Starting Class on the Right Foot with Middle School Artists
Someday I want to see a scan of the pre-teen brain during a class transition. Want to bet it lights up like fireworks? But whatever is going on in there, my bouncy kids need help to focus their bodies and minds after all the super exciting things that happen in the 3-minute walk from their classroom to my STEAM art room. I learned a new procedure for starting class in a PD last year and tried it super quick... darn if it didn't work better than anything I've done so far (like everything plus the kitchen sink). Here are the ABCs of the procedure step by step. (This sequence was created based on the work of Hyde and Charles, Sequoia Union High School District. 2016.) A) S cout for Respectful Behaviors. Invite 2 reliable students into the room to tally respectful behaviors they see as the class enters. They're the kids who can stand on the line with their arms down, their bodies calm, and their voices off modeling appropriate line behaviors and this gives me a chanc