10 Ways to Welcome Back Staff and Students: Tips for Principals/Lead Learners

I love being a classroom teacher. I work hard at it, and I know that I am competent and do my best on a daily basis. I feel at home in a classroom.

Now, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone. I am going to be stepping into a role of Acting Vice-Principal in the fall. Call it a test-run if you will.

It will be all new to me, and I am really not sure where to start.

So I turned to Twitter.

The #IAedchat caught my eye, as the evening's topic was "Ways to Welcome Back Staff and Students".  I figured that tips from experts would be a great way to get myself started.

In order to consolidate my learning from the chat, I have selected 10 of the many tips that I learned, and reflected on them.

And so, in no particular order, here they are:

1.   K @Teach4SpclNeeds shared her plan to make a welcome back video for the whole school with photos of staff and positive messages.  Ok, how fun is that. Here is an amazing example with a staff All-Star Draft and Press Conference video. And what a great way to practice using a green screen, video apps and software, and special effects.

2.   Tara @TaraNotz is going to have student-led announcements for the school and parents through Google Hangouts.  What a fantastic idea. This will go beyond the faceless voice for announcements; props, costumes, student artifacts, these can all be included in announcements.

3.   Joel @joelped33 suggested making sure that parents hear good news before they hear bad.  Choose some of your students who struggle most and call their parents with positive news before anything negative has happened. All teachers should be encouraged to do this.  It really is incredible currency, and builds relationships with families.

4.   Josh @JoshNGriffith is going to use Vine videos to show snapshots of learning throughout the school. I can't wait to try out this idea.  Last year I racked my brain to try and figure out a way to incorporate vine into my classroom. I guess I had better start practicing my "vine-ing" before back-to-school.

5.   Dr. Greg Goins @wfsuper remarked that Smore is a great tool for e-newsletters, with video-embed options.  I had no idea what Smore was (other than something we have been eating way too many of this summer around the campfire!) so of course, I googled it. Turns out it creates beautiful graphic newsletters. I used Piktochart last year, which is more of an infographic tool that I adapted. I will definitely play around with Smore to compare it.

6.   Mandy @mandyeellis has the Port-a-Principal. Click to check out her rolling, portable workstation. No more being stuck in the office. Principals can be visible throughout the school and still get to work on what they need to do.  What a fantastic idea.

7.   Nick @Nick_Proud goes to every staff member after the first day of school and asks how their day went.  He also brings candy.  I hate to admit it, but I am definitely a teacher who appreciated candy. And chocolate. I plan to stock up at Costco when I am back-to-school shopping to keep a stash in my new office.  At the end of a long day in the classroom, I have had principals show up at my doorway with candy, and it definitely brings a smile. I want to be able to pay that forward this year.

8. Ann @AnnBuckley19 will often reply to emails and include a GIF or a Vine at the end that will bring a smile.  It's so cliche, but sometimes it really is the smallest gestures that can make someones day.  Anyone have some to share?

9. Another one from Josh @JoshNGriffith. He stays that you can show teachers support by getting into their classrooms and helping with the heavy lifting during classroom set up before school begins.  This is so true. I once has a principal offer to put up my bulletin board backgrounds for me, a job that I truly hate.  I was so appreciative. This is a way that I can get to know staff, something about their teaching style by the way they set up their room, and show my willingness to help out. I know that as a teacher I was always so grateful to have help.

10. Brad @seamberb hopes to get his entire staff on Voxer to communicate.  I have just started playing with Voxer this summer, and I see a lot of value in it.  The walkie-talkie app would be great for yard supervision emergencies, getting a quick message (or a cry for help) to admin as they are moving throughout the school, cutting down on the need to send a student to find supplies by voxing a teacher nearby (Do you have any more glue sticks we can borrow? Pencils? Notebooks?). I would love to have this tool in school. Does anyone have other uses for it? Tips?


There are many more takeaways that I had from the chat. I think I learned more by lurking for that hour than I could have by reading half a dozen professional texts. It's all about building relationships, and acts of kindness can go a very long way to showing people that you truly care.

