One thing I always liked to do the first week was something called My Three Faces. I would have students write about their School Face, Home Face, and Secret Face. I also, when possible, would let students take pictures of each of their three Faces to post around the room as a way to get to know each other.
Neat idea! I did something similar called "Identity Box" where students decorated the outside to reflect how the world sees them; then, they decorated the inside to reflect who they really are on the inside and what people may not know about them... They really enjoyed it! And it brought us closer together as a class.
I've had a wonderful time getting to know my STEAM students as they've familiarized themselves with the lab and the technology available to them. Giving them time to take pictures in Photo Booth, rename them with their own names, and upload them to my dropbox is something i've adopted from Ms. Boyan. It's great to help remember names of students too!
I like Mr. Conroy's idea. However, first week of school is all about business; syllables, going over rules and procedures, making portfolios where they decorate them with things they like such as hobbies, games, academics etc. I also have a "Getting to Know You" handout with questions about themselves students will share with class. Additionally, we have gone over the Instructional Shift - what it is and what it looks like in the classroom through group discussions and whole class discussions. We have organized notebooks and are now on our first article about children walking across the border alone.
The "Library Practice" students immediately starting working on the Library's "Accelerated Reader" bulletin board in the hallway. They seemed to like designing it and discussing the new AR board. This was a nice way for them to work together and do something to support the library program while getting to know each other better.
This year I began with a historical thinking curriculum called Thinking Like a Historian that I picked up working with the Social Studies Fellowship this summer. The introductory lessons access students' personal lives, and are not content related, but rather skill related. O, no one tarts with the I hate history complaint, and we focus on skills, writing, and reasoning. The events stimulate discussion, and but for one or two kids, everyone is turning them in. The Kagan posters are an excellent complement, because the lessons require or accommodate pair sharing and group discussion. It's been the best 1st week I've had in years.
Talking, showing them that I am there not only to teach, but also to help them in any difficult situation that they may encounter. Bullying is not allowed, and how I am here to help if that happens. I guess building trust.
Class Dojo is being truly helpful when it comes to structure and accountability. My students respond quite well to timed assignments, random share out and love seeing how they are in charge of their grade on a daily basis.
I have been giving them the breakdown of the strategies we use in class. They get the routine repeated for two weeks then we get down to the topics. I stress the norms of the class.
The big hook in science is the labs and activities. Starting the year with science skills that challenge or test student' observation, recall, and inference skills is fun for them. Combine those activities with cool videos, structure in the classroom, and clear boundaries, and the students buy in.
I believe that having getting to know you and team building activities has been a success in my 6th grade classes. Two of the more successful activities have been People Hunt from the Kagan book and People Bingo. Having students do Write-Pair-Share activities has also been successful. They are quiet when they have to be and talk to their elbow partners efficiently.
Every year the students and I create the Classroom Dragon. Each student had the opportunity to decorate a cup with their name and pictures that symbolize their hobbies and interests. Inside the cup is a letter to themselves for them to revisit at the end of year. I string all the cups together to create a Dragon made up of each student. This fosters individuality and unity as themes for the year.
We have not done much science content yet. But what we have done was getting to know you activities. The one that the students liked the most was they wrote down three unique facts about themselves - from least unique to most unique. I read the index cards to the class and they stood if it applied to them. The 6th graders liked learning about each other and the 8th graders liked guessing who they were about.
I engaged my students into the common core mentality by using the Island map challenge. This is an activity Ms. Mendez and I did for the first week of school. Each group was given 20 cards with maps placed on a grid. It was the students’ job to find the singleton card. The catch was that they couldn’t look at anyone else’s card. The task required communication. Our students enjoyed the challenge and in the end, we tied it to the common core expectations – hopefully making students feel confident in their abilities.
I've been doing a lot of name games and getting to know you activities to break up the logistics of syllabus and notebook setup, trying to show that I am interested in getting to know them as people. We've been putting off content until classes get a little more settled, but introducing them to the ideas of what STEAM stands for and how all the topics are integrated has been helpful. Also, in science, we did a scientific thinking activity which showed what happens when you think you have all the information (by giving them several pieces of paper that make a square) and then find something new (a new shape which allows a rearrangement of pieces to make a larger square). This illustrated the problem solving and critical thinking integral to science.
I used the first week of school as an opportunity to get to know students and allow them to teach me about the school, school culture and practices. Because I am new to the school, I let the students teach me a great deal. I modeled About Me activities using my personal information and then allowed the students to share their backgrounds. I recorded their personal interests and strengths and began to develop lesson and unit plans that highlight these things.
The first week is all about getting to know the rules and getting to know each other. We do Kagan strategies like Round Robin, Mix Around, Pair Share to learn about each other. We also create a timeline of our lives to help students understand that they all have a story to tell just like History. We also create notebooks and decorate them with a Name Acrostic poem that describes themselves.
I start out with rules, procedures and expectations. When the dust settles, then we start to review what history is, controversy in history and human origin...
I have demonstrated how I am an informative teacher, and how I will help them be aware of future events (drills, test, homework, assignments). Vega and I did an activity called Island Maps to introduce the importance of communicating effectively with table teams. I am constantly modeling what I mean and what I expect from them. I have used white boards to do classwork before putting work on paper (to build confidence). Also this year Vega and I made an Edmodo group for all the 7th graders where they will be posting homework work so students can see multiple sample and hopefully communicate areas of difficulty. Also we hope to do a family event/potluck so any 7th grade teachers who are interested let us know :)
I simply play the common intro week game "2 truths, 1 lie" (with the 6th graders, at least). The thing that I enjoy about this game is that it allows me to share something about myself at the onset (which makes them feel really comfortable), while at the same time it really sets the stage for them as far as the positive energy, pacing, and classroom involvement they can expect from me as the year progresses.
I had success having groups "jigsaw" my "Course Information" packet and create posters of the most important content, like what we teachers did on the pupil-free day. As a group, they got up and presented their findings. Then today students engaged in a "Find Someone Who..." activity that got them out of their seats, introducing themselves to each other, and asking questions. Afterward, they individually introduced other students to the rest of the class and told something they had learned about them. Good Speaking and Listening practice.
Getting to know the rules and procedure of the class is key the first weeks of class. It has helped the class run smoother and lets the students know what behavior is expected in class. We use class dojo to keep the students involved with tracking their behavior. Then to get to know each other we have ice-breaker games.
Some of my classes did a Summer Time Bingo to get to know each other. "Find someone who traveled out of the country" We also did a lot of silly handshakes where the kids would mingle, then stop in front of someone and introduce themselves then do a silly handshake that I'd teach them. They'd say goodbye and mingle to find a new partner and learn a new handshake. Those were fun beginning of the year activities, especially nice for the 6th graders. And of course, we also have to review procedures rules etc.
Math is related to EVERYTHING in our world. My students watched a clip from TED: The magic of math and origami (http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami). They were very intrigued and were surprised to see that math can be applied in our world. I'm hoping this motivated them to become active math learners. I'm excited to share more info as to how math applies in their lives.
I haven't yet touched content (other than starting to go into students' name etymology and cultural artifacts). In the first 2 weeks we have been participating, struggling with engaging in Community Circle- a community building indigenous practice based on the Maoris in New Zealand (among others). Sitting in a circle is different and a struggle for many of us (even with adults) because it's not a normal structure, so it's taking us time to get used to. A lot of cross talk and wait time... I wanted to do this based on the belief that that building relationships with each other is an important foundation to establish a learning community.
I explained to my students the classroom rules. I always make a point to let the students know I will not tolerate bullying or ridiculing of any kind. I teach a special education class and special education students often ridicule each other. Students will not make an effort to admit they do not understand if they feel they will be made fun of.
Some of the successes during the first week included a receptivity to the rules presented to them and a willingness of the students to open up and share about themselves. One of the ways that I sought to engage them was to open up and share a little about myself so that hopefully they would be comfortable sharing as well. I also sought to give each student an equal voice and equal time to share about themselves and their activities over the summer.
I also used visuals via technology to communicate the rules and expectations of the coming school year.
The main success in hooking my students in the first week was to push the co-teaching model along with my fellow co-teachers. Working together we tag teamed the introduction, rules, and layout of each class. This helped introduce students to the fact that we are designing this class different from other classes. This will hopefully also engage them with some level of interest in the topic.
One thing I always liked to do the first week was something called My Three Faces. I would have students write about their School Face, Home Face, and Secret Face. I also, when possible, would let students take pictures of each of their three Faces to post around the room as a way to get to know each other.
ReplyDeleteNeat idea! I did something similar called "Identity Box" where students decorated the outside to reflect how the world sees them; then, they decorated the inside to reflect who they really are on the inside and what people may not know about them... They really enjoyed it! And it brought us closer together as a class.
DeleteI've had a wonderful time getting to know my STEAM students as they've familiarized themselves with the lab and the technology available to them. Giving them time to take pictures in Photo Booth, rename them with their own names, and upload them to my dropbox is something i've adopted from Ms. Boyan. It's great to help remember names of students too!
ReplyDeleteI like Mr. Conroy's idea. However, first week of school is all about business; syllables, going over rules and procedures, making portfolios where they decorate them with things they like such as hobbies, games, academics etc. I also have a "Getting to Know You" handout with questions about themselves students will share with class. Additionally, we have gone over the Instructional Shift - what it is and what it looks like in the classroom through group discussions and whole class discussions. We have organized notebooks and are now on our first article about children walking across the border alone.
ReplyDeleteThe "Library Practice" students immediately starting working on the Library's "Accelerated Reader" bulletin board in the hallway. They seemed to like designing it and discussing the new AR board. This was a nice way for them to work together and do something to support the library program while getting to know each other better.
ReplyDeleteThis year I began with a historical thinking curriculum called Thinking Like a Historian that I picked up working with the Social Studies Fellowship this summer. The introductory lessons access students' personal lives, and are not content related, but rather skill related. O, no one tarts with the I hate history complaint, and we focus on skills, writing, and reasoning. The events stimulate discussion, and but for one or two kids, everyone is turning them in. The Kagan posters are an excellent complement, because the lessons require or accommodate pair sharing and group discussion. It's been the best 1st week I've had in years.
ReplyDeleteTalking, showing them that I am there not only to teach, but also to help them in any difficult situation that they may encounter. Bullying is not allowed, and how I am here to help if that happens. I guess building trust.
ReplyDeleteClass Dojo is being truly helpful when it comes to structure and accountability. My students respond quite well to timed assignments, random share out and love seeing how they are in charge of their grade on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI have been giving them the breakdown of the strategies we use in class. They get the routine repeated for two weeks then we get down to the topics. I stress the norms of the class.
ReplyDeleteThe big hook in science is the labs and activities. Starting the year with science skills that challenge or test student' observation, recall, and inference skills is fun for them. Combine those activities with cool videos, structure in the classroom, and clear boundaries, and the students buy in.
ReplyDeleteI believe that having getting to know you and team building activities has been a success in my 6th grade classes. Two of the more successful activities have been People Hunt from the Kagan book and People Bingo. Having students do Write-Pair-Share activities has also been successful. They are quiet when they have to be and talk to their elbow partners efficiently.
ReplyDeleteEvery year the students and I create the Classroom Dragon. Each student had the opportunity to decorate a cup with their name and pictures that symbolize their hobbies and interests. Inside the cup is a letter to themselves for them to revisit at the end of year. I string all the cups together to create a Dragon made up of each student. This fosters individuality and unity as themes for the year.
ReplyDeleteWe have not done much science content yet. But what we have done was getting to know you activities. The one that the students liked the most was they wrote down three unique facts about themselves - from least unique to most unique. I read the index cards to the class and they stood if it applied to them. The 6th graders liked learning about each other and the 8th graders liked guessing who they were about.
ReplyDeleteI engaged my students into the common core mentality by using the Island map challenge. This is an activity Ms. Mendez and I did for the first week of school. Each group was given 20 cards with maps placed on a grid. It was the students’ job to find the singleton card. The catch was that they couldn’t look at anyone else’s card. The task required communication. Our students enjoyed the challenge and in the end, we tied it to the common core expectations – hopefully making students feel confident in their abilities.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this in action! Sounds like a fun and engaging activity. :)
DeleteI've been doing a lot of name games and getting to know you activities to break up the logistics of syllabus and notebook setup, trying to show that I am interested in getting to know them as people. We've been putting off content until classes get a little more settled, but introducing them to the ideas of what STEAM stands for and how all the topics are integrated has been helpful. Also, in science, we did a scientific thinking activity which showed what happens when you think you have all the information (by giving them several pieces of paper that make a square) and then find something new (a new shape which allows a rearrangement of pieces to make a larger square). This illustrated the problem solving and critical thinking integral to science.
ReplyDeleteMy advisory is resembling what advisory should be. I'm not sure why? I think we have earned each other's trust by sharing deep thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI used the first week of school as an opportunity to get to know students and allow them to teach me about the school, school culture and practices. Because I am new to the school, I let the students teach me a great deal. I modeled About Me activities using my personal information and then allowed the students to share their backgrounds. I recorded their personal interests and strengths and began to develop lesson and unit plans that highlight these things.
