All Hands are Up! Way to Go!!!!!!

I am amazed at how much my students have grown and matured through this project.  I must say I am not hearing as many "mean and hateful" comments from the students!  I do not like for the students to say "shut up" in my class.  I am hearing the students say." Don't say that!" when they hear those words! So I do know some of the lessons have stuck with the students!  NCATE indicator 6 on Instructional Strategies was obtained by providing many opportunities for the students to problem-solve together, discover answers, and cooperate with each other as they worked in the cooperative leaning teams.  Small reading groups have been working so much smoother and the transitions have worked well.  I do think this objective has been achieved by the students learning how to help each other. NCATE indicator 7 on Communication was obtained through verbal and nonverbal communication as the students worked together in their teams, as they wrote the reflections on the hands and in their journals, and when I conferred with the students upon their helpfulness. 

NCATE indicator 10 on Professionalism was obtained as the students spoke kindly to each other (most of the time) as well as their teachers. Parents have expressed to me they are seeing a difference in the children at home, as they speak to the siblings and their parents.

NCATE indicator 2 on human development was addressed by teaching the students to practice self control and to be responsible for their actions. 

I am so proud of the strides the students have made and continue to make as they grow!

Links:

http://www.attitudemag.com/

http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/socialsk.htm

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi- 

It is all coming together

This week we began our final reflections concerning the "All Hands In Project!"  The students are expanding on their personal writing for their journal entries. I posted some photos of the hands and the journal entries earlier this week. NCATE Standard 1: Professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills... They develop meaningful learning experiences to facilitate learning for all students. They reflect on their practice and make necessary adjustments to enhance student learning. They know how students learn and how to make ideas accessible to them. They consider school, family, and community contexts in connecting concepts to students’ prior experience and applying the ideas to real-world issues.  As the class has worked through this project process I have encouraged them to accept the the gifts life gives you not matter how small or how great.  Also stated in Standard 1 of NCATE they know their students, families, and communities; use data and current research to inform their practices; use technology in their practices; and support student learning through their professional services. Many of my students are discussing the ways they have helped someone on their own.  It has become a "topic" of conversation among the students.  I am pleased to see they students eager to learn in greater detail what the meaning of helping someone can bring to you as an individual. 

websites to view:

http://www.attitudemag.com/

http://www.proteacher.com/cgi-bin/outsidesite.cgi?id=11691&external=http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/clfiles.htm&original=http://www.proteacher.com/020014.shtml&title=Cooperative%20Learning%20File%20Cabinet

http://questgarden.com/87/40/5/090926154315/index.htm

All Hands In Project Photos as promised

The photos depict students' reflections of the project.  I also photographed some journal entries, which relate to the project.  I am pleased with the reflections and the growth of my students as individuals.

Hand in Hand... We Can Fight Drugs

This week was a busy week!  It was Halloween Week, it was Red Ribbon Week, and we completed a unit in reading (yes, I know, not as "colorful" as the other two events but still it made for a busy week! Thank you Scott Foresman!).  As the project is nearing and end and I collect data, observations, and reflections; the students began writing in their journals of the impact this project has had on them in everyday world.  I was overjoyed to see these reflections.... ( I will post photos of some reflections first part of next week). 

As this week was Red Ribbon Week Just Say No to Drugs.  The theme at my school was, "Hand in Hand We Can Fight Drugs" a perfect partner to my project!  I could not have planned it any better!  Each day this week had a theme and everyone dressed accordingly.  Monday: was "sock it to drugs" crazy socks were worn at school; Tuesday was "tie up drugs" neck ties were worn; Wednesday was "hats off to drugs"; red hats, wigs, headbands, bows, and ribbons were worn; Thursday was "shade out drugs" sunglasses/shades were worn; and Friday was "turn your back on drugs" all shirts were worn backwards.   We worked these themes into our "All Hands In Project" by relating the two facets together.  How helping a friend, schoolmate, classmate, neighbor etc could also help this person to stay away from drugs.  On Thursday the students in 4-6 grades had an assembly on drug/alcohol awareness and prevention.  The students returned to class needing to discuss what was learned and what was talked about.  I included the relationship between the two as the students talked to each other.  

Many of my students stated the best way you could help someone/anyone is by preventing them from doing something wrong/ harmful!  I was as proud as a mama lion is of her pride.  Unfortunately, my students are aware of the effects of drugs and many have known or know someone who has experimented or used drugs/alcohol.  One of their "what if" questions was, "what if __________________ had someone to help him/her make a better choice, what could have been prevented.   

Throughout the week, the students discussed ways they could help and also help keep the community "clean from drugs.  I was truly pleased to hear how the students responded on the importance of helping younger children learn to "just say NO!"  All in all it was a great week!  I love  observing my students growing together as a tighter unit.

"All Hands in Project" Links...

Okay everyone, I am yet again going to attempt to post some valuable websites pertaining to students helping others and the effect it has on them when they do something unexpected.  I will post my "week in review" and photos tonight or Sunday!  I have been working on the links this weekend!  If by chance you are unable to go directly to the below links, it is a technical/ user error; the site addresses are correct! :)

http://www.awesomelibrary.org/ChildrenHelp.html

http://www.makingfriends.com/helping_children.htm

http://schoolreadiness.suite101.com/article.cfm/help_your_child_make_friends

http://www.gateline.com/104/story/5420.html

http://www.usd305.com/heusner/default/Students/new_matrix.pdf

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1175078/Classroom-meetings-encouraging-a-climate.html

continued from Sunday October 25th

 As the students are coming to an end of completing the "hands" part of the project.  I am looking forward to observing the students' interaction with each other as well as with faculty and students throughout the school.  I have been in contact with the parents.  I sent home a newsletter discussing the project to have the parents aware of what was taking place in the classroom.  Several parents have contacted me to let me know, their children are becoming aware of their actions and how these actions affect others. I will be posting some photos of the students working together.  I will also post some of the students' comments about the project.

Helping Hands

As the students continue to complete the hands and focus on making our classroom a better place for all the students and the school; I am so proud of the progress I am observing with the students.  

However, my students  discussed being in the sixth grade you have to endure hearing the phrases:

 " you are the big kids of the school"

 "all eyes are upon you"

 "you need to act like 6th grade students"

"you know the little kids look up to you" 

They do not appreciate all of these phrases.  The complained that is these phrases are all they hear from the faculty. They said sometimes they just wanted to be appreciated for who they are and what they do. I am just as guilty for saying this to my students.  The truth is they are acting like 6th grade students;  which just may not be exactly how we want them to act at the time. So I took some time to ask the students how these comments make them feel and what should be done to make these statements realistic and encouraging.

As we had our informal group discussion, the students expressed their feelings of the comments as being:

"Too much pressure"

"It's not like we are the teachers or anything"

"Why does everyone have to look at us?"

"Who do we have to look to?"

So we worked on how could we make this work for everyone!  The students decided they would accept the role of being the oldest in the school. They accepted the challenge of being role models for the younger students.  So in order for them to feel some affirmation; I arranged for the to have some privileges only the 6th grade students could have. For example more computer time on Friday afternoons, opportunities for earn "double tickets" for their hard work. Also, I spoke with the lower grade teachers, we decided the pair up the younger students with the older students so they could help each other.

Therefore, I am adding one extra week of the "helping hands" project the "buddy pairs" will make hands together and discuss how they have helped each other for that week. My sixth grade students have discovered  one valuable lesson from the younger students... it is okay to be silly sometimes and not always having to be so "COOL!" or as my students say today, "CLEAN!"

www.bullybusters.com