Download to read offline
![Key Themes in these Activities:*
Have empathy; the material may be hard for the students
Give support before and during reading
Don’t leave kids alone with their textbooks
Make strategic choices about what is most important
Supplement Richly; Coordinate with magazine articles, newspapers,
websites, trade books, primary sources, etc.
Activity 1: Checking out the Textbook*
Introduce the textbook to the students before assigning sections to read.
Have the students answer the following questions.
1. Types of Text
Skim through the book and make a list of all the different types of documents or types
of text you will have to read (include graphic texts like graphs, maps).
2. Sidebars and Pull Boxes
Find examples of pull out boxes or sidebars. What kind of information appears in
these? Are they standardized throughout the book? (e.g., “Profiles in History,” “Science
in the Workplace”)?
3. Feature: Typography
Find examples of different type faces and styles. Write down the examples and where
they appear (e.g., large, bold type for chapter titles [e.g., 24 point font], 18 point font for
subheadings throughout the chapter). How does this book use bold face type? What
does it mean when they use italicized words?
4. Feature: Color
Does the textbook use color to convey information (e.g. what does it mean when you
see words in red ink on the page)?
5. Feature: Symbols and Icons
Does the textbook use symbols or icons to convey information? (e.g. if you see an icon
with a question mark in it, what does that mean? Are you supposed to do something,
like ask a question? Does it mean that this is a potential test question? Or is it a link to
a theme running throughout the book?)
6. Feature: Images and Graphics
What kind of information accompanies illustrations or images? Find examples of a
map, chart, and a photograph and then look for captions or sidebars that explain or
discuss the image. How is the image identified (e.g. Figure 2.6)?
7. Organization
How are chapters organized? Make a brief but accurate outline.
8. Navigation
Headers and Footers: Look at the top and bottom of the pages of the book. These are
called the header and footer. What kind of information is contained in this space? What
do you notice as you flip through 50 consecutive pages (e.g., does the content of the
header or footer change? If so, in what way, for what purpose?)
* Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to
Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/strategies-13376732114652-phpapp01-120522025502-phpapp01/75/Strategies-Notebook-17-2048.jpg)
![Assessment evaluation tools[1]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/assessmentevaluationtools1-110307162249-phpapp01-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
Strategies Notebook
- 1. My Strategies Notebook Stephanie Baker This notebook is a collection of strategies and ideas that can be used in an integrated language arts classroom between 7th and 12th grade. My teaching philosophy is included because it should guide my teaching as much as these strategies. Contents: My Teaching Philosophy Methods Differentiating Instruction Cooperative Groups Assessments Literacy Activities to Use Textbooks More Effectively Building Community in the Classroom Classroom Management Initiatives & Ice Breakers Resources Index
- 2. My Teaching Philosophy Inspirational Quotes The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. Carl Jung Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself. John Dewey
- 3.
- 4. Explicit Teaching Functions(For developing skills) 1. Review a. Homework, relevant previous learning, prerequisite skills and knowledge for this lesson 2. Presentation a. State lesson goals and outline b. Take small steps c. Model procedures d. Provide concrete positive examples and negative examples e. Clear language f. Check for understanding g. Avoid digressions 3. Guided Practice a. High frequency of questions or guided practice b. All students respond and receive feedback c. High success rate d. Continue practice until students are fluid e. Can be in groups 4. Corrections and feedback a. Give process when answers are correct, but hesitant b. Give sustaining feedback, clues, or reaching for incorrect answers c. Provide reteaching when necessary 5. Independent Practice a. Students receive help during initial steps or overview b. Practice continues until students are automatic (where relevant) c. Teacher provides active supervision (where possible) d. Routines are used to give help to slower students 6. Weekly and monthly reviews Presentation 5-20 minutes Practice 30-45 minutes Feedback with an exit slip or reflection
- 5. Imagination Strategies A NewUse 1. Pick one object. 2. Students sit in a circle. 3. Pass the object around. Each person has to come up with a different use/interpretation of the object. 4. Example for a plastic fountain drink lid a. Frisbee b. Serving plate c. “Landfill” doesn’t count “H”words (Used in Psychology) 1. Have each student write 5 words that begin with the letter “H” 2. Unusual words indicate a more creative mood. 3. To determine the quantitative value of unusual-ness, enter the word into the Google search field and record how many hits it comes up with. 4. The lower the hits, the more creative the word. Reading Strategies Accent When reading a play, have students pick an accent to go with their character. It doesn’t have to be applicable to the time period or location of the play. This will help keep the students’ interest. Vocabulary Match-up Materials: note cards with just vocabulary words and their matching definitions on another notecard. This could be done to review for a vocabulary test or to introduce vocabulary words where the class has to work together to figure out how the words and definitions match-up. Half of the class is given the vocabulary word; the other half has the definition. A complication would be to not allow the students to talk as they try to find their match. If the class is uneven, add a second definition for one of the words.
