WBT Book Club Chapter 30: Designing My Classroom

My Personal WBT Favorites:

I think the first four features of a WBT model classroom are a no-brainer for me.  Without the rules, Scoreboard, proper seating and Teach/Okay, and the Super Improvers Team, my class will not be top notch!

1. The Five Classroom Rules govern the classroom.  The rules are simple and specific for any student to understand.  These five rules, along with their gestures help structure classroom behavior and are key to an organized, friendly, and safe environment.  

2. The Scoreboard motivates teamwork.  It is a non-threatening way to reward positive behavior and correct off-task students.  I love it because there are so many variations and students will never get bored.  Rewards are endless, including beating the teacher, extra recess, talk time, and game time just to name a few.  Finally, using the Scoreboard is a blast.  Using "Mighty Oh Yeah" and "Mighty Groan" along with the boards other levels is so much fun.  The kids and myself will never lose interest.

3. I have always assigned seats.  Designing a seating arrangement and placing students with their partner helps maximize learning.  This arrangement should also be rearranged periodically to provide variety, too.  Seating, combined with partnering students for using Teach/Okay and Switch, also increases learning.  Teach/Okay and Switch allow both students to share their ideas so everyone has a turn.  In addition, Teach/Okay will work great with Oral Writing, and I look forward to using it as well.

4. Finally, I will adopt the Super Improvers Team because it will help each student set/meet personal goals.  This individualized approach to learning is student-centered and specific.  I love this technique because it has levels, is individualized, and inexpensive.  Kids do not feel threatened because they compete against themselves.  Breaking personal records make this approach unique.