#DoYOU: Just Say No to “One Size Fits All”

April 17, 2016 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 12 Comments

I’ve been an edublogger for almost four years now (although that term should be applied lightly as I’ve been more educator and less blogger as of late). I’ve noticed a trend: four years ago you’d see post after post about the goings-on of individual classrooms (with lots of authentic, unpolished images). Now the blogosphere and social media is filled with posts, images, and videos telling you (the reader and teacher) to do x, y, or z and why you should abandon a, b, and c.

As a teacher first and edublogger second, I have to say that I’m frustrated. I’m frustrated for new teachers, who may feel pulled in 1,000 different directions – and likely pit against the realities of their classrooms and the window dressing of social media (which the fantastic Jillian Starr talks about here). I’m frustrated for veteran teachers, who may feel like the many strategies and practices used during their successful teaching career are being called into question or labeled as “what not to do”. I’m frustrated for “in-between” teachers just hitting their stride in the profession, like myself, who now feel stuck between “what’s new” and “what’s working.”

After biting my tongue for months and scrolling on past image after image and post after post with the “you must do THIS” tone, it hit me like Monday morning on a full moon. We are, in many ways, doing to ourselves what we so ardently fight against legislators doing: making assumptions about classrooms other than our own and prescribing a one size fits all solution.

So this is my version of “you must do x, y, and z and NOT a, b, and c.”

Not every child will learn best sitting on the floor, a wobble chair, a rocker, a yoga ball, or while standing up. Some children will learn best at a desk.
Not every child will learn best with an iPad, or scanning a QR code, or making a video. Some children will learn best without a piece of technology in their hand.
Not every child will learn best by completing a craftivity, doing an interactive notebook, or finishing a recording sheet in a center. Some children will learn best with just a paper and pencil.
Not every child will learn best with a room filled from ceiling to floor with fluorescent anchor charts, laminated posters, or more bulletin board border than the teacher store. Some children will learn best with less stimulation.
Not every child’s behavior will be managed by classroom currency, a positive clip chart (yes, even mine!), brag tags, Class Dojo, or a positive note home. Some children will need a clip chart, color system, or “old-fashioned” phone call home.

Every child, however, will learn best with a teacher that considers their needs – not the needs of the child in a classroom clear across the country viewed through the lens of Periscope, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or a blog.

What’s one size fits all in education?

The need for a critically reflective, life-long learner in the role of teacher.

I believe fully that our community of educators in this digital space is a blessing. I have learned so much, and I have grown so much as an educator. I feel blessed to have shared my knowledge with other educators, too. But with an audience of this size, those of us that participate in these conversations about our practice have to acknowledge that we don’t know the reality of those on the other side of the connection – and must frame our opinions, strategies, and experiences accordingly.

If your students benefit from alternative seating? Rock on! If your students learn better by reading on an iPad? Do it! If your students are motivated by themed decorations and lots of color? Keep it!

At the end of the day, I don’t know what’s best for your classroom. I don’t know your students – or you! I can’t possibly give you better advice or insight than you can give yourself by making something your own. Do whatever is best for your students and leave the rest in your browser history.

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Why Teachers are Silent on Race Relations

September 7, 2015 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 9 Comments

When I started writing this post, I found myself focusing on explaining the concept of privilege — and particularly white privilege. I feel led, however, to just write from the heart rather than by the book. If you want to read about white privilege prior to reading the rest of this post, there are some great resources here, here, and here.

When you’re finished reading, please go and read what Tamara, from Mrs. Russell’s Room, has to say about discussing race. I’m thrilled to be partnering with her to start a dialogue on this important issue.

I’m white. I say this first because while it’s an obvious fact if you’re staring at my smiling face on the sidebar of my blog, it’s important to emphasize that I am writing this post as a white woman.

I’m writing this post as a white woman charged with educating primarily children of color.

I make that distinction because it’s a distinction I have to be aware of each day. While I do share some common experiences with the children I teach — living with extended family members like grandparents, for example — I cannot directly relate to their experiences of being a racial minority. I cannot understand what it is like to lack the societal, economic, and cultural privileges attached to being white.

