Set the STAGE to Engage
Being HIGHLY influenced by the Ron Clark Academy, I just NEEDED a classroom stage! I loved how they used it as a center piece in their classrooms to literally set the stage to engage! Of course, being in elementary levels I modified the stage to fit both my classroom and my kids' needs. I made mine a bit smaller mostly because I have small babies who trip on air. Ha ha. But really.
Soooo how do you use your stage?----- I personally use my stage as a focal point to celebrate student successes in the classroom, whether it's goals, those tiny successes that make you want to throw chairs you're so happy, or even a fantastic writing piece. I think every classroom is different, so how you use it should be up to you. HOWEVER, make sure you make it known to your students how special the stage is. You don't want to just let any student on the stage. Make them work for it.
Let's just say Billy has a problem with blurting out in class. (I mean a REAL big problem blurting out and none of your techniques or strategies work). You literally have been working on this with him all year and finally you are in the middle of teaching a lesson and you see Billy open his mouth to blurt when AHHHH Heaven's lights fill the air and you see him stop. close his mouth. and then boom. His hand goes up. RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT stop what you are doing (I don't care if you're being inducted into NFL's Hall of Fame, shaking the President's Hand, WHATEVER) praise that child, turn on the stage lights, and invite him to the stage. The stage is a place to celebrate even the smallest successes one may have in your room.
Something that makes this moment a little more special is 1 song and disco lights. Yes, I said disco lights. As teachers we spend tons of money on our kids, but let me just tell you if you choose to spend the $10 on this light, it will make all the difference. I bought a small disco light on Amazon prime for $10 and although it only lights up half of the room, when that light comes on the energy in the room changes. I ONLY turn that light on when the stage lights come on for a student. It just makes the stage (and their successes) that much special. The song I chose for them is "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled and Ludacris. Obviously, you need the clean version on Youtube and only need the first 20 seconds of the song. My students love it and we dance/ cheer for our fellow student who is on the stage and you can just see their face light up with joy knowing their peers are proud of them.
Lucky for me, I have an amazing boyfriend who decided to be handy one weekend and asked if I needed anything for him to build. I immediately said, "STAGE FOR MY CLASSROOM!" It cost about $50 for everything, but I'm sure you could make one cheaper. We stained it dark brown instead of painting it because it was easier for us and drilled holes in the front for the lights to be put through. Remember, I teach first grade so glass lights were not an option. So lucky me, we had to do it a more difficult way. I had colored Christmas lights already, but we bought plain ping pong balls from Walmart, cut small slits and stuck them over the Christmas lights to make them more durable for smaller children. Plastic is my friend! Once you have done that you can always glue around the hole with a durable glue to keep them balls from falling off. I personally didn't do that but I may have too later down the road. OR you could just do the easier route and buy plastic ball lights. Ha ha. Of course the inside of the stage is hollow so all i have to do is move it off the wall to store anything in it like extra tissues or Clorox wipes for my classroom. It's been a life saver!
Our only work space at the moment is our apartment balcony...my poor neighbors and all of Texas that drives by.
Little Keva checking out the finished product.
Before we put the ping pong balls over the Christmas lights.
I hope this blog helps someone who is struggling with celebrating student success in their classroom and maybe even bring back some fun and life into education!
Love Always,
