Question Everything...

I ask my students from Day 1 to question everything.  This is a new concept for most 6th graders, and when they hear me say that includes my opinions also, I usually get a few double takes.  It's easy to say to students that you want them to ask questions of each other, of things they read, and of ideas they come across, but it's another thing for them to actually do it.  I soon realized that students were so used to being given questions to answer that they had spent little time learning about questioning.  At about this time, I was introduced to the book Make Just One Change by co-authors Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana and the idea of the question formulation technique by a progressive colleague, Jane Martellino (@JaneMartellino).  It changed the way my classroom worked.  Students took ownership of creating questions: discussion questions, project focuses, and unit guiding questions. And with that ownership, engagement in discussions, interest in projects, and learning in units increased. Students were excited to answer the questions they created; the questions that they wondered about a topic.

The question formulation technique really is a simple process that pays huge dividends in any subject area.  The first step is for students to brainstorm questions from a QFocus.  This QFocus can be an unbiased statement, a quote, a piece of artwork, a group of pictures, or a multitude of other things that get students asking questions about a topic.  From this QFocus, students are given seven to ten minutes to brainstorm questions.  The rules during this time are:

1. Ask as many questions as you can.
2. Do not stop to answer, judge or discuss.
3. Write down every question exactly how it was stated.
4. Change any statement into a question.

The next step deals with categorizing the questions into open or closed.  Initially, the question was asked, "What is the difference between an open and a closed question?" My sixth graders had no idea what I was talking about at first.  Then the ideas started to trickle out until realization dawned on students.  My favorite answer was when a student stated that closed questions closed the door on any possible discussion while open questions invited opinions and conversation.  Pretty deep for a 6th grader.  Students discussed their brainstormed questions and decided which questions were open and which were closed.  During this step, when students get good at the process, it is also a time when students can discuss and revise questions to change them from open to closed.

The last step is for students to decide on their best questions.  The amount you narrow it down to is dependent on the assignment and the expected outcomes.  I usually end up in the three to five question range.  Three if the questions are leading to class discussions and up to five when the questions are driving research like in our Core 21 project-based class right now.

Below is the QFocus that I used for my first unit.  Each of my four language arts classes went through the process, and each of the classes has different guiding questions that they will try to answer throughout the unit.

Our QFocus for Unit 1

What is considered good fiction? How can good fiction create its own reality if fiction is not real? What do all books have in common to make them good fiction stories? Why do good books get turned into movies? How can a good fiction book create its own reality?  This is a sampling of a the questions that my sixth graders came up with to help drive their learning based on their QFocus.

Questioning is a skill that needs to be embraced.  Students need to be encouraged to ask their own questions, question what may be commonplace, and think outside the box in how they look at things.  When students create their own questions, they take hold of their learning and their thinking about a topic.  Students need to question the status quo and the opinions of others (even their teachers).  When we question, we put learning into motion. 

Here's to questioning everything this year.

Setting the Tone for the Year

When I first started out teaching, my first days of school did not set the tone I wanted for my school year.  I am not ashamed to say it, but I realize now that I missed out on important learning experiences for myself and my students.  Rules were introduced. Goals were created for a class students knew little about for a teacher they did not yet trust; meaningless words on soon forgotten paper.  How did I want my students to leave the room on those first days of school? What did I want them thinking my class was going to be about?  I had the answer in my mind, but my actions were not consistent with mind's vision.

That changed this year.  My first days of school have been memorable, and based on their reactions, my students will remember them as well.  We switched to a seventy-minute block schedule this year, and my favorite comment was "I can't believe that was 75 minutes; that period flew."  Students were engaged in meaningful activities that set the tone for the year.  Students thought, discussed, collaborated, wrote, questioned and thought some more.  Along the way, I realized that all of the things that I used to come out and say about rules and expectations were introduced naturally and seamlessly through the activities students were actively engaged in.

So, how did this occur?  As all good educators do, I stole ideas from colleagues on Twitter, took advice from my wife who used one activity first and gave me feedback, and adapted pieces of past years' openings and made them student-centered.  Students entered the room on day one and created items that represented themselves with pipecleaners.  

Next, they wrote down three words that described themselves.  I surprised them by asking them to connect their words to their pipecleaner creation and share with their groups.  This simple activity gave me insight into their personalities, interests, and, even more importantly, into their willingness to think and think creatively.  

I was able to introduce my students to the "Keys to the Classroom."  Students were invited to question everything including and especially me.  They couldn't believe I was admitting that my opinion would be wrong multiple times this year and that it needed to be questioned.  I asked students to think always.  Students collaborated on what it meant to "collaborate with each other." And I asked students to take risks and step out of their comfort zone.  

The next day students collaborated to create three sentences that connected the words: respect, trust, responsibility, quality, success, discipline, and fun. Watching students work together after the first day was enlightening.  Different students stepped up in leadership roles.  Students collaborated in Google documents while others created handwritten copies.  The different group interactions, styles and products gave me valuable information about the dynamic of my classes.

Students then participated in their first snowball discussion. If you haven't tried this type of discussion, I highly recommend it.  Students start the discussion as partners and then you combine groups after a couple of minutes.  Groups grew to four and then eight and then full class.  As the groups grew, the more animated the discussions were.  We then reflected as a class what went well, what didn't and what we could improve on with our next discussion.

We ended our day with 6 word memoirs.  It amazed me what sixth graders were able to come up with to detail their lives.  They were so impressive that I am compiling them to create a video to share with their parents. (I will share that later on)

I learned a valuable lesson during these first few days of classes.  If I expect students to collaborate, question, discuss and think throughout the school year, then I better set the tone and start from day one.  You can't learn these things by hearing about them; you need to experience them.  Based on my students' reactions, the experiences were a success.  Now that the tone is set, I need to keep that momentum going.

What are some things you use the first few days of school to set the tone for your school year?

Here is the link to my #1st5days prezi:

http://prezi.com/sklx8-qndvwp/opening-activities-2013-2014/?kw=view-sklx8-qndvwp&rc=ref-12572716&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy