Superspeed 100

I don't know about everyone else, but with the new Common Core, Math is moving extremely fast this year.  Thank goodness Whole Brain Teaching has the Superspeed 100 to come to the rescue.  I am going to be sharing it with the other teachers on my grade level and I thought I would make a video.  Most teachers learn better by seeing something in action rather than just hearing about it.  You really learn by doing.  I'm hoping after seeing this, it might help them to 'do' it! 
Superspeed 100, for those of you who don't know, is like skill and drill with addition and subtraction facts, but in a way that students will beg you to practice.  You need to pair students as partners first.  Right now I'm calling one side of the pair "Peanut Butter" and the other side is "Jelly."  You pick who will go first.  The ones who go first, put their paper on the problems with no answers, while the other student checks with the answer side.  You time the students for one minute.  (We do this whole class, but it can be done in centers.  We do it whole class because they can get pretty loud when calling out the answers.)  While checking, students can either tell their partner when a mistake is made and keep track of how many mistakes or they can just keep track.  After one minute, the teacher calls STOP and the partner tells the other their score letter first and number second.  The problems are on the sheet like a grid: letters across the top and numbers on the left side.  We've set up a special section in the back of our math journal for recording their scores.  Each day we date it, and record the score.  You can ask about their improvements daily or weekly.  I add a star to their Super Improvers Wall if they improved over the week.  After the Peanut Butters go, it' s the Jellies turn.  Again, one minute on the clock.  Then record their scores.  For third grade, I'm only using the addition and subtraction pages and the GNARLIES.  I started with two weeks of addition. Then, we worked on two weeks of subtraction facts.  These two sheets have the facts in order, so that students can spout off the sums or differences quickly remembering the pattern.  This is what builds their speed and accuracy.  Soon, just looking at the fact brings the answer to their brain.  After the students are feeling some success, you want to shake things up with the GNARLIES.  The gnarlies are the same facts, but now all mixed up with the hardest ones at the beginning.  I am using them like this:  Monday - addition, Tuesday - subtraction, Wednesday - addition, Thursday - subtraction, and Friday - GNARLIES.  There is no set rule on this though.  You do what you think your students need.  Every class is different.  Oh, I store the sheets in sheet protectors to save them and keep them on a ring so that it's easy for me to take them off and on daily. 

Here is a brief video to demonstrate:  http://youtu.be/UgXSoxDE1ds

Growing a Brain

So, what do you do when your students look at you with that clueless look in their eyes?  Here's what we decided to do.......GROW A BRAIN!  Yes, you know that Oriental Trading is a favorite teacher shopping spot already.  Well now, they sell brains!  So this savvy teacher bought enough brains for my whole class plus all the teachers who visit it.  (We could use the extra 'brain power' too :))  Not only did this turn out to be a science activity, but also a writing activity.  Since we are trying hard this year to use our WHOLE BRAIN, we thought we would start by growing one.

Watch the video to see how we did it!

Power Pix Wall and WBT Signs

What a powerful thing it is to look up at the back wall and see the skills we've covered so far.  It not only gives you a sense of accomplishment, but it also, and more importantly, allows for quick review and reminder.  We had Open House this past Tuesday and parents were able to see everything we've been covering.  Our administrators do 'walk-throughs' in every classroom now as part of our evaluation process and they too can see what we're covering, what the students should know.  I am very happy with this component of a WBT classroom.  By the way, I made my display walls with sheet protectors and (Dollar Tree) plastic tablecloths.  I wonder if I should change it out each quarter or try to leave everything up all year. I'm not sure if it would appear too busy.  For now, however, ba da da da da, I'm loving it!

As you can see, this week we covered subjects and predicates and rounding.  So cool!

Also we have updated our WBT gestures board for our WBT activites.  Just this week we received four new students and it was great to listen to my students explaining the gestures and pointing to them on the wall.  In an earlier post I wrote about a new gesture we created.  Ironically, I wrote it backwards.  It's actually called Backwards Mirror and it is where the teacher does the gesture and the students say the part.  The gesture for it is - hands up and then turn them around so your palms are facing you.  Palms out then palms in.

