In the Classroom:

A Day in the Life of the First/ Second Grade Classroom

There is no time for sleeping for first and second grade students at Ridge Academy,” says teacher, Marylou Kolnik, with a twinkle in her eye. She keeps their brains active by engaging students with a wide variety of stimulating teaching strategies.

First thing in the morning, students gather around a white board for morning message, a written message that not only serves to set the agenda for the day but also allows for word study within the message itself. Students may act out action verbs or investigate analogies. This special time also gives students a chance to talk and learn conversational skills.

“Anytime you can get kids active and moving,” says Ms. Kolnik, “learning is more solid.”

That is why she employs several strategies Ridge Academy teachers learn at training seminars that base teaching techniques on the natural learning process of the brain. Called “brain-based learning,” this teaching/learning approach uses neuroscience research to understand how the brain and body work together to help facilitate learning.

Neurology is about connections, and Ridge teachers are always using connections in the way they structure subject matter and in the way they direct students to process information. It all starts with the child. Child-centered teaching for Ms. Kolnik means weaving in a child's interest, which in turn sparks intrigue in other students.

“We start with the child's interest and use our questions to guide us,” she says of her classroom. “We learn by research. It makes us curious about the world.”

For example, starting a unit of study with a ladybug landing in the classroom offers children a fun way to observe habits, habitat, physiology and more. Ladybugs love plants, which leads to a study of plants and then on to other creepy-crawlies. First and second graders learned to say, “butterfly,” in eleven other languages, leading to the understanding that other cultures experience butterflies as beautiful, wonderful creatures, just as Ridge Academy students do. Finding insects and bugs outside, examining them and sketching them all connects the kinesthetic to the auditory and the visual, Ms. Kolnik says. Kids can then know , say and understand . The day ends with read-aloud poetry about bugs.

Just as Ms. Kolnik connects subjects, she asks students to make connections too. Using “reflective strategies,” which are brain-based learning techniques, she often uses “Think, Pair and Share.” This is when, after a time of group instruction, she will tell students to pair off and tell each other what they learned, spending about 30 seconds each. Then some pairs will share their thoughts with the whole group again.

Ms. Kolnik says brain research shows that movement gets blood flowing and brain cells working and that solidifies learning. Using a technique called “Walk and Talk,” she will ask students to pair up and walk along side one another at the same speed. As they walk, they are asked to share what they are learning and to connect the idea or fact to previously learned concepts.

Another reflective strategy is “Say Something,” which she employs as students watch a video.

“They don't just get to sit there and watch,” Ms. Kolnik says. “I occasionally turn off the video and ask the children to turn to a partner and say the first thing that comes to mind. It's short, sweet and keeps things lively.”

Every day ends with a 15-minute wrap-up. Students reflect on the question, “What did you do today that helped you to get smart?” They write in their journals as well as discuss as a group. The teacher records their thoughts on a board that accumulates all week. She connects ideas and subjects as well as categorizes them in color-coded ink.

The students continue to amaze their teacher and their parents with their insights and progress.

 

A Day in the Life of the Fifth/ Sixth Grade Classroom

In the world of sports, calisthenics are an integral part of keeping one fit and ready. At Ridge Academy we realize that “Brain Calisthenics” are also an integral part of keeping our brain working at peak performance. As part of our daily “Brain Calisthenics,” the 5 th and 6 th graders might do any one of the following exercises:

1. When could 5 + 2 = 1?
2. How could 12 + 12 = 2
3. We also play a game called “ Get from Here to There.” Change just one letter at a time to go from the beginning to the end word. Try these:

Example: JUMP to PUMP (J to P) to PULP (M to L) to PULL (P to L)

1. PART to _________ to _________ to HOST
2. GOLD to _________ to _________ to _________ to MOAN
3. TALE to _________ to _________ to _________ to MILL

(Keep reading to find the answers.)

While the above problem solvers are fun and challenging to do, there is a deeper reason why we do this type of work on a daily basis. Our goal is to help our students to be self-reflective. This takes time and many discussions. Perhaps the best way to explain this idea is by giving an example of something that happened in our classroom over the last two years. It was winter and the snow began to fall. The students took time to notice the snow, to listen to what it was saying, and to let it touch them inside. For 7 minutes, they just stopped what they were doing and watched the snow as it fell. After that, the students took their journals and used the following prompt to write what they were feeling after watching the snow.

The snow begins to fall, and… 

“….then the feeling came – the feeling of the snow rushing through my body, clearing it of all bad things. I was calm with that one feeling.” (5 th grader)

“…it sees many things as it falls to the ground and makes us all happy. Nothing distracts us as it joins the other snowflakes and makes connections. It is a good time, a time to admire what we have and what we get….It will always bring us memories of the snow and the joy we had with it, because life is about sharing.” (same student as a 6 th grader)

“….I am mesmerized. While I watch it gently fall, joy and happiness overcome me. It's as if I'm in a different world, one with no anger or sadness. But I also feel a quiet inside me, a true feeling of peace. As I look out the window, I want to share my joy with the world.” (5 th grader)

“….as it swirls around in the air, the snow calms me. The snow lets us start anew, and as it falls, it opens up our hearts and cleanses our souls. Snow can teach us many lessons; we just have to know where to look. It reminds me to have joy, since snowflakes dance and leap joyfully in doing their descent to Earth. They also teach me that whenever I mess up, I can be reborn again, and mistakes aren't the end of the world…” (same student as a 6 th grader)

“….I feel as if I'm in a magical place where nothing can go wrong. There are lots of little laughs coming from the snow around me. The laughs are followed by whispers of greatness and encouragement….” (5 th grader)

“….as I see the snow going in every direction, I think about my life and wonder where I'll end up and what path I'm going to take to get there. When I look at the snow it reminds me of the person that I want to be. I want to be joyful, exciting, have a purpose; I want to be peaceful, graceful and delicate, but also strong. The snow reminds me of life because you never know where it will lead you, just as the snow will land in different places never knowing where….” (same student as a 6 th grader)

Brain Calisthenics Answers 

1. When could 5 + 2 = 1? Answer: 5 days + 2 days = 1 week

2. How could 12 + 12 = 2? Answer: 12 eggs + 12 eggs = 2 dozen

3a. PART to PAST to POST to HOST

3b. GOLD to MOLD to MOOD to MOON to MOAN

3c. TALE to TILE to FILE to FILL to MILL