Their "Own" Space

Learning space is shared space, space where students feel comfortable, where they feel ownership, where they feel valued, and where they feel respected.

As you look at the below examples, consider how students feel connected to your classroom space.  By increasing student ownership of the space, you send a clear message to students:  you are valued!  Thinking about last week's post "Analogous Learning," I feel the need to be explicit in my comparison:

Student ownership of the classroom space is a metaphor for the ownership of their learning.  

The library shelves invite students to know the Mark Twain and Truman books -- even when they aren't currently available!

Student "Shelf Leaders" are identified on sections throughout the library; their job is to straighten and clean the shelf, ensuring displays are full and inviting.

Students own the classroom beyond it's physical space through Google Classroom. 

Clearly identifiable learning objectives (targets) give students the chance to own their learning.  It's enhanced by their requirement to articulate (today's MAP word of the day) it in their own words.

Students visually represent their learning, determining the images that will help them build understanding.

Use bulletin boards to expand learning, encouraging students to take risks.

Recognize students!  Or, better yet, have students recognize each other.

Those are pens...on every single table!  What a great way to make the classroom feel like home and ensure that students have access to the necessary supplies.

That's student writing on the "Expectations" board.  By creating the rules, they are more likely to follow them.

The Colors of our Diverse World

We live in a state of constant change.  Changing technology.  Changing families. Changing beliefs. Changing demographics.  Changing culture.  Our world is changing - it's becoming increasingly more colorful - and it is our duty to embrace that change so that our diverse student populations feel honored for their lifestyles and beliefs.  Our Truman family is more homogeneous than most, so we must work that much harder to prepare students for living in a diverse and ever-changing society.  Start small with your own inclusive practices, such as those below...

1) When addressing parents, do you use inclusive language?  Instead of referencing moms and dads in your emails and communications, refer to them as parents/guardians.  This includes all family structures: single parents, same sex couples, grandparents, etc.

2)  When talking to students about their family, don't assume that they all live with mom/dad.  Recent data shows that only half of kids live in traditional families (and that includes stepparents!).  44 percent of children are raised by single parents, grandparents, and other family structures.  

3)  When talking about students with disabilities, don't define students with their "label."  Just yesterday, I heard a news reporter share that an "autistic boy" has been missing for 4 days.  I cringed, and thought, "No, he's a boy with Autism."  I don't want to be defined by my challenges, you don't want to be defined by yours, and our students deserve for us to see them as more.

4)  When creating a classroom project/assignment, do you ensure that every student will be able to access it?  Most of our students have Internet access at home, but not all, so consider how you explicitly give options for kids who don't.  Those options can't just be go to a friend's house.  There are students whose family preferences won't allow that.  We must give them a school-based solution.

5)  When designing a field trip or special event, can all kids participate?  Sometimes, it's as simple as ensuring that the provided meal doesn't have peanut products, but it could be so much more.  As we design conferences as a family friendly event and look to add food trucks, we must ensure that there are foods available for the diverse needs of our families, considering allergies and cultural and religious limitations.  It's not just about food -- it's thinking globally about your students.

6)  This year, Beth Hausner, our fabulous ELL teacher will be sending regular "tidbits" of information about our diverse populations.  Use this information to better understand your students.

But, we can do so much more than being inclusive...we can find opportunities for students to learn about those who are different.  And, different comes in many forms:  race, religion, beliefs, geography, gender, the list is infinite.

How do you connect students with the world beyond Truman, St. Louis, Missouri, USA?  Do you have authentic opportunities for students to connect with other kids in other parts of the world?  Do students have real chances to appreciate different experiences and perspectives?  Here are a few ideas...

1)  Skype with a class in another country.  There's a tool called Mystery Skype which allows students opportunities to learn through research, critical-thinking, geography, and listening and speaking skills.  education.skype.com/mysteryskype

2)  Writing is thinking!  Give kids time to write about people and places.  A great resource is shutterfly.com/classroom.  They can publish books!

3) As relevant, have dialogue about diversity.  You don't have to teach ELA or SS to have valuable opportunities to discuss humanity.  Flyertime is always an appropriate venue for these discussions, but I know it can be an intimidating topic...there are some great resources to help you in this process:  http://www.difficultdialoguesuaa.org/index.php/strategies_and_resources/by_technique; http://www.nameorg.org/resources.php; www.tolerance.org.

4)  Move beyond dialogue about diversity and into opportunities for equality.  "Equity Literacy for All" (Educational Leadership, March 2015) highlights that in math, students can calculate living wages, historical trends of poverty, etc.  By focusing on equalizing opportunities for kids, we move beyond understanding and into advocacy for our students.

5)  Learn and use the language of our students.  Ok, I admit that I often intermix my French, German, and Spanish, but I'd like to think that the effort I make matters to the students (as well as our esteemed modern language teachers) taking those classes.  Imagine if I took the same time to honor ELL students in the same way.  

Maybe most importantly, spend time reflecting and discussing your own personal beliefs, stereotypes, etc. with trusted colleagues and family/friends.  You've had experiences in your life that have colored your perceptions about diverse populations and the world.  To start connecting with kids more and helping them appreciate the differences in others, we must confront our own reality.

Oh the Possibilities....

Over the last week, I've stopped into a couple of Lindbergh U classes, and now my mind is racing with ideas, ideas that I would love to implement in my very own Flyertime (if only I had one....).  So in my dream world, here's what I'd do (only I'd need to see students each day to make it truly viable and exciting).

