This is a great activity for visual learners! Use patterns to teach skip counting. Any other ideas about how this could be used?
skip-counting-math-worksheet from Kids Activities Blog
Also check out vi-hart on YouTube
Tag Archives: student
Teaching Group Skills in the Classroom
A few years ago, I was teaching a lesson and asked the students to get into small groups. As I walked around the room, I could see that things were not as productive as I thought they would be. Some students were disengaged, others were spacing out, and some where practicing future autocrat roles. I couldn’t understand what was happening; I had assigned “group roles” and everything: time keeper, information seeker, presenter, scribe.
A few days later I was having dinner with a friend who used to teach Psych at collage. Her sage advice changed everything! It was simple: teach group skills before you use groups to teach skills.
Like so many teachers, I was so anxious about the curriculum that I forgot about the social aspects of learning. Using a textbook recommended by my friend, I began to structure several lessons that would help my students to work as team members.
There are six primary goals for group work:
1. to use different approaches to a problem/ question
2. to facilitate communication
3. to use expertise to increase mutual goals
4. to encourage leadership opportunities
5. to face conflicts and resolve them constructively
6. to practice group interactions for the real world (work, friends, family, etc)
When you are introducing group skills to your students, you may want to explain these goals and create a classroom poster as a reminder. “A knowledge of group dynamics is central to the long-term maintenance of psychological health” (Joining Together, Johnson & Johnson, 2003).
When you are building these skills, the process is fairly simple: provide problem-solving opportunities; allow for reflection/ introspection, provide feedback; develop sequential stages of engagement; establish trust; and practice, practice, practice.
I. PROVIDE PROBLEM-SOLVING OPPORTUNITIES:
Use ice-breaker activities to engage students in problem-solving exercises. The first exercise should simply be diagnostic. In other words, no judgement or goals are necessary. Just allow students to work with each other. Once the task is complete, however, it will be essential for students to evaluate themselves and their team. This activity will be their baseline for their growth: “What kind of group member am I now?”
The following activities are designed to establish problem-solving skills:
1. Plane Wreck: students form groups of three. One student it blind-folded and hands are tied behind their back (A), the second is not allowed to speak (B), and the third is the “observer” who takes notes (C). Each group receives some scraps of cardboard, a blindfold, a rope and masking tape. Set up the scenario: the groups were in a plane crash and landed on a small island. There is no fresh water, but there are some clouds in the distance. You are certain that in 20 minutes, these rain clouds will reach your island. You have 20 minutes to construct a container to catch the rain water. Student A and B must work together to build the container, keeping in mind that one is blindfolded and hands are tied and the other cannot speak. Student C is taking notes during the activity: how are students cooperating? What are they doing effectively? What are some areas of difficulty? When I did this activity I actually filmed it, and we played it back after to observe. The results were incredible! Students kept saying, “I don’t remember getting mad!”, “Why am I yelling at him?” Once the activity is complete, allow student C to provide feedback to the group, and then allow the class to come together and discuss their group work.
2. Broken Squares: http://cms.intervarsity.org/mx/item/3871/download/
3: Problem-solving games: http://www.learningforlife.org/exploring-resources/99-720/x09.pdf
II. ALLOW for REFLECTION/ INTROSPECTION :
An opportunity for reflection is essential for personal growth. While group discussion is a great way to kick off reflection, it is also important for students to be introspective. Provide journals or worksheets that will help students track their group skills progress.
Stranded in the Wilderness provides an example of a rubric.
Other styles might include a simple checklist or scoring sheet:
Once students have tried several activities, they might want to generate their own rubric.
III. PROVIDE FEEDBACK:
While students are busy reflecting on their group skills, as well as those around them, it is important for them to see and hear from others as well. One of the things I like about Joining Together is that the activities usually require a third group member to observe. This person is as important as those “participating.” I found that students struggled with this role at first. While the activity was happening, I walked around the room and prompted them: “how are they working well, are they communicating effectively,” etc.
Also provide your own feedback. Be sure to point out excellent communication, positive behaviour (encouraging others), and personal growth: “last time you struggled with… but this time I saw you really try to …”
Video feedback was the most effective tool I have used so far. Students were amazed to see themselves working. Even when they thought they were being productive or positive, they could see ways to improve; we soon discovered that “group leader” does not mean “bossiest”, but rather, someone who can help keep things on track and find each person’s strength. Sometimes the group leader is the person taking the back seat! Instead of “leader” my students prefer the word “manager” or “director” which conjures the image of people doing their own jobs, with one person at the helm.
