Teacher Tips – Wright Now

Ableism

I joined a Book Circle with colleagues from Cal Poly. We read Demysifying Disability by Emily Ladau. She is a fierce advocate for disability rights. Each member of the book circle took a chapter to explore and present to the group. I had Chapter 4, Ableism and Accessibility. I decided to extract the quotes I found that resonated the most with me. I then created slides to share with the group.

What is Ableism?

“Attitudes, actions, and circumstances that devalue people because they have a disability or perceived as having a disability.”
Ladau, E. L. (n.d.). Demystifying Disability

“ Ableism takes a heavy toll. Too many disabled people have been led to believe that our lives are not worth living…..That line of thinking is unequivocally untrue. Disabled lives are worth living. “ p. 75

“The Women’s March did not include disabilities as part of their “Unity Principals.” p. 76

“Disability must be included in social justice movements. Excluding it isn’t just ableist, it’s directly contributing to harm.” p. 77

Accessibility

Accessibility is about making things more equitable so that disabled people have the same opportunities and support to thrive as do nondisabled people.”

“Accessibility is not about special treatment or privileges.” p. 79

Imagine trying to navigate this in a wheelchair or with a cane.

Courtesy of Upworthy

More to Explore: Click on each for information.

Barriers to Accessibility

Use Closed Captioning
ALT Text

References:

Ladau, E. L. (n.d.). Demystifying Disability

Click to access Ableism%20-%20What%20It%20Is%20and%20Why%20It%20Matters%20To%20Everyone.pdf

https://www.ncd.gov/publications/2012/Sep272012/ApxB

Time-Out

As I sit in my chair looking out at the ocean, I dream of faraway places I have only seen in magazines, or saw once in a movie. I watch the choppy waves and wonder how a cruise ship manages to get the passengers safely to their destination amidst such an angry sea. I need to shut down those thoughts and exchange them with, “I wonder what their final destination is?” I have not given up on the idea of a plane, a ship, a train, or my own car taking me away to places I long to see. I believe I could use a time-out.

It seems I am not the only one that could use a time-out to gain a new perspective in a place that is removed from the ordinary routine we often create ourselves. I teach an online course for those teachers who are seeking a teaching credential. Many are already teaching with provisions that they earn the credential. The stress of working and taking courses in the evening has many feeling drained and less than pleasant about receiving feedback. I try to frame my comments with suggestions that I hope they will find helpful. I have a series of snippy emails from a student who rushes through the work, turns in incomplete responses and makes excuses that run the gamut. I encourage each student to hold a space on the weekends for self-care, with the admonishment that safeguarding body and mind is worth the effort. One student told me that she is fine in the classroom, but falls apart at home. She desperately needs to balance school and home life, but doesn’t know how. She needs a time-out to refocus her priorities. Her home should be sacred space.

Teacher burn-out is at a record high. Many leave the profession due to various reasons, but predominately stress is the major cause. New teachers are trying to impress, and they take home piles of homework, leaving no time at home to unwind. Teaching requires that the instructor be completely present for their students. Stressed, overburdened teachers transfer those feelings to their students. A principal once told me that teachers have the job of, “fixing a train while it’s moving.”

My wish for every teacher, new or old, is to sit in a time-out chair and take a good look at what you can do that restores your mind and body. I hope each and every one leaves work at work in order to keep home a sacred place.

Inspiring Young Writers

Ways to Encourage Reluctant Young Writers

From my years as a teacher I encountered many students who would shut down when it came to writing. Some would say that they could not think of anything to write. Others had trouble knowing how to begin. I came up with a few ways to inspire my young writers and hope you find them helpful.

•Have a Writing Center (a designated space for students to bring a clipboard or a notebook and come to write.) It doesn’t have to be a huge space, just keep it well stocked.

•Review the rules for use of the Writing Center. I used these:

• 1. Writing takes place here.

• 2. Work quietly to allow others to do the same.

• 3. Leave your area clean.

•Remember to:

•Stock the area with paper, cards, envelopes, pens, pencils, markers

•Have posters, anchor charts and/or a word wall for students to use as reference.

•Allow it to be a ”smart choice” when students finish early.

Fun stationary invites students to be creative.

Use Story Stones- This could integrate art and writing!

•You could start with river rocks.

•Paint a simple picture.

•Put the in a bag or tub with a lid.

