Sunday, May 19, 2013
repeating
The past few weeks I have been trying repeating more with my students. I know whole brain teaching and Envoy uses these strategies but I haven't really used it intentionally until these last few weeks. I was finding that I would say something like don't throw your wrapper away until I am done reading and then 2 minutes later I would have 2 students get up to throw it away. UGH! So one day on a whim I just started using it. As we sat down to read before I started I said "do not throw away your wrapper until I am done reading. When can you throw away your wrapper?" Most of the kids answered and I noticed right away that most of them responded. I was happy to see everyone kept their wrapper until I was done reading. I also started using it when giving a definition in math class. I try and use repeating for really important things (or pet peeves of mine- like telling them when they can sharpen pencils). I don't feel as though I am justing talking to hear my own voice anymore. It puts some accountability back on the students because if I have them repeat a directions, I know they heard it because they repeated it.
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This is a strategy I use everyday with my first graders. If I forget to have them repeat my direction, I find myself saying the direction at least 10 times. At first I thought this was kind of silly but it works! When I give my students multistep directions, I have them touch their one finger and repeat it, then their next finger and say step 2 and so on. When they are transitioning, I see them touching their fingers to try to remember the directions. I am using this a lot this time of year! :)
ReplyDeleteJen and Court,
ReplyDeleteSince finding this strategy on a "Whole Brain Teaching" website back in October I've been using repeating with gestures or "Mirror with Gestures" (as they refer to it) and I LOVE it! Here's a video of some of those strategies in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBeWEgvGm2Y.
This, along with the visual directions I learned about during ENVoY has really helped my students retain the directions but also be held more accountable once they're sent off to work. I find that if a student asks what I to do I simply have to point to the visual or reenact the gesture and that triggers the direction. A lot less talking and a lot more productivity...gotta love it!