IV. DEVELOP STAGES OF ENGAGEMENT:
It may take months, it may takes years! Learning to work as a group is an ongoing personal journey. The best you can do is provide a strong foundation. Part of the process, I am afraid to say, is messy: deterioration. It is important for students to see that “group skills” is not just about working well with another person, it is about working through inevitable difficulties. This is the hard part, for sure.
Group dynamics basically follow the following sequence:
- initial attraction “I like you, let’s work on this together”
- building a relationship “you sure are good at that!”
- continuation “we are getting so much done”
- deterioration “let me do some of that too!
- end of relationship “see ya!”
Have you ever been asked to do an activity and found yourself groaning. You might even have opted out once or twice, feeling too uncomfortable or frustrated with the request.
During the initial stages of group work, there will be a lot of nervous energy and also some resistance. Some students will say that the activity is stupid; they will try to rebel against the task. No worries! So often, the trouble at the beginning of a task comes from anxiety: where do I fit in, what if it doesn’t work, last time that didn’t work…
Begin by establishing group norms and by laying out the task: what is the purpose of the group/ what are the roles? Instructions must be CLEAR, CLEAR, CLEAR.
One of the reasons students rebel against an activity is that they want to assert their independence. Rather than tightening control, try to negotiate/ teach others within the group to negotiate and reason.
* * *
Student: “I don’t want to work with so and so”
Teacher: “You are used to working with someone familiar, and you might be thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Try to remember that this is a process. You will not be held personally accountable if things fall apart. In fact, there can only be a positive outcome: you will have tried something new, and now you know what works for you.
Student: This activity is stupid
Teacher: It probably feels pretty strange to do something like this. Maybe we need to establish the instructions/rules a bit better. Can you think of a better way to start this activity?
* * *
Many students will feel anxious about the “active” approach they will have to take. Perhaps they are used to sitting back during group activities. Work side-by-side with shy or passive students; help them to see that each person’s participation is needed for total group success.
If (when!) things deteriorate in the middle of an activity or long-term project, help students work through the problem. Several factors may be at play: communication breakdown, autonomy, productivity, maturity. This stage is one of the most important because a negative outcome can have a life-long impact on an individual. Moreover, when students go into the work force, they will be afraid of confrontation and see conflict as a negative thing, rather than part of the group process.
In my experience, the only thing that fixes a serious group meltdown is communication.
- acknowledge other person’s concerns and feelings
- set aside emotions
- agree on a plan
“Differences of opinion leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to truth.” Thomas Jefferson
Conflict is a GOOD THING. It is one of the best places to learn. Most students have so few opportunities to state their opinion and even fewer chances to advocate for themselves. Encourage them to share their feelings and opinions; ensure that they are heard by reflecting back what they have said. Model this for students, and help the person they are having a conflict with to reflect back as well. Advocating leads to increased understanding. Often the person who learns the most is the person speaking! They might not even know what they are mad about until they talk about it.
V. ESTABLISH TRUST
Some of the challenges that arise from group conflict have to do with trust. I often find that a lot of work is done at the beginning of the school year, or workshop, or activity, to establish trust. Classic “fall on me’, “blindfold leader” activities are supposed to be a declaration of ongoing trust. The problem is, unless trust is continually built and created, it is an empty promise. 
I once participated in a team building trust activity that involved harnesses. Yay, we go to the top. We helped each other out. Trust was established. Two days later I was sick and missed class. I emailed a friend from class to update me on any important news. Well, the next day I showed up to class and NO ONE was there. They were all at a local school on an observation. I felt totally betrayed. Trust was definitely not established.
Trust looks like: openness, sharing, support, acceptance, cooperation. Trust is also a two-way street: you must be trustworthy and you must be trusting.
The basic elements of cooperation are:
- We instead of Me: when students see their efforts as essential to the group’s success, they will increase their efforts. Establish the group’s goals, tasks, resources and roles clearly. Before students begin, have them each reflect back their understanding. This can be done within the group as a check list, or independently. This will help with the classic “what are we doing right now” students. Have you ever noticed that when there is a prize at stake, students seem to see things with absolute clarity. It might be worth it to start students off with a “Reward” for procedure: a physical prize or even as assessment (tally chart as part of their mark) once they show you their understanding of the task ahead: verbal, written or checklist.
