Community Matters: What We Can Do, TOGETHER.

November 11, 2016 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 1 Comment

Turn on the TV, browse your Facebook timeline, or scroll through Twitter… look at the faces of your colleagues and friends as they navigate conversations this week… it’s not hard to see how divided we are right now as a nation. In our own communities. Sometimes in our own schools. Regardless of where on the political spectrum you fall, you’re likely as concerned as I am about how we move forward from this, and how we do so in a way that honors our commitment to our children.

For the children are watching. And listening. And learning.

All of us – whether happy, sad, exuberant or despondent about the outcome of our election – have a responsibility to the children. We have a responsibility to listen, to love, and to protect.

I believe that we, as educators, must turn our focus toward building or maintaining our classroom communities as places where students are safe to express their feelings, where their feelings are honored, and where they learn what it means to grow as a person of character. We cannot do this alone, nor can we do this without a plan, for building a classroom community requires careful consideration and thoughtful execution.

So what can we do? What can YOU do? How do we navigate this uncharted territory?

Create and maintain open lines of communication.

Students that are distressed right now – for themselves, for their family, or for their friends – must feel that they are safe to express that fear. Research tells us that students that are emotionally distressed are less equipped to learn. In the long-term, it can seriously impact their health and well-being. We must do all that we can to mitigate this in our classroom, and that begins with allowing students to express themselves.

I’ve written before about the powerful #IWishMyTeacherKnew movement and how I handle it in my classroom; this is a perfect time to begin implementing it or something similar to provide your students with an outlet. It’s especially important to provide students with a confidential outlet, as they may not always feel comfortable speaking about their thoughts, feelings, and emotions in the whole-group or even small-group settings. Students are aware of how divisive this election has been, and may not want to put themselves at risk within their peer group.

Allow students that need to take a break to do so. If a student is distressed, it’s important to provide them with tools to cope, and those tools can include taking a break from learning. Invite your school counselor into your classroom to provide insight on how to help your students learn to cope with all that they may be feeling – our school counselors are incredible resources that can help us navigate these difficult times.

Communicate and build relationships with students’ families. Students in distress are likely coming from a family in distress – that is to say that their families, too, are feeling complex emotions and experiencing hardship in some way. It is important that families know that you are there to support their child at school, and to support them in parenting their child at home. Regardless of belief systems, we hold a shared responsibility and have a sacred relationship as families and teachers – communicating openly is necessary to preserve that.

Honor students by honoring their backgrounds.

Much of the distress children are experiencing stems from fear of, or actual experiences of, being excluded. Excluded on the basis of their or their family’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, or political affiliation.

Our classrooms must be a place where students’ backgrounds are honored without qualification. In order to learn, students must feel accepted and included.

We can foster inclusivity by utilizing diverse resources and including diverse perspectives in our teaching practice, starting with our classroom libraries. If your classroom isn’t diverse, you can provide a “window” to the world that is out there and allow your students to explore their fellow citizens through text. If your classroom is diverse, you can provide a “mirror” for your students that honors their truth and value to our country. {As a side-note: “We Need Diverse Books” is an incredible resource for educators.}

We can honor our students by being pro-active in stemming the tide of discrimination within our classrooms, schools, and beyond. We can ensure that we do not allow, and roundly condemn, any form of prejudice we, our children, or their families experience. It is important that as we seek to honor our students’ backgrounds that we also protect them in so much as we can. Speaking out against injustice does not impeach our own political beliefs – it protects our humanity, and that of our students and their families.

Cultivate a culture of character.

Prioritizing displays of character is integral to building and maintaining a classroom community. All educators want their students to be successful academically and work diligently to make their success a reality.

I believe that now, more than ever, we must also work to shape our students into people of character.

If your school implements PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) you are already well on your way. If your school doesn’t implement PBIS, learn more about it. PBIS isn’t the end-all be-all, but it is a school-wide framework for focusing on creating a positive learning community rather than putting out the fire of a negative learning environment.

