in academics. I am torn with this, will it fuel the fire with the challenging students? What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteKrystal, I wouldn't tell them but use the super improver wall to keep them progressing. With specific criteria, I start at level 1 and you start at level 3 because you have proven to the teacher you have acquired the skills necessary to move pass level 1 and 2.
DeletePatrick,
DeleteThat is an interesting way to think about it. I found that my top students were the ones that I didn't always have on the top of the SWI because I used behavioral improvements instead of only scholastic improvements. By the end of the year my challenging students were the ones on top (minus a few) based on their improvements throughout the year. I will have to think about this.
Krystal, we don't want to tell them which group they are in (go-alongs, fence sitters, etc). However, we do want to tell the students what specific skills we want them to work on. Tying it in to the Super Improvers Team is absolutely correct. Ask yourself, what does Johnny need to do to move from a fence-sitter to a go-along. Think of one specific skill (keeping feet on floor, following rule #2, using school appropriate words, etc.). This should be something observable and specific. Then tell Johnny that you will be looking for him to improve in that one specific skill. After you notice improvement, award a star on the SIT. Then give Johnny a new specific skill to focus on. Continue this pattern over and over until Johnny moves to a being a go-along! Then ask yourself what Johnny needs to improve on in order to be an alpha.
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ReplyDeleteHi. I'm a little confused about the option to post on my blog to earn certification points. Do I email each blog post or wait until I've accumulated responses? I posted my reflections for chapters 1 & 2 today and have a scheduled post for chapter 3 on Sunday. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBrandi
Success in Second Grade
Hi Brandi! Thanks for your question about your blog. I am your newest blog follower! Blogs have now been moved to level 5's, so you won't receive any CP for blog posts until you are certified. For now, book assignments posted either to the book club or the grade level Facebook pages can earn CP. Additional Facebook assignments may be posted in each grade level, and can earn CP as well. Click on the certification document on the right to learn more! Thanks!
DeleteI wrote and posted an answer for the Intro and Chapter 1, but it is not showing. Does that mean it did not go through? I do not want to double post. Thank you so much for your help! I am so excited to learn more about this system.
ReplyDeleteI don't see your post either, so go ahead and repost! Thanks!!
DeleteNot to be critical, but also not holding back...Can we get bonus points if we find sneaky little grammar errors in replies from the point distributors?
ReplyDeleteAhhh, Newly Energized, Rule 5, Keep your dear teacher happy! :)
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have a homework/spelling test question. We use Reading Street and Math Expressions. There is homework assignments that go home 4 nights a week that match what is taught in class. After reading the UHM section, I don't see how that will fit a WBT class. Also part of our homework is studying for our required weekly spelling test. Any suggestions?
One of the common themes in WBT is that "it's your classroom". If you have requirements set forth by your school, you need to honor those. Not having seen the assignments for those curriculums, I'm not sure how lengthy or involved they are. Is it possible that you make those assignments your 1 star homework and then add on the writing component for 2 and 3 star homework? We have a spelling matrix for our students where they can choose the activity they want to do for homework that night. It is part of their 1 star homework because we wanted it done nightly. Hope this helps or if nothing else gives you some ideas on how to make it fit within your school. :)
DeleteI would love to see someone's video permission letter/form to be sure I remember all of the details when I make my own.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteGo to the "Freebies" page on my blog. I just added it as a resource for all the free goodies I have found for WBT. The link is http://katebowski.blogspot.com/ . Hope that helps!
Thanks, Kate! I'll do that!
DeleteI am having trouble getting things right for the book talk post. I want to continue, but not if I am putting a lot of work in for nothing or very little. Who can we contact if we have questions about an assignment?
ReplyDeleteNewly Energized,
DeleteEmail me at KateBowski@WholeBrainTeaching.com with your questions. I'll be glad to help you out. :)
Newly Energized-
DeleteGirl, what are you talking about. I just looked at one of your posts and you got 25 points + a 5 point bonus. Your total is one of the top ones. I don't see how you could do much better!
Kate - Thanks. I will be contacting you. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when putting my name to something and like it to be just right. Thanks for your support.
DeleteKathy - Your words are very encouraging. I have received 0 points as well. It is just disheartening to put that much effort into something to receive no credit for it. Truly puts you in your students' shoes. You have convinced me to continue on with this journey. Thanks
Paige Kluck
I know getting no credit for that one response was major since it was one of the first ones and it would have bothered me too. However, you are writing great posts, getting good points and there will be lots of chances to make those 25 points back plus more. The main thing is to keep on going and sometimes I do think things happen to allow us to see what our students deal with and how grades make them feel. Being a perfectionist is both a blessing and a curse. LOL If you haven't done the quiz game that has 10 levels, you need to go and do that. You can earn up to 248 points in one whack!
