Moving,moving,moving!

I have been trying to use the strategies we learnt about in our course Writing The Playbook by Kelley King.  I do not have my own class but rather work with groups of children across a variety of years from year into year 3.  I also do some one on one work with a  boy in year 6.
One of the strategies I have found most useful is that of movement...particularly for my boys. Before we start a new or challenging task I send my children  for a run to 'clear their heads' and switch the brains on.  This only takes a couple of minutes and the children settle back to focused work very quickly. This technique works particularly well with one of my boys who has working memory difficulties.  He now tells me when he needs to 'clear his head' and always comes back ready and fresh. I also try to include moment in our lessons even if it is only to walk to the white board and back.  Another activity we do regularly is to do a school walk and read.  Many of my children struggle with reading and by taking them walking and reading around the school they have begun to develop confidence particularly when they find they can read some of what is around them.
I have also used the runaround the basketball courts to help those children who are off track in class. I have found a run rather than a growl has helped maintain a settled class.

End of the Year...

As I come closer to the end of the year I read again Angela's blog about things she has used to excite and ignite the classroom.  I find it really interesting that at the time when people are most tired (both teachers and students) we revert back to what we always do rather than to what has worked.  During our course on boys education we learnt many strategies that were easy to apply and that worked well. simple things such as using movement in lessons, giving children, particularly boys warning about the end of a lesson keeping hydrated to mention but a few.  I shared many. A of the ideas with our classroom teachers and was pleased to see them being implemented.  However, over the last few weeks I have found that I have to deal with many behaviour problems,most of which could have been avoided if the strategies we have  learnt were used.  So I guess my next job is to find ways to help get the strategies become a habit.  I am going to try and create posters for each class and look at holding plc's with staff to model and teach strategies to use.  Any other ideas?

Implementing the Plan: Successes So Far

We are a month into this school year and I have been referring to my implementation plan pretty often! I have definitely seen an increase in engagement from previous years and I thought I would share the strategies that have been working well for us.

Hydration has been key! We have water bottle holders attached to our desks and students are able to stay hydrated at all times. I have also been giving students a drink when they are upset, or hurt and I have been surprised at how this helps to calm them. There have been fewer disruptions to our learning because we have water available all the time.

I have not held a single student in at recess and I am sticking to this practice. Kids NEED the activity and the physical outlet recess provides, and so do I! This first month has been so busy that there are few opportunities for a mental break for me either, so this is important for my stamina too. Students seem to be more relaxed and more willing to work, knowing that their recess will not disappear.

I have been working with my personal voice amplifier as well, although this is not something that is automatic for me yet, it really  is making a huge difference. I repeat myself far less when I use it and my voice is not strained. Students are more engaged and all 28 are able to hear. I am surprised by the difference it makes! 

We have been going outside at least once a week for class and the students LOVE it! I had them each bring in a beach towel or blanket and we have been very fortunate to have nice weather. The change of environment is great for my students and for me. While we are outside, the noise level doesn't seem as high and the number of students seems more manageable. I am definitely going to continue this practice for as long as possible!

As far as academic work goes, the use of technology and collaboration has noticeably increased this year. We are blogging several times a week, using audio and visual materials regularly and the students are learning how to use collaboration on Google Docs as well. I have found that training a few "experts" that teach their peers a specific task, especially in the use of technology, has made instruction more powerful and effective for me too. I do not have to be the only teacher in the room, I have 28 other geniuses accessible at any time, and they are great at the job! Having 1:1 Chromebooks also helps enormously!

The most surprising success in my opinion, has been the use of the Whole Brain Teaching strategies, particularly the rules, the class-yes, and the scoreboard game. My students have really bought into this program which has helped keep my students, particularly the boys, on track with very little issue. I am still trying to figure out a solution for the noise level, as it can be too loud for many of my students, but we are getting there and quickly! The students love to earn points and they love the 1-second party when they receive them. I wasn't sure this would work with six graders, but I've been pleased with their behaviours. One great app I stumbled across was Triptico, and it has timers, scoreboards and many other features that really support Whole Brain Teaching.

