Reflection, Pooh Style

I recently started my 20th year of teaching.  I've been reflecting on so many things over the past month - how education has changed...how it hasn't...how I have...and how I still haven't.

One thing that has been consistent in my twenty years is the importance of building culture both in the classroom and also with the staff within a school.  I'm sure most of you have really focused on classroom culture over your first couple of weeks of school - but what have you done to build your relationships with your co-workers?

I recently read some quotes from Winnie The Pooh (or more specifically A.A. Milne.)  As I read them, I reflected on how they relate to building relationships within a staff...

A staff has to be thoughtful of others. It is a long school year.  There are bumps and obstacles.     How do you show thoughtfulness to others?  There are so many ways in a school: Take someone's lunch duty. Buy donuts for the staff lounge for no reason.  Give out balloons. Be unexpected.

This quote had two meanings for me.  First, so many teachers are in need of help.  You can't wait for them to come forward and announce they need help. Many beginning educators don't even know WHAT to ask for.

Second, we tend to flock around the same people all the time.  We see them at our division meetings, at our parent meetings, and at duties.   At the next staff meeting instead of sitting with your usual crew, go sit with someone from a different division.  Say hi. Share what you did over the weekend. Make a new connection.

It is so easy at a school to let everything get to you.  Students yell at you or tell you that you lost their work.  Parents hear their child's side of a story and come to you with fire in their eyes.  It is so important to step back and realize why you are doing it all. That student needs you.  That family needs you. You are helping to change their future.  

I am so grateful that I work in an industry where my impact can be felt both short and long-term. I am making a difference in the lives of so many - my students, my families, and my co-workers.  I can't say it is the most rewarding profession since I have no reference point for that, but I can't imagine getting so much love and satisfaction out of doing something else. 

So here is your challenge this week:  Go make a new friend. Buy them a balloon.  Tell them you are grateful that they work in your building.  Go be Pooh. 

Welcome back!

Welcome back, everyone!  I'm so excited to start a new school year, and hope you are too!

Much like your classroom, I'm sure there are many different readers here; some of you might be reading my blog for the first time, others are returning readers.  Welcome, all!

Like many of you I've been actively returning to the hustle and bustle of school, classes, meetings,  rosters, parent e-mails, meetings, lesson plans, and meetings.

Throughout it all, there seems to be something consistent with the first day of school: Building culture. Here is the phrase I see floating around the interwebs:

"Day one is for culture and team building! Save content for day two!"

Unfortunately what this means, intentionally or unintentionally, is "We need to build our culture, but then get on to more important things. One day of team building is plenty!"

Here's my question: Why do team building activities have to be a SEPARATE component from content?  I'd argue that if you are doing true team building and experiential learning these concepts are one and the same.

What do I mean?  Here is one of my day one activities. I introduce the lesson something like this:

OK, I want to get to know each other and for each of you to get to know each other as well.  Many times during the year we will be making a circle with our chairs.  A proficient group can do this in 30 seconds, but this is our first go, so I'm certainly not expecting 30 seconds today.  Let's see what our baseline time is.  Any predictions?"

Generally, I'll get times from 15 seconds to 4 minutes.  I then say time will start when I say go, but we have to be in ready position (a common vocabulary phrase for our school) for me to say go.

This year my first block's time was 1 minute 48 seconds, and my second block's time was 1 minute and 4 seconds.

We do a few other activities (which I will outline in future blogs!) to help build the classroom atmosphere.

The next day I tell them we will make a circle again, and I review and post their time from yesterday on the board.  I have them think and plan in their table groups for a few moments, get them in ready position, and then say go.  Here were the times from day two:

Block one: 49 seconds, block two: 32 seconds

We then process this activity.  I have them turn and talk about why so much time came off the clock.  After some discussion, they share their thoughts. Here are three words that invariably come up in the conversation:

• Communication
• Planning
• Practice

I wrote these words on chart paper and put this in the center of the circle.  We discuss how these words helped us get closer to that 30-second goal.  It leads to a great discussion about what these words mean.

From there I asked them if these words applied to being a math student, then had them turn and talk again.  They were able to make many connections between this activity and the classroom.  Students talked about how they will have to communicate during work time, but also communicate if they are struggling.  They talked about planning out problems instead of just diving in.  They talked about how the more they practice, the better they will get.

