Week 5 - Reflection

This week was an interesting week to collect data. At first our power went out from a windstorm for 30 minutes. The activity I had planned on completing with the interactive whiteboard was changed to using a whiteboard and individual whiteboards at student’s seats. Engagement was at fifty percent, with the lights flickering on and off.  Then due to it raining sideways, we had students indoors for recess. The afternoon was full of energetic students. For management I turned on music, but that didn’t work to get the students attention. Instead I put on my teacher hat and made a decision to do sprints outside. After coming inside, my students finally started to calm down and get to work.

            What I have noticed from this week is during brain breaks, playing songs for students has worked well. I received a long list of other songs from a SEACCR peer. I’m very grateful to receive this list. I will try these songs in the next couple of weeks.

I played the cupid shuffle and all of my students were moving in the classroom. When my students sat down to start work after the song, they were engaged. While my student’s worked, I played music.  The exit slips explained twenty-one students were not distracted from the music, but two of them were. I had a discussion with the two students that put distracted on their slips. The reasoning was, it was too noisy; they were not able to work with music. They would start singing the song and lose their focus on what they were supposed to do. I asked the students if I were to play classical music (music without words) would it be better. Their response was “yes, I can do that.” I have found that if I knew the song that was being played, I was distracted. While walking around I really had to listen to the students question. I would find myself singing the song in my brain. I think the change to classical music will work for everyone. I cannot write or read when there is music playing in the background.

            The end of the quarter is this Friday. Grades are due on Monday and we have a Professional Development Day on Friday. The survey I created for colleagues has not been completed. I expect the survey to be completed by next week.

            This week I have rearranged a lot of my students’ desks. I made sure every student was able to see the interactive whiteboard. Before, I had students move to the back table.  I realized after this week our back table would not work every time during an interactive whiteboard.

            From another exit slip my students informed me that they enjoy the interactive whiteboard lessons better when they are whole group interactions. I have noticed my students are engaged during whole group interactions as well. I’m interested to see what next week’s data collection will show.