Super Improvers Wall

Putting together our Super Improvers Wall "SIW"
This is a place where the students can receive stars for personal improvement.  If a student has problems with staying in their seat, participating, doing better at listen rather than talking and so forth.  After getting 10 stars they move up a level (which is a color).  There are 10 levels so once they get 100 stars they are on top.  It should help my lower performing students perform and get rewarded for doing so.  Everyone does good at some level or another. I can't wait to see who gets eager to move up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioHz85FYpWY
Here is a link to see how it works!

WBT Chapters 8-10

WBT Assignment 3 Chapter 8-9-10

These were some very powerful lessons.  I enjoyed them so much; I read them twice just so I didn't miss a thing. 

Teach Okay is an amazing way to get through to children with chunks (30 seconds or less) of learning. I find that using “Class!” gets their attention quickly, so that I can give quick instructions for activities and lessons.  When students engage in Teach-Okay, they are receiving effective practice in speaking and therefore are thinking, clearly. This is also very helpful for children who speak more than one language.  They are able to practice speaking the language in chunks without feeling embarrassed.  Teaching in chunks, keep the attention of the kids without losing your students to boredom.  I love the Whole Brain Teaching Rule: “The more we talk the more students we lose”.   It is so true!

With Teach-Okay students are able to use their critical thinking skills by paraphrasing what you said as they teach it back to their partner.  They are energetically with passion. This also allows the talkers to learn the skills of listening and the listeners to learn the skills of talking. It also grows the cerebral cortex most rapidly within the first 10 years of life.  That means those dendrites are sprouting and growing like crazy.

The gestures make it fun and allow the students to be involved in each Teaching lesson.  Students are engaged listening, seeing and feeling stimulated by doing. When gestures are being used with Teaching and listening, you are igniting a multi-sensory experience stimulating the whole brain.  The laughter that erupts in the classroom from WBT is great for decreasing stress, tension and boosts our immune system.  The ticklers are; stomping your feet, patting your head, flapping your wings like a bird and such as you say “Teach!”  This just makes it all the more fun for both the students and teacher.

The “Switch!” command gets the talkers to listen and the listeners, to talk.  At the end of the day when listening skills are not so good, the gestures reinvigorate the brain and get them energized again for listening.

Part 2 Implementation

At first my students were reluctant to turn and teach but after role playing with them and showing them how to do it, they had fun.  My quiet ones were so quiet I could barely hear them but they are picking up the tone and figuring it out.  It has been fun watching them learn how to do it.  My Alpha students picked it right up and were like old pros before no time at all.   I am partnering them up with my middle and bottom students so it is helping them mirror their partner.

They all love the hand gestures and ticklers.  It is wonderful hearing the class, so full of joy and laughter.  It's teacher heaven!

Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to speak

- Today the focus is Rule #3~ Raise Your Hand for Permission to Leave Your Seat. For today's assignment~ write an essay explaining what strategies you introduced (paragraph 1) and reflect on how it went (paragraph 2). 

Using the students to help me reinforce this rule will become instrumental for them to master it.  When someone leaves their seat for any reason without permission, I ask the class “what rule are they breaking”?  The class than follows up with they are breaking rule #3-Raise you hand for permission to leave your seat. (After a while I expect they will do it automatically without me asking). This allows for them to take responsibility for their actions, called out by their peers. This way, I am not the bad guy!

This has been hard for me to reinforce.  I give many reminders through the day and frownie points when it is not followed.  Kindergarteners are learning about the structure of the day, so  I play ping pong and have fun with them, as we transition into learning this rule quickly.

I am also trying a “Caught being good” card.  I found the idea from WBT Summer reading blog.  One of the posters had the idea and I loved it, so we are adopting it. I am hoping this will help reinforce the rule.  Rule 1 and 2 are the hardest for this age group of kids. Anything I can find that will help is always a plus. At this point it is working well.

I am now giving 2 minutes of extra recess time if no one leaves their seats during Round Table time.  I am shocked how the kids are just waiting to remind someone they cannot leave their seat or they lose 2 minutes of recess time. I think this might work for a while.  One happy teacher right here!