Book Study: Teach Like a Champion

Do Now

I typically use math problems as my Do Now to help prepare students for standardized tests. I try to incorporate my subject area as much as possible into the Do Now, but I find this hard at times.

We have been using the Do Now questions for a while. I like when I can incorporate it into my lesson more, but sometimes I just have them do a math question like they would see on a standardized test.

I like to use this technique to review the last lesson or as a preview for current day's lesson. This is a good technique to not only prepare them for standardized tests, but to see if the class is catching on to the topics we have discussed in class. This technique is easier to do with my health class than with my P.E. classes.

Do Now's have been done since the first few weeks of the school year. I take concept they will run into on the MEAP, and alter it to music.

I do mostly math problems for my do now. I do not always have the students writing on paper becasue we are on computers. Instead, I like to use logic problems that we can sovle together without the use of paper and pencil. I will usually do one or 2, then when I feel like everyone is on the same page I will cold call a couple more.

Tight Transitions

Transistions run pretty smoothly in my class because I have a routine for passing out/cleaning up materials and from moving from teaching mode to "practice" mode. I established this routine my first couple weeks at Trillium and it seems to be working well.

I could use better transitions. Most of my younger classes are pretty good at transitions between reading time and returning to seats for work time, but at times it seems to be a disaster. Kids will argue over seats, run into each other. Sometimes they act like it is the first time they are doing it.

I try to make it a game when transitioning in the gym. I may say "you have 10 seconds to find a partner and stand on the sideline." This motivates most students to quickly find a partner and get to where they are supposed to be. I have an entry routine, a warm up, activity, and cool down in my class every day. I have a transition between each part of my lesson. It is important to make sure I do not waste any time transitioning between each part.

I often choose 3 helpers to pass things out to get it done fast. When passing out musical instruments like rhythm sticks I pass one bucket one way then the other bucket the other way to keep that transition time fast. I feel entry to the classroom from their homerooms is a transition time that is crucial so I threshold and get class started with no idle time into our Do Now

I do this with the use of timers. If I am giving a certain amount of time for a warm up or for an activity, I display a llarge time that has an alarm when it is finished. Students know to stope what they are doing when the alarm goes off because I expect their hands off of the computers, and eyes on me within 5 seconds of the alarm going off.

Binder Control

For my younger students, there are folders for each table. For my older students they have portfolios and sketchbooks (I love my book binder).

I don't have notebooks or folders for my classroom so this technique really doesn't apply to me. I do use a folder system to ensure work gets back to the classroom by giving the folder of work directly to the teacher, but I don't believe this is what the technique technically means.

I do something similar to this for my health class. Each student has a health notebook. This notebook is used for note taking and for keeping track of their homework. At the end of class I collect all notebooks with their home work included. This is not as organized as a binder. But, it is a very similar technique. I will try the Binder Control technique in the future because I see how it is more organized and beneficial for the students and I.

I give all my students a music folder to keep music and various charts in. Example, my 4th grade plays recorder so they have to pass the playing test for songs in order to move on to the next song. I gave them a chart to keep in their folder. If they lose it they have to start ALL over. This is teaching them to be not only organized but responsible.

I use my google docs and computer folders to organize materials. Things that the students need to reference are put on my website, and students know how to get to them.

On Your Mark

My biggest issue with getting kids ready to start class is that students often need a pencil and because I see so many students throughout the day, if there are pencils readily available, they often are not sharpened. I really hate pencil sharpeners. I need to find a good reliable one.

With the older kids, I tend to tell them to pick up paper and/or a pencil if they need one during threshold. This way valuable class time is not wasted on getting materials together. I have found this process difficult with the younger kids though because they spend too much time trying to find the sharpest pencil rather than getting their materials and going.

My upper elementary students need to bring their shoes or they will sit out during activities that involve running. My middle school and high school students need to wear proper clothes and shoes. These students have 5 minutes to change before class and 5 minutes to change after class. Students that do not dress must sit out and they lose their points for that day.

At the threshold I explain expectations as they are lined up outside the music room. When we shake hands they are responsible for following the rules and expctations upon entering the room so the lesson can begin right after the Do Now

This is difficult for me because students don't usually bring materials to specials classes. I had a largesupply of pencils at the beginning of the year which are all gone now. This is something I need to work on for next year.

Seat Signals

I have the same issue with the bathroom requests with the young students as listed below. I typically let them go if I am done with instructions. I have noticed that certain classes definitely use the signals all of the time.

Bathroom requests are very distracting in my classroom, especially with the younger ones. When one kid raises their hand for the bathroom, its like a waterfall effect, everyone wants to go next. I typically allow students to use the bathroom after I have presented my lesson, doing this helps keep the distractions to the minimum. When they request to use the bathroom, they hold up their pointer finger. This way I know if they are asking to go to the bathroom, or if they have a question about the assignment.

I have never used this technique before and I am looking forward to using it, especially with the lower elementary students. I like the idea of holding up the pointer finger if they have to go to the bathroom and holding up their hand if they have a question about the lesson. After our warm up, I allow students to get a drink. This helps with students asking to get drinks all throughout class.

I do not allow bathroom requests in my class and my students are very aware that they have to wait until the 60 minutes are up. They do know that they can explain it is an emergency situation by telling me once I am done instructing the class. This is seldom that emergencies happen because the students are learning that I know when they are not real emergencies. I do nonverbal hand motions when it is not the right time to raise the hand and I do eye contacts to communicate. Non verbal communication is very easy for me from being a musician!

I have a card system for questions in my classroom. Each computer has a pocket on the back of it, and a pocket inside with a yellow and a red card in it. If they are stuck on something or have a question, they put their yellow card in the pocket to signal that they need my help. If their computer dies or freezes they put a red card up to show that they need my help first. This has improved my classroom management over last year by a HUGE amount. No longer do students have to stop working to raise their hand and wait for me. It also allows me to prioritize which students get my attention first.

Props

I am getting better with this, sometimes I give paws or do clip ups, but at times I feel like students don't appreciate the props if they are just verbal.

I try to give every student of every class a positive comment every time I see them. But, I do not apply props to my class very much. I get the entire class involved in praising when a student demonstrates a skill or if a student shows great sportsmanship in class. I can use it when students answer a question correctly. I will use this technique more in the future.

I try to give positive comments to students who try in my class. I am always encouraging students to try and that doesn't matter if they are wrong because that is a part of learning. I am getting better at using the clip chart and giving out golden paws. At times I do find this difficult because I am trying to correct negative behavior. I really like the "two snaps, two stomps" that the class would do as a whole to encourage students who were correct. I plan on incorporating this into my class.

I will never leave a student who deserves a compliment or praise. I always have the class give a good clap of applause to students who get things right. Even if they tried their hardest I still have the class clap and tell them to applaud them for giving it their best. My students learn to aim highest.

I do this verbally when students get a right answer or do something warenting props. I'm still working on involving hte rest of the students in my props system.

100%

Harder to acheive in some classes than others. It seems easier during work time than during teaching time for me. It seems that someone is always off in left field. I like quick direct interventions. I am also very polite saying please and thank you. It sets a good example for the students.

