Action Item: Teachers please begin the implementation of the Texan Sage.
Purpose: The Classroom Sage is the ‘greeter’ for your classroom. The Sage will state the I can, I will plus the burning question of the lesson. By calling attention to the object for the day. Additionally, the act of properly greeting an adult with a fist or elbow bump and talked with him/her about the lesson is a great real-life skill that they can carry into their future.
What does the Sage do?
When a new adult enters the classroom, the Sage completes the following tasks:
- Greet the arriving adult: Choice of how you greet: maybe a fist or elbow bump and then states the following “Hi, my name is (Student Name) welcome to our class.”
- They then state the objectives of today: “Today, we will be identifying the use of inferencing in a poem. We will share with our table groups use of inferencing and how it used by the author. By the end of class, we should be able to ….”
- Please make yourself comfortable and thank you for coming to our class.
Teacher’s Role
Set a rotational sage schedule for each period. The sage should not be the same person for the entire school year. It is a good idea to have an alternate Sage in the event the assigned Sage being absent.
Have a script ready for the sage to use if it is needed. The information concerning the I can and I will statements, plus Burning Question should be visible in your room to read. Have your class practice being a sage with a partner…you may even need to teach scholars how to properly greet others.
The Sages are often nervous and unsure…this is completely normal, just keep encouraging them! This is a growing opportunity for our scholars and one that will serve them as they mature as young adults.