Rolling with Critical Thinking

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As we address the needs students in our communities, schools, and classrooms, establishing an environment rich with critical thinking experiences provides these youth with opportunities to grow academically as they are given the skill set to interact and connect with those around them. Facets of critical thinking including inquiry-based teaching (.46), problem-solving teaching (.67), cooperative learning (.40), and meta-cognitive strategies (.55) all have effect sizes (greater than .40) that have the “potential to accelerate student achievement” (Hattie’s work examining 250+ influences on student achievement).

Critical thinking is defined as, “the mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism” (The Foundation for Critical Thinking).

I have presented multiple professional learning sessions in at local, national, and international conferences on critical thinking activities teachers can use in the classroom. One of the quotes I like participants to ponder and analyze is as follows:

“Critical and creative thinking strategies are not merely “fun” or “cute” activities to be pulled out at the end of the week or semester, or after the state tests are over for the year in order to fill time and entertain students. They are ways of deeply engaging and interacting with ideas and concepts in meaningful context, building meaning and understanding through multiple processing of ideas and information in increasingly sophisticated levels of thinking, adding depth and complexity to the content being learned, and finding personal relevance in the learning process” (Hickerson, 2013).

While critical thinking activities may be used to pique interest, it is important to realize that the ability to become a critical thinker is a foundational skill necessary to furthering deep understanding.

I’m a big advocate for using sentence/question stems in the classroom to help scaffold inquiry, reflection, and thought. Staying true to my belief that learning should be interactive, I developed critical thinking cubes. Each cube has six sets of question/thinking stems based on the 8 Intellectual Standards. There are multiple purposes to using these cubes, but I like to use them to interact with text. During the second read of a text, students roll a dice and pick from the question/sentence stems to discuss as a small group the text. Depending on the purpose for reading the text, I specifically select the critical thinking cube I want small groups to use. An example of a cube I have used recently to analyze the evidence students have identified to explore a text, is found by clicking on the following link: Critical Thinking Cube #6.

The discussion levels of each small group using the critical thinking cubes increases dramatically when the cubes are provided in comparison to conversations where the cubes are not used. Sometimes I like to add another layer by utilizing the World Cafe Protocol to mix up groups and deepen conversations of a text. This protocol is described in an earlier post: World Cafe and PLCing.

Building Community: As You Enter Protocol

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As a new school year approaches, I am reminded of the various roles that I have had facilitating different groups of educators as a colleague, department head, curriculum specialist, and conference presenter. As a teacher and leader, I am always exploring ways to recognize individuals, give them voice, and engage them in a classroom, meeting, or workshop.

One of my favorite entry tasks is one I have used as a teacher and as a leader is called, “As You Enter.” I have modified this activity in various ways with one of the variations described below:

As You Enter

For this activity, participants are given two options. 

Option #1:  Using your device, select an image that represents your ________________ experience. At the beginning of the school year it could be summer experience, it could be experience in a specific teacher training so far, or experience in a specific location. On sticky notes, write three words (one per sticky note) describing your rationale for choosing this image.

Option #2: On a sheet of paper or sticky note, sketch a picture that represents a course of action you want to take when you ______________.  Again, options could include a variety such as when you return to the classroom, when you meet in your individual teaching teams, when you work in you department, and so on. On sticky notes, write three words (one per sticky note) describing your rationale for sketching this picture.

After a couple of minutes, participants share their words with a partner (or in a group of three). Partner A introduces him or herself (name, position, location), shows the image/sketch, and then shares the three words. Partner B follows the same format. With the time remaining, the pair expands understanding with questions, comments, and/or clarifications. The protocol ensures that both individuals get to share. Adding time for questions, comments, and clarification adds to one’s story.

Each person chose one, two, or all three words to post on the Thinking Wall at the front of the room.

The activity prompts chosen add reflection and honor the experience of the participants. The facilitator can read a few of the words out loud and ask participants to keep these words in mind as they continue to learn together. The facilitator can continue to reference these words throughout the presentation or lesson making connections to the activities the group participates in. At the end of the presentation or lesson, reflection is built in to consider these words and the experience of the participants.

