Day One: Where Do I sit?

It was so wonderful getting back into the classroom this week for so many many reasons. One was that I got to use one of my favorite first day of school activities called silent line-up.

This activity starts by having students lining outside my classroom. From there I told them directions are on the board and once they enter the room they may not talk or write anything.  As they come in they see the desks with numbered post-its and this screen:

I usually include "no mouthing words" but with masks, this wasn't necessary.

It is always interesting watching their reactions. They first start by staring at each other. and then staring some more.  This year I actually had a student go straight to the first desk and sit down while another sat in the last desk in the room. Bold moves, I exclaim.

Eventually they find some systems that kind of works. This class saw a calendar on the wall and a periodic table. Some pointed to the numbers on the calendar while others pointed to various elements.  Other students had no idea what they were trying to communicate.  

I was born in Rubidium

After 10 minutes I gave the student in the last desk a voice so she could talk but nobody else could.  It didn't help matters much. 

Five more minutes pass and after 15-minutes all the students were seated and student #7 said, very meekly, "We are ready for greatness." I asked them to give me a thumbs up if they felt they were in the right seat. Not many did.  We went around the room and shared birthdays. The first student called out January 5th, the next was later in January.  The third student called out a birthday in August.  Moving along other students realize there are many people out of place.  

I tell them they'll have 5 minutes to figure out their correct desk and will allow them to talk thsi time.  A couple minutes later all students are back in their seats and we go around again.  Turns out we have a correct order this time and also learn that two students in this class have the same birthday! (A math lesson for another day, perhaps.)

When we were finished, I processed through the activity. I asked them how easy the activity was. Were they frustrated? Did they want to quit? Was it getting easier or more frustrating as the class went on?  We then connected it to their educational experiences, not just in math.  When they are stuck, what is their strategy? Do they sit quietly and not ask for help? Do they build their frustration? Do you wait for the one person in the class to talk?  How much faster and easier did this problem get solved once you were able to all communicate with each other?

Eventually we talk about how school can be difficult at times, but by staying silent and not asking for help it will only increase the frustration and difficulty. Many times the rest of that week a student would need help (from I don't understand the material down to I don't' have a pencil.) Usually they spoke up, but when they didn't I reminded them of this activity. 

It also benefits me in the classroom as well. I see who the natural leaders are, or who students perceive as the leaders. Which students gravitated towards each other? Which ones tried to be a tribe of one? Which tried to just be invisible?  I learned of friend groups and potential discipline issues before anyone said a single word in my class. It is a powerful fifteen minutes.

I hope that all of you are having an amazing return-to-school experience. Stay safe!

Starting Year Twenty-Three... Let's Do This!

As I reflect upon the start of my 23rd year of teaching I have so many thoughts. What will this year bring? What challenges will I encounter? What challenges will the students encounter? How can I support my students with so many unknowns coming up in the next few weeks.

But as I thought of these questions, I realized something. These questions are not unlike any other school year. Each year I start with my roster and my student profiles. I look at their strengths and where they need some gaps filled. I look at teacher notes from previous years and some advisory strategies that have worked in the past.  

Covid, distance learning, routines, tech... all of these things are obstacles. Obstacles to student learning. Obstacles to me being able to present information. Obstacles to building relationships.

Or is this just the perspective I've chosen to take? Are they obstacles? or are they opportunities?  When I started teaching (yes, back in the 20th century....) I worked in a third grade classroom with many students that had just arrived to America from Mexico. Many of them didn't speak English. Fewer of their parents did.  I was told that these were some of the obstacles I would be facing in the classroom.

However, I looked at it a different way. I used these 'obstacles' as opportunities. We had daily circle time. We talked about the calendar, weather, and school day. They all had to speak in English. When it was my turn I had to speak in Spanish (background: I had taken Spanish in college, but was nowhere near proficient.) It was probably the first time in their young lives they had an opportunity to correct an adult.  I still remember, many years later, the relationships and trust that was built. 

I had a student from that 3rd grade class 'find me' on Facebook a couple years back. She said to this day I was still her favorite teacher and that was her favorite school memory.  I had to remember that she was was almost 30, not the 9-year-old girl from my memories.  She explained how she was so scared of coming to a new school, but I made her feel safe and happy... and I made her laugh. The 'obstacles' I was told would get in the way actually helped build a successful relationship which lead to a successful year and a more successful long-term school experience for her. 

So as we trek into the great unknown that will be the 2020-2021 school year, I plan on keeping my perspective in check. There will be frustrations and difficulties. There will be anger and disappointment.  These feelings are real and valid. But there can be opportunity in challenge as well.  

I know I won't be 100% successful this year, but I can also say that I've never had a year that felt 100% successful. Tech will get in the way. Internets will drop. A student will miss a class. It's ok. Keep Maslow in mind. Work on the size of the problem. Keep moving forward.

To those starting up in the next few days or weeks, good luck. Whether you are virtual, hybrid, or in person. Whether you are happy or disappointed with the choice that has been made. Once those students are in your classroom, you have control over the perspective and the narrative. 

Year Twenty-Two... AND GO!

Twenty-plus years ago I was finishing my first month of my first year of teaching.  I was working in an elementary classroom in Cathedral City, California (in the Palm Springs area.) This school ran a year-round schedule with four tracks of classrooms.  Each track followed a 3-month-on 1-month-off rotation, so at any given time 75% of the school was in session while 25% of the school was on break. 

I can remember so much of those first couple of years. I remember my very first day with my very first class. Well. I remember going over the roster, introducing myself and glancing at the door, waiting for a supervising teacher or administrator to come through it. 

I realized that nobody was coming. This was my first class. These students were mine. Their education was literally in my control. I remember the long silence that followed as the class stared at me for direction. 

The emotions I felt at that moment were strong, the memory of them etched deeply.  I was so thankful for two veteran teachers that reached out and helped me through that first year: Mrs. Rouse and Mrs. McClintock. Two decades later I remember their names, their faces, and their kind acts.  I remember all the time they gave to me asking them what felt like the most basic of questions. They answered my questions, gave me sage advice, and let me cry in their room during prep time. 

I have lost touch with them over the years, but the two of them are forever etched in that same first-year memory.

Here I am over two decades later and now working with amazing teachers that weren’t even born when I started my teaching path.  I’ve become the veteran, getting asked questions and pretending I know the answers.  I’ve been asked to help design programs and schedules, representing our math division as the math chair, and still I am actively seeking more leadership and presenter opportunities. 

Dave Burgess of Teach Like A Pirate and Dave Burgess Consulting asked an amazing question to the twitterverse this week: What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?

My answer is simple: I'm excited to continue to find that first-year-teacher-fear. I'm excited to continue to do things both in and out of the classroom that scare me.  I'm excited to stay outside of my comfort zone and provide support for others so they have the confidence to do the same. 

After all, as educators we are CONSTANTLY asking our students to challenge themselves. We owe it to them to show that we live that same path. 

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 3: Processing the Experience

This is part three of my back to school ice breaker blog.  If you haven't seen parts one or two yet you can find them here (part one) and here (part two).

This blog will discuss processing.  Processing the activity is just as (some would argue more important) than the experience itself.  One thing I've learned is that trying to keep what I want to say in some blog-sized fashion isn't easy for me!  I love this topic and could probably go on for ages!  It allows both you as a facilitator to see and students as learners to explain what they got out of the activity.  It is important that the activity and the processing have similar goals.

I will use the  Helium Hoop activity from my last blog as an example.  It is a very difficult activity to facilitate because success will not come easy.  Students will struggle and there will be discord.  As the facilitator, your job is to create an environment in which people feel empowered and welcome. This leads to some internal struggles when leading this activity.

(learning is the treasure!)

As teachers our natural instinct is to step in and 'help'; unfortunately 'help' generally means solving problems for the students - pointing out errors and offering solutions that have worked for us in the past. We become the leader.

This, however, takes power away from the students.  It tells them that the teacher will 'bail them out' at the first sign of trouble.  As difficult as it is for you as a teacher, the struggle that students are experiencing is important.  It sets up a great lesson for them later: this class will be difficult at times, but you can persevere through it!

Helping them out and allowing them to have a quick success has other issues as well.

