Polish it Up - Take 2!

A year ago I wrote a post about an idea I had to help students apply a growth mindset without costing us more time and energy that what we would normally do in class. It was called "Polish it Up Day". You can read about the entire thing HERE.

This post is about my own reflection of the concept, and how I made changes (by applying a "growth mindset" to my own teaching) And how MUCH BETTER this has become, thanks to reflection and growth.

What Didn't Work

• With the "Polish it Up Day" at the very end of the semester, before Christmas Break, many students simply didn't want to redo work. They had already "gone to break" and even though parents encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity...many didn't. 
• Some kids did try to "polish up" and were trying to complete work that was done over 9 weeks ago. They struggled to improve their scores, find the necessary materials, or even remember what the assignment was.

How I fixed it.

There was really one major change that I made that fixed these two problems. Instead of having it be one day at the end of the semester, I have it included as part of our "review day" before the test of a particular unit. Each review day before a test and up until the end of the class period on the test day, students can resubmit anything done during that unit for a better grade. Once the test day passes so does the opportunity, for that unit. We move on to the next topic, and so do they. Grades stand after that. 

This goes for any student and any grade. If someone scored an 89% of a writing assignment he/she can go back, add more details, make corrections and improve their score. Same for someone who had a 56%. Everyone has the opportunity to get better. 

This is also perfect because by redoing those assignments it is a great way to review for the test other than just filling out the review sheet. It also gives kids more than one shot at improving throughout the semester. 

The Results:

This was great!I am so happy I didn't just throw out the "Polish it UP" idea because I had so many students take advantage of the opportunity to get better. I had F's turn into C's because of this. I had students come to me to ask clarifying questions, explain their grades, and review material before a test. This will definitely remain in my daily rotation.

Also...what a great conversation to have with parents at conferences when they as what their child can do for a better grade. I have no need for extra credit and parents will appreciate the opportunity as well. 

Final Fridays: Discussions, Community, and Coffee!

Last fall I attended our Kansas State Social Studies Conference, like I always do.  This is my FAVORITE conference to go to each year. Why? Because Kansas has some Kick-Ass Social Studies teachers who like to share their stuff. This conference is awesome. I always walk away smarter and I always walk away with ideas to implement into my classroom right away.

Except last year.

Last year I walked away with an awesome idea... but struggled to see how it would fit into my middle school classroom.

If only I taught high school - I thought.

That thought, this activity, that moment is when I seriously started to consider looking for a change. It seems funny now, that something as simple as an idea that was sparked at a conference led me to make some really big decisions.

The idea. Classroom discussions in the form of "coffee shop" themed classroom. The idea came from a session presented by Hers and History dynamic duo, Ty and Kaitlyn Unrau. (Follow them on Instagram @HersandHistory and on Twitter @KDoubleU13 and @CoachTyUnrau)

So when I was hired at MHS I knew I could put this into motion and add a few things to it as well. Here's what I came up with... 

The Name: I wanted a cool title for the activity that students could associate it with me and my classroom whenever they heard it. I also knew that I wanted this to be more than just a "one and done" activity. I wanted it to be something they looked forward to and possibly even want a hand in helping plan in the future. Once a month sounded good to me...so Final Friday was born. Each Final Friday of the month that we are in school, our coffee shop discussion would occur.

The Menu: I knew that I wouldn't be able to just throw the kids into groups and say "talk about ____".  Even high school kids need a little direction. And this summer, my principal helped put the last bits into place with his "BrewedPD" sessions he would have every Wednesday at local coffee shops. We would come in and he'd hand us a "menu" of topics which he just compiled over the summer as he read interesting things over the summer. Someone would choose something from the menu and we'd discuss it. I loved it! And that's what I did. I created menus which had topic questions or starters for students to know what to talk about. I decided on three different menus, each with a different "theme" for discussion. 1.) Current Unit of Study - - 2.) Current Events and Digital Literacy - - 3.) School culture and climate. This would allow for me, not only to hit standards, but also incorporate student voice in the current world as well. In my classroom I have a seating design that allows me to move students to different teams quickly and easily. This allows me to have kids in three different groups.

Want a copy of my first menu.... Click HERE for the entire Menu I used for August (and will use again next semester). Each month the menus will change.

