Kudos and such

My goodness.  In the last few months I sure have got my share of "fame"!  One, I was on the front page of the Coquitlam Now in November regarding teacher assessment strategies in the face of job action.  I had no idea I'd appear on the front.  I thought I'd be tucked in the back somewhere!  Then just recently G, a fellow blogger and innovations master, put together a website which highlights what teachers are doing in Coquitlam with classroom design.  I appear on that page.  Then due to that page TG (head of Coquitlam SD) sent me a card congratulating me on my achievements.  Wow!

In terms of my classroom,  I have recently mixed up where the kids sit on alternating days.  I have to pilot my checklist in February and I want the kids to be familiar with choosing their own seats AND having me choose them.  Before they just chose their own, now I'm in the mix.

So how are they reacting?  Funny, some kids really like me choosing their seats because they like to sit with other people and when the kids choose their seats they choose the same kids to sit near all the time.  So mixing it up pleases some of them.  Others get really upset and don't like being told where to sit.  The girls hate sitting with the boys and vice versa.

I'm also creating a survey as my second tool for my evaluation class so we'll see how that turns out!

Long time no post!

My goodness I have neglected my blog.  Tis the life of a teacher, busy busy.  I was thrilled to be featured in the Coquitlam Now recently discussing how teachers are communicating with parents without using report cards.  To be honest I prefer this method to report cards.  I've always found that when you give people grades on something that is all they care about.  They don't read your very thoughtful comments on their child or what you could do to help improvement, it's all about the grades.  And how do you grade a 4th or 5th grade child?  Really they are still developing.  I can't give them percentages or large reports to do.  I have to look at a performance standard rubric and base my interpretations on that.  As someone who has taught this grade for a while it's a little easier for me to say, that's an A or that's a B.  But in today's society people just assume they will get an A and if I don't give it, it's somehow my fault??  This is bizarre thinking considering I received mostly Bs or C grades my entire life.  I worked very hard but sometimes I just didn't quite reach the A.  A's should be hard to achieve, they stand for "Excellent" and I'm afraid we are not all excellent all the time.

Anyway, enough about report cards.  I also received a link that will be put on the district site soon which shows people who have created innovative spaces in their classrooms.  I appear on the link, which was created by Greg!  Who helped inspire me with my space!  So I'm looking forward to seeing and reading all about other people's ideas.

My master's project needs to be piloted this coming month.  I will need to get permissions and figure out where to place a video camera to record the kids.  My project has updated itself a little.  I'm looking at how choice of work space affects students on-task behaviour in a work choice setting.  Since my kids will be choosing their own work (which they are used to) I will be filming them on how they behave when they sit where they want, versus me telling them where to sit.  In order to keep this real I will be using January to alternate them with choice versus no choice, then in February I will be recording and documenting.  Fun times!!!  I hope it all goes well and I get some results that help teachers with their work spaces.

Another new development:  the students asked to be able to bring in pillows for working on/with.  I said yes, with parent permission.  One pillow has arrived.  That student seems very happy to do his work while resting his back against the pillow.  The chairs we have suck, so if pillows work, so be it!  We will see how this continues but the kids are great at decision making and helping me make the space easier for them to focus.

Hopefully I will update more often!

The leader of the class

Last year for the first time I came across a certain problem in my class.  I found that the boys elected (in their minds) a leader.  Someone they found was cool and then they without question followed this boys behaviour.  It was such a problem I had to devise ways to group the kids so that the girls separated the boys.  It was a massive pain because that is not how I like to work.  I believe in letting children choose.  But when you have a child with "power" it becomes a struggle to get the other children to realize they have their OWN minds.  After a lot of work on this:  Separating kids, getting my prinicipal and parents involved, constantly checking behaviour...I finally got this settled around April and things started to look up.

