One observation this year has been that student engagement while developing their own work has increased to the point that I now extend the independent time by a few weeks before starting a new unit.
2nd & 3rd Grades: This last month has brought a huge change for 2nd & 3rd grades. These two grades have a number of students who have difficulty with emotional outbursts and disruptive behaviors. There have been days that a few struggling students kept us from being able to get through a lesson.
Over that last two years I have been considering how I could implement a TAB format in the younger grades, but had not come across a model that I particularly liked. But as I reflected on what was happening this year, I knew something had to change... now.
These grades have changed to a CHOICE-BASED format. This means that the student is the artist, they come up with their own ideas, and choose the materials they want to use for the day. I introduce new techniques in the form of very short demos. This is week 3 of the shift, and as I observe 2nd & 3rd grade adapt, I'm noticing that the overall class mood is starting to calm a bit. Also, when I do have a student that is having a rough time, I can work with them and the rest of the class is engaged in their work and not losing their learning time.