I discovered Whole Brain Teaching last week, over our school break, and decided it was just the change my classroom needed. I began it Monday, and Monday & Tuesday were fabulous, Wednesday a bit less so, and today not so great at all. I have done the class-yes and the five rules, introduced teach-okay, and today tried to start the scoreboard. That's the part I'm struggling with!

I think the problem I am having is with the consistency of what to score, and when to score it. I think my big problem/hazy area is whether the scoreboard is for individual indiscretions, or class-wide ones. I was under the impression that what is so great about WBT is that you don't have to single out anyone, and the kids do alot of the enforcing along with you, but at the same time I am unsure what to do for those kids that are naturally more likely to break the rules by 'accident'.

For example, I have this one child that ALWAYS calls out, and I think it truly just impulse to him, and he catches himself right after and you can tell he regrets it. Now, what is the best plan of action here -- should I either say/show the 2 fingers (like being given a warning), so he can fix his behavior and not score anything until he does it again, or because he has 'not followed the procedures' is it a frownie right then and there? I realized that with the scoreboard, I don't have it concrete in my mind, so I cannot be consistent or use it effectively until I have figured that out. Is the key to just model the heck out of it -- they say class/yes, so I give a smile, and then a moment later someone calls out, so I give a frown, and then we do teach/okay and they get a smile, but then someone calls out so it is a frown, and so on until the 'less desirable behavior' is stopped? I'm just wondering if it is because I didn't stick to a 'zero tolerance' stance that it did not work for me (as in, some students did call out, but I didn't give a frown each time or the opposite as well, where they did well but I didn't give a smile necessarily each time).

How do you explain it to YOUR class? Any help is appreciated as I'm obviously confused!
~Nicole (third grade)

Are you familiar with the practice card system? If not, I think that will be the perfect fit for your situation. The e book should be uploaded to the site in the next day or two. In a nutshell, it works in conjunction with the class rules and the scoreboard game; which gives the teacher a way to correct behavior in a positive way.

As for the NOW time, you set the tone for how you use the scoreboard game...not the other way around. If calling out is a point for you once, it should be a point for you always. Remember, the game is fixed; give points to yourself and your class when needed. I am a TOA and work at several schools; the scoreboard game is the one thing I can take to any classroom and get them to follow my rules no matter what. Obviously, being consistent is very key...but that is true for any classroom management style.

Check back in a day or two for the practice card e book. It's finished, but needs a tweak or two to be ready for download.

I agree with Jay and his idea to use the card practice system for individual behaviors.

AS far as the scoreboard goes, I use it to reinforce specific behaviors that I am looking for....but mainly following directions quickly and participation. Whenever I give the frowny face (when I don't have everybody) I have them practice, practice, rehearse, rehearse with me couple of times. With this, I ping pong them back and forth on the scoreboard (for instance maybe I start out with a frowny, then a frowny, then a smiley, then a frowny, then a smiley---I ALWAYS try to end on a good note with a smiley....but note that it doesn't necessarily mean that we end up with more smileys than frownys) , which really gets them going and excited. Keep in mind what Jay said that YOU are in charge. You don't want to let them win everyday...you do want to keep them eating out of your hand. Also, I use the extra minute that they lose to practice whatever routine we are struggling with. The key to Whole Brain Teaching is to practice/ rehearse--not scold. If we are struggling in an area, I view this as an indicator that we need to practice.
Also, keep in mind that when I am ping ponging them back and forth on the scoreboard--our practices are short and quick--not over a minute--and our loss of time is gained in complete and total engagement. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind giving 5 min of time throughout the day to practice and rehearse to gain 5 hours and 55 minutes of complete and total engagement (and that would be an extreme case, anyway, because once you get them going it is unlikely that they will need practice-rehearsal time every day...in kinder we usually do, but when I taught third grade we could go for a couple of weeks before we needed a little refresher:).
Lastly, for your friend that is struggling with shouting out, it sounds like this student is already trying to self-correct, which is an indication that at least he is aware of the problem and is trying to fix it. Most students are quickly remedied when you say Rule #2, and the kids say "Raise your hand for permission to speak!" A couple of times of this and usually the student is toned down. However, if that doesn't work, and the individual card system doesn't work, I have a great Whole Brain Teaching strategy called "The Weekly Stars" which has helped me to practically eliminate shouting out in my class (we're not perfect everyday, but we're pretty stinkin' close Let me know how all this works out for you, and if you need the secret of the stars I will gladly share with you:) !

