Breakout Edu-Escaping From How Teaching Has Always Been Done

I hope this is only the first of many posts about Breakout Edu. My first encounter was like many, as a participant. I was in a large group at the Upstate Technology Conference in Greenville, SC this past summer. I only participated by watching but quickly realized I was not used to this way of thinking.

How I was taught and how I have taught my students was mostly through memorization, using background knowledge, and finding evidence to support thinking. These strategies are still useful but the amount of thinking was not in depth.

I decided that I would definitely put my students to the test and give them this experience that they had never had before. The concept brings the Escape Room experience into a classroom. Students are presented with a box (wooden, plastic, or toolbox type) with multiple locks that must be unlocked before opening a locking hasp.

The locks may contain a key lock, number, word and directional lock and even a smaller lock box that must be opened containing clues or other tools needed to eventually open locks. To open the locks, participates must use problem solving, critical thinking, and collaborative skills to "breakout" before the time is up. My students played the game, The Swamp, that used Miss Nelson is Missing, and Miss Viola Swamp as the reason for being trapped.

What I've noticed in the 6 games I've played so far this school year is what I've learned about my students while they are playing. I learned who the leaders are, those who are hesitant to share ideas, and those who have difficulty thinking outside the box. This information provided me with how to approach my instruction as I constantly referred back to our game as we began a new project or assignment.

To enrich this way of thinking, my students are now using the app, Escape Challenge, as a classroom incentive. They simply cannot get enough of these challenges and cannot wait for the next Breakout Edu!

3 First Days of School Icebreakers (Games)

So many emotions exist during the first days of school and it doesn't really matter if it's kindergarten or senior year. These variety of emotions also are evident with teachers as well but what will often determine the remainder of the school year depends on relationships built between teachers and students and students to students. Icebreakers are used with first days of school as well as in professional environments to ease social anxiety. Some traditional icebreakers are where I would need to be creative to come up with my spirit animal that begins with the same first letter of my name. First of all, Monkey Matt can actually describe my willingness and ability to climb but, let's be honest, I am not in the mood to be creative the first day of anything. Here are some non-creative, yet informative Icebreakers you can try your first days of school. 

*For upper grades with students who will roll their eyes once you say "Let's do an icebreaker", call it a game instead. Pretty much everyone likes games. 

This or That

How to Play

Have your students to stand and choose a location in the classroom based on their preferences from the questions. Once the students have chosen their side, then they can have a brief discussion with the others in that group as to why they chose it. For example, if the question asked was "Do you prefer dogs or cats?" These discussions do not require speaking in front of a large group but even shy students can find individuals that are like-minded and, perhaps, instant friendship. Most importantly, YOU, the teacher need to play as well!

Sample questions for This or That:

• Would you rather live in the jungle or the North Pole?
• Which is worse: a broken arm or a broken leg?
• Would you rather be blind or deaf?
• Which is better: Playing sports or watching sports?
• Would you rather have 8 brothers or 8 sisters?

Blobs and Lines

How to Play
In this icebreaker, students are prompted to either line up in some particular order (by birthday, for example) or gather in “blobs” based on something they have in common (similar shoes, for example). What’s great about this game is that it helps students quickly discover things they have in common. It’s also ridiculously easy: Students don’t have to come up with anything clever, and they can respond to every question without thinking too hard about it. This game keeps students moving and talking, and it builds a sense of belonging and community in your classroom.

Here are some sample prompts you can use for this game:

• Line up in alphabetical order by your first names.
• Line up in alphabetical order by your last names.
• Gather with people who have the same eye color as you.
• Gather with people who get to school in the same way as you (car, bus, walk).
• Line up in order of your birthdays, from January 1 through December 31.
• Line up in order of how many languages you speak.
• Gather into 3 blobs: Those who have LOTS of chores at home, those who have A FEW chores at home, and those who have NO chores at home.
• Gather with people who have the same favorite season as you.

