KAGAN of the Month
February 2019
CHANGING BASE TEAMS
Dr. Kagan reminds us that there are three important reasons to change teams:
- We want to provide opportunities for students to transfer their teamwork skills to new social contexts. As we expose students to different groupings, we are helping provide those students with opportunities to develop social and life skills that they can transfer to other situations throughout their lives.
- We want to help refine and expand students’ abilities to function well given diverse team dynamics. As students move from base team to base team about every six weeks in our classrooms, students are provided with exposure to working with great friends, as well as with people with whom they share different team dynamics.
- When we have a student with whom it is a challenge for others to work, we want to ensure that the challenging student’s three teammates have an opportunity for more positive team experiences. Additionally, we want to help increase that challenging student’s teamwork skills; changing teams every six weeks increases the probability that the student will acquire those much-needed skills.
Article by Dr. Rick Duvall
3rd - 8th Structure of the Month
Quiz-Quiz Trade
The February structure of the month is Quiz-Quiz-Trade. Students quiz a partner, get quizzed by a partner, and then trade cards to repeat the process with a new partner.
Quiz-Quiz Trade is great for classbuilding and knowledge building. Students love it as a review game.
It's important that your modeling the expectations for mixing, including moving silently, not following friends and pairing with the closes person. Make sure you model good coaching including Tip, Tip, Teach. You may even need to help students with what is a good tip.
Kindergarten - 2nd Structure of the Month
Mix-Freeze Group
Mix-Freeze Group is the structure that primary grades will work on for the month of February. Students mix., freeze, answer questions, check and celebrate!
Mix-Freeze Group is great for classbuilding and knowledge building.
It's important that your modeling the expectations for mixing, including moving silently, not following friends and when to freeze. Make sure you first practice moving, freezing and grouping. Try it with fun topics before you use content.
Note From Your Coach:
Josh Van Tassel
Imagine Kissimmee Charter Academy
Email: josh.vantassel@imagineschools.org
Website: www.imaginekca.org
Phone: 407-847-1400
Twitter: @TheEngagingVT