First Week Highs and...One Low

Well, the first week is in the books and it was wonderfully successful. I tried some new strategies - mainly gleaned from my Personal Learning Network on Twitter - and there were only a few minor hiccups. Here are a few of the things I changed.

Photo used with permission

No Seating Assignments

After gathering my students in the gymnasium (it rained on our first day) I walked them over to my new (not-a-portable-hooray!) classroom. We paused in the hall and, after reflecting on the hard work our custodial team did over the summer, we entered. 

“Choose a seat for yourself”, I said (for the first time in my career) “they are not assigned.”

Students responded in three different ways. The more bold among my charges made quick eye-contact with peers and hustled to the desks that were clustered into group configurations. Some, looked at me speculatively, as if to confirm what they had just heard. I encouraged them with a smile and a reassuring gesture with two open hands. Some, it seemed, felt much like I did when first considered the challenges of this blog. They too seemed overwhelmed by the tyranny of choice and hesitated. It was as if this was a test or puzzle and there was a correct answer. This last group eventually filed into the available desks left behind by their scattering peers. 

My only concern was for the new students to the school who, unlike the first group, had no peer with whom to make eye-contact. Perhaps, they had waited patiently only to avoid risking social offence. There were also new students who arrived late to class because of unavoidable delays in the office. For them, there was no choice available. Additionally, as students arrived and my class roster grew, I needed the custodian to bring me more desks. That made things unnecessarily awkward for children who (likely) are already feeling anxious.

No Desk for Me

This isn’t actually a new thing for me. I got rid of the large, teacher’s desk two years ago. This was a practical decision as it took up too much real estate in my already cramped portable. Instead, I have kept a group of flat tables for my classroom computer for my supplies. Eventually, these become so cluttered that, ostensibly, they serves the same purpose as my old desk, without the convenience of drawers.

This year, I've switched it up further. I have placed my computer on a desk that is only slightly larger than the one used by a student in my class. This affords me a small space for a few supplies. I have moved my day-book to the Google Drive world (Example) and I have made a personal commitment to keep the nearby conferencing table free of clutter so that it can, at anytime of day, serve its intended purpose - conferencing. I hope to place some chairs around it next week - but haven’t had a chance to ask the custodial staff for more.

No Rules on Day One

I tried to talk as little as possible on the first day. I wanted the students to get a chance to know each other and to know me. I realized that almost every student (certainly by Grade 5 & 6) understand and respect the basic rules of a school and a classroom. There seemed little point in wasting time on introducing or creating a list of class rules - even if I did dress-it-up as a “discussion” or “group activity”. Obviously, I touched on the necessary issues that related to the first day and interacting safely and cooperatively. Generally, however, I assumed that all would be well if we didn’t bother reviewing things that they already know. In a way, I am respecting the good work their parents and former teachers have already done. Thank you.

After one Week - A Reflection

I think I may keep my class out of the room a little longer next year. This will give me time to gather everyone and, if necessary, afford the custodial team time to get more desks and chairs. Furthermore, we can try a few icebreaker activities to improve new connections.

 

Several students have asked to change seats because they have recognized that their first choice was not necessarily the best choice. Additionally, some members of one group have struggled more than others with attentive listening, independent work and organization. Consequently, I have redistributed those students to new locations to give them a fresh start next week. The open space created is now available as a new location for my conference desk. Even without a formal discussion of expectations and rules, the class is operating cooperatively and efficiently. More changes to come next week.

I love my "No Discussion of Rules" decision. As one might expect - the kids behaved like kids and made the same small mistakes that kids make. It was no better or worse than previous years. 

The Low
About an hour after school ended, it was announced that the Provincial Government and the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) had walked away from the negotiating table with our representatives, the Elementary Teachers of Ontario (ETFO). I had not planned for my blog posts to take a political bent, but I have to admit that this news was like a punch to the gut. We, the Elementary Teachers, have been without a contract for over a year and are currently engaged in Job Action to put pressure on the government to bargain with us. After refusing to bargain reasonably for 12 months, the government finally returned to the table on September 1st only to walk away from negotiations on September 11.

