First Day in the Jungle...of Hope!

Hi all! Today was the first day of school for me and my new Kinders and even though it was only a half day I am EXHAUSTED! I think it is probably because I spent last night tossing and turning and having the requisite teacher dream. You know, the one where you show up late for the first day with nothing prepared and the principal asking you why you are wearing your pajamas and bathrobe?

Despite a restless night and fast-paced day, I think our first day went really well. It was certainly over in a flash! I was able to teach using WBT methods for the first time live. It was exciting to watch them remembering to say "Yes" when I said "Class" and playing along with the Scoreboard. Inside I was thinking, "Oh my goodness, this is actually working just  like the book/website/training videos say(s)."

Here's the only problem I ran into with Whole Brain Teaching today...ME! A few times during the day I caught myself using "SSSSH" instead of the Class/Yes. And when I remembered and did use Class/Yes, it worked so much better. Old habits really do die hard!

You know what was great too? I had several girls who were very shy and whose moms had told me they didn't like to participate who were right there with the rest of the class and even volunteering answers. I am so thrilled!

If you haven't already checked out the Whole Brain Teaching website, what are you waiting for? Click here to start putting the joy and fun back into your teaching day and to start helping your students learn their way.

Here are some more pictures of my room. Note that I took these before last night when I did my last minute tidy up. These are mainly for my mom who is in Kenya right now. Mom, if you see this - I missed calling you today - love you!

 I hung the word wall flip charts over my rather unsightly book shelves to create more storage.

 Here's my library. I organized it with wonderful free labels from Kindergarten Works. She is SO AWESOME! The tables to the left are for my science and social studies free explore tables and I now have a bulletin board hanging there (because I finally got my white board). You can see the labeled storage bins below.

 These are my classroom cubbies. I used the duct tape idea to cover up the chipped paint and the big binder clips (from Pinterest) are there for names. The bottom row of cubbies hold workbooks/materials for the year (there are more now by the way).

 On the other side of the cubbies you can see my loft and puppet theater. The homemaking area is under the loft. I used the blue pocket chart there to hold pictures of our families. We hung them up there today.

Here's my math meeting board. We will be recording our math meeting data in our calendar binders every day too. 

Here's a view of my room from the front door. Again, this was taken a few weeks ago so please excuse the mess on the tables. I have some more pics from the first day of school that I will (I hope) get uploaded tomorrow!

Mrs. Armstrong

My Super Improvers Wall...Sort Of

I am just going to post quickly tonight so here is a picture of my "Super Improvers Wall" which is part of the WBT classroom management program. Basically, you reward students for IMPROVING in any area (behavior or academic) that you feel is important. Check out the website for more complete info.

The cards are posted beneath my theme/job board (but I haven't gotten the jobs posted yet) which is based on a jungle theme. The levels are on the nearby wall.

I named my levels "K-Can-Do" after Tai Kwon Do and arranged the color levels to match. My two youngest are in Tai Kwon Do and I have an ever-growing collection of colored belts from the levels they have tested out of. I decided that when a student reaches a new level, I will take a picture of him or her wearing the new color belt and striking a martial arts pose. I think that will make a nice portfolio at the end of the year. I named the color levels after jungle/safari animals.

I made two additional levels (red-stripe an black belt) for those who are super achievers too.

I'm really proud of how it turned out and I am hoping that I will do a good job of sticking to the program this year.

Thanks for reading. Let's keep focusing on helping kids to learn their way!
Mrs.A

Las Reglas de la Classe (The rules of the classroom)

No, I don't really speak Spanish. That is the line from the Spanish version of Dr. Jean's song, "The Rules of the Classroom". And since I played that nearly every day when I taught Kindergarten before, it jumps to mind every time I think Classroom Rules.

And that's what I want to talk about today.

I have recently finished posting the WBT Rules in my classroom:

(Believe it or not, this is one of my only storage areas in my classroom!) Since I have a jungle theme this year, I decided to create my own posters and had a lot of fun doing so. However, in hindsight, I think I spent too much on the clipart - not a really smart choice (see, I broke Rule #4).

In any case, the question is: How do these rules, and the WBT technique for teaching them, help students learn their way?

Answer: It's not really the specific rules themselves but the way in which they are taught to the students and the consistency with which they are implemented and enforced which will help create a learning environment in which students can thrive.