It is nice when I can just look at a student and they quickly get back on task. Some students and classes are more challenging than others. When using SLANT, I will wait for 100% of the class to be following directions. I use gestures, eye contact, positive group reminders on what they should be doing, anonymous individual correction and private correction to reach 100%.

I also agree that 100% percent is more difficult in some classes than others. I feel that I have gotten better at waiting and showing that it is an expected expectation compared to the beginning of the year. I am often using wait time, making eye contact with students, point out students who are on task and those that are not. I also model SLANT to show what is expected. My goal is to have all classes at 100% by the end of the year.

100% is quite difficult but I agree it is essentional. In Music class, students who are struggling are choosing to not listen or focus, and they are not asking the right questions. When I am giving them activities to do those students say they don't even want to be in music and they just make the choice to not pay attention. I constantly think of various ways to achieve this 100%, it is tough! But champions find a way!!

I agree with the others that this is difficult to maintain all of the time. Some classes can do it better than others, though. I think I am lucky in that our students are so entrenched in technology all the time, and I get to teach them somehting thaty they want to and need to learn anyway. I think this helps me maintain 100%

What to Do

I catch myself sometimes when I am not specific and end up breaking down the direction as stated in this section.

I use this technique when explaining and demonstrating how to perform a skill. When the class is practicing, I will give positive corrective feedback using this technique. I too at times find myself giving directions and not being specific enough. This causes me to break down the direction so that the student fully understands. I could use some work with this technique.

I am constantly breaking things down into specifics when teaching because especially with Chinese, creating the symbols can be difficult if they are not broken down step by step. Students always tell me they "can't" create the symbol but, then when I do it step by step with them on the board they look at their paper in amazement that they created something they thought was so difficult at first. I feel like I do struggle on the classroom management side of this though. I often find myself telling students to pay attention or to stop something but, I don't explain what is expected of them. This is something I anticipate to incorporate into my classroom.

In music, we are sitting in a circle of chairs to concentrate on each other's attention. I no longer have to tell them to pay attention, they know other students are watching them from all angles now. When I am explaining music, we break it down into simple mathematics and that turns on a bunch of light bulbs.

I do this a lot. When my timers go off I say the same thing each time, "Hands off the computers and eyes on me in 5, 4..." This conssitant prompt helps because students know what to expect, and they have plenty of practice complying.

Strong Voice

I don't think I have "it". I just never felt that I had that teacher presence. I seem to get there with a class, but I have to work to get there. I also think with the little ones that their classroom teacher is much more effective in this way.

I have grown a great deal this year with the strong voice technique. I now have much better command and control of class than when I first started. I do not talk over anyone students when their talking. Instead, I will wait for them to show me SLANT before I begin teaching. Do Not Talk over is one of the Strong Voice principals that have helped with my command.

I feel like I have grown as well a lot in this area since I first started but, I am not quite at "Strong Voice" yet. I feel like I struggle at the economy of language. I tend to keep going instead of making the point short and clear. Do not talk over I use often in my class. At the beginning of my lesson or during the lesson if students are talking or are getting out of hand I will stop talking and stand and wait in the SLANT position until all students are refocused and voices are off. Do not engage I also use often. At the beginning of the year if the student kept talking I would keep going with himor her but, I found that this quickly made things escalate and took too much of my teaching time. Now I stick to the point I have made and don't allow the student to think they have control of the situation. For square up or stand still, I often stand in SLANT while wating for students to refocus. Last, I am finding that quiet power works wonders in my room. Before I would raise my voice if students were getting out of control. Now instead of sit and wait for them to realize that I am not going to cave and I am in control before moving on.

I feel I have "it". I use the fewer words are stronger method. I stop talking when I am being talked over. I remember one of my professors in college said "You have an advatage over everyone in this class right now. You can just stare at someone and make them so scared to even say a word". I have been using "the look" to my advantage and it seems to work so well when I am waiting for attention.

Four years of competitive public speaking has helped me with this technique. I have a very powerful voice, and I can project without sounding like I'm yelling. This allows me to be heard during work time when it can get a little chatty if I quickly need evceryone's attention.

Do It Again

I see this all of the time with classroom teachers and some of my neighbors. I have used it on occasion, but should probably make it more regular.

I constantly use this technique when students are learning and practicing new skills. I explain how practice helps us improve. I assist and encourage those that have a difficult time. I always remind them of perseverance and the more they "Do It Again", the more they will improve. When there is a poor transition in class, I will have the class transition again and do it better.

I do this often when I am lining up students to leave. If there are students talking or if students are playing around in line I have all students sit back down and then try it again. Then when students have correctly lined up I make sure to point out that this is the correct way to line up (facing forward, voices off, standing in SLANT, etc.). This shows that students what my expectation is of them and models group accountability versus individual accountablility.

In music there are always times when we don't get it right. Maybe it is writing music the wrong way or reading music the wrong way. As a music teacher, it is our job to rehearse these mistakes every single time. So this technique is natural to me.

I do this all the time, especially for transitions. I have my expectations clearly laid out for end of class procedures, and I will often have students line up, sit back down and try it again, rinse, repeat until they get it right.

I always start the year with good intentions, but quickly discover that some of my ideas that seem great, do not actually work as well. I have to decide if it is worth it to sweat some of those details.

Sweat the Details

This technique focuses on preparation and having systems in place to make reaching goals much easier. I want students to practice skills, so I am constantly circulating the room making sure they stay on task. I want students to have their own personal space while warming up, so I gave each student a spot on the floor.

I feel like I do a pretty good job at this. I have routines for everything, from handing in work, to sharpening pencils and getting supplies. This makes the overall class enviornment flow well. I am constantly circulating the room while students are working on assignments to give positive reinforcement are correct errors if there are any. I also do a uniform check as students are entering and exiting the classroom to ensure the students are following dress code.

I am very organized and as a musician it is essential to be very organized. This comes from being detailed. I sweat the details about everything in my classroom. Being on time and well organized is the only kind of musician that makes a paycheck!!

I start out the year with tape on my floor to show where we line up. I have numbers on my computers, and had numbers on each desk spot for computer organization. I expect students who put their computers away to pay attention to the numbers and make sure they put it away correctly, and plugged in.

No Warnings

I use this to try to catch the volume with some classes before it gets too bad. I try to interrupt and get voice levels back down before it escalates.

The goal is to take action rather than get angry and sometimes that is easier said than done. I feel I do a good job to act early, act reliably, and act proportionately. I issue consequences by being much calmer, poised, and impersonal than I have before. I am incremental with my consequences. Depending on the situation, I am either private or public when issuing consequences.

I am working on this. I am finding that being direct and calm and giving students consequences is more effective than yelling at them and letting things get out of hand.

My "Slantball" game covers this well. I walk to the scoreboard when they need to be warned and give the "visitor team" a point so they know they have been warned as a class. If it is indivudual then they clip down right away for their warning. To keep things going smooth I will go clip their clip down and then on my way back I will whisper "That is your clip" to the student and continue with my lesson as nothing happened.

With the management systems I have put in place this year, and with the TLAC techniques, I feel like I hit this technique pretty well. Students know my expectations, and when they do not follow them, it's usually the other students who end up reminding people, and I don't have to.

