#IEedchat Archive
#IEedchat is a great way for Inland Empire (California) educators to share teaching strategies, educational resources, and more.
Monday August 15, 2016
10:30 PM EDT
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Welcome to . Our topic is Setting the Tone in the First 5 days. We will be using the Q1:A1 format. https://t.co/YeGBqdOb0L
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Q0: Introduce yourself and share your worst first day of school experience as a teacher or student.
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Joseph Williams
Executive Dir of Technology at
No bad first days. There are Ss who make you smile. Give them a chance.
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A0: Jed Butler
Math Geek / Tech TOSA .
Can't remember a worst 1st day, most/all have been filled with excitement for new yr.
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A1:Robert Guzman Tech Coach ,Freshman year HS a Senior football player yelling behind me "Get out of my way Freshman...."
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A0:1st day as Alt Ed AP: Principal tells me to have Ss pick up their trash. When I politely ask, 1 of the Ss throws trash at me.
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A0: Chris Lara 8th grade history teacher. I once sat for 45 minutes in the wrong class in college.. oops
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A0: Deatra Lee, Tech TOSA , first days of school are always exciting.
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Q0: Judy Lane English T don't recall a "worst" 1st day thankfully, still get a little nervous/excited
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A0: Mark Synnott. Worst first day as a S was when I found out I was supposed to have read 3 books for Eng Honors over the summer.
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Ah man, I think I did that as well
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Q1: What do you do with your students on Day 1 of class? What do you say to them?
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A0: Jeremiah, math nerd, my first day of teaching HS, I thought my CAHSEE Ss would love if I had them stand up, yell "I love math"
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my HS frosh 1st day, I looked older. Stayed under radar of upperclassman. Silence often perceived as maturity.
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Funny how that never goes away
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A0: Amanda math tosa. Let's just say bipolar Student off her meds. 1st day teaching ever
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How did that impact your first day?
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A1: Many HS Ss are “campaigning” for the right teacher. I let them know and feel that they are in the right place in our class.
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I got kicked out to regular English I.
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A1 This year we did iMath from to start the year, changing from day 1
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A1: I always start off with a video clip of Rugby and tell them I do that for fun. They think I'm crazy after that.
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A1: Day 1 get to know each other, set expectations, tell Ss I respect them & want to make their day better
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From not doing the reading?
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A1: did a back to school Kahoot and a padlet of fav apps/media/tech next day had to talk about
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I had no choice the dude knew me from summer workouts. I didn't move and so he never bugged me again
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feeling welcome is such a hugely important part, I hate when Ts start w/syllabus and expectations
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A1: used sticky notes to gather S input on
What habits make a strong S?
These "habits" turned into classrm rules,
created by Ss.
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How do you communicate these ideas?
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A1: I admit, I was pretty boring on day 1. Not proud of it but: seating charts, bio on me, have Ss fill out Bios on index cards...
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A1: We're given Social Skill lessons to do with the Ss. I will put my own touch on those and let them see that I'm there for them
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A1: but mainly tried to talk and get to know
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A1: I always tell them my cancer survivor story and that I chose teaching after I lived and that I left my other life for them.
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Humor is powerful and if they have that Q if you're crazy...well then that's just fun
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A1: I use day 1 to set the tone. They get know me, my personality & how I want them 2 b math nerds (no matter how they came 2 me)
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fun use of tech to get to know you idea
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Q1b: What is one effective ice breaker you have used to get to know your students?
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A1b: Best Ice Breaker for me was always taking a walk with the class. We would take about 15 minutes to walk and talk.
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that's cool, sort of a social contract type thing? https://t.co/LuzGIZiLL9
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A1: used sticky notes to gather S input on
What habits make a strong S?
These "habits" turned into classrm rules,
created by Ss.
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A1: anything that got them out of their seat. Tried a lot, none stood out as fav but love the trend toward active first day.
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How did that affect the course of your year? And now?
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A1b: My classroom is decked out in Star Wars action figures. I let that be my ice breaker and tell the students about my nerdiness
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Q1b: I think I could find something better now, but I did a biographical scavenger hunt that usually helped break the ice.
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That's so cool. What do you notice of your Ss by year's end?
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I just aced my English classes and went on to teach English anyways.
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We all know that our best ideas are stolen from our spouse, we just have to not let them know (:
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So how might your path have been different if you had stayed in honors?
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any quirky stuff in the scavenger hunt?
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Q2: What "tone" are you aiming for in your first 5 days? What do you want to establish?
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A2: My tone has two parts. One part is that I care about them. And the other part is high expectations. We are in this together.
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Way to use info about community to reach Ss. I wonder if we all did that how that might impact our Ss?
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Maybe I would have been an author instead. I'm happy with how it turned out.
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A2: I let them know I mean business and we need to put work in. But that they are the major movers of the content
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. Nope, mostly boiler-plate stuff. "who has more than 6 siblings?
