The Graffiti Wall

Last week I introduced the graffiti wall to the kids.  It's an idea I grabbed from pinterest.  Basically I encourage the students to write small reviews about books they've enjoyed so that others can get quick ideas of what to read.  I started it off and several of my grade 5s have joined in.

The graffiti wall so far

Sharing ideas with Colleagues

On this Pro D day we had the pleasure of having Birchland and Coquitlam River visit our school.  During our break they did a tour of our school to see what we have implemented for self-regulation.  My classroom was visited and I was overjoyed to share how I have changed my classroom!

One issue I currently have is that I can't fit a zen den into my room.  I do have a secluded cloakroom but I share it with a K/1 class.  So how do I help students who need a quiet place to go?  So far I've used the intermediate collab room at the end of the hallway, or the hallway itself.  I don't mind that students go way down the hallway because they are (in my opinion) responsible enough to handle it.

So having a silent place is great.  But one of the hardest challenges I have is using brain breaks.  I don't like how kids can't come down from them.  Or at least I have not figured out how to bring them back yet.  Stay tuned on that....

What is the purpose of Pro D Day?

Sometimes when I meet "non-teachers" I am asked what the deal is with all our pro-d days?  Is it a day off?  Why are my kids at home?  Why are there so many?

The history of ProD days are that teachers negotiated 6 extra days into the school year in order to use 6 days during the year for professional development.  On these days we go to workshops and learn ideas that will be helpful in our classrooms.  It benefits your kids.

So why don't I take them all before school starts, in August?

I have no idea what the needs of my class will be in August.  I need to meet the kids and find out the challenges in order to decide what I need to learn.

I suite my Pro D to fit the kids in my classroom.  So having 6 spread out days allows me to re-visit a topic at various times in the year and see what I have done that works, and what I need to do.

There is extra Pro D after school and many teachers do that.  But if you were given the chance to learn more to do better at your job, wouldn't you bargain it in to your contract?

And that is why we have Pro D days.

Self-Reg book!

For our first week of school we do team building activities.  One of our main things is self-regulation.  A great book for this is Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda.   All about a Monkey who doesn't concentrate on what he's doing, when he's doing it!  Then Panda teaches him how to be mindful and think about what you are doing and enjoy it.  Live in the moment!  Great lesson for students AND TEACHERS!

Job postings in the classroom.

Students were very excited today to find the "Help Wanted" section in my classroom.  I had 11 jobs posted.  As soon as the kids had free time they were over at the wall filling out job applications!  I filled most jobs in a few minutes.  A few are still on the wall.  The kids are excited to work hard (they cleaned in under 5 minutes) and earn their salary for the week.  If I find jobs not done I will not pay.

Several of the students expressed an interest in pooling their salaries together to get big prizes from my chart.  However, I may have to jack up prices if it's too easy to get!

Student filling out a job application

Classroom Environments in Primary

I teach intermediate but my colleagues have jumped aboard the design wagon as well!  They have been working on self-regulation and the environments they have created for their students are quite inspiring.
First up in Vicki Duncan's K/1 classroom.  Vicki has a double classroom because she shares one side with all the primaries.

Comfortable reading/zen area.

Plants for each table.

Organized books

Writing Center

Ikea bookshelves are GREAT for storage

Hanna Miskiman teaches K/1 as well.  She has brought in an outdoor touch to her room.

Comfy reading area

Wonder station.  Topic:  Canada

Plants

Tree trunk lamp

Using fabric to hide books and teacher items you don't want to see!

Play centre

Stefanie Lynch teaches K/1 Montessori and has a very orderly classroom.

Zen area

Wonder station, which has books and items for the theme when school starts.

This is our library.  Priscilla Maki has purchased some circus tents and pillows to make it a great quiet reading zone.

Back to School 2013

With the help of Pinterest, my classroom design has really taken a turn towards more student independence.  The following are some pictures taken this year from just before school start.

