From Your Instructional Coach….

Strategy of the Week #2:  Classbuilding

(Adapted from Kagan)

Classbuilding: getting students to know, like and respect other students in their class.

Why is class building  important?

• When students get to know their classmates, they are more likely to respect them as individuals.
• Classbuilding is fun.  Classbuilding creates more enjoyment for class and school.
• Reduces discipline problems.  Classbuilding helps to channel students’ energy in a positive way.
• Classbuilding increases motivation.  Students are more motivated when they feel respected and liked by their peers.
• Promotes appreciation of diversity.  Classbuilding helps students get to know other students who may be different than they are.
• Synergy.  Students experience that two heads are better than one, and that energy can help to accomplish things that are otherwise impossible.
• Classbuilding boosts self esteem.  Classbuilding develops students’ sense of self worth.

When to incorporate Classbuilding activities

• iStem lessons focused on a group, rather than individual project
• Start your day with classbuilding
• Wednesday class meetings
• Friday afternoons for the last 15 minutes of the day
• Recess
• When you are waiting in line

Classbuilding Strategies to try:

• Corners:  Ask a question, and students go to a designated area in the room, according to their answer.  This is a great way to begin a unit on graphing, and creating an interest graph.  
• Formations:  The teacher announces a formation.  Students must stand and use their bodies to create the formation.  This could be done with a geometry unit, and students must “build” a rhombus, triangle, octagon.
• Inside/Outside Circle:  ½ class forms a circle facing outward.  The other half forms an outside circle, facing the first.  The two partners talk and discuss a question, opinion, piece of writing.  One circle then rotates, and everyone has a new partner.  This strategy can be used in any content area.  It could also be used for students to share what they did over the weekend, or to share a special fact about themselves.
• Mix-Freeze-Group:  Students stand and push in their chairs.  Then they “mix” by moving around the room.  The teacher calls “Freeze” and provides a clue about how many members can group.  The clue could be, the number of sides in a triangle.  Students form groups of three.  Or, the number of syllables in August.  Students form groups of two.  Anyone who doesn’t make it into a group, goes to the Lost and Found, and can help create the next question.
• Who Am I?:  Students are given a picture or word that is taped to their back.  They do not know who they are.  Students walk around the room until they find a partner.  They shake hands, look at each other’s backs and give each other a clue to the identity of the person on the partner’s back.  This is great activity for famous Americans, or events in a story.

If you are interested in planning a classbuilding activity, be sure to fill out the Partnership Interest Form below.  I would love to support you!

Partnership Interest Form

Strategy of the Week 8/20/13: Routines and Procedures

Strategy of the Week #1:  Routines and Procedures

(Adapted from The First Days of School by Harry & Rosemary Wong)

Procedure:  What the teacher wants done

Routine: What the students do automatically

Why are procedures important?

• Students need to know how you expect them to behave and work in the classroom.
• Clear and well planned procedures allow for several learning activities to be taking place at one time, with minimal disruption.
• Procedures increase on task time.
• Classroom procedures tell a student how things operate in a classroom, reducing discipline problems.

Examples of Procedures

• How to line up to leave the classroom (where does each child stand, where are the stopping points along the way)
• What to do when you have a question
• What to do when you need to go to the restroom
• What to do when you finish your work early
• How/where to put materials (backpacks, finished work,
• How to sharpen a pencil

Procedures in “Real Life”

• Airplane: Each flight begins the same, with the procedures for an emergency.  It helps passengers to know exactly what to do, and how to do it.
• Traffic light: We know to stop at a red light, slow down when it is yellow, and to go through the intersection when it is green.
• Restaurants: In a restaurant, we know that there is a menu, we make a choice and order with a waiter/waitress.

Consider the following procedures:

• Stand at your door every morning to greet students.  Make eye contact, and say “Good Morning” to EVERY student.  Do not begin your day without a proper welcome as students come to school.
• When walking with a line of students, walk toward the middle/back of line, where you can see all students.  Establish stopping points on your route, so students know exactly where to stop and wait for you to give them a signal to keep going.
• Establish a line order for students.  This provides the security of knowing the place and the neighbors every time a child is in line.  It also helps the teacher to determine if a child is missing.
• Assign each child a number.  When calling students to line, to go to the bathroom, or to get their things, call out a range of numbers, “Students 1-5, please get your things.”
• Establish a closing statement for dismissal.  Do not allow students to leave seats until you dismiss them.  Statements could be “Have a nice day”, “”Thanks for learning”, “See you tomorrow”.

If you are interested in planning, or discussing other classroom procedures and routine, be sure to fill out the Partnership Interest Form below.  I would love to support you!

Partnership Interest Form