I, like many of my colleagues, had hoped that a settlement could be reached. I won't belabour the specifics here; but, I know that the core issues are not for a financial windfall. We want our professionalism respected, our preparation time preserved and our class sizes maintained. We all worked through this week with the sincere belief that things would be resolved.

This decision by OPSBA was a real low after a week full of highs. It saddens me to realize that things will likely get worse. Regardless, here I sit on a Saturday afternoon - reflecting on my week, writing this blog post, preparing for Monday and hoping that negotiations resume.

Testing a new Test

I have always been a proponent of weekly tests. For over ten years, I have had my students write a weekly quiz that I’ve dubbed Friday Flashbacks. The outline for a Flashback looked like this, with space for questions from our studies that week. For the most part, it has been well received by students and parents. I have, if anyone asked, defended it from three perspectives.

From the Student’s Perspective

Elementary students can often be described as “learners in the moment”. They can be wonderfully engaged in activities during a lesson. However, new information, concepts and mathematical formulas do not always stick. As soon as the recess bell rings, many dump this fresh knowledge from their short-term memories and move their focus to the more compelling world of the playground. I don’t blame them - I did the same thing. However, it is my responsibility to teach them to keep important information so that their understanding can deepen and that we can move forward with new concepts and ideas. A weekly test, and supporting lessons on studying habits and mnemonics, is a great way to build this capacity.

Additionally, the weekly check-in is also intended to be a way in which they can celebrate and reinforce their own learning. The first request I have always posed is as follows:

In the space below, share something interesting or important that you learned during our lessons this week.  Please write in sentences but, don’t worry about spelling mistakes. (TRY TO WRITE 2 OR MORE SENTENCES)  

From a Teacher’s Perspective

A weekly test keeps me focused on subject matter. I need to be moving through the curriculum in order to have new questions for the Flashback. On Thursday, when I prepare the test, I become immediately accountable for what I have covered. Did we spend too much time on an art activity or writing task? Did we tackle the math concept that I had planned for the week? Are the students ready to be tested on the science terms I hoped to cover by month’s end? The weekly test is, in many respects, an overview of my curriculum organization. I think it serves as a better snapshot of what I am accomplishing than scribbles and jot-notes in my day-book.

From a Parent’s Perspective

I send the Flashback home on Monday for a parental signature. This provides parents with a quick look at the things we are learning in class and a chance to gauge their child’s understanding. I remind parents regularly that this is not a final grade, but rather a snapshot of their current competency in a particular area of study. As with all teachers, I provide multiple opportunities for a students to demonstrate their understanding and hopefully mastery of a concept. The flashback exists as a predictable, static opportunity for which students and parents can prepare. Thursday night homework is often left open to provide time for this preparation.

Testing Out a new Test

I am considering revising my weekly Flashbacks. I find that I am rethinking a lot this summer, certainly a byproduct of my Professional Learning Network through Twitter and Edmodo. I will still dedicate one side of the weekly quiz to review concepts from the week. However, I have redesigned the first side to focus more on the student’s perspective of the week. I have included my first draft here but, I will not know how effective it is until I get a few chances to try it out. Here are the key changes.

