Practice, practice, practice

The second week of school was a week full of PRACTICE.  I kept reminding myself to practice and not scold.  Boy, is it hard sometimes!  

By the second week of school the class was tired.  The novelty of the first week had worn off and the sleep deprivation from starting school at 7:30 am had set in.  Lets just say....they were not very energetic.  They were not following directions quickly or responding appropriately.  

My first line of defense is the scoreboard.  It is an amazing tool.  According to the +/- 3 rule, neither side should ever be too far ahead so as to maintain the anticipation.  There are some days, like I had last week, where I could have easily had 3 happy points vs. 15 frownie points.  However, I realized that it was important for me to keep the +/- 3 because...

• it forced me to look for and celebrate positive behaviors.
• when we were 3 frownie points ahead it gave me a big reminder to STOP and PRACTICE.  Continuing to add to the frownie points wouldn't be very effective.  The class needed time to focus on procedures.  
• it has the ability to bring amazing energy to the classroom!  Maintain a fast paced volley between Oh Yeah! and the Might Groan and it draws the stragglers in.

Here is a little look at my scoreboard- its not pretty, but it serves its purpose and gets plenty of use!

Here are some ways that we practiced:

• We reviewed proper procedures using Mirror.  (You should have seen my "How to wash your hands" lesson!  We mirrored, taught, non-exampled, exampled, and then actually practiced at the sink!)
• Students taught their partner procedures using Teach-Ok.  (They told their partner many times what to do when the teacher says "Class".)
• We pretended in order to offer practice opportunities.  (Pretend to talk to your partner....."Class, class, class!"...."Yes, yes, yes!")
• We did things over, and over, and over again.  ("Page 32....I don't hear any voices, we need to practice again!  Page 32."   "Page 32, page 32, page 32," as they open their books quickly.)
• Students modeled the wrong way and the right way.

I know that we will continue to practice as needed ALL YEAR LONG.  But I also know that intensive practice now will produce a smoothly run classroom later and a very happy teacher! :)

Check back soon!  I can't wait to tell you more about our new line up procedures and the Universal Homework Model!

Allison

WBT Intern, 2011-12

WBT, Week 1

The first week of school is over, and I slept for 12 hours last night!  Teaching is exhausting, but I am pleased to have Whole Brain Teaching to minimize the stress!

Within the first half hour of the first day, my 2nd graders were answering class-yes,  cheering on the scoreboard, and using the teach-ok like champs!  It was awesome! 

Our school now has a "social skill of the week."  This week it was, "Make eye contact while speaking."  This went along perfectly with learning the teach-ok.  

"Remember, make eye contact with your partner!"  

After a few days I added in the Switch.  They were giggling and smiling with joy as they called out, "ah-oh, switch!" and pulled the imaginary switch to take turns.

On Monday we started by learning only the first three rules.  The students mirrored me as we practiced the gestures.  The rules are a great way for them to start learning the teach-ok.  They taught their partner each rule and then practiced them all in order.  On Tuesday and Wednesday we added another rule.

By the end of the week the students were tired and getting sluggish.  I amped up the scoreboard, called out the rules for practice when someone broke them, and rehearsed, rehearsed, rehearsed.  I had to keep Chris Biffle's words in mind, "Whole Brain Teachers never scold...they rehearse!"  That sure is hard to remember some times, but it does keep the blood pressure down ;-)


Allison
WBT Intern, 2011-12

The Power of the Scoreboard

One of the cornerstones of WBT is the scoreboard.  It is so simple, but so powerful.  It brings an energy to the classroom that I never had before.  It keeps the class on their toes and keeps them engaged.  Best of all it is an easy way to manage behavior. 

In the past, I've tried recording points on the board to motivate students.  Just putting points on the board doesn't really work.  The WBT scoreboard takes into account how people are motivated.  According to the website:

One thing you must understand from the start is that you should not let the difference between smilies and frownies be greater than 3.  This is the +- 3 rule.   if you reward too much your students will become lackadaisical. If you penalize too much, they will become resentful.  That is the reason for the +-3 rule.
Smilies and frownies will build quickly at first, but fall off as your students get better at procedures.

As with everything WBT, I think, "Wow! That is so simple, yet so true!"  I have found that the scoreboard was key in teaching procedures at the beginning of the year and so helpful at maintaining discipline even in these last few weeks.

I have to admit that when I'm in a bad mood or not feeling well, I really don't want to deal with the scoreboard.  It takes a conscious effort to use the scoreboard and sometimes I just want to get through the day and not have to think too much.  I've been super-stressed the past few weeks, and have fallen into a slump.  On Thursday I decided to bring it up a notch and really focus on the scoreboard.  It was so much fun!  In the first hour of school we had a total of twenty points on the board.  I just can't tell you how exciting and uplifting it is to have all 20 students cheering their success in unison.  The more points the better.  It keeps the students on the edge of their seats and brings in a level of excitement and intensity to the classroom.  It makes the students happy, keeps them in line, and prevents me from reverting back to hypertension-inducing practices like yelling and griping at the kids. 

My only problem with the scoreboard is the physical constraint of having to be nearby to mark points.  My white board is usually covered by the screen pulled down in front of it for the projector.  Half way through the year I decided to change to a mini, hand-held whiteboard that I can carry around.  It definitely helps...but I already have a problem with losing things frequently.  Maybe I just need to hang one around my neck so that I can't walk away from it!  Fellow Wibbeteers, does anyone else have this problem?

In my ideal world I would have a monitor on the wall exclusively used to project a digital scoreboard.  Then I would have a remote control in my pocket so that I could easily access it at any point in the classroom.  Maybe I should ask my techy brother to work on this for me. :)