If you want to view the rest of the chat content, here is the #IAedchat Storify that was created of the chat.

My Top 5 Summer Reads for Educators #summerreading

For those who think that teachers have two months of "vacation" in the summer, they would be wrong.  Many of us of compiling lists and plans of professional development "to-do's over the summer months.

Here are my top 5 suggestions for those who are looking for a starting point.

50 Things You Can do With Google Classroom by Alice Keeler @alicekeeler

This one I haven't read yet.  But I want to. Actually, I haven't gotten it ordered yet.  Perhaps someone will get if for my for my upcoming birthday?  Hint, hint?


Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess @burgessdave

Amazing insight into classroom practices. How to use your personal creativity to engage and inspire your students.

Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz @PaulSolarz

I am in the middle of this book currently.  The Twitter chats are amazing at #LearnLap.  Follow the hashtag and check it out.  

What Connected Educators do Differently by Todd Whitaker (Author), Jeffrey Zoul (Author), Jimmy Casas (Author)

This book it a "how to" to get started with Personal/Professional Learning Networks.  Wanting to get started with Twitter and not sure how?  This is definitely the book for you. Hands on and practical; terrific for new Tweeps.

Comprehension Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action  by Harvey, Daniels

This is my go-to bible for inquiry learning and collaboration.  My copy is completely covered in stickies and notes.




For more summer reading ideas, Fractus Learning has compiled a great list here.

The Top 50 Best Books for Teachers 2015

Brock's Youth University: a trip to remember

This year, our school bucked the longstanding "Toronto Trip" tradition for our Grade 7/8 class trip.   Instead, we went to St. Catharines, Ontario for the Youth University program at Brock.  

Change is often a good thing.  Unfortunately, the unknown is often uncomfortable for people and so they are resistant to it. Though the students had voted to attend the Brock program, many were sceptical before they went, worried that they weren't going to have a fun time.

They need not have worried; it was the best school trip experience ever! Last night's grade 8 graduation valedictorian speech and student-created slideshow were true testaments to the fun that they had as it earned rave reviews from the graduates.

Brock catered to our needs, and created a custom program for us based on the student's vote on which programs they wanted to participate in. With all of the technology in our classroom going on this year, the students gravitated towards technology programming, rather than the traditional Leadership activities stream. Clearly, technology in the classroom has made an impact on the students.

Apparently, we were the furthest school to attend their program, and they bent over backwards to make it work for us. Due to the long travel distances, they created a 3-night program for us, rather than the traditional 2-night excursion.

So what did we do @YUatBrock?

• swimming in the pool, complete with swim test, fantastic lifeguard supervision, Tarzan rope and diving boards
• orienteering
• animated art using Adobe Flash
• video game creation with RPG Maker software
• robotics with Lego Mindstorm EV3's
• special effects with iMovie
• a dance (huge hit with the students)
• gym time with games
• ongoing recreation activities
• science fun including an egg drop challenge
• nature hike
• campfire
• and so much more...

Students were also introduced to state of the art computer labs, lecture halls, and a discussion about post-secondary options for all (not just University).

It was an incredible 4 days.  Though we were exhausted by the end, the teachers and chaperones had just as much fun as the students. We took part in everything and were especially proud of our special effects project. 

Looking for an amazing class trip experience?  Brock's Youth University program is at the top of my list.

Want a good laugh?  Here is what "the biggest kids" learned about using special video effects while at Youth University.

Classroom Digital #LearningSpace: the students have spoken

My 21st century digital learning space has been in place for a couple of months now.  As the year is winding down, I am already starting to make plans in my mind for next year. I need to reflect on what is currently in my classroom, and ask myself the question: Where do I go from here?

Data.

As educators, we need to use data to back up decisions that we make about our pedagogy and classroom practices.  So, I turned to the experts: my students.

This morning, I put a QR code on the projector screen, and without any instructions, my class got out the iPads and laptops, scanned the code, and completed the survey.

Want to take a look at the survey questions?  Click HERE.


                                                                 or use the QR code?

