G'day everyone
It seems like I'm the first Australian from Australia to be part of this great forum.

I'm only just beginning on my WBT journey and work with a huge range of audiences all over Australia.

I'd love to hear from anyone from anywhere who has hints, insights and happiness to share with me.

I'm hoping to get hundreds of Australian teachers involved with WBT and am keen to build intenational links between , teachers, students and school.

Have a great day, stay wonderful and live awesome

Yours Greg Mitchell

Greg Welcome,

Stay on the forum, go to the webinars, talk with Chris Biffle and good luck. This is grass roots movement and power to the teachers.

You'll get lots of help, we are all in the trenches together and together we "can" educate our children.

Hi Mitch-

I am a third grade teacher from Missouri, but was so excited to see you on here. I completed my student teaching in Melbourne 6 years ago now, but still keep in touch with the teacher I taught with while there. I have mentioned WBT to her on several occasions and thought it would be a great fit for her class of preps this school year. Stay on the forum and keep us updated on how everything goes. I will keep trying to convince some of the teachers I taught with to get on board with WBT!

Staci

Hi Staci
It's still really early days yet with WBT for me but I reckon Australia will love it. (Fair Dinkum!)

I'm going to try my first video effort this week and hope that I can get it right.I'm busy at the moment trying to soak up as much as I can.

Do you have any special tips to help me with?

How does Missouri compare with Melbourne?

I'd love you to help inspire lots of Aussie teachers to come onboard as WBT is brilliant.

Stay awesome

Yours Mitch

Hi Mitch!

Good luck with your first efforts of making a video. I still need to do that myself. Starting out, the main thing to remember is to keep practicing and don't give up. My class has ran so smoothly this year by using WBT and I love it. I'm sure you've introduced the classroom rules and the scoreboard, if not, those are the first two things I did. I didn't have to go beyond the scoreboard until after Christmas with any kind of discipline issues in my room. After the Christmas break, I introduced practice cards. I haven't had to do much with the Guff counter, indpendents, or anything beyond that. Main pointers, stay on the forum. There are a lot of great ideas on here. Plus, check out the PowerPix to introduce concepts. I can make a gesture of a skill previously taught, and my kiddos know exactly what I'm talking about without me saying much more. By the way, what grade level do you teach? I'm happy to help you out in any way I can. Just ask!

Melbourne compared to Missouri...much more relaxed in Oz! I truly loved Australia and was fortunate enough to have that opportunity and also got to travel quite a bit while there. I'm anxious to return for a visit!

I'll keep talking with the teachers I know to help get the movement going there!

Keep in touch!
Staci

Hey Mitch!

Just wanted to check in to see how everything is going! Keep posting. I'd love to head how things are going!

Staci

G'day Staci
We are all on holiday in Australian schools at the moment but are all back on deck om Monday.

I have used WBT since we last talked in traditional classrooms in two primary schools and a Catholic High School and it has worked a treat. the scoreboard transforms bored senior boys into positive players in the great game of learning!

Both of the Primary schools have videod my lessons but I'm yet to see the results... I'm a little phobic about seeing myself "live" but I'll let you know when I've got something worth sharing! Very scary!

I hope Missouri is treating you well.

Have a great day, stay wonderful and live awesome.

Yours Mitch

Hi Mitch!

Been awhile and wanted to check back in with you! Have you been able to take a look at your videos yet? I'm sure they turned out great and I would love to hear about your results and take on things after watching yourself using WBT!

Missouri is treating me well! We are currently on our summer holidays, so I'm off until August, although I will be attending the WBT National Conference in Louisianna next week and a workshop in July in West Plains. I'm looking forward to learning more to take back to my classroom in the fall.

Keep me posted!

Thanks,
Staci Glass
WBT Intern, 2011-2012

G'day Mitch and Staci!

I'm a Canadian studying here in Oz. I'm currently in my final practicum in a Queensland school. I'm keen to implement WBT strategies during my final full teaching weeks. Unfortunately, I only have 2 weeks remaining, but it's never too late to begin

I hope all is well and this forum continues to be a supportive place here DownUnda.
Lynn:)

Hi Lynn,
I am also in Qld. I haven't been on this forum for quite a while and was interested to see that there seem to be more trialling WBT here in Australia. I hope your final practicum went well.
Kathryn

Hi Lynn-

I hope your final couple of weeks went well for you, especially trying out more WBT techniques! Please let us know how it went for you!