As educators, I firmly believe we have a responsibility to talk about all manner of privilege in our communities — socioeconomic, ability, gender, language, and yes, racial privilege. We have to know how to advance our community, and to do that, we have to acknowledge the barriers that may exist. In order to fight for equity, we have to know what it is that we’re up against.

Because it is we not them. As we love our students, their families, our colleagues, and neighbors — and want the best for them — we have to see their success and place in this world as our own.

So how do we talk about privilege? How do we talk about race?

I know firsthand how uncomfortable it can be to enter into these conversations with our colleagues and peers. I know that it can often feel, as a white educator, that we have no business engaging in conversations about this. I hear that, all too often, whether for reasons of not wanting to offend or genuinely thinking it’s not our problem.

It is our problem. It’s our responsibility to be uncomfortable so that we can learn and grow. So that we can be an ally. Love thy neighbor enough to experience that discomfort and thrive in it.

**So what CAN you do?**

1. Check your judgments and reflect. When you find yourself making a judgment about a student, their family, or colleague, stop. Ask yourself — “What is this judgment rooted in? How did I get from point A to point Z?” The answer may be your own prior experiences, it may be what you’ve seen or heard from the experiences or others, or it may be prejudice. Whatever it is, ask yourself — “Is this really true about this person? Do I know this to be fact? What is the benefit to me believing this?”

Where our own thoughts are coming from color our worldview. We can’t begin to make a difference and be a positive force in our community for equity if we are not first looking for the answers at home in our own hearts and minds.

2. Before anything else, LISTEN. When you’re engaged in a conversation about privilege with someone, listen far more than you speak. Actively listen and consider their perspective, even if it varies widely from your own. Listen as if your life depends on it because theirs may.

Everything isn’t about you. We can’t begin to understand how privilege works in our world and how it impacts our students if we do not truly listen when others reach out to help us understand. Listen, especially when it comes from a place of anger because behind that anger is a world of hurt that we have a responsibility to honor.

3. Affirm. Be an ally. When you’re engaged in that likely uncomfortable conversation, use the words “I hear you. I’m listening and thinking.” more than any others. Mean them. Before you ask questions or share your perspective, consider what has been said. Think about what you want to convey.

It’s okay to take your time. You don’t have to say anything just to say something. If you aren’t sure what to say because you need more time to consider your position or reflect, say so. Validate the feelings and perspective that’s been expressed to you. Ask for feedback — “What can I do?” — and use it.

The discomfort I feel talking about race, socioeconomic, ability, male, and language privilege is necessary. The world does not seek to make me comfortable, and to feel uncomfortable is to grow. I ask my students, day-in, day-out to do hard work. I, too, must do the hard work to brick by brick take down the wall that impedes them — that impedes their family, that impedes some of my colleagues. Love thy neighbor enough to seek out that discomfort.

Three Ways to Build Character with GoNoodle

September 6, 2015 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 5 Comments

I am so thrilled to be a part of GoNoodle’s Back to School Blogger Blitz! If you’ve read my blog or followed my Facebook fan page for any length of time, you know I have a deep, deep love for GoNoodle. I’ve guest-blogged for them before, and use it DAILY in my classroom. It’s simply put, my favorite instructional tool. {Make sure you read to the bottom of the post so that you can WIN, WIN, WIN!} Today I’m excited to share with you the three ways I use GoNoodle to build character in my students. Building character, to me, is the daily piece that makes all other instructional and non-instructional tasks easier. I cannot overemphasize the important of strong character in students and how it relates to classroom and school culture!

1. Visualizing Success

I want my students to have a “can-do” attitude, to see the positive in all situations, to persevere when the going gets tough. School, for many of my students, can often be a place that is daunting and where success sometimes feels far away. I want them to be able to weather those moments with confidence and ease — and I use GoNoodle’s “Think About It” feature to build that.

Before ANY graded assignment or test, we watch the “Try Your Best” video. My students close their eyes, take deep breaths, and repeat what’s written on their name tags. I’ve had students even request this video in the past when they’ve felt like they need that extra reminder to use their perseverance to their advantage — what an amazing testimony to how this reaches kids!

