Learn Like A Pirate - Chapter 8

Hello everyone! Welcome to our final chapter from our "Learn Like A Pirate" Book Study. I'd like to thank The Primary Gal for being such a wonderful host and organizing this. Today we are talking about Empowerment.

My favorite take away from this chapter is: Empower Creativity with Maker Spaces! I am hoping to establish an Imagination Club with my class once my 2nd graders get used to being active learners and more independent. The purpose of this Imagination Club is to "empower kids to be kids and to make, create, design, and build!"

Students would be completely independent in this endeavor: from the planning, to building, to even cleaning up after themselves. In this scheduled time, students would set goals, work towards them, and even experience setbacks. However, that's what life is about. Imagine the experiences and learning a 2nd grader could have from an Imagination Club! I am definitely excited to try this!

I created a Wordle below which I plan to print out and display on a frame. This would be a reminder of the core beliefs of everything I've learned this summer with this AMAZING book :)  So, what will you do differently this upcoming school year to empower your students in the classroom? I'd love to read your comments :)

Before you go, make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like A Pirate - Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our "Learn Like A Pirate" Book Study hosted by The Primary Gal. Today we are talking about Twenty-First Century Skills in the classroom. Today we are focusing on teaching children how to think not what to think.

I loved reading the about the 11 categories and the 34 skills that can help students face daily challenges in life and school. I will share about two of my favorite.

*Reflection and Awareness
Since my students are young, I really want my 2nd graders to start reflecting and thinking about their thinking (metacognition). This upcoming school year I am thinking about incorporating a journal where they will record their learning. Later on, they can revisit this journal to see how their thought process developed. Another way I plan to incorporate Reflection and Awareness is by having short interviews where students ask each other questions about what they learned.

*Initiative and Self Direction
This past year, my 2nd graders managed their time really well. However, I do want my students to actually set and measure appropriate goals not just know how to be aware of time.

I made a graphic with the categories to have as a handy reference in my lesson plan binder.

Click the picture if you'd like to download your own copy. 

So what Twenty-First Century Skills are you already successfully using in your classroom? Which could you improve on? Let me know in the comments below!

Before you go, make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like A Pirate - Chapter 6

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our "Learn Like A Pirate" Book Study hosted by The Primary Gal. Today we are talking about Active Learning in the classroom. Make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

Now, let's dive in....I'll begin with a question Solarz asks:

What's easier to remember: something you've read in a book or heard in a lecture or something you've experienced? Experiences, of course! 

Same with our students. As I think about my 2nd graders, they need to be active throughout the day. They need tangible objects, experiences, space to move, lots of visuals, and discussions. So I sit and wonder....do I want my students to just learn something for a day or for a test...or do I want to make their learning more permanent? Experiences make learning memorable and permanent. 

In this chapter, Solarz gives specific examples of how he achieves this in his classroom. Here is a brief summary/take away of each example Solarz presents in this chapter.

1) Simulations: Students "travel" back in time and participate in research, write scripts, and act out their skits in front of green screens. Students are definitely grasping the content and will remember these experiences for years to come.

2) Debates: Students become experts in a topic and prepare a defense. They also write persuasive/argumentative essays (yayy for integrating writing)!!! Although there is some competition....there is so much more collaboration going on!

3) Fairs: If done at school, science or any type of fair allows the teacher to oversee the process, provide feedback, and truly see what they student is capable of without any adult interference. Students are truly reflecting and learning throughout the process.

4) Project Based Learning: Oooohhh I like this one. In a PBL project, students are learning through projects not learning content and then creating a project.

5) Technology: When students work with technology tools they are collaborating and problem solving; however, technology should not be used just for technology's sake. Use it when it will truly make your lesson memorable!

6) Reader's Theater: When students simply read a script once....it is done at a very superficial level. In an active learning classroom, reader's theater takes reading to a whole new level. Students are becoming the story and get to learn all of its nuances! How fun!

Which of these strategies will you be using in your classroom? Which ones do you already use successfully?

Join us next week as we talk about Twenty-First Century Skills.

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like a Pirate - Chapter 5

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our "Learn Like A Pirate" Book Study hosted by The Primary Gal. Today we are talking about Responsibility! Whew what a great chapter. I am learning so much with each page I read! I sit and wonder "well...how come I haven't tried that?" OR "I definitely NEED to do that."

Hmmm... as an elementary teacher, I like to be very organized with assigned classroom jobs. At the beginning of the year, I introduce the responsibilities of each job and my students rotate through this list week by week. Here's a view of my helper chart... (kinda far but you get the idea).

