Learn From Your Students

"Not that again!" I heard one student say on a Tuesday morning. At first, I was insulted because I loved the Tuesday Precept we had been doing since September. It was one of my precious moments each week where I learned about my students. My students last year LOVED this time to learn about each other.

Let me backup and explain what 12:00pm on a Tuesday in room 20 meant.

Last year, I read WONDER to my class. #allthefeels A year or so later....RJ Palacio came out with 365 Days of Wonder a quote book that had, well you guessed it, 365 quotes centering around life and greatness.  Each week students would respond to a quote using paper and pencil. In their response it included 2 parts {what the quote meant} {how it related to them}. Want to see it? It might work for your kids. The thoughts and feelings that came from my 34 students was WONDROUS!

Lets fast forward to this year. The negativity (but respectful) that spilled from their mouths was a clear FLASHING RED LIGHT that screamed (quietly) problem. My magical idea did not work for this group. I had to find something that would peak their interest. I swallowed my pride and got thinking!

This group loves technology and they will do ANYTHING on the computer. That is why my Weekly Precept became DIGITAL. One Saturday night, I stand up until 2am searching for videos that would INSPIRE, TEACH, EXCITE, and AWE my students.

I created a Google Docs precept video and answer activity. The students watch a 2-4 minute video and then answer similar questions on a google doc. It is all stationed on Google Drive and then I upload the precept weekly into Google Classroom.

I am happy to report that my students are SO excited to come in on Tuesdays and do the weekly precept. I hear them talking to each other trying to guess what the video will be about during recess.

We are fortunate to have 1:1 chromebooks in our classroom. BUT! You can totally do this whole class. Have students do this activity in centers or have students watch whole class and then answer the questions verbally.

 I selected videos that will get my students to think but also send a message. It is our jobs as educators to teach our students about the real world.  Some of the topics include {grit, failure, age, strength, empathy, power, and working hard}.

Want to try it out in your classroom? Grab the PREVIEW to try one of the videos. You will need to click PREVIEW button inside TpT.

Love it? You can find the whole digital resource here? 

Go be digital! #itsthenewpaperandpencil