•Student pulls out a stone and makes a story.

Sometime allowing students to draw first gets them motivated to write. Often teachers allow students to draw AFTER they write. Try reversing that order. A visual helps them generate ideas.

Speaking of using visuals, try something creative, and give students a story starter: I woke up and looked in the mirror. I was a cat!

Use more creativity and get students to use a thesaurus! Have them re-write words to songs, logos, signs, etc.:

Pledge of Allegiance = Promise of loyalty

•Stop Sign = CEASE!

•Lost and Found = Absent and Established

•Bird cage = fowl pen

•Happy New Year = Merry recent term

•Animal shelter = Creature haven

•Good Night =Beneficial Evening

Most of all, students need good modeling, practice and opportunities to write about subject matter they can relate to. Have fun-it transfers to the students.

The following are Archived Posts.

Teaching Character Traits

•The Common Core State Standards in 3rd grade fictional literature calls for students to identify and describe characters’ actions, thoughts, and motivations, which is no small task for an 8-year-old who is just beginning to read longer text. Character traits can be positive or negative. Begin with positive traits. Give examples.

A great way to do this is to introduce adjectives. Have students use words that describe themselves. Brainstorm adjectives together. What is great about them? Are they fun, creative, nice, silly, brave, quiet, loud, sporty, curious…… Transfer the skill of describing to a character analysis of the whole character. Remind students that character traits can be postive or negative, and traits include how a person acts and thinks. You could have students draw a main character and use adjectives to describe that person. A thought bubble could be used to note the character’s thoughts.

You can shift the focus to motivation. What do you think this character is thinking? What gives you that idea? You will be guiding students to give evidence. That is a skill they will need for upper grades. Use Think-Alouds so students get an idea of how to begin the process.

This link will provide positive and negative character traits:

https://theartofliving.com/planner/start/character-traits/#99_positive_character_traits_examples

Art and Writing

I like to incorporate art into most subjects, especially writing. Reluctant writers respond well to drawing or painting their ideas first, then transforming their thoughts into words. So often students appreciate the opportunity to have a choice in how they express themselves. I generally encourage students to write about their art, which has inspiired creativity in both areas.

Creating comic strips is a good way to introduce art into writing. With the interest in graphic novels, it is not difficult to present this method of writing to students.

Click here to get a free set: https://picklebums.com/free-printable-comic-book-templates/

Another way to use art as an ispiration to write is to post an interesting picture and have student construct a story about it.

Archives:

Learning and Fun

As an elementary school teacher I learned the importance of adding engagement to my lessons. Young students with short attention spans need to move and be actively engaged.. Adding a game can help them stay connected and learn while they are having fun. I am reminded of this quote by Alfred Mercier: “What we learn with pleasure we never forget.”

There are many ways to help children learn while having fun at the same time. A Dollar Store shower curtain liner provided space to create tic tac toe, Alphabet Bingo, Sight Word Racetrack, and handwriting practice. I used washable markers.

We raised trout in our classroom. A guest speaker brought samples of pond water for students to examine and classify bugs they discovered. We took a field trip to a nearby lake to release them.

Sorting seashells by color, size, shape, then counting how many are in each category is fun.

A cardboard box can be transformed into an airplane.

Use Qtips to learn about bones.

Have students draw a scene from a story you read aloud. They can then write about their drawing.

Archives:

Tips For New Teachers

I put together some tidbits of wisdom that I gathered as a teacher, as well as insights from mistakes I have made and learned from. I hope they are of value to you.

Bring your best self to school. For many students school is a safe haven. Once in on a rainy day I ran over a dog on the way to school. Needless to say I was devastated, late and had mascara all over my face from crying. I took the day off rather than try to teach after such an awful experience. The students need you to be completely present for them.
Build trust with the students, parents and staff. I have learned how important it is to have trust among those you work with on a daily basis. Keep confidential information to yourself. Another person’s life experiences are not your story to tell.
Help students set goals. Not everyone will have the same goals. Model goal setting by sharing your own goals. I shared with my class that my goal was to read 40 books in one year. It inspired several students to do their own goal setting.
Continue to develop professionally. Getting a teaching credential is a fantastic achievement, but keep growing by connecting to opportunities that enhance your craft. Here are some: Scholastic https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/25-best-websites-teachers/ https://www.khanacademy.org Khan Academy http://www.discoveryeducation.com Discovery lessons K-12 http://www.commoncoresheets.com
Common Core resources http://www.teacherbrain.com.au Printable resources https://pppst.com Free Powerpoints for kidshttps://www.cultofpedagogy.com/tqe-method/ Podcasts for teachers
Decide what kind of classroom management you want. Be consistent, caring and fair. Read about Positive Discipline (Discipline teaches, punishment hurts) Decide if you want a reward system (points, stickers, small tokens) Time out area for stressed kids (helpful, not punitive) Time out for YOU (teacher time) Teach how to be peacekeepers. Be consistent, be fair. When issues arise, hold a Class Meeting to talk it out together.

