So far I love WBT! On the first day of first grade I was able to introduce the 5 rules(took 3 sittings), scoreboard, class yes, and some of the procedures. It was a good day, with 4 girls and 13 boys, all minorities.

A few questions for some of you experts! We have an extended day, so the kids stay with us until 4:45. The WBT stuff worked pretty well for most of the morning. Then they got pretty antsy. So the whole group thing worked pretty well with most, but what do I do with the few who hit, squeal, push desks, etc? Should I give a frowny for one or two? A couple of times I did that, but I didn't know if I should call the individual student out for misbehavior. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!
Katie

Hi Katie!!

Keep the class together as a whole unit! Try to do this for atleast 3 months. If you look at the WBT classroom model, a new download, you will see when to introduce the the steps to the scoreboard. First, scoreboard, then practice cards, guff counter, independents, bulls eye game, and finally agreement bridge. Don't introduce any one step too quickly! As they say in WBT you want to keep a really big back pocket! Wow!! Thats a really long day!! I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks!
Heather Hansen
WBT Intern
2011/12

Hi Katie,

Thank you for posting about your first day, I loved reading it. Heather was absolutely right when she said you need to keep them as a unit as long as possible, as Biff says "it's a long year".

As for those students who are a bit antsy, when one student is not following the rules, for example rule 2, & shouts out, you can say 'Rule 2' and then teach the students to say 'Raise your hand for permission to speak.' If the student keeps talking Repeat 'Rule 2' again and have the students say the rule again. You can do this until the student raises their hand, awarding smileys and frownies as you see fit. If you call out the individual student, you will only reinforce bad behavior.

I hope this helps some & I can't wait to hear how the rest of your year goes.

Good luck!

Tiffany
WBT Intern, 2011-2012
mywholebrainteachingjourney.blogspot.com/

Thanks ladies! Sorry I posted double. Must be the end of a longgg day! I really want to make some kids go to practice cards!!! Thanks for the reminder about reinforcing bad behavior. It's hard not to! They are talking too much, out of their seats, etc. I'm trying to practice the rules more.
Thanks!
Katie

When I thought the day was going down the tubes yesterday, the scoreboard turned it around! Yay!. Kids running and talking out of turn, but after a few smilies/frownies they settled down and we left to go to lunch 1 minute early because smilies won. I loved it!

I'm still frustrated with behavior and trying to get a handle on it. Scoreboard works for the first couple of hours. I'm giving lots of smilies and frownies, up to almost 20 before lunch. There are about 3 boys that constantly leave their seats and try to start running, pushing, fighting. The scoreboard works pretty well, but my first graders fizzle out on the class/yes and hands and eyes before lunch. Changing the tone sometimes helps, but I'm tired too! I feel like I really review the rules a lot, but wonder if I am doing it enough. Also, today I told the class that when a friend is not following a rule that they should help remind them. Not sure if that is ok, but it seemed to help. But...I really want to yell at those boys, and the girl that constantly interrupts and gets stubborn! I want to put them in the hall!!

I told you that we have a long extended day until 4:45. Everyone's "gooder" has completely worn out by the afternoon. I let them lie down at 12 after lunch and 3 of them kept sleeping until 1:30 with everything that was going on. I'm trying to think of this as a K/1 class since many have not been in school and lack a lot of adjustment. This is a big ramble, but I just wondered if anyone has any advice. I don't want to throw in the towel, but most days at 1:30 I do want to.

Thanks!

Katie

Katie ... the first thing to do is read the chapter in "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids" that describes how to weekly assess your classroom management progress assigning numbers to your model students, go alongs, fence sitters and challenging kids. Also, complete the self evaluation scale. We can't manage our classes successfully unless we have a clear picture of their behavior, its slow improvement, and the degree of our consistency and self control.

Discipline the kids who are out of their seats/misbehaving in any way you think most appropriate that doesn't involve the Scoreboard for negative behavior, raising your voice or using practice cards. Work, however, on moving your most compliant kids forward with the Big Seven ... especially Teach-Okay ... good, student activating, instruction solves many classroom management problems ... and have you read the entire ebook I mentioned at the top?

Focus much effort on Rule 1 ... use the Triple Repeat ... put class records on the board ... and be patient! Thousands of teachers across the country have walked the WBT path before you and been successful ... but not right away!

Thanks for the help, Chris. I have read the ebook over the last couple of months, and I've been rereading it this week. I actually thought about the self-evaluation of Mrs. Maestra on the way home today. I'm going to look it over tonight, if I don't fall asleep. "Slow improvement" is a good reminder. Trying to think of myself as a firefighter and keep my cool.

The small victories this week have been so encouraging. I have 5 Spanish speakers and they are eating it up! Plus, the ones who really do well with the class/yes are the trouble makers, and they love the scoreboard. I have introduced tell your neighbor, and it is cool. I see that I have to go in small chunks. I really think this is going to be awesome...someday...soon!

