Combo Boards!

I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough display space in my classroom.  Never mind that I have five (!) bulletin boards. I want most of my display space to be for student work or instructional materials, but I realize it is important to have other displays like birthdays, job charts, and classroom management items.  That's why this year I came up with the idea of "combination" displays.  A combo board serves multiple functions in a small space.
The first example is my job chart/birthday board.  The pocket chart has has class jobs, which I call "leaders".  This goes with our school focus of the "Leader in Me".  Around the outside of the chart, I have a cupcake for each student with their birthday.  The cupcakes are in chronological order, so when a child has a birthday, I can just pull the cupcake off, pop it on a pencil, and give it as a gift.

 

     Another example of a combo board is my Super Improver Wall.  Using cards clipped to the pockets, I can add my Super Improver stars.  At the same time I can keep track of discipline by using the colored cards behind.  If students break a classroom rule, I move the cards.  The consequences for each color are above the display.





Growth Mindset FREEBIE

     This year, the school that feeds into mine has been experimenting with developing a growth mindset in their students.  This is based on the work of Carol Dweck (Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, 2006, Random House) and Steven R. Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  Students come to school with one of two different mindsets:  dynamic-learning beliefs and fixed-performance beliefs. 
     With a dynamic-learning belief, students understand that the more they learn the smarter they get.  These students realize the connection between their effort and learning.  Their parents probably value effort as well.  This mindset helps students to set and achieve goals.  The student with a fixed-performance belief thinks that intelligence is a fixed trait that they can do nothing about.  They usually lack motivation and don't participate unless they are sure of the right answer, because saying the wrong answer makes you look dumb.
     Students develop their mindset before they enter school.  Their mindset is often shared by their families and culture.  Teachers can also have one of these mindsets.  It is important to know what mindset our students have.  Students with a fixed-performance belief will need more support to set and achieve goals.
     I developed a survey to give my students next year so I could identify the students who were most at risk for a fixed-performance belief mindset and I'm sharing it with you today!  If you are interested in more information about school programs that teach the growth mindset, go to www.theleaderinme.com.