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Taking a Break Until After Christmas

12/20/2016

This will be the last post until January.

Kids build anticipation as Christmas gets closer. For some it the build up of excitement. For others it is the uncertainty of extended time in a home environment that has challenges beyond their control. Watch for these students and do a little extra to encourage them.

File 13

12/19/2016

File 13. (trash can) Sometimes you might need to just trash a set of assignments. Once in awhile you need unbury yourself from a mountain of work, or you find you need to reteach a topic because they just didn't get it or the quality of their work is subpar. In these rare cases you may need to just send the assignment to the trash. This is not something that should be done often, but once in awhile you find you may need this option.

Use Drawing to Compliment Answers

12/16/2016

Add a drawing component to some assignments. Have them draw what they learned, and explain their drawing. This is an alternative method for your students to demonstrate learning which is especially helpful for students who might have difficulty with organizing words, but are artistic. It can also serve to slow down your students who are always in a hurry.

Severe Weather

12/15/2016

A little late today.... Enjoying a day off school with a snow day. For your own sanity, on days that show promise of school getting called off early due to weather, pull the shades so students are not constantly looking out the window and jumping out of their seat every time a snowflake drifts by. Even though you might be as excited as your students, you may want to refrain from feeding too much information on the status of the school day to your students as you will lose resemblance of order.

Noise Reducing Tip

12/14/2016

For activities at students desks that require many items, or noisy items. Using a cheap pocket folder, glue a page size piece of felt on one side. It quiets the activity and can be used to help students stay organized. This is especially nice if they are using dice in an activity.

Paper Folding

12/12/2016

Christmas is right around the corner and all sorts of Christmas crafts will be done in classrooms. When doing activities that require paper folding it may be helpful to use the terms “hamburger style” and “hot dog style” to help you students understand the orientation of the paper when they are folding. Hamburger is folding top to bottom making a final half similar to hamburgers. Hot dog is folding side to side making a longer half similar to hot dog buns.

Recess Duty Tip

12/9/2016

Wear rain pants instead of snow pants for winter recess duty. Rain pants cut the wind better.

Planning Christmas Activities

12/8/2016

As tempting as it can be, don't do too many Christmas activities too early with your students. It is like opening Pandora's Box, once you lose your students with Christmas excitement it is hard to pull them back. Ration your Christmas activities and gradually increase the frequency as you get closer to break.

Balancing Fun with Learning

12/7/2016

Education has become Edutainment. Kids have become so entertained that you sometimes need to approach your lesson with a mix of fun to keep their attention. Be careful that you do not let the fun factor take away from the learning factor. Work to find a balance and you will see better results.

Finding A Page (Another Method)

12/6/2016

Use metric units for students to find a page. 2m + 35 cm= 235, when students begin figuring out the place value as it is shown, mix it up. 35cm + 2 m= 235. Students will build critical thinking skills as well as gain understanding in metric measurement.

Consistency on the Playground

12/5/2016

Kids tend to like to run between swings, climb on top of monkey bars, and run up slides backwards. Know your school policy or acceptable use for the playground. It is best to remain consistent across the staff so the kids know the same rules apply. This can be especially true when winter comes and kids like to throw snow, another thing they like to do. Be proactive, find out before you have recess duty.

Grading Papers

12/2/2016

Grading and sorting papers can be challenging. Assign student numbers and have students put their student number beside their name at the top of the page. You can quickly sort assignments to find out who has not turned in work.

Engaging Lesson Introduction

12/1/2016

Sometimes it is very effective to begin teachings things incorrectly as it can be used to engage the students. Example: Silent letters in words; know - I will pronounce ka-now; sign - I will pronounce sig-n. This is not a good method for new material, but for review work it adds a fun twist to instruction. Just make sure you follow up with the lesson correctly.

Enthusiasm

11/30/2016

Show enthusiasm for what you teach. Kids pick up on your enthusiasm, or lack thereof, and it can be reflected in their approach to the subject matter.

Energetic Student Strategy

11/29/2016

Try using a squeeze ball for students who have difficulty sitting still. They can transfer their energy into this instead of a distracting behavior. Establish with the student what is acceptable use so it does not become a toy and a distraction.

Finding Page Numbers

11/28/2016

Instead of giving your students a page number, give it to them in a challenge. Use money units such as 1Q +2D= 45. This strengthens the use of unknown variables with something concrete, money. It also helps them practice money counting skills.

Holiday Plans

11/23/2016

Limit how much new content you try to teach in week leading up to the break, their minds will not absorb much of it. Develop activities to do that coincide with a holiday. Use the activities sparingly so when a holiday comes along it is fresh and new for the students. For Thanksgiving I have a set of plans that I pull out each year that keeps my planning at a minimum and keeps my students engaged as they have not seen it before.

November 22nd, 2016

11/22/2016

Kids want to feel safe. When mandated safety drills take place, reassure them that this is for practice and that a real event is very rare. If you know the history of your school you may be able to share that it has never happened at your school.

November 21st, 2016

11/21/2016

Instead of the Pledge of Allegiance, teach the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic songs. Then mix it up from day to day. You can also teach the history behind the song. In the end students will have a better grasp of our country’s history as well as knowing some of the songs.

Hallway Strategy

11/18/2016

Walk your classroom line down the hallway. I prefer to lead from the front and keep my ears open behind me, occasionally glancing back. Stop if there is talking or goofing around. Tell them we can always go back (this is really effective at lunch).

Seating Chart

11/17/2016

Use text boxes in Microsoft Word, or a similar application, to create a seating chart. You can move the boxes around easily which helps you process the different personality combinations before you physically move the desks. Depending on the age of your students, you may choose to have them move their desk.

Using Glass Reflections to Your Advantage

11/16/2016

Use reflections on glass doors to your advantage, you can see around corners when you are not seen. If your classroom has glass on its door you can monitor the classroom when you have to step in the hallway to talk with someone. I once proved my point to a class by standing behind a screen at the front of the room. They knew I could not see through it, however using the reflection on the door I was able to tell them what individuals were doing. They were convinced I could see anything they did which helped improve behaviors in class. (Just don't let them know about your secret tool)

Dry Erase Markers

11/15/2016

Keep your good dry erase markers out of little hands. They tend to crush the ends or leave the caps off and your markers have a short life. I rotate new markers in when the old start to wear out and leave those at the whiteboard for students to use.

Guided Answers

11/14/2016

When students give an incorrect answer, follow up with questions that guide them to come up with the correct answer on their own.

Quiet Hallway Strategy

11/11/2016

A fun way to walk your class down the hall quietly is to “sneak” down the hall. Tell your students you are going to sneak without getting caught by [principal, or whoever]. Exaggerate your sneaking by tiptoeing. If you have corners, stop short and peak around the corner. The kids will often mimic your actions and it is very quiet walking the hallway, not to mention..... fun.