I've been really happy with the way LINES! works.  We also do SEATS! to return to our seats after going to the carpet.  The one we have to work on is repeating the page number when I tell them what page to turn to.  I even have our librarian using Hands and Eyes for important things she needs to teach the students.  Next week I hope to post an update on our Super Improvers Wall. Also, I just want to share that I've been wearing my 'Rule #5' pin everyday since the beginning of school.  I have gotten so many questions about it.  This gives me the opportunity to talk about WBT and share the exciting news of how great it works!  It also serves as a daily reminder to the students to ...Keep your dear teacher happy!

MIRROR BACKWARDS!

We created a new gesture in our classroom today.  (horns) Introducing......."MIRROR BACKWARDS!"
Okay, this is how it works......
You know how mirror - has no words, and mirror words - they repeat your words and gestures...... Well MIRROR BACKWARDS - the teacher does the gestures and the students say the words! Cool isn't it? 
We were learning about subjects and predicates this week and had some great gestures for the lessons. I wanted to see if the students could say what a subject and predicate is just by following my gestures.  So, Mirror Backwards was invented.  AND it worked! 
Maybe by the end of this week I'll post a short video to show the gesture in action.
Ba da da da da, I'm loving it!  GO WBT!

Hurricane Stories

After missing seven school days due to Hurricane Isaac, we returned with much to talk about.  Of course we seized this opportunity to share the many details each student held in their heads, by writing a hurricane essay. 

First I showed a short video clip of part of my own hurricane experience as seen from a second story window.  Then we sat in a circle and everyone shared at least three details about where they went for the storm, how they survived it, and what might have happened to their home.

We then returned to our seats and brainstormed our ideas onto a circle map (from Thinking Maps).  We also created a word bank so they could correctly spell all of the key words they would use in their stories.  Next, as a class, we created three questions that students were to choose one of them to use as their topic sentence. 

Now students inserted their three details into a flee map (a combination of a flow map and tree map specifically used for writing).  On the flee map students paraphrased the main idea and details they were going to use.  When they took it off the map, they would use complete sentences.
For their conclusion, students answered their question from the opening adding a new detail to it.
On the second day, we wrote our stories and painted an illustration to go with it from watercolors.  I then put each story and illustration in a sheet protector to create our second class book. 
This was an experience we have shared together that we will never forget.  But if we do start to forget, we have the book to remind us!

Math Problem Solving Rap

In room 204, the students performed a problem solving rap to help us remember the four simple steps for solving a math problem.  I think they got a little loud because students from other classes walked by and began chanting with us. 
Incorporating gestures into the rap made me think that it is sort of following WBT guidelines.  I'll share the video with you now. Use it if you like.

Problem Solving Rap

When you come to a problem

And you don’t know what to do

Here are four simple steps

That will really help you.

UNDERSTAND

PLAN

SOLVE

LOOK BACK (2x)

Understand is what you know

And need to know

Plan is the path

To the answer you will go.

Solve is the part

Where you work the plan.

Look Back check your work

And say, “I Can.”

“I Can.”

UNDERSTAND

PLAN

SOLVE

LOOK BACK (4x)

Number!

Buttons, buttons, whose got the button?

Here is the secret button I gave to my students this year.  Many of my students come to school with little support from home or their community.  I want them to know that I believe in them.  So, I had these pins made through dazzle.com to let them know someone believes in them.  But, it's our secret!  They wear it under their collar and can remind themselves of it whenever they want.  I wear one too.

This is the other pin I am now sporting everyday...Rule #5 - Keep your dear teacher happy!  It's proving itself as one of the most powerful rules for eliminating arguing, complaining,  and following all the other rules.  My students are trying hard to keep their dear teacher happy and remind their classmates who sometimes slip to remember Rule #5!  BTW, I got this awesome button at the WBT National Conference in Pineville, LA this summer.

