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How to Engage Students the Week Before Break

December 12, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

It is the week before a school vacation and student energy is running high. Just when the students are excited for the holidays and sometimes unable to contain their enthusiasm, you are probably feeling exhausted and ready for your own well -deserved break. How can you possibly hope to engage students in meaningful activities?

You can make the most of a fun and exciting time of year without sacrificing classroom management or giving up on learning goals. Here are some things to consider:

Remind students of classroom rules and behavior expectations.

You’ve worked hard to establish a classroom where all students can learn. This is NOT the time to ignore your classroom procedures and rules.

Beginning teachers often make one of two mistakes during times of high student energy such as before holidays and vacations, during special weeks such as homecoming, or before special school events.

One mistake is to suddenly clamp down, and become a dictator. Teachers who resort to this method often demand silence. They try to contain student energy by giving lots of work- often in the form of unengaging worksheets. They tighten up on management, giving an increased number of time-outs, detentions, checkmarks or red lights. These teachers try to maintain order through control. Unfortunately, it often sucks the life blood out of both the teacher and the students.

Another rookie mistake is to go to the other extreme and lighten up on rules and procedures. It is often easier to look the other way, and relax expectations rather than challenge unwanted behaviors. This can quickly lead to an out of control and unproductive classroom.

Fortunately, there is a happy medium. Remind students of the rules and expectations. Explain that you understand that they are excited and you are excited too. You want to be able to do some special and fun activities with them. You know they will enjoy the activities and learn a lot too, but you are going to need their cooperation. After they agree, you can move on to explain the activity.

Plan Extremely Engaging Activities

This is the time to pull out all the stops and use your best, most fun and engaging activities. You can easily teach standards and engage students with activities such as the following:

Introduce a lesson on states of matter by playing music from the movie Frozen. Then conduct experiments with ice, snow and water.

Have students work with a partner, choose a country from anywhere in the world, and research holiday traditions in that country. Have them prepare a book, poster or oral presentation.

Another idea is to take a holiday tradition and research its origins. Where did Candy Canes come from? Why do we hang stockings by the fire? Why is the dreidel a classic holiday game?

Read a classic holiday poem, story or song such as The 12 Days of Christmas or O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. Have students rewrite the song or story with a modern twist. What would replace a partridge in a pear tree in the modern version?

Have students work in small groups to practice and present Readers Theatre presentations of holiday poems. Another idea is to use a script of a classic holiday story. The Christmas Truce tells the story of a true historical event that happened during the first world war. It is available as a free Readers Theatre script for grades 4-8. Many other scripts are available on line.

Have students create original math problems using the content you have been working on and infusing the problems with holiday words, themes or stories. Collect them and make a math review activity using the students’ math problems.

As a class, write “Write Around Stories.” Review the parts of a story. Then, each student takes out a sheet of paper and writes the opening sentences for a dramatic adventure story. When the timer rings, students pass on their story to the person sitting next to them. They then add the next part of the story. Keep the timer buzzing and the papers moving. Announce that time is up and return all papers to their original owners. Students then read the stories and write the ending. They can also edit and revise. Allow time to read the stories orally in small groups.

Use this time to continue to build classroom community.

Ask a holiday related question such as “what is your favorite holiday tradition?” as you take attendance.

As a class, work together to create cards and/or gifts for others. This might include parents and siblings, school workers and bus drivers, nursing home residents or a local homeless shelter.

Make a project of creating a special class celebration. Have every student bring in an item to make “Stone Soup.” Measure, chop and cook something together. Allow students to work on “committees” to create invitations, musical playlists, decorations, placemats and games for your celebration. Student presentations can make excellent entertainment. Spice it up by adding a microphone and sound system.

Create a tree of learning. Build a large tree out of craft paper and attach it to a bulletin board or use an artificial Christmas tree. Have students create ornaments out of construction paper. Each ornament is labeled with key ideas they have learned this year.

You likely have fond memories of special activities and celebrations you had in your years of school. Now, as teachers, you have a chance to create these special memories for the students you teach. The week before a vacation can be a fun and productive week if you take your curriculum, add a bit of spice and engage students in fun and memorable activities.

Good luck!

Do you want more engaging activities? Check out our post 4 Great Active Learning Strategies for All Content Areas.

4 Great Active Learning Strategies for All Content Areas

November 28, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 7 Comments

Are you using active learning strategies in your classroom? It is no great secret that students who are actively engaged in learning learn more and create fewer behavior management problems.

We love active learning strategies that can be used in any curriculum area and across different grade levels. Here are four of our favorite active learning strategies. Each strategy can be completed in 10-15 minutes.

