#6thchat is used to chat, collaborate, and grow with other sixth grade educators from around the globe. Each session we discuss a topic voted on by #6thchat participants. It's a great way to help grow your PLN and share ideas with others.
Welcome to #6thchat! Please introduce yourself, where you teach and what! I am Kristin and will moderate tonight's chat. I teach ELA and SS in Lansing, MI
Jess, I teach Literacy in Tiffin, IA. Just got back from a long road trip and already forgot to put #6thchat in my first tweet... I'll try to stay awake through this chat!
A1) My favorite is providing Ss with legos and having Ss select a "build card" that interests them (something that reps their summer, favorite book, favorite after school activity, etc..) #6thchat
A1: #6thchat I have done a getting to know BINGO where kids have to get a different kid to sign each square. Gets them up and moving around talking to lots of different people. Squares like "someone who has a younger sibling", etc.
A1) #6thchat I do an activity with pipe cleaners. Kids get to select 3 and then make something that represents them in someway. They then share it with a partner, their table, etc.
A1: Blindfolded spaghetti tower building. Ss need to work with partners to build the tallest structure with a partner. One is blindfolded, the other is not. Ss get to know each other and build teamwork skills immediately. #6thchat
A1: Make two circles, one on the outside, one on the inside. Ss face one another. The outside stays, inside rotates. I ask funny/would you rather as each questions S gets a chance to share with their partner. After the question, the inside rotates. #6thchat
A1: using Play doh, like in #tlap. Ss make something that describes themselves. Only I’m going to walk around and guess while they make it. Most of my guesses will be chocolate cake. Getting thr hint in early. 😂Actually can’t decide between Play doh and Legos...🤔🤔 #6thchat
A1- Grouping students in 4 corners, go to this corner if you favorite holiday/sport/color things like that. Get students find common ground with one another. #6thchat#LUlearns
A1 Human Machines: Groups of students become different machines using only their own bodies - all team members must be part of machine. ex: toaster, washing machine, telephone, lawn mower, vacuum cleaner, etc. Act out like charades. So fun!! #6thchat
I’m thinking about using Legos this year! I would keep all instructions in one place. Then only one group member at a time would be allowed to come up and look at the instructions #6thchat
Yes! I did this during a conference this year! It was a lot of fun and each rotation we actually answered a different question. I love the idea of would you rather questions! #6thchat
A1: Make two circles, one on the outside, one on the inside. Ss face one another. The outside stays, inside rotates. I ask funny/would you rather as each questions S gets a chance to share with their partner. After the question, the inside rotates. #6thchat
A very easy variation of this is a popcorn questioning "stand up if you have a sibling in college", etc. Same idea and works in limited space situations. #6thchat
A2) This year I will be focusing on the Tribes https://t.co/Hyb4KJlYsw and I will be working to include Attentive Listening, Appreciation/No Put Downs, The Right to Pass & Mutual Respect. #6thchat
I agree! This is always a fun one for Ss to try. I heard another T say they wad them up like snowballs and throw them up in the air/around the room. Then Ss pick up one, open it, and read it. Another take! #6thchat
A2 We have discussion about what they need to feel safe as risk taking learners then generate our core values list as a class. These values become our "rules." #6thchat
A2: I learned early on in pre-service teaching that Ss need to be involved in the process. Let them set expectations and make "rules" because it is likely they'll create exactly what you desire for your class. And, they'll be more likely to abide by them. #6thchat
A2: I struggle a little bit with this as I want to be consistent with the rest of the 6th grade team. If each class makes up different "rules" things get confusing fast when students are switching each hour. #6thchat We try to keep clear consistent basics.