To store little things I use daily I purchased a tool storage box at Canadian Tire.  I made sure to get one with multi size drawers.  So far I have filed my usual supplies away and I'll add to it as needed.

A view of my desk.

This is the drop zone.  Students can drop off forms/notes for me in the top blue tray.  They also can get extra notices in the 2nd tray.  Below there are bins for lost and found, library books, and work to be handed in.  I have also stocked the area with a tissue box and hand sanitizer.

New this year, a Help Wanted chart.  I made job postings and job applications.  Students will apply for classroom jobs they like.  Each job has a salary based on tickets I give out.  Students get paid on Friday.  They can purchase special treats in class such as using a special chair, or choosing the game in gym class.  I will also have a bank ledger for students who want to store their money.

Behaviour Chart:  This has clothespins on it with each students name.  The pins move up and down during the day based on behaviour.

Since I number my students this magnet chart works well for bathroom, drinks and office trips.  Students simply move their magnet to the right place.  Now I know where they are and it frees up my white board.

No name?  No problem.  Just pin the work up and have them find it later.  No need for a bin or magnets.

What is the noise expectation?  Easy to see now.

I found these foam letters at Michaels.  Attached a magnet or two.  Now when the class is too noisy I put one letter up as a reminder.  If I spell Noise...then silence begins!

Moved my picture books to a new location.  I also store the book hospital here.  I also have a deli system in my classroom.  Students take a number when they need help.  That way I don't get a line up at my desk and students get my undivided attention.

Clipboard holder from Really Good Stuff.  Also storing extra supplies.

Great idea from Pinterest, pom pom glued onto dry erase markers make a quick and easy eraser!

Students store all their supplies in their own cubby.  I moved them to the front this year because it has more space than the previous location.

The shout out box allows students to write nice notes for each other.

Chapter book corner.

The following are views around the classroom.

Adventures in Self-Regulation

I'll be posting my thoughts on the book "Calm, Alert, and Learning" by Stuart Shanker.

My school is currently focused on self-regulation and at first I was resistant.  Is this a new fad?  Can this actually be helpful?  Or am I just about to be bogged down in a bunch of new ideas that I just can't cram in my brain.  So, at the last pro d day I ran across this book and decided to give it a whirl.

So far I can fully relate to it.  Talking about the states of the mind and how our SNS and PNS systems of the nervous system help to get us geared up and geared back down in times of stress.  And how these two systems can also get out of control.  Boy do I know that well!

I'm now aware of the difference between a hypo vs. hyper child.  One being almost sleepy and switched off, the other being way to switched on.  The goal of self-regulation in learning is to teach these two types of children how to recognize their states and either gear up or down into a calm and relaxed state of being.  But as an adult who doesn't reside in the calm and relaxed zone, I'm going to be looking to help myself in this too!

And wouldn't you know it, the first scenario talks about the visual of your room.  From this blog you will know that I have changed my room completely.  I have no paper up on the walls, I went with a bare look.  I have a set of black risers and a set of yellow.  I also have wood coloured tables.  The bright spot in my room are the two carpets, both burgundy and silver.  So the question is....do kids get overstimulated in my room?  I'm hoping not..but I do have many kids who are in the hyper state quite frequently.  They move around the room like bees.  They are the ones I ask to sit down while I'm talking or stop tapping the pencil.

I look forward to finding new effective ways of helping my kids regulate themselves, and a long the way I hope I also find a calm place!

Kids are blogging

Today I introduced the kids to kidblog.org!  They all have their own page and boy is it busy!  I checked on it several times tonight and the kids were blogging back and forth.  They had questions for others to answer, or just a little note about their day.

I'm planning on giving them assignments to blog but for now it's so fun to watch them enjoy it.

The other site they are HUGE on is sundog, we have an account there too and they love to practice their math and complete challenges.  I can't believe how often they go on!

The power of the internet!

Pinterest peeks my interest

Hello!  Long time no blog.