Triple repeats are getting started. I need to watch some of the videos because I'm not sure that I'm doing them right. Sample- "Class, when I tell you to write your name on your paper, you start writing immediately while saying names, names, names." Is that the right track?

Are class record based on the scoreboard? I can't remember what that means. I have stars for the 2 times that smilies won the scoreboard.

I have been excited about WBT since I found out about it 2 months ago. Last year I taught high school Spanish, and what a difference it would have made! I'm excited to watch it unfold with my at-risk first graders! Thank you so much!!
Katie

Katie, keep your excitement up it will encourage your students. Don't stress over trying to do "it" right, in WBT we say it is your classroom. An example of the 3 Pete let's say my kids are at the rug I say...bodies up, seat work, seat work, seat work... my kids go off to their seats saying seat work, seat work seat work. Does this help you.

Annette

Katie,

Ten finger woo for starting your year WBT! Don't get frustrated too soon! You got the best advice from Biff himself so I won't repeat it. It is a big change for you to go from high school to first grade. Sounds like you have some challenging, but you never know. Those challenging kids just might turn out to be your shining stars! Keep your chin up and stay with us here on the forum. I started WBT last year and although I loved it, not everybday worked as smoothly as others. You can do it! Have an awesome Whole BrAin Year!

Rebecca Crooks
WBT Intern
2011-12

Just wanted to send a quick message to say what a great day I had! Yesterday was terrible, like starting over, but worse. Today, I was able to work a lot with class records. Awesome! The kids were really into it. Even though they were short victories, once they were able to work quietly at their desks for a count of 100! Yay!

Katie

Katie, I know the feeling. I think we as adults get so excited and set on it's going to work that when the little set backs come WE have a "Debbie Downer" moment.....or two. Keep a little score card handy with smilies just for you so that you can reflect on the positives. We are here for you.

Annette:cheer:

Katie,
I'm also going to suggest that you really watch for those student leaders! Once you get that wall up and going you just may catapult those fence sitters, right over where you want them, with the alphas! Average your class. For example,
alphas=4
go alongs=3
good one day bad another=2
challenging=1
add up and divide by the number of students you have.
Work on the go alongs:cheer:

Also, have you had the opportunity of reading WBT for challenging kids?

Heather Hansen
WBT Intern
2011/12

Heather,
Thanks! Chris wrote to me about the alphas, etc. I did the math last week on my group and had about 2.5. It has really made me think about where the students are. I didn't have any idea how much of a difference this part of it makes, at least in my planning and thinking. I have read the ebook, but I'm rereading it now, with more first hand knowledge!

Katie

Katie great!!
Heather Hansen
WBT Intern
2011/12

Katie,
I am reading all of this great advice to you~hooray!

One thing that REALLY helped my first grade class was practicing the wrong way in order to learn the correct way. For example, if I wanted them to follow directions quickly, I would ask them to show me the wrong way, and follow directions s-l-o-w-l-y. They would be just like turtles! Then we would practice following directions quickly, like a rocket!!! I used this for practicing lining up, sitting on the carpet, and just about anything! Once they demonstrate the capability of doing it the correct way, praise them, and say, "I knew you could do it!" "That is what I expect every time!" You are practicing routines, setting your procedures and expectations, while making it seem like a game.
At the beginning of the year, I broke my day into sections, and used the scoreboard each time. We began school at 7:45, and we did the scoreboard until 10 (our first recess). I started it again after recess and we kept the scoreboard until lunch. Another scoreboard began after lunch, and the last scoreboard was for the last part of the day. Each time, they were working for 1 minute rewards, so if the smilies won each time (rarely), the total amount still only totaled 4 minutes. We used 1 minute sitting by a friend, 1 minute dance party, 1 minute knock knock jokes, 1 minute free drawing on whiteboards, 1 minute sitting on top of desks (or under desks), lining up 1 minute early for lunch or recess, etc. After they learned the routines and my expectations, I began to only do a scoreboard for morning, and another for afternoon. By Thanksgiving or so, we just used 1 scoreboard for the whole day. Since your day is an extended day, maybe breaking it up like this would help.
Please keep us posted on your journey!
Deb Weigel
Co-Director, WBT Model Classrooms

Deb, I am sure this answered the posted question BUT was a great reminder to me on how tore start.
Thanks A nnette

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Still tweaking. Good parts to each day, but they still come and go. Deb, Thanks for the advice about breaking it up, and for the ideas for rewards. That helps a lot! Two teacher workdays starting tomorrow, so I can get some things in place for next week!!

Katie

Deb, thanks for the one minute reward ideas. I don't have control over recess or when they go to lunch. I am always looking for fresh ideas. I also don't want to abuse mind soccer.

Katie, glad your second day went better! Hang in there and stick with it!

Rebecca Crooks
WBT Intern
2011-12

Wow Katie,
What good questions and great replies. Thanks for posting about your days. Your post and the great replies help to remind me of some of the things I want to do with my groups of kiddos. We start on Thursday, the 18th, with our students. These posts were great reminders.
Susa Floyd
WBT Intern
2011-12