Rules

In an earlier post, we talked about Responsive Class.
And their foundational class rules,

Are rules we make as a class.
The students are dialoguing and really coming up with,
Essentially what makes a safe learning space.
Using apositive phrasing and collaboration is great.

Coming up with rules together is great.
Class compacts are great.

Except.
When they are not.
When kids are coming and going.
And arriving at noon on Tuesday and having to be assimilated into our family.

Then it's like: Hey, we've been a great community,
and now things are changing.

Instead, my littles doing their brainstorming,
come up with brilliant ideas,
and then sort them under the 5 Whole Brain Teaching Rules.

Do they all fit somewhere - boy howdy, do they ever.

Rule #1 Follow Directions Quickly

Rule #2 Raise Your Hand For Permission To Speak

Rule #3 Raise Your Hand For Permission To Leave Your Seat

Rule #4 Make Smart Choices

Rules #5 Keep Your DEAR Teachers Happy

*There is also the Diamond Rule - but I'll let you visit the WBT page to learn more about that.

Each rule has a quick gesture.
We review the rules and gestures at each morning meeting and again after Yoga.
After the first week, the morning meeting leader (a student), will run the rule review.
The class mirrors that student.

The true bang for my buck is after they own them.
I can hold up two fingers and they know, rule #2.
When I'm working with a student and they get up to wait in line behind them, rule #3.

When I asked you to line up and it takes too long - rules #1.
And Rule #5 is my unbreakable - like the one that just hurts my heart.
If we're talking #5, someone is not being safe for themselves or others, since that's the only thing that makes me truly unhappy.

Link to the Whole Brain Teaching:
5 Classroom Rules

Link the Whole Brain Teaching Classroom Rules Posters in our Room:
WBT Rules

Attention

I started small.
Simple.

Something I could chew on.
And find effective.

Class, Yes.
Is where we began.

It's a simple concept.
I mean.
Like.
SIMP.
LE

And yet.
More powerful.
Than even I imagined.

Class, Yes.
Is the beginning.


Everytime I say, "Class,"
The class responds, "Yes"

Exactly how I said Class.

So Class, class.
Responds Yes, yes.

Classity Class
Yessity Yes.

They can be in the middle of some LOUD learning.
Some teach okaying.
Some good stuff.

And in the middle of all of that.
They switch on their brain, their ears, and listen.
With how to respond.

Then I activate them with their response.
And we continue learning.

The best part of the strategy is it works with...
EVERY.
ONE.

New Kids.
Old Kids.
ELL Kids.
LD Kids.

EVERYONE.

Here's the link back to Class/Yes on the Whole Brain Teaching Website:
Attention Getter

And, one of my favorite free resources from TPT:
Attention Getter By: Ilbra Israel

The Why

I truly have love, love, loved Whole Brain Teaching.
Ever since it first popped up in a late night search after my very first week of teaching.
10 years ago.

I knew I was failing my kids.
I knew the system was failing them.

I was 22, fresh out of my masters program, and I wanted to make a difference.

Most days...
30 students in my 3rd grade classroom,
At the grittiest urban elementary school and I did our best to...
Stay afloat.

I struggled to see their shine.
Underneath the poverty.

Underneath the gang violence.
Drugs.
Alcohol.
The neglect.
The sadness.
And perhaps most of all the expectation that these things are...
acceptable.

Like children could learn under these conditions.

As a Level 1 RC Trainer Responsive Classroom teacher...
I can attest that Responsive Classroom is wonderful.

Morning Meeting.
Calendar.
Share.
Etc.

What it doesn't have the ability to do, is reach an ever changing population.
I had students coming and going every week.
Every day practically.

When the rules from Whole Brain Teaching popped up on my screen.
Something inside me...shifted.

Not my class, but one of the videos that got me thinking - this could be the game changer.

After introducing the rules, I started to see the shine in my kids.
The love of learning.
And beginning to feel like school was a safe place.

I greatly anticipate the ability to share my work with my current students in my 3rd and 4th grade looping class.