Name Calling

Children will own the names you call them. Choose your words carefully. This is good advice for teachers, but especially important that parents know this too. They are a child’s first teacher. Call them scholars, call them friends, call them writers, call them mathematicians, call them scientists, call them teachers, call them helpers, call them readers, call them thinkers, call them loved.

A book
I highly recommend to build a child’s confidence.

We All Shine Differently

Standardized testing requirements are designed to hold teachers, students, and schools accountable for academic achievement and to incentivize improvement. They provide a benchmark for assessing problems and measuring progress, highlighting areas for improvement.

Despite these key benefits, standardized academic achievement tests in US public schools have been controversial since their inception. Major points of contention have centered on who should design and administer tests (federal, state, or district level), how often they should be given, and whether they place some school districts at an advantage or disadvantage. More critically, parents and educators have questioned whether standardized tests are fair to teachers and students.

Standardized tests are thought to be fair because every student takes the same test and evaluations are largely objective, but a one-size-fits-all approach to testing is arguably biased because it fails to account for variables such as language deficiencies, learning disabilities, difficult home lives, or varying knowledge of US cultural conventions. (https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/effects-of-standardized-testing)

With a few of these disadvantages in mind, there are alternatives for standardized testing that have been pulled together by experts:

Sampling: administering standardized tests to a random sample of students, instead of all students every year
Stealth Assessments: another way to collect reading and math scores; digital programs that students complete throughout the year in order to show progress over time
Multiple Measures: collecting other data in order to track student progress, rather than relying on one standardized test
1. social and emotional skills survey
2. game-based assessments
3. performance/portfolio-based assessments
Inspections: different approaches to assessments including projects, reports, presentations, etc.
The highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is Create!

The overemphasis on testing has led many teachers to eliminate projects and activities that provide students with an opportunity to be creative and imaginative, and scripted curriculum has become the norm in many classrooms. There is nothing creative or imaginative about filling in a bubble sheet for a multiple choice test. Students are so tired of prepping for and taking standardized test that some have protested by dressing up like zombies to protest — and thousands of families are opting their children out of taking high-stakes exams.

Every student is a unique individual with their own talents and abilities. The standardized testing regime fails to recognize the importance of individual achievement in education and instead uses a “cookie cutter” approach to learning that ignores students’ individual interests and abilities.

Differentiated Instruction

Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as students with mild to severe disabilities.

• When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning.

• Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons.

• Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and many teachers struggle to find the extra time in their schedule.

• The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack professional development resources.

• Critics argue there isn’t enough research to support the benefits of differentiated instruction outweighing the added prep time.

There are 4 ways to differentiate instruction:

• Content- what are you teaching?

• Process- How will you teach it?

• Product- What will be the outcome?

• Learning Environment- whole group? Small group?

• Use Bloom’s Taxonomy (think lower-level to higher-order thinking).

• In Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy:

Remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create. Use robust verbs in your lesson plans. What will the students do?

•A flexible classroom allows for independent, paired, and group work.

•“Wiggle chairs”, floor space, and a quiet area are essential.

•Examples:

•Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.

•Allow students to read individually if preferred.

•Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy when planning a lesson.

New Vocabulary Words for Children

Did you know:

•Students must learn 3,000 words per year by 3rd grade.

•Only 400 words a year are directly taught by teachers.

•Students do not learn vocabulary words based on their age or their grade.

•They learn words based on their experiences , (Beck, et al, 2002)

•Academic demands are high

•Everyday speech consists of only 5,000- 7,000 words.

Parents and teachers have a role to play in expanding a child’s vocabulary. The more children read and hear books read aloud, as well as listen and engage in conversations, the more they are exposed to new words. When a child asks, “What does that mean?” they should be told an accurate and appropriate definition based on their age and cognitive ability to make meaning of the word.