Start, continue, or enhance classroom meetings that focus on being better to one another – being caring, fair, respectful, responsible, trustworthy, persevering, and a good citizen. You can do this through discussion prompts, through read-alouds, through song, and even through short videos. Use your classroom meetings throughout this holiday season to plan acts of kindness in your school community and beyond.

Add to your classroom management system to reflect the value of displaying one’s character. Allow students to recognize the character that one another displays – in the small moments, and in the big ones too. Involve parents in the process by communicating the ways in which their child uplifts your classroom community and makes a difference.

**Above all, remember it is about them.**

To be completely transparent, I am one of the people I am writing about. I am one of the Americans that are scared, sad, and just down-right exhausted by what’s happening. It’s personal to me, on many levels, as so many that I love and care about – my students included – feel threatened right now.

But this isn’t about me, and it can’t be. It can’t be about you, either. It’s about our kids. It’s about making sure each of them – regardless of where they come from, who their parents are, or anything they believe – feels safe, loved, and protected. That’s something that we can all agree on and work toward.

Please join me in this fight for our shared humanity. I need you. They need you.

7 Must-Watch Videos for Building Character

August 12, 2016 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 1 Comment

One of my greatest passions in the classroom is building a student’s character by taking the time to know my students. I live for the “teachable moment” – some more frequent than others. Sometimes you can’t wait for a teachable moment, however, and need authentic ways of talking about character. Read-alouds are wonderful ways to do this, but sometimes a video provides another level of engagement and meaning that is necessary to further the discussion. I’ve compiled seven videos that support teaching the seven character traits I teach in my own classroom. You may recognize them from my classroom management system, Clippin’ for Character.

Caring

In the classroom, caring can mean many things. In my classroom (and in my character education units), I loosely define “caring” as displaying compassion, kindness, and grace to all we encounter. The below video from Life Vest Inside (a great organization!) is a perfect way to show how a single act of compassion, kindness, and grace creates a ripple effect – or what they call a “kindness boomerang.” I like to have students see if they can catch all the examples of having a caring character in a single viewing; we then re-watch to catch any we miss and briefly discuss each. This is a particularly good conversation starter because all of these examples are real-world and opportunities to display a caring character in their own lives and communities!

Fairness

In the classroom, fairness is a frequently discussed topic – particularly in the primary grades. It’s also one of the toughest character traits to develop, and requires repeated practice. I know that sounds silly, but truly, we have to really practice being fair – and it often requires guided practice on the part of teachers {speaking of which – this video is a wonderful one to share with colleagues to get that dialogue started}. In my classroom, I loosely define “fairness” as being open to new ideas or perspectives, sharing resources, and treating others equally. I like this particular animated short because it opens up a number of conversations with guiding questions: What does it mean to be open-minded? Can sharing mean more than just things, but also time, and friendship? How can I recognize inequality?

Respect

We often think of respect as being “compliance” in the classroom – following directions, being quiet, etc. I like to focus on respect in a more global sense. In my classroom, I loosely define “respect” as using manners, resolving conflicts peacefully, and considering others’ feelings when we speak or act. One of my favorite videos to use when talking about respect is the Pixar short Boundin’. I like using this particular video because it shows a stark contrast between disrespect and empowerment. It is a great way to have students think about consciously choosing to consider others’ feelings and empower them rather than disrespect them.

Responsibility

We often think of “responsibility” in our classrooms as we do respect – in terms of completing assignments, remembering things from home, etc. I, again, like to think more globally about the concept of being responsible. I also like to tie responsibility to not just being responsible for yourself, but being responsible to others. In my classroom, I loosely define “responsibility” as being prepared to learn, holding ourselves accountable in our words and deeds, and always giving our personal best. Students respond to the idea of responsibility in particular when we think about beyond the task level – they feel empowered to make better choices and strive to meet their potential. This video is a true discussion starter, and I guarantee it won’t take students long to exclaim – “Why don’t they just walk up the stairs?” This is a wonderful way to have students think about how they are in charge of empowering themselves and taking ownership of their lives!