So, what did I find out?  The results surprised me.  Above all else, I was surprised by how positive they were. Why? Well, with the amount of pushback throughout the year, and the strong resistance to change, I was expecting more negative or ambiguous feedback on the survey.

The results are in. 

Here is what my intermediate (Grade 7/8) students had to say:

Question #1.

Classroom learning configurations.

Using our Ontario Level System (Level 1 is low, Level 4 is high), the students rated how they liked to learn in the classroom space.  Students were asked to rank each, not put them in order, so a student could choose level 3 for each, for example.

•  "CAVE" is a quiet, independent work space, which in our classroom is in the back room, at an individual computer desk with rolly chair, or in a cubicle outside the door.
• "WATERING HOLE" is working in  small group, either at the purple collaboration tables, the standing height tables with stools, or at the cafe tables
• "CAMPFIRE" is whole class discussions. Usually we pull our chairs into a whole class circle for this
• MOUNTAIN TOP is when someone is at the front, presenting, lecturing or demonstrating.  Usually, this is the students and guest speakers.  I try to limit the amount of whole class lecture-style instruction and make it minimal each day.

Question #2.

Seating plan or no seating plan?

Seating plans. 80 % of students don't want them.  Interestingly, the 20% of students who preferred that the teacher create the seating plan are the students who have more difficulty in social situations. Currently, there is NO seating plan in my classroom. Perhaps next year I can find a way to incorporate a seating plan for some, while allowing others the choice. Something to ponder further, for sure.

Question #3.

What are the things that you like most about our learning space?

This was an open response question, and I got a wide variety of answers.

"It is good to focus on work."

"There is a lot of space to work."

"I like how we have the standing desks and a reading area at the back of the room."

"I like how everything gets to be a group collaboration because of the big seating tables we have." 

 "Many choices of where you want to sit. Different seating arrangements." 

Question #4.

What do you like least about our learning space?

Most responses to this question were "nothing". That's encouraging.  The rest of the feedback was about the small cubby area where I have been having them put their binders at the end of the day.  Because it was a mid-year transition from individual desks to our new learning space, many have had a hard time adapting to organizing their belongings and keeping items in their locker or in a shared shelf space.

Next year, they will be be using this system from the beginning so hopefully there will be better management of  their "stuff". Also, we will be using GAFE from the first day, so NO MORE ENORMOUS BINDERS!!!

Question #5.

What are some changes you would like to see in our learning space?

By overwhelming majority, the answer was "none". A few requests for a couch (if only I had a larger room) and a designated art area was a wonderful suggestion (I already had it in the works for next year).

Question #6.

How has the new classroom changed the way you learn at school?

I got THE BEST responses to this question. Many students responded positively about iPads, laptops, and the easy access to information. The ability to collaborate was also tops in their books.

"It's more interactive than before."

"I don't always work with the same people each time. I work with different people at times to times since we're allowed to sit where ever we want and having the iPads are way easier than using paper all the time (sic)"

"Learning is actually interesting with how we can project our iPad images on the SmartBoards. It makes it more interesting and fun." 

"It made it more fun and easy to collaborate with different people." 

And,

"It's improved my marks by getting input by people at the group tables. It's also fun working together."

Now, in my classroom, there is very little emphasis on marks. We talk about learning - and focus on feedback. I'm assuming that marks=learning in this student's mind - so that's a win if that's the case.

I love working with students in my new classroom learning space. What's holding you back? Start planning for next year to transform the learning in your classroom!

 Read more about the transformation in my classroom this year:

Classroom Design: A Reading Room
21st Century Intermediate Learning Space: A Pilot Project
21st Century Learning Space: No seating plan required
21st Century Digital Learning Space: My Classroom Makeover

#CriticalThinking and #appsmashing in the classroom

What do apps have to do with critical thinking? More than I thought possible.

And my students managed to blow my mind with their answers.

Critical thinking is something that is key for students. Throughout life, they need to be able to think critically every day.