Positive Framing

OK, now I just have to remember some of these things in the moment. I have to make some of these habits.

I feel like I am pretty good at this. A lot of the strategies I read about I already am currently using in my classroom. I have found that kids especially like challenge. If I put them in teams against each other they really get into it and are eager to learn.

I am always doing my all to use these sayings. I like to let them figure it out themself then to think I am calling out an individual student. Then when I see they realized it is them and they do the right thing, I will make eye contact and smile with a nod to show them my appreciation. They understand the "looking out" and give a smile back!

I use positive framing as much as possible. It creates a positive learning environment where students feel more comfortable. I am good at positive framing.

I feel like I use this technique a lot. I do not call out individuals for behaviors, but remind the class as a whole, and point out obervations of areas of improvements by framing it as "some people..." rather than "this person"

Precise Praise

I was surprised about the comment that praise for doing what is expected can be destructive. I would think that students would always like to receive praise.

I agree. I thought all praise was positive reassurance for students. I never imagined that praise could be taken negatively. I now understand this.

Along with my collegues, I have a better understanding of the praise differences. Good stuff!

I am a praise machine. Although, I am guilty of praising students for doing what is expected. When I praise I try to make it as genuine and as specific as possible. Everyone needs praise for their great efforts and accomplishments.

Positive reinforcement is so important in our fields. I agree with the comment that doing what is expected should not receive praise. However, if it is a student that often gets in trouble and rarely follows rules, I do make a point to praise that child when they are following directions and making good choices.

Warm/Strict

This just makes sense. There is the occasional incident that really gets to me and I am not able to get over it immediately, but I try my best not to show it. Also, I am very good about saying things that correct way. I would not put down a student, only their behavior.

I feel like I am good at being warm and I am good at being strict but, I am still trying to tie those two things together to be a highly effective teacher. I look forward to trying these strategies in the classroom and hopefully balancing the two.

Along with this, I also like to point out how can they fix it next time.

I do a good job at this technique. I explain whyI am doing what I am doing, distinguish between behavior and people, and use warm nonverbal behavior such as getting down to their eye level.

I feel like I do this well. I maintain good relationships with my students, and I feel like they repect and like me, but they also know that they need to be showing respect and following directions or there will be consequences. When there are consequences, I make a point to have the studnet explain why they are receiving the consequence, and tell what behavior they need to work on.

Joy Factor

Some weeks seem easier than others. I think it depends on the lesson and what I have going on in my life, if I am able to find the Joy Factor or not. I do think that I have laughed more this year than any other. :)

I really believe in the technique Joy Factor. If students are having fun and are excited about learning a lot more effective learning occurs. I often use games when reviewing materials for a test and students really get into it. I find that they remember the info a lot better as well. I also use song often in my classroom. I taught the first graders in September the days of the week song and I still hear them singing it. I don't really use too much humor in the classroom because I feel like when I do the class tends to get side tracked. I would like to incorporate suspense and suprise into the classroom.

There are so many nice inside jokes that I have for almost all 18 classes I see. I tell the students we are a Trillium Family. I care for them and I will be there for them always, but I tell them I need them to do the same back. That is how families work!

This technique is happening every day in the gym. Students are always having fun. We are always playing games. I try to have a connection with each individual student by talking to them, saying their name, thresholding, complimenting them, and by giving positive corrective feedback during games. We often dance to music or sing a song. I try to tell jokes, but half the time the jokes are not very good. The students still laugh most of the time. I will surprise them with an award of some sort at times.

I like to be silly with my classes. We play games, make up songs, and share our digital stories with each other. I have nicknames for some students,a nd joke around with them, too. I think that if students want to come to my class, they will be more prepared to learn when they are here, and the way to do that is to be silly like them sometimes.

Emotional Consistancy

I am definitely guilty here. It is not a regular occurrence, but I can think of a few instances where I have gone wrong.

Got it--taking personal emotions out of the equation and focusing on what the kids did or didn't do. I too can sometimes get my own feelings wrapped up in a situation but, I am working on taking a step back and focusing on the issue at hand instead of putting my personal feelings into it.

I know personal feelings happen to use all. I am better at telling myself "Paws" before reacting and then telling them how to be better. I make it clear that respect is most important, and that we are all here to win the same game on the same team

I have had a few moments of allowing my personal emotions interfere instead of focusing on students expectations. I am improving with this technique.

I do this a lot. If I have to reprimand a behavior that is reoccuring I always say things like "I know you are smarter than that, and I hope you will make a better choice next time" This shows that I have confidence in them, and I am setting my expectations high.

Explain Everything

I understand this but it makes me think of a few students that always question the reason behind what you are doing even if you do explain everything.

This technique prepares students to be adults by helping them understand there is a rational behind every decision that is made in the classroom. This is important because it helps answer the "but, why?" questions.

I love explaining the why parts just to help the students make the full connection from music to everything else in life.

This technique is essential to students understanding why things matter and how one action affects another. This can help students understand rules and expectations of the classroom.

I try to explain everything we do in my class, and the reasons why it is important to know. I also end each lesson before they begin their work with "does anyone have any questions?" I like when they ask me why we are doing something, because I feel like when it comes to technology they are absolutlely getting real world skills that they will use constantly throughout their lives.

Normalize Error

I guess part of the reason that I like teaching art is because there is usually not just one right answer. With the do now questions, I feel bad when students get it wrong. I just don't want them to be embarrassed.

Understanding that getting answers wrong is a part of the learning process. It is essential to stress this is ok and to continue to work to find the right answers. I often tell students that languages other than Spanish I am learning right along with them and when I prepare myself to teach I sometimes may get something wrong. But, the important part is I correct the issue to the get it right and thats what I remember.

I feel I say this in every class everyday. Mistakes happen. Its ok to make mistakes but learn from them to better yourself. In music if there were no mistakes, rehearsals would not be needed. Lil' Wayne would not have to rehearse. He makes mistakes! My class loves when I include their favorite musicians when talking about mistakes. They can know people who make mistakes are still successful from how they proceed after the error.

In the gym, students can get discouraged when they are struggling to perform a skill. I make sure that every student knows it is okay to make a mistake. Making mistakes is apart of the learning process. Professionals make mistakes all the time and even they try to improve their skills by practicing.

I feel like I show this technique all the time. I do have high expectations of my students, and sometimes I introduce projects that are quite difficult. I make sure to tell them that it's about the process, and that I don't expect perfect or 100% complete work given the time we have to do it, but that they try their best. I also frequently point out when I make mistakes, because I think it's important to see that everyone makes mistakes and it's how we learn.

Change The Pace

I understand changing activities, but 10 minutes is a pretty short time. Projects go on for much longer than that, especially if they are doing a good job. There are always the ones that finish in 10 minutes. That is what free draw paper and color sheets are for.

I have found that when I incorporate multiple activities into a lesson that students are more intriqued and interested but I feel like 10 minutes is not enough time to spend on one activity. I guess it depends on what grade level you are are working with.