However, I just realized I've been doing it all wrong! If the teacher keeps assigning these duties, when will the students really learn responsibility? In my classroom, I want all students to be responsible for as much as they are capable of, not just what is assigned that current week. I also don't want my other second graders to think they don't have to clean up after themselves because there is an assigned person for that. 

"Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves - and be free." - Cesar Chavez

Another great aspect of responsibility is the daily tasks that must get done in the classroom, such as transitioning from one subject to the next. I have always displayed an agenda (schedule) for the day, but I haven't had my students direct these transitions. I usually point them out and move along with our day. I can just imagine how much time could be saved if my students took on this responsibility to be more aware of our time. 

With all these roles/responsibilities established, Solarz explains what a SILENT DAY looks like in his classroom. Once students are confident with the classroom rituals, his students are required to run the entire day without ANY guidance from him. He remains SILENT (except for emergencies, of course). Wow! I would love to see that in my classroom!!! 

Solarz continues to explain the daily rituals in the classroom vs. routines. He talks about Literature Circles, Summarizing, and his dismissal procedure: REARJMCL. I've always established routines, but now I am motivated to begin meaningful routines and create them into rituals not just habit! 2015-2016 will be a year where my students will truly encompass responsibility!! I love all the ideas and suggestions in the chapter and excited to implement them with my second graders!!

Join us next week for Chapter 6, Active Learning. Make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE Spanish prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like a Pirate - Chapter 4

Hello! This week in The Primary Gal's book study of Learn Like A Pirate we are focusing on "Improvement Focus vs. Grade Focus." In a world run by data and test scores this is truly a great chapter which asks us to reflect on the feedback we provide for our students as well as the feedback students provide to each other. 

According to Solarz, as teachers we need to place priority on personal improvement. Focus on the people your students will grow into, not just the current grade they are in.

I am loving this quote by Paul, "We don't care who is performing better than us. We care that we are performing to our highest level possible!" Today in my summer school group, I was reminded of this situation. Two of my students were discussing their current phonics level and you could sense the tone of competition among them.
Student A: I'm a level 16, what level are you?
Student B: Level 11 (sad face)
Overhearing this, I chimed in :)
You see, Student A had been at a Level 14 all year so has grown 2 levels. Student B had been at a level 5 and has grown 6 levels to that level 11! I immediately made that fact known. So while one student has mastered all levels, the other has shown tremendous growth. I praised both students and reminded them to keep practicing to their full potential. I think this type of feedback is definitely lacking in our classrooms. Everyone wants to focus on just "the grade" "the level."

Now, not only does the teacher need to provide constant feedback, students also need to provide specific feedback to each other. I will definitely use this technique from Paul Quality Boosters with my students this upcoming year.

Next week's topic is on Responsibility! Looking forward to sharing more about this amazing book with you! Before you leave, make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE Spanish prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like a Pirate - Chapter 3

Hello! Welcome back to The Primary Gal's Learn Like a Pirate Book Study! Today I will be talking about Chapter 3 which focuses on Peer Collaboration. I am totally in LOVE with this chapter since it brings ideas, scenarios, and examples of what peer collaboration is like in a student-led classroom. 

Before we dive in, make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

Okay, ready.... "Give me FIVE!"

Who has used this strategy to refocus the classroom? I have used it, my bestie uses it, some of my teacher friends have it displayed on their wall. However, it is always used by the......teacher. In this chapter, Paul explains the importance of empowering our students to work together and also USE the phrase "Give me FIVE" and give them the power to interrupt the class. Wait, did I just say that? I'm going to allow my students to interrupt class?!? YES! Of course at the beginning I will have to model and provide feedback to remind students that interruptions can be: to remind teacher of transition times, to suggest appropriate behaviors or tasks, to ask questions, to offer a skill someone might need, etc. These interruptions are meaningful and help students become leaders and collaborators in the classroom!!

My favorite advice from Paul is to set up Responsibility Partners. These partners are very important for the success of the classroom. They can be set up however the teacher chooses, but the students need to understand that they are both responsible for each other's progress. With Responsibility Partners, students will develop empathy and realize that not everyone learns the same. They will also learn that one student may be really good at one part of the assignment, while the other student might be really good at another part. What it comes down to, is building a strong bond within the classroom.