DeleteThanks Kathy!! Yes I have done those. I have my 700+ points and can't wait for school to start and start working on a video.
DeleteI just finished the Super Improvers Team chapter, and I have some questions about Student Leaders. It said in the book to assign special jobs to the Student Leader such as saying class, hands & eyes, etc. How do the students know when you want them to say it? Also, how long does the student remain a Student Leader -- until s/he receives 10 more stars and goes to the next level? Can you have more than one Student Leader at a time?
ReplyDeleteYou would use cues to signal when you want the kids to say Class-Yes, Hands & Eyes, etc. I would keep the leader rotation fluid, changing it as needed. You want to keep the other kids motivated to achieve leader level so that opportunity has to be there at any time. Does that make sense?
DeleteWhen your student leader is in charge of class/yes or any of the others---you cue him by pointing or whatever cue you and he work out. YOU are the one calling for it. You don't let the student leader do it every time. Sometimes you do it. A student leader is usually just for a day. Farrah demonstrated in our first grade break-away session one person doing class/yes, one doing teach/okay and one doing hands/eyes. Well have to work up to that because it's a lot like juggling doing the cues. With practice it will be second nature. I don't think that's something that most teachers begin at the first of the year.
ReplyDeleteSomeone jump in that is more experienced....
I have a question I’ve been wondering about for a while. I’ve watched videos, read posts, and of course read most of the book but I want to be very clear. After you do “teach, okay” and you use big gestures are the students turning and talking to each other at the same time? For example, on page 54 in the book Mrs. Maestra has told the students that they’ve been doing a fabulous job, she then wants them to repeat what she said. So they turn to their neighbor and pretty much at the same time say to each other that they’ve done a fabulous job. Right?
ReplyDeleteI know it sounds simple but I just want to make sure that both students are talking to each other at the same time. I know that you can have one student be Green while the other is Red or whatever pairing you choose but I guess I’m wondering can you always have student pairs.
Thank you for your help!
Cathleen
When you are just teaching basic info, I would have both students speaking at the same time. Even though 2 people are talking, the repetition and the gestures are solidifying the information for each child. When you get to a more important part of the lesson, I would throw in "Switch". Not only does this make sure each child can explain the info, they act as an "accuracy check" for each other and the switch itself adds variety to your teach-okay. Adding that variety is important because it keeps the kids from getting bored.
DeleteKate, thanks so much for clearing that up for me. I thought that was the way it worked I just wanted to be sure. I could see my fellow teachers and administrators raising their eyebrows at both students talking. You've explained it very well! Thanks again!
DeleteCathleen
I have a general question. I work on a team of teachers in sixth grade and we are all going to implement WBT for the first time (only one other teacher has done it). I am concerned that with four different teachers and I am sure different styles that the students could get confused if one teacher does something one way and one another. Are there any suggestions for our team on how we can all use WBT effectively with continuity? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat question Amanda! My team used WBT for the first time last year as a group. What we found to be successful was to talk about how things were to be done prior to the kids showing up. For example, we had a discussion about when a rule was broken and we said, "Rule 2". Did we want the kids to just repeat the rule or did we want them to say, "Rule 2, Raise your hand..." Make sure you are all on the same page about how you want the teach-okay done. It should be a full turn, not just a head turn. These seem like trivial things but they will make a difference. Something else we did is a whole team "WBT session". One of us (me) reviewed with every child on the grade level how we responded to class-yes, how teach-okay should look, how to do hands & eyes, etc. We built this into our schedule on the 2nd day of school so that we were all on the same page. If you have specific questions, please continue to post them here or email me at katebowski@wholebrainteaching.com. Best of luck to your team this year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kate! I will be sure to ask more questions when they arise!
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ReplyDeleteWhen school resumes in a few days, Russ and I won't be certified WBT teachers nor will our class be recognized as a model WBT classroom, of course. My question is can we put anything about WBT (e.g. WBT being used in this classroom) or something similar?
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! You don't have to be certified to let people know you use WBT. My entire team has a sign outside each of our doors stating that it is a "Whole Brain Classroom" and it explains what that means. None of them are certified yet. We also tell parents about it at open house night. Go for it!
Thanks. I just wanted to be sure. Sounds great!