Having students for 60 minutes once a week makes it impossible to change the pace every 10 mins for us. I do however change the pace towards the last 30 mins after I successfully executed my lesson. I can see when they have "checked out"

I use this technique every day. I use quick transitions in-between each activity. I start with a quick verbal do now followed by a 10 to 15 minute warm up activity. I will then get into the lesson or main activity of the class. I finish the class with a cool down which is when I will ask questions to review the lesson. Finally, I will line the students up using an Exit Ticket.

I usually have 10-20 minute sections of my classes. We'll do a 10 minute do now,followed by a 10 minute warm up, my lesson will be 10-15 minutes, and the rest of the time will be practice, which I try ot make short enough to finish in 15 minutes so student have some extra time to play a game or practice typing.

Brighten Lines

I feel like I start off well, but I could probably work on finishing up the lesson. I have a hard time getting everyone finished up and ready to wrap up and move on.

I believe that I do pretty good at transitioning and putting a time limit on activities and sticking to it. I think that there is always room for improvement though. I like the idea of snapping or stomping as a class to show we are moving on.

Students come in, do the Do Now, then we go into the lesson. At the end of the hour I refresh and do some cold calls on what we learned. I keep the lines bright

I would have to say that I brighten the lines very well. I will start an activity by saying "go" and finish an activity by saying, show me SLANT in 5, 4, 3, 2, ,1. I will inform the students that when I say go, I would like you to try and hit the balloon 10 times in the air without it touching the ground.

I feel like I have room for improvvement here. I have very clean transitions between activities, but I don't know if they are "bright".

All Hands

I try to get as many students involved as possible. I like when the book talked about upbeat phrases to stop a student that is off track and remind the class of the question or to divert to another student. We all need this especially with the little ones that distracted.

I use this strategy often in my classroom. I try to get students involved as much as possible. During reading I often do "popcorn" so students are following right along, and if they do not know where we are they clip down. Also, during teaching time I always state no questions unless it has to do with what I am talking about, which helps stop unwanted interuptions(i.e. bathroom, water requests).

I tend to get the same kids to answer questions. When I notice this, I will not call on anyone til I see new hands. I talk to them in an energetic voice saying "come on I now more people know....New hands now"

Using this technique with cold call is a great way to get transition quickly and involve many different students. This technique will help me manage the off task questions or comments that always arise with the lower elementary students. No hands right now will be a phrase I will use to help stop the off task comments or questions.

I use this technique with cold calls in my class. If I feel like not enough people are participating, I will tell the studnet s that I will be cold calling for answers. When I do this, I make sure to give a little extra thinking time before calling students.

Every Minute Matters

I feel like every minute matters but maybe in a little different way in my room. I think there is a little more exploration time in my room.

I believe in the concept every minute matters but, I do at times give students a few minutes of free time towards the end of class. I do not do this often, only once and a while when I feel a class has really earned it. When this rare occasion is not occuring and I am waiting for a teacher to pick up their class I often ask students in line questions about the lesson of the day to help review.

As we line up at the end of the hour, I use it to survey the class asking what we learned. It helps keep the line quiet and we get that recap!

I will make sure I use every minute of class. During the last few minutes of class, I like to have my high school class think of something positive that happened to them that day or something they are looking forward to after school. I can review over the lesson or work on classroom management during the last few minutes of class.

I think my use of timers really helps me with this one. Students know that they have a certain amount of time, and I stick with it. I always leave room for questions, and I am constatnly walking around to help those in need and answer quesitons.

Look Forward

I do this to keep kids "with me". I talk about upcoming projects or how we will expand on what we are doing.

I do this often. I usually write an agenda on the board so students know where we are at and what is coming next. I also explain the activities we are going to achieve that day during the board objective explanantion.

I try very hard to keep my "next week's lesson plan" flowing from the class we just had. So I tell them what we will do next week and how this weeks lesson ties into that.

I like to let the students know what we will be doing the following week to get them to look forward. The board objectives allow the students to look forward to the lesson of the day.

I say things like "okay, this next part is really important, so make sure you are SLANTing." I also introduce skills and tell the students what kind of projects they will be working on later that will utilize the skill, which gets them more excited about doing it right.

Work the Clock

I should probably use this more. I use it when I do centers but could probably do this more during regular class work time.

I use this during SLANT. I count down from three, making note of students who are showing SLANT already.

I like to set a limit on questions to be asked so I will number 5 questions then close the question time and remind them we have to get our lesson done by this time. I remind students how much time was wasted and how much time we could have had to do a fun activity.

I use this every day and it works extremely well to transition students to the next task. I will acknowledge students more as I am counting down to give attention to students that meet or exceed expectations. I usually count down from five.

Again, I think taht because I use timers for everything in my class, I really do use my time well, and it has had a great effect on my classroom management.

One at a Time

I use this technique when emailing people. When you ask too many questions, you often don't get everything that you are looking for anyway.

I am guilty of doing this. I often ask multiple questions at one time and the point then becomes lost or unfocused. I know I need to slow down the questioning so the main question can be explored before moving onto the next one.

If I have a few questions I will break it down and focus on one at a time. This is common for me

I have asked multiple questions at once to a class. I have learned that students can easily get confused or not answer both questions I have asked. I really focus on asking one question at a time. If I ask two at a time, I am consciously aware of it and I will refocus the attention on one question.

Often students will raise their hands for a question and start with "I have 2 questions..etc" I always stop them after the first to fully answer it, and then allow them to confinue to answer the second question.

Simple to Complex

Makes sense. I am not sure if I do this or not, but I will definitely be paying more attention now.

I agree with it but, I think this concept is hard to apply in my class, at least with the language portion. With culture I can definitely start with simple then move to more complex questioning for students to see the big picture.

My last post flows into this. This is why I break my multiple questions down one at a time

This is exactly what I do when I create quizzes or Tests for my health class. I start off with simple knowledge questions, and finish with questions that are more complex such as analyzing or evaluating questions.

I think this is important to check progress before moving on to more complex details. If students understand a simple thing, I'll make the next question more complex, and continue until I stump them. I love the lightbulgs that go off when a previously perplexing problem suddenly becomes clear.

Verbatim (No Bait and Switch)

I have heard the bait and switch alot in my own education. I may occasionally do that, but will try to remember verbatim.

I tend to do this. I didn't realize it would be hurting the students more than helping them. I looked at it as rephrasing the question so more students would understand it and then raise their hand. I will now keep this in consideration when quetioning students.

I like to ask the question more than once in a row before getting a answer just so they hear it Verbatim

I'm sure I have done this before, but I do not recall ever doing it. It definitely makes sense to make sure you ask the same question to the student and not pull a bait and switch technique.

I too sometimes repeat the question in a different way so more studetns would get what they were asking. I will have to work on the verbatim technique.

Clear and Concise

I like to write them in advance when it is something important. That way, I feel like I am catching those that listen and those that pay attention to what is on the board.

I often write down questions and potential answers to questions students may have in my lessons. I also add ones that I was not prepared for after teaching it for future years.

I do this one a lot. I was glad to see something I already do be in a champion style book!

I like to pre-write questions that I will be asking. I think it makes my lessons more clear than off the cuff teaching.

I have caught myself asking bad questions in the past. Now, I follow the questions that I have typed up on my lessons. This helps my questions become more clear and concise.

