I, Joy Kirr, am a middle school teacher, author, and speaker. My 7th grade ELA (English Language Arts) classes are working to improve their lives through student-directed learning - without marks throughout the year. This is a log of my learning experiences... Want to have me speak with your staff or facilitate a workshop? Here is my PORTFOLIO.

Monday, February 5, 2024

Spin It to Win It Show & Tell

I love getting ideas from teachers on TikTok.

The Spin It to Win It idea is from Monica Genta (@monicagentaed), and I explain it to my students in this video. Monica's podcast is here.

My last class - who has figured out how a few things that helped them win the monthly contest this month - chose "show and tell" for their reward. We dedicated 20 of our 80 minutes to the end of class Friday for this event. I had no idea who would want to show something, and I was pleasantly surprised at how it went!

One of my (mostly) quiet students shared some awards/ribbons for robotics and karate - I could tell he was proud, and many students were impressed.

Three of my social students (sort of) got a routine together, along with snazzy hats and music coming from a stuffed monkey, and then they did a "fit check." EVERY student in class was smiling and/or giggling. How fun, and how great they were able to enjoy the spotlight!

And then... "The beast" showed up... One parent dropped off their son's bearded dragon, Dino, and he stole the show. Luckily for me, the beast doesn't walk fast, has no fur, didn't poop (I hear it's terribly stinky), and was able to be kept in a shoebox until the end of the next period.

If I were able to share students' smiles, I would - I think we all enjoyed those precious 20 minutes. I don't think Dino would mind being in this post, so...

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7 comments:

  1. SallyFebruary 6, 2024 at 5:44 AM

    Too funny!!! Kids are so surprising, in there pet choices and in agreeing to "show and tell" at any age!! Thanks for this glimpse into your classroom.

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  2. Fran McCFebruary 6, 2024 at 6:19 AM

    In your piece we “SEE” these kids, which I imagine is exactly what they were wishing for as they chose show and tell! A reminder how important that is, at all ages…

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  3. Word DancerFebruary 6, 2024 at 8:25 AM

    Very cool idea! I'm going to share it with my faculty! Thank you!

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    1. Joy KirrFebruary 7, 2024 at 5:39 AM

      Oooh! Awesome! Kind of sad I resorted to this competition to help with certain behaviors, as most students don't need a competition, but I'm glad I did (so far). ;)

      Delete
  4. Denise KrebsFebruary 6, 2024 at 10:58 AM

    Oh, my! That is so precious that they chose "show and tell" for their prize. I love that. I think show and tell for all ages is a good idea! Thanks for sharing some of their offerings. Glad the Beast didn't poop while visiting.

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    Replies
    1. Joy KirrFebruary 7, 2024 at 5:40 AM

      Makes me wonder what adults would "show and tell" at different ages in their lives...

      Delete

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