Kathleen McClaskey interviewed Greg Wilborn, Personalized Learning Coordinator at Colorado Springs who shared their journey to move to personalizing learning for all learners.
Projects create change for people. And the success of projects often depends on how well you manage that change. Here's a primer in Change Management.
Making Conversation a Cornerstone in the Art Classroom % %
If you struggle with classroom management no matter how many different strategies you try, there's a chance you're doing something to get in your own way.
The Agile Development methodology is considered the finest approach to developing projects in the present time.
Our school has used quite a few Character Education programs throughout the years, but sometimes I find myself looking for more practical, concrete ways to help students deal with conflicts. These are not the larger, bullying-type conflicts that we discuss often in the Character Ed programs, these are the daily recess squabbles, the bickering/arguing, and the tattling that can occur throughout the week. With these types of conflict, I don't want to be the constant referee, negotiating both sides in every disagreement. I want to empower my students to choose between a variety of strategies and develop these necessary skills themselves. While looking for some of these online, I was contacted by Kelso's Choice and couldn't believe my luck. This program seemed to be addressing the skills I was looking for in a very kid-friendly, concrete method. I am excited to share this product review in case you are looking for a similar program. Disclaimer: Although Kelso's Choice sent me these items, all opinions are 100% honest and my own, and I never recommend something I wouldn't or haven't used in my own class. Kelso's Nine Choices The main character in this Character Ed program is a cartoon frog named Kelso. He is present in every K-3 lesson, but not in the lessons for grades 4-5, which I appreciate. He demonstrates all of the strategies that students can choose to solve a small (not big) problem. In grades 2-3, there is a wheel with all of the available choices and I absolutely love that visual. There are nine choices and lessons to introduce each one, along with a story from Willow Pond to help students role-play and solve these small problems for the animal characters. While there are nine choices, the program is very explicit that a student should try two and then get an adult if the conflict persists. There is an entire lesson at the beginning about small and big problems to help students differentiate what needs immediate adult intervention versus something they can work together to solve. The program also emphasizes that students are strong enough and smart enough to solve these small problems-- I love how much it is repeated throughout the teacher guide. Large posters accompany the product and I appreciated the ongoing visual. They cover each of the nine choices: Go to another game Talk it out Share and take turns Ignore it Walk away Tell them to (please) stop Apologize Make a deal Wait and cool off As you can see, these are common strategies that many of the students have used before, often in combination with each other. What I was grateful for was the common, explicit instruction around all nine of these to create a system in the classroom, on the playground, in the lunchroom, and beyond. Plus, the explicit instruction can do a world of good for our students who struggle with these choices and social skills. Working together as a class on each of these in a systematic way can let every single student be "in it together" and have a common language and framework to use as a group. Program Materials Included in the Conflict Management set was everything you could ever need to launch this with your classroom. There is a very comprehensive Leader Guide filled with grade-specific lessons, extensions, reproducibles, parent and staff letters, and stories. Lessons are in-depth, but quick, and encourage you to engage in some meaningful conversations with your students. Take a peek at the Table of Contents HERE. A CD helps with making copies for your classroom. Two frog puppets are also included: Kelso and Lily. Since I teach third grade, I offer these up as an option, but not as a requirement. My daughter is in second grade, and she is still loving any and all activities with a puppet, so I'm glad they were included for the K-3 group. Additional cut-out characters can help bring the stories and role-plays to life. There are also some great lessons provided to help use the puppets with your class. Inside the Leader's Guide are the Willow Pond stories, but they are also compiled in a full-color book that would be perfect for your classroom library. The font is large and these stories could even be used as a shared reading opportunity. The provided DVD has an animated Kelso reviewing all of the choices and how they can be used in students' lives. And, most importantly, there are huge posters to display in your classroom, hallway, lunchroom, etc. You can see the difference between the K-3 version and the 4-5 version above. There are five of each and they are BIG at 24x36"! If you are teaching grades 4-5, the authors knew that Kelso the frog would not be as big of a hit with the older grades, and the lessons are adjusted accordingly. There are photos of real kids and much more in-depth scenarios and questions. Even "Share and take turns" has been removed and choices are divided up into verbal and nonverbal. It's a nice jump and will keep kids engaged even if they've been learning these choices since