- Face-to-face interaction: encourage students to provide regular feedback and assistance. Often, when students get going on a group activity or project, they get into their individual spaces and don’t come together until the end. This is fine for many assignments, so long as the work is equatable, and they are communicating throughout the process. Use check-in worksheets, teacher-group interviews, or a group check-up.
- Social Skills: before students can succeed as a group, they must know and trust each other first. It is important to spend the time to chat before the activity is even established. Rather than handing out the assignment and getting students into groups, it might be more effective to provide 5 minutes and a question: “get into your groups and find out who in your group has traveled the farthest.” Once students get to know one another (yes, even half way through the year!), ask them to assign specific group roles and responsibilities. This will help students to cooperate right of the bat. You may want to say “those who were group director last time must choose a different role, and so forth” to help students establish different roles.
- Group Processing: this stage asks students to think about their effectiveness within the group. Provide opportunities for students to tell their group what they did effectively and what skills they can improve on. Individual feedback is more productive than group feedback; in other words, peer-editing forms or peer feedback forms.
Also see: The Elements of Cooperation: http://www-ee.stanford.edu/~hellman/Breakthrough/book/pdfs/axelrod.pdf
One of the most important tools for teaching students group skills is to provide LOTS of opportunities to practice, and to practice often! If you do the initial leg work at the beginning of the school year, the rest of the year will be sure to run more smoothly, and that the results of group work and assignments are better than you could ever have imagined.
Have fun, and work together often!
Classroom Managment Strategies
This is one of those topics that dangles like a carrot, just outside of reach. Just when I think I have mastered classroom management, I have a student that defies all logic, a lesson that spirals out of control, a group funk that leaves me scratching my head. Hard as it may be to create the “perfect” classroom, here are some tactics that I have come across, and others that I have tried over the years, that help pave the way.
Respect, Respect, Respect:
No matter what happens in the classroom, let students know that respect is GOLDEN. I have a zero tolerance for disrespect: towards myself, towards other students, towards the self.
It is simple. This is a POSITIVE space and anything negative has to be left at the door. That means arguments that might have happened at lunch, negative feelings towards a classmate, or otherwise. I often tell students that in the real world, lots of people come to work with problems on their minds, but the most important thing is to realize that once your at work, all that matters is work! It is almost liberating to think you can leave everything behind in the classroom, have a fresh start.
No name calling, no hands-on others persons or self, and NO losing your cool.
Students who put themselves down: I write sticky notes for students who beat themselves up and stick it on their desk. It says: “start by getting on the bicycle.” This is the metaphor we use for trying something new. How can you learn to ride unless you get on, and yes, maybe fall off once or twice! There is no such thing as “I can’t” or “I don’t know”, only “I am learning, I will get there.” Students quickly learn that this negative language doesn’t get them anywhere.
Students who disrespect the teacher or others: be clear that you do not tolerate disrespect. Name it: I do not like name calling or shouting. Give students time to “cool off” with a trip to the water fountain or, if that won’t work, meet the student in the hall. It might take time away from the other students, but chances are, the other students will be happy for the reprieve.
I have often found that when a student is being completely irrational, and my choices aren’t working for them, there is something else going on entirely. Recently a student yelled at me and started crying when I asked her to stop drawing and work on the task at hand. I explained to her that yelling at me was not okay. I 
asked her to get a drink of water and meet me in the hall. When I finally met her (I took a moment to cool down too!), I asked how everything was going and finally got down to the real problem, which had nothing to do with me or the lesson. “Okay, it is important for you to remember the golden rule: this classroom is a positive space. Do you think that your anger about this other issue is affecting other people?” Yes “Do you think that is fair to the people who came here to work today?” No. “What would you like to do next?” Leave the problem outside and get some work done. “I think that is an excellent choice.” The student went to far as to apologize to the class (and me) and got down to work.
And yes… when things are just not going well, a trip to the principal might be in order!
In short, respect yourself, respect others and always always be model positive behavior.
“Managing” Ground Rules:
This is the most basic tactic for managing students. After all, when we are talking about “managing” we are not talking about a power struggle. Instead, we are trying to establish one person as the group leader who is capable of “getting the job done.” A manager’s job is to bring out the best in his coworkers, which means a) knowing their talents, b) knowing their boundaries and c) communicating clearly.