Children learn new words through experiences, therefore science experiments, videos, art, movement, fieldtrips, guest speaker are important. Engaging in conversations allows a child to hear and practice new words. Visuals are particularly valuable to expand vocabulary, as most children are visual learners. Using multi-sensory activities helps place new learning into longterm memory. It’s important for new words to be presented in kid-friendly terms.

Here are examples of Common Core State Standards for vocabulary acquisition for Grade 2 (this is only a sampling, check out the full list online :

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.A
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.B
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell).

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.C
Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional).

This is a great way to show “shades of meaning.” Teach synonyms in a visual manner. Paint strips can be found at Walmart and hardware stores.

Remember that children acquire vocabulary primarily from experiences. MAKE IT FUN.

In order to teach vocabulary, you must be aware of the three different types or tiers. Tier 1 vocabulary can be classified as everyday vocabulary that we use in life around us. This type of vocabulary is often learned orally at a young age, reading, and daily experiences.

•Tier 2 vocabulary is high utility words found in cross curricular texts.

• They are academic words that are general enough to be used across all domains, yet are not part of students’ everyday social language.

•Example: students know “happy,” but may not know, “contented.”

•Tier 2 words need to be taught because they are not used daily and it increases a student’s vocabulary to know synonyms.

Tier 3 vocabulary is domain or content specific. For example, if teaching about circles, the word circumference or radius would need to be taught. Or if you are doing an ancient civilizations unit on Egypt, the word hieroglyphics would need to be explained. Students’ academic success comes when specific instruction of both Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary is taught.

**Have students create their own Vocabulary Journal.**

Student Engagement

Student engagement is a vital component in any classroom. Over the past year, remote learning has become a reality for most students around the world. As many students return to in-person learning, or any number of hybrid learning environments, here are some ideas to keep engagement rates high and help maintain student learning in any environment.

Virtual, In Person, & Hybrid Learning Environments

Organizing Content

Nearpod: Software to create lessons with informative and interactive assessment activities.
Netboard.me: collect, organize and share any web content. Create Web pages with texts, links, documents, videos, photos, presentations, etc.
Prezi: with a basic subscription and a profile that states you’re in Education, you get PreziNext and PreziVideo for free. Access to designer templates, millions of reusable presentations, etc.
Slidesmania: Free PowerPoint templates or Google Slides themes for education. You can find simple, formal and even fun templates.
Sutori:organize, plan and center instruction. The collaborative nature and ease of use makes Sutori the perfect companion for student and teacher presentations.
Symbaloo: is a cloud-based application that allows users to organize and categorize web links in the form of buttons, offering its PRO version to all educators at no cost.

Creating Digital Lessons

EdPuzzle: Video lesson creation software with lots of usable content.

Kahoot: A game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to players at school, at work, and at home.

Pear Deck: Facilitates the design of engaging instructional content with various integration features.

Squigl : Content creation platform that transforms speech or text into animated videos.

Thinglink: Tools to create interactive images, videos and other multimedia resources.

Management and Brain Breaks

Go Noodle – GoNoodle is a fun website with a variety of brain breaks and indoor PE fun right in one place!

Whole Brain Teaching – The teacher breaks up information into short chunks, using large hand gestures, varying the intonation of her voice by speaking loudly and then softly, quickly then slowly. The greater the variance, the more likely students are to recall and use the information. It activates various parts of the brain, locking information into long-term storage.

Class Dojo – Encouraging and supportive behavior management device. Teachers can encourage and support students for any skill or value — whether it’s working hard, helping others, staying on task, etc.

Additional Resources

Virtual

Check for Understanding!!

After you teach a lesson, even a mini-lesson, always make sure you scan your group to insure they have a clear understanding of what you have taught. Moving on without a check does a disservice to students. Form a small group to reteach the lesson. The hand method is a good visual that goes a step further than “thumbs up, thumbs down.”

