Article link: student feedback

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2017/10/15/developing-students-ability-to-give-and-take-effective-feedback/

Supporting Emotional Intelligence

Learning can't happen if emotional needs are not being met - learners need to feel safe and calm first...

some tips from Sean Killian at the ASEBT

http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/emotionally-intelligent-teaching/

10 Ways to Empower Students With Choice

Back into the action for Term One 2016!!

This week's motivational quote for our blogs and our attention grabber and our Notebook Quotebooks...

Image link

I have a purchased copy of this exact poster, which will stay permanently on display on the upper wall with our school motto etc. This week the pupils will write it into their own 'Notebook Quotebooks' and I will also call out the first part of it when I want their attention (and they will show I have their attention by responding with the rest of the sentence.)

Have a great year everyone!

M.I.N.T.S.

I have decided that my Year Sixes are not taking enough responsibility to use capitals correctly so have put together this incentive...

Pupils will get to take a mini mint whenever they have correctly used:

M for the months of the year (and days!)

I for the pronoun 'I'

N for names (people, places, countries, brands, important groups)

T for titles such as Mr, Mrs, Dr, Sir, madam

S for the start of sentences. 

Thanks to Raewyn Green from the Southland Campus of the University of Otago for the acronym hint!

Mini reward cards

Some business cards that I created via the Vistaprint website (when there was a heavy discount plus free postage during the summer holidays).

These are for on-the-spot recognition of great learning and progress or effort in the classroom - pupils can take them home straight away rather than have to wait for certificates at Friday's Celebration Time.  This way, I can give out four or five each day...

...pupils can track their rewards on a class list on the wall (so I can also see who might not have had one for a while) and they can claim a prize from the box when they reach the targets of four and nine cards (the number of spaces I ruled up on the class list!)

Beginning of the year!

This year (and this week coming!) I plan to make use of these links that I have pinned on my Pinterest boards...mostly free downloads from Teachers Pay Teachers...

Link to image source

'All About Me' pupil info sheet - though I have had to twink and change the American spellings eg favorite into NZ's favourite etc - thanks Science Doodles at Teachers pay Teachers!

And some discussion points from this Hot Spot activity sheet thanks to Kristine from the Young Teacher Love blog.

We will be doing the "In Team Kahu we..." mural again, as I have a whole new team of pupils - let's set up our expectations right from the start!

'Parents' 3-2-1' question sheet - asking parents for info about their child - thanks LA Beach Teacher at TpT as well as asking them for their most appropriate contact information.

'Student Rights and Responsibilities' - gets everyone on the same page about the expectations in the classroom - thanks Angelia at TpT!

I always do What Kind of Teacher Do You Want? and so does Miss Freundlich, it works with any age-group and helps the pupils see that you are wanting to work with them as a team and will respect their opinions and needs.

And we look also at What a good pupil does, says, is and is not - here is Sarah's example.

We will build our own version of this Respect chart and also look at this How Big is My Problem chart.

I will be sharing a copy of Stephanie's poster of Glasser's What We Learn chart.

Star of the Week certificate -  I've ordered this, printed with Team Kahu in the title - thanks Creative Classrooms!

'Uh-oh!' - a note pupils can take home with any work that they need to finish because they didn't do it during their allocated class time - thanks Sally at TpT!

Attention grabbers - you call out, the pupils respond - thanks Traci at TpT! I will be adding "To infinity..." (pupils call out "and beyond!") - sound familiar??

Link to image source

When talking about our learning and skills progression, I will share this Assess Yourself Novice-Expert chart and I also love this Which Step Have You Reached Today chart posted on a Lifetime of Wisdom.

We will also be referring to this Positive Self-Talking chart as shared by Elliott Seif.

For group work and partner discussions I will have these on display, as shown here by Tanja:
Partners  and   Groups

Reward system

This is a system I have been using for about 8 years - I remember my teacher using it when I was in Year 4 (known as Standard 2 in those days!)

Work is marked for content/effort as well as the tidiness of the presentation..pupils can earn extra 'scholar dollars'  for their handwriting...

The stickers are in a box and pupils put them onto their page according to the mark -
most only put the big stickers on; many choose to just have the B (which saves my sticker budget!)

When a pupil has ten big stickers they can present their book to me for counting;
I write the numbers as I count and sign the tenth sticker
 so we know where we finished our count.