2. Developing Positive Peer Relationships

I want my students to understand the importance of their classmates in their school life. I want my students to feel like they are a part of a classroom community, not just a classroom. I use the “Think About It” feature at times when there may be a teachable moment with peer interaction. The “Be a Good Friend,” “Be a Team Player,” and “Make Someone Happy” videos have really helped to refocus our energy on the positive.

I follow that up with an energizing team-building video like Koo Koo Kanga Roo’s “Secret Handshakes” or some of the fantastic newer “Brainercise with Mr. Catman” that require coordination between partners. This allows students to directly relate to their peers following a moment of mindful reflection on being a positive force in our classroom.

3. Being Disciplined

Becoming skilled at a whole-body task like yoga requires discipline. For any primary teacher, developing discipline — particularly self-discipline — is an on-going challenge. We also know that cross-body coordination is critical for brain development. I love to use Maximo’s yoga videos to develop discipline in my students.

We start small, with an easier video like “Hug it Out” to get the hang of the discipline required to stay quiet, centered, and breathing. Eventually we work up to more challenging videos like “Eagle Pretzel” or “Willow Willow.” The students love to challenge themselves, but also to have an opportunity to have a calming, reflective moment. I love participating with them because of the opportunity to center myself!

I hope you’ll consider using GoNoodle to expand your students’ character! I love using it for a variety of things, including plain ‘ol movement brain breaks, but I also love using it to enhance our classroom community.

Every Child Deserves to Be Heard

August 19, 2015 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 2 Comments

Last spring, a community-building lesson by a Denver third grade teacher, Kyle Schwartz, went viral. Ms. Schwartz gave her students the sentence starter “I wish my teacher knew…” and received eye-opening responses, which she shared on Twitter using the hashtag #iwishmyteacherknew.

I, like so many of you, was deeply moved by this lesson — though it is not unlike many community-building exercises used in classrooms across the country each day. This movement, however, served as a reminder of the importance of HEARING your students. The importance of validating their human experience.

As I’ve grown as an educator, I’ve come to know my core truth: Every child deserves to be heard. You have to know a student’s heart before you grow their mind.

I was so drawn to the “I Wish My Teacher Knew” movement because it spoke to this core truth of mine. It embodied the idea that children deserve to be heard — whether it’s anonymous or signed, whether they want to share it with their friends, the counselor, or just you. Children need a safe space to express the complex feelings that fill their hearts and minds. Without the validation of being heard, the space for all of those wonderful lessons you’ll teach will be insufficient.

Now I know you might be saying — “I did this. The kids didn’t ‘GET’ it. Their responses were silly. Can this really be worthwhile for my kids?” I think so. I’m not going to say emphatically that it will. You know your students best.

But I will say this — “I Wish My Teacher Knew” isn’t effective as a one-time event. Every child may not feel comfortable or know how to express their feelings and thoughts the first time around. Every child may not need to tell you something the first time around. Every child may not trust you the first time around.

This, like anything, is a process.

I created a create-your-own “I wish…” station to go along with the movement so that it is easier for teachers at all levels to open the lines of communication year-round — not just once or twice, or only at the beginning of the year. After all, life happens every day and a child’s circumstance can change rapidly.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you create your “I wish…” station, I recommend discussing confidentiality with students. This will, of course, look different depending on your grade level/maturity of your class, and your personal take on the subject. I give a talk about privacy and confidentiality at the beginning of the year in which I’m up-front with students about the scenarios in which students’ trust will need to be broken: if they’re being hurt by someone, if they’re hurting someone, or if they’re hurting themselves. This has never deterred a student from confiding in me, but it has strengthened our relationship as they are fully aware of the limits of my confidentiality.

Next, you’ll want to talk to your school’s counselor. One of the best allies we have as educators are the amazing counselors that we have at our schools that day-in, day-out, take on so much to keep our kids healthy, happy, and safe. Bring him/her into the loop — let them know you’re starting this initiative in your room, invite them into your classroom, and open the lines of communication. Odds are, you will need them.

Then you’ll want to decide if you want students to have the “share out” or “reply to me” options on their “I wish…” notes. While I personally love the idea of allowing students to request and receive peer support, there does need to be a clear structure and expectations for the interactions in place. For my classroom, that means my students need to know how to discuss sensitive issues with one another, know how to display empathy, and know how to help each other problem-solve. Our amazing school counselor (love you, Mrs. Gruman) teaches lessons throughout the year that guide students in peer-interactions so our kiddos have a knowledge-base to draw from. This is where the above step becomes CRITICAL!

