#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 subjects! I am Kristin and will moderate tonight's chat. I teach ELA and SS in Lansing, MI
A1) I use a "work order" document that I update each day. It is color coded into sections with "green" being new assignments, "yellow" being in progress assignments, and "red" being late. Ss can then plan their work based on this; they use planners, too. #6thchat
A1: It's important to ensure our Ss understand the importance of being in charge of their own weather. We can't control what others do, so we need to control how we handle ourselves when dealing with negative situations. Model, model, and model situations for Ss. #6thchat
A1: I don't think I currently do this...It is something I would like to get more into. I found an article recently on centers where Ss pick order based on board. #6thchat
A1: In our classroom we set expectations rather than rules. Meeting high expectations as Ss and as Ts are huge when working on character. I’d much rather praise behavior rather than discipline Ss. #6thchat
A1: Reading this question, I am thinking I do not explicitly discuss being proactive enough. We have discussed how its easier to start with an A than having to scrape your grade up from a D, but I am struggling to think of other instances. #6thchat
When I see "checklists for my Ss" I view that more as "Begin with the End in Mind" and "Put First Things First." Proactivity is important to ensure Ss understand that we have to hold ourselves accountable for our routines. #6thchat
A2) At the beginning of the year, I intentionally teach the growth mindset, and also "habitudes" that are important to being a successful student. After initial testing, I conference w/students to develop personal goals and pathways to help them achieve success. #6thchat
A1: if you can’t meet a deadline or have 3 tests in one day, communicate that with me. If you aren’t understanding something pull me aside so I can help you rather than sit there confused. #6thchat
A2: We designate time together to develop and track our SMART goals. I work along with my Ss to ensure they see how I write, track, and modify my goals during the year. We take time each week to reflect on our progress. #6thchat
A2: I try to do goal setting with students at the end/start of each quarter to prepare for the next quarter and to reflect on past goals. To help with Growth Mindset it's all about giving them chances to keep trying on work/projects
#6thchat
I think this tends to be an area of growth for all of us. We can always improve on helping our Ss become proactive and in control of their learning, and relationships. #6thchat
I am hoping we can develop and Advisory time into our morning homeroom time next year. It's the one thing I miss from my old school (other than the Ss I taught). #6thchat
A2: We did goal-setting at the beginning of the year including a map with steps to reach their goals but I think we should have spent more time checking up on it. #6thchat
Do your students respond well to the checklists? How do you present them? I have tried this with mine before with mixed results. Many students loved it, but I always struggled to get some of them to take the initiative to tackle their list. #6thchat
That reflection time is often difficult to keep up with. I fell into this trap many time when we first started using the Habits. I realized the goals lose meaning if they aren't reflected upon consistently. #6thchat
A2: Setting clear goals that take physical space (post its) have helped my Ss. I need to get better at helping Ss set them. I try to give specific feedback to Ss about their goals. It takes time, but it gives Ss a sense of how they’re doing and what to do to achieve. #6thchat
This is an area of growth with me too...ensuring I have periodic check ins to re-evaluate goals. I have had Ss submit a google form to update me, and this helps, but I need more face time with them. #6thchat
We developed a menu of topics we could address during Advisory time and let our Ss pick the order in which we did them. We could not repeat until all menu options had been exhausted. #6thchat
A3) I have a community meeting each day that "sets the stage" and Ss then have time to share how they plan to be successful for the day. This is an area that I really want to work on and strengthen next year. #6thchat
a3: talk about the target and goals. what is their target in math class? the assignment. sure, playing math games is fun, but it isn't the target. #6thchat
A2: I meet with kids individually to talk about where they are and where they need to go. They are encouraged to resubmit work whenever they want. I also meet with some learners Individually and assess them in ways they succeed. #6thchat
A3: We work through our own Time Matrices to determine which items need to be our Big Rocks and which we can add later as Little Rocks. Ss started to recognize what things they should spend their time on. #6thchat