Here are a couple of articles from The Critical Thinking Consortium that give background information into critical thinking in the classroom.   Understanding Critical Thinking  Embedding Critical Thinking into Teaching and Learning


This year, with our new classroom iPads and our new 21st Century classroom learning space, I have been pushing for the students to think critically about the choices that they make in my classroom every day.

• Where should I sit?  Why is this spot the best place for me to learn right now?
• What topic and questions should should I choose for further inquiry? Why?
• Which classmates should I collaborate with to improve my learning on this topic?
• What technology should I use? What is the best tool for the job? iPad? Laptop?

As a culminating task for our Geography inquiry, students were required to create a final media project for literacy.

They were required to ask themselves the following question: Which app(s) and software are the best tools for the job?

I purposely did NOT tell them which app to use. They needed to think critically about their audience, the message they were trying to send, and the characteristics of different apps.

Here are some of the Success Criteria:

Media Presentation

• effective choice of media to deliver your message (Text)
• utilizes features of that media type (Production)
• appealing to your audience (Audience)
• communicates your message clearly (Text)
• integrate a new-to-you technology/media (Learning skills)

Yesterday we began our presentations in class. I was so impressed by what they came up with that I raced down the hall to grab the Principal so that she could see the awesomeness.

My students used combinations of new-to-them and tried and true apps. They problem-solved ways to smash them together to come up with amazing, mind-blowing culminating tasks.

We had trigger images showing Plotagon movies explaining about global inequalities. We had Arc-GIS created maps in movies created with Shadow Puppet, and we had Powtoon videos with iMovies and Pic Collages.

The thinking and learning went far beyond what it would have been if I had given the students the topic and the tool.  The task was not about the technology, but rather, the selection of an appropriate means of sending a message.

In my classroom, we DON'T do..."make a slideshow about child mortality". What I try as hard as possible for is to make sure that we DO do learner voice and choice, inquiry, critical thinking, and perhaps MOST of all, we do FUN. Because believe me, watching the 25th slideshow on a single topic is NOT fun for any of us!

Here are a few of the many different apps and software that they chose:

Plotagon:

Have you ever wished your stories would turn into real animated videos? Plotagon is a playful new app making stories come to life, with you in the director’s seat. Create characters, put them in funny situations, and press play – it's that simple.

Aurasma: Use trigger images to create augmented reality with overlays of their learning

Shadow Puppet: A student found this app and loved it for its video-creation features

Pic Collage: Create collages with text, video, links, images.

21st Century Digital Learning Space: My Classroom Makeover

I never thought that it would actually come to fruition.  All year long, I have been dreaming, hoping and planning for an updated learning space for my intermediate Grade 7/8 classroom.

Well, dreams can come true; my classroom has arrived!

Cafe table seating

Standing height work tables with stools

Floor seating areas with rolling benches and rugs. We have had to move to two different floor areas rather than just the one that we started with, in order to accommodate more students.

No more teacher desk! I use a cafe table for conferencing with students and to set my laptop. Mostly, I move around the room conferring with students.

Two projection areas; I use apple TV on one of them, and the second is an Epson Brightlink Interactive projector.

Supply shelves with art, math and other materials always at the ready for students (and student mailboxes on top)

The classroom isn't totally complete and organized the way that I would like it yet, and I still have many improvements that I want to make, but this is a start.

The technology that I use is a combination of 15 iPad minis, about 5 SEA laptops (designated for Special Education students), and laptops that we bring in from the computer lab next door as needed.  Next year the plan is to add about 10 laptops to the classroom's collection of technology.

Here are some of the key things that I have noticed:

• students work more quietly because they are close together with their collaboration groups and partners
• students are actively engaged and move around as needed
• "rocking" on chairs has been eliminated because students simply move around as needed when they become restless
• the most popular work space is THE FLOOR (amazing what cheap, $15 rugs can do!!)
• collaboration is easy and instant (a lot of time is saved on transitions because students are so used to transitioning to different work spaces throughout every class)
• conferencing with students and providing feedback is easy because I go and stand beside them at their workspace or pull up a seat at the collaboration tables
• students are spread out around the room so it is more private for working, collaborating and conferencing

I have had many people ask for my resources for the furniture.  I'm not sure that I'm 100% happy with everything, but it is at least a place to start.  I am hoping to write another post soon to give the pros and cons for what I currently have in place in the classroom.

