What to do on the first day of school?

The hardest part of any journey is the first step. The same is true with implementing any new technique or strategy in your classroom. Change is hard. The unknown can be scary. But there's no reward for those risks not taken. So... if you are thinking of using WBT in your classroom next year...make the decision to JUST DO IT! :) The community of Whole Brain Teachers around the world is the most supportive and helpful group of people that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. There are hundreds of resources available at your fingertips, and many people available to answer your questions (and hold your hand if needed) along the way.

When I decided to start using WBT techniques in my classroom, it wasn't a hard decision. After watching hours of YouTube videos and downloading as many free eBooks from the website as I could...I knew I had to start using the strategies right away. It wasn't a choice. It was a calling. I know that now. But, to be truly transparent, you need to know that I embrace change. I love trying new things, and am constantly modifying what I do in my classroom. I've never taught the same lesson in the same way twice. Change is relatively easy for me. For many, that's not the case. Whether you embrace change, or run screaming from it, my hope is that this post will help you feel more prepared and confident to walk in to your first day of school.

And I've recently learned that some schools start the new school year in July! That's crazy. But that's off topic. :)

Back to our original question...What should you do on your first day? This post is written for those that teach class periods or blocks or different students throughout the day. If that's you...keep reading. And, even if you have one group of kids all day, you may find some helpful tips below. Please leave a comment after you're finished reading, I love the feedback!

Greet your students in the hall. (5 minutes)
This may sound strange, but doing this immediately let's your students know that there's something a little different about your classroom. Have them line up outside your door.

When the bell rings, start by saying, "Please look at me." It sounds funny, but what will happen is you will get a few more kids looking at you who weren't previously, and it sets the tone that you are in control of the environment.

Next, you are going to welcome them and quickly introduce yourself.. Say something like, "I'm so excited to meet all of you today. I'm Mrs. Meador, and I'll be your science teacher for the year."

Finally, you are going to teach them the class yes. You can say, "We will be doing a lot of moving and talking in class this year, and I need to be able to get your attention very quickly. To do that, we use something called the 'class yes'. When I say class, you say yes. Class! (a few of your students will say yes). Good. Now however I say class, that's how you say yes. If I say "Class Class!" then you say...(a few of your students will say "Yes Yes!'" You can try a couple varieties of class yes, and praise your students for their attention.

Now your students are ready to enter your room. Give them directions as to how they are to find their seats. I prefer to have a seating chart posted on my SMART board, and ask that students use that to find their assigned seat. While they are doing this, I take careful observations of who are the leaders, the followers, the clowns, the shy ones, and the clueless.  Yup, I said clueless. You know you've got some. We love them anyway. :)

Learn everyone's name. (10 minutes)
The best, most extraordinary way that I've found to learn students' names is called The Name Game. It's very simple. Tell the kids that you need their help to learn everyone's name. As you point to a kid, they tell you their name. Point to a kid, "Johnny". Point to a kid, "Sue". Point to a kid, "James". Then you repeat the names, in order, two or three times, while you point to them. (Johnny, Sue, James, Johnny, Sue. James." Then the whole class says the names together. "Johnny, Sue James."

Now you go on to the next three kids. Point to them, one at a time, and they each say their names. Then, go back to Johnny, and say all of the kids' names in order two or three times. Then the class says all of the names in order with you.

Repeat this until you've gotten through the whole class. Don't forget to call a Class Yes if they start having too much fun and losing control. Reign them back in with the Class Yes.

Now, here's the magic: If you forget a name, ask the class 'Who is this?" And then say, "You got it, great job!" Even if you know the kid's name, you can still use this trick. The point here is not to just learn the names yourself, but to engage your students into learning each other's names as well. Don't be afraid to make a mistake - this is your chance to show your kids that you are human, and that you know how to laugh! There should be a lot of laughing and fun in the game. And it really does work! I learn 120+ students' names on day 1. The next day I silently play the game again to myself while they are working on something. I repeat that every day for a few days, and usually within the week I know all kids names. Even when they change clothes. Even in the hallway. Oh yeah.

 Slowly introduce the Teach OK. (5 minutes)
Getting buy in on this is absolutely critical. So a slow entrance works best. First, you want to sprinkle in moments, right from the start of class, where you have the kids say things to each other. For example, when you are giving directions for the Name Game (above), you could say something like, "I need your help to learn everybody's names. I want to have all of your names memorized in the next ten minutes. Tell your neighbor, "She can't do it!" Well, let's see if I can!"

Do this several times, where you ask each kid to "Tell your neighbor..." Tell them exactly what you want them to say. You want to get them used to the fact that they won't be allowed to sit there and blend in. No one is under an invisibility cloak. This is a talking class, and everybody gets to talk. You're giving them the exact phrase to repeat so there's no fear of having to come up with something. You also want to have them say funny things to each other, which shows them that it's ok to laugh and have fun!