Finally, decide how often you’ll check-in and respond, and what your next steps are if a child needs additional help. It’s important to know what you’ll do in a situation where a child has disclosed something that warrants additional attention, resources, or discussion. For instance, I had a student disclose that their clothes hurt because they didn’t fit. I was able to connect that child with resources that provided them with some appropriately-sized clothing. I wasn’t able to specifically remedy every situation brought to my attention, but I was able to address many of my students concerns or find someone who could.

CREATING YOUR STATION

I highly recommend creating a dedicated place in your classroom to house your “I wish…” station. I chose to put it in our classroom library, which is tucked away and more private than other areas of our classroom. This is also an area where students feel comfortable, which was important to me. I didn’t want students to have to write at their desks or in the writing center, which can sometimes be high-traffic (it’s a popular choice and right next to our sink).

I use a set of heavy black cardboard boxes I got at Michaels as our “mailbox,” but an empty Kleenex box will surely do the trick! To spruce up our box, I used this transfer method to create a chalkboard-look. I wanted to include the statement “You’ve been heard.” I also placed an anchor chart above the box so that students could refer to it, and placed a smaller black box within it that contained a few notes options (lined and unlined) and my “receipts” next to it. For ease of use I also placed some pencils and erasers next to it and two clipboards, so that students didn’t have to return to their seats in order to write their notes.

USING YOUR STATION

Before you allow students to use your “I wish…” station, have a class meeting. This is the time to set expectations and boundaries with your students — the time to talk about confidentiality, both between you and them, and between them and their peers. It’s also the time to talk about what it means.

Whenever I have to explain a tough topic, I use a read aloud. Pick your favorite fiction text that includes a character experiencing a real-world problem. (When we began using this station last year we had just finished reading The One and Only Ivan, so that is the book we used.) Read aloud the text with students, stopping to jot — either on a chart or with post-it notes — about how the character may be feeling.After reading the text initially, re-read and stop at the same points. This time, instead of identifying the character’s feelings, work with students to brainstorm what the character could write on an “I wish…” paper. For example, we talked about how Ivan felt seeing Ruby, his elephant friend be mistreated. We brainstormed the sentence “I wish my teacher knew that I feel helpless watching my friend be hurt by others.”

Allowing students to use literature as a model for this exercise takes the pressure off. Students can try out what it feels like to share some very raw and personal emotions without sharing their own. Because most students are already used to talking about a character’s thoughts and feelings, this will come naturally.

Next, model from your own life experiences. Think about an experience — happy or sad, you decide! — that you can share with your students. I shared with my students that when I was in elementary school I had to have surgery and miss a week of school. I felt scared and missed my friends. “I wish my teacher knew that I’m scared to have my surgery because I don’t know what to expect and I’ll miss my friends.”

Now listen. Using the procedures established — such as when a student could go to the station — let students write when they need to. Check the station at whatever interval you decide (I did it every 2-3 days) and respond as appropriate. Let the information students share guide your practice. I was surprised at how much of what my students shared enabled me to further shape our classroom to meet their needs… trust me, if they don’t like something (or like something a whole lot), they’ll tell you!

Building relationships with our students is one of the most important parts of our profession.

The teachers I remember the most about, the teachers that lit a fire in my heart for this profession… they are the teachers that made sure I was heard. They listened when I talked (or wrote) about new barbies, and they listened when I tearfully talked about my grandmother passing away. They heard my voice cry for help when I was bullied, and they heard my voice say I needed to be challenged.Hearing our students’ voices may not be a Common Core standard, but it should be THE standard I set for myself. My students deserve it.

Click here to download all of my station materials for free.

I’ve also included options for using this for your colleagues, and if you’re an administrator, your staff. Opening the lines of communication is SO important for a positive school culture!