A3: Seeing their teacher put academics first then fun. Storytelling and a consistent example has worked. I think if Ss see me take work seriously but have fun during recess, they see what should come first. Culture. Relationships. Examples. #6thchat
A2: I do several types of goal setting. Students set MAP goals based on performance and grade level data. The students each have their own tracking sheet to revisit before and after each test. They really get into it. We also set personal and grade goals each quarter.#6thchat
I need to keep cycling back to it. I like to touch on the habits and habitudes with intentional lessons regularly. I lose it when we have lots of testing, and that's when we need it most! #6thchat
A4) Ss have their own personal goals; I spend time at the beginning of the year helping Ss understand that each person has their own learning journey and it is different from every other person in the room. We talk about how we can help one another meet their goals. #6thchat
A3: We work through our own Time Matrices to determine which items need to be our Big Rocks and which we can add later as Little Rocks. Ss started to recognize what things they should spend their time on. #6thchat
a4: actively talk about 'you do you' - your goal is your goal, not your peer's. talk about your own goals. my running goals are certainly not the same as my teaching partner's goals! #6thchat
A4: Questions and prompting. As a T, if you can ask and prompt the correct questions then their becomes a win-win environment. There still is a time and place for competition but each S should feel like they can achieve their goal in the classroom. #6thchat
A4: During our team chat times, we would reflect on who met their goals. We would congratulate those who did, but also discuss the progress our Ss who didn't hit their goal made. We kept the conversation positive and allowed Ss to see the positive. #6thchat
A3: Seeing their teacher put academics first then fun. Storytelling and a consistent example has worked. I think if Ss see me take work seriously but have fun during recess, they see what should come first. Culture. Relationships. Examples. #6thchat
A4 I think taking time to talk about their activities and things that are important to them. They learn about each other and we celebrate successes outside the classroom together. #6thchat
A4: When looking at things like standardized tests, we focus a lot on growth rather than top scores. And this is also where individual check-ins can be helpful. #6thchat
A3: I will give the students missing work sheets and have them look at which things are tests/quizzes or are worth more points to determine what they should prioritize. Some need guidance, but they get better over time. I also often give an activity order on the board.#6thchat
As we shift over to Habits 4, 5, and 6 with our Ss, it's important for them to understand the idea of dependence, independence, and interdependence. The Maturity Continuum is an awesome tool to begin developing those understandings. #6thchat
A5) Community meetings in the a.m. help with this as we practice listening and understanding, share stories, and celebrate success. I also use my read aloud books and characters to have these discussions as often as they appear in texts. #6thchat
A5: Practice with exaggeration. Watching empathy videos, including Dojo videos. Talk about how to react to situations and try your best to observe, praise, and talk through relationship situations if possible. #6thchat
A5: Building empathy toward one another. I would encourage my Ss to use the phrase "So, what I hear you saying is..." vs. "I think you should..." This built the understanding that I'm hear to listen with my two ears and not speak with my one mouth. #6thchat
My colleague and I were just talking about this! Right @dmaj627 ? @kttasch and @KMHundt use picture books during their morning meetings regularly. Such a great place for it. #6thchat
In reply to
@TracyMailloux, @dmaj627, @kttasch, @KMHundt
A5: Don't think I've done a very good job of this so far. Next year I'd like to do more with the 'window' aspect of books to develop understanding. #6thchat
A4: I definitely do some goal sheets, but I think a lot of my celebrating comes from those one-on-one chats with students about what they want to accomplish. I even have kids who are not in my class come show me scores and grades because of conversations we had. #6thchat
A6) Probably another area that I could work on more. I feel like my Ss often are more focused on themselves and do not see how their action/inaction impact the environment of the classroom. I would like to develop more lessons around this topic of synergy. #6thchat