The Coffee: I can brew coffee. Sure. BUT I wanted to find a way to involve the community in what we are doing. A way to bring the community into our school. So I started with a little local coffee shop, Moxi Junction. I stopped by one Saturday and talked to the owner. I was hoping she would be willing to "sponsor" our August Final Friday by providing some coffee, in exchange for a little "social media advertising." She was all in! And not just for the month of August. She wants to sponsor each month...AND we're working out a way to have our final, Final Friday (in December) on location at her coffee shop. Awesome! BONUS....the kids were super excited to see "Moxi Coffee" in the room when they walked in. :)

The Results. The conversation was AWESOME. Not only do these kids enjoy having the opportunity to talk with each other, but they have great ideas. Seriously great ideas. They also have concerns. Those concerns should be heard and really considered.

What are those concerns? The same things came up in all groups and all classes across multiple age groups.

• Homework. They have a lot. Too much. It stresses them out. Over and over again I heard kids say that they have too much homework. 
• Grace. They want to be treated with grace and understanding. They have insanely busy lives. Much busier than I had in high school, let alone teachers who have been teaching for 25 years or more. They want teachers to understand their unique situations and consider that life is more than just school.
• Kindness. They want kindness from both teachers and peers. 
• The future. They want to be successful. They want classes to be relevant to their success. 
• They want active learning, hands on classes. They hate "sit and get." 

As with many new things that I try in the classroom, I wanted the student's opinions on how they felt the day went. What they would like to see in the future and what topics they want to talk about. Again, they make great points. Overwhelmingly they want to talk about difficult topics that are controversial. They WANT to have these conversations, they want to learn how to disagree and how to respectfully argue. And that's something I can, and will do.

My Final Thoughts:
This was, hands down, one of the best days of my teaching career. Administrators came by to have conversations with kids, engagement was 100% on task. Relevancy was easily apparent. And relationships were built. I can't think of another activity that I have done that allowed me to grow in more of an understanding of my students than this Final Friday activity. I could go on and on about all the things the kids learned and how many skills they began to develop today. But I'm going to stop for now and leave you with this thought...

Kids today are going to change the world in one way or another. What can we do to help them develop the skills necessary to make a strong, positive change?

Teaching Self-Regulation

I feel like my posts of late on falling into a little trend of teaching students skills that aren't content related, but more "working world" skills. Last week was organization, checking emails and to-do lists (click HERE). This week I'm tackling a whole new skill that I've been wanting to write about it for awhile now, and even though I have a million other things I could be doing. I need to get this out there.

Today's topic that keeps going through my mind is... Cell Phones and Self Regulation.

Students having cell phones has never been an issue for me. When I was teaching middle school, most kids kept their phones in their locker (if they even had one). Occasionally one would go off in class and I'd ignore it. No biggie. HS kids weren't allowed to have them at all.

But things are different this year. I have high school kids coming into my classroom in two weeks armed with a cell phone...that they are very comfortable using. I have gone back and forth on what my 'policy" will be. Most teachers classrooms have one of those calculator hanger things for kids to put their phones in at the start of class. And it's a good policy to have...

BUT.

(You sensed a but coming, right??)

There's a larger reality to kids having their cell phones than just playing Angry Birds during a teacher lecture. (Dated myself there didn't I...does anyone even play Angry Birds anymore?) The truth is...that cell phones will be (and are) a part of the working world. How many of you, reading this blog have your phone within 2 feet from you? How many people working their jobs right now have their phones on them, in their purse, on their desk or even have it connected to their watches?

I bet it's an overwhelming majority.

The REALITY of cell phones, is that they're here to stay. They are part of the lives of our high school kids and will be when they go off to college and start their first job (although they may look/act different).

Just taking away student's phones doesn't help prepare them for the world out there. The world that is going to expect them to be able to complete tasks, attend meetings, and flat out function while having their phones with them.

They need to learn to self-regulate! 

It is a HUGE and NECESSARY skill, and one that we MUST TEACH! As all of this has been running in my head, I came across this Tweet from Glenn Weibe. Which just gave me even more motivation.

So...I'm going to use my cell phone policy to teach kids how to self regulate. I will have one of those calculator pouches to hang phones in...but it will be voluntary (for the most part). Explaining to students that being able to function with a cell phone on them or right next to them is a skill that they must have in order to be successful in today (and tomorrow's?) world. If they have their phone, they are expected to...