Here are the conditions that were set out for the helium hoop activity:

• All people need to touch the hoop at all times
• You can not 'grip' the hoop
• The hoop can't just drop to the floor

Those seem straight forward enough, but after ten minutes of failure, many teachers tend to get into solution mode.  Since schools these days are 'final objective' or 'product' driven, those conditions may get blurred a bit.  Sally 'accidentally' grabbed it with her finger and Lauren really didn't touch it at all? Close enough - the rest of the group seems ok (or didn't notice.)  Besides, the hoop is down and we can celebrate success.

Let's think about the internal processing that is happening in this group.  Sally now 'knows' that the rules are just general and may not apply to her.  Lauren has learned that in group activities she can blend into the background and not have to worry about it.  Other students may have seen Sally 'cheat' and are wondering why the teacher didn't say anything to her.  Most students wouldn't say these thoughts out loud in a new setting (the forming stage), but this is what you have indirectly taught them.

These first activities are the foundation for culture in your room.  How your run them and process them determines your initial success with building your culture.  The art of being a strong facilitator is similar to being a great teacher - knowing where your students are and challenging them to reach that next level.

Here are my 5 keys to successful processing:

1) Don't assume their learning - participants may have gotten different things out of the experience.  Some may realize that they enjoyed a leadership role, others may find that they liked not being in charge.  Some may learn that it was ok to trust and listen to a student they never really liked before.  Still others may have just loved the activity itself.  These are all good outcomes! They're learning - don't take their learning away!

2) USE NAMES and model how to use names.  You can't build a classroom culture if students are point and saying 'umm, him.'  If you don't know a student's name, model how to ask.  If students don't know each other's names, make sure they introduce themselves.  If you are using activities and they aren't using names, you're doing it wrong!

3) Don't judge effort.  Phrases like "if you try harder...", "most people seem to care", or "stop ruining it for everyone" assume students want to fail.  Even if a student is acting in a way that is showing she  doesn't care, at some deeper level she is dealing with the current situation as best she can.  This is a great chance to get to know the student and find out what is bothering her (or him!)

4) Acknowledge difficulty.  It's ok to say "this activity is difficult."  That is a great lead into processing the activity later ("do you think there will be other activities this school year that will frustrate you?")  People's behavior adapt to match their current beliefs about what it possible. If you hint that something is too difficult without your expertise, that is what they will believe.    If you expand their beliefs, their behavior will expand and reflect the new possibilities.  You present the door, but you have to let them open it up!

5) Observe but don't connect.  Let the students keep the power.  You should make observations that helped the group - Phrases like "I really liked when Tammy called a break because the group was getting frustrated" help students see the importance of a time out, but you shouldn't make leaps such as "The group was successful because Tammy called the break."

With that, here is my third team building activity that I love playing early in the school year:

Protocol: Group Juggle

Materials: a couple of tennis balls, koosh balls, or other small, soft objects.

Procedure:
1) Everyone gets in a circle (sitting or standing works fine). Everyone should put their hands out.
2) You will start the game by saying a student's name and tossing the ball to him/her.
3) That person catches the ball, then says the name of another person in the circle (I tend to say you can't give it to the person to your left or right), and tosses the ball. The tosser then takes his/her hands and put them behind his/her back (this helps keeps track of who has had a turn.)
4) This process continues until everyone has received the ball once.
5) The final recipient says the teacher's name and tosses the ball back to him/her.

Round two:
Explain you are going to do the same thing again, but this time you might add a challenge:

• no drops (or one drop or three drops, depending on your group) during the cycle
• time limit of so many seconds 
• having to say thank you to the tosser after each catch: "Thank you, Evan!"

As the group gets better, you can add even more challenge to the game:

• add a second ball that begins a few tosses after the first
• add a second ball that goes backwards while the first one goes forwards
• have the student say their favorite flavor of ice cream and then ask the next person (by name) what their favorite flavor is.

This is also a fun activity to process.  Students tend to realize that they drop the ball when they aren't focused.  They also realize that they become more focused when someone uses their name and makes eye contact.  When a second ball is introduced (either forwards or backwards) students may talk about how they had to focus on one thing at a time rather than watch both objects at once.

I will be posting two more team building activities during the week.  I'd love to hear some games and activities you have done to help build teamwork and culture in your class as well!

