Monthly Staff PD - October
Hi friends,
Welcome to another installment of Monthly Staff PD.
The response to our video last month on Procedures and Routines was incredible. It was, by far, the most responded-to, most shared, and most well-received video I’ve sent in the last three years. We’re hoping to continue to exceed expectations this month!
Last month, we focused on structure in the classroom. And while there’s plenty more to say about structure - and we’ll do so soon - this is the perfect time of year to introduce classroom circles if you haven’t already.
We explain in detail below how to easily implement this tool in any classroom, and how to refine and reflect on its use if you are already a super user. In my experience, no other single tool has the relational (and sometimes academic) leverage.
On a personal note, this was a super fun video to film. For privacy reasons, I never put my kids in my videos. However, my three-year-old managed to sneak his personality into the narrative a bit without actually being seen. That kid cracks me up.
Enjoy!
Monthly Staff PD - September
Topic: Classroom Management - Classroom Circles
Staff Objectives:
I (the teacher) can explain the benefits of classroom circles
I can create multiple questions in different categories for use in my own classroom circles
I can discuss the pitfalls and best practices with my colleagues of conducting circles
I can conduct my own circle in my classroom
Context:
I want to send a quick shout-out to Laura Mooiman for her work related to circles. She’s got a lot to share about PBIS and RP and I’ve benefited greatly from her work in this area.
As Laura displays, there is perhaps no better tool for developing classroom culture and relationships than circles. And as Darla, our featured teacher in the video explains, circles have the unique ability to surface the voices of students who are often otherwise unheard.
Included in today’s content is the following:
A comprehensive video that we produced specifically for today’s topic - always containing content from a phenomenal classroom teacher sharing their tips and techniques (and a few unplanned voice-overs from my three-year-old)
A Google Slide doc that you can edit as needed for your own use
Two activities:
One for if your school has never done circles
Another for if your teachers already use them
A printable PDF containing several model questions
Additional videos from other sources featuring students and showing how to use circles in special circumstances, like PE
Content:
Google Slides (Click here) - Note: This is the free version and does not contain the video. Paid subscribers continue scrolling for the full paid version, along with the printable PDF and additional resources