Growth Mindset: Successful Students with Jot Thoughts

 

During the first few weeks back to school, it's so important to build a sense of community and belonging amongst your students.  You want them to feel that your classrom is a safe place to learn and share.  Through all the team building and classroom building activities that I engage my students in the first few weeks, I think it's equally important to place an emphasis on Growth Mindset.  We know that your mindset can change or determine your outcome and success, and that's so very true for our students as well!

Being as though we are an AVID school for many years now, one of the first activities we do at the start of the year is something called the "Successful Student." For this activity, students will brainstorm words that show what it means to be a successful student.  I copy the outline of a person onto cardstock and here they decorate the person to look like themselves and fill the poster with words that describe being a successful student.

I incorporated Growth Mindset into this activity by asing them to think of things they feel they're not good at "yet" or things they want to become better at as a studnet this year.

I used a collaboratve learning Kagan strategy called "Jot Thoughts" to help guide and facilitate discussions about growth mindset and what it means to be a successful student.  You can see the pictures I've included of this Jot Thoughts strategy as my students engaging in these discussions the first week of school!  You can also see the photos of the finished product of the "Successful Students."

This "Successful Student" activity is just one example of a very simple way to use collaborate learning (Kagan- Jot Thoughts), and Growth Mindset to help students engage in positive thinking. It's also a super fun activity, helps them to learn how to work together, and not to mention they look super cute up on the wall!

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net

Increasing Achievement Through Relationships

Increasing Achievement Through Relationships

The month of December is exhausting! There is sugar in the air and so much to do in such a short time. I am beyond overwhelmed with being faced continuously with classroom projects, decorations, and adorable bulletin boards on social media. I start to wonder... Am I a fun-enough teacher? Do I do enough? How do all of these teachers do it? But then I stop.. and listen. My students are so happy. They tell me that they love school and that I am the best teacher in the world. We have built a mutual relationship because I just adore them. We have this relationship not because I have the best-themed room or best bulletin boards it is because we have a connection. My students know that I believe in them. My students know I respect them and want them to grow socially, emotionally and academically. We must believe as teachers that each student has the ability to grow and be successful no matter where they begin. They have the power to do so with our guidance and support.

The thing I know for sure is that if you want to build a growth-minded classroom, it's imperative that we spend time building relationships with our students. Students with a fixed-mindset are anxious and fearful about making mistakes in front of their teacher and classmates. They are afraid to fail so they avoid challenges and give up quickly. Stepping away from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset takes vulnerability. As their teacher, you need to be that person they feel safe enough around to show that vulnerability. A teacher who trusts and respects them, wants the best for them and won't judge them when they make a mistake. With all of this faith, your students might be willing to take the leap. Here is a great TED Talk that inspires me to be a champion for my students...

Every Kid Needs a Champion (7:48) Rita Pierson

So how do we do it? How do we get every child to know we believe in them, value them and want them to be successful in all that they do?

Make eye contact

Be intentional and engage with students who you’re speaking with. The two-minute check-in. Before school, after school, and during breaks make it your goal to engage students in non-school-related topics of conversation. This strategy will help you learn more about your students’ interests, build trusting relationships, improve classroom management, and curb attention-seeking behaviors.

Students feel safe with their teacher

Students should feel completely safe in your classroom and in your presence. Students should know that you want what’s best for them, you’ll protect them, and you’ll unconditionally care for them no matter what mistakes they make. 

Students must know that their teacher has faith in their ability to achieve

If we expect our students to have faith in themselves to grow, they must sense that we genuinely, and enthusiastically believe in them too. They need reminders DAILY that you believe in their ability.

Students seek and embrace their teacher’s feedback  

When students believe that you have their best interests at heart they’ll respond to feedback in more productive ways. Make it clear to students that their growth is your main priority, and let them know that the purpose of constructive feedback is to help them improve. 

Students know that grades are less important than growth 

Help students set goals for themselves. Let them know that grading is part of the process and a source of data about their overall performance, but the most important thing to you is their progression toward the goals that you’ve set together. Keep an open dialogue about overcoming challenges and obstacles, and while grades should matter to you, the letter grade, in itself, should never hold more value than the progress it indicates. 

