I am a second grade teacher and this is my first year using whole brain teaching techniques. I have two questions that I really hope a veteran WBT can answer.

We started school last Thursday. I introduced my class to Class - Yes, Rules(using gestures), Teach - OK, Hands and Eyes, and Scoreboard. On day one my class did great with Class - Yes and Hands and Eyes, but they had some difficulty teaching their partner the class rules using gestures. By day 2 they were doing better with saying the class rules and some were doing better with using gestures but most still are not comfortable using gestures. Is this normal? What can I do to encourage my students to use the gestures as they teach the rules to their partner?

My second question concerns a challenging student that I have identified. She is a talker and frequently breaks rule #2 while I am teaching. I read in the eBook where it states not to penalize the whole class for the misbehavior of one but even though I continue to say Rule 2 and the class responds with "raise your hand for permission to speak " this doesn't seem to keep her from talking(whispering) and playing( even sliding her feet under others desk to step on their feet) to others during instruction. I have spoken to her teacher from last year and she confirms that she is a talker she often sat away from the group. However I don't want to isolate her. I have spoken to her privately and hopefully I will begin to see an improvement on MondayIf there is anyone out there who has conquered this type of behavior please let me know what you did that worked.
I appreciate all input

Latonya, I am by far no expert! By second grade your children are used to be told not to talk so you have an obstcle already. My experience is the teach OK takes some time, I tried numbering my students and then doing it together. I'd say ones lets tell the two's rule #1 then I would say it as they would. Then everyone does switch so we practice that too, and then I do it with the two's. Another help is giving them an immediate score board point and big excitement for those following your directions. Coach B gave us really good advise which I wish I'd known last year. If you have 85% of the class with you, let peer pressure pull the rest along.

Now, your little lady may have something else going on, in the mean time on the q.t. tell her she can help the class if you are winning at frownies. She has lets say 5 bonus smilies and when things are close she can ,by helping you (make her help point something she alone needs to work on) use one of her help point. She will know but tell the class that "someone just earned them a magic smilie" Hope this is helpful.
Annette

I agree with Annette...Using the scoreboard with lots of excitement for the correct behavior is very helpful and I have witnessed the peer pressure work wonders with kindergarteners. I have found that modeling the wrong way helps tremendously. I like to take the time and have two of my most challenging students model for the whole class the wrong way to do it, and then I have the same two students model the right way. I like to do this with the challenging students, because it gives them the opportunity to model it the correct way in front of the whole class so we all know they CAN do it if they want to.
Good luck:)

On your challenging student:

Chris Biffle had a great bit to say on this during the last conference. His main point was that we tend to focus at the beginning of the year on the challenging kids. The kid who needs the most help, that you can "save," or if not save, then at least bring into line with your expectations.

WBT flips this on its head. Don't worry about that student right now. You're experience with saying Rule 2 and her not responding is not unusual or unexpected. Rather, picture the levels of the Scoreboard like a funnel.

--------------Basic Scoreboard----------------
------------Practice Cards---------------
----------Guff Counter--------------
--------Bullseye Game-----------
----Agreement Bridge------

Each successive level deals with more and more challenging students. You're going to help this student at level 2 or 4, with the practice cards or Bullseye game. Hopefully, the cards. But your priority is to get the rest of your class SOLID.

This goes against our natural instinct. You might think "But then this student will be losing quality instruction for a few months before I institute the practice cards!" Yes, she will. But what you are accomplishing in that time is bringing the students who are easy to bring up up so you have less to worry about, and can put all of your focus on these few students later on.

If you really want to tackle her now, you could move forward to the Bullseye Game with her now while staying on Level 1 with everyone else, but I would honestly just give it more time. Don't isolate her, just focus on bringing the rest of the class onboard and you will hopefully see some reduction just on other students getting on her case because they no longer believe in being distracted. Or, they will begin to ignore her, which will have an extinction effect on her behavior. If this doesn't happen, you can comfortable move to Level 2, practice cards.

WBT Intern 2011-2012

Latonya,
What you are experiencing is normal. I have two suggestions. First, remember to model the "wrong way" as well as the "right way" to do the task (class/yes, teach/okay, etc.). To do this you ask a student to do the wrong thing in the middle of your instruction (remember to praise for doing a good job of modeling the wrong way to respond/act.) Then model the correct way, again. Do this a lot at the beginning of the year, then as needed later on.

Second, remember the ping-ponging of the scoreboard. Going back and forth quickly between smilies and frownies pointing out both the good things you see and the not so good things you see. Remember to keep the points within three of each other.)

I hope this helps.

Susan Floyd
WBT Intern
2011-12

Everyone on here has given great advice, so I don't know that I have a whole lot more to add, except stick with it! Definitely reinforce the littlest positives with the scoreboard by making a big deal about those students who are working hard using their words and gestures. I've had to do this quite a bit since school started 9 days ago. I had some that were totally on board from the get go, and then a few more that were reluctant, and I'm right there with you on the one who just is going to be a challenge this year. Actually, I have four out of 26 that are going to be challenges. I agree with dsudia about focusing on the rest of your class, and not so much on those students right now. Although, I have made it a point when 1 of those 4 does something on target, they earn the class a smiley! This has actually helped, because they are not causing me to get points, but they are getting points for their class, and that makes their classmates happy with them (at least for a brief second in time). Hope this helps!

Thanks,
Staci Glass
WBT Intern, 2011-2012