First an update on how my risers and carpets are doing.  The kids LOVE the risers.  They spend almost all their time working on the risers or tables.  Many kids like to be on the shaggy carpets for games or sit outside when it's nice out.

I often forget how different my room is.  A group of Strong Start parents did a Halloween parade into my room on Wednesday and had some interesting reactions to my room.  They were chatting about how different it was and how the kids were spread out and working.  I think I may have opened a few new eyes to classroom difference in design.

Secondly, I have been having a GREAT year without planners.  None of my kids had to pay for them ($8) and no one has missed them.  Parents constantly tell me that they love the fact that the planners are gone because the kids would never show them or they would lose them.  Everyday or two I send a quick group email to all my parents that says two or three lines about what is happening in the week or what went home that day.  I get MUCH higher home reading participation, more interest in what is being taught and I get a very high percent of returned forms and documents!!!  I highly recommend switching to no planners.

The email takes me about 2 minutes out of my day, unlike the 15-20 for copying planners and children whining about it.

And now onto my MAIN topic...Pinterest.  I was reluctant to try a new form of social media because we get so much as it is.  But pinerest has really excited me!  I've found new creative art projects, ideas for my classroom, Montessori equipment that is less costly.  And that is just my classroom uses for it!  I also found that it has lots of great ideas for my home and my life!!!  New love = pinterest.

Animoto slide shows are going over really well with the class.  They love seeing their month in review and like to watch it more than once!!!

So far new ideas are working well.

One more thought:  I think it shocks people that I don't like to rely on PAC funding for my classroom or for anything I do.  It's not that I don't appreciate the parents working hard to do that for us...but I feel they shouldn't have to.  The government should be funding our classrooms!  Not parents.  Public education should be FREE.  So my goal is to charge my parents as little as possible for their kids education.

So where do I get my funding?  I look to the school funds for furniture, the pro d fund and also the Montessori Society funding.  I know most teachers don't get society funding but I take advantage of it.  Because Montessori is a special program they do charge parents for it.  So that is the only parent funding I try to use.  I encourage teachers to find out what funding the school gets for certain things and not to rely on parents having to fund raise for everything.  Put the pressure on the government where it belongs.

A School Wide Transformation

Welcome back to the teaching universe!  I have decided to document all the classroom design changes made in my school since full day K and my own journey began.  It's amazing how people have been rethinking what a classroom should look like!  The change in my colleagues has been remarkable.  Today we will look at the library.

Priscilla has been focussed on creating an inquiring space.  I noticed when I walked in the other day that she had set up a welcoming zone to read to the children with new carpet/mats and all the children face her by sitting on chairs in a large arch/rectangular shape.

The other day she also set up an inquiry table.  There is a large question mark hanging above it and on the table are several non-fiction books.  The students have written their questions on the topic on small round paper and it covers the table.  Very cool.

I will take some more time this week to take more photos of my school and post them for you!  First 2 weeks are so busy...but life is starting to settle.

September's Set up!

Last year I set up 4 tables and a corner reading area.  This year I have separated the 4 tables to be 8 trapezoid tables, put the carpets in the middle and I have two sets of flip form risers at the end of the carpets.  With 25 students coming in my room I am hoping some students will choose to sit on the carpet, some on the risers and some in chairs.  But all students will be facing me during instruction!  Which is something I am very happy about.

Here is my classroom from 4 different angles.

Using Animoto this year

For those of you who have never heard of this.  Animoto is a website (animoto.com) where you can upload you photos, set them to music and really make an amazing slide show!

This year I decided that every month I would compile photos of my class into a slideshow so they can see what they have learned and how far they have come.  By the end of the year I'll have 10 slideshows for a BIG presentation that will take them through their year.

To introduce it I created a slideshow of my summer so they can get to know me more personally.  I also have a page of slide shows.  Enjoy!!!

http://animoto.com/play/lcM5NZmFMk01XKICWh0jkw

My summer video

PS:  It usually take me under an hour to do this.