Check For  Understanding  Strategy 

Description 

3‐2‐1/ Fist  to  Five/ Thumbs  Up, Thumbs Down 

4‐3‐2‐1   Scoring  Scale 

Students  communicate  their  level  of  understanding  to  teacher  using  their  fingers 

ABCD Whisper	Students  should  get  in  groups  of  four  where  one  student  is  A, the n next  is  B, etc.  Each  student  will  be  asked  to  reflect  on  a  concept  and  draw  a  visual  of  his/her  interpretation. Then  they  will  share  their  answer  with  each  other  in  a  zigzag  pattern  within  their  group.
Capacity Matrix	The  capacity  matrix  is  a  charting  technique  used  to  break  down  topic  areas  into  steps  for achieving  a  specific  result.   It  identifies  tasks,  knowledge  levels,  and  understanding  of  the  topic  area.
Circle, Triangle, Square	(Circle)  Something  that  is  still  going  around  in  your  head,  (Triangle)  Something  pointed  that stood  out  in  your  mind,  (Square)  Something  that “Squared” or  agreed  with  your  thinking.

Clickers 

Electronic  surveying  devices  that  give  instant  feedback  and  data 

Decisions, Decisions  (Philosophical Chairs)	Given  a  prompt,  class  goes  to  the  side  that  corresponds  to  their  opinion  on  the  topic, sides  share  out  reasoning,  and  students  are  allowed  to  change  sides  after  discussion
Entrance/Exit ticket	Each  student  will  be  given  a  ticket  to  complete  before  leaving  the  room  answering: What  is  the  most  important  thing  I  learned  today?  What  questions  do I  still  have? These  tickets  can  be  given  to  the  teacher  when  exiting  the  room  or  upon  entering  the  next  day.  The  teacher  uses  this  information  to  guide  the  instruction.
Every Pupil Response	Each  student  receives  a  pink  and  yellow  card.  Each  color  represents  a  specific  response.  Students  raise  the  card  to  provide  the  correct  response  to  a  teacher  directed  question.
Example/Non‐Example	Given  a  concept,  students  sort  or  write  various  examples/non‐examples
Example/Non‐Example	Given  examples/non‐examples,  students  determine  concept

Fill  In  Your  Thoughts 

Written  check  for  understanding  strategy  where  students  fill  the  blank. 

Description 

Students  use  this  strategy  to  help  them  remember  information  that  is  important  to  them.  They  will “flag” their  ideas  on  a  sticky  note  or  flag  die  cut… 

Students  demonstrate  their  knowledge  of  transformations  of  functions  by  physically  moving  their arms  and  body 

Draw  your  handprint.   In  each  finger, write  one  thing  you  learned  today. 

A  kinesthetic  activity  where  students  in  the  class  physically  move  to  create  a  histogram, where  each  student  represents  a  data point  rating  their  view .

Give  One, Get  One 

Cooperative  activity  where  the  students  write  response  to  a  prompt, meet up  with  another student  and  share  ideas  so  that  each  leaves  with  something  to  add  to  their  list 

Onion Ring	Students  form  an  inner  and  outer  circle facing  a  partner. The  teacher  asks  a  question  and  the students  are  given  time  to  respond  to  their  partner.  Next, the  inner  circle  rotates  one  person  to  the  left. The  teacher  asks  another  question  and  the  cycle  repeats  itself.
Pop It (Bubble Wrap)	Students  write  what  they  want  to  know  about  a  topic  on  a  dot  sticker.   Place  each  sticker  on  the  bubble wrap.   When  a  topic  is  covered,  the  student  pops  the  bubble.
Project Study Group	Analyzing  incorrect  responses  in   multiple  choice  questions

Student  Data  Notebooks 

A  timed  writing  in  response  to  a  question  or  prompt (can  be  used  before, during,  or  after  instruction) 

A  scoring  guide  using  subjective  assessments  that  is  generally  composed  of  dimensions  for  judging  student performance. 

Students  take  turns  leading  discussions  in  a  cooperative  group  on  sections  of  a  reading  or  video 

Slap It 

Students  are  divided  into  two  teams  to  identify  correct  answers  to  questions  given  by  the  teacher. Students use  a  fly swatter  to  slap  the  correct  response  posted  on  the  wall. 

Check  For  Understanding  Strategy 

Timed  Pair  Share 

Triangular  Prism (Red,  Yellow, Green) 

Word  Sort 

Description 

Given  a  prompt, students  pair  up  and  share  their  perspective  for  a  given  amount  of  time, taking  turns (A  talks, B  listens, then  B  talks, A  listens) 

Students  give  feedback  to  teacher  by  displaying  the  color  that  corresponds  to  their  level  of  understanding 

Given  a  set  of  vocabulary  terms,  students  sort  in to  given  categories  or  create  their  own  categories  for  sorting 

Take and Pass 

Cooperative group  activity  used  to  share  or  collect  information  from  each  member  of  the  group;  students  write  a  response,  then  pass  to  the  right, add  their  response  to  next  paper,  continue  until they  get  their  paper  back,  then  group  debriefs. 

