Candyland Classroom Transformation
Candyland Classroom Transformation
Teaching Middle School Procedures with a Classroom Transformation
2020 Update: Here is a more recent post about how I put my Candyland Classroom Transformation together in 2020.
In the middle school classroom, classroom procedures require a fragile balance of structure and joy. I feel like the first week of school is an exquisite art form, and the challenge of providing structure on the first week of school is that the students are on their best behavior and haven’t needed strictness yet, but you still need to set up your policies. I don’t subscribe to any particular school of classroom procedures, but I have a strong teaching philosophy and it requires students to know what is expected of them. Establishing the classroom procedures and being consistent with your expectations minimizes chaos throughout the year.
This past school year I wanted to spend more time on classroom procedures, so I set aside the first 6 days of school for nothing but student expectations. We went through every activity we'll do regularly in class, including frequent games like how quickly I expect you to log on to Quizizz as well as how to successfully complete a less frequent classroom transformations. I LOVE doing classroom transformations, they are my main reason I love what I do, and my worst nightmare is that students won't love it, won't react well, or melt into chaos that prevents them from enjoying it. And so, I created a day to review our classroom expectations and present the procedures for a classroom transformation day. Having seen Chris Pombonyo and Hope King each do a Candyland classroom transformation, and given my predilection for sweets, I knew this had to happen. It might seem oxymoronic to try to implement middle school classroom procedures within a sugared, outlandishly decorated experience, but because I transform my room frequently, it’s important that my students follow typical rules regardless of the state of the classroom.
A candyland classroom transformation was right up my alley. I love transforming my room, color, sweet treats, and capitalizing on my students’ behavior and willingness to embrace challenges during a classroom transformation. Throughout the period the students worked in teams to review the classroom procedures we had discussed during the first six days of school. This was my first attempt at such a platform, and I will definitely do something similar next Fall. As we continued throughout the year, my students and I reflected on what we had discussed on “Candyland Day” and whether or not those classroom procedures we established remained in the day-to-day reality of our class.
My versions of classroom procedure task cards are posted here.
As you can guess from this blog, I love all conversations about student engagement. My friend Melissa has a great blog post about how to achieve student engagement with younger grades here.
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