I am working on incorporating movement breaks throughout the day and having the students stand to speak is a quick strategy. I also am having the students come and get their own assignments more often, rather than handing them out, and this gets them moving too. I have great plans to integrate Energizing Brain Breaks , as I have used them before and the students love them. Our classroom gets so busy, I just forget! It is at times like this, I am reminded why I need the plan in the first place. It is not my natural instinct or need to require a break myself, but many of my students DO need the break, so it is important to keep trying! I have a hand language in class that the students can let me know when they require a break. It hasn't happened too often yet, but I think it is important that they self-monitor as well.

As a staff, we are still working on breaking down some of the practices that are biased against boys. I have had several conversations with my administration team about softening the no-contact policy at recess and encouraging more of our at-risk students, most of which are boys, through staff interactions and relationship building. It is clear that we are on the right track, but it takes time to change habits and practices that have been in place for a long time. 

The final successful strategy I want to touch on is our integration of the Genius Hour. I have posted about this before, but I think it warrants mentioning again, since it is changing how I teach and how I view children. I have never seen students so engaged or excited about learning! I love that they have time to explore their passions and make meaningful connections to what they learn and the world they live in. I am particularly impressed by the change in attitude this practice has sparked. Students are viewing themselves as capable and creative and they are extending that view to their classmates as well. When genius is celebrated and shared in every person, amazing things begin to happen! My students love this time so much they have asked for a Genius Day, which I am going to give them very soon. They are collaborating and exploring in ways I couldn't have imagined, which is why this is another part of my practice I will protect! Boys and girls alike are excited and invigorated about their projects. I do not assign much homework in my class, but my students are starting to work on these things on their own time. That is when you know something good is happening!

We are a month into school and there has already been so many successes to share. I can hardly wait to see what I will be reported at Christmas!

Genius Hour: Igniting Passion

Photo by Francine Kizner

We just completed our second week of school and my 28 students are excited! They are excited in a new, inspiring, creative way that I have not seen before and it is all because of the Genius Hour!

If you have not heard of the Genius Hour, very briefly, it is specific time designated for students to explore their own passions and ideas for projects and learning. I have been very inspired by the work of Angela Maiers, who has been spreading the message that, "You matter. You are a genius. The world needs your contribution." What this lead me to do was carve out an hour of time, about once or twice a week, for students to really begin to explore their ideas and what they are passionate about.

The original idea I believe, was inspired by Google. The company used to give employees 20% of their work time to devote to researching and developing their own ideas. The only stipulation is that the ideas would advance the company in some way. Productivity went up and some amazing ideas were born.

Already, I have been pretty amazed by the buy-in of my own students, especially the boys in my class!

 Here are the projects that my kids have started:

1. Personalized comic books
2. Hat design
3. Clean water project
4. Healthy candy production
5. Protecting dolphins campaign
6. Stop bullying campaign
7. Bench design for elderly people
8. Saving the Iberian lynx
9. Stopping Animal Abuse campaign

It is interesting to see my Grade 6 students work together to come up with their ideas and their projects. Each one is very different and the students involved have very specific reasons for their choices. What I love most, is that each group will have to have a product to share, not only with the class, but with the world.

As I was reading their first blog entries of the year, which was all about what would make this the best year ever, many cited Genius Hour as a factor! It is very empowering for the kids and I am loving how truly invested they are already.

Check out our class website for some inspirational videos and to track our progress through this process. Maybe Genius Hour is just what you've been looking for too!

Restorative Justice vs Punishment: Change is Coming!

I am interested in implementing a Restorative Justice component to my classroom this fall, as I believe that it aims at the root of misbehavior, not just the results.

I love that this approach focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders, while encouraging the offenders to take responsibility for their actions by repairing the harm they have done. Research has shown it to be a good system for restoring justice in the eyes of the victim while allowing the offender to make amends and accept responsibility for their choices.

 I am particularly interested, as I teach elementary school. My students are old enough to understand the process of restorative justice, and young enough that the behaviors are usually not very serious in nature. This seems to lend itself well to this type of process. An addition, my students participate in regular Class Meetings and routinely collaborate on how to problem solve. As a teacher, I actively take into account the needs of my students, both victim and offender, when misbehavior occurs, so formalizing the process into a restorative justice format feels like the next step.

 My greatest concern is how parents might react to this type of management system, as much of the punitive nature of discipline is removed. I wonder if parents will think that students "get away with" bad behavior since they wouldn't be receiving the traditional punitive consequences for some actions. However, I am confident that students, parents and staff all want a respectful learning environment that upholds dignity of every student and this type of process does that very well. I am sure there will be challenges along the way, but I am excited about the journey!

