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Home : 2008 : January : 12
Currently our school is really big on Blooms in the classroom and lots and lots of student interaction. The student interaction usually kills me with this class, but I keep trying. That was even a bit better this week. Things were looking up just a bit. Behavior has been my group's biggest challenge. Thankfully there were no big flare-ups this week. Maybe next week they'll get on each others nerves enough to pick up where they left off. Regardless, I am thankful for a break even if it is just a short one. Friday was the day that kept me smiling. Lately I end the story from Houghton Mifflin by creating posters for the six Blooms categories and write one question about the story for each category. As a class we do the endless think, pair, share thing to elicit answers. It's a bit hit and miss, but I keep trying. Yesterday I did the same thing, but this time I placed a poster on each table group, had them all take out a marker, and gave each group five minutes to discuss the question and answer. I left it up to them to decide if each person writes something or if they answer as a group. After five minutes the groups rotated to the next table and did the same. After they got in the swing of things I was able to reduce the time at each table. It was loud and there was a bit of silliness to deal with from a few, but it was going well. After we all settled down we reviewed the answers to each poster as the team captains brought them up. I was just floored by the quality of most of the responses. It was far, far better than I ever get from any other methods I've tried. I just couldn't praise them enough. I think I want to frame them so I have proof something I did actually worked. Later in the day we started math. We are working on multiplying two factors with decimals. I've got them using their white boards for the problems. These guys are getting it! I'm very excited. Then the best thing ever happened. I have a student I call Drama Queen. She usually shuts down during math. Well actually, she shuts down many times during the day. She is easily frustrated. Math is a subject she particularly struggles with. The problem is if she doesn't understand something right away she displays the most sour face I've ever seen from a child. Once she does that there's nothing I can do to get her engaged. I keep talking with her and asking her to please stay with it and try, but she won't. Today was one of those lessons that I would have normally expected her to tune out of right away. Not today. We started off slow and she had success. She was so excited that she kept right up with me. As things got a little harder she was still right on track. We had to share several high-fives. Then I usually end a lesson with a "brain smoker." Drama Queen shouted out encouragement that I pick a really hard one. I did and she got it right. Honestly, because of past behaviors in math when it gets tough, I just didn't know she had it in her. I was so proud of her. After school as she was waiting to be let in for her after school program I stopped by to tell her how proud I was of her and to make sure she tells people at home how successful she was. She really does get support at home so I know they'll want to hear that. Please, please, please let next week be good too.
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