1. Many questions begin with the word please. This is a simple but essential change. I am certainly cognisant of the use of good manners with my students in the classroom setting. However, when writing test questions I often think more clinically. The questions on the first page are of a personal nature. Consequently, I think it is important to make my request politely.
2. Each student will receive a small sticker and will be asked to place it in one of the six Learning Skill boxes available. This choice allows the student to celebrate success in one of these areas and a chance to explain the reason for that accomplishment. A brief description of the Ontario Learning Skills can be found here. I also plan to use this data to provide feedback through ClassDojo and, eventually, Edmettle.
3. I am encouraging the students to share “something that they learned” with “something that they enjoyed” as two distinct questions. Although, I will let them know that the answer can be the same.
4. I have included space for ongoing goal-setting. This encourages the student to reflect on the things that they need to improve without highlighting them as a failure. A student who struggled to work independently is not being asked to identify this a weakness. Rather, she is given the opportunity to contemplate ways in which this can be improved. It is a tangible reminder that every new week is another chance to improve. It will also reinforce the long-term goal-setting skills we investigate in January.
5. I have included the “Emotion Tribbles” from the Tribes Learning Community. These five Tribbles each represent a range of emotions. The student is asked to colour the Tribble that represents her emotional state for the week. She is then asked to share the reason for this decision. It is my hope that this will help me make more meaningful connections with my students but, I remain tentative on its efficacy and may revisit this section.
   
6. Finally, I ask for them to share a new word. I am sure this will be easy, as we cover new vocabulary daily. I think it will be fun to encourage them to build their own Padlet wall with these new words. At year’s end, each student will have a virtual record of their language development. Again, I’ll have to see how this plays out.
7. As a side note, I have removed the "Marks" box from the first page. I continue to move toward a Grade-Free classroom. My focus, is to encourage students to meet (or exceed) clear expectations and my job is to provide meaningful feedback. Letter grades, while still required on report cards, are slowly vanishing from my classroom and any test or assignment.

I will provide feedback on the paper copy of this Flashback for the parents to see and through Edmodo. Students will be asked to keep these printed Flashbacks in their portfolio. I am still struggling a bit with making these entirely digital. Perhaps that is something I can also experiment with during the year. This first page could certainly be completed as a Google Doc through Google Classroom and then stored in a personal Google drive folder. However, that is a thought for another day.

Make A Dot...Day!

For the third year, I will be participating in Dot Day in my classroom. I will also be promoting it with my colleagues and organizing class-to-class celebrations.

For those of you unfamiliar with Dot Day, it began in 2009 when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to the Peter H. Reynolds’ book "The Dot".  It is now celebrated annually on September 15th-(ish) in classes around the world. According to the Dot Day Website it was celebrated in over 100 countries by nearly 3 million people in the last year.

The Story

The story involves a patient teacher who encourages a reserved student to trust in her own abilities and “make her mark”. The student defiantly plunks a small dot on a piece of paper. Her teacher’s caring and supportive reaction ignites her confidence and gives her the courage to create and share. As the author puts it, this is a book that seeks to “Celebrate Creativity, Courage and Collaboration” or, more simply, challenges the reader to “Make your mark and see where it takes you”!

Resources

The book can be purchased here but many libraries have a copy. An interactive whiteboard version of the story can be accessed through through this link. There is also a YouTube version here and Primary/Junior classes enjoy the song "The Bouncing Dot" which is available with printable lyrics here.

Things to do

I'll admit, there is not a lot of time to get things rolling in classrooms that begin in September. This is certainly the case in Ontario classrooms which, this year, begin on September 8th. However, fear not, a Dot Day can be a simple and fun affair. Here is a list of ideas that I have considered or explored.

• Just share the story and let the class know that it’s International Dot Day around the world.
• Talk about 3 million people and predict how many will participate this year or in ten years.
• Read the book and sing “The Bouncing Dot”.
• Get out a variety of markers, pencil crayons, paints, pastels and chalk and make some dots.
• Use Ipads to find and take a digital picture of dots around the classroom and the school.
• Pass a fabric dot around the class. Each student imagines and pantomimes it as something else.
• Have them go home and find 3 important dots in their home. Write about them in Edmodo.
• Register for Dot Day and get the free educator’s handbook for more ideas.

 

My "go-to" activity has always been to create T-shirts with permanent markers (Sharpies) and eye-droppers of isopropyl alcohol. Send a note home to request white T-shirts - they do not need to be new, but should be design/logo free. Have students create designs and patterns with multi-coloured sharpies and then use eye-droppers to diffuse the ink through the fabric for a tie-dyed effect. Be sure to set up your eye-dropper stations outside to reduce the impact of fumes from the alcohol.