After you've had them tell their neighbor a few specific things, now it's time for them to "Tell your neighbor everything I just said." This next scaffolded step towards the teach ok gets them used to using their own words to repeat something you've said.  A great example is to list out everything they need to bring to class. You might say, "For this class, you will need to bring your green folder, green notebook, agenda, and pencil. Green folder, green notebook, agenda, and pencil." As you list these things out, use your "big counters". Hold four finger up with your left hand, then swing your right hand around in a big way to land on each finger of your left hand. When you say green folder you swing your right hand around to the first finger on your left hand. When you say green notebook you swing your right hand around to the second finger on your left hand, etc. Then say, "Now tell your neighbor, using your big counters, everything I just said."

Using the big counters is a great way to get kids using gestures, which is the next step.

Introduce Mirror Words. (10 minutes)
Explain to the kids that when you say "Mirror Words", they say, "Mirror Words" and raise their hands ready to mirror your gestures. Then whatever you do and say, they do and say. More on how to keep upper grade kids engaged with Mirror Words (and get their buy in). For now, you are just introducing it. You can do a silly mirror check, wave your arms around crazily, get them laughing as they follow you. It's important to practice using mirrors here, and with limited time in upper grades, the best practice is with something you need to tell them on that first day (like we did with the supplies in step 3). For me, I go right to the rules. I have them mirror me as I teach them all five rules.
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly (swim your right hand through the air like a fish swimming forward)
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak) raise your right hand, then make a talking motion with your hand)
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat, aaahhhh (raise your right hand, then walk your two fingers through the air, then throw your right arm back into the air for the "aaahhh")
Rule 4: Make smart choices (use your right pointer finger to tap your temple three times)
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy (make a picture frame underath your face with both hands and smile!)
After I have shown them and had them mirror each rule, I'll ask them to TURN and tell their neighbor each of the rules over and over. Notice the continued scaffolding towards the teach okay. Earlier they said something to their neighbor, then they explained something to their neighbor, now I'm asking them to TURN and tell their neighbor OVER and OVER.

Teach the full Teach Okay. (10 minutes)
Now you're ready to show them the entire Teach Okay. Tell them that all class period long you've been asking them to talk with their partner, and that in this class they will be talking more than you. In this class, they will get to talk almost the entire class period most days. That will get their attention.

Explain that you when you clap twice and say, "Teach!" they will clap twice and say "Okay". Have them practice this a few times.

Next explain that after they say Okay, they will do a full turn to their partner, shoulders facing shoulders. Have them practice this a few times. Get their attention back with a class yes. Now have them tell their partners that your Grandma moves faster than them. What was rule 1 again? Have them tell you with the gesture. And have them practice the teach Okay with full turn a few more times, faster.

Finally, show them that after their full turn, their arms should be up ready to gesture. Have them just practice the teach, okay, full turn, arms up routine a few times. Praise those groups loudly that are doing great. Say things like, "This side is doing great, I'm not so sure about that side over there." but be very vague about which side you're talking about. Be mysterious, it keeps them on their toes.

Now you're ready to use the teach Okay. Here's where I fit in all of the other stuff that I'm "supposed" to do on the first day. All of the administrative stuff that I am supposed to do can be given in short segments, using mirror words to highlight the key ideas, and followed up by a teach okay. Before the first time, you'll need to say, "Now when I clap twice and say teach, you clap twice and say ok...then you're going to do a full turn, make big exciting gestures, and TEACH your neighbor over and over what I just said. Imagine that you are now the teacher, and you have to explain it to your partner. Keep explaining xyz (insert a reminder of whatever it is you just talk them), over and over, until I call you back with a class yes.

DONE! IN 40 minutes, you've taught the class yes, mirror words, 5 rules, and teach okay.

Disclaimer: It is YOUR classroom. Nothing in this post is meant to be absolute. It is example of what you can get done in an upper grade classroom in a 40 minute class period on day 1. Every school and classroom is unique, so it's up to you to tweak these examples to fit your needs. If you have any trouble figuring out how to do that, please leave a comment; I'd love to help!

Next up...Day 2: the Scoreboard, complete sentence answers, and Brainies! Coming soon...

Free WBT Skype Sessions

I am SO ABSOLUTELY EXCITED about this new opportunity that we are offering this summer...

Right now, you can sign up for a FREE one-hour Skype session with a member of the WBT Executive Board in your region. Holy cow amazing!!

This free, introductory Skype will cover an introduction to Whole Brain Teaching, and focus on six basic techniques: Class-Yes, Hands and Eyes, Mirror, Words, Teach-Okay, Switch and the Scoreboard.

If you can get a group of teachers together, we can set up a Skype with you!

We do offer a series of professional development Skypes, at $250 each, so if your district is interested, we can set that up as well. This series would go into deeper detail about each strategy, as well as aditional techniques, and also provide one-on one support for all staff.

If you'd like to schedule a free, one-hour, introduction to WBT Skype session, click HERE and complete the short form.

