It could also be something wonderful to share for back to school night.

Take some photos of your students working together, learning together, having fun together…and make a slide show and put it to music.

Better yet – allow your students to get together and put together a slide show and/or choose music that tells their story.

Be sure to get permission for photos and music?!

(hint – search iTunes for the title of week 3)

Thus under Attentive Listening, we have "listen and watch" (and a picture showing that),

under Appreciations, no Put Downs, we have "Be kind, not mean" (and a picture showing that),

 under Mutual respect, we have " Care for everyone" (and a picture showing that) and

under The Right to Participate,the Right to Pass, we have "Can Play or watch" (and a picture showing that). 

This was a total move from my high school students who felt this was important and who truly believe in Tribes.  That seemed to help with an understanding of the agreements and when they move on to kindergarten they will get the more sophisticated terminology now that they have an understanding of the agreements themselves. 

I wonder if others who have worked with preschoolers have felt it difficult to use the sophisticated terminology with them or not?

For instance... these might be the reflection questions after the reading passage...

1. Who in the story did you connect most with? ( text to self connection)
2. How did connecting with the character in this passage better help you to understand their struggle? ( metacognition)
3. How would this story change if it were told  from another point of view? (critical literacy)

The students could discuss their possible answers to these questions by:

• talking to an elbow partner
• jigsaw
• group response on a file card
• travelling file
• graffiti
• inside / outside circle
• consulting line
• think / pair / share
• placemat

Personal Reflection: Would students be better able to answer questions in writing if they had a previous chance to discuss and formulate  answers?

Leon's Song by Stephanie Simpson McLellan

Before ( book introduction / pre-reading strategies):

1. Community Circle: I think I am special because...
2. One Special Thing About Me (pg. 365)
3. Spider Web (pg. 246)
4. Mirror, Mirror (pg. 29)

During:

1. What Will Happen Next (pg. 340)
2. Five Tribles (pg. 249) Use this activity while reading the story, stopping to show how students are feeling as the story is progressing.
3. Milling to Music (pg. 267) Use this strategy when you have read to the  middle of the book, asking the students to discuss what they think will happen next in the story with a partner.

After (discussion):

1. This Is Me (pg. 287)
2. Finding All We Have in Common (pg. 355)
3. Boaster (pg. 271)
4. Silhouettes (pg. 228)

• voice – the need for students to express their personal perspective
• belonging – the need to create individual and group identities
• choice – the need to examine options and choose a path
• freedom – the need to take risks and assess effects
• imagination – the need to create a projected view of self
• success – the need to demonstrate mastery

Now think of the Tribes TLC process, in terms of the essential elements:

• voice – agreements, inclusion, influence
• belonging – inclusion
• choice – the right to pass
• freedom – influence, reflection
• imagination – tasks of adolescence
• success – celebrating achievement, community

This alone could get you started, thinking Tribes for high school?!

▪   Use Community Circle to ask questions about likes and dislikes or any characteristics that help define your students.

▪   Use Community Circle to discuss Common Agreements: What is one way you can be kind to someone?

▪   Chain Reaction (page 224)

▪   Dream Quilt (page 236)

▪   Extended Name Tags (page 237)

▪   Finding All We Have in Common (page 243)

▪   Graphing Who We Are (page 258)

▪   I Sit in a Chair with my Friend (page 262)

▪   Ideal Classroom (page 265)

▪   Joy (page 269)

▪   Meet Someone Special (page 278)

▪   Mirror, Mirror (page 280)

▪   People Puzzles using pictures of examples of kindness, respect, fairness and safety (page 311)

▪   Put yourself on the line (page 319)

▪   Teaching Agreements (page 347)

Snowball Energizer using characteristics of each student (page 389)

Don't let the energizer go on too long, and the next time
you do "I like my neighbor", ask students (ahead of time) to write
their own statements/questions to use.

As always,
reflect on the positive behaviors you observed, and ask some questions that are
pertinent to learning and sociability.