Be sure to share your creativity at your school or in the global community through social media.

Football Fever

Every year, I run a football pool with my students. I have since 2004 for classes ranging from Grade 4 up to Grade 8. The simple breakdown is as follows.

• Each Thursday, for the 17 weeks of the NFL regular season, students look at the current standings, ESPN charts and their own data to predict the winner of each game taking place that weekend. When ready, they circle their prediction for the winners of each game on a sheet.

• 

  Picture used with permission

  Each Tuesday, the results are checked, tallied and charted (Example). Initially, this is done as a class; the responsibility is eventually released to small groups of students. By the end of the year, each student should have had at least two opportunities to deal with the data.
• Other statistical data, including mean, median and mode are determined through a variety of methods - See below.
• A small prize is awarded to the weekly winner (raffle ticket, pencil, small candy, Edmodo Badge).
• The final leader (leading after 17 weeks) wins a small pizza party (including friends) and his or her name is engraved onto a trophy that can be taken home until the end of the school year in June. 

Raised Eyebrows of Concern

I’ll admit this approach to the curriculum sometimes raises eyebrows from administrators, parents and even students. Here are my answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions.

Do the kids have to watch football?  In class?

No and No, except for the Turkey Bowl (Thursday afternoon of the American Thanksgiving - when we watch briefly - for fun.) We look at the standings and predictions on Thursdays (as a class and in small groups to create a genuine mathematical conversation) and we look at results on Tuesday (reflecting on our predictions and informing our future choices).

Are you teaching gambling?  

No. There is no money involved and I provide all the prizes (including the pizza party). Later in the year, we have a discussion about gambling. We talk about a friendly pool (where all the participants play at a low cost and divide the money entirely at the end) compared with a profit-based pool (which offers high payouts for the few, most successful participants and skims a portion from each week’s collection). To emphasize my point, I offer $20 to any student who can achieve a perfect week of picks. In over a decade - hundreds of students times hundreds of weeks of football - I have never had to pay that money out. We discuss the statistical reasons why this is a safe bet for me (or a profit-based organization) to make.

You’re Canadian - Why NFL Football...not hockey or the CFL?

There is great practicality to the NFL schedule. It is predictable. It starts the first week of school and ends near the winter break. It follows a regular schedule that fits perfectly with my week. It lends itself to many conversations that go beyond the field of play. Depending on grade and school community, I have considered many of these topics - Sportsmanship & Fair Play (Deflategate) , Domestic Violence, Football and Concussions, Media & the Superbowl, or even this wonderfully funny (and discussion worthy) comparison of baseball and football by the late, George Carlin.

Do the Curriculum Connections justify this use of class time?

In a recent post, I weighed the Pros and Cons of a teacher bringing his or her interests  or “passions” into the classroom. I have put my use of the Football Pool to the test and, each year, I am convinced of its utility. There are benefits that extend beyond the basic math expectations that are covered (Data Management, Probability, Number Sense). I address them below.