What an AMAZING OPPORTUNITY to get individualized professional development!!

#WholeBrainTeaching the Teach Okay

This video shows a quick introduction on the Teach Okay with a group of 6th graders. Before this lesson, students were asked to do various activities to get them ready to do a teach okay.

Here is an example of some things that I asked students to do in class to get them ready to do a teach okay.

1. Tell your neighbor, "Take out your folder!"
2. Tell your neighbor, "You're amazing!"
3. Turn and tell your neighbor, "Open to page 5 and take out a pencil!"
4. Turn and tell your neighbor everything you just learned from reading that paragraph!
5. Turn and tell your neighbor what the directions are, and use some gestures to explain it to them!

We worked our way through these 5 steps over the course of a few days. When students were ready, meaning they were used to talking and moving with their partner, then I introduced the structure of the Teach Okay. When I clap twice and say, "Teach!" the students clap twice and say, "Okay!" Then they do a full turn to their partner, raise their arms up ready to gesture, and immediately start teaching their partner everything they've learned. 

Remember, that the teach-okay leads way to Switch. Switch is where you have students take turns teaching each other, which is where they practice their listening and speaking skills separately. To help them be ready to do that, I ask that they both teach at the same time during a teach okay. They talk and gesture while also listening and watching their partner. This helps my kiddos to not feel like everybody's watching them, and helps them to step outside of their comfort zone.

When they feel comfortable doing this, then I pull out Switch and give them the stage to teach their partner. The teaching partner stands, the sitting partner sits and mirrors the "teacher's" gestures. When the teacher has said everything they possibly can about the subject, they high five their partner, and switch places. 

Here's what it looked like when I introduce it to my kiddos:

#WholeBrainTeaching First Week

Our first full week of school has come and gone! I can't believe it has gone so fast! I already missed 1.5 days due to sick babies, so I'm hoping everybody gets healthy soon! Even with that, it has truly been a great start to the year. With WBT things just go so smoothly. I see so many smiling faces everyday, and hear so many kids talking about me as their "favorite teacher". Such a great feeling!

Here's a brief overview of what we have done so far. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions!

CLASS-YES: Introduced on day one. The early focus was on how the class yes needed to be completed.  Students need to stop what they are doing, look at me, and fold their hands (or just lay them on the desk). Variations on the class yes include silly changes in pitch, tempo, and repetition.

5 RULES: Rule 1 introduced on day one with gesture. We practice following directions quickly while pretending to take imaginary supplies out of their desks. This is also how I teach students what they need to bring to each class. Rules 2 and 3 are introduced on day two with gesture. We talk about when these rules apply - which is anytime I am giving the class direct instruction.When I ask students to talk with their neighbor, rule 2 obviously doesn't apply. During a lab activity, neither rule 2 or 3 apply. Rule 4 and 5 are introduced on day 3 with gesture. We talk about smart choices and not smart choices. I explain that I am happy only when students are learning, so anytime there's behavior that's stopping other people from learning then I am not happy.

Teach Okay: On day one I ask kids to tall their neighbor several things. I tell them specifically what to say. Things like, "Tell your neighbor, you better be fast!" and "Tell your neighbor, take out your green folder!" This gets kids used to talking to their neighbor, who may be somebody they don't know well. Kids also love being bossy, so this always makes them giggle. On day 2, I ask kids to talk with their neighbor about specific things. I say things like, "Talk with your neighbor until I call you back about why Rule 2 is so important!" This continues to help students feel comfortable talking with their neighbor in preparation for the teach okay. On day 3 I introduce the teach okay. We practice the cue, where I clap twice and say teach then they clap twice and say ok. We practice that a few times until they have it nice and crisp. Then I have them add a full turn after they say ok, and we practice that a few times. Next I add that their hands go up when they do their full turn, and we practice that a few times. Finally, I have them do a teach okay about their favorite food. It's important to have them get comfortable sing big gestures, so I want to be able to guess their food by watching their gestures! As the days continue, we use the scoreboard as a reminder for all of the important points included in the teach okay. I also explain that the reason for the teach okay is to engage all parts of their brain, which helps to build long lasting memories.

Scoreboard: Introduced on day three. After we practice the teach okay with favorite food, I explain that the scoreboard will be used to make sure everyone is engaged. We talk about the prize for winning is bragging rights, just like it is when they win a basketball game. I also tell them that later in the year we will play for +/- homework and +/- free time. Telling them this right from the start really helps to get buy in early.  This is a key element in using all of the above techniques! Use this to teach the kids exactly how you want them to behave. If they aren't fast enough, aren't lour enough, are too loud, etc., they are retaught using the scoreboard. Give them a negative point and have them retry. Then another negative point and retry again. Then a positive point when they improve.

More on mirrors, the SIT, switch, and hands and eyes later!

  

5 step lesson plan - Tectonic Boundaries

Step 1:Question:  What are the tectonic boundaries?