Walk the Walls

This strategy works as a strategy to get students ready to learn new content or as a way to review what they have read or discussed. It is a good warm-up and generally takes 10-15 minutes.

Determine a set of 6-8 questions related to the day’s lesson. For example:

Which mammals have you seen in person? (3^rd grade science)

Why do you think slaves joined the confederate army? (9^th grade US History)

How do you think you would have reacted to finding an abused dog? (5^th grade reading)

What are some different ways to great someone in Spanish (1^st year Spanish)

Gather 6-8 large pieces of paper. Place one question on each sheet. Place the sheets on the walls around the room.

Instruct students to take a marker or pen and walk around the room quietly writing their answers on each sheet. When time is up, discuss their answers.

Speed Dating (or for elementary students “Line Learning”)

Prepare a list of questions for discussion. The questions can help to introduce new content or review previously learned content.

Have students stand in two lines, facing each other.

Set a time limit, such as one minute. Determine which line will talk first and which line will listen. Ask a question. Students have one minute to talk about the answer with the person facing them. Then reverse speakers. For the next question, have one row move one place to the right so that each person is facing a new partner. The person on the end goes to the other end of the line. Repeat.

So What, Who Cares? What Does This Have to Do with Me?

Students like the cheekiness of this title. In reality, it is a discussion tool that allows students to process new information and create relevancy. When students see the relevance of information, they are more likely to pay attention to it and to remember it.

After reading or discussing new content, have students divide into pairs or small groups. Given the topic, have students determine why the topic is important, who is impacted by it, and how the topic connects to their everyday life. Choose several groups to share their insight.

Four Corners

This is an active learning strategy that gets students up and out of their desks or chairs. Create a list of 5 or 6 questions based on your content. Each question should have four possible answers. This activity works best when answers can be personal reactions or responses to the content.

Here is an example from a unit on biomes;

What is your personal experience with deserts?

I have lived in a desert.
I have been on vacation to a desert.
I have read a book about a desert.
I don’t have any personal experiences with a desert.

Read the questions and assign one corner of the room for each answer. Students physically move to the corner of the room that corresponds to their answer. Once students have landed in place, briefly discuss their responses before moving on to the next question.

These active learning strategies are a fun way to get ready to build background knowledge or to process what they have recently learned. We hope you will give them a try!

Happy active learning,

November: First-Year Teacher Blues

November 14, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

While friends and family view November in oranges, reds, and yellows, new teachers may experience November as blue. Yes, blue. As in first-year teacher blues. “I think I’ve got the blues” or “I am feeling blue” are common sentiments for new teachers in November.

For all teachers, especially those in their first year of teaching, November is not all pumpkin spice lattes and long walks in the leaves. For teachers, November is crunch time.

By November, your students are comfortable with you. They are settled into routines, which might mean boredom or a need for more variety. They may react by showing negative behaviors.

By November, you have survived all the beginning of the year meetings. You’ve dealt with learning new curriculum, parent- teacher conferences, progress reports and report cards. It is a lot.

By November, you’ve settled into a rhythm of writing lesson plans, grading student papers, and writing I.E.P.’s. You are trying harder and harder to to stay organized as the demands on your time and energy increase.

By November, you see your friends first enjoying free time while you are home trying to catch up with your never-ending work.

By November, you are feeling exhausted. You begin to question whether you are in the field or whether you actually have what it takes to do this job.

Ellen Moir and the New Teacher Center followed thousands of teachers throughout their first years of teaching. Their research has shown that new teachers tend to go through a similar set of six phases in their first year of teaching.

According to their research (and our own observations and experience confirm it), the end of November through the end of December is the toughest time for new teachers. This is when new teachers hit rock bottom.

But…it is all uphill from here! If you are struggling, you are not alone. It will get better. Here is why:

New Teacher Center image of phases of first year teacher attitudes. — Image via Ellen Moir and New Teacher Center

Moir and the New Teacher Center describe the first-year teacher’s attitude toward teaching in these six easy to understand phases:

Anticipation: This phase starts in student teaching and generally carries new teachers into the first week of school. The excitement they feel, along with the sense of purpose and wanting to make a difference, are high. The new teacher’s idealism is praise-worthy but they may have romanticized teaching just a bit.

Survival: This phase begins in the first month of school. There is so much to learn, and not enough time to learn it in. Even if they had great teacher preparation, new teachers begin to feel overwhelmed with the commitment, amount of curriculum to learn, and the day-to-day tasks that seem all-consuming. Though overwhelmed, the new teacher still is optimistic and comes to work excited most days.