Other features

• Staff Involvement: Students also keep the statistics for a separate pool involving staff members (we play for bragging rights and occasional side bets for beverages after school on Fridays). Students take great delight when they are more successful in a week than a teacher or - better still - are leading a teacher in the pool. Staff often tell me about lengthy conversations with eager students during recess. Good-natured “trash talk” can often lead to a sincere discussion about the veracity of their pool choices in a statistically close game. 
• Second Chances: Midway through the season, students who are eliminated (statistically) can vie for the "Toilet Bowl" by picking the losing teams. The Toilet Bowl leaders and winners receive similar prizes (sans trophy). Every year, an important (and ultimately humorous) math discussion is created with the guiding question “Is it easier to pick the losing teams?” We also begin a Survivor Pool to stoke interest from those unfortunate participants who are stuck in the middle of the pack.    
• New Canadians: Each year, I welcome new Canadians into my classroom. The world of professional sports (warts and all) is an important part of embracing a new culture. If I moved to India or Japan I would relish the opportunity to learn more about their sports (cricket or sumo wrestling). 
• The Mapping Activity: During the first week, we learn to use the index at the back of an atlas to locate each team’s stadium. They are then plotted using Google Maps and some obvious patterns appear. This leads to a discussion of the United States and sets me up nicely for numerous Social Studies topics or Mystery Skype involving Canada’s neighbour and key trading partner.
• Median Line: One of my student’s favourite activities is the Median line. Once weekly results have been tallied and checked we head outside to form a line. Students are arranged sequentially from those with the lowest correct picks to those with the highest. We then eliminate students from both ends until the median is found. The result is also used for any student who missed picking (so that they do not receive a zero result). This kinesthetic-learning activity resonates with all students and an immediate improvement in their understanding of measurements of central tendency is seen.

• Logos Scavenger hunt: Prior to the first set of picks, I conduct a logo scavenger hunt (Editable Doc Here) (NFL Logo Helmets Here). This leads into a discussion about the names of teams - including the Washington Redskins' name and logo controversy. I have, on occasion, created a writing assignment that provides choice, such as research the name of any team or write a creative story about how a team got its name. These are then presented in the classroom.

This year I am excited to involve my teaching partner’s class. This will expand our data and stimulate friendly competition and fun.

The Litmus Test

In my last post Sharing our Passions with Students I weighed the Pros and Cons of a teacher bringing his or her interests or “passions” into the classroom - be it a Maple Leafs poster on the wall, a viewing of The Princess Bride or an integrated lesson using the music of The Beatles. After some musing, I settled on the following list of guidelines.

1. There must be clear curriculum connections.

2. It can’t be self-indulgent or, worse still, lazy.

3. It can not alienate a group of students (seen or unseen) in your classroom.

4. Is must be appropriate to share - given the sensitivities of the greater school community.

5. Older passions can be misremembered. They should always be revisited and reevaluated.

6. It should be fun.

So, do they work? Let me put them to the test by evaluating a few of the lessons from my passions that I have started to line up for this year.  

Thinking One Step Ahead - Like a carpenter building stairs.

Like many colleagues, my planning for a new school term always seems to begin during the previous year. As each unit ends, I can’t help but reflect on it and consider new ways to approach each lesson. This school year was no exception. However, my planning began in earnest last spring when I decided to move to a different grade. (I was teaching Grade 4 and was offered the opportunity to move to Grade 5/6). A new grade meant a new curriculum. I was sad to retire many wonderful units (Ancient Civilizations, Rocks & Minerals, Light & Sound) but; I was excited to explore new subject matter (Canadian Government, First Nations & Space to name a few).

As I thought about the work I was doing to prepare for the upcoming year. I realized that I am already peppering my lessons with flavours drawn from my interests and passions? Let’s look at a few to see how they would be graded my self-imposed list of guidelines.

Rush - “The Trees”

I am considering the use of the song “The Trees” by Rush to help introduce the ideas of Socialism and Capitalism to my Grade 5’s for our Social Studies unit on “People and Environments: The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship”. By extension, this connects to literacy, the environment and even the Grade 6 unit on Canada’s interaction with the global community. 

I grew up loving this Canadian Rock Trio and was engaged and challenged by their thoughtful and intelligent lyrics. I recently saw them play live and revisiting them reignited my memories of the sense of wonder and imagination that they inspired in me when I was in elementary school. They were, far more than some of my teachers at the time, the impetus for my desire to learn and think. Using a song or two from them this year is a little indulgent (but I think it is easily outweighed by the clear curriculum connections I can make.) Additionally, a metaphorical song about overbearing oaks and union-minded maples is timely, appropriate, engaging and fun.