While any activity asking participants to interact with one another and share their stories would help build relationships. This activity connects to the actual experience of participants and the learning taking place. Doing so adds purpose to the introduction and ultimately builds more buy-in to stories shared during future introduction activities.  Offering choice recognizes individual thinking and provides more opportunities for one to communicate his or her own story. These stories are crucial to establishing the groundwork for discourse-rich experiences.

Untie the Thinking

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Students of any age like to use some sort of fidget at different moments in a lesson.  Sometimes they use them as way to move their body in a small way.  Sometimes they use them when they feel pressure due to a higher-level thinking activity.  Sometimes they help students manage their anxiety.  There are several reasons and all types of learners benefit from their use.

A simple fidget that can be easily integrated into a lesson is a shoelace. I have used used shoelaces in my lessons in multiple ways. A few years ago, I ordered a pack of twenty bright colored shoelace pairs from Amazon. Shoelaces are durable and can easily be washed.

Two shoelace activities that I have designed for use in my classroom are Shoelace Summary and Shoelace Construction. I described the Shoelace Summary protocol in a previous post but I am including a description of the activity in this post as well.

Shoelace Construction

Shoelace Construction was inspired by the forced analogy process.  For this activity, students are given a shoelace as they enter the classroom. This gives students a type of fidget, but it also sparks the curiosity of the brain.

This activity builds to challenge thinking, strengthen community, and deepen conversations. There are five basic steps.

  1. Students are given a prompt:  Using the shoelace, create a visual depicting your current thinking regarding_______________ and ______________.
  2. After students create their visuals, they share with an elbow partner.
  3. Students are given the next prompt:  Now with a partner, combine your thinking into a new visual.  
  4. After they create their visuals, they share with a neighboring pair.
  5. Students are given the final prompt:  Join with another pair.  As a group of four, create a visual that represents how________________ shapes our learning of ____________________.

The level of creativity students engage in is fun to watch.  Students will often choose to get out of their seats and create a larger visual beyond desk tops incorporating various gestures or stances and the shoelaces.

The prompts can be used in a variety of ways to recall and extend thinking as well as a formative assessment.  The visuals + body connections enable students to solidify content to their memory. Taking snapshots of the creations can also be used to remind students of connections at a later date.

Shoelace Summary

One way to use this strategy is to summarize learning which might entail reading a text or watch a video during class or in a previous class. Students are then organized into groups of four or five. This can be done by pairs (two oranges and two greens get together to form a group). One student is appointed group leader.  The group leader starts the activity.  For clarity, let’s give the leader the name of Brian.  Brian grasps one of the ends of his shoelace between this thumb and pointer finger.  As he talks, and only when he talks, he will slowly wind the shoelace around the fingers that are grasping the end of the shoelace.  If he pauses, he has to stop winding.  If he goes too quickly, he has to start over.  Brian starts summarizing a text recently read or viewed in class.  When he runs out of string, he stops.  The person to his right, Jennifer, starts summarizing where Brian left off. Once Jennifer reaches the end of her shoelace, the person on her right, Billy, begins where she left off.

This activity should really simplistic (and it is), but there are some issues that will come up.  What does the group do if Billy can’t think of what to say?  or What if Billy was absent when the text was read or viewed in class?  Great questions!  Billy starts from the beginning and restates what Brian and Jennifer just said.  So, Billy has to pay attention to the details of what has been said.  When he reaches the end of his shoelace, the next person will start from where he left off.

What if Jennifer said something out of order or mentioned a detail that was incorrect?  In this case, if Billy realizes her errors, he can mention the correction during his turn and then continue the summarization.

What if the Billy finishes the summarization and Sam and Kelly still have to speak? In this case, Sam starts from the beginning and wherever he ends in the summarization, Kelly begins during her turn.

This activity may sound a bit overwhelming to monitor.  The teacher’s role during this activity is to walk around the classroom and listen to the different groups present.  I often stand in a position, so I can see multiple groups at the same time.  Since the person talking is winding his or her shoelace, it is easy to see which students are speaking in each group.  If one group finishes before another group, the process can start over and the group continues until each group is finished.  Sometimes, if a group finishes early, I have the students talk about the characters, setting, theme, connections to previous content, or any other details.

