Using the technique Mirrors in whole brain teaching has been very helpful. It gives me a very quick way to see who is focused on me and who isn't. This has been especially helpful in getting the attention of one of my students who is ESL and ADD.
Mirrors technique is when you are asking the students to imitate your motions to help them remember what you are teaching about. It keeps them focused.
One of the mirror actions that I have been doing daily is when we are working on the daily math page.
This is what I say and (students say)
Mirrors (mirrors) (hold my hands up)
Mirror Check (Mirror Check) (I make a movement and they follow me)
The minute hand is long (The minute hand is long) (Spread arms up and down motioning long)
The hour hand is short (The hour hand is short) (Move top hand down and stop quickly near the other hand showing short).
I do this three times. When I say long and short I also use my voice to emphasize the word. I stretch out the word long and snap the word short.
When I ask a student to tell me how to draw 11 o'clock, they are able to use the words minute and hour vs. long and short! I'm so proud of them.
My goal is to use mirrors more often but I feel like this was an easy way to start with this technique. Please share in the comments how you use mirrors.
I bet you want to use these fantastic math pages in your daily routine! I'm only happy to oblige! I have two versions. One for the beginning of the year which only has tens and ones. The second version has 100s and greater than and less than. I make these into monthly booklets.
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