Showing Masters Poster

Thanks to the people who stopped by my Masters poster today to discuss their interest in classroom design!  I am very psyched to bring more ideas to this year's set up!  Let me know if you have any great ideas :)

Ideas are brewing

Hello!

I haven't blogged here in a while because I've been putting the finishing touches on my Masters course. In 25 days I will be officially done!

What I plan to do is update my progress in late August of how I am going to transform my room!  I have grand plans and I'm going to share them right here :)

Throughout the year I'll update you on the progress of the transformation and take pictures of how the room evolves.

So stay tuned!

Hypothesis debunked

Well, after doing all my data analysis I have come to a statistically significant conclusion!  Teacher chosen work space for students significantly increases on-task behaviour in students over student chosen work space.  I really hoped it would be the opposite but at least in my research study with grade 4/5 students this was NOT the case.

I also found that two types of off-task behaviour were shown to be effected by student choice in a significant way:  behaviour issues (students poking each other, saying inappropriate things, generally becoming a problem) and students being distracted by others.  These two off task behaviours showed up more in the student chosen seating and were tested by to significant with only a 2% and 3% chance of being due to chance!  So there are my first findings.  I am now writing it all up and deciding how I want to use this in my classroom set up for the fall.

I think I will still have tables, risers, carpet etc, but now that I know the off task behaviours that result from more choice at this grade level I'll be watching and perhaps creating a different way of offering choice.  I am next going to look at whether some students had no difference at all between types.

Overall, doing this research was so much fun!  I'd set up another study anytime.  If you want a copy of my research I can make you one after July 2012.  Also you can see my research poster at the SFU Summer Institute July 12-14 at the Surrey BC Campus.  I encourage people to retry my research on older and younger kids!  I'd love to see your findings.

For a copy of my paper please leave an email I can send it to in August.

Socio-Cultural perceptions of Classroom Environments

So today I read a very interesting research paper.  I was drawn to it because it dealt with student perceptions of their classroom environment.  However, it was less about the physical layout of the classroom and more about teacher interaction, distractions etc.  It was about how they felt they belonged in their class and how it impacted their learning.  The study focussed on schools in Australia and Taiwan.  Here are some ideas I gleaned from it:

Australia models of teaching are very similar to Canada.  Teachers try to make the curriculum dynamic and teach for discussion and in small groups.  They feel that engaging learners in their learning is what is best.  While in Taiwan teachers felt the teacher directed model was best.  Since students both perceived their learning environments as good, why was this?  Apparently you can look to culture for that answer.

In Taiwan their curriculum is exam driven.  It is culturally accepted to have teachers who stand at the front and teach to the kids.  They see this as good learning.  Teachers are compared by the test scores their students receive.  However, in Taiwan the students LIKE this method of learning and they also are less behaviourally disruptive.  This is because there is NO TIME to stop and delve deeper into subjects, you have to learn them fast and there is not time for fooling around.

School in Taiwan

Australian teachers had more disruptive behaviours and students who felt that the teachers could teach better.  Taiwan students were mostly happy with their teachers jobs and had little complaint.  Teachers are highly respected in Taiwan.  The pressure on teachers in Taiwan comes from their inability to stray from the curriculum and the demands of the exams.  The people of Taiwan want their children to succeed and get into good schools.

Australian School

In Australia the pressure on teachers comes from having to teach academics PLUS social emotional behaviour (which Taiwan does not teach).  Teacher feel they could do a better job if they had TIME to plan but they don't because of all the add-ons they are expected to do in their jobs.

Both sets of students and teachers liked the way their systems ran and for their cultures they worked.

This got me thinking.

