A group of dedicated educators gather each week to discuss best practices & designing the school of the future. @yankee_todd is a third year principal of the middle school in San Antonio. #neisdpln is an amazing hour each Monday night at 7:30 central time.
Tonight we will be discussing your thoughts on one of my passions…the human component in education. Let’s get started by introducing ourselves!
#neisdpln#thehumancomponent
#NEISDpln A1: I have an advantage of seeing the same students (basically) from year to year, so I can start the year by "following up" with them on how their summer went, etc. For new students, I make an effort to find out where they're from and what their basic background is.
However I do not teach elementary quite yet, I am a daycare teacher currently. First days are always hard for them, I like to start by asking their interests, their idea of fun, see what things they are interested in and build a relationship from that. #neisdpln
A1: I have to start the week before by sending parent emails. Then at Panther Prowl I scurry around trying to seek out my kids. First day? Laugh and ask a personal Q. #neisdpln
A1 Lots of fun teambuilding activities. Show them right off the bat that we do a little crazy in my class. A fun Kahoot about me so they get to know some things about me.Different things that let us interact and get to know each other. #neisdpln
#neisdpln I welcome them in on the 1st day and always share pictures of my family and pets. I then get them to tell me about their families. Simple Lol
A1 I greet each one at the door before they enter the classroom. Questionnaire about their likes/dislikes about school and non-academics to get to know them Give them info about me through a ppt #neisdpln
Q2: How do you create an environment where students feel safe and supported when they explore their ideas? How do you let them know they are safe to be both right and wrong? #neisdpln#thehumancomponent
A2 I make lots of mistakes myself and show them how I handle them. From the get-go I tell them we're all going to mess up, but it's what we do next that really matters. At the front of my room is "Be brave, not perfect." Good reminder for Ss & myself! #neisdpln
A2: I like to encourage the kids to speak out to share their ideas rather than waiting until another classmate answers. I give them a "good job" even if they're wrong to ensure that they don't feel ashamed. It's the thought that counts in my eyes. #neisdpln
A2: I model being frequently wrong! Seriously, fact check: true. Also, I apologize when I am wrong (also frequently). Try to get kids laughing WITH me in addition to at me. 😂#neisdpln
A2 I make mistakes to show them we all make them. We clap for each other to encourage. They can pair-share ideas to feel more comfortable sharing in smaller setting. #neisdpln
#NEISDpln A2: We acknowledge true effort, unexpected ideas, and failure as a starting point for improvement. Not every idea is worth pursuing, but all ideas come from people worthy of respect. So, we temper our language to give value to the thought process, if not the result.
A1 greet them at the door and make time to have a little 2 minute chat, letting them how I’ve been waiting to meet them and how important they are to me. #NEISDpln
Q3: Main reasons for discipline issues stem from either disengaged students or students who have a need that isn’t being met. How do you recognize the student who is shutting down and what are your first steps in saving them from a complete shutdown or outburst? #neisdpln
I believe that engagement is hard for many students, try to make the topic about something that might bring them back in. Sit them down away from their peers and let them know why they cannot have a shutdown/outburst. #neisdpln
A3: That is the absolute beauty of the coteach classroom- either teacher can spot it and address it privately and quickly. Roles can change seamlessly to turn it back on track for that student. #neisdpln
A3 Wow! This totally depends on my relationship with the kiddo. Some of them just need an invitation to be awesome & participate. Some need me to pull up a chair and give some 1-1. Some need a mental break and will be good to go. Relationships matter! #neisdpln
Q4: Students need to not only feel a part of the classroom/family/team, they also need to BE a part of it. What is a team building activity you’ve used in the past to ensure no student is left out? #neisdpln#thehumancomponent
A3 as a director, it is important for me to let the teachers know that it is ALL about community. Students and parents may choose us for our toys, but they stay for the family! #neisdpln
A3- #neisdpln Most times you need all the ticks in your 🎩. I try to start noticing the positive. Ask ❓ to understand them. Sometimes they just need some 1:1
