In my last blog, I talked about trying to get students to meaningfully assess how and what they learned. As a crucial follow-up, I make sure to spend some one-on-one time with every student to discuss their progress throughout the term. As a rotary teacher who sees three classes of 30 plus students a day for 42 minutes (a full-time teacher would then see approx 180), I find that it’s challenging to establish a personal relationship with each one of them. Ensuring that I build in the time to sit down and talk to each one of them is a must. I plan around an activity (usually French skits) where students are focused, self-directed and engaged to minimize interruptions with questions. Over the course of the week, I spend between 3 to 5 minutes (not nearly enough I know), where we have each other’s undivided atttention talking about their results for the term, their strong points as students and concrete, realistic steps they could take to improve. Finally, it is also a great opportunity to just shoot the breeze. It’s been my experience that students respond more positively to this individual attention and it allows them to more fully appreciate and understand their mark on their report card. Most importantly, it allows for each of you to connect on a personal level.
Weaving Inspiration Into the Curriculum
One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is the creativity and inspiration we can weave into the curriculum to bring deep and meaningful learning experiences for our students (and ourselves!). This past week my class enjoyed an art lesson integrated with media, oral communication, and writing expectations. It served as a perfect example of how students become more engaged when our lessons are filled with what inspires us.
A friend of mine emailed me a phenomenal video depicting the sheer beauty, simplicity, and breath-taking scenery found in nature around the world. It moved me deeply and I knew I had to somehow share it with my students in a meaningful way. I decided to use it as the foundation for an art lesson. We have been exploring cool and warm colours, texture, and patterns. We watched the video and had a class discussion using sensory prompts (I see…, I hear…, I feel…, I smell…). The descriptions were profound and all the students were eager to share their thoughts and feelings!
Next, students chose an aspect of nature (ocean, rainforest, sunset, etc.) to create a frame for a sensory poem using warm/cool colours and different textured paper.
Lastly, using a template as a guide, students created their sensory poem. Students were encouraged to experiment with word choice and powerful images to portray their scene. I cannot begin to describe how excited and proud they were to share their art and poetry with me and each other! At the end of the experience, they asked to watch the video again. I gladly shared it once more and silently thanked my friend for the inspiration that created a beautiful teaching opportunity.
Rainforest
plants, rivers, animals
I see butterflies and nature everywhere
beautiful, colourful, fresh
I smell the fresh scent after rainfall
creeping, crawling, flying
I hear peace and quiet
silence, beauty, nature
I feel at home in the rainforest
Rainforest
One student at a time…
Sometimes when I look at my students, I wonder: how can I meet the needs of everyone?
Will I be able to support the student who is feeling bullied or the student who struggles to grip a pencil? Will I figure out the best way to explain to a parent that we are focusing on inclusion and gender equality when that may be contrary to how she was educated?
And the answer that comes to mind is definite: not every minute of every day.
But…I can start with one student at a time.
Take “Matthew”. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and takes medication daily to help him manage impulse control and the challenges he has with filtering his thoughts. Matthew’s medication is time-released and so the first few hours of the morning are very difficult for him until things start to ‘kick in’, as he calls it.
So, I tried a few things. I gave him time to do something hands-on when he first came in, but he became frustrated. I used my gym time first thing in the morning to help him work through some of his excess energy, but it seemed to distract him more.
Then last week, I decided to make a morning message for him. I recorded a personal greeting that gave him information about what we would be doing that morning and how he might be successful in those tasks. As he listens, it helps him to access an inner voice he knows he has, but he just can’t hear yet.
Of course, there is no magic answer for Matthew or for any of my kids for that matter. Like us, they will have up and down days and sometimes things won’t work. But maybe if I take on one student at a time, I can start to meet their needs…and mine.
Slowing Down and Creating Goals
“Go Slow, Go Deep” – Tina’s words have been resonating in my head since I read her last post and over the past couple of weeks. I find myself repeating them to myself daily in response to everything from delivering my lessons in math, teaching the students how to sustain reading effectively during independent reading time, to working through our class agreements and routines.