Concentric Circles

How to Play
This icebreaker has students arrange themselves in an inside circle and an outside circle, the inside facing out, forming pairs. Pairs discuss their answers to a getting-to-know-you question, then rotate for the next question, forming a new partnership. This game gives students the chance to have lots of one-on-one conversations with many of their classmates and helps them quickly feel more at home in your class.

The possibilities for questions in this kind of configuration are endless; be sure to use more open-ended questions that can get students talking, rather than those that simply ask for a yes or no answer. Here are some sample questions:

• Do you play any sports? If so, which ones?
• Do you consider yourself shy or outgoing? Why?
• What was the last movie you saw? Did you like it?
• Describe your perfect dinner.
• What would you do with a million dollars?
• What is one thing you’re good at?

5 Rules for Being An Amazing Educator

This week, many new teachers began their teaching careers by first, becoming introduced to their school districts and their expectations and policies. Teachers are provided training on professionalism, technology and many other key components of becoming an effective educator. In my district, I have had the honor of presenting on many of these topics over the past few years at these induction meetings. This year, I had the opportunity to share "Why I Teach" with these beginning educators. I chose to use Robin Sharma's Rules for Being Amazing to outline how my parents were amazing examples for me that led to be amazing for those students who do not have those type of role models to inspire, motivate, and invest in them. Here's just a small piece of what I shared:

Robin Sharma, a #1 bestselling author of "The Leader Who Had No Title", is well-known for his Rules for Being Amazing. I first heard of these rules from my friend, Ann Marie Taylor, who spoke at a state teachers conference. 

Sharma's quote registers 29 verbs that anyone can reflect and implement into their lives. I have chosen just 5 of those for today's post as challenges for me to think about how I operate each day professionally this upcoming school year.

1. Love- Love your students. This is different depending on each teacher. For me, especially being a male in elementary, love means building intentionally positive relationships through small actions such as playing football at recess. Nicolas Ferroni says "Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn. Students who aren't come to school to be loved." Love your profession. What other profession can say that they teach all other professions? Our job is so important and not just anyone can do it. Many think they can and may even belittle the profession. It's our duty to speak positively and when asked what we do, we say, "I am a teacher! And I love what I do!" It's these small phrases and beliefs that make us amazing for both our students and profession. 

2. Deliver More Than Is Needed- The first days of school, teachers are given duty schedules, the committees they are expected to commit to, and many other day-to-day responsibilities. For one, just being hired is filling a need for a teaching position. But to deliver more than just what is needed means finding ways to make that duty or position something that doesn't just meet the need, but exceeds it. It takes absolutely no talent to smile while doing tedious, yet mindless tasks. Here are some more talent-less skills that are qualities of amazing individuals:

3. Inspire Others By Your Bigness: As mentioned earlier, to be a teacher is a BIG deal! When students walk into a teacher's classroom for the first time, seeing their teacher for the first time can create many emotions that prove a teacher's bigness. But simply being "big" is not enough in order to be amazing. Inspiring others through your bigness requires following what I call, wearing the CAP. C stands for Consistency. Who you are is the easiest person to be. Don't try to be the teacher down the hall or even your mentor. My cooperating teacher while I was student teaching was loud and bubbly. Me? I am fairly quiet and reserved. I could not be her even if I tried and thankfully I don't have to be. 

I couldn't think of an "A" word to go with CAP so A stands for "And" (Mind Blown!)

P stands for Persistence. Teachers who inspire continue even when faced with trials and troubles. Students and parents will test patience and when you believe in what you're doing is right and can work means being persistent.  

4. Transcend Your Fears- All of us have fears. After 6 years of teaching third grade, I have become accustomed to a high-pitched squeal that occasionally is heard on my hallway. That scream is in response a colleague encountering a spider in their classroom. It's that scream that has immediately required my attention and help to take care of that pest. What my colleagues do not know is that I, too, am afraid of spiders. My fear is not eliminated, I have transcended it, or moved past it. Most individuals, educators included, are most afraid of FAILURE. They fear trying something new and then experiencing the embarrassment. Amazing people transcend, not eliminate, their fears. 

