In the classroom...

Here are some ideas I've gathered from 3rd & 5th grade teachers in an open-concept Seattle Public School:

• class jobs: hw checker, paper collector, computers, etc. Kits have ownership and pride in their responsibilities. Ex: I went to help a girl get laptops set up for the class and she told me, "This is my job Ms. Holck, I don't need your help."
  
• warm-up: do a math problem or some other mind boggler when getting the kids settled in the start of the day or a class. This gets them quiet and focused.
• stories: telling personal stories can build relationships and trust with your students. It can help help make topics relevant.
• independence: let kids do jobs, side projects, or even leave the class when necessary. They'll catch up and figure out what they missed when they get back.
• responsibility: push kids to be responsible of somethings... Ex: the 5th grade teacher set up a soldier care package drive, but the kids do almost all the work. Small groups are responsible for a grade level, they make posters and visit the classes to inform and collect items.
• meetings: are useful at all levels: individual, small group, class, grade, and school (community building!)
• conferences: let students choose work they'd like to share with parents, give them post-it notes to annotate their work with what they're proud of, what they like, and what they need to work on. They enjoy doing this and it gives them time to reflect. Also, let them fill out a form or write a letter to their parents/adults that you can share at the conference. Lastly, let them come to the conference if the parents want them to.
• website: Have information for the parents, students, staff, and self. Include links that are useful, put up what students are working on, post pictures/videos. This can be a blog.
• use the community: Ask and you will receive. Go on walking field trips. Get tutors from a local university, work with non-profits, invite travelers/soldiers/professionals.
• TIME for kids: worksheet for metacognition: 1. Write three ?'s you have before reading the article. 2. What's the main idea? (make relevant to lesson) 3. Write and answer three ?s after reading.
  
• attendance: make/let kids make a magnetic self. In the morning, they can put the magnets in a back, then use the bag to randomly call on the kids that are there.
• book ideas: newspaper pages about a topic (give them a page with a layout that they fill in, complete with space for images, headlines, cutlines, article, etc.)
• rules: write broad ideas as a class, then below each idea, have kids in groups/as individuals define what the rules mean. Then can stack the rules with meanings below them.

Advice from the Principal

• A good teacher will build strong, real relationships with her students. Have a global view with the ability to look farther than the classroom and notice when the lesson is not relevant or working. Will be flexible and adaptable to the kids, not expecting them to adapt to you. This also means that she won't focus too much on curriculum. Will have a team approach. This is for everyone: the teacher won't get lonely, will get ideas from other stuff, will have/give support.
• "Don't be too afraid the ballet will fail." ex: when watching a ballet, you should leave thinking "I can do that." They make it look so easy. You shouldn't watch the ballet thinking, "I hope they won't hurt themselves." Same for when you 'watch' your class.
• Know your strengths and your liabilities. See many different schools and reflect on yourself to know what you want. Be as broad as possible in your job.