Repairing Culture

I had a tough day with my toughest class yesterday.  I feel a little guilty saying that they are a "tough" class, as the kids that I work with are truly amazing.  They are respectful, kind, and work relatively hard. Still, our job is never that easy.

The dynamics of this particular block just drives me crazy, and I don't do a very good job of hiding it.  Simply put, they know they drive me crazy, and that makes everything that much worse.  I struggle implementing changes, giving direct instruction, facilitating discussion, or doing just about anything.  

So, tomorrow I'm going about fixing my classroom culture.  The question is "how?"  

Step 1:  Apologize

Step 2:  Eliminate sarcasm and disrespect

Step 3: Feedback (google form)

Step 4: Discuss feedback

Step 5: Listen to all suggestion

Step 6: Make suggested changes

Let's see how it goes!

Equation, Graph, Table Displays

I just finished a display activity with my 7th graders, and I loved it.  I've used this activity in the past, but not with the success of this go around.  I stole this activity from my days in Oregon and thanks to Shannon McCaw for sharing this and many more activities.

The activity:

• Break up the class into groups of 2 or 3 people
• Distribute a card to each group - the card contains one of the following: graph, equation, table or story
• Students divide a poster into four section and create the other 3 missing parts, depending on what they receive

After the creation of the posters, I did a carousel activity wherein each person wrote a comment(s) on a sticky note complimenting or critiquing other groups work.  Some questions I had them consider:

     1)  Do all representations match or represent the same situation?

     2)  Are all variables defined?  In each section.  (No one had this done)

     3)  Is the presentation easy to read and understand?

     4)  Can you tell what the situation is looking at any given section           (graph, equation, table)

Then, I gave the students 10 minutes to adjust their displays based on the feedback they received.  Every group went back to their displays and changed something.  Most simply labeled their variables, but some groups made more significant adjustments.

The power of this activity is in the critiquing of others work.  Student were able to see how explicit they had to be in their representations, because what is obvious to one person is not to another.  Also, the students had a very difficult time creating a story to match their tables, graphs and equations.  Many groups left the story to the end, and then realized that their representations did match their story.  

This activity lends itself to learning on so many different levels.  I can't wait to do it again!

Learning2Asia

My first time attending a Learning2 conference and I was inspired, energized, and too be honest, a bit overwhelmed.  The theme of the conference was "disrupt" and we heard from people around the world whom are doing some impressive things to disrupt their lives, classrooms, and schools.  

With each new presentation, I felt a bit like a child being scolded for doing something wrong, or in this case, not doing enough right.  Everything was about how our system is broken, and we aren't doing enough to change it. I walked away with an action plan and some solid ideas, but mainly I walked away feeling like a loser.

Now that a few days have passed, I'm able to reflect on the conference with a little more objectivity.  Being back in my comfortable environment, where there's anything but disruption around me, I realize that not everything we do is broken.  Some of our students are thriving, and getting exactly what they need to be successful in the future.  However, it is clear that some are not.  It is my job to figure out how to reach all learners, how to inspires, how to prepare students for jobs not yet created, how to collaborate with their peers, how to apply knowledge, how to create new things, how to identify and then solve problems.  In short it is my task, to educate the whole child for a beautifully complex and unpredictable future. A task, a job, a privilege that I approach with unabated enthusiasm.  

Here's to a controlled disruption, where everyone can be successful!