A6: Lots of creative group projects. Sadly some turn into 1 person doing all the work or 1 who sits there and gets the grade from the rest of the group #6thchat
A6: I spend the 1st two weeks of school working on team-building and expectations. We learn to work together and talk to one another in a way where we can all be valued. My ideas are no more important than her ideas which are no more important than his. Bill Cecil 101 #6thchat
A5: Building empathy toward one another. I would encourage my Ss to use the phrase "So, what I hear you saying is..." vs. "I think you should..." This built the understanding that I'm hear to listen with my two ears and not speak with my one mouth. #6thchat
A4: I meet with ss individually so we can focus on each ss progress. I make sure to tell ss of their strengths in public. One ss is great at problem solving. Another is great st story telling. We use each other’s strengths to make the leernibf comm better! #6thchat
A5: We explicitly talk about assumptions in connection to our novels and current events. We have covered assumptions about countries and cultures, mental health, gang members, etc, which I think lead into conversations about assumptions made in the classroom. #6thchat
A5: We explicitly talk about assumptions in connection to our novels and current events. We have covered assumptions about countries and cultures, mental health, gang members, etc, which I think lead into conversations about assumptions made in the classroom. #6thchat
A6: Groupwork. Reflection. As Ts this is hard as well. I think Ts, including myself, get busy to synergize and need to refocus on what’s important, helping others. Leaders in the classroom, school, and community need to lead by empowering others. #6thchat
A4: I meet with ss individually so we can focus on each ss progress. I make sure to tell ss of their strengths in public. One ss is great at problem solving. Another is great st story telling. We use each other’s strengths to make the leernibf comm better! #6thchat
A6: I definitely could have done better with this year's class, but I had great success previously with 4th grade Ss doing roses and thorns and classroom meetings where we did a lot of conflict resolution and group problem solving. It brought us closer as a class. #6thchat
A7) 6th Grade is such a wonderful time to help Ss see the importance of taking care of themselves physically and mentally; again, I like having these discussions during my community meetings first thing in the morning. Picture books and read alouds are great for this #6thchat
I agree...sometimes we allow the little things to creep into our classrooms and mushroom which then squeezes out the big things that should have the priority. #6thchat
A7: Our school's health and wellness team does a great job of promoting healthy eating options and proving tips for Ss to better their health. We do several athletic events (Cancer walk, 5K, mileage club, intramural sports before school) to promote healthy activities. #6thchat
A7: This year, I have seen a number of students struggle with emotional and mental health. I think providing students with a time to talk and demonstrating my concern and care for them is always my goal. #6thchat
A8) I am interested in more intentionally conferencing with Ss about their goals--both academically and also as people (developing empathy, habits, etc). #6thchat
A8: I've learned that I need to ensure I'm more diligent about teaching the 7 Habits to my Ss. I pepper in the terminology here and there, but being in a new setting, I need to ensure I am teaching them to my Ss with fidelity. #6thchat
A8 #6thchat; so many good things tonight. Thanks everyone! I am going to schedule individual meetings with Ss to check on their goals that they set. Use picture books in the morning time to teach empathy, social situations, etc.
A8: Empathy through read alouds! Thanks @PrincipalSmart. I need to find some good read alouds to read/discuss the first week. Any suggestions? #6thchat
A8 #6thchat Just read a great picture book tonight about a refugee with a hard to pronounce name. Really great book about the importance of respecting names; My name is Sangoel by Karen Williams and Khadra Mohammed.
A8: I think it would take a bit of prep at first, but I likr the binders with work organized into the green, yellow and red tabs to keep Ss focused and organized. I also was reminded about how many topics can be tackled with picture books. I love teaching w/ pic books! #6thchat
A8: Empathy through read alouds! Thanks @PrincipalSmart. I need to find some good read alouds to read/discuss the first week. Any suggestions? #6thchat
Hey #6thchat crew, thanks for a great conversation tonight! As always, @mrskochheiser provided us with an awesome topic!
If you're around in the Twitterverse on Thursday at 8 ET/7 CT, join us for #mschat w/@blocht574! Follow that up with #waledchat w/@MrPStrunk at 9 ET/8 CT!