Thanks,
Staci Glass
WBT Intern, 2011-2012

Hi Kathryn-

I'm excited that you've gotten back on the forum to see how things are going! Have you been using some aspects of WBT in your classroom? What grade do you teach? I've been talking WBT up with my cooperating teacher from when I was there down in Victoria. We try to keep in touch and let each other know what's been working well in our classrooms across the world! Keep posting! I would love to come back for a visit and see a wave of WBT in Australia!

Thanks,
Staci Glass
WBT Intern, 2011-2012

Hi Staci,
I teach upper primary school (grades 5, 6 & 7) across three schools. I am a teacher of Japanese. It was my interest in the use of gestures to reinforce learning that led me to WBT and WBT has, in turn, given me new inspiration for how to incorporate gestures into learning. I like having the students working with a partner and all talking at the same time. In a language class, everyone needs to be talking. With everyone talking at once, it can help the shy or less confident students to be able to 'have a go'. I loved the Genius Ladder YouTube clip. The content of the lesson was not applicable to my classes but it was great to see how Chris engages the students with the 10 finger woo etc. From only reading about the 10 finger woo, I imagined it would be much noisier. I hope to incorporate a Japanese version of it in my lessons in the New Year.
Thank goodness for holiday time - a chance to pause and reflect on the year that has been and to look ahead to new beginnings.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
Kathryn

Hi. I've been practising many WBT techniques in my Yr 7 classroom here in Brisbane for 3 years now. What a difference it made to my teaching and my enthusiasm. After 30 yrs I admit I was jaded. Some things, like 'class class' have even gone school wide! It just seemed to permeate through the school after people saw me using it. I've spoken about WBT at staff meetings and directed people to the youtube videos and this site. One thing that I love about it has been helping student teachers with management techniques by using elements of WBT. In a few days I start off my 2012 teaching year with a 5/6/7 multi-age group. Outwardly enthusiastic but "mighty groan" on the inside -as the new National Curriculum is doing my head in. Anyway, I've not commented on the forums before but saw the Aussie posts and thought I'd say G'Day too. Cheers, Robyn

Welcome to the Whole Brain Teaching community!

I've found everyone on these forums to be incredibly supportive and I hope you have a similar experience. I only just discovered WBT last fall but I am hooked!
Best wishes from a fellow educator using WBT in Manitoba, Canada

www.misslwholebrainteaching.blogspot.com

Yes, welcome to the WBT Forum, Robyn! With 3 years of using Whole Brain Teaching in your classes, you need to be on this site offering that experience to others! We learn so much from each other, which ultimately impacts our students! All the best as you begin your new year!

Nancy Stoltenberg
WBT Intern 2011-2012
blog: www.nstoltenbergwbt.blogspot.com

Well hello Mitch!

I just came across this post. Welcome. Hope you are enjoying the process and getting a lot of great tips on the forum.

I have some videos of WBT in my classroom if that helps at all. Feel free to check them out wholebrainwithroxishayne.blogspot.com

Roxi,
WBT Intern,2011/12

Hi Mitch and other aussie teachers,
So glad to find some other Australians trying this method!! I have yet to start teaching, I'm in my last year of completing a Postgraduate Bachelor of Teaching in Primary education and will be doing my practical after easter with a Grade 6 class. The kids already know me as I have been volunteering there for awhile and am now employed as a teachers aide, so luckily I have already made a bit of a rapport with most of them. I'm very interested to hear and see any Australian blog vids on how WBT works in Australian classrooms. Love the American one's of course, but it's always nice to see your fellow countrymen on screen!
When I first saw WBT on youtube I thought it was a bit military style, but witnessing how our present methods are going I would think WBT would be much more beneficial. Although I do wonder about the students who absolutely refuse or have behavioural problems. I'm sure I'll learn about this as I go along, if anyone has any more suggestions or insight for me I would LOVE to hear about it.

Take care, till next time!

Hi Robyn, would love to hear how WBT is going for you in 2012. Any advice for a student teacher, I'm about to do my prac after Easter and want to try the techniques on my Year 5/6 class.

Cheers, Kylie