Perseverance

This trait is hard. It’s hard on purpose. When we persevere, we grow. But that growth is often painful and accompanied by so many opportunities for an “out.” For students, perseverance will vary wildly. What comes “easy” for some seems near impossible to others. This isn’t just academic – socially, emotionally… Perseverance is hard. But it is important because it’s an indicator of future success. To persevere, even in the “small” moments is to persevere over the long-term. In my class, I loosely define “perseverance” as striving for excellence in the face of adversity, and never giving up on a goal. While there are many real-world videos you could watch for this trait (like this timely Olympic one), I really love the animated short “Soar” by Alyce Tzue. Its wordless nature makes for great discussion {and connections with literacy – inferring!}, and the message is pure perseverance – with a side of caring.

Trustworthiness

Ah, trustworthiness. Like fairness, this is one that requires a lot of guided practice. It also requires lots of community-building, as trustworthiness is important on so many levels in your classroom – not just between you and the students, but between the students and each other. In my classroom, I loosely define “trustworthiness” as being honest in your actions and words, loyal to your friends, and doing the right thing especially when it’s hard. I’m going to cheat in this video selection, as it’s not a video as much as it is a read-aloud. The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth is one of my favorite texts of all time; the message, based on a work by Leo Tolstoy, moves me to tears each time I read it. The read-aloud video is a wonderful way to touch of two of the hardest parts of trustworthiness: loyalty… especially when it is not easy to do “right.”

Citizenship

A culture of community – that’s really what we strive to foster in our classrooms. That requires citizenship, which is the “spine” of all of the rest of the trait… a desire to do and be better for others. In my classroom, I loosely define “citizenship” as being a team player, helping to make decisions, and obey community rules. I prioritize helping to make decisions over obeying rules, as my hope is always that “doing the right thing” will be self-directed; the more students invest in our community, the more they dedicate themselves to doing right by their community. The final video I have to share with you is about geese. Yes, geese. When I first heard of this analogy I was speechless; it’s so simple. One of my classroom themes this year is “fly in a V” – a reminder to stay together and be there for one another.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed watching these videos, and I want to state for the record that I won’t be reimbursing anyone for Kleenex. In researching this I went through an two entire boxes of Kleenex in the course of a few hours. Character education isn’t just surface-level, it’s deep-strikes-you-at-your-core stuff. I hope that with these videos to jumpstart your classroom focus on character you are able to grow your student’s character this school year… the impact it will have on them will last a lifetime. The time is always right to be better.

If you’d like to read more about how I manage my classroom by focusing on these seven traits, please read my blog posts here and here. You can purchase my positive behavior management system, Clippin’ for Character, in my TeachersPayTeachers store.

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!

Why I’ll NEVER Get Rid of My Clip Chart

August 2, 2015 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 18 Comments

I will never get rid of my clip chart. Ever.

I’ve read so many thought-out, well-meaning posts on clip charts — on both sides of the spectrum. I don’t know what’s right for you or your classroom… no one knows that but you. This post isn’t about what YOU should do. It’s about what I’ve done and will continue to do until I pack-up my classroom for the final time. Should you get inspired, invigorated, and motivated to do the same? Well, that’s just a bonus.

My clip chart helps to shape my classroom — and my beautiful students — into a caring community of productive citizens. Without it, I have no doubt that counselor and office referrals would rise, I’d spend a greater portion of my time on the phone telling parents negative things about their children, and the teacher-student relationship would suffer miserably.

I teach in a school of children in transition. Children that come from low socio-economic status households, many with both limited English language skills and limited educational attainment. Children that may change phone numbers, homes, and/or caregivers multiple times during the school year. We are a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) school, which means we spend a lot of time front-loading expectations and use a tiered system of interventions. For many of my students, the only constant is me and my classroom.

