[ola] Re: Trust Falls - Help!
- From: Cathy Bird <mcwathbird@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:58:19 -0700
I had a similar problem with one of two classes last year. There just wasn't
enough trust there to do any trust activities. I was lucky, though, in that
when I said no to their suggestion to try in/out trust circle, that seemed to
make them want it more. They would beg and I would explain that 'I' didn't
trust them. That led to what did I see... and so I modeled some of the
untrustworthy behavior in a light way so as not to nail any individual too
much.
Around that time I started doing evals of OWL skills every few weeks. Students
did a self assessment, sometimes providing an example, and then I went over it
in a different ink. I used it as a grade and a few of the kids failed the first
time; talk about a wake-up call. I would also pull kids aside for a reminder of
what they need to be working on when they were reviewing vocab or doing a
reading activity.
ORGANIC CLASSROOM - LEARNING SKILLS
EVAL
everyday
mostly
sometimes
mostly
every day
Silent
or in mostly English
Lots of French and/or sounds
Indifferent
"whatever"
Supportive
"you
can do it"
Reluctant
to get involved in circle or pair activity.
Active Drawing. Miming. Acting. Engaged.
Checked out when meaning is unclear.
Infer meaning. until proven differently.
Give up when communication is difficult
Circumlocute: use what you know to say what
you don't.
Afraid of trying or afraid of failing.
Taking risks and failing fabulously.
Concerned with self and with getting/doing
what you want. Side convos.
Concerned about the group and doing what the
group needs.
Laughing at peers or mocking their efforts.
Laughing at self and at humor of the group.
Disregard for speaker. Not listening to
others.
Respectful and attentive. Good listener.
There were three of my ten students who really needed to open up in order to be
trusted. One was your typical, unpredictable, impulsive boy who thought
everything was funny. The other two were girls who just didn't trust anyone
outside of their clique.
Warren, you are doing great things and are so good at reflection. Once this
disappointment wears off, envision what you want to see more of from this class
and don't be shy about using repetition of earlier activities to get there. The
Spanish can still move forward, but the circle activities that we do are
scaffolded in a way that students have to earn the privilege.
Cathy Bird
1354 S. Pearl St.
Denver, CO 80210
e: mcwathbird@xxxxxxxxxxx
c: 303.995.3425
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:20:00 -0500
Subject: [ola] Re: Trust Falls - Help!
From: heidihewitt13@xxxxxxxxx
To: ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
I had a hard time getting my students back into the swing of things after break
and they were really not being good about paying attention/staying in Spanish.
I broke out the writing the ESPANOL on the board and erasing a letter when
English was spoken rule. It quieted them down REMARKABLY. I recommend this if
the problem is English. Talking about how you're going to suffer if others
speak English and emphasizing the phrases of "No English" "Attack," etc. is
important. Students yell at each other and then get afraid of being yelled at
and keep themselves in Spanish much more readily. Then it's not me yelling at
them, it's them against each other.
As far as the trust fall, I haven't done it. I think this might be a tough
activity for them to do even in English. A different setting might help. I only
really remember doing this as part of a ropes course and we were outside.
On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 1:10 PM, Martin Kathryn <kmartin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have to chime in—this year has been much more challenging than last year with
the use of English in class and lack of participation. Anything you all have
to suggest would be greatly appreciated!
From: ola-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ola-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Shahla Brown
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2015 9:56 AM
To: ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ola] Re: Trust Falls - Help!
It is so great to know that others continually deal with students who are
unengaged or constantly distracted.
On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 11:45 AM, Jody Soberon <jodyso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi,
I am so looking forward to responses on this. I haven't even dared to do this
yet, though I probably could have success with my Span 2 classes that are
pretty much on board with immersion. But my Span 1 classes have so many issues
similar
to what Warren describes about English, being off task, playing on their
phones, uninvolved, non-participatory, chatting in English in circle, not
following instructions etc.
Thank you!
On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 8:11 AM, Warren Billings
<wbillings@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Good morning!
I just did trust falls with my first period class and honestly it failed and I
am discouraged by this.
QUESTION: Does anyone have tips on how to make trust falls successful? I think
I just brought the class backwards in their trust for each other. Again, I am
discouraged and frankly upset by this. Give me some basic advice on how to make
it work!
There is a split of half the class that works super hard and does well and the
other half of the class talks in English, doesn't have notebooks, plays on
phones, wants to eat their breakfast, is late, absent often, etc. I've been
talking
to them and to their parents but the issues are continuing to come up. I
maintain those high expectations in class but they are still exhibiting this
behavior even though I have created a safe environment where it is easier to
simply participate than to be
off task.
They just had a writing performance assessment and those that aren't working
just had a reality check - lots of 1.0's (equivalent to D or F). They are
performing at NM with incomplete sentences. It was a true assessment though
because all
the ones that I expected to pass did pass.
I am planning on doing a critique session of exemplar work later but wanted to
first establish that community of people that trust each other when they need
help.
Today I did trust falls to fortify the feeling of community before we start
critiquing tomorrow. Here is the process that I went through:
1. Hook: sing the song we just learned
2. Modeling: I modeled a trust fall (with one of the struggling students)
saying in L2 Ready? Yes! Trust!
3. Pairing Activity: Sneakers inside the circle, boots outside
4. I wrote the key words on the board: ready? yes! trust!
5. Modeling: I asked one pair to perform the trust fall and had everyone watch.
6. I then counted down from three and asked everyone to fall onto their
partners.
7. They said thank you and gave their partner a high five and switched to do it
again.
8. I asked if trust was important in class and said that trust was like saying
help
9. I wrote trust = help on the whiteboard and we drew pictures of people
needing trust and people needing help.
10. We then drew pictures of people helping the drawings on the whiteboard.
11. We then shared some sentences as a group
12. We then wrote five sentences about help and trust.
The trust falls were a fail because one boy let another boy fall and I didn't
do anything because I thought it was an accident. I will talk to them tomorrow.
Lots of people doing the shuffle step when they fell back. They were too clumped
up with room to hide and misbehave. I should have stopped, made space, then
had those two boys do it again in front of everyone.
Tomorrow I am doing it again. We need to have success here. Today was not
successful. I know that this is only one step in our journey of establishing a
positive community. Everything we do in class either builds or takes away from
that
community.
QUESTION: Does anyone have tips on how to make trust falls successful? I think
I just brought the class backwards in their trust for each other. Again, I am
discouraged and frankly upset by this. Give me some basic advice on how to make
it work!
Un abrazo,
Warren
--
Warren Billings
Spanish Teacher
Pittsfield Middle High School
Pittsfield, NH
Telephone:
(603) 435-6701 x4226
Visit our Website! http://pittsfieldspanish.weebly.com/
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