While filling out my PDP (professional development plan - do other states besides North Carolina have anything similar?) I decided to focus on helping my students develop leadership skills. I thought we could do our own service club. I presented the idea to my class, and they enthusiastically agreed.
I asked them what sort of ideas for serving they had. Hands shot up quickly. Our school is down to one evening custodian, so one idea was to help clean until the other custodian returns. Another was to read to and with younger students. They also want to go help in the EC classrooms. A plan to go around the school grounds and pick up trash also. Reshelfing books in the media center was a favorite suggestion.
For my part, I sent out a mass email to the staff asking if any of them needed help. Within a few hours, we had willing teachers accepting their help. The next day I told my students who wanted help and what the tasks were. I have to admit I was surprised at how many them wanted to sweep floors. There were just as many wanting to read with students, reshelf books, help in the EC classrooms, and even sharpen pencils and clean brushes in the art room.
We put our plan into action on Monday and they served in many classrooms for the rest of the week. Even on Friday, they were disappointed if the weren't scheduled to serve and those that were enthusiastically left my room to go complete their tasks. I know one of the first things I'll be asked Monday morning is who is going to sharpen pencils in the art room.
I know it's only been a week and that enthusiasm will likely wane, but I am amazed at the level of willingness to serve that this class has demonstrated over the last few days. The week after Thanksgiving they will be collecting non-perishable food items that students across the school will be bringing in. I think, no I know, that they will be some of the most enthusiastic collectors ever.
I look forward to seeing these children develop their leadership skills through their service.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Wow! I Need to Get Better at This!
Seriously, I am bad at blogging about my class adventures! The sad thing is this past year my class gave me so many wonderful things to write about. The good thing is I am looping with most of them, so they should give me much to write about.
Since I wrote nothing about them last school year, I thought I'd do a quick recap.
I had a total of 28 students this year, but not at the same time. I started with 25, 14 girls and 11 boys. One of the girls moved to Japan, yup Japan. We missed her and remained email pals throughout the year. Right after winter break I got a new student, a boy. That made our numbers 13 girls and 13 boys. I thought that was perfect! Then one week later we got another new student. He came from the Philippines and I freaked. He was a great boy, but I thought, "how am I going to teach this boy?" He made it easy though and soon he was an important part of the class. Then the powers that be decided he was in the wrong grade. They moved him back to 3rd. About two months before the school year ended we got another boy. So we ended the year with 26.
This past year I continued the idea of students choosing their seats daily. Unlike the year before, this class moved around a lot. There were a few of them who picked the same area, or even the same desk often, but most moved around. We still had individual seats, pairs, and groups of four.
The cool thing about those seats were some of them were cushions on the floor with desks with the legs removed. Now I could have never sat like that all day, but they were the most popular seats in the room. We even had to come up with a plan, so they could be enjoyed by all who wanted them. We also had two stability balls. Those were the second most popular seats. The round table in the room became a seating option and finally I raised the legs of two desks as far as they would go and stools to go with them. Late in the year I saw something online and decided to try it. I get exercise bands and put them on the front legs of some of the desks. This gave them a quiet way to move their feet. Honestly, they were quiet with them.
I didn't realize how well these options helped my students until I had to take them all away to get ready for the End of Grade tests.They went from quiet students to talkative ones who were up and moving all the time! Seriously, it was like night and day. They were still great, don't get me wrong, but they became and active bunch. My own personal "research says" is that students do best with choice and movement.
Okay, I was going to write more, there still more, but it'll have to wait for another post.
Since I wrote nothing about them last school year, I thought I'd do a quick recap.
I had a total of 28 students this year, but not at the same time. I started with 25, 14 girls and 11 boys. One of the girls moved to Japan, yup Japan. We missed her and remained email pals throughout the year. Right after winter break I got a new student, a boy. That made our numbers 13 girls and 13 boys. I thought that was perfect! Then one week later we got another new student. He came from the Philippines and I freaked. He was a great boy, but I thought, "how am I going to teach this boy?" He made it easy though and soon he was an important part of the class. Then the powers that be decided he was in the wrong grade. They moved him back to 3rd. About two months before the school year ended we got another boy. So we ended the year with 26.
This past year I continued the idea of students choosing their seats daily. Unlike the year before, this class moved around a lot. There were a few of them who picked the same area, or even the same desk often, but most moved around. We still had individual seats, pairs, and groups of four.
The cool thing about those seats were some of them were cushions on the floor with desks with the legs removed. Now I could have never sat like that all day, but they were the most popular seats in the room. We even had to come up with a plan, so they could be enjoyed by all who wanted them. We also had two stability balls. Those were the second most popular seats. The round table in the room became a seating option and finally I raised the legs of two desks as far as they would go and stools to go with them. Late in the year I saw something online and decided to try it. I get exercise bands and put them on the front legs of some of the desks. This gave them a quiet way to move their feet. Honestly, they were quiet with them.
I didn't realize how well these options helped my students until I had to take them all away to get ready for the End of Grade tests.They went from quiet students to talkative ones who were up and moving all the time! Seriously, it was like night and day. They were still great, don't get me wrong, but they became and active bunch. My own personal "research says" is that students do best with choice and movement.
Okay, I was going to write more, there still more, but it'll have to wait for another post.
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