Okay, so today was our first day of school with students! Yes, August 9th!  We're in school almost a month more than what it used to be years ago.  This year I am trying to fully implement Whole Brain Teaching.  The webinars and the conference this summer have proved to be invaluable to starting this year off right.  Can I get an OH YEAH!?  Well, I want to share this process with whoever wants to read about it and to be able to reflect myself on how the day went, how to plan, what is working, what needs to be tweeked, and it will help me to stay on top of this amazing brain based program that WORKS!

  Here was our checklist of what we went over on the first day.  Yes, I even started the scoreboard and got alot of the students to begin thinking of how to get each other to work together and build each other up instead of the norm of tearing each other down, especially when someone doesn't follow the rules

 The Literacy Cafe from the 'sisters' is how I plan to address the needs of all of my students from high achieving to not quite there yet.  They have strategies that address every need.

 I know it's not spectacular, but this is my super improver's wall.  It might not look like much, but it will get the job done.  I plan on starting with stars as early as next week.  The students were getting curious this week but I just let them know that this is a way to become a living legend in the class. I'll tell them more about it next week.  Well, we did have to collect supplies and get through some school routines.  They can't get everything in one day :)  I was amazed, however, at how much we did learn today.

 I had printed all of the the WBT signs for the sayings we use constantly.  Each time we learned one today, I posted the picture as a reinforcement on the wall.  Class/yes is great.  They have that down no problem.  The teach/okay was a little tricky for them.  When I would clap twice and say teach, they would just start right away without clapping twice and saying okay.  Okay, it's just the first day.  I'll give them a little more time to get this down.  I did mirror with the help of one of my most talkative students.  It was great.  He stood next to me and as I went over the rules again with full gestures, he had to mirror me.  Remember, mirrors don't speak.  But, my students told me - "the one is Snow White does!" Ok Coach B...we'll have to say that it pertains to all of the regular mirrors, not the special fairy tale ones.

 I wore my Rule #5 pin today.  After we learned the first rule, I asked the students how many rules did they think there was.  Most of them said five.  I asked them if they wanted to know what rule #5 was.  When they answered yes, I told them sorry that they would have to wait until later.  Well, we learned rules 2 and 3 after PE and learned rules 4 and 5 after lunch.  It's very true that repetition does work.  I know that the first thing that I will do tomorrow is review the rules.  We also went over the school rules.  I know I watched a video where the teacher incorporated the school rules with the WBT rules, but I think I will keep the WBT rules as my classroom rules and the school rules for everywhere outside of the classroom - for this year at least.

 This is the wall where I will be posting the GLE's, standards, goals or what ever you want to call them, the power pix for Language Arts and for Math.  I still have to label it with the a, b, c, ... and 1, 2, 3, ....
On Monday, I will be posting some already.

 Our school uses Mountain Language and Mountain Math for skill reinforcement and practice.  I have the students do certain numbers daily.  I have it set up for both boards to be completed in two weeks.  I then collect this work for a participation grade.  Anything that is done on a daily basis and is repeated consistantly everyday creates long term memory and automaticity (is that the right word?).

 Yes, You see correctly!  That is a piano in my room.  I've actually had it several years now.  Someone had put it in the hallway to get rid of it one year.  I asked if I could have it and the rest is history.  Music is very important in my classroom.  Just think of how many songs you remember the words to, or a vivid memory comes to mind when a certain song is played.  I like to incorporate songs into my lessons whenever possible.

 This beautiful picture, a gift from my daughter, is a focus in my class as a memorium to the classroom pets I had for 12 years.  To to changes in our hallway and other changes at our school, my classroom pets had to be returned to their birthplace, the swamps of Marrero.  They were a great learning tool for all of my former students teaching them things such as responsibility, compassion, life science, ecosystems, and helping us make it through the school year with a pleasant distraction.  Three of them were also Katrina survivors.  Go Turtles!

Our computer center.  We should start on this on Monday.  I have to put the super reader powerpoint on each one tomorrow.  Of course, the students wanted to get on computers today.