I would love to learn about your weekly stars system!

Weekly Stars goes like this:

You tell your students that you are going to play a game to help your students remember to follow one of the rules that they are having the hardest time following, "Rule #2, Raise your hand for permission to speak." Tell the students that you are going to time them and see how long they can go without breaking rule #2. That will be their classroom record. After that, you will see if they can break their record. Each time they break their record they will earn a star. At the end of the week if they have earned 20 stars they will get/ get to (__________....add your incentive here).


*The key with this game is that the kids are constantly trying to break their longest record for not shouting out. So for instance, when you first set the record, say the students lasted 30 seconds. Then, you will write 30 seconds on the board. If they beat the record, then they get a star (for that celebration we do a ten-second drum roll, and a Mighty Oh Yah!), if not, it's a Mighty Groan! And you start the time over. The goal is to get them to 20 or 30 minutes (in kinder we use 20 minutes, in 3rd I used 30 minutes). Once you have achieved this goal, then you can get an egg timer to set the timer for 20 or 30 minutes (whichever one you choose). Each time the timer goes off, they get a star. However, if someone shouts out, I say "Rule #2!" They say "Raise your hand for permission to speak!" And we do a mighty groan and start over the timer again. Each morning and after every recess, I always have the students say the rules, then we count our stars and our happy/sad face points (we erase them after every recess, but since we don't have a recess at the very end of the day we sometimes have point(s) left over when we first come in in the morning). Then I set our timer. This sets the tone at the beginning of the day and each time that we leave and come back in to our class. For our end of the week incentive, we go to the big kids playground (if we get the 20 stars....if we don't we erase and start over the next week). For third grade, we worked towards getting centers on Friday. The funny thing was, all the "centers" were activities that we were going to do that day regardless, except that they got to travel around and rotate through the activities in a small group. I've also done culminating activities related to the theme we are finishing (for instance, we had a theme "Off to Adventure!" and in one of the stories the family went camping. The last week of the unit we worked at getting the stars so that we could have a campout on that Friday. The kids brought in sleeping bags and I had them write a "campfire story" to share. We made smores and I brought in a tent. It was a blast!!!).

This Weekly Stars Whole Brain Teaching strategy has been the best thing to beat chronic shouting out. Again, we're not perfect, but we're pretty stinkin' goodB)

Thank you everyone for your support and help!

Last Friday, I hadn't decided what to do so I just told the students that Friday would be a day of learning and practicing, and I just used teachable moments to educate on what would be smileys or frownies come Monday.

Today, I jumped right into it. We practiced and rehearsed as many times as needed, and they seemed to get it and be very excited about it! By the end of the day, they were one smiley ahead of frowns and really were focused on increasing the one side to be safe. It worked out very well, but my overly outspoken one was absent so we'll see how tomorrow goes!

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I really, truly appreciate the help, and the Stars program sounds great!

Ah ha! The Stars is very neat solution to my biggest problem! Thanks for sharing this great tip!
I have a super class this year but calling out is what they do best... they're just so enthusiastic they can't wait to get their opinions heard!
I teach 5th grade at an international school in Athens, Greece. Perhaps it's a cultural trait to speak over one another? Certainly that's what's modelled on discussions on tv here!
PS: Any one else from Greece out there?

