Hi fellow Power Teachers,
My name is Warren and I teach 6th grade Social Studies in south-central Kentucky. I am going through my practicum right now (will it ever end? will I pass my boards?) and my professor turned me on to Power Teaching. I was so excited about it, that my wife, and 10 year teaching veteran and NBCT social studies teacher came to look at it. We're both hooked. My principal says she likes what she has seen of it in my classroom.
I am still in the initial stages of implementing it. Here's my problem: my kids love the "class/yes", but seem to have a real hard time buying into "teach/ok" . I can't figure it out. Funny thing is my 6th period class is the worst one at this, and so is my wife's 6th period. (Weird, huh? Maybe it has something to do with the time of day?)

Anyway, any and all advice y'all can give is most appreciated.

Warren

Warren
The Teach/okay is the hardes part of PT, but it is the most powerful also. Start them off with some short pieces of information. We can't give our kids too much otherwise they will not pay attention. For example, teach this "Ancienct Mesopotamia is in the Fertal Crescent", TEACH. Then they say that to their neighbor. I don't want to make this sound like you don't know what you are doing, I've just found that I need to keep it simple, and then I build on that. "The fertal crescent was in between two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates", TEACH...and so on. Make sure you have them do some type of gesture with each one. If they don't do what you showed them, ding them on the sad face side of the scoreboard game. Once you have done this short piece for three of four points, have them review all four together, teaching their neighbor as they go...of course with all the gestures!

Just some thoughts, keep the questions coming...welcome aboard!

Poewr to the Teacher, Chris R.

Hey Warren,

I teach 7th graders and we did some modeling. We set up different pairs infront of the class and modeled good ways to do Teach/Okay and then not so good ways. We did different levels of energy and modeled what my expectations were. This really seemed to help them - good luck!

Thanks guys for the great suggestions. I think that a new modeling session is in order. Also, there was a time when I tried it, and it was too much information for them to utilize this correctly. Thanks so much for your help.

Warren

Warren,
You'd be surprised to see, across the board, how much 'time of day' has an effect on student energy levels and attitudes. 6th period is most people's toughest period for everything...and is my toughest period for Power Teaching. However, I keep using it, and they learn that it's not going away. It's by no means perfect yet, but I find other creative ways to keep them motivated such as earning 25 points (they save theirs throughout the week) automatically gets them a game no matter WHAT we are doing at the time. This gives them a break every 3 days or so that changes things up.
Also, I have to remember to get mySELF psyched up, because I'm a little more sluggish (and jaded, sometimes....) by the time 6th period rolls around. MY energy is contagious...I've learned that with PT. If I'm casual, so are they.

Jackie,
Thanks, no, in a way it the time of day thing doesn't surprise me, however I did think that it was strange that the same reaction occurred in two different classes, two different teachers, and two different grades. I expected this to occur in my class that comes after the period in which they go to lunch, but instead it comes during the period after that.
Part of my failings at PT are my own, of course. The method is still new to me, and I am in a period right now where I feel that my whole world is crashing down around my head. (Masters portfolio due, getting ready for my boards, observations by my professor, getting ready for accountability testing, etc.) During times like these, I recall an old saying:

"You will not rise to the occasion, but you will default to your level of training"

PT is not instinctual with me yet, but I'm working on it.

Warren

Warren,

It also helps to explain to older learners, middle school and up, why we teach this way. The kicker for my kids, especially this time of year is to remind them that learning this way, IF they do the teach-OK enthusiastically actually reduces the number of repetition, and the amount of writing they have to do to learn the subject.

Bottom line- the more enthusiasm they use for each teach-ok, the fewer repetitions they, need so the less work it takes to learn something.

A little excitement means a lot less work? They get that.

Jeff