Planning for Phase 2
Based on the findings I made in phase one, I have found that the students are ready to continue building our safe and supportive community. The next steps that I plan to take in the second phase include steps towards maintaining the self-awareness, others-awareness and problem solving strategies implemented in phase one, and begin working on self-management and collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is the main goal of this phase, but the phase one steps as well as self-management need to be understood, achieved and maintained in order for effective and productive collaborative learning to take place.
Maintaining Phase 1 Implementations
The maintenance of self-awareness, other-awareness and problem solving strategies are essential for the success of a safe learning community. Throughout our first phase, consistent reinforcement was needed, thus it will continue. Although no more direct instruction or implicit lessons involving the phase one topics are planned, the less formal community meetings and teacher support and encouragement will occur. Additionally, our safe zone for problem solving with our posted steps will continue to hang on the wall, along with our other posters and student work, as visual reminders to the students of their expectations and accomplishments.
Self-Management
The importance of building the students’ self-management comes from the students blaming others when they forget homework, shouting out answers when it is another student’s turn to talk, and controlling their bodies and words to avoid touching and hurting their classmates.
To address the issues of forgetting homework, we are using an upcoming fieldtrip with limited space as an opportunity to implement a homework (and behavior) accountability program. The students have 20 minutes of reading, a writing journal and math page each night for homework. They must turn this in, as it is checked each day and recorded. After two weeks, the students who have been most accountable for the homework (and behavior) will be the ones who get to attend the fieldtrip.
To address shouting out answers, I will continually use the phrase “don’t stop your friends thinking”. The students have used this phase in the year, but not consistently, so this rule will be enforced.
To address the students’ management of their bodies and words, I will use the phrase “control your words” or “control your body”. The number of interventions necessary to correct physical behavior issues will also be monitored on our field trip chart. The behavior is just as important as homework, and the students will be aware that even if they complete all of the homework requirements, if they are unable to manage their words and body they will not be invited on the fieldtrip.
Collaborative Learning
The big finale, and most important component that brings this research in a full circle, is collaborative learning. I will begin to work on collaborative learning, as this is when students must use what they have learned in the first phase as well as the beginning of this phase to collaborate successfully.
In the research I read, the safe learning communities include students who are able to work successfully with one another in their problem solving. As my intention and goal for this Inquiry Project is to provide a safe learning community that leads to greater academic achievement, this collaborative learning is the bridge to get there.
In this second phase, I plan to have the students work in both pairs and groups. In my opinion, productive learning is often collaborative, and we need to learn how to work well with others early on. The tools the students will be equipped with at this point in the project should, ideally, transfer to making collaboration possible, productive, and effective.
Maintaining Phase 1 Implementations
The maintenance of self-awareness, other-awareness and problem solving strategies are essential for the success of a safe learning community. Throughout our first phase, consistent reinforcement was needed, thus it will continue. Although no more direct instruction or implicit lessons involving the phase one topics are planned, the less formal community meetings and teacher support and encouragement will occur. Additionally, our safe zone for problem solving with our posted steps will continue to hang on the wall, along with our other posters and student work, as visual reminders to the students of their expectations and accomplishments.
Self-Management
The importance of building the students’ self-management comes from the students blaming others when they forget homework, shouting out answers when it is another student’s turn to talk, and controlling their bodies and words to avoid touching and hurting their classmates.
To address the issues of forgetting homework, we are using an upcoming fieldtrip with limited space as an opportunity to implement a homework (and behavior) accountability program. The students have 20 minutes of reading, a writing journal and math page each night for homework. They must turn this in, as it is checked each day and recorded. After two weeks, the students who have been most accountable for the homework (and behavior) will be the ones who get to attend the fieldtrip.
To address shouting out answers, I will continually use the phrase “don’t stop your friends thinking”. The students have used this phase in the year, but not consistently, so this rule will be enforced.
To address the students’ management of their bodies and words, I will use the phrase “control your words” or “control your body”. The number of interventions necessary to correct physical behavior issues will also be monitored on our field trip chart. The behavior is just as important as homework, and the students will be aware that even if they complete all of the homework requirements, if they are unable to manage their words and body they will not be invited on the fieldtrip.
Collaborative Learning
The big finale, and most important component that brings this research in a full circle, is collaborative learning. I will begin to work on collaborative learning, as this is when students must use what they have learned in the first phase as well as the beginning of this phase to collaborate successfully.
In the research I read, the safe learning communities include students who are able to work successfully with one another in their problem solving. As my intention and goal for this Inquiry Project is to provide a safe learning community that leads to greater academic achievement, this collaborative learning is the bridge to get there.
In this second phase, I plan to have the students work in both pairs and groups. In my opinion, productive learning is often collaborative, and we need to learn how to work well with others early on. The tools the students will be equipped with at this point in the project should, ideally, transfer to making collaboration possible, productive, and effective.