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!

The Great Big Bag of Feelings.

I love the beginning of a new school year - new faces, new challenges, and a chance to start fresh.

One of my favorite beginning of year activities allows students to express how they feel about math using objects. It gives me a chance to get to know their feelings towards math, and also gives some insight into their ability to create figurative language.  I also get a chance to share a bit about myself.

Here is how I introduce this activity.

I have the class in a circle and explain that my daughter used to play with lots of different items. I then pull out this ratty lunchbag.  It is, I explain, her lunchbox from when she started pre-school when she turned three.  In this bag I have some items she also used to play with when she was about three years old.  I shake the bag and ask, "What are some things you think might be in here?"

legit - it is her lunch bag from preschool!

I get guesses from dolls and ponies to legos to crayons... It's a nice variety.  I then dump the contents in the center of the circle.

Students always are amazed at the variety of things in the bag. They also then ask about how old she is now, if I have other children, and suddenly we are connecting on a personal level.  They bring up connections with the objects (I had a Mr. Potato Head! Does that Silly Putty thing really have putty in it? (it does) awww, that's a cute Littlest Pet Shop!)

The great bag of everything

After I give them time to observe, I bring it back to math.  I tell them people have lots of different feelings about math.  Some people love math and some don't enjoy it.  All of those feelings are ok - you don't have to love math, and in fact it could be your least favorite thing.

I then ask them to look at the objects and find one that you think of when you think of math - how you feel about math, what you think of math, what math means to you...

Students get some think time, get a thumbs up ready, and choose a student to start.  That student then picks the direction the circle will travel.  I explain that everyone will share, but I also give students the opportunity to pass if they aren't ready on their turn.  When a student goes, they take the object from the center, return to their chair and explain why they chose it.  Here are some quotes from my 6th grade class this week:

• "For me math is like a weight - when I get a math problem it feels like a weight is being put on me." 

• "Math is like the Rubic's cube piece.  I always get jumbled up and think there is no way to solve the problem."

• "Math is like the multi-colored pen.  There are lots of ways to solve it like there are lots of colors."

• "For me it is like the battery because I need lots of energy and when I get something right it recharges me, but if I get it wrong I feel like a dead battery."

I have found the key to this lesson, like so many others, is not in the activity itself but the culture setting and story telling before hand.  This is a great 2nd day of school activity after students have gotten to know each other and me a bit.  Just as important is the lead up.  Building that curiosity about the bag, having students talk about the objects, and making those personal connections makes it easier for them to share later in the activity. It isn't enough just to get the students in a circle and dump a bag in front of them - they need the whole experience!

I've also accepted this challenge put forth by @Aaron_Hogan.  So far I've learned I have students that

• Play soccer, swim, and dive.
• Make their own mermaid tails that are usable in the water.
• Enjoy farming and made a model tractor using donuts.
• Do not like candy or cake! 
• Have 11 pets including 3 dogs and 3 cats.

Go learn something amazing about your students!