Disillusionment: This phase is the most disheartening and is the reason we are giving this reminder in November. Look at the graphic. This is when new teachers hit their lowest point. After about 6-8 weeks of strenuous teaching, new teachers begin to question their ability to teach and their commitment to teaching. Behavior management often becomes a focus, as do parent-teacher conferences, and nerves about a first formal evaluation.

At this point when the new teacher feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day to get everything done, friends and family may begin to express their concern that the new teacher is spending too much time on their work and not enough time on their personal lives. It can be a “blue” fall for new teachers, but hope is right around the corner.

Rejuvenation: Hooray for winter break! This short break gives new teachers time to catch up on their rest, relaxation, sleep, laughter, family and friends. There is also time for reflection on the first half of the year and additional time to think of improvements for the second half. The new teacher’s attitude about teaching slowly starts to rise again for the first few months after the much-needed break. The feelings of defeat slowly subside to productive energy.

Reflection: Near the end of the year, new teachers have a chance to reflect back upon the year. As they think ahead about the following year, they focus on what went well and what can be improved upon for next year. They begin to develop a new sense of relief, and their general feelings are those of energy and anticipation for the future.

These phases, experienced by thousands of new teachers, help to explain why November, which is full of brilliant fall colors can actually can seem “blue” for new teachers. But these phases also help us to see that the winter break will bring about a more hopeful spring.

November is a time of first-year teacher blues. Rock bottom blues. But it gets better. Remind yourself why you became a teacher. Read this post to inspire you.

Hang in there, new teachers. Your attitude will grow uphill from here. We promise.

We’ve got a new free guide for what to say to students to improve classroom motivation and management. Interested? Grab it below!

Flexible Seating- A Student’s Perspective

October 31, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Flexible seating. Have you heard anyone talking about it? We certainly have. In fact, we wrote an article about it a year and a half ago giving a teacher’s perspective of flexible seating.

In a nutshell, flexible seating is about offering students choices in where they work, whether it is tables and chairs, traditional desks, a bean bag on the floor, exercise balls, or a standing desk.

Since the time of our last flexible seating blog post, it has become more commonplace in schools in varying degrees of implementation. We hear teachers talking about the benefits and potential drawbacks. We hear parents and administrators sharing their concerns and triumphs. Overall, the reviews of flexible seating are cautiously positive but we still felt liking something was missing.

Then it came to us…we hadn’t heard the STUDENT opinion of flexible seating. So, we found ourselves a 5^th grader in a flexible seating classroom who was more than willing to share his opinions on flexible seating.

What would we see if we walked into your flexible seating classroom?

It is neat. Maybe not “neat” in the way of a normal classroom but it is a LOT better. You would find yoga balls, a table that is lower to the ground and one that is higher so you can stand up to work if you want. There is a table that you can sit at with the yoga balls that you can bounce on…but just a tiny bit…you shouldn’t really bounce much at all. There is another table with big dice for the seats that are much more comfortable than a normal chair. There are some couches and a few carpets that you can lay or sit on. There is another rug under the low table so it is comfortable to sit on the floor. There are no desks but there are baskets to put all of your stuff in. The baskets are in the shelving area in the back corner. Everyone has their own basket. They are metal.

Can you explain why you like the flexible seating?

It helps you focus. You don’t have to just sit in one spot. You know how sometimes your head can hurt… from too much work… or MAP testing… when you are trying to concentrate too much? This classroom is better because you can sit how you want so your head doesn’t hurt. We actually have a chair that is really comfortable and meant to help your back. It is soooo much more comfortable and easier to do work in. We can’t put our computers on the ground but we can sit at the tables or other places with the computers.

What are some disadvantages to a flexible seating classroom?

Some people can mess around in it and abuse what they have. Sometimes people will jump up and down on the yoga balls. That distracts you and makes it hard for you to read. The flexible seating is meant to relax you, not to distract you.

What happens when people bounce on the balls and distract others?

My teacher says, “No bouncing.” If people still keep bouncing, my teacher says they can’t sit in that spot for a day. If they keep bouncing, it could maybe become two or three days, I guess. I don’t really know because that hasn’t happened.

What else should people know about flexible seating?

Another good thing is that you can sit wherever you want. You don’t have assigned seating. You can sit by your friends. When you have to talk to someone for group work, the whole class can be talking at once with their partners and it doesn’t get loud because you are spread out and whispering.

Do you think teachers should switch to flexible seating classrooms?

Yes! It is so much easier to work in. In a regular classroom it gets a little hard and a little boring because you sit in the same spot every day for about a month or two before they switch the desks. In flexible seating, you don’t have to sit in the same spot. You don’t have to sit by a particular person 24/7. You can sit by different people on different days or by different people in the same day. You can sit wherever you want and where you work best.

