Chapter 7 Motivation
ON page 90 in Help for Billy. "It takes a shift from a behavioral perspective to a relationship-based regulatory perspective to interrupt a child's negative spiral downward. Many of the traditional techniques need only be modified slightly and delivered in the spirit of love and connection rather than in the framework of fear and control. It is a small shift yet one that can have a powerful impact on students.
In this chapter of Help for Billy and in the book from last summer, Engaging Students of Poverty, there were tons of examples on how to create a sense of belonging in the classroom/ school. Last year we created this among our school with Families.
Share an idea you have or read about that you plan on implementing next school year to create a sense of belonging in your classroom.
At the beginning of the school year, the students and I come up with a set of classroom rules. Since they help make the rules, it makes them feel like they are a part of our classroom community. Everyday of the school year, a different child is chosen to be the Star Student. It gives every student a chance to feel special. I also have jobs that the children have for the week. to instill responsibility to help make our classroom run smoothly.
ReplyDeleteWe start off the year taking turns being the student of the day. This means we focus activities around that student. We talk about the letters in their name and count them, we draw a picture of the student (this really helps them learn how to draw people for when we get into writing), and they get to tell us about themselves. This helps everyone feel like they are a vital part of our class. The students really like this and without them realizing it they are building a foundation for things that will be coming up throughout our kindergarten year!
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the year, we do ME bags and the students have the opportunity to share whatever the would like to about themselves...as long as it fits in the bag! ;) They love having the chance to talk about themselves and ask questions about each other. I also did acts of kindness throughout the year, which helped with a positive classroom community. On Pinterest, I saw a Proud Board that I am going to try this year. Students are allowed to hang anything they are proud of on this board. It could be something they did at school, home, or in their outside school activity. I think this will help students see that they are all great at different things and get to know each other a little better.
ReplyDeleteI love the Proud Board idea, Hannah! Can't wait to see it.
DeleteKindergarten loves the Star Student of the Day at the beginning of the year. They get so excited. I like The Proud Board idea for when everyone has had their turn at being the Star Student. My class last year kept asking why we didn't do Show and Tell anymore. Any suggestions on how to fit that into our schedules? I have thought of one table group every Friday but that would only give them 1 turn each month. I am open to suggestions. I know the class meeting formats have helped a lot with building their character and sense of belonging. This year I am thinking of doing a class meeting at the beginning of the day, like last year, but also doing one at the end of each day. That really seems to help them reflect on the day while it is fresh on their mind.
ReplyDeleteI've been brainstorming ideas to give the kiddos a greater sense of belonging in my family. One thought was to video them explaining the item they are going to put into the time capsule. I think it will be really fun at the end of the year to see a video made at the beginning; to see how much the kids have grown. I also hope that it makes everyone feel special. I learned at Google Bootcamp how to make a private Youtube video. I also thought that I would have the kids draw a family members name once a month and write down an encouragement for them. I would collect them and surprise them one day throughout the month. I've been toying with the idea of doing a family T-shirt. However, I will need to investigate the cost before I pursue it or bring it up to the kids. The idea would be to pick a day that we would all wear it at school. Reading the other posts about star students & "me" bags, I thought that I could give one kid a turn at each family time to share about themselves. If I get organized, I will even send a note home with the kiddo ahead of time so they can bring something from home to share. Cool idea, ladies. Thanks for sharing!
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