Alwaysthebeginningof a classisusing a proverbwhat I calltheproperofftheday.
Andthatisusually a a sayingthat I sometimespickupfromtextbooksorothersources.
And I wanttostarttheclasswiththatbecause I wantthemtothink, startthinking, buttheirbrainsandgear.
Sowhat I dois I writeitontheboard, letthemlookatitfor a while, thenstartaskingquestions.
Okay, Whatdoyouthinkaboutthisstatement?
Doesn't makeanysensetoyou.
Doyouagree?
Disagree?
Why?
Whynot?
Andthen I startkindof a conversation, mostlyaskingthemtogivemetheiropinions.
I valuetheiropinionsverymuch, and I alwaystellthemthattheirtheiropinionsareveryimportant.
Basically, what I wantthemistouseEnglish, okay?
Andanduseitin a waythatitmakes.
It's meaningfultothem.
Andit's alsointeresting.
Theyliketogivetheiropinionsandmanyoftimesway.
Teachersdon't giveourstudents a chancetovoicetheiropinions, So I thinkthisis a goodwayoffhavingthemvoicetheiropinionsatthesametime, make a newinventoryoftheirvalues.
Eso I feelthatitisveryimportantforthemtodothattoyouandnotonlybyexpressingthemthemselves, butalsobylisteningtootherstudents.
Givetheirownopinions s o A.
Forthefirstfiveor 10 minutes, I havemystudentsengagedinrevaluingokaytheirownmoorsandvaluesonatthesametimeputtingtheirbrainsingear.