I've Been Published!!

Check out my article on Whole Brain Teaching that was published in Canadian Teacher magazine:

http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/pdf/CTM-JanFeb2012-whole-brain-teaching.pdf

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.

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.

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!

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?

Top 5 Things to Do With Your Power Pix Wall

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!!!

Update

Tried out the Genius Ladder orally these last couple of days.  Here is the example my kids came up with.  They were tickled pink by it!!

Blah Sentence:  Here is a school.

Spicy Sentence:  Here is a castle school made of pizza.

Extender Complexor:  Here is a castle school made of pizza where students get hot lunch and a pepsi every day!!

Super Improver Wall is ticking along!  Kids love it and almost every kid is on to the next level!  Oh yeah!

The Scoreboard fun continues.  Right now I am using Booyah for Smilies and No Treats for You for Frownies.  For Class/Yes!  I am saying Boo! Class, Meow Class, and Trick or Treat Class.

Practice Cards are in effect and working well!

Next week I am going to start using the student leader buttons!  I'm excited!!!  Happy Whole Brain Teaching!!!!!