- 6. Written Conversations (Observedin Jim Behrens class) Offer several questions or things to consider from a novel at the start of the lesson. Then, pair students based on where they are in the book, as well as ability level. Have each student write a short note about the book to their partner, including a salutation and closing. Give the students 2 to 3 minutes to write their questions and responses. Then have a class discussion asking the students what they wrote about or read. Finish with discussing the questions posed at the beginning of the lesson. Also in “Assessment.” CNN Quizzes (Observed in David Harding’s class) Students take notes on colors, names, and numbers in the reading due in class. Then, the teacher gives a quiz where the answers are one of the colors, names, or numbers in the text. The students can use their notes for the quizzes. These are good to show whether or not students are doing the reading and to help them develop the detailed reading skills needed for analysis in Language Arts classes.
- 7. Methods: Differentiating Instruction
- 8. Methods: Cooperative Groups
- 10.
- 11. Purpose of Assessment* 1. Reflect, encourage, and becomes an integral part of good instruction 2. Focus on the major, whole outcomes valued in the curriculum 3. Most should be formative 4. Not competitive, but show what students have achieved. 5. Help students self-monitor and self-evaluate 6. Have a developmental perspective 7. Sensitive and appropriate for particular curriculum areas 8. Examine students’ growth from several perspectives 9. Document student work and achievement, not scores 10. Provide a database for deriving legitimate, defensible student grades 11. Cooperative: student, teacher, parent, collaborative 12. Good indicators of school performance Six basic constructive, formative, and reflection- oriented assessments:* Portfolios o Raw materials of students’ learning o Students select and reflect what pieces to include Conferences o Conversation to gather information about what a child knows and needs Anecdotal Records o Easy to track student’s growth over time Checklists o Note the degree of each student’s progress Performance assessment rubrics o A set of specific criteria for successful performance of a given activity o In writing, it tells what the necessary ingredients of successful writing are o Can invite students into the rubric process Classroom tests o Can be individualized (vocabulary) * Daniels, Harvey, and Marilyn Bizar. Teaching the best practice way methods that matter, K-12. Portland, Me: Stenhouse, 2004.
- 12. Found Poem The students have to create a poem using only the author’s words. It can be used to bring together information from a Jigsaw or to help students pay attention to details and diction in prose. Teacher must designate how many words/lines the poem must be (in a jigsaw, how much must come from each section). This could culminate in a performed dramatic reading for the class. Assessing Group Skills As the class is building cooperative group skills (and they always are), before each activity it is important to articulate what group skills you want them to focus on. Give each group a note card with these skills on it and room for tick marks after them. While the groups are working together, go around and monitor the groups to see if they are practicing the skills. Add a tick mark next to the skill each time you observe it. An award could be offered for the first group to use all the skills. Afterward, address the whole class with what you observed that was good that the groups were doing and what they need to work on in the future. Group Essay Give the groups a complex question to answer. 1. One person is a scribe for their brainstorming on how to answer the question. 2. Another scribe writes the rough draft of the group. 3. Another person reads the essay aloud, and they all edit it for grammar and content. 4. Another scribe write the group’s final draft. 5. Gallery: All of the groups read all of the other groups’ essays for peer critiquing. Exit Quiz (donated by Heath Allen) During the last 10 minutes of a class period, give the students an exit quiz with the learning objectives demonstrated in question and answer format. Use five questions that you think the students should know as a result of the lesson or class period. This will help the progress of the students. It is optional to add questions above or below level to gauge that as well.