All of YOUR Questions Answered

August 7, 2015 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 29 Comments

The response to my character education clipchart, Clippin’ for Character, has been absolutely overwhelming. I am so humbled by and appreciative of the feedback, Q&A’s, e-mails, Facebook posts and comments about this system I use in my classroom. I’ve tried my best to respond personally to each inquiry, but wanted to also answer questions in a central location so that you’re able to share this easily with your colleagues, administration, and parents. {You can read the original blog post here.}

As with anything, YOU know YOUR students best. The way I implement this clip chart in my classroom isn’t necessarily the best way for you to implement it in yours — please make it your own, and let it be a reflection of YOU and YOUR classroom community… that’s the best possible feedback you could give me!

Why bother with character education at all?

I’m a big believer in spending time up-front to develop a strong classroom community so that I don’t have to spend that same time (or more!) later writing discipline referrals, making negative phone calls, or redirecting a child in the midst of an important learning opportunity. While it can be tempting to skimp on developing rules, procedures, and norms at the beginning of the year — because we “shouldn’t have to do this” — I think it’s critical to a successful classroom. Students that have high expectations for themselves in their words and deeds are a lot less likely to be distractors and disrupters later in the year when time is at a premium.

I choose to use character education as a huge piece of this because let’s face it — rules & procedures may differ from room to room… but the importance of developing strong character does not. Being caring, fair, respectful, responsible, trustworthy, and a good citizen is valued in each and every classroom or space in our school. I also believe personally that I should play a role in shaping a child’s personal character — after all, they spend 7.5 hours with me over the course of 180 days. It’d be awful hard NOT to do so.

Can I use this WITH a traditional clip chart?

ABSOLUTELY. While I do not use one myself, I have heard from many readers that have used it successfully in conjunction with their traditional clip chart. Most readers have used a different color clip {sometimes patterned}. For clip charts that already have additional positive levels (above green), I’ve heard from readers that have had students clip to the character trait they exhibited at the same time they move their clip above green.

For example: Suzy displayed empathy toward a classmate that was having a hard time — Suzy moves to blue on the traditional clip chart and also places her special clip on “caring” on the character education chart. This allows you to give parents extra information at the end of the day — why was Suzy on blue? Well, Suzy was on blue because she displayed the “caring” character trait. It’s a great way to make your praise specific.

How do you teach children the traits? Can 2nd graders (or 1st graders or Kindergarteners) really understand them?

I teach my students each trait in multiple ways, as I know that a best practice in teaching is approaching any topic from multiple entry points. Each trait is taught through read-alouds, role-playing, writing prompts, anchor charts, group discussions, and day-to-day interactions. While I do front-load these learning opportunities at the beginning of the year, there is not a day that goes by that I do not reinforce them, even if it’s a 30-second connection during guided reading or in the hallway to/from specials.

A child’s age or grade level does not preclude them from internalizing the meaning of these traits, though the time it takes to do so may differ. Integrating the traits and clip chart into your classroom on a daily basis allows the students to learn by example in addition to learning from the lessons. Modeling the traits and highlighting peer models is a great way to teach them.

In the resource you’ll find links to books that I’ve personally used to teach the traits. I will be adding teaching resource units for each trait to my store this fall, as well as a classroom rule/community building pack to jumpstart your positive classroom management!

Do you make sure students go on the chart every day? Can a child be recognized more than once? Do you monitor how often they’re on the chart? Do students monitor themselves?

I do not put every child on the clip chart every day. At the beginning, I do make an effort to recognize an instance of one of the traits in each child every few days so that they internalize the system. This isn’t forced — the students are still earning it, I’m just putting in more effort to actively looking for the behavior.

If a student is already on the chart but earns their way on to another character trait, I put them there. I don’t keep multiple clips for each student, so they simply move their clip. They’re generally SO PROUD (and I am too, and make a big deal of it with hugs & high-fives) that they do not forget to include the second (or third) trait at the end of the day when they mark their chart and I mark mine.

I track the students that are on the chart at the end of each day using an easy checklist that I keep on a clipboard at my desk. At the beginning of the year I’ll just tally, since I’m actively looking for the behaviors more often. After we’ve established and integrated the chart fully in our day-to-day activities, I will write dates instead of tallies so that I can tell if it’s been a while since a particular child has been recognized.