I'm not sure about the cultural traits of Greece.....but that could be true. I just know that for me, it's not a matter of not wanting to be culturally sensitive, it's more that I want the students to respect the ideas of others. It's really difficult to hear when everyone is shouting out and talking at the same time. I hope the stars works for youB)

Meant to add.....how cool is it to have a class that enthusiastic to share! You must have a very engaging environment;) ten-finger woo!!!

Hey Andrea,

I like how you say it's just courtesy to respect other's ideas, too. I've had a big problem this year with talking out. I have small groups of 6-9 for 30 minutes a day, and because the groups are so small and more intimate, it's so easy to let it slide. But even with six kids talking at once, it's too loud. Can you think of times to let them talk without raising their hands? If so, what would be a good way to do that?

How does the practice card system work? Also can you please explain the classroom stars?

tbritton wrote:


I can do the practice cards and I'll leave the stars to Andrea.

Practice cards go with the classroom rules. Let's say a kids shouts out, they have broken rule #2. They get a practice card to stay in at recess and to practice that rule. It's not a punishment, but rather a way to show our kids how to respond appropriately in class by practicing the teachers expected behaviors.

The E book should be put up on this site very soon. It's being revised a touch, but it will have everything you need to implement in your classroom.

Thanks for the info on the cards. I will look for that, I think it is what I need to add to my program next year. I looked above and saw the stars...looks like a good idea.

Hi there! For the Weekly Stars I wrote a long reply below these comments, just scroll down and you'll find me.

AS far as the comment about a time when it is okay to have the class talk without raising their hands I would say that would be during a class discussion time. But you should definitely designate the time as "class discussion time"--so they understand that this would be the only time when the "Raise your hand for permission to speak" rule would not be in effect. I also encourage to get something that could signal that another person would like to jump in. I'm picturing something like ping-pong paddles (only because a discussion makes me think of "ping-ponging" ideas back and forth.) But that way the other students will see that another student would like to jump in as soon as the person who is talking is finished. The students could raise their ping-pong paddles as many times as they would like to jump in. And whoever raises it first while someone is talking could go first. You could even assign a moderator who would be keeping an eye out to see the order of the discussion. I think this would be a great strategy for those who maybe are not assertive and can't overtalk or jump in when there are over-eager students. I don't know....just an ideaB)

Anything on the practice card e book? I have not seen it yet!

I have a version I can send you. Shoot me an email; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I am trying to plan my implementation of the method this summer. I have a new school and a brand new whiteboard and I have already put a staff (music teacher) and a special place for the Scoreboard Game up with car trim striping.

But I don't know how to implement the scoreboard when I see a different group of children every 45 minutes. Do I record the score (hard to do, no time) for each class then erase and start the next one or what? This seems like a bookkeeping nightmare to me. I have a class waiting as one leaves and it is hard to remember even to put a sticker on their individual class scoreboards which is what I have tried in the past. That was also too subjective since it was based on how the entire class behaved for that class period.

Do you put headings on the scoreboard like Teacher/Students?

Thanks

Diane
"Cadenza"

If you put a student in charge of recording the score in a little box on the whiteboard somewhere and erasing the score before they leave, you'll be amazed how effective that is, and how many students will want to be your 'helper' for this (even the big kids). I rely on that ALOT. I have to learn to accept my shortcomings, and be 'o.k.' with creating a system that works for me even though it ASSUMES I will forget. I have students in charge of reminding me to take attendance, recording scores at the end of the day, checking in/out borrowed pencils, etc... because I have learned I just simply don't remember those things. But THEY will never let you forget!

Thanks, Jackie. I was wondering if that would be OK. I have my chairs grouped and numbered. The first of the six number 2's (for example) who are quiet and focused first get to pass the books. I rarely have trouble getting them settled like I used to! The second number to get quiet gives me attendance for their group. So I will just have another job that will go to the student who works the hardest or something. I love rewards that don't hurt my pocketbook. I also think they tend to get too dependent on the extrinsic stuff.

I appreciate your prompt answer!