I take attendance at 8am. I got a phone call from the office at 7:50 a.m. saying I had a new student. I didn't have anything prepared for this kiddo. It was so nice, with my WBT procedures and routines, he caught on to everything SO quickly. He walked into a classroom where the expectations were clear which set him up for success. I can't tell you what a difference this has made. Before using WBT, when I got an unannounced new student, I would be SO stressed. Yesterday I was HAPPY to have another kiddo join my class, especially since he makes 28 which makes it possible for everyone to have a teaching partner during teach/okay However, teach/okay still works with an odd number of kids, as I usually have someone absent, I make a triad, or the kid does talking hand puppets.
By the way, my writing lesson went very well. I LOVE seeing these kids write. I am devastated my school will be going back to half day next year which basically means no writing instruction. But I'll find a way to build it in!
Off to teach now...
LOL! I too was happy to receive a new student after starting WBT because of the teach/okay. After using WBT for the entire year, I've found that my new students bring a new vitality to the classroom. While my other students might start to fade, the new ones catch on quickly and often perform the procedures even BETTER than the others due to the novelty of the situation!
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