- 13. Pre-test/Final test (Compilationbetween donations from Jan-Marie Ruminski and Jonathan Miller) At the beginning of the school year give a Pre-test to the students that would resemble (or is) a cumulative final exam for the class. This way you can tell where the class is as a whole and where they need to go. This can also be used as a tool for determining a seating chart, placing kids who are struggling in the front or near those that are further ahead. It will also give students a feel for the classroom and what they will be learning. Written Conversations (Observed in Jim Behrens class) Offer several questions or things to consider from a novel at the start of the lesson. Then, pair students based on where they are in the book, as well as ability level. Have each student write a short note about the book to their partner, including a salutation and closing. Give the students 2 to 3 minutes to write their questions and responses. Then have a class discussion asking the students what they wrote about or read. Finish with discussing the questions posed at the beginning of the lesson. Also in “Methods”
- 14.
- 15. Thinking Strategies of Effective Readers* Stages of Reading* Visualize (make mental pictures Before Reading or sensory images) Set purposes for reading Connect (connect to own Activate prior knowledge experience, to events in the world, Develop questions Make predictions to other readings) Question (to actively wonder, to During Reading surface uncertainties, to Sample Text interrogate the text) Visualize Infer (to predict, hypothesize, Hypothesize interpret, draw conclusions) Confirm/Alter predictions Evaluate (to determine Monitor comprehension importance, make judgement) Analyze (to notice text structures, After Reading author’s craft, vocabulary, Recall/ Retell purpose, theme, point of view) Evaluate Discuss Recall (to retell, summarize, Reread remember information) Apply Self-monitor (to recognize and Read More act on confusion, uncertainty, attention problems) The following photocopied pages* are reading strategies categorized by these stages of reading. * Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004.
- 16. Literacy Strategies: Activities to Use Textbooks More Effectively
- 17. Key Themes inthese Activities:* Have empathy; the material may be hard for the students Give support before and during reading Don’t leave kids alone with their textbooks Make strategic choices about what is most important Supplement Richly; Coordinate with magazine articles, newspapers, websites, trade books, primary sources, etc. Activity 1: Checking out the Textbook* Introduce the textbook to the students before assigning sections to read. Have the students answer the following questions. 1. Types of Text Skim through the book and make a list of all the different types of documents or types of text you will have to read (include graphic texts like graphs, maps). 2. Sidebars and Pull Boxes Find examples of pull out boxes or sidebars. What kind of information appears in these? Are they standardized throughout the book? (e.g., “Profiles in History,” “Science in the Workplace”)? 3. Feature: Typography Find examples of different type faces and styles. Write down the examples and where they appear (e.g., large, bold type for chapter titles [e.g., 24 point font], 18 point font for subheadings throughout the chapter). How does this book use bold face type? What does it mean when they use italicized words? 4. Feature: Color Does the textbook use color to convey information (e.g. what does it mean when you see words in red ink on the page)? 5. Feature: Symbols and Icons Does the textbook use symbols or icons to convey information? (e.g. if you see an icon with a question mark in it, what does that mean? Are you supposed to do something, like ask a question? Does it mean that this is a potential test question? Or is it a link to a theme running throughout the book?) 6. Feature: Images and Graphics What kind of information accompanies illustrations or images? Find examples of a map, chart, and a photograph and then look for captions or sidebars that explain or discuss the image. How is the image identified (e.g. Figure 2.6)? 7. Organization How are chapters organized? Make a brief but accurate outline. 8. Navigation Headers and Footers: Look at the top and bottom of the pages of the book. These are called the header and footer. What kind of information is contained in this space? What do you notice as you flip through 50 consecutive pages (e.g., does the content of the header or footer change? If so, in what way, for what purpose?) * Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004.