At the end of the  activity, I ask students to share out what happened in their groups, give an oral summary of the reading selection, or begin writing a summary paragraph of the reading selection or video.  The great thing about this activity is that since it repeats from person to person, students of differing abilities can participate and everyone eventually hears the main details of the reading selection or video.

It’s the Holiday Season, So Get Up and Move

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Blue and White Simple Happy Winter Invitation Landscape

The holiday season is my favorite time of year, filled with family traditions that only come alive during November and December. My two children eagerly anticipate—and now truly appreciate—these activities. From participating in a fun run to watching a holiday parade, making gingerbread houses with leftover Halloween candy, picking out the perfect tree, and spending quiet moments singing and reflecting, there’s always something special to look forward to.

Yet, alongside the excitement, the holiday season can bring a certain level of anxiety for some students. The break from a structured environment can create uncertainty, making this time challenging for teachers. To help alleviate this, many educators are encouraged to maintain a relatively normal classroom routine, which can reduce stress and provide some stability. Although the classroom may feel more chaotic as the season progresses, it’s also a great opportunity to integrate physical movement into lessons, which helps reduce anxiety and fosters a safer, more engaging environment for learning.

Here are a few of my favorite holiday-inspired movement activities for the classroom:

Snowball Fight:

In this fun, energetic activity, questions related to a lesson are written on sheets of paper. Students write their answers, crumple the papers into balls, and line up on opposite sides of the classroom. On the teacher’s signal, students throw their snowballs into the center of the room. Each student picks up a snowball, smooths it out, adds to the answer on the sheet, and then throws it again. It’s a great way to get students moving while reinforcing lesson content.

Vocabulary Snowflake:

Each student creates a large snowflake (you can even show a simple “How-To” YouTube video for inspiration: Easy Paper Snowflakes). Once finished, students write a vocabulary word on their snowflake. These snowflakes are then hung around the room, and students quietly move around, adding an antonym, sketch, or sentence related to a new word they find. It’s a fun way to get students moving and deepen their vocabulary knowledge.

For a variation, you can have students make 3D Paper Snowflake. They can write key terms or notes on these before assembling them. Both versions engage students and create a festive classroom atmosphere.

Snow Boots Shuffle:

To set up this activity, place pairs of snow boots on a table in the front of the room (Click here for a sample template). Each boot is associated with a discussion question or image, and they are color-coded and split into two parts. Students are each given one boot and, upon the teacher’s signal, must find the matching boot based on content, color, or pictures. Once they pair up, they dialogue about the question or prompt while moving around the classroom. It’s a fun and interactive way to reinforce concepts.

Snowman Challenge: QFT (Question Formulation Technique)

This is a great activity for brainstorming. For this particular version, adapt the Question Formulation Technique QFT into a “snowman” structure, where students use the base to generate a list of questions based on a prompt. The middle section is used for revising open and closed-ended questions, and the hat section is where students write 1-3 questions they want to discuss. As they complete each section, they build their snowman and display it on the walls. Not only do the snowmen serve as visually appealing decorations, but they also motivate further class discussions and provide direction for future lessons.

Winter Wonderland Bit.ly Break-In: Gamified Stations + Nutcracker Bowling

This more time-consuming activity is a big hit with students due to its interactive and gamified elements. Based on John Meehan’s QRBreakIn concept, I’ve created a series of Bit.ly Break-Ins, which include themes like Monopoly, Ticket to Ride, Risk, and Clue, along with various holiday versions. The Winter Wonderland theme, designed by my colleague Liz Reale, incorporates gamified centers. A secondary activity within these stations involves bowling down invading nutcrackers, which adds novelty, team spirit, and a bit of friendly competition to the mix.

There are several options for adding movement to every day classroom activities, but adding a seasonal flare creates novelty and increases the motivation students have to reflect, review, learn, and explore.