Team Building Part 1: Hi, My Name is Michael and I Have a Blog

How do you start the first day of a new year?  Is it the tried and true roll call - introduce yourself - explain your rules and expectations and then review the syllabus?  Do you have each child stand up, say their name, and a little something about him or herself?  Or do you start with a name game to get the students to get to know each other?

People have argued that name games are just an excuse to let kids get chatty.  That it becomes more of a social or party than a learning environment.  Or it leads to students being silent and the teacher doing all of the talking.

I can't disagree with this.  Team building, ice breakers, and all of the activities that teachers (or groups) use to build cohesion can lead to a disaster.  Like ANY good lesson, they have to be well planned and executed with clear objectives and structure.

One of the 'classic' name games goes something like this:  Everyone stand in a big circle.   OK, now we're going to do a name game.  You say your name and one thing you like. Then the next person has to say their name and what they like and then YOUR name and what you like.  This continues on until the 25th person has to say everyone's name in the circle.  Then you smile and look at the student that is in space twenty-five.

I feel you, kitty!

Admit it - reading that paragraph raised your anxiety... and it should.  There are so many poor educational models presented in this 'game'.

1) Limited engagement.  If I go third, I have to remember a total of two names... Then I'm off for the next twenty two rounds.  I don't have to say another thing for the rest of the activity.

2) Stress inducing.  The goal any good ice breaker is to lower students' affective filter.  This does just the opposite. Students that go early become bored.  Students that go later are panicked they have to remember dozens of names.

3) So much wasted time! Students spend almost the entire activity standing (or sitting) and doing absolutely nothing else engaging. Seriously. Twenty-two rounds of doing nothing.

Some may say "well it teaches them to pay attention and learn the names so they are ready when it is their turn."  I say it teaches them that as a teacher, I'm willing to let a student fail on the very first day of class... in front of everyone.

I am a huge fan of building community.  With my background in both Outward Bound and Expeditionary Learning and I know the importance of having students build relationships with each other as well as with adults.  Students should feel welcome on the first day.  They need to learn that it is an emotionally safe environment.

Tuckman's Stages of Group Development

This post will have the first of five activities I like to play in my class during the first few weeks to build these positive relationships.  These games allow students to take risks in a safer environment, allow students to get to know each other in multiple facets, and keeps them moving.  When a student makes a mistake in these activities the general reaction is fun giggles, not nausea and bathroom breaks.

Protocol: I have... (a modified version of 'have you ever...")

Procedure:

Students stand in a circle around a center point (I'll often use polyspots to mark the center and outside points)

• The person in the center (usually the adult to start) introduces him/herself 
• "Hi, my name is Mr. Taylor"
• The group greets the person by name
• "Good morning, Mr. Taylor" 
• "Hey, Mr. Taylor"
• "What's up, Mr. Taylor"
• The center person says, "good morning group" and says something that they "have" (I often use these examples when giving the rules so students have an idea on how they can get creative with the 'have' - that it doesn't have to be something 'physical')
• "I have a cat"
• "I have eaten pizza"
• "I have a love for math"
• "I have gone on looping roller coasters"
• "I have an addiction to twitter"
• From there anyone on the outside of the circle that also "has" that statement comes to the center and high-fives everyone that is in the center.
• Anyone on the outside says "nope not me!" and high fives someone on the outside.
• After high fives are exchanged, everyone then finds a DIFFERENT spot.
• Play is repeated until everyone has been in the center at least once.

Five reasons I like this activity:

• Everyone participates in each round. Even if you don't "have" you still get to high five
• Everyone get to share a tidbit about themselves on their own level.
• Everyone greets each other by name.  Greetings are so key to building community!
• Everyone is constantly moving - standing in different spots and next to different people
• Students get to see what they have in common with someone else - great way to make connections.

About half-way through the activity I will stop and have them look to their left and right.  From there I'll ask them to give me a thumbs up if they know the names of the person on either side.  Depending on the atmosphere I may have them do a quick handshake/fistbump and introduce themselves. 

Remember, though, ice breakers are JUST THAT! They break the top of the iceberg; they don't uncover the entire thing!  Students aren't going to learn everything about everyone in one activity, and they won't remember everyone's name after one game, but it is important to let them feel more comfortable to do so as the week and year progresses.

What games do you enjoy doing on your first day?  What games would you like me to discuss in the future?