These words become the mantra (rules) of our classroom.  When we're struggling, we go back to these words.  This team building activity isn't just a one-and-done; it becomes a central theme of the year.  Team building isn't something to do, but like all of your other lessons requires thought, planning, and purpose.

How do you use team building? How can you integrate it into your curriculum?

Team Building Parts 4 & 5 - Two more games!

First off, thank you for the wonderful feedback, everyone!  I really love getting e-mails, twitter comments, and messages on facebook about how the protocols and ideas I'm presenting are impacting how you approach games,  facilitation, and processing to start the school year.

One quick point I'd like to make based on a couple of comments I've received: I STRONGLY encourage you to use these protocols with your staff, team members, or friends before trying it with students.  First, it makes the struggle more authentic when you have experienced the same frustrations.  Also, it makes it much easier to facilitate and process the activity when you have an idea of what directions the game may head.

And of course, they really are fun to play!

Today I present two more games designed to help build culture during the first few days of school.

Protocol: Me, You, Left, Right

Materials: None

Procedure: Have students stand in a circle with you in the center.  Explain that the person in the center will point to someone and say one of four words: Me, you, left, or right.

• If the person in the center says "me", the person that is being pointed at has to say the name of the  person in the center.
• If the person in the center says "you", the person that is being pointed at has to say his/her own name.
• If the person in the center says "left", the person that is being pointed at has to say the name of the person to his/her left (which is the center person's right).
• If the person in the center says "right", the person that is being pointed at has to say the name of the person to his/her right (which is the center person's left).

Play continues until someone being pointed at doesn't know a name.  The two people involved introduce each other with a handshake or fist bump, and then the person who didn't know the name switches into the center.  

Variations: 

• Ten-in-a-row: if the person in the center points to ten different people and they all get names correct, the person in the center gets to choose someone to come into the center.
• Jail break: if the person in the center can name all (or half or ten) of the people in the circle, he/she gets to choose a new center person.

Protocol: Forced Choice

Materials: A list of this-or-that choices

Procedure: Gather students into the center of the room.  Explain that you will list two options.  You have to choose the one that describes them the best - not their 'favorite' but which one describes the best.

Read off one of the this-or-that choices (for example "river or lake"), pointing to one side of the classroom for each choice (river go left, lake go right)

When students make their choice, have them find one or two people to explain why that word describes them better.

Circulate during this discussion time to facilitate more conversation and learn about your students!

I often ask students to explain why they chose what they did.  Depending on the group I may even have students introduce each other and say their explanation: "This is David and he chose river because he is always moving."

After a few minutes, have everyone return to the center and complete another choice.  I'll often remind them to think about how the choice describes them - not to pick their favorite of the two.

Here is a list of potential this-or-that choices.  I love using the more abstract options as the game progresses to see how deep of thinkers I might have in my class.

"Are you more like (a):"

• crocodile or frog
• noon or midnight
• trumpet or violin
• Phineas or Ferb
• tent or castle
• hammock or water bed
• taco or burrito 

I hope to hear how some of these activities worked in your class.  Have an amazing first week back to those that are starting up soon!  I start up with students on Wednesday and definitely plan on using some of these to build the culture of the room!

Team Building Part 2: Keeping It Authentic

"I showed them how to do it! The student's just aren't getting it - it isn't my fault!"

 What are you picturing?  A teacher explaining a math lesson?  Foreign language?

If you have been in education long enough, you've certainly heard (or maybe even said) something like that at some point.  As educators we know that you can't just 'present' material to have students understand it.  You can't give a lesson and expect them to master it.

This is my next point with 'ice breakers'.  So many times I have seen groups do ice breakers that go something like this:

"OK, the point of this activity is for this team to (insert random task)"

A couple of things might happen from here.

One person in the group quickly sees a basic solution, does it, and the facilitator gives some quick non-authentic feedback.

Alternatively the opposite could happen.  The team could be stuck, unsure of how to complete the activity.

So the facilitator does what any good teacher would do - he gives gives "a clue" and the group quickly sees the answer, and the facilitator gives some quick non-authentic feedback.

And then he surprised when they didn't get the relationship building they were promised.  He decides that 'team-building is just a waste of time.'

So often, teachers, leaders, and facilitators want to do the team building and ice breaking "stuff" as quickly as possible so they can get to the "important" parts of the day.  They want activities that can be done in ten minutes or less so that they have more time for people to be 'productive.'  They can't waste a single minute, let alone a whole class period on such useless activities.