Keep in mind that their are stages of play and that each
of your children (in Texas that might be 22!) may be in a different stage. This
will affect their interest/desire to participate in the activities. The great
thing is that since we really focus on the agreements the first few months-the
right to pass is there to be exercised!

You can take almost any song, Old McDonald, Pop Goes
the Weasel and rework the words to become a name/inclusion strategy.

Example-to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel

John is here today, John is here today. Were so glad he
came to school, John is here today.

Juan esta aqui hoy, Juan esta aqui hoy. Que alegro
estamos Juan esta aqui hoy.

While the group stands in community ciricel and slaps
this tune, the child named gets to come to the center of the circle and do his
own special dance (think soul train). The teacher models and there are several
"safe" movements (touching toes, jumping etc..) we teach those
friends who haven't gotten their dancing shoes yet.

I would encourage anyone teaching children Pre-K, Kinder
and first to make a chart with the agreements in each box. Then brainstorm ways
to teach each one. Remember to use songs, poems, books (even class or teacher
made) and games or strategies.  A game may be dated but it can still be
golden to a child. "Mother may I" is a great strategy for stretching
our attentive listening ears.

If a teacher invests in those 3 bullets on the Tribes
trail under inclusion they will be sooo grateful for the rest of the year!!:

Presenting self (names, names and names!!)

Stating needs and expectations (kids are used to being
with mom who knows all their needs, likes and dislikes-we have to support them
finding their voice!)

Being
acknowledged (appreciation for just being you, being part of our class and
school-letting your light shine!)

Trust the Process.

Strategies from Discovering Gifts I Middle School to use and/or adapt for building Inclusion and learning names:

• A Funeral for Put-Downs (p. 237):  A shredder is probably a better visual than a fire in the trashcan?!
• Cares-Concerns-Compliments (p. 253):  Either in written form, and inviting oral statements, this is always a good “pulse-check”.  You don’t have to solve everything, just put it out there and then reflect…
• Extended Nametags (p.268):  Incorporate contact information (parents phone numbers?!) and school/academic goals…one idea is to collect without sharing, (but still reflect!), then put away for 3-4 months and take out , pass back, and evaluate how things have changed?!
• Flies on the Ceiling (p. 273):  Good for a bad day…?  Also good for a written assignment/connection…also good for a GOOD day.
• Fork and Spoon (p. 385):  fun and funny, yet very challenging.  It CAN be done – this is an energizer to use more than once…great for reflecting on problem-solving, perseverance, and agreements.
• Final Countdown (p. 270):  easy and effective way to close the day or class period.
• Peer-Response-Huddle (p. 322):  Once they know the strategy, this is always good for a check for understanding or review.
• Teaching Agreements (p. 360):  Getting student input is always a good idea.
• Teaching I-Messages (p. 361):  “pay me now, or pay me later”…teaching I-messages AND modeling and practicing and using them will pay off in the long run.
• Three Ball Pass (p. 388):  Good for learning names, problems solving, focusing, reviewing, having fun.
• Two for Tuesday (p. 375):  Another quick way to get a Tribes strategy into your class time.
• What We Need from Each Other (p. 377):  what a great concept?!  Get more student buy-in to your expectations and their participation in learning and productive behavior.

Energizers from the box:  Remember, an energizer is always more successful when there is a reason for doing  it, and reflection on the behavior that made it work…or not.

#11 – Buzz   

#18 – Creating Groups

#26 – Eraser Race

#37 – Group Doodle

#39 – Handshake 1-2-3

#53 – Look…Dinner

#82 – Standing…Map

#96 – Vortex

#100 – Wink  

Here are some examples:

Attentive Listening – If attentive listening is really going on, then there are no blurt-outs or interruptions. Students are raising hands (or using some other signal) to be included in the conversation, and taking turns to speak, rather than speaking over one another. What about YOU (teacher)?! Do you WAIT for attentive listening, or just speak louder than the students when you want them to "listen"?