Rush "The Trees" - with lyrics

Grade B+     

A Baseball Unit

The current success of the Blue Jays (fingers crossed - no jinx - no jinx) is making me consider adjusting my Phys. Ed. units. Soccer could be shifted to the spring with the kickball / slo-pitch unit in October to coincide with the playoffs. I might also do a quick lesson to introduce the sport of baseball to my class. Baseball scoring lends itself well to data management and other statistics, like averages, are easily demonstrated in a real life context.

“Ahmed and Sarah play baseball for the school’s co-ed team. Ahmed goes to the plate 100 times and hits to get on base safely 35 times. Sarah goes to the plate 75 times and hits to get on base safely 25 times. Ahmed thinks Sarah is a better hitter. Is he right? If you were the coach, who would you bat first - Why?”

Cross curricular extensions could be made by showing the Who’s on First routine (Grammar and Drama), reading Ernest Thayer’s Casey at the Bat (Literacy, Shared Reading, Reader's Theatre) or even Canadian,Wilson MacDonald’s De Stop-Heem-Short. The latter poem, which highlights the challenges a new Canadian faces when trying to understand Baseball, naturally lends itself to my many ESL students. This, in turn, can launch a candid discussion about “learning new things” and “differences in culture”. I have many students whose families are new Canadians. I think it is important that we welcome them to our country by sharing and celebrating as many cultural touchstones as possible. If, fingers crossed, the Jays make the playoffs, we could even watch part of an afternoon game on television and discuss the use of advertising or score a few of the innings.

Abbot and Costello - "Who's on First"

"Casey at the Bat" - read by James Earl Jones

Editable Google Doc for "De Stop-Heem Short"

Casey at the Bat is a perfect example of the importance of why #5 is important.  Check out this version of the poem as a cartoon clearly informed by the time.    

"Casey at the Bat" Disney Cartoon (1946)

Grade A-

The Time Travelling Marty McFly

This is the 30th Anniversary of Back to the Future and October 21st of this year is the date that Marty traveled to from 1985. My teaching partner and I are debating a way to incorporate that into our classes. This one is a tougher one and is going to require some serious consideration. Curriculum connections can be made and it can be wonderfully engaging. I often have my students write letters to their future selves on the week of their graduation from Grade 8. I keep the letters and deliver them each June. The graduating students are always delighted to receive these long-forgotten messages from their past. However, I don’t need to show BTTF in order to provide this opportunity. I haven’t screened it since leaving Grade 6 many years ago. Additionally, there is some "spicy" language that needs to be addressed. I have always maintained that a discussion of inappropriate language and its utility, or lack of utility, is something that students as young as 9 are prepared to engage. I think it is empowering for students to engage in a deeper understanding of the fluidity of language. However, that is a discussion for another post.

If we do investigate it - these are some resources to guide us further.

Back to the Future Classroom Activities

This great activity requires that only clips from the film be shown - that could be a solution that raises the grade of this lesson.

Back to the Future - Inventions

Grade C-

Use The Force Luke

A few colleagues and I are investigating a private screening of the new Star Wars film The Force Awakens on December 18 (The Friday it is released coincides with the last day of school - so it will be a tough hustle). We also need to get more information about the film to see if it is age appropriate. We remain confident that the curriculum connections will be easy to make. A colleague uses Star Wars references in his classroom gamification. Students that meet expectations can earn “The Force” which provides them extra lives in classroom games and Phys. Ed. activities. Each year, as the number of “new” Canadian students in his classroom increase, he finds that fewer and fewer are familiar with the Star Wars canon. This does not, necessarily, justify a screening of the original film. However, it has been his experience that it can be used to inspire a new generation of fans and ignite their imaginations. They are keen to read books, create art and explore the science behind everything from X-Wing fighters to Landspeeders to Lightsabers.

There is also this wonderful resource waiting for educators too.

Star Wars in the Classroom

 

Grade B-

And then there is my annual Football Pool...but, that is my topic for the next post.