Assiginack Intermediate 21st Century Classroom

 *prices are approximated as of November 2014

Technology

Interactive Whiteboard Projector-$2000

* interactive projector will need a whiteboard

15 Ipads, apple tv, cables

3 tech tubs for ipads

 Headphones with mics, 3.5 mm pins for ipads

https://www.cdw.ca/shop/products/Logitech-Stereo-Headset-H150-headset/2574878.aspx

 bluetooth Keyboards  for ipads

Collaborative Work Spaces-

Brodart Adjustable height café tables 4 @$184= $736

Brodart Adjustable  swizzle café stools 8@ $112=$896

Carr Maclean Mity bilt tables plum 4@$625= $2500

Ikea Standing height tables 2@$259=$518

Ikea Stool seating 8@$60= $480

Ikea Kallax benches/storage 2@$70=$140

Ikea casters 6@ $10=$60

Ikea Kallax storage $149

Staples Literature organizer $238

2 iKea Clearance rugs @ $15 each

assorted throw pillows

Henry’s Green Screen $99

Henry’s iPad mount for tripod $35

21st Century Learning Space: no seating plan required

When was the last time that you were a student?

At my last teacher P.D. session, I reflected on the learning that was happening in the room. I felt like I was back in high school all over again.

Hard chairs.
Sitting all day.
Directed through every activity.
No choice as to how I learned or what I learned.
Sitting in the same spot. Not with my friends.

Ok, it wasn't actually that bad. But, by the end of the day I was sore, tired, cranky, and didn't feel like I learned the best that I could have.

My own classroom has moved toward being a 21st century learning space. We no longer have a seating plan. Students move and sit where they need to for each learning activity. As I sit here and reflect, the behaviour issues during class time have decreased. It isn't perfect, by any stretch, and I have a couple of students who need to be redirected. They still have an assigned seat because they can't manage themselves. I have had to give them an assigned space because that better meets their learning needs. But they are no longer distracting others from learning and they are more productive and on-task this way.

We don't have all of our new furniture in place, and are in a transition stage. We have some traditional desks in the room still, in groups. We do have a carpet area, benches and standing height cafe tables and stools. By making the changes gradually it seems to have made for an easier transition.







My own children testing out our new classroom cafe tables after school.













The students now enter my class each day and choose where to sit. I have noticed that they tend to sit in the same spot at the beginning of each period. Then, once I set them off on an activity, they move to where they feel they need to.

What I have learned from this:

• intermediate students usually prefer to work on the floor
• they like to work in the most uncomfortable looking configurations if it means that they get to be close with their friends
• sitting at tall cafe tables makes them sit more upright, speak more quietly, and collaborate more closely
• it's easier to give feedback as I move around and mingle with the students at their different seating spaces, and it's a more relaxed atmosphere
• sometimes it's noisy
• there is more learning going on than what I see at first glance (thank goodness, because some days it looks and sounds like recess time)
• standing-height spaces allows for the best on-task collaboration
• having no front-of-the-room cuts down on the teacher-directed learning
• wireless projectors, Apple TV and 2 projection surfaces are AWESOME
• chairs and regular desks lead to slouching, laying on the desk, and more disengagement
• when they are tired or disengaged they move back to the desks and slump

Once I have the rest of my furniture in place, I am planning to get feedback from my students. We did a pre-survey a while ago about our classroom, before I made changes.  I am very curious as to what their thoughts are about the new learning space. I do feel that some of the students prefer to be told where to sit. Is this a product of years of seating plans in school, so it's a comfort thing? A confidence issue? Or is it personal learning style?

I have just learned that I am going to get a new student on Monday. I am a bit worried that he/she will be completely shell-shocked, if they come from a more traditional classroom. My classroom is noisy, in constant motion, and to an outsider it likely looks like sheer chaos (and admittedly, some days it is).

Perhaps a transition plan will be necessary. #somethingIneverthoughtabout