Quick Google image search for “plate tectonic map”, use  Picture

Step 2: Answer: Tectonic plate boundaries can be divergent, convergent, or transform.

(gesture: Stick out thumbs and move them away from each other, move pointer fingers towards each other, slide palms against each other in opposite directions)

Step 3: Explore: Intro video

Online simulator and simulation videos and simulations and interactive website

Table on SMART board. Pairs use simulator to predict/analyze plate movements, and fill in chart.

When plates move towards each other...	When plates move away from each other...	When plates move past each other...

Step 4: Quick Test (QT) using SMART Response clickers

1. Convergent boundaries form when plates move towards each other.
2. Tectonic boundaries are things that move.
3. A tectonic boundary is a place where two plates interact.
4. Divergent plates can cause earthquakes.
5. Transform plates create a large amount of friction.
6. All tectonic boundaries occur because of the asthenosphere’s movement.
7. Convergent boundaries can make mountains.
8. Divergent boundaries make new crust.
9. A subduction zone happens when one plate goes beneath another plate and becomes part of the mantle.
10. A collision between two pieces of oceanic crust will form a subduction zone.

Step 5: Write/ Critical Thinking: Genius Paragraph

Extender sentence with two detail adders giving evidence: Plates move slowly towards each other at a convergent boundary. Two plates come together and crash into each other.

Starter blah sentence: Plates move.

Paragraph Objective: Write one extender with detail adder that gives evidence

Use whiteboard to share sentences with the class. Use oral writing with capital letter gesture (one arm raised up in the air, other arm low to the ground) and period gesture (eeek sound as hand moves forward).

Power Pix for Tectonic Boundaries

Exit Slip: Andes mountains in South America, earthquakes in California, mid-ocean ridge in the Atlantic Ocean

5 Step Lesson Plan - Independent Variable

Science and Engineering Practices from The Next Generation Science Standards:

Middle School Standard: Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent  and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded, and how many data are needed to support a claim.

Step 1: QUESTION: What is an independent variable?

Step 2: ANSWER: An independent variable is what the scientist changes in an experiment, to find out which one is the “best”.

Gesture: Point both thumbs towards yourself (for scientist) , use one pointer finger and point out three times out in front of you (for which, is, best).

Step 3: EXPLORE/EXPAND:

Show picture

Teach-OK to find the independent variable

*Water Temperature

-Briefly explain that you wouldn’t want to add different amounts food coloring AND change the temperature of the water. That would make for an unfair test because you are changing more than one thing at a time. Only one variable should be changed at time. That variable is the independent variable. Teach-OK.

Show picture

Teach-OK to find the independent variable

*Strain (medication) given to each mouse

-Briefly explain that the scientist changes the one aspect of the experiment, and then watches and measures what happens. What the scientist changes in each trial is the independent variable. Teach-OK

Show picture

Teach OK to find the independent variable

*Type of candy bar

-Briefly explain that the scientist decides how many trials will be carried out in the experiment. The scientist can choose to test 3, 12, or 2000 different candy bars. The independent variable is the type of candy bar. Teach-OK

Show picture

Teach OK to find the independent variable

*shooting position

-Briefly explain that when the experiment data is graphed, the independent variable is shown on the x-axis. This is the bottom of the graph, labeling each bar of a bar graph or point of a line graph. Each bar, point, or pie piece represents a change in the independent variable. The data collected, which is another type of variable, depends on the independent variable. Teach-OK

Step 4: TEST: Options: Students put heads down with thumbs up for true or thumbs down for false. Students (heads up) use red/green card: show green side for true and red side for false. Students use SMART Response clickers, or an assessment app like Socrative.

1. It’s OK to change many things at one time during an experiment. (False)
2. After the independent variable is changed, the scientist waits and watches to collect data. (True)  
3. The independent variable is placed on the y-axis of a bar graph. (False)
4. The independent variable is the only type of variable in an experiment. (False)
5. A variable is anything that can change. (True)
6. As the scientists, you decide to change the independent variable. (True)
7. Data collected during your experiment depends on the independent variable. (True)
8. A gamer thinks that having the right type of chair will help him get a better score on his video games. He tries out several different chairs, plays each game several times, and records the score he gets each time. The independent variable is the type of chair. (True)
9. A farmer needs wants to find a new type of seed that will grow well in his field. He has several new seeds that he wants to try out. He plants one row of each type in a field, and measures the growth of each plant for the entire season. The independent variable is the growth of each plant. (False)
10.  An inventor is trying to figure out how to create a new type of closet organizer that will automatically fold and put away clean laundry in the appropriate place. The inventor tries several different designs, and tests to see how accurately the machine works. The independent variable is the design of the machine. (True)

Step 5: WRITE/CRITICAL THINKING:

Show this sentence frame on the board: “ Which type of ______ is ______?” Explain that the first blank is for the independent variable, and the second blank is for what you want that variable to do. Teach OK to explain what each blank is for in the sentence frame.