After reading those words, I found myself reflecting on how intently I work to developing class lessons, routines and climate, and how there are always times when a few students don’t seem to transfer the learning from the class lesson to their individual work or conduct. It can be frustrating trying to figure out why the students are missing it: Was it because I am moving through the lesson too quickly? Were the expectations clear? Was it because Jimmy was squirming too much in front of Tommy? Maybe I’m not engaging them… or is it the material?
Then I remember the words … Go Slow, Go Deep…
After some reflection, I remembered that in order to go deep with my students, what they are doing has to be meaningful to them (even when the subject area isn’t every students interest), and that time needs to be given to hook the students into what they are learning and reflect on what they are supposed to be getting out of a certain activity or lessons (their learning goal). I usually draw upon student interests to make my lessons fun but not all students are passionate about all areas of the curriculum all of the time, and rather than spend all my time scouring the internet for more fun teaching ideas, I need to find a sustainable way for the students to buy in, and go deep:
Inspired by Jim’s inclusion activity about developing Goals/Strengths/Beliefs ( Heart And Art of Teaching and Learning, p.36), I adapted the activity to have students communicate their learning goals for several learning tasks and we have begun this for a number of activities and subject areas.
Before and during lessons I have started to include time for developing goals with my students for what I hope them to learn by the end of the lesson and I have the students share what they think the final outcome should look like. Sometimes that means that a lesson that was originally intended to take one period will now take two, or even be spread out over the week. These goals are communicated on the whiteboard or chart paper for the students’ reference and so that the students can begin to self-regulate more. I hope that by putting in the extra teaching time now, by mid-year the students will be in the habit of viewing their lessons as a ‘goal’ with a defined outcome that they want to achieve.
I hope that by taking more time to developing goals with the students, it won’t matter as much that Jimmy was particularly squirmy one day or that Ari was counting the ceiling tiles instead of paying attention to what a Level 4 Journal entry looks like. It will matter less because our goals will be visible, available and referred to regularly and eventually (hopefully) it will sink in. One of my goals for this year is to continue taking the time to make goals with my students so that they may develop it as a habit that is internalized, routine and oriented towards success.
Getting to Know Your Students Is the Best Time You Will Ever Spend
We just had our school’s “Meet the Teacher” night and the feedback from the parents in my classroom proved that, without a doubt, the best time spent during the first month is in getting to know my students. I was astounded at the fact that most parents felt like they already knew me. They commented on how their child went home and told them all about our fantastic conversations during our morning community circle and couldn’t wait to be the “Rockstar of the Week.” This month I’ve really focused on and enjoyed creating meaningful opportunities to get students to open up and share who they are with our classroom community.
The following are some examples of how we get to know each other:
1. Each student has a Daily Journal. After they come in, they write a “Reflection Question” in their journal and spend the first 10-15 minutes writing down their thoughts. This is a powerful self-reflection exercise that I have started in my own life and felt the difference it makes on every level: personal, professional, spiritual, etc. We then start our morning by sitting in a community circle and volunteering our ideas and opinions. You can literally feel the good energy permeate in our classroom! I have attached some examples of Reflection Questions.
2. We have a “Rockstar of the Week” bulletin board. Each week, a student is chosen to fill us in on who they are! It involves writing about what’s most important to them in life (we read “The Important Book” as a pre-lesson), sharing their favourite books, music, movies, etc., and putting up pictures that can give us a window into their life. During the week, students must ask the Rockstar about any fact or picture they’d like to find out more about. At the end of the week, we have an oral quiz on the Rockstar for points that go to the groups that answer the questions correctly. This is a blast and the Rockstar runs the show!
In a letter to their parents this week, one of my students wrote something that brought tears to my eyes and affirmed why I love teaching. He wrote, This year, I have an amazing teacher. She really cares about us and says our classroom is our home for the day. I like that because that’s how it feels.” And that’s why I love my job!
Building Inclusion through Oral Communication Activities
In the Core French classroom, building inclusion is a must. Students will only feel comfortable participating in an environment of tolerance, security and where they are not afraid of risk. In this type of atmosphere, creativity flourishes and learning French becomes interactive and a more authentic experience. I usually start with simple short dialogues involving greetings and exchanging information (ex. telephone numbers and emails). What makes the outcome so positive is that students infuse their skits with current expressions and it is simple enough that everyone can be successful.