But when have you ever seen an effective lesson hit the short and long term goals in just ten minutes?  Much like teaching a lesson, you have to ask what is the result you want?  Do you want students to memorize and be able to recall information on the short term?  If so, then an activity like the one above is a great lesson.  You won't gain any long term community, but you will have a short term celebration.  However, if you are looking to build long term relationships, as well as student success you have to put the same effort, planning, and processing that you would for a lesson.

Teachers have a difficult time letting students fail.  It isn't in our general nature.

As promised, here is the second activity that I use to help build positive relationships in my classroom.  This is a great activity for students as well as great practice to let you, as a teacher, to practice allowing students to fail.

Protocol: Helium Hoop

Size Limit: This activity works best for groups of 8-12.  You can break the group up into two and have them take turns.

Materials: a hula-hoop

Procedure:

1) Get students into a circle
2) Explain the task is to get the hoop to the ground with the following guidelines
3) Have the students make two fists with their pinky parallel to the ground
4) Stick out your index finger so it it pointing across the circle
5) Tuck your thumbs into your fist
6) Put your fists at hip level

Explain that in a few moments you are going to put the hula hoop so that it is touching everyone's fingers.  The goal is to get the hoop to the ground with the following rules:

1) Everyone must be in contact with the hoop at all times.  If anyone loses contact I'll grab the hoop and we'll restart.
2) Only your index finger may be in contact with the hoop.
3) The hoop must rest on everyone's index finger - no grabbing or curling around the hoop.
4) The hoop must be lowered onto the ground without it dropping.

The first time you do this activity the hoop will rise almost instantly.  This is an excellent game to play to help process blaming others and how your actions impact the group.

It is also a VERY difficult activity to facilitate - as the teacher your job is to let the group figure out the problem without giving major hints.  You have to let them struggle without getting completely frustrated.  Balancing the guidelines with how strictly you are enforcing them to maintain engagement without allowing them to 'check-out' from frustration.

Does this sound like what we, as teachers, need to do for students every day?

It is important to let them struggle - remember the goal isn't necessarily for them to succeed in two or three tries.  You are preparing them for a school year where they will have academic struggles.  There will be times that they will have group projects in which everyone is committed, but progress is still slow.  Let them reflect back on this activity on their struggles and think about how they eventually succeeded.

The Power of an Authentic Audience

My students are currently working on their discovery night project - this is an assignment where they present a real life problem to a community of adults - family, other teachers, friends - the forum is open to anyone that wants to come.

Our class is tackling the issue of electronic waste.

Much more on their learning and presentation will be coming up - the big night is Thursday - but I wanted to share one specific experience we had this week.

Our students have learned about the problems about recycling e-waste: It's expensive, difficult, and toxic.  We also learned that many of the would-be recyclers actually ship their electronics to places that have much lower standards for worker safety and environmental protection.  These places, such as Agbogbloshie, Ghana and Guiyu, China, pay workers less than a dollar per day and in the process destroy their own health and environment.   Electronics are burned so that precious metals can be salvaged, and no protection is given to the workers.  Students also learned many of these places use children younger than them to do this work.

One student was particularly bothered by this and decided to see what the recycling places he researched were doing about this.

He had a list of recycling locations and decided to start making calls.

Now if you know anything about teenage boys, you know talking on the phone to strangers ranks just below shoe shopping in 'high level interest activities.'



However, here was this 8th grade boy calling various companies and asking about how they handle the electronic items they 'recycle.'  Here was a typical conversation:

Student: Hi, I'm a student calling about electronic waste. What do you do with the items you recycle?

Rep: We reuse the items we can and recycle the ones we can't.

Student: but how do you recycle it?

Rep: What do you mean?

Student: Like do you ship it to Ghana or China or do you recycle it there?

Rep: That is proprietary information, I can't discuss that.

This, of course, led to a nice discussion on what this meant.  It also led to a very angry student.

But this anger also led to a discovery that there are responsible e-cycling standards.  From there all the students in the class began to look for two different standards: R-2 and e-stewards recycling standards.  They'd call companies and ask if their organization was certified by either of those standards.  Most of the time the company had no idea what that meant.

Students started telling the representative that their organization should seriously look into getting certified.  Suddenly the students felt they knew more than the adults.  They were sharing information with adults.  And nothing makes a student feel more powerful than that.