Some good example could be: “Which type of paper towels is strongest?”, “Which type of chocolate is sweetest?”, “Which type of game controller is the best for getting high scores?”.  

Teach OK and have students complete this sentence frame as many times as possible (orally).

Have each student choose one of their sentences from their Teach OK to use as a topic sentence. The target word of this topic sentence is their independent variable (from the first blank). Students should then add 3 detail adders about this target word.

Teach-OK

 One of WBT's most POWERFUL classroom strategies...the Teach-OK...how can you use it with in your classroom?

I've been working on lesson plans for the rest of the year, and one main focus in my planning is the implementation of the Teach-OK. I look at this as the magic component of WBT. It's this piece that does so many things to take a lesson to the next level. I've made a list of my "Top Ten Teach-OK Things to Remember". OK, so I only have six so far. So really it's a Top 6 list. But Top 10 just sounds cooler.

Check out the great posters from Stephanie at
3rd Grade Thoughts!

1. Introduce "Mirror" first. Get your students used to mirroring your gestures. Show them exactly how to move their hands, and explain exactly why those movements work (they help to show the meaning of the words). If we want students to eventually be able to come up with their own gestures they need practice with somebody else's gestures first. Students need to get over their fear that "everybody is watching me." What can help them get over this, and start to feel comfortable gesturing with purpose, is to be given the tools to be successful right from the start. The stages of Teach-OK are: start with mirror, move to repeat Teach-OK (where students simply repeat everything that was said exactly as the teacher said it), then move to summarizing, then move to critical thinking.

2. Use "Switch" after each level above when students have reached their comfort level. For example, get students comfortable repeating exactly what you said with gestures, then use "switch"so they get used to doing it on their own. Then, once they are comfortable summarizing content using the Teach-OK, have them summarize using Switch. For me, the Teach-OK helps to teach students how to talk. Switch teaches students how to listen. The talking part needs to come first, because you can't learn to listen if now one knows what to say!  Switch takes the students out of their comfort zone, and makes them a little more exposed. This is wonderful practice for those students that have a big fear of public speaking. It's still public speaking, but only to one person in a room where lots o other people are talking at the same time.

3. Introduce specific,key, critical thinking gestures. The gesture for the because-clapper and the example popper are two great brain toys to use in the Teach-Ok. Make these gestures the Go-To gestures for critical thinking. If students can give a reason and an example of a fact then they really do understand it. Introducing these two simple gestures gives students a "bag of tricks" to pull from when they are expected to do some critical thinking about a topic.

4. Give enough time for students to say everything they can possibly think of, and then give them a little bit more time. Students should continue the Teach-Ok until the class is called back with the Class-Yes. Practice from the start to repeat over and over until called back with the Class-Yes.This habit really needs to be formed before the summarizing and critical thinking steps take place. If this is a habit, then students will continue trying to think of new ways to say the same fact, of new examples to give,or new reasons. This is exactly what you want! Get them to exhaust their brains, and then give them more time to think of even more.  The key is to find the perfect balance, because if you give them too much time you may have some discipline issues (which of course you would fix the scoreboard).

5. Praise, prompt and leave. As the Teach-Ok is happening, do not stand in the front of the room watching. Scan the room looking for gestures. Head right to that pair of students that aren't using gestures appropriately. Usually in my class there's always one student that looks like he's having a seizure or something - spastic gestures just for fun - he thinks I won't notice his gestures don't really mean anything :)Whoever you see first, use this time to quickly walk by and praise them for something they are doing well, prompt them to make certain improvements, and then leave them alone to adjust their own behavior.

6. Include some super silly Teach-Ok's! A great way for a lesson to start is to have the class Teach-Ok  all about how excited they are to learn about (fill in the blank with your topic). Yes,middle schoolers will giggle and roll their eyes at you. But they will all be rolling their eyes on task -and 100% on task behavior is what makes teacher heaven!

Technology, the Core 4, and the 5 step Lesson Plan

 By way of a colleague, I've come across a great app for classroom use called NearPod. This app allows you to control student i-devices using your iPad.

Now, first let me explain that I have one iPad and 5 iPods in my classroom due to our E2T2 technology grant. There are also iPods for checkout in all libraries in our district. I checked-out the 10 iPods from our library, and the 15 iPods from our high school's library,. Yes, I am an iPod hoarder! This allowed me to hav eone device for every student.

Nearpod allows me to create an presentation including content slides as well as interactive slides where students can draw, answer questions, take a poll, watch videos, browse a webpage, and take a quiz. There are other features too, but that's all that's available on the free app (pretty awesome even without paying!). The great part about NearPod is that I have all of the control. The students only see what I send to their iPod. So all student look at the content slide until I swipe my iPod to the next slide.

Big Point Coming...

The Core Four allowed me to have such amazing control of my classroom, even while using amazing technology!

Let me explain by showing you a glimpse into the lesson presentation that I created for NearPod, and what I had the students do...

