Sunday, May 15, 2011

A weekend at the beach....

11 teachers took a mini-vacation and headed to the Oregon coast on Friday the 13th!  It was a fun filled weekend full of pizza, margaritas, and lots of talking!  We went to "get away" but what did we do??  Talked about work of course!  And I'm so glad we did...

I got to share WBT with these guys and a couple of them shared some strategies that they use (okay, just one, and she's a stellar teacher).  Our district is reading Teach Like a Champion and this teacher uses those strategies a lot.  Teach Like a Champion reminds me a LOT of WBT only they are more strategies and less of a program type like I picture WBT.  Of course, from both, you pick and choose what works for you and your class. 

I still struggle with transitions and I've been using "seats" lately and that helps a LOT, especially with a timer added in.  However, "lines" isn't working as nice BECAUSE they have to get their jackets from their cubbies every time they line up to leave the room (It IS Oregon, ya know!).  We use PBIS at our school and my teacher friend said she simply has 5 positives (pieces of paper rewarding good behavior which as a school can be traded for something later) and the first 5 in line with jackets on quietly standing facing forward earn a positive.  Will try Monday.

The other is name on their paper.  Oh my - this is awful in my class and such a waste of instruction time.  In the Ebook Biff has papers being handed out by students.  Now, remember, I'm still fairly new at WBT, but that strategy didn't work in my class.  I probably didn't practice enough with them.  As we close the year I am not going to spend the time training them and maybe try next year.  Now, I just pass to each table and the kid at the table passes them to the others at their table.  My thing has always been "Name on your paper then head down"  But let me tell you -  rarely does that happen!  What I learned from m teacher friend is because -- THEY DONT WANT TO!  She has them do "Name on your paper, stand up and put the paper over your head"  This is great for 3 reasons - I can look around the class and clearly see who is ready to begin, OTHER kids can do the same and they'll want to stand up so they'll get their names written quickly, AND it is in line with WBT - the more active they are the more they're learing.

So excited to try on Monday!! 
So..WBT transition can be found in the ebooks

2 comments:

  1. Hi, Megan - I am also a K teacher. With names, I say, "Write your name and date at the top and STOP!" The rhyming gimmick is helpful. Also, put your pencil in the air to show me when you are finished. But, I like put your paper on your head - might be brave enough to try it!

    I wish I had heard about WBT earlier in the year. (We only have this week left!)I plan to learn more and dive right in next fall.

    Good Luck!

    --B. Greene

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  2. Hi Beth. Thanks for sharing your procedures. Where do you teach? I also wish I had found WBT earlier and I'm excited to see it work throughout an entire school year.

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