Students respect and like their teacher as a person

Build deeper relationships with your students and take a personal interest in their lives and well-being. Take time to get to know your students’ out-of-school interests. The more information you have about each of your students, the deeper you can build your relationships and better tailor a learning experience most beneficial to them. Likewise, share appropriate personal information with your students to forge a deeper mutual relationship.

Positively Teaching,  

Randi Muehlen

Forever in the Middle: Student Input

When planning for my classroom I know I will need specific structures and routines to keep my own systems running effectively. However, for the routines and systems that I feel students can help with I like to allow them opportunities for feedback.


Seating
I change my seating assignments (and sometimes arrangement) at the beginning of each month. At this point, the students know the routine and are eager for the change at the beginning of the month. Last time I changed the seating, I had a few students who happened to come by on the last day of the month and were talking about the layout. I said, "Do you want to change it?" and they eagerly got to work! After that, they assigned all new seats for each of the classes. I know it's sometimes hard to release control over that, but honestly the students have known each other now for so many years and they know what will work and what won't work so why not?

The students surprised me by asking NOT
to sit in groups facing each other.
They said they get too distracted.
They decided this arrangement would help them to work
collaboratively but stay more focused. I agree so far!

Other alternatives
1. Assign a small team of students to the task of new seat assignments by providing a blank seating chart and class roster. They can finish it usually in under ten minutes.
2.  Allow students to vote on a new classroom arrangement when given four choices. Majority wins!
3. Ask for volunteers to stay after school or come in at lunch to help assign or rearrange the classroom

The students know their peers best and honestly they do not want a chaotic classroom. They will make good choices when given an opportunity when they know they have an adult's trust.

Instruction 

Giving students a quick opportunity to provide feedback
on their learning can supply data to help improve your
own future instruction. This survey was given at the end of
the year and gave me important information in planning
for the current school year. 

This takes a little bravery on your part, but really can be eye opening. We are in this for the students so really it is their opinion that matters most and we all know they will be, sometimes brutally, honest! An easy way to do this is to create a quick Google Form that they can complete. This gives you immediate results in a user-friendly format.

Possible Questions
1. What do you like most about this class?
2. What is most difficult for you in class?
3. What activities/lessons have we done that helped you feel successful in class?
4. What was the most interesting part of the last unit?
5. What should the teacher stop/start/continue doing?

The most important part of this process is to immediately take action based off the data gathered from the feedback. The last feedback form I gave my students had to do with our routines and with that data, I was able to use student suggestions such as "having a group captain like in Elementary school" to enhance my current routines.

Sometimes it is hard to let go of control over some of our structure, but the rewards of allowing student input are far greater. Students feel validated and that alone helps create an atmosphere of mutual respect within the classroom and strengthens student and teacher relationships. Try it out and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Keep the magic alive,

Kandyce Valverde

Follow my class on Twitter! @valverderules

Worry is Just Wasted Energy

How can we help students cope with stress when they have to take a district benchmark?  Recently, my students had to take our Reading Inventory assessment which is a reading comprehension diagnostic tool.  My fourth graders understand how this test works and that will measure their current Lexile level used to determine reading proficiency.  Of course, students can do well, struggle, or even score lower than the last time they took it. 

As any concerned teacher, I continuously try to find new ways to encourage my students to relax as much as possible and to do their best.  I came across a new strategy at a recent conference I attended and wanted to try it out.  It is quite simple to implement:

1.  Talk to students about what stress is and how it affects us during performance-type assessments.  Let them vocalize their concerns first. I described worry as just wasted energy.  If you allow it to take over, you won't get far in whatever task you have in front of you.

2.  Hand out a half-sheet of lined paper.  Give students 3 or 4 minutes to write down what worries them about the assessment they are about to take.

3.  While they are writing, place two trash cans at opposite ends of the classroom.  As soon as the timer is up, ask students to read what they wrote to themselves one more time.  At a determined signal, have students roll up their paper into a ball and toss it into a basket.

4.  When my students threw their "worry balls" into the baskets, I could feel the tension released.  There were a few cheers as well.  Do NOT pick up the rolled up worry balls.  Leave them right where they landed.  I told my students that if they begin to stress out they could simply look towards everyone's concerns on the floor or in the basket to remind them that the act of worry is just wasted energy. 