Effective man
agers build personal relationships with their team. This comes naturally in a classroom environment; but for substitute teachers, it can be more difficult. One of the ways I create report right off the bat is by laying down by ground rules. My system is easy: if you work hard, help others, show respect, etc, students earn a check mark next to their name. Three or more check marks at the end of the day earns that student a starburst. The student with the most check marks wins a prize (something silly and small, like a yoyo). The system also has a flip side. If you don’t listen, distract others, show disrespect, you will earn a circle. Three or more circles and time will come out of your [break/lunch/ other.].
Be specific, write your expectations on the board or on a poster. Better yet, have students come up with the system themselves. How would they like to be rewarded? What will the class deem a “no go”?
Finally, follow through ALWAYS. But fairness is key! Students often ask, once they have incurred a circle, if they have any chance of getting a check mark. “Of course!” I say. “You can cancel out that circle without a problem. By the end of the day I am sure we can forget it was even there.”
Know thy Students:
Whatever it takes, get to know your students by name ASAP, (and not just the “naughty ones.”) They will be so impressed that you remembered them and reptor will be built between you.
I am a visual learner so I remember students by drawing a desk plan or, better yet, having students create name tags.
Use their names often! “Thank you ___” “what to you think _____” “That was an interesting answer, could you tell me your name again.”
Be sure to ask students, as you are doing attendance, if you have pronounced their name correctly, and if they prefer “Mike or Michael” etc.
Counting down:
The good ol’ 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Rule. This one works like a charm with younger students, who, like Pavlov predicts, hear that menacing “five” and jump to attention.
But will it work on older students? what do you do when you get to zero?
I found myself at zero not too long ago; and so, I kept counting… “negative 1, negative 2.” The students stopped in their tracks. “Every minute in the negative is time out of your day… it might be PE, it might be time out of your break.” I drew two tick marks up on the board. “Can we earn that time back?” a student asked. “Of course! If you work hard, listen well and help others around the room, I am sure we can come up with a plan.”
By the end of the day I was practically floating, I couldn’t believe how well the students worked together. What this tactic taught me was that students really just need to know boundaries are in place. If you give an inch… well, you know.
The “Bubble”
This is one of my favorites. It works best over the long term. I ask students to imagine a bubble, a really really really big bubble. The classroom sits at the center of the bubble. We can be noisy at the center, have fun, be a little silly. But when we leave the classroom, we move closer to the edge, which means we have to tighten up a bit, be quieter, control ourselves, etc. What this means is that when we are walking in the hallway, we need to be quiet and orderly. When we go on a field trip we are even closer to the center and need to be as orderly as possible.
I am not sure why this one works so well. I suppose any metaphor would work as well. But when my students line up to go to the library, all I have to say is “bubble” and they quiet down. If we are coming back from assembly, I say “bubble, please” and they get into line and look like the Vantrap Family.
I can’t think of a time where the students “popped” the bubble, but I am sure that the visual of doing so would have stuck in their minds!
What it comes down to, I think, is the expectation that there are different behaviors for different places. As long as students know your expectations around boundaries, they are at their best.
“My job… your job”:
Students love nothing more than to stretch their muscles once and a while. Often, students will say “John
ny is out of his seat!” “Mary isn’t reading!”
Thank them for noticing and politely say, “I have my job and you have your job, okay?”
What this says to students is that you have things under control. While it is nice that students are accountable to one another, it can become frustrating when students distract the classroom with “policing.”
Choices:
This is my favourite. It works like a charm every time. A student continually turns and chats with their neighbor during quiet time, disrupts others who are working, shows disrespect, or is even having trouble concentrating or getting down to work…
I approach the student and provide two choices: “You can move to this seat up here, or the one at the back. The advantage of this one is that you are close to me, so I can help you if you get stuck, the advantage of the other is that have a little more distance between you and the things that distract you. Which would you like to choose?”
There is no good choice, bad choice. Only good and better. 
I recently asked a student to choose a new seat. He moved to the front, which was still close to his friends. Another student pointed this out. “That’s okay. So and so has chosen this spot. He knows my expectations and I think he made an excellent choice.” A few minutes later, the student in question turned and began distracting his friends. “So and so,” I said, “You made a choice to move here. I wonder now which was the better choice, what do you think?” He quickly answered that he thought it was the best choice. I was amazed to see a total transformation in his behavior. He worked well for the rest of the day!
