Reflect after you have implemented a task in your thinking classroom:
Give it a try! Implement the strategies that you have learned to provide your students with a rich math experience in your thinking classroom.
Consider the following questions:
- How did it go?
- What did you learn?
- What might you do differently next time?
Respond and Interact
After implementing a task in your classroom, please post your response to one {or more} of the prompts above. Read our colleagues' reflections. Feel free to respond to someone by sharing a comment, insight or interesting possibility.
I started implementing smaller strategies. I first rearranged my classroom so that I could defront it. The students were shocked by it, but then once they got used to it, I noticed how they were talking more when working as a group. I also started answering thinking questions. If it was a question that wasn’t one, I usually asked them a question back, use resource around the room, or ask a peer. I also tried giving my thinking task standing with the students before having them work in groups on mostly whiteboard spaces, but I did have to use chart paper for some groups. At first they were all raising their hands to ask me questions, but I kept asking them questions back, telling them to use their resources around the room or glance around to see if their peers work could help them get started. I have done vertical spaces before during math, but it was always on chart paper. When I shifted to whiteboards they also liked it, but they still had similar reactions to the chalk paper. Maybe they just need more practice with it, and I will see a shift with it later. When I did a whole class wrap up without me explaining anything and then students were asked to write down what they found important. Next time, I think I will do a whole class wrap up where I pick a few groups to share their findings and then elaborate on what all of that means and what we were doing. Then I will have them write down notes on what they think was important about what they learned.
ReplyDeleteI tried most of these strategies as I completed each chapter. Some of the strategies that I am implementing daily are random groups of three (students enter the classroom every day and receive a card to determine where they will sit that day), checking for understanding questions (one question each day following the Cool Down that students have an opportunity to complete by the next day but are not penalized if they do not finish), and the use of a navigation tool for students (just started this one this week but it is going well so far). I feel like I have defronted the classroom as best as I can right now, and students are using vertical surfaces several times a week (almost daily) with at least one of the activities from the math lesson. Our new math curriculum "Imagine Learning" provides quality thinking tasks in most lessons and great questions for the teacher to ask while moving about the room to mobilize knowledge and keep thinking going. The navigation tool I created for students for the current chapter will also be used as a tool I can use to assess students based on a variety of data. I am interested in seeing how well this tool works but am optimistic at this point. I need to work on adding note-taking to my lessons. I can imagine adding a note-taking tool to the back of each Cool Down for students to record important ideas, vocabulary, and examples after they complete the Cool Down (or maybe before they complete the cool down?). This past week I tried having the students stand to listen to the directions verbally but this strategy still feels a bit awkward for me and I will need to think more on how I introduce the routine. I have brought students back to the carpet rather than having them return to their seats, which is not how I usually have taught in the past, and I have felt like the students seem more engaged than when we have a discussion with students seated at their desks.
ReplyDeleteI think the strategy that has had the most impact is the random groups of three every day. The students are not only more engaged in thinking within their group, but they are more collaborative and flexible with how they work with others, and individually I am seeing more risk-taking happening with students that have been more self-conscious about sharing or asking questions. I love this! This book has changed my teaching in so many ways, and I am sharing what I am learning with colleagues and even some of my parents. People are excited to hear and consider making their own changes based on our conversations. That is exciting to me!!
I love this so much Julie! Thanks for sharing with your teammates, too. Grateful for your leadership!
DeleteI have shared with you my evolving classroom from the start of this book. We have changed in so many ways. I think our biggest change has come, from being a classroom of mostly one voice (mine) to a classroom of many voices (theirs). The results has been amazing. We are working hard to develop through our small group time an attitude of shared learning instead of shared answers. They are learning to speak the language of math to each other. A side benefit has been their learning to listen, to disagree agreeably and to work together for a common solution.
ReplyDeleteI have changed my thinking in the hopes of their thinking changing. I no longer give ready answers or have them spend time copying the right answer off the board. I'm letting them take risks and rewarding their effort not the result. They say if you reward what you really want you will get more of it. And I want thinking students not just students who get the right answer.
We have just started to work on the co-rubrics. Well that's a little funky right now but they are excited about it. They are looking at the workbook differently. Now, they are looking for what they think their going to be learning instead of waiting for me to do all the heavy lifting. It's fun to see students who were almost afraid of math speaking up and sharing what they think is the road map for the new unit.
There are many more changes we have made like: I have students stand for directions, I pay attention to where I'm giving instruction and we do some hilarious songs to make all this learning fun. They have also loved picking their own groups. I thought this would cause problems but it hasn't. It has become a very powerful motivator. All I have to say is "If we can't quite down then I'll have to pick the groups" and it's like magic the room becomes a soft hum of learning instead of the crazy town of noise.
So in closing I have loved the book. It defenitly has done what I hope it would do, by giving me strategies by which I can continue to develop, thinking, risk taking and persevering students.
Like others have said, I've made small implementation moves throughout my time with this book. I've defronted the room as much as I can, I'm using regular random groupings, and I do think I have shifted from "instructor" to "facilitator." Not answering stop-thinking questions has been magical for me and the students. I've definitely seen them lean into each other for knowledge and skills and it's exciting! They see it, too, and are so excited!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a JOY to learn alongside all of you! What lucky kids we have here in Tahoma to have such thoughtful, intentional teachers. 💙
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