Closing Up Shop

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http://www.edutopia.org/blog/22-powerful-closure-activities-todd-finley

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/daily-lesson-assessment

Every second of every day we have valuable responsibilities—to sleep, to play, to lift and learn—and, as always, to #PayItBackByPayingItForward, to leave it better than we found it. And as we transition from our classroom back into our homes, as we close up shop—we utilize an exit strategy to ensure that the transition moves along smoothly. 

At the end of every day, ten minutes before the dismissal bell sounds, we begin to close up shop—being keen to leave it better than we found it—and celebrating intellectual ignitors like the great Brent Vasicek who so generously share their treasures so that we might all inspire, grow and enjoy.

  1. Agendas:
    1. Date—recall + review our Morning Math date exploration. (30=3x10/15x2/5x6 etc. or 12/30=2.5, 12/31=2.583, etc.)
    2. Evening Explorations—Be sure to carve out *at least* 20 mins to expand and explore your interests and imagination in reading tonight. Please be sure to take notes in your Field Notes to share in discussion or C3 tomorrow. Hunt + gather that we *might* all Feast! #FeedYerBrainz! 
    3. Cranial Snacks—Be sure to check out that song/article/cartoon/video/etc. It's posted up on the blog <url>—please feel free to comment! 
    4. Rate Your Day—Next to where I stamp your agenda, please rate your day, *10* to 0. 
  2. Mind Map—What stuck with you today? What's something valuable you remember from today's adventures? <clap—CLAPCLAP (all), respond (pause + note on Mind Map whiteboard/digiboard—1,2,3,4), repeat 2-5x.
  3. Gems/Ops—
    1. Gems—Continuing on the topic of today's Learning, hit me with some Gems <clap—CLAPCLAP, respond (pause to note on Main Board <to review in Opening Up Shop tomorrow/Monday> 1,2,3,4), repeat 2-5x>.
    2. Ops (Opportunities for Growth)—Excellent. Now where can we stretch? <clap—CLAPCLAP, respond (pause to note on Main Board <to review in Opening Up Shop tomorrow/Monday> 1,2,3,4), repeat 2-5x>.
  4. Tell Yo Mama!—Articulation/Communication are imperative tools and superpowers. Teaching others deepens our own wonderstanding. Sharing Life is one of the greatest honors and opportunities that we've yet discovered. Plus it makes the drive and dinner so much more fun! Let's remember some powerpoints from our adventures today—remember the power of specificity (something from outside, an interesting fact from science or idea from math, etc.) <clap—CLAPCLAP, respond (pause to note on Main Board; 1,2,3,4), repeat 2-5x>. 
  5. Rate Your Day—Pause to remember how you rated today—how efficient we were on a scale of 0-10. Touch your temple when I say your number (in Spanish, French, Czech, German, etc.).
  6. Lock Up—Ok, we have 1 minute to note Gems/Ops and Tell Yo Mama. Then I'll ding the bell and we'll have 30 seconds to calmly and thoughtfully lock up our supplies and tidy up our space. Then I'll ding the bell again and we'll all trace a plus sign atop our desks to close down our desks for the day, secure our treasures and remind ourselves and each other that we have so much more strength in connection than division, so much more connecting us than dividing us. 
  7. Bye-Bye-Bye—Together we learn simple and delightful choreography to 'NSync's Bye Bye Bye—because we have every reason to come together in celebratory song and dance and play is imperative. 
  8. Everybody's Favorite Game—Chair stacking! We appreciate and value our janitorial team who helps us maintain and nurture our learning sanctuary, so we pay this back by paying it forward by saving them time and stacking the chairs <both hands beneath the seat, legs down, eyes up, focused walking>
  9. Fist-Bumps—To physically punctuate the end of our school day, make visual contact with each crewmate exiting the ship—we look each other in the eye and give each other a fist bump; a commemoration and celebration of our ability and infinite, limited and honorable opportunity to empower and lift ourselves and each other. If there is a particularly nasty bug going around, we will acknowledge each other with eye contact and a temple salute.
  10. Go Forth + Be Awesome! 
Go forth and be Awesome.png