Kindergarten. One of the components to this program that I really love is the inclusion of every staff member and family member in the program. They realize that a lot of these small conflicts arise outside of a structured classroom environment, and this program is designed to work for just those scenarios. Included are reproducibles that the on-duty adult can use to support and/or congratulate those students who used the choices to solve a conflict. There are letters and activities for students to take home to help educate the parents and certificates of achievement for every student as they complete the program. There's even a song they can learn and maybe even sing schoolwide? The authors, Barbara Clark, PhD and Diane Hipp, CPS not only knew what they were doing when it came to conflict resolution, they knew how to implement it into a schoolwide system and make it doable for teachers and staff. There is no extra fluff to dig through, nor are there scripted lessons that kill meaningful learning. The lessons are packed with goodness and could easily give students new experiences with these choices for their entire elementary experience. Overall Thoughts I really like Kelso's Choice Conflict Management program and could see it becoming a part of a successful school's character education collection. It is practical, simple in its use but effective in its strategies, and is a one-stop-shop for an entire elementary school. I can imagine School Counselors loving this program as a way to help give all kids common language and skills about solving small problems in an empowering way. There are plenty of activities to keep this a yearlong and elementary career-long program for students. Especially with its extensions into 4th and 5th grade, I can see how kids of all ages can use these simple, but powerful choices to solve their ever-changing conflicts. With every adult in their daily sphere reiterating these choices, it gives students a solid framework to address small conflicts and feel empowered instead of frustrated. Find more information at: https://kelsoschoice.com. There are free downloads and loads of extra information for you to peruse. There is also information about a 30-day Free Trial, if you think you would like to experiment before you make the schoolwide decision. Have you used Kelso's Choice in your school? I would love to hear about your experiences with it in a schoolwide system!
4 Downloadable Resources to Help You Meet the Needs of ALL Students Differentiation % %
A few years ago, our school implemented "voice levels" as a way to help at assemblies, in hallways, and within our classrooms. This has really helped with consistency across the grade levels and made the first few weeks of school even easier when introducing these concepts. In our school, if a teacher needs to get students' attention, he/she will hold up our hand in the shape of a zero. If kids are working in small groups and are getting a little noisy, I would hold up two fingers to remind them it was "Voice Level 2". When we create presentation rubrics, we always include "Voice Level 3" as an area to focus on. In the beginning of the year, when we are making our Daily 5 Anchor Charts around expectations, Voice Levels 0, 1, and 2 always make an appearance. I have loved thinking of Voice Level 1 (whisper) as "Spy Talk"! In the past, I have used the fingers-on-the-voicebox trick~ if it vibrates, it's not Voice Level 1~ but the idea of talking like a spy is soooooo much more fun! This year, I ask my Teacher's Assistant to help be my Voice Level Monitor. If they feel it is getting too noisy, they will assist me in showing the appropriate voice level with our finger(s). Here is the file for the poster (I recently changed over my font, so it looks slightly different). **UPDATE: If you like this idea, you will love my new Voice Levels Management Pack available on TpT! Be sure to download the Preview to see everything that's included and read my updated post HERE for more info! Enjoy!
Via Kenneth Mikkelsen
In this Sun Tzu The Art of War for Managers summary, you'll get an overview of Sun Tzu's Art of War tailored to help business leaders.
Teaching elementary music? Learn all about classroom management strategies to control those fifth graders in the blog post!
Inside: How to develop an effective classroom management plan in your Spanish classroom, from Angie Torre. Help! I Need a better classroom management plan! How can I teach when students won’t stop talking? How can I use the target language 90-100% of the time? I can’t even use it 50% of the time because students
Try these Five Tips to Strengthen Your Classroom Discipline. Here is a list of 5 things you can do right now to tighten up your discipline.
The measure of intelligence is the ability to change. – Albert Einstein There is a great tendency by people to want to think in whole truths, to think for example that someone is intelligent …
I share these stories because I suspect you have also had moments you’re not proud of, stories you’ve never told anyone; I want you to know you’re not alone.
In order to make your body language a first impression booster, you want it to communicate 3 main things: openness, confidence, and interest.
My parents don’t know how to manage their strong emotions. Dealing with them is like riding a roller coaster; I never knew if they would get suddenly angry or yell. The topic of emotions and…
How to Make an Art History Mini-Golf Course Connections % %
If your child likes to color outside the lines, give them creative control over her next work of art with this cute and comical activity.