Another time, a student pulled out their iPod and started to listen to it while I was giving instructions. (This happens A LOT, when I am subbing FYI… iPod, iPhone, personal device… out they come!). I finished my instructions and went over to the student.
“I would like you to put that away, please.”
“I heard everything you said.”
“Thank you. That makes me happy. But I have a zero device rule in the classroom. I will give you the choice of putting it away, or giving it to me to hang on to.”
The student flipped. He was outraged. Calmly, I gave him two new choices. “You have the choice to go for a drink to cool down and think about my first request, or you can cool down here and follow through with my request.”
The student chose to get a drink. He came back to the room, handed me the iPod and apologized.
What I like the most about choices is that it puts the power into the hands of the students. It leaves them accountable for their actions. I had a student approach me one day and say, “You made my friend go out in the hallway. Why did you do that?”
I told him, “Your friend made the choice. He had two options and he chose to go in the hallway to get some space.”
“Oh” he says, “I didn’t know. Sorry.”
Choices should be equatable and concrete. Include a rational in the choice: you can move here where it is close to me or there where it is far from distraction. This takes away the punitive side of the choice (move here or move there!) and allows students to feel in control of otherwise frustrating situations. You will find that soon they are making choices without you having to interfere. “Mrs. C, can I move to the back where it is quiet?”
Yes! Yes you can!
The Proximity Rule:
This is a tried and true favorite. Picture the students who keep whispering, the students that are fiddling with their pencils, playing the drums on their desk, and all the other little distractions that take away from your lesson. Our automatic response as teachers is to stop the lesson and say “Hey you, stop it!” Even the dreaded “sssshhhh!” or death glare comes to mind. The truth is, every time you stop, every time you draw attention to these students, you are actually breaking the sequence of student’s sensory-processing abilities.
Sensory processing is the ability to organize information in the nervous system. Every break, every distraction causes the brain to create a new pathway for the information being relayed. THIS is why distractions are so frustrating. In fact, it is also the reason why psychologists continue to boast the merits of hand-writing. If you do not break the sequence of thought, the information will be retained more productively.
So, every time you stop a lesson to call out a student’s behaviour, you are effectively lifting the pen from the paper and breaking the processing pathway. Instead of calling students out, walk around the classroom and stand next to the students who are causing the distraction. You wont have to say a word! Your proximity to the student will be enough for them to get back on task.
In fact, I find that when I explain this concept to students, that is, about the pathways to the brain, they self-regulate. Win-Win!
Keep it Real:
What ever the age, students respond positively to the truth. They know when we are placating, and they REALLY know when you are not being yourself. Don’t be afraid to tell students you have been in their shoes. Tell them stories, and let them see that you are doing your best to live and learn, just like them.
These are just some of the tools I have come across and used in my own classroom. There are about a million more, I am sure. Please leave your own thoughts and methods in the comment space below!
Happy Managing!
Ancient Egypt PowerPoint-based Lesson
Here it is: the ultimate introduction to Ancient Egypt. Yes, it has videos, graphics and an pretty solid lesson plan; no, it does not feature virtual reality (which IS my ideal lesson plan model…)
The vision for using a PowerPoint format was to provide as many access points as possible AND, most importantly, to avoid the graphic-organizer trap.
In short, the PP uses videos, pictures, primary documents (quotes, journals, tablets and pics), critical thinking questions, and timelines to outline specific learning objectives and themes. Each chapter follows up with a choice of assignment (take-home or in class), as well a quiz (blackline master available in “The World in Ancient Times” Teaching Guide) and follow up questions to review the chapter’s key points. One concept that I have added is the connection between the past and the present. 
The World series focuses on American history for their connections; I have created more philosophical and general statements that will help students (hopefully) to answer that all-time favourite question: why am I learning this?
The first seven chapters of this PP Unit follow “The World in Ancient Times” Teaching Guide. I have used this series for Early Civilization, and parts of the Primary and Secondary Source book for the Mesopotamia unit.
I hope that you enjoy. Please let me know if you are interested in seeing more of these types of lessons 🙂
CLICK HERE to download the ppt lesson: Ancient Egypt Units 1-2
Multiple Intelligences in the Everyday Classroom 