- 18. 9. Testing! Testing! Imagine you must now prepare for a big test. What features of this book would help you to prepare for that test? (Hint: Do not limit your answer to the practice or study questions.) 10. Reading Speed While your teacher times you, read one page of the book, taking notes as you normally would while reading it for homework. How long did that take you? Now do the math: If your teacher tells you to read the opening section for tomorrow and this section is 10 pages long, how much time do you need to allot for your homework in this class? 11. Concerns After familiarizing yourself with this textbook you may have concerns or questions. Getting these answered up front might help you read the textbook with greater success and confidence. Take this time to list any concerns you might have (e.g., reading speed, vocabulary). Activity 2: Jigsawing* Divide up the reading sections so that students can specialize in a smaller number of topics (or pages). Then, the students can hear oral summaries of the other sections. First the students meet in their “expert” groups with others who have read the same section. They review the content and make sure that they have a common understanding of the main characters, key events, and big ideas. Then, the students reform into heterogeneous “base” groups. The expert for each section then recounts the key elements to students who haven’t read it. Make sure to offer support to students before and after reading.
- 19. Activity 3: Guide-O-Rama* Written directions of where to dig deep, what to skim, and when to skip ahead. Helps model reading skills such as making connections and asking questions. Go page by page and add tips for the students to follow. Page # Tip 111-113 Read this introductory section slowly and carefully; it sets up the big ideas you’ll need later 112 When I was a kid I always wondered where all those goofy constellation names came from. And why so many of them don’t actually look like the crab or the spider or whatever they are named for. I mean, Big Dipper, I can see it, but Ursa Major (Big Bear)? Have you ever tried to spot Betelgeuse before? Do you think you could find it now, using Orion’s belt key? 113 The diagram on the lower left is really helpful. Activity 4: Vocabulary Word Sorts* Make a list of vocabulary words including some that the students already know, some familiar words used in unfamiliar ways, and others that are brand new. Have the students get into groups of four or five, and direct them to use their previous knowledge or best guesses to put the words into categories they can agree upon as a group. Then have the class share their categories. Discuss overlap as a class. (Similar to List, Group, Label, but occurs before reading.) Activity 5: Textbook Circles* Form the Textbook Circles by balancing student strengths and weaknesses in reading. Need to have skills in peer-led, small group discussions. The students can read the assigned text during one class period, taking notes or sharing ideas as they read. Then, they come together in their groups to discuss the material. The class debriefs at the end of the group discussions. This can be spread over a few days. * Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004.
- 20. Activity 6: SQ3R:Remembering Facts from Long Texts* SQ3R stands for survey, question, read, recite, and review. Used to help students remember big textbook chapters by slowing down, breaking the work into stages, and taking multiple, conscious steps to retain information. 1. Surveying will help students remember more details because they predict what will be in the chapter. 2. Questioning will result in the spontaneous attempt to answer with information already at hand, curiosity until the question is answered, a criterion against which the details can be inspected to determine relevance and importance, and a focal point for crystallizing a series of ideas (the answer). 3. Reading the text in light of the students own questions makes them more active readers and helps them understand, evaluate and determine the relative importance of the material. 4. Reciting will help to solidify understanding before moving on. 5. Reviewing will increase retention, especially if students use both immediate and later review. Students will need help understanding how to do each step. This can become pretty boring, laborious, and mechanical for students if over done. * Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004.