5. Act Now, Don't Stop- To be an amazing educator is not an 11-year plan. It's possible to be amazing right now! The key is when you start. Begin developing your mindset with each conversation, new relationship, or any current perspective. Be amazing because someone needs you to be! Many of you had/have people who have impacted you whether it's a teacher, coach, parent, or friend. They were amazing to you. You know who they are. Our students may not have anyone to be amazing to them. It's up to us to be their Amazing!

So I ask you, Why Do You Teach?

5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself This School Year

From: www.werocktheyroll.com 

News Flash! Teaching is Stressful! That's not exactly news, is it? According to an ABC News report, teaching ranks the 4th most stressful profession and if you're also a parent, you make number 1!

For me, it wasn't until my 7th year of teaching that I began to understand the importance of taking care of myself, both physically and emotionally, so that I could better take care of the needs of my students each day. If we as educators are expected to manage student behavior, we must also manage our own behaviors. Many times, our reactions and treatment of students is based upon our emotions and stress levels and may lead to unfair treatment of both students and coworkers. 

Below I've taken the word PURGE and added ways educators can effectively take care of themselves throughout the school year. Because there's a lot of stress that accumulates in our minds and bodies that must be purged or otherwise we are a bunch of grumpy and irritable individuals who no one wants to be around!

P- 1) Plan to Play. What are your hobbies? Is it gardening, playing with children and/or pets, exercising, or catching Pokemon? Each of these activities provides opportunities to smile and laugh. Make time, and plenty of it, for playing.

From www.truehealthct.com

2) Prepare your week. One of the benefits of teaching is that our schedules rarely change. For me, my day (officially) begins at 7:30am and ends at (officially) 3:00pm. Realistically it's more like 7:00-4:30. With technology today, you can set reminders on your phone for however many days you want to plan your week of play or days to workout (more on this with letter E).

From www.workout-calendar.com 

U-Understand your triggers. You have things that get on your nerves. Everyone has their triggers, but when it comes to school, what are your trigger points? Is it a person? Is it an activity? Make a list and times of day these are likely to occur and have your response ready to how you react.

From www.lifematters.com

R- Recognize your stress level. When you start feeling that pressure building in your shoulders and back or your face becoming that lovely shade of Angry Red, activate your response as listed in U. If a student who talks back consistently after being corrected causes you to want to say what you really feel and may cause you to lose control, take a deep breath or look away to prevent a regrettable decision. If your stress builds in your shoulders and back, pull your shoulders back and stand/sit up straighter. Do what is needed to get back to neutral so you are more effective in what you do. 

From www.bwterao.wordkpress.com 

G- Get away. If you're like most educators, thoughts of your students and the ongoings of your classroom are almost always on your mind. But let me speak some truth to those of you today (me included). Get off Twitter and Pinterest, stop opening work emails at home, leave your gradebook at school and simply get away from anything related to work. Make appointments either weekly or at least once a month to rest, get a massage, and refuel by going on a weekend or nightly getaway. This also goes back to your planning. When are your most stressful times of year? October, February, May? Those are mine. Plan something special for yourself to get your mind off work stress and focus on you!

From www.blitzandglam.com 

E- Exercise. Yes, this is most people's New Year's Resolution and, for some, a sensitive topic. Okay, maybe your way of purging stress is to enjoy comfort food and that's okay but I'm not getting into that today. Taking care of yourself also involves planning how you relieve your stress in a healthy manner. I love how the image below shows how running is more than just exercise. It, for me, is a combination of a Get-away and taking care of my physical and emotional stability. The new school year is about to begin. Incorporate some type of physical activity into your weekly activity plans so that your mind and your body can be a little bit less stressed. 

From www.fauxrunner.com

5 Educational Apps/Resources You've Probably Never Heard Of...Yet

Some of you reading this post may, in fact, have at least heard the names of a few of these educational resources. But if there is one in this list that is completely foreign to you, then I have succeeded in publishing this post.

Many of these resources came to my attention through Twitter. A few began following me first and once I clicked their link and found them interesting, I followed them back and now have decided to share how they may assist you in your classrooms and schools. Please comment below if you have used any of these in your classrooms and share with them on Twitter your thoughts.

