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Interesting series of presentations on building a positive classroom culture! Here are a few that stood out:

Use of ukelele: I loved the idea of using a ukulele as part of the classroom routine, especially for younger students. Imagine using it to signal reading time, packing up, and ensuring nothing is left under desks.

Silent signals: Hand signals for common needs like going to the toilet is great to minimise disruptions :) this seems like a simple yet effective strategy!

Supporting diverse learners: It was so helpful to learn about practical tools for students with ADHD e.g. the use of special balancing aids on seats and bands on chair legs

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Today's presentations were incredibly insightful and enriching! I found myself eagerly jotting down numerous tips and ideas to incorporate into my future classroom. Here are some of my key AHA moments:

Special Fonts for Dyslexic Students: I was pleasantly surprised to learn about fonts designed specifically for dyslexic learners. During my teaching stint, I had a student with suspected dyslexia who struggled to copy notes from my slides. I often wondered how I could support students like him, and now I have a great solution to consider!

Clock Partners (12, 3, 6, 9): I loved this strategy of pairing students with different peers (at least 4) throughout lessons. Encouraging interaction and collaboration is essential, and this method provides a structured yet flexible way to do so. While I anticipate some initial challenges, with practice and refinement, I believe students will benefit greatly :")

Using a Ukulele: This idea was so creative! (thank you Elina for playing the song for us🫶🏻) I think this will definitely be useful to get lower/middle primary students to pack up their bags properly and effectively. I can definitely foresee my students enjoying this routine (unfortunately, I can't play the Ukulele so I will probably opt to play a youtube song instead😅)

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I really appreciated the sharing from all the different groups today. It provided me with more ideas for creating a positive classroom culture for various class profiles.

1.      Ukelele song: The use of a catchy short tune to signal transitions sounds like a great idea. I think it would be especially useful at the end of the day (as suggested) to remind students to pack up and put away their homework. I think students will enjoy the fun tune too.

2.      Use of ‘I-message’ to encourage good behaviour: I think this is an effective approach to manage disruptive behaviour in students with ADHD. Students with ADHD may unintentionally act in ways that disrupt the class. Instead of scolding the student, I think it’s a great idea to help them understand how their behaviour affects the teacher and the class. This way, the teacher can redirect the student’s behaviour without diminishing their dignity.

3.      Sticky notes reminders: I think this is a useful strategy to redirect minor misbehaviours. Instead of calling the student out in front of the class, the student may be more willing to correct their behaviour without feeling embarrassed.

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Though there was information overload, I found today's session very enriching and insightful. Thank you all for consolidating and sharing so many ideas. Here are 3 AHA moments from today's session!

1) Our SAW's team presentation and how nicely they tied it to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. I strongly resonate with it and apart from transitioning from level to level, it also follows the school year where we want to start with setting expectations and rules. Hopefully (fingers crossed) by mid-year, build trust and so on.

2) Clock Partner suggestion by Dr Liz. I hope I can implement this though it requires a lot of patience and a huge investment of time at the beginning of the school year. I understand and see the need for it. Usually, I rotate the buddy system either manually or through a randomiser. This strategy is definitely new to me and I think it underscores the idea of empowering our learners.

3) To assist our wonderful students who have specific learning needs using appropriate fonts and activities. I was unaware that there are specific fonts that help our dyslexic students to read and focus better. The modified chair stops students with ADHD from running around or fidgeting in class. The squishy ball instead of the fidget spinner enhances students' ability to stay focused. I came to realise that there are 1001 strategies and materials out there that we can use and adapt. It's about being intentional and tailoring it to fit the needs of our students.

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I really appreciate the time given for us to hear one another's ideas and perspectives on the five different areas on building a positive classroom culture, especially since we may interpret things differently. I have learnt a lot and am inspired by the creativity of everyone. 💫🫡 Some key takeaways from the sharing session includes:

1. Positive role-modelling and discipline
Listening to the same points repeatedly on positive discipline and building trust gave me the opportunity to reflect on my methods back at school. Back then, I had wondered why students were rude to one another even after repeated reminders, and I realised they could be 'imitating' how I react (scolding students that misbehaves). I would like to change my approach dealing with misbehaviours when I get back to school.

