Eleven Rules for Engaging Students' Brains

I am not a scientist.  I'm a regular teacher who does regular teacher-y things.  Like taking classes to learn to be a better teacher, and reading articles, books and blogs. 

 The only thing that I am an expert on is what works in my own classroom.  That's it.  I've spent years figuring this out.  No one knows this better than I do.  This is because:

I have made it my goal to try to teach 
the way kids learn. 

This means taking the time to figure our how their brains work!  So here is my list of 11 Rules for Engaging Students' Brains.  I'm printing it out and keeping it close while I teach, because I need constant reminding!
(That's the way MY brain works.) 
I hope it can help you, as well.  

 You can download these FREE posters 
from TpT by clicking HERE.

Happy Teaching,

  

This Video Changed the Way I Teach Writing

 Gestures will change the way you teach.

 These second grade teachers (whom I have never met) are practicing a Whole Brain Teaching technique called Air Punctuation.  It is one part of something called "Oral Writing."  Chris Biffle explains this much better than I can on his Whole Brain Teaching website.  To learn more, you will need to sign in and then watch Professional Development Video #502. (Watch out, it's an hour long!)

These teachers cover capitals, commas, periods, exclamation marks, quotes, question marks, and "for example".  This is just the beginning!  There are also gestures for conjunctions, complete sentences, "adder" sentences and "concluders," which teach students to talk in paragraphs.

My all time favorite gesture, however, (that is not in the video) is the because clapper.  One of the shifts in the Common Core Standards is a focus on text based evidence.  When a student answers a question, have them say "because," and clap their hands once.  This indicates that they will be following up with evidence.  (For example: "I know it is time for lunch because the clock says 11:45" or "I think Chrysanthemum feels sad because the author says she wilted on this page.")

Students need to practice using gestures.  Not just a few times.  Hundreds of times!  The student who goes to the front of the class each morning to say the date, and what's for lunch?  Have him use gestures while he talks.  And have the rest of the class silently mirror his gestures.  This means they're paying attention!  Use gestures during small groups.  Use them whole class.  Give lavish praise to students who remember them.  Take advantage of the fact that most kiddos love to talk!

The next step is to have students write what they've said.  You will be amazed.  They will remember the comma (zoop), and period  (errrr).  They will capitalize the first word of sentences, and remember to use question marks.  Well, let's be honest.  They won't remember every time.  But you can remind them with a silent gesture and a smile.  How great is that?


And there you have it.  My teaching is forever changed, and I'm having so much fun!

Happy Teaching with Gestures,

 

Mixing Up My Ingredients For Teaching

I love to bake.  Cooking, not so much.  Give me a recipe for homemade bread, zweibach, or cobbler, or some amazing cookies, and I'm there.  I am very methodical in the kitchen - I get out all the ingredients first, and clean up as I go (this drives my husband crazy, by the way).  I have a method.

Today I'm linking up with Miss DeCarbo from her Sugar and Spice Blog.  She's asking the question, "What are your teaching ingredients?"  I had never thought about it in quite that way.  Here's what I came up with.

Now that I made this... I realize that I could have added so many more ingredients!  What are your ingredients for teaching?  Do they look anything like mine?  Link up here to let me know!

Happy Teaching,

Why I Love Common Core Math - Eight Standards for Mathematical Practice, part 3

I can't seem to stop writing about this subject.  If you've read part 1 and part 2, thanks for sticking with me.  This is the last one, I promise!  At least until school starts and I can tell you how it's going. =)

The final part of this project is to come up with gestures to go along with these practice standards.  If you know anything about Whole Brain Teaching, you know that we recite our class rules every morning, standing up, with Big Gestures.  We can get pretty silly with this and use different voices, as well.  I particularly like the Big Bad Giant voice, but  the Squeaky Mouse Voice is fun, too. (I am very willing to act silly for the sake of learning.  I firmly believe that elementary teachers have to leave their dignity at the classroom door.  We can always put it on again when we leave!)

So, let's see how this gesture stuff could transfer over to our 8 Math Practice Standards.  Here is my Kindergarten standards set that goes on the wall/whiteboard.  I'll tell you the gestures that I'm thinking of, and I'd love to hear your opinions.  Since it's summer, I can't walk next door and talk to my teaching partner (Hi, Kate!), so I need your help.  Here we go.

 "Math Practice 1, Keep Trying!"
 Gesture: Hold up one finger, then pretend you are walking up hill.  Swing your arms really high.

"Math Practice 2, Think About Math!"
Gesture: Hold up two fingers, then point at your brain with your index finger, touching your head three times.

"Math Practice 3, Talk About Math!"
Gesture: Hold up three finders, then open and close your hand to look as though it is talking.

 "Math Practice 4, Model Math!"
Gesture: Hold up four fingers, then move hands one on top of the other, as though putting together linker cubes.

"Math Practice 5, Use Math Tools!"
Gesture: Hold up five fingers, then act as though you are holding a nail with one hand, and pounding it with a hammer."

"Math Practice 6, Check Your Work!"
Gesture: Hold up six fingers, then pretend you are holding a magnifying glass to your eye."

"Math Practice 7, Look For Patterns!"
Gesture: Hold up seven fingers, then make circles with your thumbs and forefingers and put them in front of your eyes as though they were glasses.

"Math Practice 8, Look For Shortcuts!"
Gesture: Hold up eight fingers, then act as though you are holding a small stick in both hands and breaking it in the middle, then putting it back together.

Well, what do you think?  I am open to ideas for making this better!  Please let me know in the comments.  If you like what you see, please check out the rest of the download at my TpT store, Light Bulbs and Laughter.  It includes eight cards for the students to put on a ring, and a one-page list as well.

In my next post, you will see why I believe gestures are important, and see the video that changed the way I teach!

Happy Teaching,