I teach Kindergarteners and they learn best by moving (gestures are great), singing, repeating things rhythmically and from repetition. All of these techniques (except for singing - that's optional) are built into the WBT program. You know, even when I taught high school, they didn't like to sit for very long and, really, none of us do. Watch teachers during a faculty meeting or in-service training to know that that is true! LOL!

I just wish I had found WBT a long time ago. I think back on the kids I "missed"; the ones I lost my temper with (especially in high school). I can't change the mistakes I made in the past but I can make better choices for how I will behave in the future. I am excited and optimistic about using the WBT techniques in my classroom and I have already begun thinking about how I will translate them into my PE, Science and Social Studies classes so that I can keep my students moving, engaged and learning.

That's helping them learn their way.

Here are some close-ups of my rule signs:

Starting off with WBT! 10 Fingered WOOT

Today, I am going to start by describing my discovery of Whole Brain Teaching (hereafter to be referred to as WBT). I don't remember which teaching blog contained a link to a video of Andrea Shipley, it may have been Ms. Eberhardt's Explorers, but to that teacher I send a big, ten-fingered "WOOH!"

The video immediately grabbed my attention and caused me to go searching for more and more there certainly is. When you go to the website, you will find hundreds of pages of materials and hours of videos about the WBT techniques and, get this, it is all FREE!

But what is it and why am I so excited about implementing it this year?

WBT is both classroom management techniques and instructional methodology that is based on the principle that combining movement, oral and aural repetition engage the learner's whole brain and make the information stick. It uses classroom management techniques such as the teacher saying, "Class" and the students responding, "Yes," to instantly engage your students' brains and refocus them. Whether this is used to help with behavior OR during teaching a series of mini-lessons, it is a very effective technique. Additionally, the teacher can change the way she/he says "Class" (for example, using a sing-songy voice or saying something like "Classity, class" and the students respond "Yes" in the same way. This further cues them in and requires them to re-engage their brains and refocus on the teacher.

I really like WBT because it emphasizes scaffolding or building concepts one on top of the other. Years ago, I trained in the classical model of educating which puts a deep emphasis on scaffolding so I understand the importance. Further, I know that the new "common core" standards put a HUGE emphasis on developing critical thinking and, whether discussing class rules or learning core subjects, the WBT five-step lesson plan incorporates a critical thinking component into every lesson (no matter how small).

I also chose to begin with WBT because (clap) I have taken pictures of some of the pieces I have already set up in my classroom and I don't have pictures of the Barrata-Lorton components yet. So, for today, I include, firstly, the link to the WBT website:

Whole Brain Teaching

Next, the video that set me on the path to WBT:

Thanks for joining me.
Let's teach Their Way!
Mrs. A

Doing it Their Way

I am starting this blog to chronicle my adventures is teaching Kindergarten using "Math Their Way" and the Baratta-Lorton reading program affectionately known as "Dekodiphukan" (Decode If You Can) as well as the principles of Whole Brain Teaching. While WBT is an educational reform movement that seems to be growing all the time, the ideas and methodology pioneered by Mary and Bob Baratta-Lorton in the seventies and eighties are a bit lesser-known to today's teachers.

I have challenged myself to implement elements of both programs into my classroom this year.

Here's a quick rundown of my teaching history:

• I began teaching Kindergarten at a small private school in Northern California in 2001. I taught there for seven years but then decided I wanted to shake up my life (mid-30's, still single, yadda-yadda) so,
• I moved to Southern California and began teaching high school at a small, private school. I did this for four years (with a year off to get married and become a step-mom to 3 great kids - see, the move worked!) and then,
• I applied to and was hired to teach Kindergarten at a small, private school in Southern Cal. I just missed  the Kinders too much! 

So, I've had 11 years of experience in the classroom and many more years of foundational experiences since both of my parents were teachers.

However, as any good teacher worth his/her salt will tell you: we NEVER stop learning! We are always growing, improving, reevaluating and "tweaking". We want to find the style that works best for us, the methodologies that are developmentally appropriate and effective and the great ideas that stand the test of time. 

That's why I am so excited to be deliberately and purposefully working to incorporate the ideas and methods of WBT and Baratta-Lorton into my classroom this year. Over the next few weeks (and even after my school starts on the 20th) I plan to post descriptions of the programs and how I have been preparing my classroom to use them. Then, after school starts, I will post my experiences (both successes and failures) with implementing them in my classroom.

My overall goal is to make the challenging (and common-core based curriculum) accessible to my students and to help them to learn their way (not mine or the textbook company's). I truly believe that both of these programs will allow me to do that.

I invite you to join me on this journey!