My favorite response it, "Solve the problem." Not said in a snotty way. They just know I expect their input. When the kid tells me there is a problem, I say that to them. You come to a resolution together, make adjustments. You work out with the kid (s) how to to handle the issues that come up.
I have pillows on the floor for the folks that don't manage a seat on the couches. Cushions from a old couch. I would just make sure this kid had a pillow all to himself. I have a young lady with arthritis who sits at a table butted up against the back of a couch when she can't cope with the floor. It sounds complicated, but it becomes as second nature as a changing seating chart. Kim On Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 5:21 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I didn't see any couches in these classrooms. The kids either sat on the > floor or on very short stools. They were so close that they were rubbing > shoulders or thighs. Is that the way it normally looks? > > What about kids who don't like touching? I had a student last year who > couldn't stand a friendly, gentle touch on the arm. > > > --------- Original message from kimberlee hannan <[email protected]>: > --------- > > > > I have teachers I work with that ask the same question. > > > > I have a very non traditional classroom set-up. I have two full set of > > couches with a couch and a love seat. They form a rectangle from about a > > third of the room facing the far wall of my room. It is the "living > room" > > area in the room. I have one wall of 7 foot bookshelves (library). > Tables > > are laid out pretty traditionally in the other 2/3 of the room (work > area). > > > > ALL my mini-lessons, read-alouds, and sharing are done in the couch area. > I > > bring my 7th graders closer to me for lots of reasons. First, I don't > like > > the barrier that the tables form between the kids and I. Nor do I like > the > > distraction of the backpacks and the things they play with on or under > the > > table. I like the kids to be able to make eye contact with each other > and > > with me. I like to know they are able to see and hear one another, as > well > > as I can see and hear them. It's almost a family feel. Being close > > encourages communication. > > > > What I think you saw had less to do with the classroom set-up as it did > with > > less developed management skills on the teacher's part. If community > norms > > (expectations) aren't established from the very beginning and constantly > > reinforced, then yes, you have behavior problems, regardless of how the > kids > > are arranged. I tell my kids to settle down and get quiet, too. We all > > do. But on the whole, I have very few behavior problems. But we have > lots > > of pair-share, group share, discussion moments, rich discussions, and > > outrageous laughs. > > > > I hope that answers the question. > > Kim > > > > On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 5:34 PM, wrote: > > > > > I visited four different classes in one middle school today. They were > all > > > writing workshop. I thought I'd see two reading workshops and two > writing > > > workshops. > > > > > > The school has been doing writing workshop for three years. A very few > > > teachers are doing reading workshop in this building. > > > > > > I heard the literacy coach say that the Lucy Calkins model is to start > with > > > writing workshop. Is that what you all think should happen? If so, > why? > > > > > > What is the purpose of having the students come in close instead of > staying > > > in their regular seats? In some classes, it seemed as if the closeness > only > > > encouraged misbehavior. > > > > > > I'm sure I'll have more questions as I think more about what I saw > today. > > > Jan > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Kim > > ------- > > Kimberlee Hannan > > 7th CORE-ELA & WH > > Sequoia Middle School > > Fresno, California 93702 > > > > The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author > Unknown > > > > [email protected] > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > -- Kim ------- Kimberlee Hannan 7th CORE-ELA & WH Sequoia Middle School Fresno, California 93702 The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author Unknown [email protected] _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