- 21. Lay out ofSQ3R steps Survey Preview the structure, organization, or plan of the chapter Think about the title Read the introduction and/or summary Read the headings and sub headings (boldface, color text, etc.) Look at any pictures, charts, or graphs (Do the next three for each subsection.) Question For the section of the chapter at hand, pose some questions you would like to have answered There may already be some questions supplied in the book, either at the beginning or end of the chapter You can formulate other questions by changing subheads into questions (for example, a subhead title “Causes of the Civil War” could be turned into the question: “What were the causes of the Civil War?”) Read Read to answer the questions you have developed Mark or highlight the answers as you find them Adjust your speed—if content does not relate to a question, move on Recite After reading the section, stop and take a minute to paraphrase or summarize the information Jot down the question you were pursuing Answer the question in your own words; use only key words needed to recall the whole idea Test your comprehension of the section by asking: what were the main points here? Review Review your notes within 24 hours of making them, and again within a week First, read your written question(s) Try to recite your answer. If you can’t, look at your notes. Five to 10 minutes should suffice for a chapter. * Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004.
- 22.
- 23. How to RememberPeople’s Names 1. Face association Examine a person's face discretely when you are introduced. Try to find an unusual feature, whether ears, hairline, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, complexion, etc. Create an association between that characteristic, the face, and the name in your mind. The association may be to link the person with someone else you know with the same name. Alternatively it may be to associate a rhyme or image of the name with the person's face or defining feature. 2. Repetition When you are introduced, ask for the person to repeat their name. Use the name yourself as often as possible (without overdoing it!). If it is unusual, ask how it is spelled or where it is comes from, and if appropriate, exchange cards. Keep in mind that the more often you hear and see the name, the more likely it is to sink in. Also, after you have left that person's company, review the name in your mind several times. If you are particularly keen you might decide to write it down and make notes. (Taken from http://www.mindtools.com) Line Game Put a line on the floor. Have students stand around the line. Name a characteristic, interest, or activity, and have every student with that it applies to step on the line. This is a good way to help students realize the similarities they share with their classmates. Camping Trip Students stand in a circle. One person is chosen to go first and they might say “My name is Stephanie, and I’m going on a camping trip. I’m going to bring shoelaces.” The student has to say an object that begins with the same letter as the first letter of their first name. The next person does the same, but they also have to say Stephanie’s name and what she’s bringing. The trend continues all the way around the circle until everyone has said their names and objects.
- 24. Bulletin Boards* Favorite Authorsand Books Celebrate your students' favorite authors and books with a special bulletin board! Devote each month to a favorite author or genre. 1. Write "We Love " in big letters at the top of the bulletin board. 2. Add the author's full name, birthday and biography, or simple facts about a genre. 3. Include classroom book reviews, the best book quotes, and pictures you or your students draw. 4. You can assign certain students to be responsible for creating each month's bulletin board or you can work on it together as a class. Doors of Poetry The Doors of Poetry are different "doors" that students can "unlock" in their minds to write poetry. These include: The Heart Door -- things that you love The Wonder Door -- things that you are wondering about The Humor Door -- write a funny, humorous poem The Observation Door -- things that you observe in the world around you The Memory Door -- memories from your life The World Door -- write about things that concern you, or things that you are thinking about for the world Students wrote several poems by "unlocking" each poetry door. They compiled a small book of their poetry -- the front of each page was illustrated to look like a door and the back of the page held the student's poem. Mapping Our Homes (adapted from source to reflect Jim Behren’s version) Place a road map on the bulletin board of the school district. Have students use push pins to indicate where they live (the ones that look like needles with colored balls at the end). Then tie a knot around each pin with a string of yarn and lead the yarn off of the map. At this end of the yarn, affix a note card with the student’s name. Now, every student can see who they live near for homework help, rides home, or boring Saturdays. * “Bulletin Boards to Motivate and Inspire.” Scholastic.com. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4526.