I would integrate 3 key things into a successful class:

1)  Growth Mindset (http://www.mindsetworks.com/free-resources/)

2)  7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens (you're getting the book)

3)  Genius Hour (http://www.geniushour.com/what-is-genius-hour/)

And here's why...

1)  These are character building activities - teaching kids to persevere and skills to successfully to do so.

2)  Connect to learning in both elementary and high school programming.  

• Did you know that LHS now has a weekly advisory?  - it's a lot like our Flyertime. 
• Did you know that our students come from elementary already knowing the 7 Habits?  - it's part of their Leader in Me program which builds leadership skills for all kids.

3)  Engage students in meaningful and relevant work for their age.  Middle school students are thirsty, thirsty to learn about themselves and create their identity.  This is the age when Flyertime activities should excite them!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - multi-age Flyertime is here to stay!  So, it's your job to have a growth mindset and create it into a powerful learning experience.  And, as I hear more and more feedback from parents and students, we are continuing to move in the right direction - you should feel proud of what you've accomplished in your class over the last few years!  

In the coming weeks, you'll receive a Google Calendar invite from Mike and me.  As you arrive to pick up your new TMS shirt and your 7 Habits book, we want to meet with you to discuss what's working in your Flyertime and how to support you for ongoing success.

28 and Counting....

In the last days of school, it's always tricky keeping kids engaging and having a clear purpose.  But, on the last day of school, we still see learning, whether it's piling 28 eight books atop a student-constructed bridge or applying our knowledge of core values in writing in yearbooks.  Check out how we "Fly Right" at TMS!

A Gallery Walk:  Students made bridges and evaluate whose will hold the most books

Still Stacking:  At last check, a student's bridge held 28 books - WOW!

And They're Down!

Signing Yearbooks - That's writing!

Evidence of Yesterday's Gallery Walk:  Students researched a historical topic and presented it to their classmates in a gallery walk.

Game Playing:  Getting kids thinking and developing language.

Learning About Our Classmates: 7th grade superlatives

Oh, The Things We Teach...

Sometimes, we just need to have a little fun and remember the important things, such as....

The 12 pt gluing system...

After all, you don't want a science notebook that's pages stick together.

If you give a 6th grader a marker...

They will have markers on their nose...

To not turn our box of markers into a bag of Skittles...

It only stays pretty because of that reminder...

Speed and agility...

It's not just for PE...

The Importance of Student Voice

Everyone wants to feel valued....everyone wants to feel like their thoughts and opinions matter...everyone wants a sense of control.  Eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen-year-olds are no different.  As you look at the examples below, reflect on how you include student voice in your classroom.

Students recommended this Spanish video where a student sings to their teacher, en espanol, about the need to go to the bathroom.  Hmm...maybe that's how students should request a restroom break in the future.

Students lead the warm down in PE - a little yoga anyone?

In Flight Crew, students design the activity by asking questions of their peers.

Students use their voice to collaborate with partners, explaining how they would do problems differently.

Students choose their partners and work together to develop a product of their choice, discussing both the content and process of learning.

Students provide feedback about their learning and set goals for the future.

He Who Holds the Pencil Does the Learning!

We have to be honest with ourselves:  "If schools truly want to engage students, they need to downgrade control and compliance--and upgrade technology."  Amy M. Azzam in her article "Motivated to Learn: a Conversation with Daniel Pink" in Educational Leadership reinforces my belief about student learning:  the more we control, the less students learn.  Our goal must be become great facilitator's of knowledge, providing structured learning opportunities where students say "ah-ha!" as they discover knowledge and skills that apply to the world outside of school.  And, when students feel they control their learning, they are more motivated to learn. BONUS!!!!

It's on a poster, so it must be true!

Here, the teacher is coaching students through their artwork, but they still control the writing instrument. She never take it.

Students control their learning by having conversations in Spanish, practicing their skills in an authentic manner.

In this Jeopardy game, every student is required to engage in math learning.  The students at the board can't earn points for their team unless their team shows that each member has completed the work as well.

The students are modeling the work of figurative language.

Readers are Thinkers - here a student "holds the pen" to write annotations in her reading.  This same student just finished reading aloud to her teacher who assessed her fluency and vocabulary -- the student controlled both learning demonstrations.

Students are having fun practicing their sewing on paper before they move on to more complex projects - teacher modeling just wouldn't be enough to build this skill...it takes student control.

Where Do We Go From Here?

We only have 3 precious years with them, and then, they are off....off to the land known as LHS to continue their learning journey.  And, learning definitely continues beyond the walls of TMS.  Check out what our former students are doing once they hit the high school.

More science experiments:  In the above photos, students are calculating distance and time by measuring the speed intervals of their "hovercraft."  That's physics, folks!

Stations!

Learn from great CT partnerships where both teachers have equal engagement --- this is evidenced by building shrines to those who are no longer with them (at least as a CT partner).  

Starting with the end in mind: as students participate in this class, they understand the ultimate learning goal.

Building connections between home and school.  Teachers listen, write, read, play, etc. outside of school too.

Building a community of learners:  this 9th grade warm-up includes ELA content as students learn about their classmates.  Check out that essential question too!

Including students in the development of classroom norms.

Practicing dialogue ---- in another language!  This is a game of clue where they try to solve the mystery.  Clever!

Practical technology - the countdown is on!

Writing happens....in another language.  Same skills, different language.