Thanks for your positive attitudes and willingness to try our 100 Percent strategy in your own classrooms. I'm seeing great things, and I hope you're able to see that too! There are definite challenges, but I hope you're seeing the benefits and the difference it can make in the effectiveness of your instruction. Please don't stop doing 100 Percent just because we are focusing on a new strategy!
Special kudos to Jennifer for being the first person to comment on the last post, and thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts and add a comment.
That brings us to our strategy for the next couple of weeks: Sharing Control Through CHOICES.
To download a printable version of the Sharing Control Through Choices Reference Sheet, click here.
I have found that giving choice to students regarding work or the amount of time they have to complete the work gives them more interest in completing it and greater quality of the work. We recently completed a research inquiry on natural disasters and the students loved it. The students could work in a group or alone, chose a natural disaster out 10 available, and follow a rubric. After they had completed a rough draft they were given nice card stock paper to complete a final draft and told it would be laminated. My way of telling them to make it nice and neat because you'll be able to keep it for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI think that because of the choices offered to them throughout the week they are more willing to do the grind of no-choice work.
When it comes to behavioral choices or defiant choices, I give a "I'll come back in 5 minutes and we'll talk through it." In this instance I'll come back start doing some prompts and create a skeleton sheet where I do some work and then they do some; slowly backing off and having them complete it. If this attempt doesn't work I let them know that they will be doing it during a time where they will miss something enjoyable for the majority of it. I'll keep them in for 10 minutes of recess while we work and we'll finish it during the next recess, or rotations, or Spanish, etc. If it is an IEP student and they continue to not do the work I hand it off to Mrs. McFall and 8/10 they'll get it done because there is no escaping.
I have seen a couple examples of this in my classroom. I have a student who finds recess to be the most valuable time of the day (but what 1st grader doesn't think that ;)), but he is also a student who tend to not stay on task or do his work. He tends to draw pictures on his papers instead of completing the task. I have asked him a few times "Would you like to do this now or at recess?" and he almost always gets right to work.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I have a student who has recently decided that he doesn't want to do his work. After I had noticed this a few times, I asked him "Would you want to do this now or at recess?" and he replied at recess because he doesn't like recess, he said. I realized that I may have to approach choices with him a little differently than with the other student.
From both of these examples I see that every one of our students may not respond to our choices the same way. I am slowly coming to understand the best choices that I can give to my students that will not be a punishment to me or to them.
I have been giving the class opportunity to vote on two choices of what to do next for learning opportunities. It has been very interesting to see the vehemence in which they want their choice honored and also what they want (not always the things I think they will pick). I have learned that during Literacy most of the students want to listen to stories that I read, however, when this was what the majority picked, some students refused to participate because their choice was not honored. I waited for their attendance at the learning table, but when they would not comply, I realized that giving choices sometimes gets kids grumpy when they don't get what they want and then they were trying to pout I suppose to get what they wanted. This was also fascinating because both options were total learning lessons straight from the Wonders curriculum. So, after thinking about this, I wondered if I needed to allow students to perhaps choose something in which students could actually do different things, ie) doesn't include me teaching, and also to let them pout- they didn't get what they wanted, but missed out being a part of the group? I will continue to think about this, I didn't particularly love the pouting, but decided not to make an issue of it. It did indicate that with this student, perhaps I had not stocked up enough savings for her to be okay with the group deciding and her to participate. I wonder if she has other manipulation issues in her life? I will have to think about the majority rule decision making, as opposed to the individual decision making.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see these training pay off. Students are choosing wisely at the moment but I can see it blow up if I am not careful about the options I give.
ReplyDeleteThese are so helpful. It made me realize that I need to give my students more choices. I learned my students performed better and loved working more when they had a choice in their work. One choice I know I give a lot and one my students enjoy is the choice in which tools they get to use on their assignments. They love the freedom of using crayons, pencils, markers, ect. I would love to incorporate more choices regarding their assignments and giving them the choice on what they would like to complete. Maybe I can look up assignment menus friendly for first graders.
ReplyDeleteI also have a student that shuts down from time to time. I noticed if I give her choices she does well at choosing an option and comes back and joins the class. Choices work well with her.
I love these strategies. My students love when I give them a choices. I think that their favorite is when they get to choose markers or crayons.
ReplyDeleteI love having student choice in my class. Not everyone learns the same way, and some perform better working alone. Some like to work with a partner or a group. I love giving them the choice and having them responsible for how they would like to learn. This provides a safe environment for everyone to learn.
ReplyDeleteI love giving my students options. I think it was one of the best ways for students to take ownership over their learning. For my students who like to be defiant I give them two options, they don't have a choice to not do them, but they get to pick, so they still feel like they are in control.
ReplyDeleteI like this strategy. No one wants to be told what to do all the time. Having choices that your okay with and that accomplishes your objective can not only make your class more enjoyable. It is a good way to control behavior, because you get more student buy-in. It's harder to be off task or have students that are unwilling to work when they made the decision on what to do. It allows students to play to their strengths and increases their desire to work, because they believe that they can be successful.
ReplyDelete