Pete's Pathogram

This was the first day that Denise and I taught the same activity in our classrooms, simultaneously. We wanted to go over the needs again with our students in a way that they could discover what needs were important to them. Given a sheet of graph paper, we asked the students to make a grid with a vertical scale from 0 to 10 and along the horizontal scale write Love and Belonging, Power, Freedom and Fun. Using three different colors, determine one color for how much of each need they want, and draw a bar graph for each need with the amount they want.

After they completed that, we asked them to pick another color and make bar graphs next to each need to represent how much energy that put into accomplishing that need. The third color represents how much of the need they feel they actually have. We then discussed the graphs and applied them to the classroom. This lead into a discussion of the classroom nonnegotiable rules.

• The classroom will be safe, physically and emotionally.


• No one's personal needs can supersede the needs of the classroom


• All students have the right to learn math this year.

Students who were in Denise's class prior to mine and who already did the diagram were given the choice to do it again, help others to do theirs or divide the paper into four quadrants and draw a picture of what each need represents to them.

I would not do this the same way next year. It took too much time to do both activities in the room and to process each one. I expected this to be a 10 to 15 minute activity and it turned into a 30 to 35 minute activity. At this rate, we won't learn our math. Instead, I think that Denise could do one activity and I will do a different one, both on the same topic. For example, I can do Pete's Pathogram and she could do the pictures. We would still be teaching the same idea, and then students who have both of us, won't feel that they are repeating everything.

Another decision we made, was to do a CT (Choice Theory) activity on Monday and reserve Thurday for class meetings. Class meetings are a big part of a Glasser or CT classroom. Next week, we will attempt our first one.