Whip Around 

Teacher  poses  a  question  and  students   list  three  items.  All  students  stand.  Teacher  randomly  calls  students  to  share ,  if  their  topic  is  called  they  sit. Teacher  continues  til  all  students  are  sitting. 

BuyMe a Coffee

My blog is fueled by coffee. If you’d like to buy me a cup, it is greatly appreciated.

$4.00

Click here to purchase.

What If?

I teach an online course for future teachers in a master’s degree program. I was grading journal post last night when I read a student’s journal entry detailing her fears about interacting (or failure to interact) with parents. She was candid in describing possible scenarios. “What if a parent had a horrible school experience and hates teachers?” “What if the family doesn’t value education?” “What if I don’t make a good impression?” “What if I cannot connect with them at all?”

I asked myself, “What if I give her the wrong advice?” I found myself falling into the trap of fear and doubt that she carried. I’m a veteran teacher with 20 years experience dealing with parents. I know better. I know that being my authentic self is all I can be, and it’s good enough. I love teaching, and this student is obviously worrying herself sick over ‘what ifs.’ Her anxiety was reaching toxic levels. I thought about the most honest and heartfelt (hopefully helpful) advice I could give her. I told her to highlight the student’s strengths. I encouraged her to send notes home with the child

to report effort, acts of kindness, and any improvement. They send a clear message that you are noticing their child’s growth, and you care about their child. It will help build a bridge that may undo preconceived notions about the teacher or the school. This is crucial if they’ve lived their life with negative memories of a bad experience. A student that goes home happy and feeling supported is bound to share that with their parents. A teacher’s job is to make sure they get to know their students, let them know you value them for who they are.

Too often parents are not part of a student’s support team. That is a signal that the teacher needs to give even more of their heart and time to that student.

It’s good to give a glance at the what ifs, but more important is to be proactive in how you will connect with your students. What if you make a real difference? What if the parents want to decide to become involved? What if that student remembers you all their life?

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

A 2019 report confirmed that experiencing traumatic things as a child puts you at risk for lifelong health effects.

What do we mean by Adverse Childhood Experience?

Sexual abuse

Abuse (physical or mental)

Exposure to domestic abuse

Exposure to substance abuse

Mental illness, parental discord, crime

Death of parent

Imprisoned parent

Impact:

Neurobiologic Effects of Trauma : Disrupted neuro-development, Difficulty controlling anger-rage, Hallucinations, Depression, Panic reactions, Anxiety, Multiple (6+) somatic problems, Sleep problems, Impaired memory, Flashbacks, Dissociation

Health Risk Behaviors : Smoking, Severe obesity, Physical inactivity, Suicide attempts, Alcoholism. Drug abuse, Repetition of original trauma, Self Injury ,Eating disorders

What Can a Teacher Do?

•Create a caring classroom

•Greet them when they enter

•Class Meetings- Compliments

•Morning Message on the board

•Friendship Board- Messages of Encouragement

• Sprinkle Praise- Highlight Accomplishments

Convey that you care-get to know your students

If you suspect child abuse:

Tell your principal immediately

You are a mandated reporter- Call Child Protective Services

Keep confidential notes in a safe place-date and time

Don’t Be Afraid to be Silly

It’s good medicine to laugh. It’s even better to have a belly laugh. This is a great way to begin the day, a meeting, the school year. According to Psychology Today, “A hearty chuckle releases endorphins, feel-good neurotransmitters and endorphins are part of the reason laughing is so contagious. Laughing also has many health benefits such as increasing blood flow and improving mental and physical resilience. In fact, it’s not unlike a vigorous workout session.”