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I love that you said "conversation" vs talk at Ss. I wonder if that invites them to respond
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So we may see hurdles in one instance and not know that it's actually a better path?
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A2: I try to establish a firm but friendly tone. I let Ss know we're gonna work but we're going to have a good time doing it
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A2: My tone portrays that I actually care for them but at the same time, we have to get things done.
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A2:
Safe environment 2 make mistakes, along w/ expectation that we all learn from each other. Learning is social, so participate.
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That's a hard line to walk. Well done
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Firm but reasonable and empathetic.
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A2: I'm looking to build a safe environment where Ss feel they can be honest and take chances. I here to help, not judge.
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A2 I teach expectations through low floor, high ceiling activites, we're constantly learning, we're in Day 3, already cruising
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the word "firm" I struggled w/ for a long time.
Personally, I owned the tone better when I switched to "consistent"
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A2: My tone is also that I have "authority with" rather than "authority over" high school students. Get real people.
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Q2b: Has your intended tone for first 5 days changed over time? How is it the same/different now than from previous years?
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A2: I want the Ss to know our classroom is a safe, comfortable, space, where we respect one another
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Or maybe, you inspire authors for many generations
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A2: I let Ss know I'm excited to learn from them and I'm prob going to make mistakes too - its true
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So how might targeting growth mindset add to your approach?
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A2b: More focused, more Ss centered, more purposeful, more fun, more impactful, less work, less frustration, less about "ME"
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A2B:I have made it more personable. So that they get to know the person that wiIl be teaching them for the year.
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A2b: In my position now, the difference is that I need to establish tone quicker when I am in Ts classes. I have some methods.
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A2: mine definitely has, especially away from procedure dump toward focus on few core values/habits. Build routines over time.
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A2b: my tone has gotten better as I have developed as a T & not much has stayed from yr 1 to 9. I had 2 learn my own personality
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How might you be able to instill this "good point" in your Ss?
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A2b: I tried one year to be the mean controlling teacher. It didn't work out. I wasn't true to myself. It showed in their faces.
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A2b: Well, I'm old - 51, and I used to try the don't let them see you smile til Xmas thing, but it never suited my personality.
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What might that look like?
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I second the less about me. Ss need to feel that the classroom is for them 1st. We(Ts) guide & maintain.
https://t.co/m0lMSFQiDt
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A2b: More focused, more Ss centered, more purposeful, more fun, more impactful, less work, less frustration, less about "ME"
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A2b: I have a different approach than last year. My focus is on procedures this time around and how we can respect each other
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I'd tell them to do the summer reading LOL!
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LOL that's a great retort
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A2b: tone has changed some but have always tried to show Ss I want to get to know them - establish safety/relationships
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A2b: Had to work on Ss understanding that although I was a person they could depend on I was not their 'friend'
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So by adding less we add more...seems like some funky math (:
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wait for routines until has context/need
This is how HW works, how class starts, how we transition between activities.
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Interesting point. How might we add Ss experience where they are successful in math? And untrain them?
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. I loved teaching Ss how to transition using Desk Olympics! Timed contests between periods for donuts.
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how might you flesh this idea out more for me?
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A3: I am a firm believer in establishing the norms for the class in the Harry Wong way which is the first day
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A3:
I agree that these should be taught explicitly, but as they come, and continually (something else Wong says I believe)
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A3: Wong is the man for new Ts. As we grow, we evolve, not how I personally handle my classroom now
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A3: I like Harry Wong but I'd change it to 1)Digital Citizenship 2)Proper Socialization 3)Owning Your Learning.
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I preferred rollout of explicit teaching over these categories over time - often more spread out than the first 5 days.
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What does that look/sound/feel like?
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A3: I don't take to this recipe. I agree but the recipe messes up my teacher mojo.
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A3: Harry Wong didn't invent that. Any decent teacher almost instinctively knows that those things are important.
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That's interesting, I imagine that would be one of the most challenging places to begin..please enlighten me.
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A3: Found those factors more important on 1st-3rd days when I moved to 5th grade. Younger kids really need that structure.
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Are you suggesting that you wait until the context provides the Q? Well sir, that just sounds completely appropriate.
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Preach. I don't like people labeling it their method when great teachers already know and do this.
https://t.co/qrRhdYjGHm
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A3: Harry Wong didn't invent that. Any decent teacher almost instinctively knows that those things are important.
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A3: I agree with it to an extent I would also add that establishing a positive environment is huge in those first few days
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I think his message is more be organized and be ready to set the tone for a routine.So you are not a fish out of water
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Q3: my Ss move a bit in the first few days so it is hard to do the whole Wong thing-agree Ss need to understand expectations asap
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That seems both manageable and realistic, geez Jed, do you expect Ss to learn and do well..geez
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A3: Teaching procedures, routines, etc don't need to be boring.
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Any final thoughts on First 5 days for ?
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One of my biggest wonderings is why some Ts deliver all content like a eulogy...baffles me.
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. Probably right. But my teacher mojo is serious business.
