Are they getting it?

I spoke with my assistant principal last year about making sure teachers were checking in with their students to make sure there was an understanding of what concepts were being taught.  There are always the same students who consistently raise their hands, while the others tend to sit back and daydream observe.  After speaking with my A.P., I tried to come up with a way that all students would participate without having feelings of anxiousness of having to being called on or the nervousness of getting the "wrong" answer.  So, the THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN, SIDEWAYS THUMB came to be!

As you may see in the picture, my firsties were learning about "turnaround facts." Those are number sentences where the addends change order: 4+5=9 and 5+4=9.  Unifix cubes were used and during our discussion I had asked a question and wanted to see if the boys and girls agreed with their friend's answer choice.  They had to take a minute to solve it, then give their signal: thumbs up= I agree, thumbs down=I disagree, sideways thumb=I'm not sure!  I saw many thumbs up around the room!  I observed how they were problem solving and noticed they didn't pay attention to how everyone else was responding!  We do this quite often for a variety of lessons and activities and not only do the kids love it, but I can do a quick scan to check for understanding, participation, and attention!

Here's hoping this small tip can be an addition to your classroom routines!  Thanks for checking in and have a wonderful weekend!!