It was clear by this fifth grader’s animated voice and positive description of his flexible seating classroom, that he loves the concept in theory and in action.

Are you as sold on the concept of flexible seating as he is? Do you share the same concerns about distractability? Or do the benefits outweigh the potential distractions? Has this fifth grader sold you on flexible classrooms?

Wishing you a comfortable place to work today so your head doesn’t hurt from concentrating too much (we used great restraint not to laugh during that part of the interview),

Listening- The Classroom Management Strategy that Time Forgot

October 10, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

As teachers, we are doing 15 different things at any given moment. Every minute of the school day is occupied with students, meetings, prepping, and data collection and analysis. We continually have students talking to us. We half listen to their stories as we scan the class to be sure everyone is on-task. We find ourselves wishing our long-winded students would finish their story before we lose the rest of the class. We try to listen. We really do. But there is just so much we need to get done in a day.

Years ago, when education wasn’t moving at rollercoaster speed, teachers had time to sit down and listen to students. They also had less behavioral issues. Coincidence? We don’t think so.

When teachers listen to students, really listen, it shows students that their teacher has a vested interest in them. It relays the message that what the student has to say is important enough that an adult will stop what they are doing and listen.

Listening can also help us to better understand a student’s perspective. When a student has a behavioral issue in your class, you may think you know what happened. Asking a student, “What just happened there?” allows you to hear their perspective on the situation. Taking it even further, by sitting and actively listening to their reply, shows the student you care about their perspective.

Listening will help you to more fully understand your students’ needs and motivations. Attentive listening can help you proactively understand what is happening in a student’s mind to prevent further behavioral issues.

In today’s fast paced world of education, with standards and pacing hovering right over our heads, it can be nearly impossible to take time to listen to each student each day. However, if listening for a student talk with you for 2 minutes can decrease 5 minutes of behavioral issues with that student later in the day, isn’t it worth it?

We offer the following advice for listening to students in a way that will decrease later behavioral issues:

Resist all urges to “fix” the situation the student is sharing with you– It is our urge, as caring individuals in a helping profession, to jump in right away and offer solutions to a student’s problem. However, this can leave a student feeling like we didn’t honor their situation. It can also leave them feeling belittled because the teacher solved the problem so quickly when it was not that easy for the student. Finally, jumping in and offering advice before a student finishes their story does not show them you honor their experience. Instead of offering solutions, ask questions that lead the student to find their own solutions or value in their experience.

Use your roster as a way of keeping track of who you have listened to each day– Try and listen to your students as much as possible. Students who are attention seeking will not seek your attention in negative ways if they can have your ear in a positive way. To make sure all students get your attention, use your roster as a checklist of who you have listened to. Each time you have the opportunity to listen to a story that a student tells, place a checklist next to their name on a printed copy of your roster. Be sure that each student gets a checklist by their name on a rotating basis.

Make every free moment count- Take advantage of every opportunity to talk with students. There may be a free moment to talk to a student in the hall, before working with a student individually, or in between classes. You will be surprised how many opportunities arise to talk with a student each day when you are intentionally looking for them.

Listening can also occur in reading a student’s written thoughts– Listening does not always have to be an auditory experience. You can assign informal and ungraded writing assignments in which students share their thoughts and stories with you in writing. Be sure that the prompts will help you to learn about the students and that there is no evaluation associated with the assignments. Provide prompts that will help you learn about the student in a way that could prevent future behavioral issues or increase your rapport with them.

Create classroom sharing opportunities– Share some of your own stories to help students see differing perspectives. Model appropriate ways to share your feelings and experiences. By creating an environment that allows participants to express their feelings, opinions, and experiences, you are creating a space in which students will feel safe to tell their own stories and share their own perspectives when behavioral issues occur.

Wait for a student to de-escalate from an issue before asking them to explain their actions- When adrenaline is high, communication skills decrease. Wait for a student’s adrenaline to work its way out of their system before asking them to explain their perspective on a behavioral issue that occurred. You both will be more open to the sharing if you have a few minutes to calm yourselves before talking and listening.

We realize that all of these suggestions cannot be implemented overnight, nor are they all-inclusive. However, like we suggested in another recent article about addressing behavioral issues, good relationships with students will almost always improve student behaviors. Even if allowing students to share their stories does not help you to better see their perspectives, listening to them will most definitely help to build better relationships.

Happy Listening,

P.S. Do you want more information about preventing problematic student behaviors? Enter your name and e-mail below and we will send you our free guide to motivation and management!

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Walk the Walls

Speed Dating (or for elementary students “Line Learning”)

So What, Who Cares? What Does This Have to Do with Me?

Four Corners

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