What's the current climate in your classroom this year? Do your students appear motivated? After reading this chapter, how will you start to address this? What strategies stood out to you and what strategies of your own have you found successful? Over time you will find ways to motivate the majority of your class. This would be a great group to seek input from when you have those few kiddos that still don't respond to strategies you use to increase motivation.
The author referenced the work of Carol Dweck, author of Mindset (2006), and the concept of learned and growth mind-sets. The subtle conversations we have with students, that last mere seconds, hold such power in the type of mind-set we want to promote with our students. What are your thoughts on this section of the chapter?
Great conversations thus far everyone. I am happy to see some new names popping up in the comments! If you missed a discussion week you may go back to that conversation, read, reflect, and make your post. You will still get credit for posting that week even if it is posted out of sequence.
For next week, read Chapter 6- Engage for Deep Understanding.
It is still early for me to access classroom climate yet since I am one of the once a week bunch. It helps that I have been at a school more than a year now as I get to know and engage with my students better. My climate so depends on what the regular classroom teacher does. I feel so blessed to work with such outstanding teachers who support their students and me in building that so important classroom atmosphere. My schedule can be grueling at times, it can be difficult to be as novel and fresh in my approach as I would like. After many years of teaching, this is one aspect I know is important, but can be difficult to attain. Humor, novelty and energy are all aspects that should be ever present........
ReplyDeleteI agree that humor is important!
DeleteI agree Karen as a special area teacher the climate of each classroom changes as they come to us as each individual teacher is unique in how they manage their group. I do like at Boulevard that we have school expectations and we all use the same language so the students hear a common message. I too agree humor helps to keep us all balanced.
DeleteI feel my classroom culture is starting out great (new student is making start over again...). We began with classroom jobs as I do every year and a problem the first day -thanks to my partner in crime Elizabeth-and they loved working in teams to save Fred!!!! A couple other things are the class Dojo and auctions with the money they earn. I was really against morning meetings (sorry Lyndsi) but I really love them now. I like the way our day starts off. I really think this year is going to be great!
ReplyDeleteI loved Saving Fred! Definitely a keeper! :)
DeleteI'm so happy that your classroom culture is starting out great! It is refreshing when we all love to come to school! I am also using classroom jobs to help motivate my students. I have a substitute assigned for when a student is absent, and that student loves to get paid on Fridays even when they don't do any work! The pay is candy from my candy jar, and they are excited! I also have a linguist, a computer expert, a secretary, and librarian.
DeleteI appreciate hearing about the variety of approaches different teachers try in order to engage his or her students.
DeleteI love DOJO as do the students. We total up our points on Friday and choose activities for Fun Friday, like legos, leapsters, computers.......
DeleteIt's fun and the students want as many DOJOs as possible so they can choose which activity to go to first.
I really love morning meeting! When I first started teaching we did a version of it and then after a few years we were told we couldn't do it because our reading block started first thing:( But I am glad it has switched back to placing value in starting the day off that way.
DeleteOverall, I would say that most are motivated or can be!! :) I enjoyed the "Get a Trial Size Effort" section. I would like to do more engaging with physical responses. Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the solution on page 75-76 for drumroll drawings. While reading this, I realized that I could assign a section of social studies, for example, to read. The kids would then submit their own "test" questions on this lesson on pieces of paper. We could then have a drawing for students to answer submitted questions, that I of course would vet before using them.
ReplyDeleteI also use self-assess on a regular basis. We use a quick thumbs up, sideways, or down to see how well we are understanding the concepts taught. It gives me a real idea of how they are doing, and the thumbs are kept under their chin, close to their chest, to make it more private.
So far, this chapter echoes best the underlying theme of the Model Schools Conference - that is, creating a culture of learning! With managing my voice level, and considering their physical needs, my class really is working together as a cohesive group. They are even including my three MiMD students who come for all except reading and math! I do feel fortunate, and am hoping to keep this climate up for the year!
I'm glad you have a great class to teach! I like reading this book and thinking about MSC and then thinking about how I'm going to implement it in my classroom. I also do the thumbs up, thumbs down assessment. It works even in first grade. They know if their thumb is down I'll come help them.
DeleteIn my classroom settings the prevailing theme is on task and ready to learn. My students are highly motivated to participate in PE class and STEM. We work hard to create an expectation to be as efficient as possible to not lose minutes we could be actively working and learning. The advantage of teaching classes in specific time frames if a class wastes time they learn quickly they have lost the time to complete all the tasks we had planned because they need to leave so the next class can come in. Usually after this happens once they quickly remind each other to get on task so we can spend every minute engaged in the activity. I also like to select students who are on task to be helpers at the end of STEM class which reinforces our PRIDE procedures.
ReplyDeleteI love the energy that is conveyed by your prevailing theme. You are so right that if students waste time, they lose it. That is a real advantage to what we teach.because it is for a short time and only once or twice a week.
DeleteI like how you reward students by being helpers at the end of your STEM class. I think we can do so many quick things like this that help set the climate for the classroom that don't cost money and create a positive atmosphere.
DeleteI feel as though I'm still struggling with my classroom culture this year. I can't really say why because I have no clue. I think it's just hard for my brain to reset. I went from saying good bye to second graders and hello to kindergartners. I'm a first grade teacher and it's just hard to readjust the mindset sometimes. We're getting there. Things are calming, procedures are being followed. And rules that they have developed themselves are now in effect (pg 76).
ReplyDeleteOh, the fixed mind set. I like how the book said it's deadly because it is even for first graders. My students know what they're shooting for in reading levels. They also know once they pass that goal they'll get another and another. I keep telling them you're not ready to stop learning so I'm not ready to stop teaching.
Since I have been in many classrooms this year it has been very interesting to see the climate in those classrooms and how it impacts the students. In many of the classrooms the students are motivated and you can tell that almost immediately by how the students are interacting with the teacher and their classmates. I feel that managing risk is a very important action the increases motivation and effort. The author states, “Students will put more effort into learning when the risk level is low.” Students must know that this is truly a safe environment and if they take the risk to answer they won’t be made fun of or met with sarcasm by their teacher or classmates. I always tried to make that a priority in my classroom. And as I am interacting with many classrooms this year that’s one thing I’m always drawn to seeing how the teacher has set that aspect up in their room. I really liked the “two rounds” for questions under manage risk. I’ve never done this questioning strategy but I loved the predictability of the only two types of responses the students make.
ReplyDeleteI thought the section on mind-set was great! I’ve heard teachers in the past say comments like the ones in the book. Well “you can be good at other things” I always cringed when I heard them made. Getting students, especially at the poverty level, to understand they have control over their capacity to grow and over their learning is incredibly important.