Hello I am a 1st year 4th grade teacher in Las Vegas. I just changed carrers and left the world of retail management for teaching. I can say that Power Teaching saved my job. I was not engaging enough for my principal and this method has changed the way I teach. I am looking for other teachers around the country who are 1st year teacher who are testing the method and how it is working for them. Also I am looking for anyone who is using Envisions Math and trying to encorporate the Power teaching method with the format. I am departmentalized and only teach math and science. Next year my school is going 12 month and switching from 3-5 to K-5 so I do not know what I will be teaching next year It will be year 1A.

I have a pirate theme classroom and use some additional terms outside of the power teaching method. I include a term called " all hands on deck" The students are to hit their desks in unison with their hands and stop their feet at the same time this from their I can go to Eyes and Hands. It creates a sound for the students to focus on and if they do not do it unison I have them do it again to get the team in tune.

I also use alot of pop culture with a "eyes and hands" then a sojla boy or YMCA or a WWE John Cena " You can't see me" The kids like it and it is fun to see them try to keep up with all the commands you roll off your tounge at once.

Does anyone have any other commands outside of the eyes and hands and class yes that works for certain situations?

With your pirate theme you might like this addition to One Second Party:

Teacher: "One Second Party, Pirate!"

Everyone: "Clap! Arrrrgh!" (right hand over your eye like a patch, left index finger up and crooked like a pirate's hook)

I occasionally use the drum-roll and "In Your Face" that I saw in one of the videos for adding a smiley point instead of the regular "Oh Yeah." I blogged about some of the voices I use for things:

mypowerteaching.blogspot.com/2009/01/light-friday.html

I like the pirate theme idea, what else do you do with the theme?

My original behavior plan was based on walking the plank I have 2 cardboard pirate ships I purchased along with a party store sea background. I tacked the pirate ship on to the sea background and tied twine all around the tacks. From the twine I placed clothes pins with each of the students names on them. Below that was wooden meter stick that I painted into 4 sections yellow, orange, red and black. I used the color key as a behavior monitor. If the clips were in the sails the student was on board and part of the crew. Once they misbehaved they started to " walk the plank" Yellow warning, orange 2nd warning and recess detention red call home black call home and week of recess detention off. Into the water off to the behavior monitor or principal with a write up.

I also used an economy system of pirate dollars that I stole from the book Teach while your hair is on fire. I tried to use a pay system where homework and behavior was rewarded where lack of participation and poor behavior was fined with a prize store or auction at the end of the week. I found this to be very time consuming both with the process of coming up with prizes out of my pocket as well as collecting fines and what to do if the student did not have any money or did not bring their money to class. I also had issues of students stealing other students money as well as gambling with the money betting on games of rock paper scissors and tic tac toe. I had to stop the use of the monetary system due to its abuse I use it know only for special occasions and for extreme engagement. I ran into another problem being departmentalized that my currency and my partner teachers currency were not on the same pay scale.

thanks I am going to use that

I also use "In your Face", we have lots of voices and styles for teach/okay. I use the "Charge!" to increase the energy, "Slow Motion" - mostly because it makes them laugh, "silly voices", and the very popular "Barry White" - This of course, is where they talk in very deep voices to teach their partner.