Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

 Spring seems to be here, and classroom routines are in place for the most part. I'm trying something new but also staying focused on emphasizing the ideas and concepts that I value in my classroom. Takeaways: Emphasize and reinforce what's important. For example, I often want my students to discuss our learning together. Whenever I see a student group want to default to working on a question independently I gently remind them that I learn from them everyday, and I've taught this subject for many years. I make it clear that if I can learn from them they can certainly learn from each other. I take the opportunity to reiterate the significance of academic discussions. I'm remembering to acknowledge student birthdays on or as close to the student's actual day as possible. Yes, it does take forethought and planning (I have 140 students) but it matters to me, and it seems to be appreciated by them. LEGACY . It's everything, especially in the spring as these 8th Grad...

  Our first Harkness was a terrific learning experience for all of us. I was upfront and honest with my students that I'd never done this with a class before and we would all simply try our best.  It was recommended that I run three discussion groups during one class so that more students would have the opportunity to speak for a longer period of time. I divided students into groups and students not in Harkness had individual work to accomplish. The groups moved their desks into an oval, I read the essential question, and put 10 minutes on the timer.  Essential Question: Why is it important for people living in America today to live up to citizen responsibilities? Students were asked to consider the Three Branches, the Bill of Rights, and their roles as citizens. I also asked them to connect citizen rights to the history we had already learned this year (for example, what life was like in the colonies before and during the American Revolution). My historians were encourag...

We have had a busy week! Students in US History participated in a Gallery Walk, examining primary and secondary sources related to some of the battles of the American Revolution. We also reviewed the concept of propaganda and applied that concept to some of the sources. This important understanding will assist students during their National History Day work.  Student Historians also used the National Archives DocsTeach app to analyze multiple primary sources about Valley Forge. They needed to figuratively weigh the evidence on a scale as to whether or not the documents would make them quit the Continental Army or encourage them to stay.  This exercise is beneficial for many reasons. One is that the students are working and thinking on a continuum.  Being able to weigh evidence is a critical life skill (and citizenship skill). Preparing students to problem solve in this way will benefit them, regardless of their career path. I was impressed to see th...

I sense it with my students this time every year. A restlessness crops up in early spring and I've never felt I'd been able to adequately address it. It's what I think of as a "push/pull" mindset.  My 8th Graders are pushing away from Middle School and feeling the excitement and pull of their new lives next school year as High Schoolers. It's a drive for new experiences along with the sadness of leaving Middle School. This often manifests in an "indifferent" attitude conveyed outwardly but this indifference (usually) masks the trepidation they're feeling inside. I believe I may have found a way to help students work though these feelings. Last June the idea of a LEGACY project came to me in the middle of the night the week before school ended (the subconscious mind at work)! I quickly ran through the activity with my students. This year I'm able to take my time and have hopes for its success. Students began reflections yesterday....

The first week of school went by so quickly! Student Historians were busy taking part in various stations that represent important facets of our classroom this year. One station consisted of deciding, as a small group, what an ideal teacher, student, and classroom looked like (using details and sensory examples).  They completed  an online survey for me to get to know more about them as an individual (I now have a spreadsheet with a wealth of information regarding their likes, dislikes, and facts they feel I should know about them)! Another station had them explain, on a paper coffee cup, who in History they would most like to have a cup of coffee (or hot chocolate, or lemonade) with and why. Still another was a textbook and syllabus investigation searching for the "specifics" of the course. Students also surveyed one another to find out how they spent their summer and what they might have in common with their new table mates. These activities, as I later pointed...