- 25. Interactive Bulletin Boards Workwith your students to create a bulletin board for a book you are preparing to read as a class, and add to it as your reading progresses. Charlotte's Web is used here as an example, but this bulletin board idea can be used with any book. Before beginning the book, work together with children to create a bulletin board of a farm scene that includes a barn, a pigpen, and Charlotte's doorway. As you encounter animal characters in the book, add them to the bulletin board. Label each animal with two or three adjectives that describe its character (e.g. Wilbur: loyal, considerate, humble). Discuss how the personalities of each contributed to the harmony (or disharmony) of the community. Once the book is finished, complete the bulletin board by creating a talk bubble for each animal that contains a quote from the story. Let students try to match the quote to the animal and staple it to the bulletin board above its head. Rather than let your boards always be ruled by changing seasons and approaching holidays, try an "Unfold a Story" board, an interactive class project designed for grades K-3 but adaptable to higher grade levels, to engage students in creating collaborative stories while honing writing skills any time of the year. Making the Book The idea is to create foldout books that students write by unfolding and filling in one page at a time: 1. Cover your bulletin board with craft paper and add a heading such as "Watch the Stories Unfold." 2. Cut white craft paper into long strips, 10"wide by 80" long. Draw lines every 10 inches, to create seven 10"-wide pages and a cover. 3. Starting at the right, fold one page over the next. Do not fold the last page-it will be the cover. Write the title of the book on the cover, then use pushpins to tack the book starting from the left side of the board. 4. To write in the book, students remove the pushpins and unfold it to reveal one page at a time (then tack the pages in place again). The cover of the book travels to the right of the board, and the page numbers count down from left to right. * “Bulletin Boards to Motivate and Inspire.” Scholastic.com. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4526.
- 26. Variations on thetheme: Facts Unfold: To write a nonfiction book, on each new page students write down a subject and related facts. Set up several of these Unfold a Story boards during science and social studies units to encourage children to share information on different topics within the particular curriculum. Unusual Events Unfold: Brainstorm uncommon events (real or make- believe) and use them to start off stories. Children will be proud to see their ideas up on the board and excited to see how their ideas evolve into stories. Fairy Tales Unfold: To get their creative juices flowing, share some unusual retellings of familiar tales, such as The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, by Jon Scieszka (Viking, 1989), in which the wolf tells his side. Then have kids try their own. Poems Unfold: Start the first line of a collaborative poem, then let the children build on it from one page to the next. Remind younger students that a poem can be like a tiny story and that lines don't have to rhyme. Students will be learning how to build a logical connection to what's already been written. And they'll be having fun. * “Bulletin Boards to Motivate and Inspire.” Scholastic.com. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4526.
- 27. Building Community inthe classroom: Initiatives & Ice-Breakers
- 28. Crossing the River Materials:Towels, Tape 1. Tape a finish line and start line about 20 feet apart in the hallway. 2. The students must get their whole group from the start line to the finish line without their feet touching the ground. Let them discuss a strategy. 3. If any one person “falls off the boat,” then they all have to go back. 4. Preferable to not make it a competition with another group, so that the students realize that they need to have teamwork to get across. Depict Me Have students bring in or draw two pictures that represent them. A complication could be that they are not allowed to be in the picture or that the pictures aren’t allowed to be of people at all. Then, each student shares his or her picture with the rest of the class and explains why it represents them. Two Truths and a Lie Each student writes down two truths about themselves and one lie, Then, each student shares the three statements as if they all were true. The teacher takes a poll to see how many students think the first, second, or third statement is the lie. A very neat way to learn interesting facts about fellow students! String Me Along (donated by Jonathan Miller) Materials: Ball of yarn Have each student pull and cut a length of yarn from the ball. The student gets to decide how much they want to take. Then have them go to the front of the classroom. The students have to talk about themselves for as long as it takes them to wrap the string around their finger. Be careful to warn the students not to wrap too tightly.