Slide 1: Question - Teach OK using the question on the slide
Class-Yes, Scoreboard rule #1

Slide 2: Vocab Review  - Teach OK using the facts on the slide
Class-Yes, Mirror the vocabulary gestures learned previously

Slide 3: Pretest - interactive quiz to assess prior knowledge, students don't see their scores, but I instantly can on my iPad
Class-Yes Scoreboard for  rule #1

Slide 4: Answer - Video: Mr. Parr on YouTube has great parodies of current songs linked to science concepts
Class-Yes, Scoreboard for following Rule #5 (smiling.dancing during the video! fun!) Teach OK
Class-Yes

Slide 6: Expand Answer - Mirror with gestures to explain the H-R diagram (graphs a star's temperature and luminosity), Hands and eyes to show how to plot one star on the diagram, Teach OK
Class-Yes Scoreboard for rule #1

Slide 5: Drawing - with an H-R Diagram background, students plot specific stars by drawing right onto their screen.. Choose one drawing, slide it to all students' iPods and have that student prove with because-clapper why it was plotted correctly. 10 finger woo of course!
Class-Yes Scoreboard for rule #4

Slide 6 Assess: Q&A with various questions relating to the H-R diagram, question asked, students respond, I am send out one student's correct answer for all students to see, and class can see summary of class responses. Teach OK Scoreboard for rule #4

The critical thinking part of the lesson plan happens with the homework activity that students complete showing why certain stars are plotted on certain parts of the diagram.

LOVE Nearpod and WBT!

Five Step Lesson Plan: Earth Layers Example

Step 1: Question: What are the characteristics of  Earth's layers?
Post this question on the board. Have students tell their partners how excited they are to learn more about the Earth. Mirror with words: I know a lot about the Earth! Last year, in 5th grade, I made a model of the Earth from clay and cut it to show the crust, mantle and core! I have learned about the crust, mantle, and core before! Teach! (OK!)

Step 2: Answer
Mirror with words: Crust, mantle and core! The crust is thin, made of rock. This rock is either basalt or granite, depending on the type of crust. Continental crust is made of granite. Oceanic crust is made of basalt. Teach! (OK!)
Mirror with words: Crust, mantle, and core! The crust is thin, made of either basalt or granite, depending on the type of crust. The mantle is made of rock. This rock is mostly a mixture of iron and magnesium. No one has ever drilled down to the mantle. Teach! (OK!)
Mirror with words:  Crust, mantle, and core! The crust is thin, made of either basalt or granite, depending on the type of crust.  The mantle is made of iron and magnesium. The core is made of metal. The metal is mostly iron. Teach! (OK!)

Step 3: Expand answer
Hands and eyes. Explain that the lithosphere is made of the crust and upper mantle. It is broken into tectonic plates."Litho-" means rigid. The asthenosphere flows slowly, and causes the tectonic plates to move. Have students close their eyes and imagine they are in a large bath tub full of small, yellow, rubber duckies. When they stay very still in the bath tub, the duckies don't move. Ask students to imagine that they start moving their arms and legs around underwater. What happens? The duckies move! The water is the asthenosphere, the duckies are the tectonic plates! Teach! (OK!)
Mirror with words: The lithosphere is rigid and the asthenosphere is weak. Explain that the mesosphere is the strong part of the lower mantle. The core is divided into two parts: the outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid. Teach! (OK!)
Play the You Tube video. Teach! (OK!)

Step 4: Assessment
Explain that you will read a statement, and students have to agree (yes) or disagree (no way). Ask students to come up with gesture for "yes" and for "no way".

1. All of the crust is made of granite. (no way)
2. The mantle and core are made of different materials. (yes)
3. A tectonic plate is made of both the crust and the upper mantle. (yes)
4. The inner core gives the Earth its magnetic field. (no way)
5. The farther into the Earth you go, the greater the heat and pressure. (yes)
After each statement have a student stand and use a because clapper to explain their answer: The statement is a "yes" because... or The statement is a "no way" because... Use lots of ten finger woo's!

Step 5: Critical Thinking
Have students complete a pie piece drawing. You could use the points on the scoreboard to add/remove items to this activity. After students have completed the activity, have them stand with a Class-Yes and Mirror with words to explain one step of the activity. Repeat with different students for each step of the activity.

Five Step Lesson Plan Example

The five step lesson plan is an amazingly simple tool because is allows the teacher to focus in on what is really

important. Chunking material, using gestures, and ending with critical thinking, for example, are all part of this 
lesson plan that make it so amazing. here is one example of how I put it to use in my sixth-grade science class.

Step 1: Question
In this first step of the five step lesson plan, you present the students with a question. You want to engage 
students\ in the content and get them excited about what they are going to learn about.
EXAMPLE:
Class-Yes. Pose a question to the class: What is a biome? Students tell their partner how excited they are to 
learn about biomes! Do a Teach-OK and tell your table partner everything that you know about the Earth, 
ecosystems, biomes, and the environment.