• Focus on the work at hand 
• Listen respectfully 
• Participate in class 
• Be a good person

If they can't do that (at the ages of 14-17) then, THEY need to recognize the problem and regulate it by placing the phone in the pouches. If they can't recognize the problem...that's where I come in and give them a simple nudge in the right direction. 

Here's the next part... This goes for ME TOO. They will see my phone in there too. Sometimes I struggle to stay focused, when I just want to watch the cute video I took of my kids the previous day. What's good for them is good for me too...I will MODEL self-regulation with the cell phone as much as possible. They need to see that it is possible. And a great way for me to show them the same respect I ask of them in return. 

 

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Author's Note: I am fully aware that this will be a BIG learning year for me. I know that I will be doing a lot of reflecting and adjusting as time goes by. This may be a big flop...but when the need for student self regulation is so great...this is the best way for me to teach it from day one. Stay tuned to see how this plays out! 

New Year...New Goals

I know...I know... It's still July. I shouldn't be posting anything educational for at least another two weeks, right?

You'll get over it. Cause whether your ready or not, the school year is quickly approaching. And for those about to start their first teaching job, or those (like me) starting in a brand new position, that start date is not just approaching, it's comin' at us at warp speed!

I always seem to be thinking about new stuff, changes I can make to my classroom, ways to get better, and ways to make better, easier to accomplish. This comes through reflection. Where are my weaknesses, where are my students' weaknesses, how can I use my classroom to help improve both my own struggles and my students?

This can be overwhelming. Cause we all have weaknesses. We all struggle. And we all have areas that can be improved. I'm going to throw my focus into two things this year. A focus for me and a focus for my students... BUT it's one thing to say I have a goal...the real magic is in the PLAN. How am I going to make it happen?

GOAL 1: My Focus - - Survival.
Seriously. I'm starting a new position, moving from doing the same thing for the last 13 years to something I haven't done in the classroom since student teaching.  All while experiencing a VERY busy time in my personal life. 4 littles at home ages 7 and younger. Yup. FOUR. Yup. They're all mine. Yup. I know how this happens... They were all planned ;o)

The PLAN: I have a certain way I like to do things. But sometimes, in the name of survival, I have to back off from my obsession with creating everything for my classroom myself and lean on those around me. I have an amazing PLN on Twitter, Facebook, and within the state of Kansas. And for the first time in my career I have other teachers in my building who teach the same thing I do. I have colleagues to lean on, discuss ideas with, and steal borrow materials while I keep my head above water. Then make changes in 2nd semester and as time goes on, continue to build on the classroom I love.

GOAL 2: Student Focus - - Organization. 
I'll be honest. This goal is one I had planned for this year, even if I was still planning to be in the middle school. One thing that has been a struggle for my teenage students is organizing and keeping track of what they need to do. It is something that we, as teachers, complain about, but RARELY GIVE TIME OR INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO DO THIS. I have always been a teacher from bell to bell. We pack a ton of stuff into one class period. I never really made time for my students to organize in class. This needs to change. My class is not so important that I can give them 3-5 minutes to help build some organizational habits.

You see... being in a 1:1 district both at my old school and now at my new one, email is a necessity for students. It just is. You can debate whether or not it should be another time. Reality is...kids need to check their email. They also need a way to keep track of their stuff "to-do." Whether that's making a list on Google Keep or using a old-fashioned sticky note...they need a running list of what needs to get done and by when.

The PLAN: In order to help them establish these two habits, I am going to dedicate the first 3-5 minutes of my class period to checking email and updating their to-do lists. Some kids will never actually open their email (because it isn't something they use on a daily basis as 14-17 year olds) or even know where to begin to make a list and prioritize their work. I'm hoping this helps develop that habit.

Also, I'm going to play a song everyday when they come in the room. While the song is playing, they'll have a chance to check their email and update their to-do list. I will show them Google Keep (basically an online "sticky-note) and I'll have a bunch of actual sticky notes available to them if they want to write it down and stick it to their laptops. The point of the song is to be an audio clue for them (and me) to start the class with those tasks. I'm hoping that if I forget, they will remind be because they will miss music at the start of class.

I'm stopping there. Those are my two points of focus for the first semester. Then, before starting in January I can re-evaluate and see what changes I need to make. I'll ask for student input and see what they suggest as well.

