Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Summer Checklist for #wholebrainteaching

Here are some things that you may want to think about and plan as you get ready for another year (or your first year!) as a Whole Brain Teacher. Please leave a comment if you have any questions! Of course, don't forget to get the book, Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, check out the main WBT website, join the WBT Middle School Facebook page, and join the Book Club blog!

Summer To Do List...

  • Print and laminate posters for Class-Yes, Teach-Okay, Mirror, Hands and Eyes, and Switch. You can use the ones from the WBT website, or find some great ones on Pinterest. I'm going to be making some new ones soon too...
  • Get some white board tape (or just some black electrical tape) for your scoreboard
  • Decide if you will be doing whole class cards or individual cards on the Super Improvers Team
  • Look at the first unit that you will be teaching and identify the main emphasis topics. You may want to look at the standards you will be covering, the "I can" statements you may be using, or just think about the big ideas that you want them to remember and understand all year. 
  • Turn the topic into a question, answer the question in kid friendly language, and create a simple gesture to go along with the answer. You can turn all of this into a Power Pix too! Mrs. O has a great (and free) template on Teachers Pay Teachers to use for creating your own. You also may want to search around - there are a lot of great WB Teachers creating Power Pix all the time that you could use. 
  • Look at the first few lessons that you will be teaching, and see how you can transform those lessons into the five step format. Here's a free template that I use, please feel free to download a copy for yourself. 

Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page to let me know how you're doing!

9 comments:

  1. Could we just meet up so I could actually get that whole list done? There are SO many things on my summer to do list that it is hard to get started. Currently the first thing on my list is to buy Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids.

    Jamie
    Sixth Grade Tales

    Follow my new Facebook page

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  2. Jamie, that's a great first step! :)

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  3. Thanks for the tips, Sarah! I have my rules posters ready to go, but I need to finish the book in order to learn about the Super Improvers Wall and everything else! Good thing the book is an easy read! I'm getting so excited about using WBT this school year! :)
    Nicole
    Whole Brain Teaching With Style

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  4. I love WBT, and I think it is so great for the MS classroom. Your blog has such great tips! I wanted to include you on my Liebster award: http://marishawkins.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/liebster-award/
    Thanks

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  5. Thanks Sarah. I was getting a bit overwhelmed until I found this Summer To Do List. Its giving me something to focus on. With appreciation, Helen

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  6. This was a great list. I am happy I have already accomplished a couple things. It is a great idea to go through my first few units and begin the plan how I will implement the 5 step lesson plan. I have downloaded your template and I know it will be very helpful. Thank you!

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    1. Great! When I plan my lessons, the "bullet point" idea helps me to focus in on how I want to structure the lesson, as well as help me talk briefly in microlectures. All examples, explanations, definitions, etc each get a different bullet point in my lesson plan, and each bullet point ends with a teach okay when I'm presenting the lesson to kiddos. Let me know how it's going!!
      :)

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  7. I'm new to Whole Brain Teaching and I'm glad I found your blog! Can't wait to get started! Thank you.

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