Well, this week brings a much needed spring break (hence the day late in posting a blog entry). :) I am continuing my use of WBTs the five classroom rules, Class/Yes, Teach/Ok, Switch, Mirrors, and the Scoreboard. My students do not take their Third Nine Week Quarterly Assessment until April 12, so it's important that I continue with my WBT habits (WBT is my life now!!!) We were originally told that our assessment must be cumulative, but as details unfolded, we have been allowed to only test nine week material. It is important to note, though, that there are about 8 questions that are cumulative and cover material from the whole year. With that said, I am still anxious to see how my first nine week assessment compares to the third nine week test results. WBT, no matter the outcomes, has made a positive difference in my teaching and to student learning. I still love how the Scoreboard can encourage the most reluctant learner to participate. It's COOL! Last week, I decided to move my Super Improver Wall levels to 5 stars instead of 10. There's only 8 weeks left of school, and if I don't make that change, no student will advance. :( This has made all the difference. Making individual goals for students has been positive, also. Each child was given a behavior goal and an academic goal. This really gave students a focus and helped out a great deal. I have also allowed students to earn a star for completing homework well, as this has been a problem area with this particular class, especially as spring and warm weather sets in. This was also a great motivator for the class. I am continually looking for reasons to give stars, and most recently I added reading a history related novel and passing the Accelerated Reading test for the book. When they show me a passing score, they get a star. Since many of the students do not like reading, this is an extra incentive for doing so. I had my first student move from level one to level two, and he was so excited. This student often has difficulty focusing, and following class rules, so it was exciting to see him advance. Finally, last Friday, I did give two students index cards with their own personal Scoreboard. They both beat my score, and they both wanted to know 'what they got' for beating my score. I said, 'the privilege of knowing you beat the teacher.' And, for now, they were are satisfied with this! I will continue this approach for at least one more week. So far, so good. I hope to enjoy a restful Spring break and be energized for the remaining part of the school year. :)
