and then again on Facebook...
click here to see the video
It really touched my heart...
every year I have one or two kiddos that struggle to fit in...
they can't find a place in the crowd!!!
This is due to various reasons...
awkward socialization, new kid on the block, boys have cooties, sky high IQ, low functioning, behavior problem, and the list goes on and on!!!
I always try to help the "loners" fit in...
twisting and turning strategies, flip flopping groups, and social skills lessons
BUT it doesn't always work... and that is why I thought this video along with its simple idea
was a wonderful solution...
sooooooo I started doing it over a month ago.
so basically...
the kiddos get an index card
and on the index card they write the names of 3 classmates they would love to partner up with for the upcoming week...
they also draw a star on the card and nominate ONE student for head of the class...
I stress that this Head of the Class nomination needs to be based on who had a great week, who has been working hard, maybe this person had a big improvement from last week, they might have done several good deeds, etc... It really is a pathetic attempt to persuade their votes towards someone that they might not otherwise vote for... I want them to REALLY THINK who deserves it... not which FRIEND or cool kid they should vote for... now if their friend or the cool kid deserves it... then that is A OKAY... the first few weeks the popular kids were winning and now we are on our 3rd week of having a truly deserved Head of the Class and I owe this too....
THEIR PICKS...
yep
each week when they write down their 3 names...
I document their picks and try my hardest to make them happen...
I didn't feel comfortable sharing my kiddos names so hope you can get over the blurry blurry
when they turn in their 3 picks I record their picks next to their name...
then as I group them, pair them up for partner work, or pick their groups for math games or rotations...
I highlight the names.
I use orange to indicate that they sit with each other already... (desk assignments)
we do a lot group work within our seating assignments so this is helpful to me
* I have also changed seating assignments... not a whole bunch maybe 2or 3 here or there for the week
this is HUGE for me because I am a teacher of comfort... I like to find an arrangement and grouping that works well together and leave it be... so changing these one or 2 desks around has me out of my comfort zone ... but I am doing it and the kids are loving it :)
I use pink to indicate they played a game together... it could be any type of game... last week we had a Yahtzee tournament and so there was a lot of pink going on
Yellow is used if they worked together on an academic assignment... maybe partner reading with comprehension questions or math problems... anything they might turn in for a grade.
I try my hardest all week long to grant every single kiddos' request
I look at this list all the time...
I look to see who gets picked a bunch and whose name doesn't show up at all...
it is the kids that don't show up that get the most attention from me...
I make sure I pair them up with their picks and few more...
they are my priority for the week!!!
for some reason the family is not including them or thinking of them...
this is where the vote section comes in handy...
I give 2 tally marks for being voted for head of class and then one tally for every time their name shows up as a request...
this gives me a good idea of who is being missed...
I call on this student more often during the week
I praise them more
I point out good things they do
I am trying to get them noticed...
NO-ONE is going to blend in to the surroundings...
this tends to work...
by looking at your votes each week you can see changes in the dynamics of the class...
cool kids are no longer the leaders... it is always changing... everyone is having a chance to be the
HEAD OF THE CLASS
before I pair up or group... I make sure to reiterate that if they are paired up with someone they didn't pick... their new partner might have picked them... OR I might have paired them up because I thought they would make a great team... THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK which one it is...
I also warned them about reacting to their pair up... if someone requested to work with you and I pair you up and your response was a rolling eyes or a hmmmph... you are not only hurting the feelings of the person that picked you but you are also probably going to lose some requests for the next week...
and sure enough that happened to one of my little girls....
she got attitude when I would pair her or group her with kids that were not on her list...
she really did offend the kids that picked her and then others saw it too...
she is a popular pick... well she use to be... the rest of the kids saw her attitude and guess what no requests for her this week... this led me to a mini lesson about graciousness and selfishness...
this system has changed my classroom...
I always pride myself on having a "family" in my classroom and this has brought us closer...
they are more supportive of one another...
they celebrate triumphs and encourage one another...
they love it when I pull out the clipboard with the list on it because they KNOW they are about to work with someone special!!!
I cannot tell you
in this post
how great it is to see ALL of my kiddos be included...
we are a FAMILY!!!
as a thank you...
I have included blank templates of my list
and the Head of the Class Certificate
Oh I forgot to mention...
Head of the Class gets to give the Spelling Test on Friday... THEY LOVE THIS
and they are the line leader for the week too...
ok now for the freebies
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THEM FROM DROPBOX
If you have any questions...
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ask in the comments and I will try my hardest to respond....
I seriously have spent about 3 different days writing this...
because although it is simple in its concept it is complex in its use
I hope it makes sense...
if not let me know so I can clarify it!!!
toodles