Are you a goal setter? What are you looking to improve upon this year? What is your PLAN to make it happen?

The Cieling Tile Project

This is a post long over due. One of my favorite projects that I created a couple years ago, and one that gets a lot of attention anytime someone walks into my classroom. I love this project for so many reasons, but one of those being the flexibilty of it. Different age group, different content, different "canvas" - - No problem!

Here are the details!

Diclaimer... This project involves decorating the ceiling tile in the classroom. I often get asked "how" I was able to get permission for this. Technically it was one of those "permission vs. forgiveness" situations. If you are not in the position to do this with the tiles, I have seen it adapted by using bulletin board paper and hung as posters on the wall instead. (Although it is WAY cool on the ceiling!)

The Original MS Project: Ceiling Tile Dedication Project

Objective: Students would chose an event, person, or document in US history that they believe is "worthy" to be dedicated to the classroom. They would research the topic to create a dedication statement explaining the impact of that event/person/document on American History. Working in teams students will decorate the tile to honor that event/person/document.

Set up: This project was created to be a PBL style project. Students do everything from chose topics, to help design the rubric.

Done by me:
Group Students
Hook Students
Guide the rubric creating session
Assist/Guide the Team Contract Writing
Facilitate learning/working throughout class time.
Provide resources for students to decorate tiles

Grouping:
OK...this project does require an aesthetic piece. It is important that these tiles look "good." I am a firm believer in NOT grading a kid down due to a lack in artistic ability. I have a trick to make this work for everyone. For this project I group based on artistic talent. On the first day of school I have my student do a simple drawing exercise. (I blogged about there HERE). I take these papers and divvy up the groups based on the best illustrators...sort of like the NFL draft, only with drawing skills instead of football skills. The GREAT thing about this, is sometimes your most talented illustrators aren't the most academically strong. This method of grouping gives those kids a chance to shine and really be the anchor for the team. It's a great way to pump up that kid's confidence to their team.... "Wow, did you guys hit the jackpot with Steve on your team. Have you seen how he can draw? You're welcome..."

The Hook:
This intro is by far one of my favorites. I sent out this teaser photo a couple days before the project with the caption "Why is Mrs. Weber on the floor? Find out on Monday!" This got their curiosity flowing before the day actually go here.

On Monday, I got on the floor just like that as the kids came into the classroom. I didn't move a muscle. As they finally noticed what I was doing, I had them HOOKED. Without saying a word, and continuing to look up at the ceiling, I climbed on a desk and took down a ceiling tile. I then complained that these were too bland, boring, and white and needed to change. I asked the kids if they would like to decorate the tiles for me...of course YES! BUT...we needed to figure out what to decorate. What should a social studies classroom have? The kids then started shouting out different topics. As a class they decided that it needed to be people, events, or documents that impacted our history. (See what I did there...That's what I wanted all along but the students THINK THEY CAME UP WITH THE CRITERIA...Genius!)

The Rubric: As with most PBL, the students were included in the rubric guidelines. Don't be afraid to try this...they are better at it than you think. I just had three categories (Content - Tile Design - Presentation) and they helped give ideas of what to include in each one. I then took all their ideas from all of my classes and created a more "polished" rubric took. Click here for the final RUBRIC.

Contract writing: In order to try and keep this project from falling into the group project pit of "some do all and some do none" I have my kids create team contract. Similar in idea to a job contract that adults sign when starting a new job. To keep it short... students come up with a list of things they will do and won't do in order to be successful, make an "absent policy" and come up with a strike system. This SAVES me a lot of grief during the work days of the project and it is a HUGE learning opportunity for students. For more information on contracts, read this blog post.

The Presentation:
When groups are finished and the tiles are all done, it's time for the presentation. I set this up sort of like a "living art gallery." I have the groups line up with their tiles. I go LIVE on social media for these presentations and just move from on team to the next as they give their short "impact" statement. This gives the kids a "real" audience. They are always nervous and act all worried about it being on social media, but in the end want reports on how many "views" and "comments" they got. Then the tiles go on display in the classroom. Kids pick their spots and we put the back.

I totally had to let go of control with the display. Oh how I wanted to evenly distribute where the tiles went and what colors went where, but this is THEIR project, this helps the room become THEIRS. And in the end they are always a conversation piece when people enter my classroom.