Interesting facts:

“The eminent psychologist on laughter, Robert Provine, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland, agrees that laughter isn’t really about humor. He contends that it’s more about relationships. Cutting-edge humor straight out of Comedy Central is great, but people actually laugh more in conversation and through interaction. Provine has unearthed a few facts on laughter including:

Laughter bonds people through prosocial behavior
It’s a contagion
Women laugh 126 percent more than men
Mating would be nowhere without it
Men want to generate laughter and they need women who will laugh
Women are commonly laughter appreciators”

Here are some research-supported tips for using humor to increase retention:

Do

Use humor to enhance classroom joy
Use humor to develop a sense of community
Use content-related humor
Use age-appropriate humor
“Sandwich” humor between instruction and repetition

Avoid

Sarcasm
Cruel or inappropriate humor
Forced humor
Off-topic humor
Too much humor

Think Aloud Stems

These are sentence stems for various strategies good readers use.

Use these to model for students during lessons.

Using think alouds is a powerful way to give students strategies they can use when they read independently.

———————————

“So far, I’ve learned…
This made me think of…
That didn’t make sense.
I think ___ will happen next.
I reread that part because…
I was confused by…
I think the most important part was…
That is interesting because…

Teachers can use read alouds to model this powerful comprehension strategy. By sharing their own thinking, they show students how to do their own think alouds.

Connect With Students

We all know when someone cares about us. Students come to school hoping they will be liked and accepted. A teacher that takes the time to know each student creates a solid foundation of trust. Learning is often connected to experiences and emotions. When a child feels secure, learning can move into long term memory.

From the start of the school year find out what your students are interested in. What do they want to know more about? Use an interest inventory. Share your hobbies, favorite sports, songs, movies. Take time to establish an atmosphere of security and respect.

Class meetings are a good way to teach social skills, establish community and foster open communication. Regularly check the status of the class. Encourage problem-solving with teacher guidance.

Give sincere compliments. Model how to show appreciation. Have students practice through role play.

Have students bring an object from home that is meaningful to them. Ask for volunteers to share what it is and why it is meaningful. You could do this on Mondays to get students to think about what was shared. Building connections in the classroom will benefit everyone.

Teachers, I hope you have a safe, productive, positive school year!

———————-

Scaffolding

Always tap into a student’s prior knowledge, building on what they know. Help them make connections by using visuals, engaging in partner share, review previous lesson. Moving forward to new subject matter requires assessment to determine if there is a need to reteach.

Know your students! Some can take leaps while others require review and rehearsal. There is much to be gained by assessing exactly where your students are.

Toot Their Horn

Students flourish when they are recognized and appreciated. There are so many ways to help a student feel great about their success. I like to honor each improvement with a visual representation of their accomplishment. When done selectively, this is a way to boost self-esteem in students, particularly those who don’t generally get recognized.

A medal that a student can wear on the playground lets other children know of successes. It can be worn home so parents can also acknowledge improvement.

We all like to be recognized for our successes.

Independent vs Dependent Learner

This book should be on every teacher’s desk as a resource for promoting an inclusive classroom. It is important to remember that dependent does not mean deficit. We want all students to work to their full potential. Here is just one sampling of the valuable guidance from acclaimed author, Jaretta Hammond:

Dependent Learner

Relies on the teacher to carry the cognitive load most of the time

Unsure how to tackle a new task

Needs scaffolds to complete a task

Sits passively until teacher intervenes

Poor retention of information

“I don’t get it.”

Independent Learner:

Relies on the teacher to carry some of the load temporarily

Uses strategies and processes for tackling a new task

Will attempt new tasks without scaffolds

Has a way to get unstuck

Has learned how to retrieve information from long-term memory

“Oh, I see how is related to…..”

Quick Check for Understanding

Check For  Understanding  Strategy 

3‐2‐1/ Fist  to  Five/ Thumbs  Up, Thumbs Down 

4‐3‐2‐1   Scoring  Scale 

Students  communicate  their  level  of  understanding  to  teacher  using  their  fingers 

ABCD Whisper	Students  should  get  in  groups  of  four  where  one  student  is  A, the n next  is B, etc.  Each  student will  be  asked  to  reflect  on  a  concept  and  draw  a  visua l of  his/her  interpretation. Then  they  will share  their  answer  with  each  other  in  a  zigzag  pattern  within  their  group.
Capacity Matrix	The  capacity  matrix  is  a  charting  technique  used  to  break  down  topic  areas  into  steps  for achieving  a  specific  result.   It  identifies  tasks, knowledge  levels, and  understanding  of  the  topic area.
Circle, Triangle, Square	(Circle) Something  that  is  still  going  around  in  your  head,  (Triangle) Something  pointed  that stood  out  in  your  mind,  (Square) Something  that “Squared” or  agreed  with  your  thinking.

