Questions, questions, questions…I LOVE them! Why? I love questions from administrators and teachers, because if no one asks a question, then it’s highly unlikely that they will use the information. Tony Robbins says,
“Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”
When someone asks a question, then I know they are “hooking” it to what they already know and do and are thinking about how they will use the information in their own classroom or school. The next few blog posts will be dedicated to answering some of the questions asked at trainings this summer.
How often do you change leaders and co-leaders?
I set a goal for changing the Team Roles at least once a month or once a quarter. I found that changing them once a week was too confusing to everyone and didn’t give the students a chance to learn and develop from the responsibility of their role. However, some classes are a bit more volatile than others and have difficulty with change. One of my classes, with whom Tabor Rotation began, had challenges working in groups and following directions. Once I got the mix of the teams right and the team roles right, I didn’t change them again all year!
How does the 5E Lesson Model correlate with Tabor Rotation?
Engage- Engagement is seen throughout The Tabor Rotation Framework, but can easily be seen during Day 1 of Tabor Rotation’s Overview for the week and every day during the Whole Group Mini-Lesson.
Explore- Exploration should occur every day during the Whole Group Mini-Lesson, which typically include manipulatives and working with a partner to explore new concepts. And, The Manipulative Station, where the concrete exploration of concepts is the emphasis.
Explain- Explanation can be done every day during the Whole Group Mini-Lesson and during the Readiness Grouping on Days 4 and 5 of a week of Tabor Rotation. However, the framework emphasizes how the teacher meets with ¼ of the class at a time in Teacher Time Station to explain the most difficult concepts for the week.
Elaborate- The Technology/Innovation/Application Station is one place where students are elaborating on the concepts they are learning. The students are also elaborating when they are working independently or with a partner on the menu of options on Days 4 & 5 when the teacher is meeting with Readiness Groups.
Evaluate- Several of The 14 Essential Elements are based in evaluation. The teacher must choose some method for constant, on-going observation and evaluation. This is called Clipboard Cruising. This information is used to form Readiness Groups for Days 4 & 5 and is shared with the students. Exit Questions and Passports are used at every station of Days 2 & 3. These help the students reflect and evaluate their understanding of the concepts being explored.
How would you connect the activities in the Manipulative and Games Station to the concepts they are supposed to be understanding?
It is always a relief to be asked this question. It means that participants are thinking about the Tabor Rotation Stations in the right way! Helping students connect the activity or game in which they were just involved is imperative. Every student needs to know what concepts they were learning and why. Making sure that Exit Questions are asked at the end of each rotation is one way of making sure the connection is made. A sample of these questions can be found on the FREE RESOURCES page of this site.
Reviewing and clarifying the content of The Teacher Time Station during Thursday’s Whole-Group Mini-Lesson is another opportunity to bridge activities and games with the concepts being learned and apply them in different situations. Of course the content of Readiness Groups could always include this same connection, reflection, and clarification.
Do you consider drawing a form of manipulative?
Another great question as teachers compile materials and resources to use with activities in the Tabor Rotation Stations. Drawing is typically included in the Passport or Evaluation at the end of the station time. This helps students move from the concrete to the pictorial stage of understanding a concept. For more information about the types of pictures used to bridge from the concrete to the abstract, you may want to read an article by Hartshorn and Boren. It’s a few years old, but has a really good explanation.
The Tabor Rotation Manipulatives Station emphasizes that the content must be the concrete conceptual development of a concept. Manipulatives used might be tiles, cubes, geoboards, dice, counters, buttons, money, lids, algebra tiles, cubes, or any item a student can hold and manipulate while developing an understanding.
The Manipulatives Station criteria were very important when the four stations were initially developed. Since the state assessment was performance based, using manipulatives helped the instruction become more performance based. You can read more about the origins of Tabor Rotation in a previous blog.
I always enjoy this quote from the article by Hartshorn and Boren,
“The reasons that teachers do not use manipulatives are beyond the scope of this Digest.”
Do you allow groups to track their points? If so, how do you keep them honest about the giving of points?
Yes, I encourage the teams to keep track of their own points. This may be accomplished in several ways. You could use the Team Point Sheet and have the Timekeeper record the points at the end of each class period. Some teachers post a bar graph and have Timekeepers fill in the next amount on the graph. This allows students to record and compare data that is meaningful to them.
How do I keep them honest? I use the Meaningful Math Management System with my classes. All the resources you need to use this system are available on the FREE RESOURCES page of this site under the Meaningful Math Management heading. To even open up an account with me, they have to sign a contract and give me their word that they will be honest. If they are caught being dishonest, I pull out the contract and we review their agreement. I found that trusting them and placing the responsibility on their shoulders brought about more hard work and honesty than if I’d been keeping track of every point. (Plus, it’s exhausting!)
How many state standards should be introduced each week?
Take a look at the explanation of “How do I teach all the concepts I need to teach?” This document has proven to be really helpful to teachers beginning at the intermediate level.
What is the time limit for each activity at the middle or high school level?
This Time Line for Middle School and High School might be helpful. The Tabor Rotation Training Guide is a great resource when determining time frames. Chapters 15-17 explain each of the types of days in a week of Tabor Rotation. Chapter 19 is about how to plan for a week of Tabor Rotation.
I’d like to end with what was written on the last sticky note I pulled off the workshop’s “Parking Lot.”
“I’m already stoked about your platform…talk about useful!”
Thanks for the questions and the inspiration! On to Coldspring, Texas for more!