Student Contributor: M Reynolds
This tool is a helpful, supportive tool to allow students to engage in positive collaboration, and give compliments to other students. This activity helps students engage in thinking critically about what they’re viewing and what they like about someone else’s work. During this time, one student will be elected to use the projector to present their work. That student will then call on to students to give compliments about the presenting student’s work.
This tool is used to help build student relationships and confidence in their writing. This is a student centered activity that involves students practicing their writing, art skills, and giving compliments to others. It requires students to be observant of other students, work, and think about ways they can be kind to others. We do this in my first grade classroom after writing and students love to hear compliments from others, but they love giving compliments even more. Students are extremely eager to share what they like about other students’ artwork or writing. An important element to keep in mind is reminding students what a complement is before they begin to prevent students from being off task. However, I have not had any issues in my classroom while doing this, because students are always so eager to participate in this activity. There are rarely any behavioral issues.
This activity belongs in the supportive phase, because it helps support students in their learning and building relationships with other students. I placed it in this phase, because, as I stated previously, the students enjoy seeing each other's writing and art, and it makes students feel proud of their hard work. The students love this activity, because it allows them to have a chance to complement and build relationships with other students. In my opinion, the theory of influence, this best fits as student directed and collaborative. The only interaction the teacher has during this time is picking which students to come up and share under the document camera. The rest is up to the students who are presenting to call and other students to give a complement. The students work together and complement each other's work without direction from the teacher.
More Information –
Tool Source: This idea has been around for a very long time, but we use it a lot in my first grade classroom. This idea came from my mentor teacher who wanted to build a classroom community and support students in rewarding their hard work. Students after completing the work would be given the opportunity to share under the document camera, and the rest of the class will give two compliments about that student's work.