I so remember my first year as a new teacher! I wondered why I was even hired! (Did they not know that I didn't have a clue how to do ‘this teacher thing'?!) Yes, I had graduated with a degree, a teaching certificate, and had an idealistic philosophy of education (that had no basis in research […]
How to Talk to Kids About Their Art Relationship Building % %
Are your worksheets contributing to meaningful learning, or just keeping students busy?
I've been trying to teach my students to use appropriate voice levels during art. One of my schools uses the voice level terms school-wide. Another school has a few teachers who use it and I never hear it mentioned from teachers at my 3rd school. So...I made up a voice level chart for each of my schools to post in the Art Room and I'm going to work on students understanding what I mean when I ask for "voice level 0 - or voice-level 1...". You can get a digital file of this Poster Here
In order to make your body language a first impression booster, you want it to communicate 3 main things: openness, confidence, and interest.
This is a great small group lesson for anger management. It helps students understand what triggers their anger. It takes students through scaffolded activities that support their awareness of the types of events that make them angry and provide them with examples of those events to promote discussion. The activities use a weather metaphor to engage students. Perfect for 2nd and 3rd grade and with individual or small groups. Can be modified for the first and fourth grade. This product contains a facilitator guide, mini lesson, group activity, independent student activity, and exit slips. Included ✎ Facilitator Guide ✎ Storm Starter Poster (8.5x11) in Color, BW, and with blank areas to fill in. ✎ 48 Storm Starter Example Cards ✎ Storm Starter Histogram ✎ Storm Starter Craft ✎ Storm Starter Worksheet ✎ Exit Slips *********** ⇒ Click Links for Related Products ⇐ What Makes You Storm Counseling Game Coping Captain Workbook to Help Kids Practice Coping Skills I’m in Charge of My Anger A CBT Counseling Game *********** Customer Tips: EARN TPT CREDITS TOWARDS FUTURE PURCHASES Click to go to My purchases (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: Look for the GREEN STAR next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. TPT Store: Social Emotional Workshop Twitter: Social Emotional Workshop Pinterest: Social Emotional Workshop Blog: Social Emotional Workshop © 2017 Social Emotional Workshop
Do you use rubrics for self-assessment with your students? I developed this rubric based on others I had seen online. I wanted to get my students thinking more about their artwork and writi…
Square and Square Root Table Numbers 1 Through 30...
Three Exit Slips Assessment Design % %
The following is an exploration of Adam Grant’s ‘Originals’ and the key takeaways for building organisational creativity as a business leader. How does the Fortune 100 continue to be innovative ? How…
Photo Source: busyteacher.org Attempting to regain control of your classroom after the winter break? We found this poster over at BusyTeacher.org and thought it offered a great reminder of the various things you should do {and not do!}. The reminders are simple, but are designed to help you gain perspective and set about {or continue} managing your classroom in a positive and encouraging way! BusyTeacher.org offers this poster - and lots of other great resources - for FREE over at their website, so be sure to visit and pick up your own copy!
Pin on Case Management from psychotherapy treatment plan template, image source: pinterest.com
These 4th grade anchor charts reinforce concepts for reading, science, math, behavior management, environmentalism, and more!
Have you ever had a class that just tried your patience day after day? Have you ever felt like you could walk away from teaching forever tom...
Students are expected to come to every art class with a PENCIL & ERASER. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR ART PROGRAM Even though we do not have an art studio this claymation…
Crafting Creative Conversations to Build Leaders and Facilitate Change Organizations Partner with us to: Coach Leaders and Build Leadership Bring over two decades of hands-on experience to Build leaders and leadership through customized learning and coaching interventions. Facilitate Change and Capability Help teams clarify goals, identify barriers and develop actionable strategies through strategic/change workshops facilitated
Create a Syllabus That Your Students Will Actually Want to Read. Free Resource to download to help you create an Art Syllabus for your art students. Want to try your hand at a visual syllabus? We'll give you three helpful hints. This article will take 8 minutes to read.
A huge list of artists categorized by theme. More than 60 themes include landscape, portrait, death, STEAM, death, collage and more.
If you're teaching in an online classroom and need some class management tips, here are five strategies to help you. Also, hear from special guest Gene Hsu, a Chinese and American relations expert.