A thinking strategy: Unraveling the details…

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One of my goals each class period is to get all students to talk. Providing students with the environment where they feel supported and confident to share, question, dialogue and discuss is vital not only to their well-being but to the academic success of the class. While there are numerous ways to engage each voice, I found a useful (and fun) activity at a conference a few years ago that I like to use periodically in my classes.

The strategy comes from the Gurian Institute (http://gurianinstitute.com/).  I have used the strategy in my English and history classes as well as in professional development sessions for students and teachers in all grade levels from elementary to high school. To conduct this activity, one needs to acquire shoelaces of the same length. I ordered a pack of colorful pairs of shoelaces on amazon. An alternative to shoelaces is to use strings of yarn, but shoelaces tend to be more durable and are easily washable.

There are many ways to implement this strategy. One way I like to start the class period is by hand each student a different color of shoelace as they enter the classroom. This gives them a fidget as class starts until it is time to officially begin the activity.

One way to use this strategy is to summarize learning which might entail reading a text or watch a video during class or in a previous class. Students are then organized into groups of four or five. This can be done by pairs (two oranges and two greens get together to form a group). One student is appointed group leader.  The group leader starts the activity.  For clarity, let’s give the leader the name of Brian.  Brian grasps one of the ends of his shoelace between this thumb and pointer finger.  As he talks, and only when he talks, he will slowly wind the shoelace around the fingers that are grasping the end of the shoelace.  If he pauses, he has to stop winding.  If he goes too quickly, he has to start over.  Brian starts summarizing a text recently read or viewed in class.  When he runs out of string, he stops.  The person to his right, Jennifer, starts summarizing where Brian left off. Once Jennifer reaches the end of her shoelace, the person on her right, Billy, begins where she left off.

This activity should really simplistic (and it is), but there are some issues that will come up.  What does the group do if Billy can’t think of what to say?  or What if Billy was absent when the text was read or viewed in class?  Great questions!  Billy starts from the beginning and restates what Brian and Jennifer just said.  So, Billy has to pay attention to the details of what has been said.  When he reaches the end of his shoelace, the next person will start from where he left off.

What if Jennifer said something out of order or mentioned a detail that was incorrect?  In this case, if Billy realizes her errors, he can mention the correction during his turn and then continue the summarization.

What if the Billy finishes the summarization and Sam and Kelly still have to speak? In this case, Sam starts from the beginning and wherever he ends in the summarization, Kelly begins during her turn.

This activity may sound a bit overwhelming to monitor.  The teacher’s role during this activity is to walk around the classroom and listen to the different groups present.  I often stand in a position, so I can see multiple groups at the same time.  Since the person talking is winding his or her shoelace, it is easy to see which students are speaking in each group.  If one group finishes before another group, the process can start over and the group continues until each group is finished.  Sometimes, if a group finishes early, I have the students talk about the characters, setting, theme, connections to previous content, or any other details.

At the end of the  activity, I ask students to share out what happened in their groups, give an oral summary of the reading selection, or begin writing a summary paragraph of the reading selection or video.  The great thing about this activity is that since it repeats from person to person, students of differing abilities can participate and everyone eventually hears the main details of the reading selection or video.

Generating Questions to Spark Action

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The start of the school year is now past and day-to-day routines are set. Over the past couple of weeks, I have established a variety of classroom discussion routines. We explored the Question Formulation Technique (rightquestion.org), a technique I have used for years to generate and facilitate questions in the classroom. My team is also adopting the protocol for this school year to assist a more inquiry-based approach to lessons. My classes have also been introduced to Socratic Seminars (https://www.teachingchannel.com/k12-hub/blog/socratic-seminars/ )and a modified Fish Bowl Technique (https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/teaching-strategies/community-inquiry/fishbowl)for classroom discussions. Classroom discussions are integral to the success of my classroom. For this reason, I introduce multiple strategies and protocols to add variety and inject novelty in my classroom. 

