Hello MVMS Bloggers. Sorry I am so late to make my second post, I have been in Hawaii. I'll email a picture.
Glad to see so many comments so far. I will lead us through this discussion so we stay focused. So, read at your will and on your own schedule but I will post inquiries for each chapter about once a week or so for you to respond to. So, here goes...
What is your reaction to the statements the author makes about the importance of the classroom arrangements and appearance for the tween? "an engaging room ultimately becomes a variable in the equation of student achievement", "if you don't think of it with pride they won't either", "it is important to rotate their perspective every so often".
Organization is important in the disorganized world of the tween. What are some ways you keep yourself organized? Are they the same as the author suggest?
I believe that the way a classroom is arranged definitely affects the way the learners view my class. I rotate my set-up 2-3 times a year, to change the room perspective and challenge listening among the students and myself.
ReplyDeleteTaking pride in the room is equivalent to 'taking ownership' in it--with as much time as I spend in the bandroom, I make it a place that I don't mind being at. Painting a cool logo on the floor every summer, as well as hanging Spiderman from the ceiling and 30 Spongebob figurines guarding all of the trophies, have contributed to the students' enjoying and taking more ownership of the room, too. They like it and want it to be their special hangout room in the school, and have taken more pride in the appearance of the room. This past year I picked up LESS trash and 'lost' books than the last 2-3! Definite improvement :o)
I attended many schools that were stark remnants of the industrialization age. Dusty old blackboards, hard unforgiving desks literally nailed to the floor, hard unforgiving teachers sort of nailed to the floor as well, and bleak empty walls, yikes! Remember however these seemingly Dickensian conditions produced educated and successful individuals. It made me an expert daydreamer. I came to school with my very own supply of imagination, honed in my back yard upon pirates, cowboys and indians, and the odd dinosaur. The modern tween however is a product of an enviroment that in comparison could be another planet. Tween howler monkeys require constant stimulation. As you know their "rain forest", which includes your classroom, must be full of colour, movement, noise, and motion or else they will probably become understimulated little primates and throw poo. So, I guess if your classroom begins to resemble a static, monastic throwback to the past, your tweens will probably not flourish, and you better duck.
DeleteMy guess is that , overt and constant external cognitive stimulation (emphasis on external) in our tweens may literally interrupt growth in those neuro-pathways that relate to imagination and unfortunately creativity.
They become addicted and hypersensitive to external stimulii, it becomes hard for them to sit quietly, to meditate and reflect, to "daydream" constructively. Does rising ADD rates ring a bell.
So, on the one hand, "if your classroom begins to resemble a static, monastic throwback to the past, your tweens will probably not flourish, and you better duck" while on the other, "They become addicted and hypersensitive to external stimulii, (and) it becomes hard for them to sit quietly, to meditate and reflect, to "daydream" constructively." You can't have it both ways--so what's the solution?
DeleteYou misunderstand. My point is you have no choice but to create the stimulating environment that their brains require. They are already hardwired to learn in that environment. The TV in their bedrooms, their laptops, tablets, cell phones, and game systems artificially supplant much of what their imagination should construct for them.. This also by the way is not a return to the past diatribe. It is what it is, our teens from here on in are, and will be wired this way. We have no choice but to teach to their wiring. My point on ADD and it's rise remains. The next time you wonder why your
Deleteclass is riddled with ADHD 504's look to a population (tweens) that are rarely found sitting quietly in a library reading, actually sitting anywhere quietly. Tweens have never been the quietest or most restrained of creatures, they are less so now.