Stock Questions

I use the same "stock" questions when describing, analyzing and judging artwork with students. I do more of this with the older students.

I often do this for rules in languages. Asking and drilling these questions helps students remember easier.

I like to ask this around the room. See who was not paying attention and who gives a more in depth response

I do this a lot, especially with Do Now questions, We will do several versions os the same problem. I also do this when talking about things like finding search terms for a search engine. i think it's important to practice one skill over and over to reinforce it, so that the next skill that gets built on will be easie.

I use this technique when we are learning a new skill and with Do Nows. When we learn new skills I will ask many questions on how to perform the skill and why the skill is important in a certain game.

Hit Rate

I have found myself in this situation where I am asking below their level. I just needed to expand a bit, think bigger.

Since these languages are new to most students I find that I never hit the 100 percent hit rate. I do feel like I do need to focus on asking higher level thinking questions in my class.

I feel the simple questions I ask early in the lesson fall below 2/3 because it is brand new to them. By the end of the lesson I am closer to 2/3 but not 100% at the end. Some of these easy concepts of music still are very difficult for some students. I want my team to be power hitters though so I am not going to quit on them

I feel like I do this well. I always have some kids who are very advance, and some who are behind. I think that this has a lot to do with computer use at home, too.

I try and read the class to see what questions they are ready for. I will start off with easy questions and progress to more challenging ones. I would say my hit rate is around 80%

Pigott

P'Simer

Parks

Kosman

Threshold

I was definitely skeptical of threshold at the beginning of the year. I have found that it is a great way to start classes. It helps me to be a little more centered and "with" the class that is in my room. I am also impressed by some of the great handshakes. Whenever I compliment a student, they often tell me that their dad taught them about handshakes.

I was a little nervous about this technique at first. I thought I would lose time setting up between classes. However, it works really well, and actually saves me time in the long run. I am able to greet each child as they come in, and they are coming in more quietly and getting started right away with their do nows.

Threaholding is going good. I like the ability to check the negative behavior before entering the room. I have the chance to correct the situations or talk about them before they spiral out of control in the middle of class. Showing a welcoming attitude helps a great deal!

Threshold is working well in my room. Since I only see my students one hour a week this may be my only chance to look every student in the eye. It also gives me the chance to address any uniform issues. It is a great way to greet my students and begin my class.

Thresholding has been a great way for me to build a connection with the students. I like to use it to reinforce my classroom expectations and rules. I will continue to use threshold for all of my classes to continue building connections with students and to keep setting my expectations for the class.

SLANT

We have all been using slant for a while now. It is usually effective, but at times students need to be reminded what slant stands for. It does not mean simply fold your hands and continue to talk.

SLANT is working great in the gym with most of my classes. It is great for classroom management. I use it constantly with every class. I will ask the class what each letter stands for as a reminder and to make sure the class is slanting properly.

SLANT is a great attention getter in my classroom. I like that the whole school uses it so it doesn't matter which class is in my room, I can say it and they know what I expect from them. I often point out students who are showing great SLANT, this way students who are not slanting or paying attention remember what they need to do.

Slant is working well in the music room. I have a 3 second countdown for the students to prepare themselves for the 5 parts that are in SLANT. It works better for me to get the most Slanting out of them by giving the 3 second countdown. Not every situation will have a 3 second countdown but when the students are active in the classroom the countdown does help. When I am speaking and few students are not slanting, the countdown will not be appropriate in that situation.

Hmm, I thought I did this one already, but I guess I'll do it again. SLANT workis very well in my classroom. I especially like that it is a system that is being used school wide. This makes things much easier since we see them once per week, and having seperate behavior systems for each class is confusing for the studetns.

Right is right

This contradicts alot of what is taught it art. Usually, there is not just one answer in my class. I can however apply it to concepts in my room and do now questions.

I have to admit that I am guilty of telling students they are right when they have not answered the entire question, then adding a detail to make them completely right. Right is right makes sense because it enforces the high expectations we have of our students.

I have as well been that teacher who will tell the students they are right even if they are just partially right, and then extend their answer. I like right is right because its showing our students that we expect the best from them and partially answered questions is not going to be accepted anymore. I try daily to remind myself of this technique when I am teaching.

Right is right is about accepting answers that are 100% correct and not giving credit to answers that are partially correct. I need to hold out for the right answer and not accept anything less than 100%. Now that I know about the four categories (hold out for all the way, answer the question, right answer right time, and use technical vocabulary), I can be more aware of how I accept answers to my questions. This will start each day with the Do Now questions.

Its tough to tell a student they are wrong. I make great effort to tell a student good try or you are close and then move to another student for a fuller answer or the right anwer. If a student is very off with their answer, I will explain to them very quickly what they were thinking about or why that answer was not correct then ask the class to think of the right answer. It is important in class that the students know what is right and what is wrong. Accepting a wrong answer as the right answer will result in confusion of the right answer. I do not want my entire class to believe a wrong answer to be right.

No Opt out

I feel like alot of these concepts are especially helpful as we are doing the "do now" questions and I am put in some of these situations. I like the prompts given in this section.

I use this one all the time. If a student cannot answer a question I like to have them ask a friend around them to help first. Then the first child will answer aloud. I also like to repeat important questions that I just went over to have them recall the answer directly before completing whatever task it relates to.

I like this one. After reading about it I immediately tried it the next day. I feel like the students are paying more attention with this technique being used. They know that just because they didn't know the answer does not mean that they are done, they are listening to other students because they know I will be coming back to them as soon as the question is answered correctly. I am finding its working really good with learning new words as well.

This is a technique that I will start using more often. I want students to be engaged and to stay engaged in the lesson. If I ask a question and a student is unwilling to participate, then this technique will help the student to be more focused or engaged in the lesson. The student will eventually know the correct answer as well.

I find students answer the questions wrongly and then just give up and let other students answer correctly without trying to learn the correct answer. In my lessons I will pick out the most important concepts, definitions, rules and explain them and go around the room asking the same question rapidly and point at random students to recite the answer I had just told them. I will do this for quite a few minutes, most of the class will be called on. I will move on with more of my lesson and come back later to that same concept calling on students very rapidly. It keeps every studen engaged and it does not give any student the option to opt out.

Stretch it

I have been using this frequently in my room especially with the do now questions. If the question seems too easy for the students to answer, I will follow up with more questions. This also works if you accidentally put up the same do now question. :)

I also use this frequently in my classroom. It works really well for delving into more complex concepts in a way that they can keep up with.

I like this technique. It helps get the students to the higher level thinking that we want in the classroom.

I use this technique every time we go over a certain skill in a game. I will ask the students what the key words to perform a skill. Then, I will ask them to show me how to perform it and why the skill is important in the game we are learning.

With my do now's and my lessons in class I use this technique when students are answering questions. I like to know how they come up with their responses or answers. I ask my students how did you decide that or why did you choose that answer. When students cannot give me a reason I move on to another student until they can give me good reasoning behind their choice. After a while, the students started thinking more critical about their choices and its made learning in class better!

Format Matters

I think teachers do this automatically, especially when we are listing information on the board that is coming from students. We will just tweak what is being said. Last year I had a student comment "Why do teachers always do that?"