ReplyDeleteThe first week is all about getting to know the rules and getting to know each other. We do Kagan strategies like Round Robin, Mix Around, Pair Share to learn about each other. We also create a timeline of our lives to help students understand that they all have a story to tell just like History. We also create notebooks and decorate them with a Name Acrostic poem that describes themselves.
ReplyDeleteI start out with rules, procedures and expectations. When the dust settles, then we start to review what history is, controversy in history and human origin...
ReplyDeleteI have demonstrated how I am an informative teacher, and how I will help them be aware of future events (drills, test, homework, assignments).
ReplyDeleteVega and I did an activity called Island Maps to introduce the importance of communicating effectively with table teams.
I am constantly modeling what I mean and what I expect from them. I have used white boards to do classwork before putting work on paper (to build confidence). Also this year Vega and I made an Edmodo group for all the 7th graders where they will be posting homework work so students can see multiple sample and hopefully communicate areas of difficulty. Also we hope to do a family event/potluck so any 7th grade teachers who are interested let us know :)
Yeah! YOKA is ranked a top 10 Edmodo user in lausd. Great work.
DeleteI simply play the common intro week game "2 truths, 1 lie" (with the 6th graders, at least). The thing that I enjoy about this game is that it allows me to share something about myself at the onset (which makes them feel really comfortable), while at the same time it really sets the stage for them as far as the positive energy, pacing, and classroom involvement they can expect from me as the year progresses.
ReplyDeleteI had success having groups "jigsaw" my "Course Information" packet and create posters of the most important content, like what we teachers did on the pupil-free day. As a group, they got up and presented their findings. Then today students engaged in a "Find Someone Who..." activity that got them out of their seats, introducing themselves to each other, and asking questions. Afterward, they individually introduced other students to the rest of the class and told something they had learned about them. Good Speaking and Listening practice.
ReplyDeleteGetting to know the rules and procedure of the class is key the first weeks of class. It has helped the class run smoother and lets the students know what behavior is expected in class. We use class dojo to keep the students involved with tracking their behavior. Then to get to know each other we have ice-breaker games.
ReplyDeleteSome of my classes did a Summer Time Bingo to get to know each other. "Find someone who traveled out of the country" We also did a lot of silly handshakes where the kids would mingle, then stop in front of someone and introduce themselves then do a silly handshake that I'd teach them. They'd say goodbye and mingle to find a new partner and learn a new handshake. Those were fun beginning of the year activities, especially nice for the 6th graders. And of course, we also have to review procedures rules etc.
ReplyDeleteMath is related to EVERYTHING in our world. My students watched a clip from TED: The magic of math and origami (http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami). They were very intrigued and were surprised to see that math can be applied in our world. I'm hoping this motivated them to become active math learners.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to share more info as to how math applies in their lives.
I haven't yet touched content (other than starting to go into students' name etymology and cultural artifacts). In the first 2 weeks we have been participating, struggling with engaging in Community Circle- a community building indigenous practice based on the Maoris in New Zealand (among others). Sitting in a circle is different and a struggle for many of us (even with adults) because it's not a normal structure, so it's taking us time to get used to. A lot of cross talk and wait time... I wanted to do this based on the belief that that building relationships with each other is an important foundation to establish a learning community.
ReplyDeleteI explained to my students the classroom rules. I always make a point to let the students know I will not tolerate bullying or ridiculing of any kind. I teach a special education class and special education students often ridicule each other. Students will not make an effort to admit they do not understand if they feel they will be made fun of.
ReplyDeleteSome of the successes during the first week included a receptivity to the rules presented to them and a willingness of the students to open up and share about themselves. One of the ways that I sought to engage them was to open up and share a little about myself so that hopefully they would be comfortable sharing as well. I also sought to give each student an equal voice and equal time to share about themselves and their activities over the summer.
ReplyDeleteI also used visuals via technology to communicate the rules and expectations of the coming school year.
The main success in hooking my students in the first week was to push the co-teaching model along with my fellow co-teachers. Working together we tag teamed the introduction, rules, and layout of each class. This helped introduce students to the fact that we are designing this class different from other classes. This will hopefully also engage them with some level of interest in the topic.
ReplyDeleteI had the students do a famly tree which they enjoyed very much.
ReplyDelete