My students are responsible for bringing me their take-home folder at the end of the day to mark their charts. I set out my stickers {simple colored smileys, sometimes smelly if I’ve got them!} and they pick the corresponding sticker. If they clipped on two or more traits, I have some smaller stickers that they use or they use my smelly pens to draw smileys. In the beginning, I tend to do a lot of this myself as students learn the procedure — but then I let them take ownership and I get to just give lots of high-fives and hugs!

What do you do if a child isn’t earning their way on the chart?

I consider this chart to be a Tier I intervention, meaning that it should reach 80% of my students. For the remaining 20%, this chart should be a part of other interventions (such as an individualized behavior plan, check-in/check-out system) that we have in place in our tiered PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports) system. I’ve found that this chart reaches more than 80% of my students, and even for my students that receive Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, is an important part of the PBIS process.

I follow a few steps when a child hasn’t been on the chart in a week or more. First, I look at myself. Am I missing subtle instances of positive character? I give myself a day or two of more purposeful monitoring of that student before deciding if next steps are needed.

Next, I look at the student. Are they displaying negative behaviors, or are they meeting expectations? If a student is displaying negative behaviors, I follow our school’s PBIS program to intervene with short-term Tier 2 interventions. I also take this time to coach the student through checking-in with them 1:1 more often, pairing them with a student that consistently exceeds our classroom expectations, and just generally giving them positive attention whenever possible.

Finally, I involve their family support system. I call home or catch them at dismissal to just check-in — are they noticing anything different at home, has anything changed in their situation, etc. Families are a GREAT first line of defense when something is “amiss” and I really value their partnership.

How do you communicate with parents using this system? Do they expect their child to be on the clip chart each day?

Each of my students has a take-home folder that goes home each day and comes back each morning. This folder is used for basic home-school communication — we send home flyers, graded papers, etc. It has prongs in the middle, which is where the character calendar is placed.

The purpose of the character calendar is to allow a child to celebrate their successes and character development with their family. At the beginning of each year I send home a sample calendar as well as discuss it at Open House and the first parent-teacher conference. We talk about the goal of the character clip chart (to develop positive character among students and strengthen our classroom community) and the expectations.

I am very clear with parents and my students: being on the chart is earned, not given. Their child will not be on the chart every day. That does not mean that they were bad or had inappropriate behavior — it just means that today they were not specifically recognized for an instance of positive character.

How do you use the brag tags, certificates, and bracelets? Do they get one each time?

The first time a student has earned their way on to a particular trait they earn the corresponding brag tag. By the end of the year, I’ve always had every child earn all six of the corresponding brag tags. Some take a month to earn them all, some take until the last week of school. It’s all about the child’s journey and progress, not the speed with which they do it.

Students take such pride in putting them onto their tags! Rather than award the tags in the middle of a lesson, I award all the tags for the week at once. My students wear their brag tags each Friday (to minimize distraction), and are given their new tags during our morning meeting that day. {They also wear them to assemblies or on other special occasion.} Their necklaces are HUGE sources of excitement and pride, and they love taking them home at the end of the year!

I award the certificates to students monthly. Each month, my school focuses on one of the particular traits (or a combination of two or more) as a part of our PBIS initiative. Any student that has earned that particular trait that month is awarded a certificate. I like to make two copies — one color that they take home, and one in black & white that they color and we string on our walls {since some students don’t have a fridge at home to hang it on!}. I award the certificates during the last Friday morning meeting of the month.

I keep a large stash of the paper bracelets in the clip chart basket. This basket also holds all of the student’s clips on its edge, as well as our class mascot, Toto. If I have it, I do copy the bracelets on the coordinating colored paper, but the kids love white copies just the same — mostly because they will color them during indoor recess or after morning work in the morning. At the end of the day when they’re filling out their character calendars students grab one and tape it on so that they can make a big deal out of it the minute they get home!

If you still have a question about Clippin’ for Character after reading this FAQ, please let me know by leaving your question in the comments! I will be happy to respond and add an answer to the post.

If you’re interested in sharing Clippin’ for Character with your team or staff, I do have a 25-license pack available at a deeply discounted price! I’m also available to do staff development via Skype, Google Hangouts, and in-person on the East Coast. Please e-mail me for more information at noplacelikesecond@gmail.com!