See You in 2011!

No updates today, or for the rest of the year.  I'll be busy with work next week, and I also have some other stuff I'm working on that I thought it best to save.

But, if the Lord wills, I'll be back at the beginning of January with some new stuff for the blog!

So far, I have in mind more teaching tips, a spotlight on Web 2.0 tools that I find intriguing, ideas for centers and workstations, plus much more.  I soon want to begin adding downloadable activities for classrooms on the site as well.

What's more, it's almost time for the job fairs, certification tests, interviews and all that stuff that I really hate doing even though I must persevere.  I really want next semester to be my first as a full-time teacher, so I'm focused on getting that done.

I hope you all have a great Christmas break and vacation!  See you soon!

Teaching Tips of the Week (Dec. 6-12): Make it a Jan Brett Christmas, Dreidel Game

janbrett.com

1. With the holiday season upon us already, it's a good idea to have some nice picture books to usher in the celebrations.  Jan Brett, the popular children's book author and illustrator, has several books that will have elementary students feeling festive.  Chances are high that your school library has a ton of her books.  Scholastic has a list of helpful ideas for a Jan Brett author study, which includes several of her Christmas and winter books.  Also, check out Jan Brett's website for coloring pages, videos and more!
2. Laura Candler has created a Dreidel Game that is free to download from her website.  The game includes a print out of a dreidel to cut out and use in a small group game.  Talk to your class about Hanukkah, and then invite them to play this game while learning Hebrew symbols.  Instructions for the game are included in the link.
3. Laura has also made a nice Christmas word game as a treat for your students.  Log in to TeachersPayTeachers and download the free activity and challenge them to solve all the clues, and then make their own to share with other students

Classroom Management Videos: Teach Like a Champion

A few weeks ago, I was browsing TheCornerstoneForTeacher's website and found this classroom management video.  The video notes some techniques about acquiring and maintaining the class' attention, mostly through the use of nonverbal cues.




The techniques are from a book called Teach Like a Champion. I haven't read it yet, but I'm looking at reviews now and I'm curious about it. There are a few things in the video that I want to borrow. Most of them are things we're told repeatedly to do with students (such as correcting behavior and immediately shifting the focus elsewhere), but I like how they are achieved in this video.


"I don't have Marissa, but I do have Jasmine." It corrects the behavior, and also brings to attention someone doing something positive.


What's really cool are the nonverbal cues. Without saying a word, the first teacher in the video is able to tell students to put their hands down, keep their eyes on her, listen carefully, pay attention to what's on the board, sit up properly, and probably several other things! I like that, because it means she's trained them to recognize and respond to her cues, and it maintains a lot of order and prevents interruptions.


With subbing, of course it's a little harder to teach students some cues when you're only with them one day, but I still think there are some things in the video I'd like to try myself and keep in store for when I am a regular teacher.


-Veronica

Teaching Tips of the Week (November 29- December 5)

                                                          biceveryday.com

1. Bic's Story Starters offer some excellent writing prompts for students.  Borrow some ideas directly from the site, or print the prompts as cards.  This is helpful because you can assign everyone the same prompt, or pass out individual cards for each student.     
2. RIF encourages you to use a Bingo chart if you’re attempting to expand your students’ reading focus.   Create a simple Bingo chart with several different genres listed in the squares, and challenge your students to read all kinds of books in order to fill a row after they’ve read each book.  Reward prizes when students complete a row.
3. Students can practice recognizing equivalent fractions in this online game that takes its cue from Pac Man.
4. Check out this cool project from High Tech High:  10^th graders applied their math and science skills to design a model of a home that has minimal impact on the environment.  The site contains full details about the project, if you're interested in assigning something similar.
5. Discuss advances in science and interesting technological developments with students.  Here is a list of “10 Out of This World Inventions.”  Show students images or videos of the inventions, and have them come up with a problem each invention attempts to solve.  Finally, allow your students to work together to create unique ideas and visuals for inventions that solve a particular problem.

A Well-Deserved Break...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


Teaching tips of the week will be back next week.  Until then, enjoy your holiday, food and families.

Scholastic's Online Field Trip to Plimouth Plantation

On Tuesday at 1 pm, Scholastic will arrange a live feed from Plimouth Plantation so that your class can meet a Pilgrim and Wampanoag, and later receive a series of letters.  Click the link, sign up for the webcast and bring the 1620s to life for your classroom.

Teaching Tips of the Week (November 15-21)

1. If you're considering adding blogging to your classroom activities, make sure you visit TweenTeacher's thoroughly compiled list of tips for getting started.
2. Funbrain's Tic Tac Toe Squares online game is a great way for students to practice their mental math.  The game also makes differentiation simple because students can choose to practice everything from easy addition and subtraction facts to cubes and square roots.
3. Education Week has an article with several suggestions on how to use GPS in the classroom.  The device can be used to enhance several science activities, such as collecting data about the water quality of nearby streams.
4. Mighty Book has a lot of nice stories for young students, including animated storybooks and  animated stories written by children.  Students can read along and follow the words to each story and poem, making it perfect for a listening station.
5. Motivate a spirit of change in your school by entering the National Geographic Find Your Footprint Contest.  The contest calls for classrooms to research their school's environmental footprint and design a plan to improve its impact on the planet.  Prizes include interactive whiteboards, a classroom subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine, and a lot more.  The deadline is December 3, 2010!

                                                                    nationalgeographic.com