In reflecting on which discussion strategy to introduce next in my classroom, I remembered a protocol I adapted when leading a group of educators.  In searching for a way to bring novelty into the teacher team meeting, I modified the Color Question Brainstorming described in Groups at Work: Strategies and Structures for Professional Learning by Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman. In my version of the activity, I started off by asking the team a thought-provoking question for them to reflect on by completing a think-write-pair-share activity.  The purpose was for the participants thinking about a topic in a way that reduces judgment and opens thinking. Rather than ending the conversation at this point, the team was then divided into teams of 2-4 with each team given a color: Green, Red, or Blue.

In three locations in the meeting space, a poster was hung where participants generated questions.

  • Green Questions: Imagination, Ingenuity, Possibility
  • Red Questions: Facts, Figures, Data
  • Blue Questions: Judgments, Opinions, Values, Needs

Using the initial question in addition to any other parameters needed to focus thinking, teams generated a list of questions based on the word headings of their assigned color. For example, if team members were assigned to discuss adopting a new novel to use at a specific grade level, the following questions might be developed:

  • Green:  What might happen if the team adopted several titles for literature circles instead of large volumes of a single novel title?
  • Red: What is the data that supports instruction for whole-class novels vs. literature circles?
  • Blue:  What is the best way to meet the needs of students to experience an additional novel title at _____ grade?

After a specified amount of time, team members moved clockwise to a different color. They spent time reviewing questions created by other team members and marked what they felt were the most important, vital, or interesting questions. They then added to existing questions for clarification, or they added additional questions.

After a specified amount of time, they rotated to the third set of questions and completed the same actions as they did with the second set.

The final rotation involved participants returning to their original posters to review marked questions, comments, and added questions. Teams discussed and then return to their seats.

Once teams had the opportunity to rotate and discuss, a large group discussion occurred highlighting topics/questions that stood out. The team used this information as a way to help direct action items for future meetings and discussions.

This activity stretched thinking and opened up the possibilities that may have been hindered with a simple brainstorming procedure.

While this example illustrates a team approach, it can be adapted for a classroom setting. For my classes, my initial question students would explore would be one of the class’s essential questions. As a foundation of the questions generated using the green, red and blue categories,  I would used a combination of both primary and secondary sources as common texts. The results of the brainstorm could lead to a larger Socratic Seminar type discussion or topics to explore or research for the future. 

Koosh Balls and Classroom Management

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Koosh Ball Toss

Koosh balls are used for a variety of reasons in the classroom. One of my favorite activities in the first few weeks of school is a Koosh ball toss (or any lightweight soft ball).  This activity serves two purposes:  1.  Building community in the classroom, and 2.  Establishing classroom routines.  

I divide this activity into two parts. The first part establishes routines for when classroom furniture needs to be moved. Throughout the year, my classes might need to move furniture to participate in large movement activities, engage in a simulation, work within a variety of small group settings, participate in a Socratic Seminar, and so on. Taking time to be explicit in movement expectations pays off in the long run and helps establish effective classroom management practices.

When I start part one of the activity, I tell students that when they participate in a movement activity, no talking is permitted.  We practice standing up, pushing chairs in, and standing behind our desks. Even though it may seem really basic, I actually have students practice this a couple of times.  I make a game out of it by timing them to see how quickly (and quietly) they can do so.  Next, I divide the students into groups so they know where to put desks and chairs around the room to create space for the activity.  I model how to pick up and set down desks and chairs quietly.  We practice this a couple of times (again timed to see how quickly and quietly they can do so). After moving the furniture, I indicate where students should stand to receive the next set of directions. Depending on the length of the class period, this type of routine modeling could take a majority of one 50 minute class period.

To set up the second part of the activity involving a koosh ball toss, the class is divided into two or three groups.  A leader is chosen for each group. The leader tosses the ball to another person in the circle (not to his or her immediate right or left). That person tosses the ball to another person and so on until every person has received the ball one time.  The ball is then tossed back to the leader.  If at any time the ball is dropped, the progress starts from the beginning.  The idea is to pass the ball around the circle without dropping the ball.  The passing order does not change.  Once the group has successfully completed a round, the group is timed.  Each group is timed to determine which group is able to pass the ball (without dropping it) the fastest. The competition can go on as long as the teacher wishes to do so.  There are also variations:    1.  Students could state the name of the person they are passing the ball two.  2.  A second or third ball can be added so greater concentration is needed as more balls are being passed.  3.  After the small group toss, students can participate in a large group toss.   