Getting all levels of students to participate is also facilitated when you have visible prompts for those who need more support. Likewise, I also make sure to always to include and model ideas for level 4 extensions using compound sentences with parce que, mais and alors.
Having read through the book, I found several suggestions which would lend themselves perfectly to encouraging inclusiveness through speaking activities. In particular, I thought I would try Carmen’s “Friend Venns” where kids exchange likes and dislikes. Also Shernett’s “Ten Things About Me” incorporated into inside/outside circles would be the perfect and always welcome kinesthetic activity!
Surviving beyond the First Week – the Beauty of a Well-Crafted Seating Plan
As a rotary teacher dealing with up to 180 students, building inclusion is naturally a different process than in a homeroom classroom. Establishing a rapport is definitely fundamental however, I have found that this goes hand in hand with effective classroom management. Eliminating the problem of constant chatting amongst groups of friends can go a long way to establishing order.
Instead of seating kids alphabetically or in random groupings, I have always let my students choose their seats for the first week or two. Taking this time to observe the dynamic of the classroom and work habits of the students ultimately allows me to make informed, strategic decisions about groupings. My decision is also based on the contact information form (see attached) which is filled out during the first week of school. The one side serves as a record of parent contact while the other provides me with invaluable insight into each student’s character. At the end, I have classes where the students are comfortable where and with whom they are seated. Preventatively dealing with the minor issues (that can quickly derail your class) allows me instead to focus on building an inclusive learning environment.
Additional tip: When implementing my seating plan, I put numbers on the seats and have students line up at the back of the room. Having called out their name and number, I have them find their seat. This way there tends to be less drama than in calling out the names which can sometimes lead to some raucous reactions. I also preface my announcement by stating that I had only their best interests at heart and therefore eliminate most forms of protest.
Becoming One
In just a few weeks, I can see our group of grade one and two students grow as a community. Evidence is in the way they are aware of other’s likes and dislikes, recognize when someone in missing from the group, and readily offer assistance to one other. Like Samantha, I wanted to gather some information about the students to keep on file. In my first newsletter I requested email addresses to set up parents on automatic updates from the class website. I also asked parents the following:
What delights your child? What makes your child uncomfortable? What goals do you have for your child?
The responses were brief, but insightful. It not only gave me some information about my students, but the priorities and perspectives of the student’s parents/families. In addition to the information requests, I also used Aaron’s suggestion of an All About Me Bag in “The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning” (p 45). The children were provided with a paper bag. They brought back their bags filled with five items that they felt best represented themselves. The children were thrilled to share their All About Me bags at the community circle and waited with anticipation to learn more about their classmates with each presentation. To the children’s surprise, there were many areas of common interest that were revealed, which resulted in new friendships that extended to recess and the playground.
September was full of new beginnings. At times I questioned whether we were accomplishing enough, such as the curriculum. As Tina discussed in her blog entry, I needed reminders to “go slow.” So as I planned our reading and writing, I tried to incorporate our community-building activities. Two read-alouds that the children adored and were able to easily connect to regarding self-esteem and inclusion, were: One by Kathryn Otoshi and The OK Book by Amy K Rosenthal. These books provided us with rich literature for our reading and writing program, while supporting our discussions on community.
Getting to Know My Students
During the first month of school, there is a lot to do. Finding myself in a new grade and new school every year, I am seeking out resources, and learning the ropes. One thing that hasn’t changed for me from every differing grade and school, is the need to get to know my students from early on in the first month, so that I am able to best meet their needs in the classroom and transfer the information seamlessly to others. For me, getting to know my students personalities and needs early on, allows me to create a safe learning environment that reflects what the students want to get out of their learning experience and also develop a system that has the information and supports in place for myself, a teacher returning from leave, or a substitute teacher.
This month, I began by learning about my Grade 1 students needs in two ways: creatively– using ideas from The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning (ETFO, 2011); working with the students to develop a classroom contract that reflects their wants and needs for their learning environment, and practically – developing my own personal informational database on the needs, routines and information about the unique students that I am teaching.