On computers, it's easy for the students to think they can get away with not using proper grammar and writing conventions. When students tell me they are done, I always go look at their work, and the first thing I tell them is to go back and edit to fix punctuation, grammar, and spelling errors.

This is an important concept to remember to stress. As teachers, it is our job to not just educate our students but to teach them how to become successful active citizens. Each time they answer a question orally or in writing it is important to stress to use proper grammar and complete sentences. The more and more we do this each day, the more natural it will eventually come for each student.

In this day and age, students are too familiar with text language and other slang. As teachers, we need to constantly make sure students use complete sentences verbally and in writing. Proper communication is an important skill that students need to continuously improve.

Teaching k-12 everyday I see a wide range of slang talk in the classroom. During threshold I get slang greetings which I correct on spot. In the classroom I tend to correct the student right away more than let students correct each other. Sometimes students do correct each other but a lot of the times the students think incorrect grammar is the "right way". I also use the complete sentences talk to tie in with my music class on how to sing, play, and compose phrases of music. It must be complete and make sense.

Without Apology

I am definitely guilty of this. I just tend to overapologize in general though.

I am definitely guilty of saying things like "I know this part is boring, but it's important to learn so we can get to the fun stuff." I get how this sends the wrong message to the students, and how many of them may not find what we are doing boring. I will work on reframing the above statement.

I have caught myself apologizing to the class before for "boring" material. After reading about this I realize how mixed of a message I am sending students by making statements like this so I am working on not mentioning this as well as trying to make that "boring" material more exciting.

There will be no more apologizing from me for teaching worthy content! I will try my best to make the lessons interesting, exciting, and inspiring for the students in all of my classes

I don't think I apologize over the content I am teaching. Sometimes I apologize by saying "I'm sorry you feel that way about class".

Begin with the end

I feel like I struggle with this a bit, especially if I am also trying to make sure that it applies directly to the standard and is in kid language on the board.

This technique seems really obvious, but it's actually quite hard to follow through with. What I struggle with is time management. I will plan out a whole unit, and realize a few lessons in that I have to take things out, move things around, and even completely rework lessons. I think that as I gain more teaching experience it will be easier to organize my units in ways that will work.

As a new teacher, I believe that this is one thing that I am stuggling with. Even though I believe I am getting better at this as time goes on, I still find myself planning an activity then trying to find a standard that fits it. Reminding myself to start with the standard first saves both time and energy when lesson planning. I feel with more teaching experience this will be something that will get better in time.

I am constantly changing and improving my lesson plans for my units. Planning is much easier when I start with the unit, and create lesson plans to match the unit. Starting with the objective for the day, helps when planning for my lessons. This technique is essential for my growth in becoming a great teacher.

I try to bring in the previous week's lesson when appropriate but it seems like most students forget about the lesson over a week's time. This is hard to do as a once a week class, but for sure it works better with my high school class I see everyday.

4 MS

This is really hard to apply to art, especially with the older students. Lessons go on for several classes, especially the ones that the students really enjoy like making masks, paper mache,...I feel that these experiences are too valuable to give up.

I feel like I do this pretty well. Most of the projects that I do with students on the computers meet all 4 Ms. I feel that computer skills in general are essential for success in higher education.

As a new teacher in a subject area I have never taught before I believe this strategy helps me focus on making my objectives effective.

I try my best to make sure that my objectives meet these four criteria. I feel like I am good at meeting these criteria but, I know I have some room to grow.

I follow a music book for each of my k-6 grades that have lessons designed for meeting the 4 M's. Sometimes it is tough to get through each lesson in one hour but we never throw it out, we finish next time. These objectives taught absolutely guide the path to music in college if they should ever pursue music. In my high school classes I teach music theory in a intro to college manner. I Was not fortunate enough to learn the music theory in high school and when I went to college I was lacking a lot of my skills. Musical talent is great and I have it, but I did not know the theory part and it hurt.

Post it

Got it, though not always in kid language.

I think I do this well. I try to always post my objectives as "we will..." sentences that use vocabulary that we are covering. I also like to decorate my board objectives with different colors and pictures (usually pictures of robots..)

I have all my objectives written in kid language on the top part of my white board for students to see each day. I begin most lessons by reviewing the objective with the class before proceeding with the lesson.

In the gym, I will make sure that all of my objectives are posting in kid language on the white board for everyone to see.

Have been doing this from day one! Always a challenge trying to word it in "kid friendly" language. I try

Shortest Path

I have a pattern with the younger students, but find it more difficult with the older students. I could probably expand on how I teach the hs and ms. I am usually just relying on creating in my class.

I think this one is really important when it comes to computer skills. A lot of the time the tasks that I want them to complete involve a lot of complex steps. Delivering them in a way that is memorable and simple is essential.

This is important when teaching new concepts to students. If I keep the concepts simple and to the point I find the students remember them better than if I drag them out a lot. I still think its important to elaborate when needed but to make sure the objective is always clear and supported with a simple explanation.

I will make sure I use the shortest path to reach the objectives in class. Keeping the path simple for the students will make it easier for them to learn the objective. I like to use cues or key words to make objectives simple for the students to understand.

I make activities for the students to play music or concepts we are learning on instruments. I will teach the concept and sometimes demonstrate it for them first. Then allow them to do it on their own. Music is a field of exploring, trial and error, creating, improvising. Not many short paths in music, biut I do try to make it simple for the students under level.

Double Plan

I think this comes much easier the longer that you teach. I don't write it out, but I have much more experience now and can predict. My biggest struggle is always trying to keep students using the same materials at the same time, not having some finish in 10 minutes and others that need 2 class periods.

Double Planning is not something I consciously do, but it is important to know what your students are doing at all times. I think it's helpful to have that field in our lesson plan templates.

I think I do really well with this. Since I have no textbooks I am always planning how my students are going to record and organize the new concepts introduced.

I do not use the T-chart when planning. However, I always plan for what students will be doing during each part of my physical education classes. Double Planning is a technique that I do without even thinking about it. My class is focused on what the students are doing throughout the entire lesson.

This is constantly on my mind even when I am not lesson planning. I am teaching an art form. I do not want to teach something the wrong way. So I go over my lessons and think of ways to give the students visuals. Maybe youtube clips of the musical concepts or performing groups for the students to watch, maybe I have to bring in my trumpet for certain lessons. Always double planning, perhaps triple planning LOL

Draw the map

I like the feedback that can be offered on student work. I don't like to write on their work, but it would be nice to put a post it on some work and describe why the work is exceptional.

I do understand what the author means when he says to create a layout in the classroom that will be teacher focused. I like having my desks in tables because then it is easier for group discussions however I do notice that it is difficult to keep the students focused that have their back to me. I also am going to start trying targeting specific things they did good or great on versus just putting great work. This will help the students see what areas they excell in.

I have the students come in and get into their group lines every day. These group lines give them enough space to safely warm up without coming in contact with other students. Since I am in the gym, I can quickly and easily move students around for a better learning environment. I like to use students that perform a skill or a task perfectly as models for others to see and learn from. I need to post tools in the gym to allow students to review it and use it. An example could be key words to dribble a basketball.