Fast forward to this year.  The leader has moved on to middle school and all the kids seem to have their own thing going on.  Until this week.  I was gone for one day and they decided to elect another child a leader.  Once again the boys fought to sit near this child, to the point where fights broke out.  This child is "cool" and must be followed.  OY.  Why does this happen???  What is this need to find someone to follow?  Unfortunately the boys also follow the behaviour of the leader, so of course it's a leader who needs reminders on his behaviour.  My Friday was stressful because I now have a little posse of kids following one boy.  I had to move kids to new spots because of arguing.  Argh.

I'm going to keep my eye on this situation this week and see if it falls or increases.  I'm hoping it's a one off fad and they move on.  I can't go through another year of "leader" worship.  I just won't let it happen!

Research Hypothesis

Most of you know I'm working on my masters and right now I'm heavily into figuring out what my research question or hypothesis should be. 

I've done quite a bit of background research on how furniture affects students on-task behaviour.  Studies I've read have said that students are more on-task with ergonomically correct furniture and that there is no difference between rows and group clusters.  Another study concluded that students arranged in a circle formation had more on-task behaviour and more positive on-task discussion than those in rows.  So after doing some background research what I saw was a need to see if student choice factors into this.  If a student is given a choice of where to work rather than me telling them where to work, will they be more on-task?

This is my basic question.  I'm thinking of this as my hypothesis:  students on-task behaviour is greater when given the choice of where to work versus being directed by a teacher where to work.

I was thinking that if I direct the kids in one setting and then in another give them the choice I use the data to see if my hypothesis is correct.  I was also thinking...should I use another class too?  I teach Montessori, perhaps that is too narrrow a sample.  Montessori kids are used to choice.  So if I also sample a regular classroom, it might make my research more applicable to other teachers.

Hmmmm. 

I also want to look at surveying the kids and asking where they like to work and why?  I want to see if there is a difference during Language vs. Math topics.  So I have a lot on my mind right now.  I have to write a paper detailing my question and what my sample might be.  So I need to decide this week on my sample.  I'm also afraid it might be too small.  It will also only apply to classrooms with tables and alternate work spaces.  Classroom with rows of desks and set seating...don't work for my study. 

Thoughts thoughts thoughts.

One month down

Where did September go? 

I have been so busy it's already a new month.  In my masters class I wrote my first mini-paper on my research proposal.  I believe I have narrowed it down to "How does choice of work space effect student behaviour".  I'm going to look at where the students choose to sit and with whom.  I want to see if they form any patterns and whether they choose to sit alone to work or not.  I'm going to also check to see if they are on-task or not.  I have to clarify the behaviour I'm looking for. 

So far I've noticed some interesting things.  Students have kind of found "their" table.  Some students drift but not many.  I have 2 dominant male tables, 1 female table and a mixed table.  Kids have enjoyed getting to choose where they work, and also like to go outdoors to read and sometimes write. 

I've noticed a few behaviours I need to jump on.  I have five boys who like to call out and talk over others.  I'm going to start clamping down on that lickety split!  They have no malicious intent..but it seems they are very impulsive and can't keep their thoughts inside!

On the Montessori side, I've got my work times up and running.  Students have to complete 3 math cards, 1 spelling booklet, 1 grammar box and 1 reading bookbag (which has a book and 2 response cards) a week.  Then if they finish their "main" work they can do a variety of choices:  Writer's Workshop, Art Cards, Timeline work, Read a book, use math flashcards, Dubio, 99, Countdown (all math review games), and the bi and trinomial cubes (which are HUGE HITS).  I have on average 1-2 kids a day who come up and tell me they are bored....I just redirect them to the choices.  I try to introduce something new to choose daily to add to the interest.  So I've introduced Levels 2,3 and 4 of the Art Cards this week.  I've had two students really take to the timeline of life and have been creating their own booklets of different animals throughout time.  Fun!  I will soon add the maps, more grammar boxes and some Cultural trivia games.  My goal is to have them choose items that are reinforcing or exciting their learning.  Maybe there are too many choices???  I shall monitor that.

On to October!