DeleteWhat happened to the drop down menu on mobile devices? I was able to navigate from page to page with a drop down menu. Now it is gone, and I have to go to the main page. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMelinda Sprinkle
Our school starts August 14 this year. Any chance you'll have the rest of the assignments posted before then? I'm afraid once school starts, I won't have time to finish up with the assignments. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeleteI'll look into this for you.
Cheryl,
DeleteWe will be posting the additional questions in the very near future. In the meantime, go to the certification document on the WBT website. All of the questions are listed there. You can type them up in to a Word document (or whatever you use) while you're waiting for the questions to be posted. Then you can just copy and paste them into the blog once you are ready. Hope this helps!
Cheryl,
DeleteI had the same concern and I did what Kate suggested. I have mine all written and then cut and paste as the chapters are called for. I know that the first weeks of school are going to be busy and I have more time right now than I will then.
Will the two Appendix assignments be posted soon. I have them ready, and any work I get done before school starts in a week will really help me out. Thanks in advance. Melinda Sprinkle
DeleteI will do that! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI tried posting a comment after I finished rereading chapters one and two. I am new to this book club and when I signed up it asked if I would like to create a blog or add a blog to my reading list. I'm not sure what to put.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to publish something multiple times and it isn't showing up. Do I need a blog to participate?
I would love to participate, but don't think I have time to do my own blog right now! Please help!
Thanks!
My post enters here but not on the chapter site! I'm technologically challenged!
DeleteShannon,
ReplyDeleteYou were probably posting on the Chap. 1&2 page that has over 200 comments already. We found that we maxed out that page so we started a new one. Make sure you are using the link on the right side of the page for these chapters, not the one in the middle of the homepage. (I'll see if we can get that fixed.) If you are still having trouble, let us know.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have a letter that they used to send out to the parents asking for permission to videotape their children for the certification videos? I want to make sure I don't miss anything on mine. I know we need to ask for permission to tape and post it on YouTube...anything else I'm forgetting to include? My district's permission letter is so wordy and confusing that many of our ELL families do not sign it because they are unable to read it. Thanks so much!
- Shelley - snizynski@gmail.com
Shelley,
DeleteYou can access the letter I use. I wish I could tell you who gave it to me so I can give them credit but I really don't remember! It is on my website at http://katebowski.com/Kate_Bowski/WBT_Teacher_Resources.html. It's called "WBT Permission Slip Template" and it's in a Word document so you can edit it to make it your own. Hope this helps.
I've a question. I've done the Clip Chart in my room for quite awhile and do not want to get rid of it. Has anyone ever done both the Clip Chart and Super Improver Team??
ReplyDeleteI would really like to do both.
Thanks for your help!
Cathleen
Cathleen,
ReplyDeleteIt's your classroom so you can manage it as you see fit. However, with the SIT, you really don't need the clip chart. The idea with the SIT is that the motivation becomes intrinsic. Trust me when I tell you how excited those kids get over earning a simple star. It's like magic. The child wants to keep doing better because he is seeing progress and growth, something many students aren't shown by their teachers. With the clip chart, there is no growth. It is totally behavior based whereas the SIT covers both behavior and academics. I would encourage you to forgo the clip chart and just give the SIT a whirl. If you find that you still really can't do without the clip chart, you can always introduce it later. But I think you will find your kids will be happier with the SIT and less confused without 2 systems to understand.
Wow! Great response! I like the clip chart and it is effective but I do feel the SIT does go deeper. Yes, students do need to see growth. I can't tell you how many times I've given a test and the students never ask me how they did. You really have me thinking now!! So far, I really love this chapter in the book! By the way, I've stocked up on star sticker and there is a good possibility the clothespins and chart will be put away!
DeleteAgain, thanks for your help!
Cathleen
RE: Certification
ReplyDeleteI read the Certification 2.0 document but am unclear about when to submit my entries for points. I have 10 entries on the book club. With my quiz score, I have just over 500 points. Do I wait until I get 700 points to submit a certification review?
If I submit my 10 "best" posts (as per the 2.0 doc), what happens to the points for other posts?
Are the videocast responses for CPs on hold for now? (The 2.0 doc doesn't mention earning points for those.)
Thanks,
Diane S.
Diane,
ReplyDeleteGreat questions! Hold on to everything for now. A little later this month, we'll post about what to submit and to who. There are no more CPs given for items on the Forum, including webcasts. Right now all CPS are through the Book Club, Facebook pages, and the online quiz.
Thanks. I'll wait for further info. I'm just so excited about earning so many points this summer. I want to keep the momentum going! :D
DeleteHelp! I've fallen off the wagon train to WBT, but I still see you and I can catch up! I took a detour down a road called "Get Your Classroom Ready for Whole Brain Teaching!" (Truth be told. . . I'm getting ready to step out of my comfort zone too . . . just a bit nervous.) Anyway, I'll be ready to catch up soon.