2. ADHD cushion and Dyslexia-friendly fonts
I really loved the specific suggestions that were brought up on ways we could support students with special needs. This also changes my perspective on the interactions with students with ADHD or learning needs. Rather than focusing on the difficulties they face in learning, I should understand what their needs are and work on fulfilling them, so that these students can feel safe and ready to learn.

3. Clock partners
I find this idea quite intriguing, and it definitely is a way to motivate students to learn, especially with company they like. They may feel more encouraged to discuss and help each other out during the lesson. However, one doubt I had with this strategy: What about students who are usually left out (esp. for odd number classes)? Chatgpt gave me some ideas, such as approaching certain reliable students beforehand to seek their assistance in partnering with those who are always left out. I am interested to try out clock partners when I get back to teaching.

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The insights that was shared in class was definitely fruitful for me to expand knowledge on building a positive classroom culture. Here are some of my key takeaways:

Supporting diverse learners: I feel that this is commonly overlooked until we have to accommodate them in our classrooms. Knowing that there are available learning aids for ADHD students to use, such as the bands on chair legs and the fidget toys such as the stress ball or squishy toy.

Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts: I didn't know this existed! I'm glad that this was shared during the presentation as it was something that we could do to show that we are aware of their needs and that we are trying to help make learning easier for them.

Clock Partners: I feel this is a brilliant idea to get students to vary their pair-partners. Not only are we able to include variation in the generation or expansion of ideas and encourage opportunities of working with different people, we are able to observe their social circle so as to understand the class dynamics further.

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I was quite amazed by the number of methods, tips, and tricks covered in class. It made me realise that there are many perspectives I can tap into as a teacher and that, regardless of our experiences, student profiles, and so on, creating a positive classroom culture should be one of our main priorities.

1. Using other modes to convey messages or procedures: I appreciated the liveliness brought out by the ukulele's playing. It reminded me of a quick make-do song I had tried with my P3s. It was spontaneous yet really helped get the message across! I replaced the word "happy" in "If You're Happy and You Know It" with "ready," and it did wonders.

2. Incorporating dyslexia-friendly fonts: I've always known fonts matter when it comes to teaching and learning but I did not consider the possibility of there being dyslexia-friendly ones. Now that I know of them, I hope to be able to use them and subtly convey the message to my dyslexic students that they are being cared for and accommodated when it comes to learning.

3. Conveying my POV: Oftentimes, students behave the way they do not out of malice so I feel that this method may help in not only building rapport and fostering healthy interaction between them and me, the teacher, but also allow students to discern the consequences of their actions just by listening to me express myself. Being given the opportunities to put themselves in my shoes might be very helpful.

Overall, I benefited greatly from the presentations as they have made me reflect on what has and has not been working for me as a teacher so far.

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I enjoyed the sharing from other groups on building a positive classroom culture! There were so many interesting and useful techniques that I have learnt from it.

1) On the special fonts for students with dyslexia, it was the first time that I heard about it. I had never thought about the impact of fonts on children with dyslexia, and I will keep this in mind for future cases.

2) The use of the red, green and yellow cards on the student handbook was also a good strategy that I think can be implemented in different settings. I remember using it during math class to let the students inform me when they are done with their homework, so that I can mark their work and provide timely feedback on what they have done well in.

3) The queueing system with the use of number pegs is also interesting to me. One of my struggles during my teaching stint was to get the children to queue up in an orderly fashion when coming to the teacher's table to ask for help. I think this strategy will be useful to ensure classroom orderliness while ensuring that I am able to help each child.

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These are some of the things I've learnt:

Dyslexic-friendly font exists!

Using the ukulele and singing a song at the end of the class for students to pack their bags, push in their chair and check under their tables so they do not leave their homework behind.

Share our failures or famous failure stories, followed by the successes --> telling students it is alright if we did not do well from time to time, as long as we learn from mistakes and put in effort to do better.

Building trust/Empowering students by taking notes of their likes and dislikes and rewarding them with such items. e.g. sea creature stickers.

Clock partners

Giving students choices - e.g. Shall we do this before or after recess? (They still need to do the assignment either way, but it feels like the have the autonomy)

Routines can be discussed with other level teachers

co-create classroom agreement

experience + reflection = growth

These can implemented in the classroom to create positive classroom culture :)

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1. Clock partners- really enjoyed learning about this partnering system. I think it is a great way to quickly pair students for discussions or activities. It's a useful strategy for keeping pair work organized and varied.