Once the activity is completed, the teacher instructs how to put the room back to its original setup. If this was modeled initially, this process should be able to do quickly.  Or, depending on time left in a class period or spreading the activity into two periods, the teacher can move into a classroom discussion.  When I complete this activity, I often moved into a Socratic Seminar setup.  Since the desks were already pushed aside, I model how to set up an inner and outer circle discussion arrangement. As a class, we then discuss the purpose of the activity as well as how the activity can act as a metaphor for our year together.

By the end of this activity, I have modeled how to stand for movement activities, how to move furniture to the side, how to set up for Socratic Seminar discussions, and how to be quiet and efficient overall. By doing it once, I can always remind students later in the year (once they are comfortable in the classroom setting) how perfectly they were able to move.  Thus, classroom management issues are minimized when transitioning to various activities with a class period.

Modeling routines at the start of the year is critical at any level regardless if teachers are teaching at the elementary, middle, or high school level.  Adding movement early in the year sets a precedent for the remainder of the year. Plus, it becomes natural for both the student and the teacher.

Reflect, Move, & Shuffle

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What is the Best Way to Write a Script

July is the month where educators say they are not going to do any work and just really enjoy what may be their final full summer month of vacation. However, just enough time has passed from the end of the school year that teachers and administrators are starting to consider how they might begin the next school year or activities they might like to try during the opening professional development days or within the first few weeks of the semester.

As I reflect this summer, I was reminded of one of the many professional development sessions I led previously for high school teachers. With a little modification, this reflection protocol could work well for a PD session at the beginning of the school year or in a classroom during the first few weeks of school at any divisional level. The goal of this activity is to get participants to reflect and interact, two vital components of any PD session. The original intent when I designed this activity was to provide to reflect on previous work the teachers attending the session had completed.  Knowing the participants ranged in years of service, expertise, and comfort level with the topic of the PD session, I devised a plan to reflect, move, and shuffle.

For this activity:

  1.  Each participant is given a notecard.  Depending on the number of participants, and depending on the desired size of discussion groups, at least four different colors of notecards are distributed around the room.
  2. Participants are given three minutes to write (or brainstorm a list) about previous work (since the last session, the previous school year, the beginning of the year, or some other timeline).
  3. Three areas of the rooms are marked with a number (1, 2, or 3).  The number of areas can increase based on the number of people in the session so that discussion group are manageable. When the writing time has expired, participants are directed to move to a number. Each number can be prescribed (perhaps written on the back of the notecard), or participants can be given the direction to separate themselves according to their own, individual, criteria (go to #1 if you would rate yourself a knowledgeable about topic, #2 if you have a lot of questions about the topic, etc.). This is completed without talking.
  4. In their newly formed groups, participants share with a partner, or with their entire group, why they placed themselves in the group (if they did) and then share highlights from their notecards.
  5. After 3-5 minutes, participants are told to reorganize themselves according to notecard color. The newly formed pairs or groups discuss their reflection, as well as any other insights. When prompted, the groups discuss further work that needs to be completed.
  6. After another 3-5 minutes, participants are directed to return to their seats (ideally participants are arranged in table groups of 4-5 people) to share their insights and a priority list of future work is developed.
  7. Depending on time, a second discussion could take place with a different notecard color group create prior to going to step #6 and/or the top item on each priority list could be shared out loud or electronically via a word cloud or some other format. The concept being that the list would help to inform future meeting, PD sessions, beginning of the school year work, and so forth.

This activity allows multiple voices to be heard. Movement activities help energize the reflection process and allow for purposeful processing time to be planned. Processing time is built in during silent writing, multiple times to share, and reflection time prior to devising a priority list. Purposeful movement, reflection, and interaction help create a sense of belonging and naturally break up the monotony of seated informational meetings.

Although this activity was used during a professional development session, it could easily be adapted for a classroom.  The activity could focus on prior learning, background knowledge, discussion questions, and so forth. Mixing up groups, guiding students to evaluate their learning based on their own criteria, and utilizing movement helps energize the classroom and build the foundation for deep discussions.