September Start up Thoughts

I've had my class since Monday and as the days go by I'm feeling more and more certain that my new classroom design is brilliant!!!  Students get to work outside on the grass with chalkboards for a desk, or on the floor (which is a tile), on the carpets with shoes off, or at a table of their choice.  Since introducing this concept on Monday I have had to move very few students for disruptive behaviours.  One student who constantly hoarded items in his desk last year is finding the tables a challenge.  He LOVES to have something in his hands at all times.  Now I don't have a problem with keeping his hands busy but if he is ignoring me this is a problem.  He is learning that items belong away while I'm talking.  So far the no desk idea has cut back on his distractions about 75% as he still finds ways of getting items out of his storage bin and to the table.
 
I've also noticed that the kids don't always sit with the same people.  They do move around and try different spots.  A few seem to enjoy a standard spot.  Mostly the girls are at two tables and the boys a the other two.  They do sometimes mix during Work Choice time, but when I'm talking they seem to stay gender divided.

The carpets are a HUGE hit.  The kids love the feel of the silver carpet and OFTEN chose to sit there.  They have a rule to take their shoes off so I can keep the carpet nice as long as possible.  They always compliment how soft and nice it is to sit on.  For reading this is a very popular place.

Rona has back ordered my bins because I only was able to buy 8 or 9.  The kids ask me daily when their bin will come in.  They are very excited to neatly place their supplies in them!  Some kids already have bins and they love using them.

Monday I found myself very frustrated because it was a typical "rule" day.  I spend the whole day talking about the classroom and my rules...I don't like those days.  But by Tuesday I was getting more pepped up!  Tuesday I taught a few things.  In Montessori you have to introduce a material every day gradually.  I have materials out now that ALL kids can use and then I gradually take them away and replace them with materials for the kids independent needs.  But while I test them on Reading, Writing, Math and Spelling levels I have to have something for the kids to do.

My start up activities in Language were introduced yesterday.  Spelling is a booklet of a certain level (depending on the test).  The booklet is only 4 pages.  Once a student finishes their booklet they get a friend to test them on the words.  If they do a good job (more than 75%) then I give them the next level.  Already some children love to work on their spelling.  Another choice is their handwriting book.  Some asked to take it home..but I said no.  I really want them kept at school.  Today I introduced the pronoun grammar box activities.  I thought maybe these would be boring because they are cards you put in sentences and then you replace the nouns with pronouns.  It's coloured coded.  But to my surprise the kids pulled these boxes out and were very excited to show me the sentences they had made! 

Math start up is a little different.  I tested the kids on some Montessori cards I had.  But quickly realized they are not that up on their basic facts.  I really can't go onto harder level work if the children don't have their basic facts memorized.  So I did a few timed tests and sorted the kids into levels for studying facts.  So I'm slowly showing kids materials and while I do this they have several options.  They can work with flashcards, build the tri and bi nomial cubes (a huge hit), play with the Dubio cards (self correcting math games), 4 Way countdown (a very cool game that uses all basic facts) and 99 (a fun marble adding game).

Right away I notice the kids are very good at chosing their own work, they concentrate and enjoy what they are doing.  Today I had 1 child not make a good choice and 1 student tell me she was bored.  So I consider that pretty successful!

Now the highlight of my week.  I decided to teach the 5 Great Lessons this year to start the year off.  I have done Lessons 1 and 2 so far and the kids really love learning about the universe and how it began.  Tomorrow I will do Lesson 3 and then stop.  I'm going to save 4 and 5 for next year and then restart.  I also had the kids rate which topics they wanted to study in Science and SS together and then added the ratings up.  Zoology was a landslide winner!  So we'll be starting with that.

The noise level only seems to go up during art times.  For now I'm still working on walking over to talk to students (not shouting), using my bell to get their attention, and trying to keep my own voice at a low level to model classroom voice.  It's hard for me!  I'm a loud lady! 

The New Chair

Thanks to my awesome principal I now have a new chair for group discussions!  The chair is extremely comfy and was purchased at Jysk. 

This chair ROCKS!