To include them into our room I like to add their artwork that they create as a class to the walls, add their birthdays to their special day so everybody is celebrated. I like to play classroom activities that might bring out new hobbies to find in other peers. #neisdpln
A3: If I see them disengaging I will walk up and just whisper to them for a minute to see what’s going on. Then I help them get back on track. If they are getting ready to have an outburst Sending them on an errand so they calm down. #neisdpln
A4: many of our reviews are trivia games played in teams. Kids include each other in order to maximize chances and encourage each other to give it a shot for the good of all. #neisdpln
A3 offer the disengaged student an opportunity to be a vital part of the lesson. When I start to see that an unmet need is beginning to surface, I immediately do what I can to meet the need. #sometimessuccessfulsometimesnot#NEISDpln
A4 This year I started the year w/a bunch of seating activities Ss had to complete to find their seat for the day. One day they had to sit alphabetically, another day by birthdate, and so on. Ss LOVED it and got to know something new about each other each day! #neisdpln
Q5: We know that students need time to talk after a break. What is an activity you do after extended breaks that ensures that everyone is welcomed back and shares their experiences? #neisdpln#thehumancomponent
A5: I like to have the students catch up the student who was missing from the activity. This shows the student they are welcomed back in and makes sure the others are paying close attention. I also will add the things that they skipped over, it's like a review session. #neisdpln
A5 I like the inner-outer circle speed "dating" activity. Ss get to quickly share their highlights and then one of the circles rotates. It's active and let's them share. #neisdpln
#NEISDpln A5: As in, vacations? We try to do games (freeze-wheel, for example) where the children are invited to chat about Qs like, "Which person did you see over the holiday that made you laugh the most?" or "What was the latest you stayed up on vacay?"
A5: Honestly, this depends on where the break falls. The time crunch (grades due, STAAR, etc.) is an overriding specter...but informal, off the cuff, tangential group laughs/talks are always fed. #neisdpln
A5: I like to have them write down a description of what they did over break and then everyone else tries to guess who did what. The student who gets the most right wins a fabulous prize :-) #neisdpln
#NEISDpln A5-2: In general, I try to give them "talk to your neighbor about XYZ that we just accomplished" breaks as often as possible. I learn more when I'm talking than when I'm listening, so I reckon the kids are the same. (:
Q6: Is there a special tradition you have for your students on the last day of school? How do you send off your students for the summer break? #neisdpln#thehumancomponent
A6: My send off is to have a "picnic" outside and talk about what their favorite and least favorite things they did that year were. This helps them remember and also helps to show me what students like and did not like.#neisdpln
#NEISDpln A6.1: For my general classes, we do the best-of-the-best games (student choice), and I send them off with an "assignment" to do over the summer. The fifth graders usually get a "make smart choices, and come back to visit any time, even when you're 30" speech, as well.
#NEISDpln A6.2: My after school clubs, however, get a beach ball and a permanent marker. We write our names on the ball, and then pass them around to the others, and each of us write a cherished memory, yearbook style. The notes that the kids write on my beach ball are precious!
A5 after a break we have a class meeting to share one great thing and one not so great thing. They can also write to me in their response journal if they don’t want to share out about it. #NEISDpln
A6 Nothing set in stone...I kind of play it by ear each year depending on the group of kids. Lots of pictures, laughing, bonding. This year's a tough one because I'm not ready to send off my 8th graders! Gotta figure out something awesome because they're awesome! #neisdpln
Last question...
Q7: With the many programs we use for teaching and the expectations for incorporating technology in our students’ learning, how do you ensure that the human component in education is not lost? #neisdpln#thehumancomponent
Last question...
Q7: With the many programs we use for teaching and the expectations for incorporating technology in our students’ learning, how do you ensure that the human component in education is not lost? #neisdpln#thehumancomponent
A7: Technology is huge now, the only thing that we can do to ensure it's not lost is by making sure we still are talking to them, showing them in real life rather than through a video or computer screen. Building relationships is more important than "the easy way." #neisdpln
