Building a classroom community - 5

During the day, (still the second) I interact with as many students as I can.............getting to know this and that about them, as learners, as team players.

FILTERING out all those thoughts

Students, of course,  come to classes with a lot on their minds. 

They need time to transition from there to here or here to there.

When I think the time is right, I ask my classes to take no more than ten minutes to write some of their thoughts on a filter paper, and thus filter out what’s going on inside their head.                                                         

Each student writes on his/her filter paper and then shares what s/he's written with another person - if they want to. When the time is up, it’s time to move on with the lesson.

Filter papers, creased and folded, may be placed in the class treasure chest - but only IF each student is comfortable with that.

Sometimes, if one student is having issues on his/her table, I individually use the filtering protocol. Quietly, I ask: "Hey. Tell me, if you want to, what's going on in your head?"

If the words are shared with me, we talk, privately.

It helps.

I end the second day with:
"Hey, don't forget to take home your tins AND don't forget to take a look at your star this evening!"