Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

Jigsaw activities are a useful classroom activity that promotes individual student accountability as well as the opportunity for peer sharing and character education practice. Jigsawing occurs when students form one group, become experts together on a particular topic, and then move to a second group to compile and synthesize learning from each expert group. I am a believer in the benefits of jigsaw activities but, to be honest, the logistics of the activity can be daunting and have prevented me from using it as often as I could. (I can remember how nervous I was the night before I attempted a jigsaw in an observation--I was worried that my second "switch" wasn't going to go according to plan.) We all have our weaknesses! :) I believe I have found a way to simplify jigsawing using colored paper clip tokens and table signs. I hope it helps others use this strategy more often in their classrooms. I have 5 tables of 6 students and a classroom capacity of 30 studen...

Multi-step group activities are beneficial for students in all content areas and grade levels. Secondary teachers may feel that they take too much time to plan but the following tips will hopefully help you take the plunge and plan more student-centered activities in your classroom. I decided to do a social studies skill builder map activity today with my 8th Grade US History students. It went well first hour but didn't run as smoothly as I would've liked. I reflected between my first and second class and made adjustments, with great success.  Today's activity meets the first criteria of any good classroom activity--it has purpose and meaning. My historians were analyzing historic sources and determining how pioneers overcame geographic  hardships and challenges on the Oregon Trail. They will also process their thinking on Monday, after reviewing the work they completed today. My classroom is set up in 5 tables of 6 students but I needed 8 groups today (there w...

Today is International Women's Day, in what is Women's History Month. I would like to commemorate the day by honoring a group that is extremely meaningful to me. My Grandmother, Elizabeth Hurd, was a Rosie the Riveter at the Willow Run Bomber Plant and helped to make B-24 Liberator bombers during World War II. I am in awe of the efforts these women made to keep our country safe during a time of great hardship.  Last March the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run held an event to raise money to keep the bomber plant open and asked females of all ages to dress like the iconic Rosie the Riveter poster and participate in a World Record attempt. Seven females from three generations in my family participated and helped to set a record (there were 778 Rosies in all).  The day was so meaningful to me and I know my Grandma would've been so proud of us. The camaraderie I felt with the women there (some were genuine Rosies) must have been similar to the feeling in the plant during...

  Today's work in History centered on a Visible Thinking routine called Zoom Out. Students were asked to analyze this political cartoon in three stages: during the first stage I only showed the bottom of the cartoon. The second stage included the veto in Jackson's left hand and the third stage showed the entire image. Students needed to analyze the changes in their perspectives first, and then analyze the cartoon and its impact on them (whether they feel Jackson is a hero or a villain). Routines like Zoom Out challenge students' thinking in ways that allow all students to take risks and give everyone a chance to share their opinion with others. They are also interacting with primary historical sources. 

The final @TeachThought #reflectiveteacher February post asks whether compassion can be taught. Yes, it absolutely can be taught. I am a realistic optimist. I prefer to believe in the goodness of others and that belief has made me a better person and a better teacher. I feel that people may show varying degrees of kindness to others based on their life experiences but that all people are capable of honing the compassion they have for themselves and for others.  I think that compassion is like a muscle. It needs to be strengthened and maintained properly in order to fully maximize its potential.  I have high standards for compassion in my classroom. I expect students to use please and thank you when they speak to me and to others. I continually model this when I interact with them, as well. I want my students to feel respected and safe in my room when they take academic and emotional risks (speaking and performing skits in front of their peers, giving their opin...

This week's TeachThought #reflectiveteacher post focuses on the work schools can do to promote a culture of charity.  Charity should be a school-wide and district-wide endeavor. My district has a new monthly newspaper this school year and each edition is full of examples of students, classes, and schools at all levels seeing need within their environments and doing something about it. These demonstrations of compassion are a shining example of all that is good within my school community.  Our district website and school websites demonstrate this emphasis, as well. Student groups are have dedicated themselves to ecology, green recycling, and gardening. Other groups like a High School Student Council is responsible for organizing a Senior Citizen Prom. One of our High Schools runs a yearly Charity Week and raises money for causes they support while having fun.  Many of the Middle Schools have volunteer classes (like the one I am a part of) and peer mentor...

My 8th Grade Historians are continuing their analysis of Andrew Jackson this week. Students will be examining the issues surrounding his life and presidency including his military victory during the War of 1812, the aftermath of the Missouri Compromise, the Bank Panic of 1837, the Indian Removal Act, and the perspectives of various groups in American society in both the North and the South in the early 1800s. They will culminate their learning by writing an essay taking a stand on whether they believe Jackson was a hero or a villain. The discussions have already proven to be interesting--I am blown away by their ideas and insights. I have honed this culminating project over the last few years and each year students have, in fairly equal numbers, proven him to be both. I enjoy reading why they think what they think and how they use the evidence presented in class to justify their viewpoints.