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Communication is one of the cornerstones of my class - In the beginning of the year, we set up procedures and expectations of what this will look like. Like, Raina, we move beyond the "I respectfully disagree," or "I agree" to engage in more authentic discourse, as well as move toward supporting our own ideas with evidence. All of this comes with the understanding that each of us comes with different backgrounds and ways of thinking.

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I spend a lot of time working with students on productive language, moving beyond the basic frames of , "I respectfully agree/disagree" to really practice listening and responding meaningfully. I also try to model this in class.

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This area is tough! I try to engage in meaningful tasks that ask students to apply these skills, but it is a struggle for them. Some students just want to get to the answer and don't have the perseverance to dig deep. I try to engage them with meaningful, open-ended questions to grow this skill, but it is a challenge! Students have to see the "why" in order to be motivated to really dig in.

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This is an area I attempt t prioritize in my classroom culture through class meetings where we create a safe place for students to share/talk/seek help. I also try to build that safety from day one and model it as well. We do a very intense and honest stud of the Civil Rights Movement in January and the students are amazing. I have had powerful poetry written, cross-cultural connections made, activists born! I attribute this to not only my safe environment, but going back to that students need a "why". When they see/feel the meaning, they become true scholars!

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This is an area I attempt t prioritize in my classroom culture through class meetings where we create a safe place for students to share/talk/seek help. I also try to build that safety from day one and model it as well. We do a very intense and honest stud of the Civil Rights Movement in January and the students are amazing. I have had powerful poetry written, cross-cultural connections made, activists born! I attribute this to not only my safe environment, but going back to that students need a "why". When they see/feel the meaning, they become true scholars!

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This is another are that is tough! A classroom joins students from a wide background and it can be a challenge to align productive group work and all those factors. I can say, I have had great PGW and total disasters. I have tried different things like group rubrics for students to reflect with, but it is difficult with large classes to really monitor, especially in the beginning.

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Again, this is a struggle! I try and teach executive skills explicitly at the beginning of the year and I employ goal setting with a weekly reflection. Some students are more willing to dig deep and other lack the maturity in 6th grade,

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When students have been conditioned through the years to have a "right" or "wrong" answer, but then are enlightened with the fact that many problems do not have a "right" or "wrong" but a different way of solving, it is still tough to break that initial way of thinking.

In my class we break walls of "right" and "wrong" down and focus on how it could be and WHY. Going back to supporting our ideas with evidence and explanations is key in overcoming the "right/wrong" stronghold.

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I completely agree with Raina! From day one, my number one goal is to create a strong, safe culture in my classes - we become a little family. Without this type of environment, students will not thrive, they will not take risks, they will not engage with peers that might judge them. Building relationships is the most vital part of a teacher's job in the first few weeks of school.

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Group work is like a four-letter word in education, right? I remember back in middle school, high school, college, and beyond - getting stuck with the wrong person was the worst! This is why creating a strong culture that will allow students to hold each other accountable in a safe way is vital - this is not something they will be able to avoid in life, so teaching them the skills to work with others is extremely important.

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Something I have tried to do with my students is give long term assignments with a due date. Whether it is research, or a project, something that will require a schedule, persistence, and time organization to complete. Teaching is not the only job I have had, and though it also fits the bill, most jobs require employees to have time management skills (get to work on time, complete a project), so it is another skill we need to help students acquire before they leave the walls of our schools.

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Raina & Kristin said it best! A culturally responsive classroom is one where students will feel safe, accepted and valued! Relationshipping is the key to learning!

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Again this culture is established the first week of school.  I mix the kids up so that they get to met new kids and learn to work with each other. I tell them right up front that we are a team and team members support each other. We discuss this and return to it whenever we have new groups or new responsibilities. Even visitors become part of the team...another voice for students to experience. Some years we role play different situations, some years I use a series of team building activities. The idea is that each student brings something to the table and each student is richer for what the others bring...at least in that they learn about something beyond what they typically experience in their own little worlds. 

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Again this culture is established the first week of school.  I mix the kids up so that they get to met new kids and learn to work with each other. I tell them right up front that we are a team and team members support each other. We discuss this and return to it whenever we have new groups or new responsibilities. Even visitors become part of the team...another voice for students to experience. Some years we role play different situations, some years I use a series of team building activities. The idea is that each student brings something to the table and each student is richer for what the others bring...at least in that they learn about something beyond what they typically experience in their own little worlds. 

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Communication and Collaboration are two areas that light my passion! I am a firm believer in whoever is doing the talking in the classroom, is the one who is doing the learning. From the first day of school, communication becomes a classroom and social expectation. Procedures for interpersonal skills are explicitly modeled and rehearsed. Eventually, students are able to partake in meaningful conversations about content where they are able to learn from one another and appreciate the various perspectives.

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Simulations were a glimmer of hope for students to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills! As the ladies above mentioned, this is an area of opportunity for our students. Communicating the message of "no right or wrong answers" can alleviate a sense of stress amongst students. This new shift in mindset will take some time for students to understand and feel comfortable with. I think with a more inquiry based approach, students will be able to grapple with these critical thinking skills!

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Something I have tried with my students is having them maintain their due dates and goals in their planner to increase accountability and ownership.