Mutual Respect – This applies to all relationships within the classroom; students are expected to treat one another with respect, as well as the teacher and vice-versa. Mutual respect also applies to things…desks, pencils, supplies, and general order and neatness in the classroom. Do you take time each day to have students "respect" the classroom and the space around them? Do you reflect when you are not feeling respect from or among your students?

No Put Downs/Appreciation – Discipline is not a "put-down". Punishment can be… Do your students know the difference? If you feel like the animal tamer who must constantly manage behavior in order to be able to teach, perhaps a review and a lot of reflection on the value and responsibility of "no put downs" is in order. "Ideal Classroom" is a strategy that might also be appropriate. Depending on the age, the "no put down" ideal is difficult, since put-downs are modeled so well in the media and social environment (as in…"just kidding?!")

Right to Pass/Participate – This is a key piece of classroom management. Use the words "pass" and "participate" when reminding, reviewing,

and setting expectations for various classroom activities. Reflect often on the value of "passing" or "participating", and the application of these two actions in the world at large…how each action can have the right or wrong effect in any given situation.

The agreements as questions…

[from trainer at the International School of Brussells]

Although not the exact Tribes Agreements, they match almost perfectly.  They are as follows:

Is it Safe?  =  The Right to Pass  (Everyone feels emotionally safe at their own pace/personality allows)

Is it Fair?  =  Active Listening  (Does everyone have the right to be heard and to listen?)

Is it Respectful?  =  Mutual Respect  (Are your actions showing respect for others?)

Is it Kind?  =  Appreciations/No Put Downs  (Can you do something that shows others you care for them?)

The additional fifth that can be added is:

Is it my best?  =  Have I tried, persevered and given it my all?

Technology and the agreements

Possible

websites for creating support for the agreements:

http://voicethread.com/

http://www.wordle.net

http://www.responsibilityproject.com

Reflection

Synonyms for "mirror" – echo, emulate, signify, represent, reflect.

It's that last one that should trigger a familiar response.  And the question becomes, "(What) have you reflected (upon) lately?"

As a Tribes TLC educator, you know the value and significance of reflection on learning.  You intend and/or do it often in your teaching…for your students.  But do you do it for yourself?

Three simple questions could change your attitude, approach, and attention to learning, vs. teaching.

• Who (how) did I truly include/influence today?
   

• What do I want more (or less) of in my classroom?
   

• What essential element of Tribes TLC needs attention?  (agreements, reflection, group development)

While the questions may be simple, the answers probably aren't.  [You can always find support at http://www.tribes.com

A last, but not least, question:  What do I love about my job?  That one should be easy to answer?! 

Reflection tips/reminders

• Appoint a student to be the “reflector”, or simply be empowered to say “let’s reflect” at any given time during the day.
• Have a visual reminder (pelican or other object) in a prominent place to catch your eye and remind you to reflect
• Think-pair-share sometime during a lesson with a ‘reflection’ question or statement
• ‘Ticket out” – have students write on a slip of paper…the answer to a question, an observation about the classroom culture, a

  suggestion, an appreciation, a care-concern, etc.
   

• After modeling and practicing reflection…appoint students to lead reflection
• Reflection doesn't always have to be in the form of a question.  You (teacher) can make observations that are valuable reflections, as in "I just noticed that everyone is doing what they are supposing to be doing and there are no put downs, or other negative issues to deal with; that's great! Keep up the good work!"
• "Time out reflection cycle" – do some reflecting in the middle, or during the strategy or activity.

Keep it positive, and reflect.
Find in in your Tribes books.

...And instead of just a poster, be creative and use shapes and colors.

Enjoy!

BE SURE to review agreements and REFLECT...before, during, after the strategy.

If students enjoy this, it is one that can be done over and over, since it is likely that you have more than 3 -5 students in your class.

Enjoy!