A2: Expectations, rather than rules. I learned this from my cooperative teacher @MrDDenny2 during student teaching. Having high expectations, being proactive, and modeling has worked many times. Personal contracts would be nice, some back bone when things get tough. #6thchat
A2: I invite student feedback and then try to narrow down/simplify from there. Last year’s classroom expectations were: 1 Be kind and 2 Try your best #6thchat
I agree with this in theory, but what to do when you have four sections of your class? Different rules for 1st hour than for 2nd? A compilation? I think this would be very effective in a room where students stay for a majority of the day. #6thchat
A2- Students want to be able to not feel embarrassed when answering a question incorrectly. I make sure students understand that mistakes are how we learn and it helps students take risks in my class. #6thchat#LUlearns
A3: Bill Cecil's "Best Year Ever," Ron Clark's "Essential 55," and Dave Burgess' "Teach Like a Pirate" are my holy trinity of ed-rereads. I've read BYE every year since I was a student-teacher. #6thchat
We do a combo platter where I take the top-5 "rules" and put them together in "teacher language" and ask the kids to weigh in. They are almost always within their target and we have consistency across all classes. #6thchat
A2: I have many inspirational quotes that set my tone. Top 2: Be kind. And try. Going to post one inspirational quote a day on my @schoology course for each period next year. I found 180 this summer! Hoping I can stick to it! #6thchat
I re-read @donalynbooks Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild every summer. They are dog-eared, highlighted, tabbed, etc. Each year I renew my inspiration with her words. #6thchat#nerdcampmi
A4) Great question! I felt like reading picture books (not doing it often enough) was an issue; looking forward to committing to #classroombookaday#6thchat
A4: Kids suggesting books to each other did not go nearly as well as I wanted it to. I want them to feel like they are the experts and can suggest books to each other so I'm going to look for more ways to facilitate that. #6thchat
A4: getting along with ss that they didn’t like. Going to direct instruct that heavily right from the start. If we don’t get along with someone that Mrs. Sevinsky pairs me with, what should I do? If someone asks to be my partner, what should I say? #6thchat
A3: Would love to see a few of you try out Hacking Classroom Management for next year. Over 40 strategies shared. I think it’s pretty good :) Plus, I’m happy to share all my resources! https://t.co/Oj1EDv55Rl#6thchat
A4: My first day in my new school community was the kids' first day of school. I didn't know the lay of the land and the procedures of the school and learned along side the Ss. Next year, I will have a better grasp of the school climate and be able to build right away. #6thchat
A4- It took awhile for students to open up in our character lessons. Going to try more icebreaker activities early on to get students to open up early on in the year and build those relationships. #6thchat#LUlearns
A4: More consistency throughout. Review expectations more often. Using ENVoY strategies from @sourcewell_gov right from the get go! It made my life 100% better. #6thchat
#6thchat I had 2 students who were very quiet. Despite the team building last year, it didn't feel like it was enough. I want to do a better job of helping kids like that feel part of the classroom and included.
This could be a great topic for a twitter chat. I felt similarly and am looking at offering Ss more "choice" in how they do this. Vlog, Blog, book talk, podcast, Thinglinks, etc. #6thchat
A5: Depending on time, individual conferences if I had a lot of time, maybe an "All About Me" mini-poster that could be displayed if time was an issue. #6thchat
A5: If I could get to all 120 houses, I would love to do home visits to meet families and learn about them before they came in the first day. I have done this with my more at-risk Ss in the past and it made the relationships stronger. A great way to set the table. #6thchat
A6) The letter after R in the word "relationships" is an "E": experiences! I try to share experiences I create in class with my students, and ask them to share their experiences outside of the classroom. #6thchat
A6: Start on day 1 by shaking each Ss hand as they walk in and ask them their name. We have group talks to learn about each other (myself included) and learn that we are all equal partners in this journey. It's truly the thing I love most about the profession. #6thchat
A6- Having conversations with students and learning more info about them. Showing them I care about them and want them to be successful. #6thchat#LUlearns
#6thchat I try to find out what they do outside of school. I went to a football game and cheered for them and we took pics after. We always talked sports after that.