To develop a classroom community in Grade 1 that reflects my students’ wants, I drew from Leah’s helpful ideas (p.43, The Heart and art of Beginning Teaching and Learning), to generate a list of ‘promises’ from the students to one another. I’m finding that these ‘Inclusion Activities’ are helping me to establish the tone of the students’ classroom and decide what they think the classroom should look like, sound like and feel like. Last week in Grade One, each student shared one promise or wish for the classroom (for example, not to butt-in in line, or to ask permission before touching each other’s things) and then they illustrated their promise for a class book. The students are enjoying reading and reminding each other of their ‘Promises’ to one another and learning about the kinds of things that help us to minimize conflict and increase safety in the classroom. For me, this activity illustrated that the students want a lot of the same rules and routines that I want in establishing a harmonious classroom environment and we plan on working on dramatizing what these promises actually look like in practice. It has helped me to establish and reaffirm what is important to my students in creating a safe and inclusive classroom environment and pare down what is really important to my students in their daily school life.
I am also gathering important personal and historical information on my students for their files so that I can have a better understanding of their background and so that I am able to meet their safety and learning needs. This will serve as an aid for me when communicating with parents and guardians, and also will enable me to communicate important information to substitute teachers and the teacher that will be returning from leave when my LTO is over. I sent home a Student Background form for parents to complete on their child for my files. :
- child’s name, birthdate
- siblings, both in the school/out of the school; household members
- languages spoken at home
- allergies/dietary restrictions (i.e., religious, health related or otherwise)
- before school/afterschool care/ who picks up the child (in primary grades)
- emergency contact numbers, email addresses, best times to call
- routines (i.e., do they go home for lunch, stay at school etc.)
- the child’s strengths, areas of need or other important information that the parent wishes to communicate.
By planning creative and inclusive activities I hope to elicit meaningful responses from my students and learn what they really want to get out of their day to day classroom. Be gathering practical information for my records, I hope to better manage important information on my students, so that I can understand my students’ needs, use the information as an ‘at a glance’ about the child, and so that the knowledge of the individuals who make up the classroom community is followed through with when I am away. Throughout both processes I hope to develop a community of students who are having their safety and social needs met and allow for subsequent teachers to do the same.
Building Inclusion in the classroom is something that doesn’t only happen during the first week of school, it’s something that teachers and students should work on and revisit consistently throughout the year. So, if you feel that you may have not done ‘Inclusivity’ justice during your first crazy week at school, rest assured that you have the whole month (and the rest of the year) to bring great activities and ideas into the classroom.
Go Slow, Go Deep
Like Roz and Sangeeta, I have returned to the classroom after working for seven years in a number of board and faculty professional learning positions. I found the work I did outside the classroom rewarding. I was privileged to be a guest in 100s of teachers’ classrooms where I was inspired and motivated by the creative, purposeful learning opportunities these teachers planned for their students. As I planned for my return to the classroom, I couldn’t wait to put many of these new strategies and routines in place. I wanted to dive right in and start everything right away!
In the later part of our first week back at school, I received an email from a new teacher I taught in pre-service. She was excited to let me know about her new teaching position and to share her long range planning ideas with me. At the end of her email, this former student wrote, “ I remember what you always told us, go slow, go deep.” Well, did I feel foolish! I was just “schooled” by my own principles! My enthusiasm clouded my thinking. If I want my students to truly grasp the strategies and routines I want to put in place, I needed to slow down and delve deep into a few skills and strategies rather than skim the surface of many.
Also, it is important that we first consider our students. We need to discover their strengths, and how they feel about themselves as learners. Only then can we align the best strategies with the right kind of learner. I have used many of the strategies and activities in Heart and Art to help build community in our classroom and learn about the individual learners in our class. I provided students with opportunities to share their feelings and ideas through oral activities, the arts and written responses. One of my favorite activities was the goals and strengths t-chart that Jim shared in the Heart and Art book. After modeling my own t-chart that included my personal, social and academic goals and strengths, and my personal beliefs about “life”, I had the students complete their own t-chart. Once completed, students then shared their t-charts with each other. The students learned that they have similar skills that needed work such as being tidier at home! They also discovered that they all cherish their family and that friendship is important. I learned that all of my grade 3 students want to be successful at school and want to be accepted by their peers.
I have to thank Rose for her email. Daily 5, literature circles, and all the other great programming ideas will be established in time, but for now, I will continue to go slow to grow, and remember that depth is better than breadth.