I do not have desks. I tried to use chairs but it takes up the whole room and we cannot move around or get instruments out. So the students sit on the floor and this makes class hard sometimes in a lecture situation. I have been realizing I need to just have instruments set up before they come in and they seem to understand how class is going to work just from the instrument set up.

My walls can be considered cluttered by some. I also need to work on posting student work that is exemplary, rather than posting an entire class' work at a time. My struggle in this area is making the time to change bulletin boards.

Subtopic

The Hook

I do this alot with younger students but not as often with older classes. The few times that I have with my hs class, they did seem to like the change in the class.

This technique is excellent. It draws the student in and helps gain interest. I have found that working with elementary students the kids really enjoy it.

I like to use music as a hook when the students walk into the gym. The music gets the students in a positive mood and many students like to dance to it. Sometimes, I will tell a short story to explain a game to the younger elementary students.

With the lower El. I have the students sing Blue bird song. I wanted to see how important it was after a while to the students so I didn't do it right away and most of the students said something about it. So I know it works good. With the older students I try to have "Papa Parks" time where I tell a musical experience story. It doesn't happen every class but they love it. Sometimes I use it to just work out student conflicts happening in class. I share the importance of band members working together

I do this all the time with almost every class. I love showing videos to peak their interests, as well as having them take polls, doing science demos, etc. I find that if I can catch their attention right at the beginning, it is much easier to keep ith throughout the class. It also creates meaning for the assignment, and makes the task more authentic.

Name the steps

I know we talked about this in our house meeting. In the past and still once in a while, I will forget to break things down into manageable steips for the students. This often results in projects that do not come out quite as expected.

I feel like I do a pretty good job breaking things down into steps because this is primarily how I learn. I tend to remember to break everything down into the simplest form possible and slowly build on that idea.

In the gym, we are always practicing new skills and playing a variety of games. I break down every skill using keywords to make it easier for all students to learn how to perform it. I explain the game using simple steps for students to understand the game better.

I know I need to keep thinkign about this strategy,. I know I can do better at breaking the steps down even smaller. With one hour once a week, you lfeel like you do not have the ability or time to do this.

I need to work on doing this more in my classes. Often, I'll go through the steps of something a few times and set them loose to complete it, guiding them through observation as I walk around the room. I leave the directions on the board, but often they are legnthy.

Board = Paper

We also talked about this one in our meeting. I am the bad note taker. :-( This meant that I had to work a bit harder to get good grades.

This is a great technique that I used in my health class. I used KWL charts, T-charts, and topics with subtitles. These are tools that would help me guide the students with their note taking. Also, using this technique helps them focus on the more important ideas or facts that they need to know.

I do a lot of hands on in music. I do not require much of note taking but participation. I use this with middle school and high school. I give them tips on what helped me in school with note taking

I do this with some things, but students do not often take notes in my class. One example of a way I make the board = paper is with my 6th grade bloggers. I will often have an example of waht they post.

Seeing that I teach a language class, I often have students take notes or fill in charts to help learn new words and rules. I have learned that it is best, even with the older kids, to create guided notes. This was I know the students are filling in the information I think is important, not what they think is important. Ultimately, we are preparing the students for college by showing them and guiding them on how to take good efficient notes through modeling them.

Circulate

I try to circulate as much as possible. Some days I feel like there is just so much to be done that I can't get around the room as much as I would like.

I feel like I do a pretty good job doing this. However, some days it is difficult, especially when learning new words that requires me to write on the board. On these days, I try my best to ciruclate when students are practicing saying the words with their tables.

In my health class, I would always break the plane and circulate at the beginning of class. I would not circulate as much during the rest of class. I will work on circulating more throughout the class with my future health classes. I am constantly circulating with my classes in the gym.

With no desks and chairs I move around my room every minute. I am rarely staying in one spot for any period of time. I teach from every spot in my room. The students do well at tracking because they know how I move around.

I hardly ever sit down. My students, at all levels need a lot of support on the computers.

Break it down

This helps particularly with the do now questions at the beginning of class. Sometimes I think students need the questions broken down this way because they may not be used to this content in my room.

This is a very good technique to use during the do now questions. This is also a good time for me to practice this technique. This is a technique that I need to work on during class. At times, I find myself repeating the same question to students looking for the correct answer. By breaking down the question, I can help build up the student's knowledge to get to the correct answer.

Do Now! I do this a lot when teaching music theory concepts. I repeat it over and over and then go around the room calling on people to answer my questions within a snap. They love this cuz its fast and exciting

I as well do this with my do now's. Since the purpose of the do now's is to help prepare my students for the MEAP and other similar tests, I always go through my thought process or have students explain their thought process so those that are struggling can see what steps were taken to solve the question.

I think it is essential that I break down the steps of a project for my students. Often, on computers, the steps for a project are long and involved. I want to work on making tutorial videos where students can watch a screen recording of what to do when they are stuck, so they don't rely on asking for clarification as much.

Ratio

I like the volleyball (in 9) analogy here. I especially appreciate the prompt given in this section and hope to incorporate these in class especially with my older students. Too often they sit quietly.

This technique is giving me new ideas to try in the gym. I like to focus on how to perform a skill and why it is important in a certain sport. I have learned that there are many other ways I can push the students to use their brains more. I just need to make sure the students stay on task, stay focused and stay productive.

I always push the students to give more. I never take a yes or no answer or short answers. I tell my students do not give me an answer unless you are ready to hit me with WHY! I made this a rule for our Slant-ball game. Giving me the fullest answers will result in a home run hit.

I like this technique. It makes me remember that learning is student based, and ultimately they should be doing more of the talking than myself. I often do this when we are reviewing material from last class or doing examples on the board. It helps me evaluate if my students are understanding the key concepts or if I need to break everything down more.

I really like this technique. I always try to push them to take their learning even further. I want themto question everything, and if the students seem to understand a concept really well, I will take it further by asking "why" or having them explain how.

Check for understanding

Most of my checking is done through oberservation. I find it difficult to think about my subject and standards in questions.

I am with Pigott on this one.

In the gym, I ask the students question to check for understanding. Once we begin the activity, I am constantly checking for understanding through observation. When I see students that clearly do not understand I will pull them off to the side and reteach in a different way. If most of the class does not understand, I will stop the class and reteach the lesson.

I use both gathering data and observation in my classroom. When I teach new words or new concepts about the culture/language we are focusing on I am constantly asking questions to check for understanding. When I give the assignment, I explain exactly what they need to do, ask for questions and then circulate room to see how students are doing. If I notice the same question is constantly being asked, I stop the whole class, explain the question and then release them to start working once again. When working on the new words, I typically use observation. I always give the students a few minutes with their tables to practice saying the new terms. I circulate the room making sure the students are using the correct pronunciation and help with any concerns they are having.

I do this frequently in my class. I always end teaching (before doing the activity) with "does that make sense?" and asking for questions.

At Bats

I think this is hard for us because we only see students once a week. We can repeat lessons/questions while we have them but it will be a whole week before they are with us again.