Clickers 

Electronic  surveying  devices  that  give  instant  feedback  and  data 

Decisions, Decisions  (Philosophical Chairs)	Given  a  prompt, class  goes  to  the  side  that  corresponds  to  their  opinion  on  the  topic, side share  out  reasoning, and  students  are  allowed  to  change  sides  after  discussion
Entrance/Exit ticket	Each  student  will  be  given  a  ticket  to  complete  before  leaving  the  room  answering: What  is the  most  important  thing  I  learned today?  What  questions  do I  still  have? These  tickets  can be  given  to  the  teacher  when  exiting  the  room  or  upon  entering  the  next  day. The  teacher uses  this  information  to  guide  the  instruction.
Every Pupil Response	Each  student  receives  a  pink  and  yellow  card. Each  color  represents  a  specific  response. Students  raise  the  card  to  provide  the  correct  response  to  a  teacher  directed  question.
Example/Non‐Example	Given  a  concept, students  sort  or  write  various  examples/non‐examples
Example/Non‐Example	Given  examples/non‐examples, students  determine  concept

Fill  In Your Thoughts 

Written  check  for  understanding  strategy  where  students  fill  the  blank. 

Check  For  Understanding  Strategy 

Flag  It  Function  Aerobics 

Handprint  Human  Graph  Interlocking  Paper  Plates 

Description 

Students  use  this  strategy  to  help  them  remember  information  that  is  important  to  them. They  will “flag” their ideas  on  a  sticky  note  or  flag  die  cut… 

Students  demonstrate  their  knowledge  of  transformations  of  functions  by  physically  moving  their arms  and body 

Draw  your  handprint.   In  each  finger, write  one  thing  you  learned  today. 

A  kinesthetic  activity  where  students  in  the  class  physically  move  to  create  a  histogram, where  each  student represents  a  data point  rating  their  view .

Give  One, Get  One 

Onion Ring	Students  form  an  inner  and  outer  circle facing  a  partner. The  teacher  asks  a  question  and  the students  are  given  time  to  respond  to  their  partner.  Next, the  inner  circle  rotates  one  person  to  the  left. The  teacher  asks  another  question  and  the  cycle  repeats  itself.
Pop It (Bubble Wrap)	Students  write  what  they  want  to  know  about  a  topic  on  a  dot  sticker.   Place  each  sticker  on  the bubble wrap.  When  a  topic  is  covered,  the  student  pops  the  bubble.
Project Study Group	Analyzing  incorrect  responses  in   multiple  choice  questions

Quick  Writes   Rubric  Say Something 

Student  Data  Notebooks 

A  timed  writing  in  response  to  a  question  or  prompt (can  be  used  before, during,  or  after  instruction) 

A  scoring  guide  using  subjective  assessments  that  is  generally  composed  of  dimensions  for  judging  student performance. 

Students  take  turns  leading  discussions  in  a  cooperative  group  on  sections  of  a  reading  or  video 

Slap It 

Check For  Understanding Strategy 

Timed  Pair  Share 

Triangular  Prism (Red,  Yellow, Green) 

Word  Sort 

Description 

Students  give  feedback  to  teacher  by  displaying  the  color  that  corresponds  to  their  level  of  understanding 

Given  a  set  of  vocabulary  terms,  students  sort  in to  given  categories  or  create  their  own  categories  for  sorting 

Take and Pass 

Cooperative group  activity  used  to  share  or  collect  information  from  each  member  of  the  group; students  write  a  response,  then  pass  to  the  right, add  their  response  to  next  paper,  continue  until they  get  their  paper  back,  then  group  debriefs. 

Whip Around 

BuyMe a Coffee

My blog is fueled by coffee. If you’d like to buy me a cup, it is greatly appreciated.

$4.00

Click here to purchase.

EdPuzzle: Video lesson creation software with lots of usable content.

Kahoot: A game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to players at school, at work, and at home.

Loom: Instantly shareable video. Capture your screen, record your front-facing camera, and narrate it all at once, then instantly share with a simple link.

Pear Deck: Facilitates the design of engaging instructional content with various integration features.

Squigl : Content creation platform that transforms speech or text into animated videos.

Thinglink: Tools to create interactive images, videos and other multimedia resources.

Do

Avoid