Blue Tape Wonder

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Teaching writing to middle school students can be a “sticky” process.  There a variety of philosophies regarding structure and flow as well as purpose and state testing preparation.  Many students have anxiety around writing.  Some struggle with coming up with ideas.  Some fear being right. Some are perfectionists. Others have trouble with analysis and higher-order thinking processes. Forcing students to remain seated throughout the entire writing process can further strengthen these responses.  Getting students moving during the writing instruction and production can help alleviate these barriers.

This activity requires mild preparation and has room for numerous variations.  I like to call this activity Blue Wonder.

Prior to class, the teacher places a large strip of blue painter’s tape on each student desk. Each student is provided with a sharpie (or pen).  Students may vary how they proceed based on the writing focus for the lesson.  For the purpose of explaining the activity, let’s assume the teacher provided students with a claim statement.  Working in groups of four, students work on supporting the claim statement. One student may write down a topic sentence for a paragraph.  Another student might write a piece of evidence.  A third student might compose an analysis statement. The fourth student may work on a commentary statement.  The goal is for the group to work together to discuss the composition of a paragraph (or partial paragraph) to support the claim. Once the students are completed, they find an area on the wall and tape their paragraph together. They are reminded throughout the activity that a goal is to make their ideas “stick” (or memorable).

To add more movement to this activity, a body movement can be developed to remind students of the function of the sentences they are writing. These may be teacher created, class created, or group created. For example, for the topic sentence, students might connect arms followed by pointing to their heads to symbolize the importance of connecting the topic sentence of a body paragraph to the claim sentence reminding students to stay on topic while they are writing. These gestures can be depicted in a small sketch included prior to the writing of the topic sentence on the blue tape.  During the class discussion of the various paragraphs, group members (and/or class members) can perform the movements as each sentence is read or discussed.  The point is to not only add more movement but also to make a mind-body link to the writing process.

Adding movement and small group work to the writing process can help reduce anxiety and can help stimulate the thinking process. This activity can be modified for different writing forms. For example, when writing a narrative, various sentences may represent the importance of dialogue or descriptive language regarding the setting. When writing poetry, the blue strips may represent sensory imagery or figurative language.

Blue tape allows for students to reveal their ideas by unrolling it, or it can help remind them of the “stickiness” needed in their writing. It also can be a space saver; however, sentence strips or other materials can be used.  

While this activity has middle schoolers in mind, it can be adapted for any grade level and for PD sessions. It can be used to not only assist with the writing process but also to stimulate discussions. Participants can be introduced to an overarching question and respond to the question with more questions or evidence to respond to the questions. The responses can then be organized, prioritized, or elaborated on. Providing participants with an response bank they can see may assist them in large group discussion such as Socratic Seminars or in the development of analysis for all types of writing assignments. Of course, all of this can be done on paper, but the process of unrolling, ripping, manipulating, and moving stimulates the brain and increases the levels of productivity, engagement, higher-level thinking. 

Honoring the Emotions as the School Year Comes to an End

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Balls Emotions Smiley Cute Smilies FunnyA couple of weeks ago I competed in the Challenge Triathlon in Taitung. As I rode my bike along the coast line, I could not help taking in the natural beauty of the mountains, the ocean, the palm trees, and the rice fields. There is something calming about watching the natural scenery go by as one cycles outdoors. Even though it was early in the day, and I was competing in a 113, I found peace and knew that regardless of how I did in the race, it was going to be a good day.

In moments like this, I tend to reflect on life in general. I think it is because the senses are being stimulated: the rustle of the wind on my face, the crisp green of the rice fields, the waves gently hitting the shore, the swishing of bike wheels as competitors whiz on by, and the self-awareness as the body centers on one thought before moving to another.