Other Ideas:
I LOVE this project, but one thing I love about it is the flexibility of it. Content areas? Any. Higher/More requirements? Sure. I am planning on having my high school kids do this, but I'm going to add more specifics to it such as...
A Primary Source
Pictures with captions
Quotes
A Poem
Cited sources and explanations.
A longer "speech"... for high school students I'm thinking about the Hollywood Star Ceremonies when there's an entire speech delivered on why this actor/actress deserves a star. I think my kids can deliver an entire speech why they think Carry Nation deserves to be on the ceiling. So many possibilities!!!

So much fun! The kids absolutely LOVE this! Give it a try and then give me a shout out on Twitter so I can see it! (@JillWebs).

The "Season" of Professional Development

I have said it before. Professional Development is one of the key factors in becoming a better teacher. Period.

In the first few years of my teaching career, I struggled to be willing to go to conferences and workshops. It was so much work to be gone during the school year, and summer was my time.  Then I was lucky enough to be invited in to join a Teaching American History grant which would include 40 middle school social studies teachers who would all work to get better. Long story short, I went in grudgingly and left advocating for all teachers to have a group like that. (Want to read more about our group...click HERE).

That experience was all it took for me to become full-on PD focused! I LOVE connecting with other teachers, learning, stealing ideas, and just being around other educators. There is something so powerful and uplifting when teacher get together with the desire to all get smarter!

Here's the thing.

It's summer again. And I am coming across conference after conference that I want to be a part of. I want to present and attend as many sessions as I can.

But.

(Did you sense a "but" coming...)

My "season of life" makes it a little difficult to do those things right now.

By "season of life" I mean the family side... During the summer my husband and I enjoy 2 months of no daycare cost. And...we just added our 4th child in February. So... anyone out there want to take a stab at the cost of daycare for 4 kiddos? The savings is pretty substantial.

My point is... all those conferences and workshops I would love to go to just aren't going to happen this summer (or probably for the next few summers...). Summer is the time I try to make sure my kids don't have to compete with my job for my attention.

So...how do I continue to get PD during the summer?

I literally get it at my fingertips when I can. Facebook groups, Twitter, blogs. I read them during nap time when I'm laying on the recliner with the baby. I pin cool articles to read, lessons to check up on, and activities to try out while I'm binge watching Santa Clarita Diet before bed. I try to get what I can, when I can.

Seasons change and I know there will be a day when I can attend a Gilder Lehrman Seminar and put in a proposal to present at summer conferences. But for this season in my life I'll continue to make online connections and write down ideas I come across right at my fingertips!

How are you getting your PD in this summer?

Taking Risks, the Word Never, and New Adventures

That word "never."

Pesky little devil.

I've said it a handful of times. And she has proven me wrong every. single. time.

I was NEVER going to go to a JUCO. I went, loved it, and am now am an advocate for students to start out there if they can. Its a great way to reduce cost of college and mark off some of those gen-eds.

I was NEVER going to go to Emporia State. The university closet to home, I wanted to get AWAY. I'm now a proud graduate of their excellent teaching program.

I was NEVER going to move back in with my parents. I did. While student teaching. I don't regret it.

I was NEVER going to teach West of Wichita. 13 years in Cheney KS. You guessed it. West of Wichita.

I was NEVER going to leave Cheney. I was NEVER going to leave my middle schoolers for High School.

Wanna take bets on what comes next...

After 13 years at an amazing school working an amazing job, I"m changing things up. I have taken a new position teaching High School Social Studies at Maize HS. I am beyond excited for this new chapter in my life.

Sometimes I still can't believe that it's happening. What am I thinking? Leaving something I'm comfortable with, something I'm good at for something brand new. Something I haven't done since student teaching. (While having 4 kids ages 7 and under...) Cheney has been SO GOOD TO ME, and I've had the opportunity to be a part of many "ripples" of inspiration. (Read about Teacher Ripples here).  But I strive on challenges. I love to take risks. And after 13 years in the same position I found myself starting to want more than my beloved little school could offer. I was starting to get "too comfortable."

It's time for me to take a big step outside my comfort zone and discover new strengths, new challenges, and grow both professionally and personally.

It's time for me to make ripples in a new pond.

And to find a new "never" to try to avoid...