A6: Individual conferences (formal and informal) are very helpful. I also like to praise them in an off-handed way "Avery just wrote an amazing book review if you like fantasy books"... #6thchat
A6 Show students you genuinely care about them and the things that are important to them. Model this and expect them to show this same care and concern to each other. Make sure they know no one can feel invisible in our classroom. #everyonematters#6thchat
A6: I also build relationships with the parents by sending out a “tell me about your child” email the week before school. I then read those out loud to the class. Ss really dig it! #6thchat
The look on Ss faces when they see you at their events without being asked is priceless. This is a way to earn big points in the S-T relationship. #6thchat
A6: I want to try to seem vulnerable to my Ss many times in a week, yet be a person they can look up to. Very hard to achieve, yet rewarding when done so. Asking questions that are personal and that take some information from the past (fish died etc.) is very strong. #6thchat
A6: I also request that they help each other with minor things, making sure to spread around the helping so that they start to see each other as allies in the room. #6thchat
By they midpoint of the year, I usually have a line of Ss out in the hallway with me greeting other Ss as they come in the door. It really helps building that team mentality to start out with a friendly hello. #6thchat
A7) I teach intentionally teach this as one of the habits to be a successful person in conjunction with the growth mindset and other habitudes. We explore synonyms to it, examples of it, and how to cultivate it using examples in texts we read throughout the year. #6thchat
A6) #6thchat I think it is checking in with Ss every day -- and NOT about an assignment. Be involved. Listen to them. It's the little things over time that add up.
A7: I like to have whole class conversations about what we are doing that is hard and how we can keep going. I celebrate tasks that make my brain hurt and encourage them to do the same. Lots of praise for working hard and thinking deeply. #6thchat
When Ss see "A3B4M" they know they must help one another because it is likely I will not answer/help them the way they'd like. They learn to rely on one another and I have less "power" in the classroom. I love that you do this with your Ss. #6thchat
Yes, I agree! Our 6th grade team is pretty good about greeting Ss at the door/hallway. Is someone slips in w/o me seeing them, I am sure to wander the classroom during their bfast time to chat a bit. #6thchat
A7- Give students problems that they have to find at least 2 ways to solve a problem. Helps students know that they can think outside of their box. Using Open-Middle Problems are great! They always challenge students #6thchat#LULearns
A7: Give then opportunities to fail. Hard to watch at times, especially when you know they are failing (bridge building). Give them feedback, which specific steps/suggestions along the way they could try without doing everything for them or even touching the model. #6thchat
A7: Each week is tied to one of Covey's 7 Habits and we write about quotes related to these habits daily. We explore these habits deeply and how we can use them to be more successful. #6thchat
My previous school was a Leader in Me school. Our preservice to learn how to build these habits into our lives changed me as a teacher and person forever. It became a norm in my classroom from that point forward. #6thchat
A8) No longer "find" time. It isn't there. I don't even "make" time (I can't). So, I schedule time instead. Like a doctor's appt is scheduled. I schedule workout time (non-negotiable); I am also making my list of books to read for pleasure (scheduling time to do this) #6thchat
A7 It always comes back to showing that working through tough things and trying again when we fail are valued in the classroom. Resiliency comes from experiencing struggle and failure and seeing both can be overcome through effort! #6thchat
A8: Teaching Literacy is a bit easier than SS (my previous assignment). I find reading relaxing, so now I can do that and then use it in class! Win win! I am also rejuvenated talking to kids, so I'll be ready to see them by the time school starts! #6thchat
A8: Take time at night for a walk. Even if it’s 5 minutes, time away just to think about nature or whatever you want to is so relaxing. I need to try Yoga again too! #6thchat
A8: This year is my first non-balanced calendar summer in 4 years. The family spent the last 2 weeks traveling the eastern US. Got back & felt recharged. Started prepping some presentations for PDs this summer. Then, I unit planned out of habit. I actually enjoyed it. #6thchat
I took this vow last year. It made me a much happier person. It is tough to do, but hold yourself accountable to this goal. You'll love life that much more for it. #6thchat
That is a good plan! I tend to do a good amount of work on the weekends (which I know doesn't work for everyone), but then my goal is that I wouldn't have to do any "preparing" during the week. I still do "fun" work like responding to student work during the week. #6thchat
The Ss in this world are in great hands after having a chat with this group! Thanks for the resources, reflection, motivation, and more. Hope to see you soon. #6thchat
