A Different Kind of Christmas Story

A Time of Giving - 2 Freebies Just for You!

It has been quite awhile since my last blog post. I am always amazed at how time just seems to disappear once the school year gets into full swing, aren't you? The past weeks have been filled with all things WBT. My classroom saw the creation of a new and improved Super Improver Wall. We implemented Super Speed Grammar and a more consistent use of the Genius Ladder. I finally succeeded in getting Coach B to our school for a district inservice and what an amazing day that was! And last but not least, I gave my first ever WBT mini-workshop. I think that is truly my calling! Tomorrow I will present a WBT lesson for a data coach from our state Department of Ed. How exciting is that??

During the holiday seasons, the spirit of giving seems to fill our hearts. It is in this spirit that I would like to offer you 2 freebies to use with your WBT program. The first is a flow chart for Super Speed Math. It was created by my dear teammate, Karen Warner. Our 3rd graders use it, as do their parents, when they do Super Speed for homework. It does an astounding job of explaining how to move down the rows as students progress to the next level. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Super-Speed-Math-Flow-Chart 

The second freebie is a newly created template for the Genius Ladder. I wanted a way for my students to write their ideas after we practiced as a class. It's a quick way for kiddos to generate a genius sentence that can blossom into a genius paragraph.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Genius-Ladder-Worksheet 

With so much more to do and so little time, I am focusing on 2 WBT projects in the coming weeks. The Mind Giants are a relatively new creation by Coach B. I am putting the finishing touches on an ebook which will provide mini-posters of the Mind Giants as well as trading card images. It will also include an essay about critical thinking and some sample classroom activities for using the Mind Giants. I also would like to get more videos posted (and hopefully at least one will be ranked exemplary).

Hope you enjoy!

Kate

Super Speed Grammar Giveaway - It's FREE!

I have finally taken the plunge! For the past several years, I have followed the crowds of teachers and jumped right into writing paragraphs and essays with my 3rd graders. And every year, I have complained that they didn't understand what I meant when I said to use a more interesting verb or to use more adjectives. How could they understand what I wanted when they didn't know what verbs and adjectives are? Grammar has gone by the wayside in many schools. So this year, I decided to do something about it. I am taking the time to teach my students about parts of speech before we attempt to write quality paragraphs. Armed with the Super Speed Grammar power point, my students and I dove deep into nouns this week. Wanting to take the presentation to the next level, I created a noun sorting activity using some of the graphics from both the power point and the Whole Brain Teaching construction kit. I am pleased to share with you this little activity. Of course, it is FREE! Follow the link below to download it. It is appropriate for 2nd through 4th grade. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cartoon-Noun-Sort

Enjoy!

Kate

Teach-Okay

Isn't the beginning of the school year an awesome time to be a teacher?? Everything is fresh and new and exciting! I am thrilled to be teaching my students using Whole Brain techniques right from the start this year. I believe that the Teach-Okay piece of the Core 4 is one of the most important parts because it gets kids talking about curriculum. Building on Coach B's belief that everything should be taught in chunks, I started thinking about how to make my students understand how to do Teach-Okay correctly. So I've developed a short video about introducing Teach-Okay to your students. It also includes ways to vary your teach-okay to keep things lively in the classroom. Hope you enjoy it!

For those of you who have started school, I hope you are having a great year! Best of luck to those of us who are just about to start!

Kate

katebowski@WholeBrainTeaching.com 

Give Away - Your Back to School Gift

With the start of school so close (or maybe you've already started?), I am offering a FREE giveaway. That's right FREE! Using the 5 Rules, I have created a packet to help primary aged kids make the leap between just learning the rules and thinking critically about them. This activity is a great way to get your kids ready to use the because clapper and example poppers. Are you ready??? Here it is.

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Whole-Brain-Teaching-Understanding-Classroom-Rules

Upper elementary teachers - don't despair - a packet for older kids is just a few days away!

If you cannot access the TPT file, please email me and I will send you a copy. Help yourself and enjoy!

Kate

I've Got Their Attention... Now What?

So you've used Class-Yes to get your students' attention... now what do you do with them? The answer is to use the Mirror technique. With 4 varieties to choose from, you're sure to find something for every topic! Using the mirror technique will give you 100% student engagement 100% of the time. Take a look at my latest video tutorial about how to do and introduce Mirrors into your classroom. It is an amazing technique that I just know you will love! If you have questions or thoughts afterward, please email me at katebowski@wholebrainteaching.com

To learn more about introducing Whole Brain Teaching into your classroom, tune in on Tuesday nights, (5 pm pacific, 8 pm eastern) for FREE webinars about WBT. The July 31st webinar is a "must see" as we will be discussing all things WBT for the 1st day with students. To find the webinar, go to http://wholebrainteaching.com/, scroll down to the video screen underneath the certification window and click the play button. Looking forward to chatting with you!

Happy Viewing!

Kate

Secrets of Class-Yes

For many of us, the school year has started or is about to in a very short amount of time. So you've heard about this Class-Yes technique, read about it on the website and watched videos of it in action. You're probably wondering how do I make it look like that in my classroom? There are a few secrets I have discovered that make Class-Yes an intensely effective tool.

I have been promising an introductory video about Class-Yes and it is finally finished! (I promise it's not as crazy as the thumbnail looks!!) The video below will unveil the secrets of this amazing attention getter. Take a look to learn more. Still have questions? Email me at katebowski@wholebrainteaching.com .

Happy viewing,
Kate