5.  Needless to say, reading gains were MUCH more than I had expected.  Of course, these gains are not exclusively because of this strategy but I hope it relaxed them enough to get through it with confidence!

Happy Writing!
Gustavo Macuil

Greet Me Please

Greet Me Please

One thing that I love about my job is that no matter how my morning starts at home (spilled coffee) or on the way to school (terrible traffic) or in the school building before students arrive (copier is broken), when my students arrive it feels like it's the start of something new and positive.  My hope for my students is that they feel that same sense of a fresh start when they walk into my class each morning. One way I've helped build this feeling is to implement a special morning greeting.  

Why not start each day with a greeting at the door?  

Mornings in the classroom can be chaotic at times. There are days it feels like quite an accomplishment to get attendance taken.  So then why would I propose adding one more thing to your busy morning? Because it's a simple thing that can have a tremendously positive impact on the rest of the day for you and your students.  A personal morning greeting begins the day in a positive way. I love the smiles that appear when students get to choose a greeting that allows their individual personality to shine through. It also serves as a chance to renew a day that may have started off rough. A welcome allows every student the opportunity to feel warmth and respect, maybe for the first time that day. Morning greetings are also an excellent way to create strong bonds with your students. They allow students to feel individually noticed by you. Giving every child a sense of belonging is key to ensuring they feel safe and are ready to learn.  

How can we start our mornings with a greeting?

Though the start of the year is probably ideal, I believe morning greetings can be put into effect at any point throughout the year, as long as it is introduced and made into a daily routine so that your students will embrace it with open arms.

1. Create a variety of morning greeting options for students to choose from.
2. Hang the greetings on the door and change them weekly.
3. Every morning open the door and have students choose what greeting they want by pointing to it.  
4. Greet students with that greeting.
5. Watch them smile!

After I teach the teacher-student morning greeting, I then introduce procedures on how students can greet each other each morning. As with all new classroom routines, it takes time to learn.  I consistently model and practice many times over before I expect students to automatically do it each morning. Just as with the teacher greeting, I give students a choice of partner greetings.  

We then practice proper ways to greet a friend.  The kids practice each morning until it becomes part of their morning routine.  Here is the list I give to students:

1. Stand up tall.
2. Make eye contact and smile.
3. Use a clear, friendly voice.
4. Use friendly body language.
5. Be safe.
6. Wait for your turn.
7. Listen while others greet you.

I hope the smiles on my students' faces will motivate you to try morning greetings with your class. It's a fun and straightforward routine that sets a positive mood for the rest of the day. It has the ability to brighten days, deepen relationships, and build our students' confidence and communication skills. That seems like a whole lot of good for one routine!

 Positively Teaching,  

Randi Muehlen

Forever in the Middle: Building Classroom Community

Building a Classroom Community

Welcome back to school, teachers!  One of the things I work hard to build and maintain in my classroom is a safe community environment where students feel welcome.  Creating a classroom that feels like a community only takes a few quick and easy steps.

Step 1:  Create a welcoming environment
Teachers are pros at decorating but setting up a welcoming environment really means nothing more than creating an organized and clean space with a few decorative details.  It's not necessary to go over the top with decorating.  If you walk into your own classroom and are able to feel more relaxed or happy, then you've accomplished this first step.

Step 2: Show your students you enjoy their company
I know the old mantra is "don't smile until Christmas," but I never was any good at following that. Having fun with the kids and being cheerful has always worked out better for me.  One new approach I tried out this year and am really enjoying is my Roll Call Question.  Each day, students have a question they are asked such as, "what is your favorite color?" or  "would you rather live without music or TV?" The possibilities are really endless with these.  Then I use my equity cards to call each student and instead of responding with "here," they answer the question. It takes less than 90 seconds each period and students get to know each other a little more as a bonus.

Now, three weeks into the school year, they look forward to the question and I've even had kids suggest the next day's question.  I've been extremely impressed with what effect this has had on the classroom community and it's always fun to see what they say to some of our crazy questions like, "is cereal soup?"