2. Dyslexia-friendly fonts- I found it really interesting that there are official dyslexia-friendly fonts designed to make reading easier. I had previosuly been told that Century Gothic was a good oprion because of its readability, so learning about specialized fonts for dyslexic students was something new to me.

3. Using songs for transitions- I like the idea of using songs to guide transitions, such as packing up, submitting homework, or getting ready for the next activity. I think this would work especially well for lower primary students to make transitions smoother and more engaging.

4. Non-confrontational class management- managing a large class while teaching can be quite challenging, so I really liked learning about non-verbal cues as a way to maintain control without being disruptive. It seems like a very effective approach to redirect students' attention without escalating situations.

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The ‘Aha’ moment for me was seeing Group G’s presentation delivered in an unique manner: Alistair bearing the front, Stanley’s audio inserted into the slides and Wei Xuan’s contribution despite being unwell. What brought to my mind was their “One for all, all for one” united spirit, which portrays teacher professionalism. The presentations by the other groups were also eye-opening and these are some points I took away with me:

Give me F.I.V.E (Face the front, Ignore distractions, Volume Zero, Eyes on your work) for signaling students’ attention as part of Lesson Running Routine

G.E.A.R: Greet, check Environment, report on Attendance, Ready to learn) for start of lesson

The use of “Not Yet, Teacher” for Interaction Routine

The use of Emotional Check-In chart with students’ names on ice cream sticks

“Stop, Think, Do” steps to promote problem solving

Student Agency to instil ownership in their learning and actions

SAW’s pictorial Hierarchy of Positive Classroom Culture

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Here are some of the things which stood out to me during the previous lesson:

1) Clock partners

This was something new for me as I have always gotten my students to stick to the same partner for the whole year (unless something drastic happens). This would be useful to get the students to work and interact with more of their classmates, especially those shy ones who have trouble making friends.

2) I like the F.I.V.E acronym to get the students attention as part of Lesson Running Routine. It is succinct and easy for both teachers and students to remember. It would work well even for very young learners at Primary 1.

3) Dyslexic-friendly font

I did not know that this existed but I sure am glad it did! Now I can provide differentiated instruction and better help dyslexic students that are in my class in future.

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Very useful strategies I've learnt in the session:

1) Clock Partners. I like how the clock partner system encourages inclusivity and reduces the likelihood of cliques forming. Teacher can also strategically pair students based on their strengths or needs.

2) Special fonts for students with dyslexia. I am surprised to know that this exists! I did some reading on this and found that these fonts are usually "bottom-heavy" to prevent them from "flipping"!

3) Non-verbal signals such as hand gestures and coloured cards. I find this strategy useful for minimising disruption and it also helps promote an inclusive environment for students who are shy or anxious to speak up.

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1. Clock buddy: This is so cool! I never knew it existed. I think I would love to apply it in my classroom someday. I'm sure the students would love to have a surprise for their pairings.

2. Hand signals: I learned them from my students! When I was teaching, they would raise their hands to make the letter "T". I have heard of some teachers disliking this hand signal because they felt it was disruptive and rude, since students should ask them for permission personally, and not with a hand signal. However, I felt that it was quite intuitive for me and my class to use and told them I didn't mind it. It is interesting how different strategies may be applied differently for each teacher and class.

3. Teacher mailbox: I thought Dr Liz's sharing on the mailbox and bringing it around and writing responses to students was interesting. I previously did this but on SLS (Questions for Ms Sarah) where my students could ask me anything and I would respond to them via SLS. I had some cute ones like "do you like cats, Ms Sarah?" to some heavier ones like them informing me they were stressed or anxious about something. Both ways I enjoyed the communication. Perhaps I shall try the teacher mailbox next time.

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It was insightful and inspiring to hear so many ideas from my classmates.

I like the F.I.V.E. method as it is something easy and fun for the students to remember instead of just telling them to keep quiet, face the front, etc.

I also found the dyslexic-friendly font very interesting. However, I wondered about its impact on non-dyslexic students. Upon further anecdotal research, some non-dyslexic individuals found the font hard to read. Thus, it may not be suitable for a blanket classroom-wide use.

I also like the I-message in which the teacher can assertively and calmly correct the student who is disrupting the lesson by letting the student know how their behaviour is impacting others.