Monthly Staff PD - November
Howdy,
Thanks for joining me as we continue our exploration of classroom management (CM) best practices. As a company, we receive more requests about CM than any other topic, so this is where we’ll be camped out all year long.
In September, we covered Procedures and Routines; last month, we discussed Restorative Practices - specifically community circles; and this month, we’re talking about visual communication in the classroom.
The goal of these emails is to provide you with resources that are as turnkey as possible - something you can use with very little prep time. Perhaps for a staff meeting, an early release/late start, or a PD day. And, as is the case with all of our material, we want to make teachers feel represented. That’s why we always include commentary from real classroom teachers.
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Monthly Staff PD - November
Topic: Classroom Management - Visuals in the Classroom
Staff Objectives:
I (the teacher) can define an anchor chart and explain how it can reinforce a well-managed classroom
I can discuss why specific classroom visuals are more effective at conveying student expectations than others
I can solicit input from students and incorporate it into an anchor chart
Context:
Full disclosure: this was the monthly PD I wanted to follow September’s on procedures and routines. It makes more chronological sense. However, October is a particularly hellish month if you don’t have some tried-and-true relationship-building tools in your kit, so we punted and talked RP. (Also great stuff!)
Well, we’re circling back today, folks!
I’ll be the first to admit that classroom visuals are not the topic to satisfy adrenaline junkies. No, anchor charts will not be on the 2023 list of education buzzwords. And while they require zero innovation, don’t promote grit, and won’t improve student mindfulness, they’re still incredibly useful.
This is true more broadly - visuals can be used for any content area - but also as it pertains to classroom management. And today, this will be our focus.
We made a pretty compelling case in September (with some help from Harry and Rosemary Wong) that procedures and routines are often the deciding factor between calm and chaos in a classroom.
Well, if that’s true (and my own experience and dozens of teachers I’ve interviewed confirm it), then anchor charts related to procedures and routines are paramount. And I’ve got some great clips from top-notch teachers to make my case.
So, let’s get into it!
Content:
Classroom Management - Visuals in the Classroom
How to Use this Content:
Show the video above. We usually try to include separate videos for secondary and elementary, but we’ve merged them into a single video this month. They’re both fairly short and relevant to multiple levels.
Have your teachers pause at the obvious spot (watch the video - you can’t miss it) and answer the questions. (See the Google Doc linked below if you want some additional help).
Lead your teachers through the activity found in this slideshow.
The slideshow is editable, so feel free to alter the activity as you see fit.
As always, please reply here (or leave a comment) with any feedback. We’re always working to improve our content and its flexibility for your use.
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Remember that, as a paid subscriber, you can get any single Peer Driven PD course (like the one featuring Michelle or the one featuring Darla in this week’s clip) for only $15 per teacher.
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Have a great week, everyone!
Mike