Friday, 24 February 2012

Ultimate Sharing!

So this week and last week I started to increase the incentive for Sharing time in my Grade 1 classroom.  At the end of each day five students are allowed to share something they brought from home.  This is an optional activity as our school believes in primarily reading homework in Grade 1.  Students must write in their Sharing book.  At the beginning of the year I suggested that they write a maximum of two sentences using what I call "Grade 1 sounding out."  This has worked well until I noticed that my students were turning in work that was not as wonderful as I had hoped:)

Using the Ultimate Homework Model suggested my Whole Brain Teaching in the Model Classroom, I developed Ultimate Sharing.  The goal is 100 points.  All students must participate at least once to earn the ultimate prize - a super fun game of our choosing.

1 point for Sharing book completed using neat printing.
2 points for Sharing book completed using neat printing and a because clapper.
3 points for Sharing book completed using neat printing and a because clapper, as well as a Sloppy Copy (rough draft).

Before each student presents, the class claps and cheers or "Oh Yeahs" for the student as each point is awarded!  So far we have 40 points and the quality of writing and sharing has gone way up!!


Thursday, 9 February 2012

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Groundhog Day Genius Ladder!

My class and I have started writing daily Genius Ladder paragraphs this week during our opening activities!  Here is what we came up with today.  I thought it was true genius.


Genius Paragraph: I see a furry groundhog not looking for his shadow.  He is a lazy groundhog.  He doesn’t want to look because he is watching T.V. and eating leaves.   Groundhog is going to get in trouble!!!!

Extender Sentence: I see a furry groundhog not looking for his shadow.

Spicy Sentence: I see a furry groundhog.

Blah Sentence:  I see a groundhog.


Monday, 16 January 2012

New Year's Class/Yes! and Scoreboard

Happy New Year!  My Grade 1's are back into WBT and we are having loads of good times!!  Some quick fun things:

Currently, I am saying Snowball Class and they say Snowball YES!  all the while making a snowball and throwing it at me - I duck and cover!!

Also, I say Snowball Fight Class and they say Snowball Fight YES and they throw a snowball at each other.

Smilies are POW! and Frownies are UGHH! - pretend like a snowball hit you in the stomach.






Friday, 11 November 2011

Super Improver Wall Twist

I saw this on www.wholebrainteaching.com forum and I had to share  it is so "brilliant"!!!

Just love the Super Improver Wall! My sixth grade students have added a new twist. At the end of my class, after I call out,"Any Super Improvers?" Hands wave wildly as students take turns calling out what amazing new thing they have learned or improved in! Everone chimes back in a sing song "SUPER IMPROVER!" and the student gets to put their own sticker up as they leave for their next class. It's a super way to summarize the day's lesson...a super positive way to end the class. Teachers at our school are required to write lesson plans with a "summarizer" at the end to bring lessons to closure....but my kids do it! The principal was doing a "walk through" as we ended math yesterday and she was impressed with my(their)summarizer and the overall excitement! Me too! Where's my hankie? Brilliant!

Friday, 4 November 2011

Mighty Oh Yeah/Groan Alternatives

Here are some Mighty Oh Yeah/Groan Alternatives:

Booyah!  Boo!

Smooth!  Rocky!

Cha-ching!  Oh snap!

Bazinga!  No points for you!

Bam!!  More butter!

Bingo!  Fiddlesticks!

Yum Turkey!  Oh my pumpkin pie!

Treasure!  Walk the plank!

Superfly!   That's Wack!

Ho, ho, ho!  No presents for you!

Right on!  Not cool!

Fantastic, Bubble Plastic!  Oh rats!!

It always helps if you are feeling it and the class is too.  Have them brainstorm some ideas and pick the one they seem most into.  Any other ideas?


Sunday, 30 October 2011

Top 5 Things to Do With Your Power Pix Wall

Whole Brain Teaching
1. Review concepts at the end of the day if there is a few minutes left.
2. Have a student leader come up and call out different concepts and have the rest of the class give the correct response.
3. Call out a coordinate and have students give the definition of that concept.
4. Compare and contrast two Power Pix.
5. Have students give examples for all the Power Pix.

Can you think of more?  I'd love to hear them!!!