4th graders collaborate on antibullying posters, (L-R) Wyatt Blegen, Oscar Mielke, Parker Backstrom and Landon Sheils.
MI Time? CLIMB? What’s going on at Sawtooth Elementary these days? Individualized instruction, that’s what. This year the elementary has added a new element to its schedule, Multiple Intelligence Time (MI Time). This change has been due in part to the new block schedule in the high school, which has necessitated a rotating schedule for specialists and teachers that serve both schools.
Teachers have always tried to individualize instruction for the unique needs of learners, and MI Time is a half hour each day set aside for just that purpose. During the MI Time period students are scheduled into a number of activities, including special services (like speech or counseling), extra help with areas they struggle in (reading and math tutoring), and advanced learning activities (CLIMB).
Although scheduling students has been a complicated process, each student is assigned a particular activity during MI Time. In the past, special activities have required students to be pulled out of class, but this year everyone benefits from this time to explore the areas that most benefit them academically and socially.
Above left: Amber Theiner records at WTIP. Above middle: Second grade school news trip, (top to bottom) Katie Shannon, Payton Quaife and Henry Kettleson. Above right: Iylla Christiansen prepares for Student Council election.
“We chose Amanda Barras for the gifted and talented portion of MI Time because of who she is,” explained Vice-Principal Bill DeWitt. “She’s been with us four years, and she has a strong skill set. She’s taught Ojibway, is strong in technology and has a flexible and innovative teaching style. She came up with the title; CLIMB stands for Creative Learning Ideas with Miss Barras.”
Barras has been charged with designing and implementing enrichment activities to challenge students who have already met grade-level standards in the areas of science, technology, English, math, and the arts. She meets with small groups of students during each grade’s afternoon MI Time, and the activities change from week to week. “Choosing students for each project is done in collaboration with classroom teachers,” Barras explains. “I look at the activities planned and decide the optimal number of students for each grade level. I then connect with classroom teachers, and we look at the different areas of potential in students, and select students who we think will succeed and enjoy these tasks. Some classroom teachers prefer to send similar student groups each week, and other teachers like to mix it up based on the activity.”
Above: School newspaper editors MaTaya Fairbanks and Molly Quello. Left: Ayden DeRosier makes observations in the garden.
Kindergarten and first-grade students are combined into one group, while the older grades have their own MI Time. With her younger students, Barras started the year with outdoor activities to get them thinking like scientists. She taught them to use their senses to make nature observations in the school’s garden and surrounding woods. They’ve also done a number of other creative activities. Kindergartener Liam Gillespie said, “I like working with Legos!”
Students in grades two through four spent their CLIMB time writing about events throughout the school and recording the most significant items each week for WTIP’s School News (airing at 9:10 on Thursdays). Fourth-grader Amber Theiner wrote, “I like being on School News because… 1. It’s fun, 2. I like sharing about the school and what we do, 3. I like hearing myself after I record, and 4. We have a dance party before we return to class!”
CLIMB students in the fourth and fifth grades have focused on leadership activities, preparing speeches and campaign posters for the Sawtooth Elementary Student Council elections. Students at this level have also worked on a school newspaper, developed an anti-bullying campaign, and done problem-solving to encourage more inclusiveness in the school culture. Fifth-grader Hattie Crotteau appreciates her CLIMB time. “I like that we can learn new things and I get to be challenged.”
Students at all levels have participated in storytelling and writing activities. “Grades 2-5 are focusing on developing interesting characters, worlds, and conflicts in their stories. CLIMB students will each publish a story in a variety of ways this month,” Barras said.
Though many of the activities have been taken from her past classroom experiences, Barras is excited about the next phase of the program. “In the next few weeks, CLIMB students will get the opportunity to hone their coding skills on Scratch Jr. (a computer based creativity program) and create structures in a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) challenges. We will be reinforcing teamwork, cooperation, and problem-solving along with the STEM areas.”
There is no end to the possibilities for this new program. Both MI Time and CLIMB have facilitated individualized activities for all Sawtooth students. “The jury is still out on the effectiveness of this program,” said Vice-Principal Bill DeWitt, “but we’ve had a lot of positive feedback about it already.”
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