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Students' leadership and responsibility grow with ample collaborative opportunities. I have noticed that when groups take some time to reflect, students' intrapersonal skills are strengthened. Group processing is a key PGW feature to help students understand their strengths and areas of opportunity. I also think that giving students time to brainstorm is helpful!

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Communication expectations are set and practiced the very first day of school with reminders and nudges throughout the year. I usually have anchor posters up to remind kids and to help them frame their communications.  We have a policy that there are no dumb questions just questions that haven't been answered to the extent needed.  Modeling and complimenting those communicating well makes a difference as does a little firm redirection now & then.

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Students come to us at middle school very uncertain of questions, problems, situation that do not have a concrete answer.  This is also their time of transition towards more abstract thinking thanks to their brain development changes.  We practice open ended questions and problem solving without assessment stress well before any grading to get students comfortable with the idea of discussing possibilities.  We also spend time considering others' solutions to problems. Basically encourage this type of behavior by providing opportunity to do, fail, recover, grow. The kids know they aren't going to get m/c or abcd from me very often --it is a form of  mutual respect. They soon know to buckle up and open their minds because they are on a safe, well-supported journey and they do recognize their own growth as we go through the year.

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From day 1 I stress and model self responsibility and ownership of one's actions/behaviors/interactions/academic performance.  "my mom wants me to..."  quickly becomes "I want to  so I can..." with practice, respectful guidance. and support. This is part of the other 3 categories we have been talking about in the padlet.  We establish group work norms and importance of being responsible about work & self so that  all the energy can be put into learning and experiencing new things. As the year goes on, I give students more and more opportunities to teach the class so they gain that sense of I can lead. I do tend to be a guide on the side much of the time -- get the kids rolling and get out of the way yet close enough to catch if they need rescuing.  We are always discussing the future and what it takes to be a leader, what being responsible means.  I think this was one of the biggest areas of growth in many of the kids this year.

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In my classes students are expected to be accountable for their work.  It doesn't happen overnight but they do get there through modeling, practice, and yes, sometimes circumstances. We do a variety of activities, individual to whole group. In each type students have a role that they are in charge of as well as the overall success of the group.  For some students I have to chunk activities and deadline expectations more than others. For some I have to nudge towards a choice when given options.  Eventually they become more self-directed and accountable.  I must say that this distance learning time has really put a dent in the accountability and direction we spent the year building.  I hope if we are stuck on distance learning in the fall that district reconsiders and insists on attendance and student accountability for work with formal grading (unless extreme family circumstances of course).

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In my classes students are expected to be accountable for their work.  It doesn't happen overnight but they do get there through modeling, practice, and yes, sometimes circumstances. We do a variety of activities, individual to whole group. In each type students have a role that they are in charge of as well as the overall success of the group.  For some students I have to chunk activities and deadline expectations more than others. For some I have to nudge towards a choice when given options.  Eventually they become more self-directed and accountable.  I must say that this distance learning time has really put a dent in the accountability and direction we spent the year building.  I hope if we are stuck on distance learning in the fall that district reconsiders and insists on attendance and student accountability for work with formal grading (unless extreme family circumstances of course).

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(Mary G. -- not anonymous despite padlet's best efforts)

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All staff members are essential in working on this overarching goal every time they see a student, whether it’s on campus or not.  Staff will best work on this goal while modeling for students; students learn from watching, especially social cues, when so much of their time is spent online.

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Risk taking is essential, and leads to the debate of Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset.  Working with students to understand that Growth Mindset is where we want them to be, to be challenged by difficult problems, rather than shutting down (Fixed).  Working on learning about the mindsets, especially in math, will help students to problem solve and think critically.

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In order for students to feel safe in a classroom to make mistakes and learn from them, staff must strive for a safe and equitable classroom, where all students are valued.  Staff must set the tone across the campus and carry it into the classrooms, where students are safe to learn.

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8th grade is a prime year to begin to work with students to become more independent before they reach the high school level.  Students must learn to advocate for themselves and teachers must be willing to work with them in order to learn the skills of communicating what they need to be successful.

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Working with students in Google Classroom to show them how to set tasks, work on schedules and prioritize their time will teach self-direction and accountability.  In addition, asking open ended questions, such as “where have you seen this before” to have students recall on past experiences will help to apply skills in and out of the classroom.

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Communication is the foundation of student growth. In my class, we practice this during instruction, group work, and even in assessment. Students grow by watching effective communication and through practice, and we bring open communication into play as much as possible. I like to use jigsaws with my students, which forces them to communicate by teaching a group the material they learned.

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The biggest way that we practice critical thinking in my classroom is through debates. I purposely make students defend positions that they do not agree with to expand the critical thinking.

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At the beginning of the year we do activities around empathy and respect. We return to those principals constantly throughout the year. This helps set the stage for mature and helpful interactions that engage curiosity over criticism.

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This is such an important skill for success in life. Using planners, Google Classroom, and Student VUE all help students learn the tools needed for self-direction and accountability.

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Twin Peaks has some student organizations such as Student Council, PBIS Kids, PBnJ Kids, and NJHS to help students learn leadership. However, this is an important skill for all of our students. It is an important focus for classroom teachers.

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We work really hard at creating a positive, safe, and learning focused culture at Twin Peaks.

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I love the idea of productive struggle and scaffolded support. Students working for compliance and completion. Life is much different!

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Being able to articulate clearly when speaking and writing is so important for our students. All classes should provide opportunities for accountable talk and include extended response writing components.