Step 2: Answer
In this step you want to give students a short, consice answer to the question. You will expand on it late, but
here you give the basics. This would be a great place to introduce a Power Pix. You can have students mirror
or mirror  with words as you explain this short chunk of information.
Example:
Class-Yes. As a review from the day before, explain that an ecosystem is a group of living and nonliving things
that interact. Mirror with words. Give gestures to show the sun being used by plants, plants being eaten by 
animals, animals being eaten by other animals, plants and animals using water, climate affecting all living things,
 etc. Teach-OK. Assess during the teach-ok, if students don't completely understand the definition of an 
ecosystem, go back and review again. When students are ready, move on to step 3.

Step 3: Expand the answer
This step gives students the bulk of the details for this concept. For complex concepts, you may have several
chunks of info to explain. If you do have multiple chunks, explain one piece and then do a Teach-OK for
 students to process the information.
Example:
Class-Yes. Have students close their eyes and imagine themselves as a forest. They are made of trees with 
leaves that turn color every fall, squirrels, insects, and coyotes, with warm summers and cold winters. Tell
them that all of the living and nonliving things inside them are in a perfect balance. There are enough resources
in your forest to keep all of the living things happy. Now have students open their eyes and look around. Tell
them that each person is an ecosystem Ask students who is a forest in Illinois? Who is a forest in California?
In Canada? In Australia? (When they raise their hand doesn't matter, this is just showing that similar forests 
can be found all over the world) Whose forest ad ten trees? Whose as a thousand trees? (Again, it doesn't' 
matter when they raise their hand, this is just showing that some ecosystems are small and some are big). 
Have students look all around the room, at each person, imagining that they are looking at similar forests from 
all around the world, some big, others small, but all with similar characteristics. With gestures, explain that a
biome is made of separate ecosystems from all over the world that have similar climate, animals, plants, etc. 
So if each student represents a deciduous forest from a different place in the world, then all of the students in
the class together make a biome. Teach-OK. Assess, reteach, and move on to step 4 when ready.

Step 4: Assess
There are several variations to this assessment step. The key is to do it quickly so that you get information 
quickly as to whether or not your class has learned the concept. Stand up/sit down, thumbs up/down, and 
whiteboards are all great low-tech ways to assess. SMART response clickers are another great way to
assess quickly if you have them in your classroom.
Example:
Class-Yes. Use thumbs up for true, thumbs down for false. Give 5-8 statements and ask students to thumbs
up/down for each statement. You may have students put heads down during this step. If reteaching is
necessary, go back to step 3. When students are ready, go on to step 5.

Step 5: Critical Thinking
This is, arguably, the most important step. It is in this step that students take the concept and internalize it. 
They make it their own. This is a great time to do writing (oral or on paper).
Example:
Class-Yes. Have pairs of students complete a because clapper sentence on a small whiteboard. Deserts are a
biome because... The pond in my backyard is not a biome because... When pairs finish, have them decide on
roles (one partner plays Smarty, the other plays Doofus) and have a conversation about the question "what is a
biome". When students are all finished, pair two groups up to work together, assign one group to be a "one"
and the other would be a "two". One's read their because clapper to the the two's. Two's then need to come 
up with an example popper to go with the sentence that the one's just shared. Then groups switch. Twos read
 their because clapper, one's give an example popper.

Teach-OK, Because Clapper, and Example Popper

School has been in session for almost a month now, and my students are back into the groove of being back in school. We have made it through our first unit, had our first test, and I am getting to know each of my students much better. I LOVE it when I get to this place...the place where I know all of my students names (100+), their quirks, personalities, and what makes them each individuals. This is always a focus for me at the start of the year. I never think I do a good enough job at this, and am always trying to do better.

This year, with the introduction of Teach-OK, I feel like I am getting to know each of them so much better. Giving them SO many opportunities in a class to talk and share with partners gives me more of a chance to assess each student and learn more about them as individuals. I get more chances to hear each student talk and interact with a partner, which gives me more of a time to hear what they have to say! So simple, it's genius.

The basic idea of Teach-OK is to give your students short bursts of information (with gestures if possible), and then they teach their partner this information. Both partners fo a full turn toward each other, both partners talk and gesture at the same time. This means that every student is saying the information, hearing the information, and moving their body to reflect the information. Three areas of the brain are stimulated, therefore making retention of information and long-term memory more possible.

My students have mastered the Teach-OK, and are starting to include some critical thinking components into their Teach-OK like the because (clapper) and example popper. Students use the because clapper to give a reason or an explanation for something. When they say because they clap. So silly, but the sound and movement help students remember to give a reason. Its lso a great way to tie new concepts to prior knowledge and give an opportunity for critical thinking. After the because clapper statement, students will use an example popper. The student touches the top of their head and moves thir hand up quickly as if an example has popped right out of their brain. The student says ""For example...", and gives an example of the idea from the because clapper.  Again, super simple, super brilliant. Here's an example...Rule #1, follow directions quickly, is important because (clapper) we need to do things quickly so we can get everything one. For example, if we don't follow directions quickly we won't have very much time in class to work on our homework.