Pupils can then choose from the prize box: stickers, sweet treats, pencils and pens, various toys
- the most popular items are the vouchers (free time or help in a junior room)

Just a couple of changes!

Have been out of the room for the past few weeks while my student teacher was in control. Gave me a chance to reflect on my own programme and plan for the term to come. I also observed a couple of the other teachers and sitting in someone else's room and checking out their layout is always good personal reflection too.  So have had a bit of rearrangement today ( not the reason I went to school today but that's what needed up happening - gotta do it when inspiration strikes!)

Corner to corner view from my desk by the front door...have joined the three large tables together, rearranged the desks...still have options of table/desk/floor seating for 26 pupils (and they start the day in one 'base' place but are free to move around during the day depending on their tasks)...

View from art bay...still plenty of room at the floor table (with cushions)....

Moved the computer cupboard and marking shelf over to the side wall...

Back wall now has a jellybean table where the kids can use three laptops or iPads, the inquiry table has moved to the centre, with the report books in the boxes beside it, and a small table is over near the library shelf (two pupils can work there easily with computers or iPads too).

Two bean bag chairs for pupils to work on and two desks in the art bay where pupils can sit to work or stand to do art if needed...

Just need to reshuffle a couple of the wall displays now and then will set up the D.I.Y. Programme again (my student worked a regular classroom timetable and guided group sessions).

Only one week left until holidays and we will be right into it all again in October!

Classroom layout and displays

Photos from the beginning of Term 3 2013:

Job list - pupil pictures are rotated weekly

Year Sixes have special school-wide jobs

My desk: by the front door, laptop runs the IWB

View along the windows

View along the IWB/whiteboard wall

View from front door, across classroom to cloakbay door - we have a mixture of options for seating -
pupils select a numbered counter when enter the room on Monday morning (corresponds to a workspace/seat/table)
and that is their 'base' space for the week.  They are allowed to move to other spots during the day eg when working with a partner or on an ipad, or if I want a guided group to be in a certain place.

Computer cupboard area

Marking shelf - pupils place books or completed work here for me to look at

Basket for the DIY (do-it-yourself) learning folders and resources; shelf for flag, stickers box, guided group resources.

Games cupboard (due for a paint-job!)

Literacy/spelling resources, atlases and large reference books.

Library corner

Inquiry display table, reporting books in boxes underneath

Inquiry wall - has question, key understandings, a relevant quote or two;
work or other material still to be added as inquiry progresses.

Personal learning goals display - wearing a motorbike helmet in honour of Burt Munro

Inside the computer cupboard

Guidelines on doors of computer cupboard

This lets me know who to respond to on their blog

School agreement for pupils using computers

A work in progress - poem of the week, current events

Suggestions board for what to blog about and a playtime/lunchtime computer roster

Bulldog clips attached to wall for displaying class-made publishing books.

Displaying the expectations of learning for writing.

Motivation for the Year Sixes towards the end of year prize-giving.

Wall shelves - homework books are kept each day in the empty space; modelling books to the right,
Bible in Schools books below, refill pads and handwriting cards,
maths text books at bottom - all within easy reach.

Maths equipment

As we have no desks we store our books for each subject in these bins.

The chairs get stacked at the end of the day.

We have some stools as an option.

Another version of stools.

Handwriting levels

Noise signal lights

Reward system - when board is full the dodecahedron dice (to 12) is rolled
and the winner chooses from the prize-box.

And for inappropriate behaviour...(steps two plus are hardly ever referred to thankfully!)

Guided groups on display

Low table, cushions are a seating option - due for paintjob too!

As we have no storage desks the pencil cases are kept in these trays;
everyone shares the rulers and glue-sticks.

The centre of the maths shelves/homework book shelves -
spelling and basic facts resources, literacy CDs, music CDs etc.

My personal collection of teaching resources, kept on shelves in the art bay.

More of my resources, on a higher shelf on other side of artbay.

More of my resources - the bits and pieces stuff!

Pupils can use these art supplies.

My everyday trolley - planning and resources for the week are easy to access.

Reward system - using obsolete library cards, points given for tidy handwriting as well as three points per day
as "work pay" for being at school.  Pupils can 'buy' from the shopping list.

My marking system for book work.

I use groups of three for cooperative tasks. Change each term.