 I would welcome any suggestions or comments about this process and I will keep this group updated on our progress!

• Great slide show on restorative justice process School-Based Restorative Justice
• Entire website dedicated to Restorative Justice http://www.restorativejustice.org/
• Excellent guide for setting up a Restorative Justice Program in your school Implementing Restorative Justice: A Guide for Schools
• New York Times Article about Restorative Justice Programs implemented in Oakland schools Opening Up, Students Transform a Vicious Circle

Importance of Music and Movement

Here is a link to a discussion about Why Music is Great for Your Child from Maggie Dent -  A champion of boys in education.   http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/08/why-music-is-great-for-your-child-maggie-dent-lil-fi.html

Preparations for a Boy-Friendly Classroom

School doesn't start for another month, but I have been busy trying to find some of the physical things that can help me transform my classroom into a more boy-friendly space.

 My classroom is not really big, and I am expecting 27 Grade 6 students in September, so I am really trying to be creative on how to set up the environment well. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have desks with connected chairs, and a large horseshoe table.

Here's what I have purchased so far.

Decoration
I went shopping for trim and bulletin board letters and I kept my boys in mind. I kept the trims simple to decrease distraction and made sure the colors would provide high-contrast.

I purchased two floor lamps from Target as well. I am hoping to turn off the florescent lights as often as possible and use natural lighting and these lights more often. I am still looking into different seating possibilities, but I thought I would see what the school might be able to help me with.

Water Bottle Holders
Pinterest turned out to have the solution for one of my personal frustrations: where to keep personal water bottles? I have always allowed water bottles in class, but they often became a distraction, or would be knocked off of students' desks very regularly. Here's the solution I was looking for! The bike bottle holders are on their way!

Voice Amplifier
I have been scouting for weeks and finally found the voice amplifier that I decided to purchase. I am very excited to finally get this product, as I have struggled with having a loud enough voice, without causing voice strain, for years. After reading Writing the Playbook and finding out that boys' hearing is significantly different than girls, I wanted to figure out a way to help my male students, without hurting my female students. I have found that I have to repeat myself quite often, and I am hoping this will decrease the frequency.
Gender Hearing Differences

Activity to help working Memory

Now..... today I did a simple activity which I use regularly to help develop working memory for my children. We use magnetic letters to practice the alphabet and learn new words. One part of the activity is that the children make the word at the table and then walk to the white board and write the word on it. At the moment the children are asked to go to the board each time they make a word. As they get better they will be asked to create two words before writing them on the board. Simple activity which includes multisensory activities, movement and working memory.

Aggressive Play: Does it Lead to Violent Behaviors?

I just posted this on one of my other blogs as well.

In a day and age where real violence fills the airwaves and floods the headlines, it can seem that the world, and our children, are becoming increasingly aggressive. As a teacher, I am torn between what I personally know about aggressive play (it's often how boys play) and what is written into school policy. Of course it is my job and my desire to create a safe environment for all students, but I have to wonder if we haven't gone too far.

In the article, Ask the Experts: What's the Deal with Boys + Guns?, Dr.Michael Thompson, an expert and author on child development had this to say, "Parents need to remember the difference between play and real violence; play is fun and consensual; aggression is meant to hurt and it does. Parents should intervene when things get angry and out of control. If boys are just playing, even though the themes are violent, parents should trust their sons and let them play". I would think that educators could use this advice as well.

Although Dr, Thompson's research has shown that violent themes in pretend play does not lead to real-life aggression, schools often have zero tolerance policies in place that are generally biased against boys. So where should a school draw the line? When does a child's behavior demonstrate true aggression? In most cases, common sense is the key to answering this question.

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Welcome!

This blog's beginning is the result of the culmination of the online course, Writing the Playbook. The course was offered through the Gurian Institute, and was based off of the book, Writing the Playbook: A Practitioner's Guide to Creating a Boy-Friendly School, by Kelley King. Several of the class participants want to continue to share their ideas, their successes and their challenges, as they work at implementing the boy-friendly strategies they learned through the course, which is the purpose of this blog.

We hope you will find inspiration and ideas from this blog, as we work towards transforming boys' education into successful experiences for all learners. They deserve it!