Creating Positive Student Outcomes
Quick Strategies
To do with your co-teacher:
Get to know your partner and what they bring to the relationship ~ Utilize personal strengths and expertise ~ Communicate & reflect daily on lessons ~ Plan together, share resources and instructional strategies ~ Have an open mind & communicate openly ~ share responsibility for grading ~ use language such as "our students" and "our class" ~ create structure and routine
To do with your students:
Purposeful movement & brain breaks ~ Utilize activities that appeal to introverts and extroverts so all kids can participate* (even the ones who don't feel comfortable raising their hands) ~ Utilize two teachers and give directions in multiple modalities ~ group students in multiple ways so each child gets an opportunity to have a different role (ex - clock buddies, THINK-PARTNER-PAIR-GROUP) ~ Assess understanding often but quickly (ex - fist to five, GIVE ONE-GET ONE, Clickers, White boards*) ~ Give a minimum of 8 seconds wait time when asking a question ~ Increase participation (raise right hand if have an answer, raise left if have a question/partial answer/related comment etc) ~ Use MVP note-taking strategy (highlight the Most Valuable Parts), print notes and have student highlights the MVPs
Making the day - to - day work:
Workplaces/small group A space for groups Documenting and organizing small groups
pocket chart and co-teacher and individual conferencing
* We were awarded a grant for 4 classroom sets of KLEENSLATE whiteboards that utilize interchangeable graphic organizers. Read more about this classroom tool for increasing student engagement and participation HERE.