class is riddled with
You are right: it is near impossible to find a group of tweens quiet ANYWHERE. So we need to adapt their skewed wiring to what we are trying to achieve, and if necessary, changing OUR way of teaching to meet this new reality. The biggest challenge I have found with this 'new reality' is their lack of attention spans. :o/
DeleteI think that my classroom is similar to the one described in the book as far as setup. My struggle with organization is similar to the author's as well. By the end of the day, I have piles of paper. Maybe crates and color coding are the key.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to make my classroom colorful and appealing. I believe that the author is absolutely right when she says that it will help students be more engaged. I, myself, am more engaged when I get positive energy from my surroundings. The bright colors and steady change of student work displays keeps me feeling like my room is a "happy" place. For example, the kids laugh at me because I have one chair in my room that I never use...it is bright yellow with bright multi-colored flowers all over it. They ask me why I have the chair because they never see me actually use it, and my response is always the same, "It makes me happy!" I think it makes them happy too; they always want to use it when they use the computer in my room. It's the little things! HA! I discussed the arrangement of desks and such in my previous post, so I won't be repetitive now; I will just say that it is in a constant state of change as well. They crave movement and change, so I take suggestions for desk arrangements, but I assign the seats :)
ReplyDeleteAs far as organization is concerned, I LOVE the term she uses (one that I use OFTEN), "organized chaos." This is exactly how I feel most of the time. Last year was my second year teaching, so I was able to make some positive changes to the way I file things and the number of papers that accumulate on my desk because I had seen what DIDN'T work the year before. After talking with Mrs. Moore about her binders and devising a different system for what was graded and how it was graded, I felt like a new woman! The binders hold a master copy of things that I have or would like to have class sets of, so they are always right at my fingertips. I also included printouts of any powerpoints, reference to video clips, etc. Therefore, each year I can add to or take away without forgetting things that I really liked or thought worked well. This isn't a good depiction because it is hard to explain in a condensed version, but it was a HUGE step in answering the plea from OCD to become more organized for my own sanity! I try to stress the importance of organization (of their binders for instance) to my students, and I can't expect from them what I don't intend to model myself.
I agree with the author when she states, "If you don't think of it with pride they won't either," when referring to the classroom. Last year, I had become really bored with my room, so I began to re-vamp it. At first the decorating and organizing was for me, but I quickly saw that the students enjoyed the "new" look as much as I did. I had a student tell me that my room was "peppy," and that's exactly how I want it to feel. The students seemed to enjoy the places we created to display student work, and so did I! Coming into a room with nothing more than gray walls and some desks isn't inviting to anyone, especially our middle school kids who now have such a strong desire to be "entertained." Like Mr. Brodt said, they are addicted to external stimuli, so having a cheerful organized room (where students are actually involved in the decorating and organization of the room) is so important.
ReplyDeleteOrganization is not my strong point. To help avoid growing stacks of papers on my desk, I created folders: To Be Graded, Graded, To Be Copied, and Discipline/Behavior Notes. When my desk becomes unorganized and I have random stacks of papers all over my desk, I don't work well, so this has helped some. I just have to make myself take the time to put the stacks of papers where they belong. :-)
Another thing that I did toward the end of last year is reorganize my filing cabinets. I bought some Rubbermaid bins that hold hanging file folders. I took the files from my filing cabinets and divided them into sections: 1st 9 weeks Fiction, 2nd 9 weeks Nonfiction, 3rd 9 weeks Poetry, and 4th 9 weeks. So for the first 9 weeks, I took everything that I will use, including Powerpoints, handouts, graphic organizers, ARMT review packets, etc. and put them into the bins. When we go back in August, I'll just have to pull out my Fiction bins to get started. I think this will definitely help me stay organized and focused. I still have to make some bins for my novel units and grammar lessons, but I'm getting there. I'll still use my filing cabinets for other things, but they are so much easier to navigate through now that they aren't so full.
I enjoyed reading the Tween-Centric Classroom. I must admit that I was jealous. I can't move anything in my room! I did get some good ideas for the walls.
ReplyDeleteI think kids really do responded to the classroom environment. I'm thinking there should be a reality show for classroom make-overs! I think Mr. Brodt should be the host!
This chapter made me want to go to Staples and Office Depot and look for cheap ways to organize!
Classroom arrangement and appearance is extremely important! Society places such an importance on appearance that sometimes that is all kids can think about. An appealing room will grab the attention of students and could be what makes a student decide they will give your class a shot on day one.
ReplyDeleteRotating perspective is also important. Depending on the activity, my room might be in rows, small groups, pairs, or even trenches! I assign seat numbers (and give new numbers each nine weeks) so that the students know where to go no matter what the arrangement might be.
I use binders to keep myself organized. I have I binder for each unit and I keep my lessons, worksheets, and activities in the binder. I keep the class sets of the handouts in my filing cabinet.
I agree that classroom arrangement and appearance is important and needs to inspire your students! Mrs. Barry and I like to decorate the room with student work! Even 8th graders like to see their work displayed.
ReplyDelete