Avoiding "That's What I Was Going to Say"

I watched Karen Shannon create a Read to Self I-chart with her third-grade students. Since they all had previous Daily 5 experience, Karen let them provide the expectations rather than filling them in herself. 

I thought about all the times I have launched Daily 5 with children who have had earlier experience. Like Karen, I veered from the typical launch where the teacher provides the first behaviors. As I watched, I was impressed by the fact that I didn't hear a sentence I had often heard called out: "Awww, that's what I was going to say!" 

When students in Karen's class heard an idea that they too had been thinking of, there wasn't a chorus of disappointed voices. Instead, they smiled broadly and put their hands on their heads, some adding nods of agreement. Karen looked around, took notice of those with their hands on their heads, and nodded and smiled or verbally acknowledged the action.  

The result of this simple management technique was a quick and respectful creation of the Read to Self I-chart, and completing the 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence in a brain-compatible length of time. 

You may want to teach your students this clever "Put your hand on your head to show me you were thinking the same thing" strategy. You will be glad you did.