These are the elements that allow student personalities and prior knowledge to shine through. I've learned so much about mu students in a short amount of time by listening to the kinds of reasons they have and the kinds of examples they come up with.

Not only does it allow me to assess their understanding, it helps me to get to know them as individuals. Teacher Heaven.

My next step it to begin having students give the Class-Yes and have the class mirror their because clapper and example popper. I haven't attempted this yet...it's on the list for next week.

Wib on Wibbiteers!

Five Step Lesson Plan

Another interesting part of WBT is the five step lesson plan. It's built on a very simple idea that I find works well with the lessons and activities that I have developed over the years. I have been teaching for 12 years, 9 of that in my current position in sixth-grade science. Each year I have tweaked and adjusted the units and activities that I use, trying to improve them to have a better impact on my students. I am continuing to improve them now, using both the five step lesson plan and the new generation science standards as a guide.

 In the past, I have tried to tie my lessons to the state learning standards. I know most teachers moan and groan when anyone talks about the standards, but I like to use them as a starting place. Even though the new gen science standards are still in the development phase, I have already been working with them to try and match my lessons up with these new standards. This has given me the opportunity to manipulate my lessons into the five step format at the same time.

The first step of the lesson plan is to ask a question. Turning the new gen standard that correlates with my lesson into a question has been a great jumping off point. Sometimes I need to turn the standard into several questions for multiple lessons, while other times it works well to keep it as one question and use several days to cover that one lesson. I also started to post the questions in the room for students to see, which helps to keep students focused throughout the entire unit. Reviewing these questions, as well as the power pix, is a constant reminder of the scope and sequence of our month long unit.

The second step of the lesson plan is to answer the question.  When planning, this is the step that really requires the most finesse. It's sounds easy, but as the concepts and content get more complex, being able to verbalize a concise answer takes a lot of work. To help with this process, I have been creating power pix to match this step. Actually creating a picture, gesture, and phrase have helped to focus my thoughts in the correct place, and has ultimately helped me to more clearly explain complex information in a simpler way.

The third step of the lesson plan is to expand upon the answer. My focus through this step has been to create several shorter sequences of details. Keeping the WBT mantra the more we talk the less they learn in mind, I don't want to fall into the lecture trap. I know I could go on for days about some topics, but I will lose the majority of my kids as soon as I do. It's in this step that I utilize the teach-ok the most. This technique allows me to break up my explanation into segments interrupted by several occurrences of student interaction. This helps to keep students on task, engaged, and allows for multiple assessments as you listen to their teach-ok discussions.

The fourth step is for a more formal type of assessment. As mentioned above, I asses often during each teach-ok. This step is a more concrete type of assessment. I do many variations of data collection during this step to add variation to this predictable step in the plan. Some examples of activities that I have done to very quickly assess students are thumbs up thumbs down, stand up sit down, and white boards. I also love using SMART response clickers and These are several variations that allow for instant data collection. The "instant" part is the key. You should be able to very quickly collect data so that you know if you have to go back and reteach or if students are ready for step five.

The final, and most important step, is for critical thinking. This step gives students a chance to take what I have just taught them to the next level. Higher order thinking skills, real-life application, and Bloom's taxonomy all come into play during this step.

Manipulating the five step lesson plan to fit my needs has been a task that has made me reflect more fully on my own teaching strategies. It has also allowed me the freedom to change up what I do everyday and give students the variation they crave while still being predictable so  that students always know what is coming next. I am still working on perfecting this lesson plan style, but am really enjoying the process itself.

The Beginning

After doing quite a bit of reading about whole brain teaching this summer, I have decided to start implementing it in my classroom. I am just about to begin my 9th year teaching  sixth-grade science, and am excited to implement some new ideas to help my students to be successful. I am also the PBIS internal coach for my building and am really looking forward to blending what we currently have in place for PBIS with the ideas set forth by Chris Biffle and the Whole Brain Teachers movement.


I am planning on starting with the class-yes, teach-ok  and scoreboard on the second day. Our first day of school is dedicated to our Fall 2012 PBIS Kickoff, so I won't have any students in class that day. After much thought, I have decided NOT to use the five rules explained in WBT. We have expectations already in place through PBIS, so having another set of rules seemed like too much. I have created gestures for each PBIS classroom expectation, and will be teaching these instead. We use PRIDE (positive, respectful, integrity, determined, and educated), and I will be teaching one expectation with gestures per week.
*Picture of the"Positive" expectations poster to come!

LOTS TO DO!!!

Note: If you can't already tell, I am NOT a certified WBT user, nor are any of the things I am doing approved by WBT. I am just a teacher trying to figure out how to do the best for my students. Follow along with my journey, and please don't be afraid to leave comments if you have any ideas for me!