I said the same thing in a previous post that Pigott just mentioned. I am finding the same thing as she mentioned

I like this technique. It is all about repitition and practice. I like to emphasize to the students that it is okay you are not successful at first. Keep trying until you finally get it and when you finally get it, keep practicing. I like stations for this reason. Students practice a skill for a limited amount of time while I observe and give positive reinforcement. If a student is above level, I will challenge them to try a more difficult task. Students that have a hard time performing a task, I will have them try it at a slower pace.

As a language teacher, I believe repetition is key. This is difficult at times, seeing that I do only see the students once a week, a lot is lost within that week. I assign students to practice the words at home as homework, but only a select few do this. So, I have found that taking the first 5 minutes or so and reviewing what we have been working on is beneficial in the long run to gaining fluency within the target language.

On computers, repetition is key. I always remind the students that the only way they will be able to type quickly is to practice. I have them perform basic computer skills in every project. (I teach copy/paste, and they must use that skill for the rest of the year, etc)

Exit Ticket

This would be a challenge in my room. At the end of class, I am worrying about clean up. On busy days/messy days, I just can't squeeze anything else in.

I love doing this at the end of class. Before lining up I ask questions about our lesson. I let the students who answer correct line up first.

This is a good way to recap the lesson and to check for understanding. I ask questions, but I do not have the students write down their answers and turn in. I think I will try Mr. Park's idea and let the students who answer correct line up first.

I tend to do this on days that have extra time. I have the students clean up and turn in their work, then I ask questions about the different words or culture practices we have learned about not only on the current day but previous classes. If the student answers correctly, they can line up. I go around the room until every student answers correctly. This also helps me check for understanding.

I started doing this with the website socrative.com. The students don't have to have an account, they just type my room number in, and I start the exit ticket. They have to tell me what they learned that day, what they struggled with, there is room for a practice problem, and any questions they had at the end. I really like this system.

Take a Stand

I have been using this when we discuss do now questions to get everyone involved.

I like having students raise hands if they think a student is right. Then I ask the students raise your hand if you think they are wrong. This helps me find the students who do not understand something. I ask them to explain why they think it is wrong. There I can identify most times where they got mixed up and lost. I guide them back at the point they missed.

This is a technique that I do not use vey often although, I plan on using it more in the future. It can be an easy technique to use to find the students that understand or do not understand. It is a great way to get every student engaged in the lesson.

I mostly use this technique during my do now's or when we are talking about other cultural practices. I often have my students compare and contrast our culture to the culture we are learning about. I then ask them to form their opinion on the subject and why they feel that way. This concept is difficult to do when are focusing on the language component of the class.

I use the thumbs up or down signal for this. It is great because it gives me a quick assessment of understanding, but also allows them to check their thinking, and learn from each other.

Cold Call

I should start using this more. I tend to mostly call on studdents that volunteer. I do try to catch someone off guard oncce in a while

I love doing this and it keeps the attention stronger

I usually call on students that volunteer. Now I will start calling on students systematically to make engaged participation the expectation.

I am trying to do this more often in my class. It increases the attention of the class and alerts students that anyone can be called on at any time. I am finding that I have to combine the No Opt Out theory with this though, to avoid the "I don't know" answers.

I do this all the time, but only when reviewing concepts that we have learned previously. It forces them to be paying attention and remain engaged in the lesson.

Call and Response

I use this often with instructions that I really want to stick in their head. I have not used this as much with content, but perhaps I should.

Call and Response is a form of music. So we do a lot of it through songs, and also do a lot of it through instruction

I use this with my elementary classes when going over rules or when we are learning key words to break down a skill.

I use this literally almost everyday in my classes. It is an effective way to review new material.

I use this occasionally when I want to quickly review before starting an activity. I like it because it give me a quick assessment/understanding check.

Pepper

I could use this with #s instead of names, too many students.

Sounds fun, I will give it a try. I can tie it into my Slant-ball game by earning runs with right answers

I like this technique. This is a technique that I have not used, but I will start incorporating it into my classes. I think playing a game of pepper in class will be something the students will enjoy. Students have to get the answer right before they can get a drink of water after we warm up.

I use a game similar to this when reviewing for quizzes. I would like to use this concept with the older kids, I think they would like the speed of this game.

Wait Time

I often move too fast and do not leave wait time like I should. I still remember student teaching and being told to give the students time to respond.

I like giving time for other students to think. I use this strategy everyday

I will make sure I always leave a few seconds for wait time before asking students to answer. I know that sometimes I ask a student right away to answer instead of allowing everyone to think about the question.

Wait time is something that I am working on. Since we do not get much time with the students, I typically tend to call on one of the first few hands I see go up. However, I realize this does not give all students a fair chance to answer so I am working on improving my wait time.

I use this often with my older students, especially with critiques in class. I try to give students time to get their thoughts together before they have to talk in front of the group. I also think that I get a more accurate response, before they are influenced by others opinions.

This just reminds me of artists that usually sketch first to get thoughts/images in order.

This sounds pretty good. I will give this a try, I don't do a lot of writing in music but I just may

There is not much writing in my class. Although, I had everyone write down their fitness goal and how they would reach their goal. After everyone wrote down their answers, we discussed goals and how to achieve the goals.

I like to start class sometimes with a writing prompt, especially for the older classes who have blogs this year. OFten I will choose a debatable topic and the writing allows the students time to plot out their ideas before we discuss as a whole group.

Some classes are better with this than others. I love the classes that can do something silly or performance based in a lesson, but still know when to turn it off. I often avoid vegas when I am not sure if a class can pull it back together.

I have added "vegas" to a few lessons by incorporating songs to help remember words or concepts. I have found that students really enjoy it and it helps trigger the memory when I start singing the first couple verses of the song, students chime right in.

I play music often during our activities in class. Whenever the cha cha slide or another dancing song comes on, I have the students stop what they're doing and go along with the song. The students enjoy the short break from the activity we are doing that day. The songs add rhythm and dance into the lesson which is a part of P.E. that is often overlooked.

I change popular song lyrics to my lessons for students to catch on fast. This works great and the students sing along too. Very wise choice in music class.

I do have some songs for the students to learn things like internet safety and the qwerty keyboard. It does make a difference to vary the way we sing it to increase retention of the materials covered. I also really like the flocabulary website for this.

With my younger students, things sometimes change from week to week (ie materials, lesson type), but they know the basic entry routine. Do they follow it?

I have a pretty solid entry routine in my classroom. Students know after threshold to go to their assigned seats and to begin their do now for the day. This gives me enough time to shake every students hand and take attendance before beginning our day.

Every one of my classes has a very similar routine. We start the class with threshold, stand on the baseline, SLANT, and then Do Now. I like to have music playing for them to listen to while they are waiting for me to finish threshholding.

Students know the routine by coming in to class, sitting down, and being ready for our Do Now question. They read the board objective and are ready to proceed with the lesson after entering the room. They will get a point in "Slantball" if this is done right away.

I do the same thing for each class when they walk in. I count down from five and ask for slant, then we do a few DO NOW problems on the baord. Next, I will have a warm up like typing practice, and we will cover the assignment. The students have the rest of the time to finsih the assignment. Keeping this routine set definitely improves classroom management.