As we move throughout the school year, it is critical that students are given multiple opportunities to process and reflect. This is particularly important as the year comes to close and students encounter constant stimulation from the bombardment of celebrations, assessments, projects, music, excitement,  and interactions sending emotions in many different directions. Building in time for students to think and find a sense of calm is essential to reinforcing and growing the relationships with peers and between students and teachers. It is during this time of year, that I recommend adding additional, or longer, processing and reflecting moments. This may be challenging as schedules are in flux and the curriculum tends to drive teaching in a rush before the end of the year. I am including a few simple ways to add processing time during a lesson.

  1.  EMOJI Shuffle:  For this activity, post a variety of emojis around the classroom. Direct students to move to an emoji that represents their understanding of the lesson at hand. Ask students to pair up and discuss why they chose the emoji they did. This activity can be repeated for different components of the lesson. A slight alternative could be to have students move to the emoji based on how they are feeling at the moment (not necessarily lesson based). Students can write thoughts on a post-it while they are standing next to the emoji. Once they have done so, they then crumble up the post-it and deposit it in the recycle bin before focusing on lesson specific topics/questions.  This honors their emotions without the vulnerability associated with sharing about their feelings.
  2. Sensory Breathing:   This activity is meant to help lower stress levels and anxiety of any student. The activity is simple. Direct students to look at something in the room. Once they have picked an object, instruct them to take a deep breath and then breathe out as you count slowly to ten.  Direct students to pick a different object to look at and repeat the breathing process. This continues with five objects. After five objects, students are directed to focus on five different sounds. After sounds, students focus on five different touches.
  3. Color Walk: Distribute paint strips to table groups with warm and cold colors. Direct students to choose a paint strip that represents a color they either like or based on their reactions to a guiding question or topic. Give students time to think about why they have chosen the color strip they have and consider actions they can take based on the number of color choices on the paint strip (some may have four, some may have five) Have students pair up and discuss their choice of paint strip. Depending on space, students can walk around the room, through the hall, or outside discussion reactions and possible actions (answers to the question, next steps to determine learning, additional questions they have, etc.)

These are only three activities, but each of these activities acknowledges current feelings and emotions. The recognition of these emotions, even if just for self-awareness, can help foster a sense of safety allowing relationships to strengthen while reducing stress and anxiety associated with this time of year.

Catching Cooties to Discuss

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20240503_075222The cootie catcher, also known as an origami fortune teller, is a simple gimmick that enthralls people of all ages. I remember using it when I was growing up in elementary school, and I loved seeing my own children use it when they were in school.  Kids love the ease of it and the novelty of uncovering a fortune for the future.  It involves six basic steps:

  • picking a color
  • moving the catcher back and forth for each letter of the color
  • choosing a number
  • moving the catcher back and forth for each number
  • choosing another number to reveal a fortune 

It is a tool that can be used in elementary, middle, and secondary schools.  It can also be used in professional development sessions. I have adapted the cootie catcher strategy to use with my homeroom students, in my English classroom, and in my history classes. Additionally, I have used it as an activator for professional development sessions as a way for participants at conferences to introduce themselves to one another and discuss a variety of topic related questions, and I have used the strategy in sessions where participants know each other as a way to engage with those that they typically might not connect with regularly. 

Regardless of how it is used, movement can be applied to get students, and adults, talking to one another.  There are multiple ways cootie catchers can be used as a discussion promoter. One way to do so is to divide the class into two halves. One half receives a cootie catcher and the other half does not. Students stand up and find someone with a cootie catcher. Pairs go through the motions and answer questions.  The process continues for a couple of minutes switching partners multiple times. Students get to move and they get to use a manipulative to engage. Engaging in physical movement and using a manipulative provides multiple benefits impacting the level of conversations students engage in when answering questions. Benefits include reducing anxiety students may experience, stimulating the brain, and motivating students by providing opportunities for students to discuss multiple topics or elaborating on a single topic. 

This strategy can be adapted in many ways in the classroom or professional development session. Modifications may include printing different categories and discussion questions on the cootie catcher as a review activity or to spark larger inquiry. Once the strategy has been introduced, students can be in charge of creating their own questions for future uses.

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Resources:

www.downloadablecootiecatchers.wordpress.com

17 Quick Cootie Catcher Printables and Lesson Plan Ideas