So that's a look at my classroom so far.  I'm not quite finished, but I think we're on the right track.  Tomorrow I will write about the secret I shared with the students.  Don't tell them I told you, but I think you'll want to know.

Oh, talk about a first day. from about 1:30 something to about 3:00 today our school lost power!  Yes, we were over 700 students, teachers, and staff, sitting in the dark wondering for a few minutes - how do we teach in the dark.  Then, magically everyone was doing something.  It was, however, the quietest I have ever heard a school on a first day.  After this, the rest of the year should be a piece of cake!

Can I get a mighty oh yeah!?! I just received my first 100 points for my first essay towards WBT certification for instructor level.  I was so nervous because (clap) I didn't want to disappooint Coach B.  I really will be dedicated to pursuing this.  I truly believe that this way of teaching CAN change the way students learn and CAN make a difference in education today!  If you don't know about Whole Brain Teaching, go NO...race to their website and let the jaw-dropping, forehead slapping, non-stop smile begin as you check it all out! http://www.wholebrainteaching.com/

The Golden Key - Unlock the Door to Student Learning

Here's a taste of the WBT National Conference in Pineville, LA:

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

James Baldwin (1924-1987) African-American writer.

      If I learned nothing else at the conference in Pineville, I learned that education today is in need of a change.  With charters and vouchers becoming more prevalent around our country and USA slipping further and further from anywhere near the top in education, educators need to reach deep into their ‘back pocket’ to pull out something that works with every type of student, even the most challenging ones,  and engage them in their own education.  Whole Brain Teaching does just that.

     At the conference, educators from 26 states turned and gave a figurative ‘Golden Key’ to one another to enable us to unlock the wonderful world of student learning.  On the key are the most important components of Whole Brain Teaching (WBT): the core four, critical thinking, and individual improvement.  As with all WBT, our keys were made with grand gestures that represented the three parts of the key.  I’m either going to draw one or have one made to remind me of how to unlock that door when it feels jammed or stuck!

     Out of the Big Seven of WBT, the Core Four: the class/yes, teach/ok, mirror, and scoreboard, are what make up the big part of one end of the key.  These four should be used in every lesson taught with WBT, whether it be academic or behavioral.  The class/yes is your attention grabber and focuser.  Teach/ok allows the necessary repetition for learning to occur.  It also helps you to break down the lesson into the smallest parts possible for maximum retention.   In Bloom’s taxonomy, teaching is in the highest level.  Using ‘mirror’ or ‘mirror words’ gives the students the gestures and words needed to internalize what it is being taught so that they can 1) commit it to their long term memory and 2) turn around and use it to teach their neighbor.  Finally, the scoreboard is used as a motivator to make students want to do the right thing, help each other, not waste time, learn, learn, learn, and, most importantly, keep their dear teacher happy.

     The longest and middle part of the key is all about critical thinking.  It incorporates two vital pieces: the because clapper and problem solver. (Even while I’m writing this, I want to stop to do the gestures!)  The because clapper makes students dig deep to bring to mind details or reasons why.  The problem solver has students coming up with their own examples, evidence from texts or experiences, or just thinking problems through.

     The final part of this amazing key, which is shaped like a star, is Individual improvement.  The symbol of the star represents the stars that students earn on the Super Improvers Wall when they continue to beat their own record, either academically or behaviorally.  It makes the journey fairer or more kid friendly when the only person they have to beat is themself.

     In conclusion, I will be using this priceless golden key to open each individual door to the wonderful world of student learning of each of my students this year and from now on.  I can only imagine the impact this will have on my students’ learning once they realize the door is open.  I hope to also open this door for my fellow educator’s too.  Our school’s motto is:  Estelle Elementary, a great place to learn.  Now it truly will be!

Here we go!

Well, here we go, here we go, here we go!!!!  Allright now, I'm going to try to be faithful to this blog by posting to it at least weekly, by reporting all the great new things that will be happening in my classroom, and I promise no whining about things I cannot change, but will try try try to do what I can with what I've been given. Can I get a - Oh Yeah!  Thanks... I hope to be sharing the love with you all.