Have we come added too much to our Western style of schooling.  Teachers are overwhelmed.  Australian teachers felt that they couldn't always get through a lesson because of disruptive behaviour.  This occurs very frequently in Western schooling.  We spend a lot of time on behaviour and less and less on learning.  Children with behaviours often disrupt those who are trying to learn.  This frustrates me.  When did I become the counselor???  When did I become the one who teaches children manners, respect..etc.  Shouldn't that be the parents?

I found a lot to like with Taiwan's model.  The classrooms were quiet, children did not feel peer pressured to answer questions, students were asked randomly by number and if they got it wrong they simply got it wrong.  There was not cushion added in to protest the self-esteem.  The students also didn't expect one, because it's culturally okay to be wrong, it means you are learning.

Now, I don't like that they have exams and the pressure is high.  I like to be able to learn a subject with fun hands on activities and choice.  But are we too soft on kids now a days???

I also learned tonight that some Finnish schools (switching gears) have this awesome hour every day where the kids choose what they want to pursue.  ALL the teachers in the school teach what they are passionate about and the kids can choose from any of them!  I for one would be doing Musical Theatre.

Collecting Data

Hello! I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I wanted to let you know that I'm currently collecting 5 weeks of data on student on-task and off-task behaviour. I'm finding more out then my research needs to cover but I will be adding that in.

Also I have a request in for 2 sets of flipform risers for my classroom! I'm awaiting info on that. AND the kids requested bean bag chairs. These are NOT cheap so I may not get any. I can't seen having 2 or 3 and 28 kids fighting over them. Ouch.

Data for Pilot

Today I entered in the data for the STUDENT CHOICE portion of my pilot. Right away I saw some interesting results. The average on-task score of the students was 13/20 minutes. Not bad, not bad. I had a large result for Talking (off-task) and Being Distracted by Others (off-task). Now we will have to see if my TEACHER CHOICE data shows any differences! So exciting. As you also know I will be collecting a fresh batch of data all of April in person because I found the video taping too difficult to work with. I can't WAIT to see if this effects my data or not.

Also I'm looking at some changes in my classroom for September. I'm thinking of taking the 8 trapezoid tables and splitting them so they can go around the outside of the room. I want to open up the middle of the room for a giant carpet area. The kids have requested Bean Bag chairs. Not too sure if I will give in to this request but I'm interested in trying it. I have had ball chairs before but storing them is a HUGE nightmare. I have a very small space! I am considering purchasing flip form risers to go around the carpet area and also for use when I have my projector up and running. I do want my projector mounted on the ceiling! That would solve so many space issues.

I was delighted that one of my parents has hooked me up on Twitter was some more fabulous thinkers!!! Teachers who are looking into changing their work space and experimenting. I can tell you it's been great. If you read back through my blog it will detail for you what has worked and what has not. Next year I go from 20 kids to 28...so my creative juices are flowing! I did have the kids draw me layouts because I told them, we have to fit 28 kids in here! How can we do that? And no I refuse to bring back desks. But I can tell you only 2 of my 20 even want desks back. They have tubs for storage (that I bought) and my ikea shelves are a dream!

I'm currently on Ed Leave as of tomorrow!! So I hope to be blogging more and getting more of my data completed.

You can find me on twitter at @sdaviss12

Problems with my Pilot

I've been working on my pilot project for my masters research and have realized something.

Video taping students and then trying to figure out what they are doing at their work station is almost IMPOSSIBLE. Although I have repositioned my cameras to take 2 tables only for 20 minutes and then switch to the other 2 tables this has not helped the problem.

I have also discovered that when children are off screen I can't tell whether it is on-task or off. So it messes up my data.

New plan: I'm going to go back into the classroom and record the data first hand so that I don't have to rely on video cameras. This will alter my research a little because now I will have another teacher in the room and myself watching students. Will this make them act differently? Perhaps however, they will react in that way through 8 viewings so this should not effect my data in the end.

To recap, I am studying if students who choose their work space stay more on-task than students who are told where to sit during work time.

I am also NOW on ed leave! So this will allow me to work full time on my masters.