Checking In: One week of relationship building.

How is everyone doing with building those relationships?  We are one week into school now, so here are some of the activities we have done to start the year.

At lunch today I went table by table.  I  said each student's name and if I didn't know it or remember it, I asked their name. It became a game with them, with many  of them hoping I'd get it wrong (some of them  got their wish...)  I'll head  to lunch again Thursday and quiz myself on the students that I missed.

This is a great way to show them application of study skills: practice, get some wrong, focus on the ones you got wrong, practice again, repeat as necessary... keep practicing.

In science  we practiced the art of "observation" vs. "inferences."  My co-teacher developed this idea for Social Studies and adapted it to Science.  It is pretty brilliant...

Students were given envelopes filled with personal effects from my past. These included a train schedule, a class photo of me with my first students (dated sometime last century,)  some hockey cards, and a number of other items. These items were broken into four envelopes.

What the heck is this thing?

On top of these four envelopes, students also got to investigate two personal spaces: My desk and my car. Now, let me ask you. When was the last time you let students go through your desk? Would you let them?

Here is what my students discovered: I like snacks. and tea. a lot. In fact one drawer was FULL of these things. They saw lots of Rubik's cubes and NASA items. They saw a $1 bill in my top drawer. There were pens, pencils, former students' work, and lots of chocolate. And yes, that $1 bill was still in my desk at the end of the activity.

My car was less exciting, but they were all curious about my 'mascots.'  On my dashboard I have Pain & Panic (from Disney's Hercules), White Rabbit (from Alice in Wonderland), a small rubber duck, and a children's block.

Ideally in the following days the students will have to build as much of my life story as they can: Where have I lived? Who is in my family? What are my hobbies? How far back in my life  can you go? Why can't you go back further? Can you finally figure out how old I am? Why did I chose to keep those things in the car?

As the year progresses, we will connect this activity to many of the scientific concepts we will be studying: geological time scales, Earth's changing features, fault lines, and more.

I hope everyone's first few days have been wonderful.  I'd love to hear how things are going!

The Kids that Need You the Most are the Ones that Show it the Least...

I hope everyone has had a refreshing and re-energizing summer.  I started the summer off by completing my first 100-kilometer run.  After that, I spent June helping out around my school and then July was spent at Camp Mary Orton playing on the outdoor challenge ropes course with various campers and adult groups.

Also spent some time 30 feet in the air with my son. Great bonding experience!

As I have been reflecting on starting my twenty-first year of teaching, I make sure to focus on the students. We just had Meet The Teacher on Friday and since I am moving from a sixth grade classroom to a grade 7/8 classroom, I know nearly all of my students and families already.  That will be an incredibly powerful way to start the year.  I have really strong, positive relationships with nearly all of the students and families, and look forward to getting to know them even better this year.

Lots of teachers have an opinion on moving up (looping) with their students. Chalkbeat.org recently published an article linking this practice to higher test scores, especially for minority students and students with lower test scores.

Even so, I think back on teachers that I have worked with in the past that dislike this idea.  "What if you get ... THAT... student?" they ask. The difficult one. The one that is the troublemaker. The one that always tries to RUIN the class.

I've always been bothered by that thinking. No student shows up to school thinking about how to get thrown out of class.  They aren't sitting at home plotting ways to be sent to the principal or get written up for another detention.  Or if they are, there is a reason for it... And the reason isn't one you want to hear.

The first few days of school are all about relationship building.  You have to take care of the Maslow stuff before you can start the Blooms stuff.  My challenge to you is to build a positive relationship with each of your students in the first three days.  Greet them in the hallway. Tell them you are so excited that they are there today.

LEARN.THEIR.NAME.  Seriously.  My goal is to learn all of my students' names by the end of the second day. As they enter the school or classroom on the third I force myself to greet them by name. If I can't, I ask them their name or I tell them to correct me. I have them call me out if I don't use their name in class (or call them by their wrong name.) So many students will say, "it's ok," when you say the wrong name, but it isn't.

Eat lunch with them. Go out to recess with them (should you be fortunate enough to work at a school that still practices this 'archaic' ritual.) Find out two non-academic interests of theirs. Share your non-academic interests with them.  It doesn't take as long as you may think, and you'll reap the benefits in the classroom.

You are expecting them to learn so many things from you this year. You start that process by learning about them.  If you are looking for ways to do this, message me below or on twitter (@TeacherRunner42) for some ideas!

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.

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?