ReplyDeleteSo the wbtbookclub will be here right? I really do want to finish!
Thanks,
Cathleen Cunningham
P.S. I was able to attend WBT with Coach B in Schereville, In. Wow! It was fantastic!
Any suggestions for how to modify the QT test for a deaf child who needs to see my mouth to understand what I am saying?
ReplyDeleteWhy couldn't this student keep his or her head up while others are down and sit at the front to see you mouth and not be able to see the other students responses. If she is concentrating on reading your lips, she's not going to be looking around at the other kids up or down thumb responses.
ReplyDeleteIve been reading quite a bit of WBT resources. I wanted to ask you specifically about something that is bothering about one of the strategies specifically. For the scoreboard I read to not "punish" a class with a mark on the negative side if 1 student breaks one of the rules. Should I abide by this? My thoughts were to, especially early on make some marks in the "negative" for individual rule breaking. I think most of the class will get the hint and conform to the rules because they want to the right thing for the class. Yes, I know that there will still be a few individuals that continue to break the rules and I will handle them individually with other stratigies later. What are your thoughts about my feelings?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am having a tough time deciding what are somethings my students and I can "play" for with the scoreboard. I teach Agriculture and generally speaking dont give daily homework, so that wont work. Any ideas of things to play for that would work with with high schoolers? Also any specific reasources that are particular for high school? Seems alot is geared toward elementary and middle school. Ive downloaded the Power Teaching Challenging Teens from the website, but I believe Coach B published that years ago. Any where I can go for newer techniques? Also with the new book seems to be more for K-6 as indiciated on the cover.
Another? What are your ideas on seating charts / partners? How do you decide or do your students decide? Thanks again!
Chad,
DeleteI would handle this differently depending on what the behavior was. Let me give you 2 examples. If a child calls out without raising his hand, I'd say, "Rule 2" and have the class repeat the rule. This tells the child to remember the rule. I would not give a negative scoreboard point for this. We want the rule repetition to sink in before we start giving consequences for individual behaviors. On the other hand, if I see a child not gesturing or digging in their desk instead of "teaching", I might say, "Oh, not all of my friends were giving me big gestures. Mighty groan," and then put a negative point on the scoreboard. Does that make sense?
Scoreboard rewards - My students play for academic game time. We do things like Sparkle (spelling game), Around the World (math facts), and Mind Soccer (a WBT game). You could certainly make the Mind Soccer applicable to your students and content. I have also seen several content related games on Pinterest (one called Zap and another called Bazinga). They can be geared to subject and grade level. Some teachers do 1 minute dance parties, 1 minute visit time, doodle time, etc. It's all about knowing your kids and what interests them. Don't worry if you do an activity and they don't respond to it. Now you've learned something about them an you can move on to a new idea!
Check out you tube videos of Jeff Battle, Andre Deshotel and Sarah Meador. They have high school and middle school classes. You might get some inspiration from them.
Finally, I let my kids choose their seats the first day of school. They stay that way for about a week. From this I learn who is friends with who, who is the leader within the friend groups, and who I need to separate when I rearrange. The 2nd week, I assign seats based on what I learned from week 1. :) My class will start out this year as tables of 4 so we can do partners in 2 ways (shoulder partners and face partners). Last year I had to do just 2 students together because they couldn't handle the group set up. Feel out your class and do what you think will be most successful. Good luck!
School has started and I've been trying to use some of the WBT. What do you do with a student that refused to participate? He won't do any of the Teach/Okay, gestures, nothing! We're on day 6 of school, so I'm still using just the scoreboard. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
DeleteStay the course! Have you implemented the SIT yet? That is when I see my kids flourish. For this non-participating child, you could make doing gestures his goal for earning a star until he is ready for a new goal. Stay focused on the kids who are learning and improving. You might also have a private conversation with this child about why he is not participating. What grade level are we talking about?
This is third grade. I haven't implemented SIT yet because we've only been in school one week. I will start that next week and see if that helps. Thanks for your response!
DeleteI need a clarification on the SIT wall. When you/student have chosen a goal they are working on to move up the SIT wall, is that the goal you keep until they reach Living Legend or do you change it as they've made good progress?
ReplyDeleteI received an email about earning 25 bonus points for Class-Yes. Where do I go to do this? I can not add as an attachment to the email because our school system blocks blogs.
ReplyDeleteI did not receive extra points the first time for my additional ones and really want to earn some more points!
ReplyDelete