- 29. Building Community inthe Classroom: Classroom Management
- 30. 8 Steps toConflict Resolution* 1. Cool down. Don't try to resolve a conflict when you are angry (or the other person is angry). Take a time-out, or agree to meet again in 24 hours. 2. Describe the conflict. Each person should tell about what happened in his or her own words. No put-downs allowed! Important: Although each person may have a different view of the conflict and use different words to describe it, neither account is "right" or "wrong." 3. Describe what caused the conflict. What specific events led up to the conflict? What happened first? Next? Did the conflict start out as a minor disagreement or difference of opinion? What happened to turn it into a conflict? Important: Don't label the conflict either person's "fault." 4. Describe the feelings raised by the conflict. Again, each person should use his or her own words. Honesty is important. No blaming allowed! 5. Listen carefully and respectfully while the other person is talking. Try to understand his or her point of view. Don't interrupt. It might help to "reflect" the other person's perceptions and feelings by repeating them. Examples: "You didn't like it when I called you a name." "Your feelings are hurt." "You thought you should have first choice about what game to play at recess." "You're sad because you felt left out." 6. Brainstorm solutions to the conflict. Be creative. Affirm each other's ideas. Be open to new ideas. Make a list of brainstormed ideas so participants will remember them all; then choose one solution to try. Be willing to negotiate and compromise. Follow the three basic rules of brainstorming: o Participants come up with as many ideas as they can. o All ideas are okay. o Nobody makes fun of anyone's ideas.Try your solution. See how it works. Give it your best efforts. Be patient. 7. If one solution doesn't get results, try another. Keep trying. Brainstorm more solutions if you need to. * http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4099 By Allan Beane This article was adapted from his book The Bully Free Classroom: Over 100 Tips and Strategies for Teachers K–8 (Free Spirit Publishing, 1999).
- 31. Resources Books Daniels, Harvey, andMarilyn Bizar. Teaching the best practice way methods that matter, K-12. Portland, Me: Stenhouse, 2004. ----, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Chicago: Heinemann, 2004. Denton, Paula. The Power of Our Words Teacher Language that Helps Children Learn. New York: Northeast Fndtn for Children, 2007. Glasser, William. Choice Theory A New Psychology of Personal Freedom. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 1999. Sanborn, Mark. The Fred Factor How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. New York: Currency, 2004. Tomlinson, Carol Ann. The Differentiated Classroom Responding to the Needs of All Learners (ASCD). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2004. Winebrenner, Susan. Teaching kids with learning difficulties in the regular classroom ways to challenge and motivate struggling students to achieve proficiency with required standards. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Pub., 2005. Websites Education World: the educator’s best friend Lesson Planning, Prof Development, Tech Integration, School Issues http://www.educationworld.com All About Classroom Management and Discipline Contains links to web resources that have Classroom Management Tips http://www.suelebeau.com/classmanagement.htm Scholastic.com Teaching Resources Lesson Plans, Strategies, Tools, Printable and Mini Books, New Teacher http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/teach.jsp Project Adventure Kits for Initiatives http://www.pa.org/programs/advclassroom.php Landmarks Class Blogmeister Blogging tool for teachers and students in a controlled environment http://classblogmeister.com Teacher Xpress Collection of resource websites for teachers, grouped by category http://www.teacherxpress.com WannaLearn.com “Over 350 categories of free, first-rate, family-safe online tutorials, guides and instructionally oriented Websites” http://www.wannalearn.com
- 32. Rethinking Schools Online Includes Articles about current issues in education Developed links to other resources for issues in education http://www.rethinkingschools.org Middle Web Focused on middle school reform Excellent links to resources for teachers http://www.middleweb.com Tools EtherPad Lets multiple people work on the same text simultaneously Use to get ideas for lessons, themes, activities http://etherpad.com Word Press Free place to host blogs http://www.wordpress.com Digitales Using video stories as assessment http://www.digitales.us Educator Blogs Teachers at Risk Elona Hartjes shares the insights, resources and practical classroom strategies that have earned her A Teacher of Distinction Award. http://www.teachersatrisk.com Educating the Dragon http://educatingthedragon.edublogs.org Shrewdness of Apes http://shrewdnessofapes.blogspot.com
- 33.