Move to Higher Ground – 1

6 thoughts on “Move to Higher Ground – 1”

1. Dana

   October 7, 2017 at 9:13 am

   You have me curious!

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2. Alisa Shapiro

   October 7, 2017 at 11:04 am

   I have a handful of new/transfer kiddies this year from the local Catholic elementary school. So I did spend a fair bit of time, as the opportunities arose during the first few classes asking the regulars to explain to the new kids aspects of “my game.”
   I have a poster of 5 norms on my board. Anyhoo, at least 3 veterans told the newbies that ‘we are here to support the flow of Spanish. So no disrupting/talking to your neighbor, and save your connections in English til the end of class.”
   Now, it could be that I am partial to the FLOW rule and so hammer it more, and therefore they remember it. But I think it sums up a lot, at least in an elem setting. It states in affirmatives terms what we DO NOT want – distractions & interruptions in the flow.

   I have never posted or tried using the “Sync your actions with my words” one. Instead I say to my actors, “Do exactly and only what I direct you to do,” as I lovingly caress my plastic Emmy award. Cheezy but the Ss do explain to the newbies with a wink that “she thinks she’s a famous Hollywood Director.” Ahh, the stuff I can get away with among the young.

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   1. Ben Slavic

      October 11, 2017 at 11:25 am

      Alisa I told a number of Atlanta teachers about your work. I didn’t mince my words. You are the only one actively sharing ideas about how to do CI at the elementary levels. Between you and Tina, I find very little to get excited about in this new work about Ci we are doing. So I suggest that write a book on it, so sorely needed right now. How? Just take all your ideas, along with all your comments here, stick them in a file, and start writing. I’ve done it. It works. This PLC has launched many books. Seven years ago a high school teacher in Massachusetts used it, with my permission. to write his PhD dissertation on CI from it. Don’t say you’re busy Alisa. The book on Elementary CI is needed now. It’s time. Teacher’s Discovery will sell it. Done. Get going. And Go Cubs.

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3. jen

   October 8, 2017 at 9:20 am

   I just read this and had to share it here:

   https://othmarstrombone.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/teaching-if-you-arent-dead-yet-you-arent-doing-it-well-enough/

   for me it is the ugly truth about teaching that is perpetuated by both outsiders and insiders. EXcept us!!!! We are busting this #$%% open!

   TEachers are people too! Someone on the liftoff page started a hashtag (I am old and do not really “get” hastags but I pretend I am hip, so here it is) #teachersnervesmatter

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4. Kara Martinson

   October 8, 2017 at 10:50 am

   I have 10 classes. This is my first year trying to do CI full-blown.

   Without those “rules” posted, I think I would really be struggling. I use the first three most of the time. It has been really helpful to just stop teaching and walk over the the poster. Not only does it give me a chance to calm down ;o) and give my voice a rest, but also kids get more involved in helping me out with chatty kids when I have to stop, walk all the way across the room. It also reminds me to end with a smile.

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   1. Ben Slavic

      October 11, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      And Kara there is the next level down – what Tina and I refer to as level 3 of classroom management – the Fred Jones stuff. I got to see Tina model it in Georgia again these past few days and trust me if the rules don’t work these will.

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