Any, everybody help. The first day of kindergarten I was blown away, did I do something wrong. I used the WBT rules (maybe too many at once)? They love follow directions quickly, but don't do it. They talk out and ask for my attention constantly. I have some who want mommy, and then there are the few who have attitudes. I finally resorted to "because I told you to"!

Then they say lines, lines, lines and are all over. I stopped short and made two lines one boy's and one girl's, some don't know which they are. I tried smiles and frowns and they won this morning but lost big time in the afternoon (I cut the day in half).

Criss cross, and hands and eyes even was hard (I even added Ms. Shipleys basket,basket, basket). Either I am doing something wrong (even though I spent the whole summer working on this) or ??????

Like the E book says, my score for today would be a 4!

Annette in San Diego:

Keep after it! The first week with 5-year-olds is never easy. My first day with this year's crop of Kinder students was much like yours. I've been trying what worked in my classroom for the last 11 years, but after two weeks, it's still chaotic. SO... I will be trying tomorrow to do it the Whole Brain way - not my way - and see if it improves. Hang in there!

Annette
I was talking with Andrea S. the other day and she was relaying a story about where she is at 4 weeks into the year and they are just now finishing the rules. I would go in tomorrow and take one rule and make it work with the kids. Add the Class/yes and then that's all for this week. Keep it simple for them at this point, when they catch on to that, then keep adding a rule when they are ready. Remember all classrooms are different, but the message is the same...repetition, repetition, repetition.

Chris

HI Annette!
I am attaching my document "how to start the year off with WBT in kinder". It's more of a pacing guideline. What I can say is that each day I use the scoreboard to reinforce each thing that I teach. I am telling you~ it is a slow start, but if you take mini~pieces and practice, practice, practice the kids will get it. The trick is taking each routine, rule, etc you want to teach and break it down into small parts. Chris is absolutely right! Keep it simple and then practice, practice, practice. That will be the secret for your success this year. Please keep checking in and feel free to ask questions about the guide if it is unclear!
Andrea

Our only goal as teachers is to be the kind of instructor that we would admire. During classroom crisis, our task is to respond as we think an admirable teacher would respond. We can't control our students unless we can control our own behavior. And, when school is over and we are venting to friends, families ... or ourselves late at night, we must end with the positives. If the last thoughts you think about your class are positive, then you have given yourself energy to keep going ... and been truthful about how blessed we are to be educators ... and to have jobs.

So, having said all that. What else should you do? Make a classroom management baseline score (read chapter 4 of "The Whole Brain Teaching Ebook" available under the Downloads menu.) Cut way back on the amount of WBT strategies you're trying to teach your kids ... Rule #1 (with gesture), Mighty Oh Yeah and Mighty Groan with the Scoreboard and maybe Hands & Eyes. Then use the ping pong technique on the Scoreboard ... (see "Eight Scoreboard Strategies" under "Announcements" the first entry on the forum) In each segment of the day, by first recess, by lunch, by second recess, and before leaving, you should have at least 5-7 total marks on the Scoreboard (erasing them before each new segment). Your goal in the first weeks is only to get the kids who will follow rules to conistently follow rules. Train a highly organized group that will march with you ... before working on kids who are listening to their own drummer.

And, from here forward my dear colleague, when you post on the forum, finish with a list of positives and you will be a light to us all.