Step 3: Teach classroom structures
We all know that kids crave structure and usually do better in environments where they know what to expect.  This is why teaching classroom structures is a great way to build community.  Some structures to teach are: entering and exiting the classroom, passing out or handing in assignments, moving around the classroom, restroom and drinking fountain procedures, and student versus teacher areas.  Once these have been mastered, give your students jobs within the class to help things run smoothly. Sharing the responsibilities gives them a purpose within the group.

Other ways I build community:

This year I am exploring using flexible seating and I have seen great success with my students. The freedom to "choose where you learn best" allows my students to really take charge of their own success and learn how to make good choices in where they sit and who they sit with. Also, they get to feel more grownup as they see that I trust them to make these choices.

Another feature of my classroom is our class pet, Claire.  She is a two month old bearded dragon and the students love having her in the room. As she gets older and larger, she will be able to be out more as I teach but for now she is in her cage most of the time. Since she is growing and will be nearly full grown by the end of the school year, we even do a weekly measurement of her length to see how much she has grown.  She also has an Instagram account (@foxywaterclaire) because every class pet needs an Instagram, right?

Whatever approach you take to build your classroom community, the most important thing is to make sure that however you do it, make it genuine.  Kids are extremely perceptive and appreciate honesty as well as respect.

Until next time, keep the magic alive.

Kandyce Valverde

Let me know how you build relationships and community in your classroom in the comments below!

Follow what my class is up to on my teacher Twitter @valverderules

Teambuilding with Kagan!

Teambuilding with Kagan!

My kiddos sharing the contents of their "Me Bags"
within their table groups

In order to build a sense of community and trust within your classroom, team building should be done every day for at least the first week of school.  After that it is recommended that it be done twice a week to help students maintain that sense of trust.  Team Building should be non-academic in nature, and a task that requires all members of a group to participate in order to complete the task.

Teambuilding creates enthusiasm, trust, and mutual support, which in the long run leads to more effective academic work!   -Dr. Kagan

Effectively organizing teambuilding activities, can help the child who feels the most unsuccessful become the MOST successful member of the team. Every student gets to contribute his/her own skills to better the group as a whole.  I have seen the quietest students blossom into being more active participants in their group and in class in general, which of course then leads them to academic success as well. In the video below you can see my students participating in Kagan Teambuilding activities the first couple weeks of school.  They shared “Me Bags” with their groups, they also participated in the Team Sentence building activity, the Team Word Finder activity, and the About Me Question Cards- just to name a few!  ALL students were engaged and excited to participate with each other. Now being ONLY 3 weeks into the school  year my students are ALREADY working together cohesively in teams, and not just when I ask them to! They are already comfortable enough that they are naturally gravitating towards teamwork even when I haven’t prompted them to do so.  Just today during a teambuilding activity, I heard one of my students say to the other one “Look! Zolin came up with the word “due.” That was a good word Zolin!” It was super cute, and exactly the type of encouragement, feedback, and respect that I hope to build into my students!

Kagan says that through teambuilding students get to know, like, and respect their teammates. Student teams meet some of students most important needs: to feel known; to feel liked; to feel accepted; to feel a sense of belonging; and to be successful. Here are the 5 essential components that Kagan suggests are needed to develop cohesive teams:


1.  Getting Acquainted: Getting to know your teammates.  I used the “Me Bag,” and the “About Me Questions” activities from Kagan, to help implement this structure (seen in the video above).  

 2.  Team Identity: Forming a team identity.  You can have students create team names, posters, cheers, etc.  I have my kiddos come up with team cheers.  They love doing this, and they come out super cute.  I also used the “Team Word Finder” and the “Team Sentences” activities from Kagan to reinforce this as well.

 3. Mutual Support: Feeling supported by teammates. Helping students create a feeling of mutual support when they know that they can and need to rely on each other.

 4.  Valuing Differences: Clarifying and respecting differing values.  These are activities that clarify an individuals own values and beliefs and help students come to an understanding where they respect each other’s individuality and differences.

 5. Developing Synergy: Building on teammates contributions. These are tasks that encourage students to build on each other’s ideas.  When cooperatively working in a group, the group product can be better than the product of even the most accomplished individual.  You want your students to reach this level of cooperative learning in order to maximize their learning experience. 

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net