1. Mix Link (www.mixlink.us, @mixlinkedu)

Mix Link provides create, interactive no-prep lessons created by teachers, for teachers. Lessons may include videos, photos, and texts allowing students to answer questions after viewing. Mix Link also allows teachers to create their own lessons to be shared and featured in Mix Link.

Check out this lesson created by Liz Saul, a 4th grade teacher, on the Gold Rush.




2. Choosito (www.choosito.com, @choosito)

Choosito allows teachers to curate and provide web content and resources for their students. Instead of having to select from millions of resources while performing an internet search, Choosito determines if which ones are appropriate for your students’ grade levels, varying reading abilities and topic of research.



3.  Class Tag (www.classtag.com, @classtagme)

Class Tag allows teachers to connect with parents to build a partnership through a communication platform. Once teachers sign up, they can add students, parent email, and then begin sharing photos, homework assignments, and important dates.




4. Thing Link (www.thinglink.com, @thinglink)

Thing Link allows you to create interactive images and videos for web, social, advertising and educational channels. Once a ThingLink is created, it will allow for content to be easily discoverable and deepen reader involvement. Simply embed videos and web links inside images to make content come alive.




5. Class Craft (www.classcraft.com, @classcraftgame)

Many of you have heard of Class Dojo, well Class Craft is an upper-level version of this classroom management tool. 

Class Craft is a free online, educational role-playing game that teachers and students play together in the classroom. By using many of the conventions traditionally found in games today, students can level up, work in teams, and earn powers that have real-world consequences. Acting as a gamification layer around any existing curriculum, the game transforms the way a class is experienced throughout the school year.

My Top 5 Resources from UTC 2016

This was my first year attending the Upstate Technology Conference sponsored by the Greenville County School District. Leading up to the conference I was extremely impressed by the organization and communication by its leaders. As a presenter, having an automatic entry into the quickly "sold out" conference was a definite plus. 

Here are just 5 of the tools from the 2-day conference and the resources that teachers can find very useful and have an immediate impact on student achievement.

1) Seesaw: This (still) fairly new student digital portfolio is already making waves in classrooms and the response from teachers, students and parents is enormous! Teachers can create "classes" where students post images with captions, videos, and much more then allow parents to access their student's work. Teachers must approve student posts before the entire class is then able to view, comment, and learn from each other. 

2) Apple Classroom: No, don't get this confused with Google Classroom. Both, although similar in name, provide uniquely different services. Apple Classroom's purpose is to ease the pain for teachers having to assist with remembering student Apple ID's, monitoring student activity on apps, and organizing each student's folders to allow easier access to apps, just to name a few. Teachers are able to view each student's iPad activity, push out apps, lock student access to certain apps, and share student work over Airplay. These are just a few of the features but I know teachers are going to breathe a deep sigh of relief over this program!

3) Sway: This presentation tool from Microsoft features drag and drop as its creation method. When most presentation tools require downloading images, videos and other resources from the net, Sway has built-in search for your presentation that allows the user to search and select. Then, Sway automatically adjusts the item to fit into the presentation with ease. Of course, if there's any adjustment you would like to make, then it's not a problem. Simply "emphasize" the size and you're ready to go. Here's a link to my Sway I used at UTC.  

4) Wonderopolis: Teaching our students to wonder is why all teachers do what they do. Wonderopolis provides daily wonders known as the Wonder of the Day. For example, "Why Do Athletes Stretch Before They Workout?" This question begins with an explanation and ultimately allows students to create their own "wonders". Interested in Project-Based Learning? Here is a great resource to get started.

5) Augmented Reality: Pokemon Go is just getting started and who knows when and where it will end. AR apps such as Animal Alphabet, Quiver Vision, and Aurasma bring reality and augmentation together causing students to be amazed and wonder "how in world does this work?" Students will not want to stop creating and then interacting with their work. These resources will engage students in the learning process and provide opportunities for students to share their learning and, perhaps, they will "catch them all!"

Aurasma