Wednesday, June 15, 2011

My First WBT Year ends

It's been a long time since I posted. Elementary school teachers are the only profession besides circus performers that have to tear down and put away at the end of each performance (year to us), even though they will be putting up and taking out the very same things! 

I must say that my end of the school year with the students went quite smoothly, in large part to WBT.
I used my scoreboard effectively...the kids were working for 2 minutes of a song...for each win on the scoreboard they received a star. Ten stars equaled the 2 minute song.  I was able to stretch this out for the last week of school. The class finally won the song at the end of school on Thursday. On Friday, right before they left for the year, they heard Beat It and danced their hearts out.

Using WBT really helped build class unity. Using class leaders was instrumental in this process. I didn't have buttons this year, but I found some old buttons at a thrift store, so I am going to make some leader buttons this summer. I read on a WBT forum posting that there is an award that can be given out to class leaders, and I would like to use that next year.

Speaking of next year, I plan on implementing many parts of WBT that I only dabbled in this year.
I want to use the lesson plan template, the Power Pix, Superspeed 100 math, and possibly Superspeed reading.  I am also going to dig into the brain toys. From day one we will be using the Big Seven, and Mind Soccer!!

Even though this has been one of the worst years ever for teaching in the wasy  of horrible attacks by politicians on teachers, lay offs, pay cuts, increase in class size, and rediculous mandates by the administration, WBT reenergized me and kept me focused on what is truly important: finding ways to get our children thinking and learning.
Thanks to all the WBT staffers and wibbiteers for motivating me to become a better teacher.

Karen Chavez

7 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you have found the joy of WBTing! I'm excited to use the Power Pix next year too. Superspeed 1,000 is the first thing that I ever tried. The kids love it instantly! Its so quick and easy and they really do beg to play! The first couple of days, I just modeled it on the overhead with me playing with a student. Then they got to try it with their SuperSpeed partners.

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  2. I made my own buttons, too! I just covered them in blue duct tape. Then I found a smilie sticker to put on top. Finally, I covered it in clear packing tape. It is not the most elegant but it works!

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  3. You know, I find that whatever our stressors are, Whole Brain Teaching not only energizes the kids but I'm de-stressed as well! It's really true that these techniques, games, signals, all of it, brings the joy back into our teaching, for us as well as for our students. I have a poster in my classroom of a silly green frog that says, "A day without laughter is a day wasted." I can tell you that when I used our WBT strategies this year, the wasted days just disappeared! I'm really looking forward to next year!

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  4. Your first year ends as mine begins! Looking forward to following your blog.

    Rand
    The Whole Brain Blogger

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  5. Hey Mrs. Chavez! I wanted to let you know that I am adding your blog to my list of WBT blogs that I have posted on my website! If you would like to check it out my blog address is www.misslwholebrainteaching.blogspot.com

    If any information needs to be changed or if you would like to be removed from the list let me know!

    Best wishes :)

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  6. Mrs. Chavez I interested in knowing how WBT went this year. Were you able to keep using it in your classroom? I'd love to hear an update on how the new strategies you wanted to implement ended up turning out.

    Miss L (WBT Blog Bug)
    Miss L's Whole Brain Teaching

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  7. What is your lesson plan template? I'm just curious to see one! Thanks!
    stepank22@yahoo.com

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