I’m sure many of you reading this can relate.

It can be hard. Emotionally draining. Mentally exhausting.

It has been for me. It was almost too much.

Until my clip chart saved me.

Saved my classroom. Saved my kids.

Last year I spent the first month of school tying my clip chart into each and every language arts lesson. Every read aloud. Every writing assignment. We spent hours discussing our clip chart.

Caring, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, and Citizenship are big words for children. For any children, but especially children whose primary concern is where their next meal is coming from, whom they are going home to, and where they’ll sleep that night.

They’re big, important, tough words.

But my kids? My kids lived them.

I have to tell you that as a teacher, no moment will ever be as important to me as the moment last Fall when one of my kiddos was having a hard time. He felt inadequate. Nervous. He felt stupid because he wasn’t sure he could finish an assignment.

One of my sweet little girls leaned over to him and said, “Remember that learning is a great responsibility, like Mrs. Plum says. Part of being responsible is trying. Just try. Put your heart into it and try. You’re going to do it — just believe in yourself. I believe in you and so does Mrs. Plum.“

Cue. the. tears.

As I (tried to) cry quietly in the darkness of the back of the room, I watched my sweet little boy try his hardest. And though he didn’t get it all right, he did his best. He was proud of himself. And I was too.

He came up to me later and said, “She really made me feel good about myself. She made me feel cared about. Can I put her clip on the chart and give her a tag for her necklace?“

Yes. Of course you can.

That was just one of dozens upon dozens of moments last year when my kids recognized each other’s character on our clip chart. There were many more moments when I did too. Small moments — helping someone up when they fell, sharing a piece of technology when their friend missed out the day before, turning their full attention to the speaker — and bigger moments, too.

Moments like the one when we had a few rough days. When we just weren’t in sync. When we sat down on the carpet, talked about what we wanted to do with our lives and then figured out a plan to get there. A plan that involved six little traits hanging on our wall, put into action.

Moments like that, that seemed almost too big for an eight year old to grasp… and yet, they did.

This isn’t your average clip chart, by any means. Students don’t start on the chart each day — they earn their way on. Each day is a new day, and not every day will end with a student’s clip on the chart. There were, of course, moments where we used our clip chart as a reference to talk about something they did that didn’t meet their expectations, their classmate’s expectations, or mine.

But it wasn’t about clipping up or down — there wasn’t any of that.

In particular, there was a time last year when one of my girls lied to me — as kids are sometimes prone to do. Instead of clipping down, or calling home, or sending her to talk to the counselor, we talked privately during recess.

She and I had a conversation — not a lecture — about why we value trustworthiness. She understood what it meant and we it’s so important to our classroom family. She was sorry. She apologized to me. She apologized to herself. We hugged. She ran off to play with her friends who gave her hugs too.

And that was that.

She didn’t take her clip off the chart (she had earned her way on earlier that day for demonstrating caring with our part-time inclusion students).

Taking her clip off the chart would send a message to her I didn’t want to send: you’re only as good as your last mistake.

Her breach of trust in lying to me did not erase her actions earlier in the day. It just showed us both that it’s an area we need to work on… together.

Mistake Quote - Facebook & Featured Image

The culture that our clip chart developed in our classroom is one that I will always look back to for the rest of my teaching career. We are a family because we have a core set of values that we think about as we interact with each other day after day. I can hold myself to those same values and reflect on whether or not I’ve met my obligation too.

I am immeasurably blessed to get to spend another year with my kids, this time in third grade. I’d spend the rest of their days in school with them if I could — we’re that bonded.

I know I owe so much of it to our clip chart.

I’ll never get rid of it.

{You can read more about the components of my clip chart alternative here and purchase it here. If you have any questions about it, please leave a comment and I will answer it.}