There might be some CONFLICT....disagreements.....ugly situations when students are working with their peers. Paul offers 3 techniques that I will definitely teach my students:

1. Rock-Paper-Scissors
2. Compromise
3. Choose Kind (my favorite) :)

In order for students to feel empowered, we need to create the safe atmosphere in the classroom, where they can interrupt, re-direct, learn, and resolve their own conflicts.

Join us next week as we discuss: Improvement Focus vs. Grade Focus!

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like a Pirate - Chapter 2

Happy Thursday friends!!! Today is the end of the school week for me yay (8 more days of summer school left)! Woooo! Also, make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

So on to today's topic from Chapter 2 of Learn Like A Pirate, Common Concerns About Student-Led Classrooms. 

I will begin like Paul did with this very appropriate quote: 

Changing your classroom mindset to a Student-Led Classroom is going to cause concerns. People may question your role since you are allowing students to "take over." Well, change has to begin some where! I am hoping to begin the change with my classroom. 

I have taken ~teeny tiny~ steps towards a student-led classroom (I think, lol). This past year, I ran my reading block as a workshop style (1st year in 2nd grade, so I was learning along with my kiddos). Basically, students were responsible for completing a certain quantity of activities by Friday when they turned in their workshop activities. While they were working on these activities, I would call my small groups and struggling students to my table. This would allow ample time for students to work on their skills individually and for me to work with groups. My students were definitely independent and knew their responsibilities. They were also in charge of their timer, their supplies, partners, etc. However, I did struggle with leaving them on-their-own, PLUS it took a few weeks for them to get the hang of it.

That brings me to the concerns a teacher might have when thinking about a student-led classroom. I will not go over all of them from the chapter, just two that really stood out to me.

One concern that sparked my interest was: 

"I'm worried about giving up control to my students." 

YES, that is definitely a worry. At the beginning of this past year, I worried. Will they be on task? Will they know what to do if _____? Does this fit their learning style? How will they react if ____? Then I realized, in order for students to grow, they need to take risks. What better way for them to take risks than in the comfortable environment of their classroom?

Another concern that caught my attention was: 

"But, won't my room get loud?"

I know as teachers we want to have that perfect discipline: when an administrator walks in, our class should be orderly, quiet, and all students should be where their supposed to.....rarely does that happen. Learning and discovery are noisy! Check out this quote from Paul Solarz: "Because I have loud, active, motivated students, what I don't have are sleepy, zoned-out children." Which students do you prefer?

There are plenty of concerns and worries about the student-led classroom; however, as Paul suggests, take a risk! Your students deserve the best possible learning experience! Until next time friends!

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like a Pirate - Chapter 1

Hello there! Amidst the exhausting end of the year and beginning of summer school, I'm here linking up with The Primary Gal's summer book study. My goal this summer is to be productive in my own professional development, and what better way than to collaborate and learn from a group of amazing bloggers?! Now, I would like to share some interesting quotes and my favorite "a-ha" moments from Chapter 1. 

Chapter 1 asks the question, "What is a student-led classroom?" 

I thought and thought about this question and came up with my own defintion:

- A student led classroom is one where the teacher collaborates with the students in their learning.

-A student-led classroom prepares students with the skills needed for the real world. 

So those were my first few thoughts on what a student-led classroom is. However, let me share a quote from Paul Solarz that really defines the essence of a student-led classroom: 

"Everyone in the classroom appears to have equal power and equal say in 

what happens, although everyone understands that the teacher's word is final." 

A student led classroom is deeply engaged in meaningful lessons. Students know how to manage conflict. Students make decisions without consulting the teacher. The classroom is structured with a mini-lesson, collaborative work, and a reflective aspect. The curriculum that is needed to be taught stays the same; however, the method of delivery is the one changing. 

I want to achieve that in my classroom. I want my students to feel that family atmosphere, to be able to manage conflict, and to be deeply involved in their learning. Now here's a "Wowza!!!" part. He accomplishes this student-led classroom 2-3 weeks into the school year! I can imagine what a role routines and procedures play in the classroom to have this amazing environment so soon at the beginning of the year.  I am hooked and ready to learn!!

Finally, one of my favorite quotes so far, "When children feel happy and safe at school, they're willing to work hard for their teachers. And hard-working students are what it's going to take to create a successful student-led classroom!"

This upcoming year, I will have my 2nd graders all to myself. No more team teaching for this girl! I am eager to create a student-led classroom with my kiddos :)  Before you go, make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

>>Now check out this amazing kickoff giveaway!!!<<

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up