Memorial Day...
I like to get kids talking about what Memorial Day really means. I use internet images to get the conversation started.
This Memorial Day craft box is a lovely keepsake to capture the feelings of the day.
For creative ideas on how to use this craft box, see what other teachers have done. I'd love to hear your ideas, too.
For more Memorial Day crafts...
My kids never get tired of making Number Chart Robots. And I never get tired of making the math-literacy-art connection.
To our armed forces, thank you for your service.
Easy behavior management? Yes, please!
It's the end of the year, with spring fever, final assessments, and the full moon--all at once. My easy solution? Behavior management charts.
As soon as my kids walk in the door, I color a dot on the chart and say, "Thank you for walking in so quietly. You just got a dot."
When they open their homework books quietly they get another dot. Same for...
- Doing their morning work
- Putting book bags in the closet
- Continuing their morning work
- Closing their books and organizing their tables
- Coming to the meeting area
Sometimes they get two dots in a row, just because they're so wonderful. By the time we're at the meeting area and we've finished a little morning talk, they have 10 dots.
Their prize? I open GoNoodle.com on the SMARTboard. The very best behaved child of the day gets to choose a fun action song. Some of our favorites:
- Peanut Butter in a Cup - Moose Tube
- Purple Stew - Moose Tube
- Chicken Dance - Maximo
- Clap it Out - Blazer Fresh Hip Hop Trio
- Class Dismissed
We get a few minutes of respectful zany-ness. By that, I mean, no touching or talking, and no dangerous moves. If someone breaks a rule I stop the video, and say "You're talking." (or whatever they did) Then I ask the child to move to a spot a little further out from the group and we all continue dancing. Sometimes I simply point to a child, and put a finger on my lips while smiling, or wag a finger. No bad feelings.
It's a great way to punctuate the day! We have more dots and other treats during the day:
- Run outside for 3 minutes
- Free-style dance to a pop song
- Stomp around the room while we count to 100
- Talk to a friend for 3 minutes
I recycle my behavior management charts. The first time around I put a neon dot. Next go-round, I place a black dot in the center. Then I put a big circle around the dot, then an X, and finally a check mark above it.
I use my behavior management charts for other things, too. They work wonderfully well for a single child's good behavior--with a bonus letter home and an award certificate.
And I'm using a chart to count down to the final day of school:
Now that my kids' behavior is stellar, it'll be bitter sweet to see them go!
Then the silence really will be deafening.
Mother's Day is a must-do craft.
It also falls in the middle of test week--and test prep. What to do?
I like this card because it's easy and beautiful. Print and go.
While kids are coloring their pop-art beautiful hand images, I can do a little one-on-one academics to prepare for the big tests. Not fun, I know, but necessary.
Our Mother's Day cards get bumped up a notch by gluing a few tissue paper balls on the cover. It's simple to make a big impact. Simply place a tray or basket of tissue squares on each table.
BIG glue tip: For quick and easy gluing, have one child walk around the room and place a few dots of glue--one on each flower--for every card. Kids love scrunching up their little tissue balls and placing them artistically on the page, but squeezing out glue is optional.
Your glue monitor can make a second round, to fill in the blanks.
Finish off the cards with a simple picture and phrase inside.
I love you, Mom
You're the best mom ever!
Let's reach for the stars
It will warm Mom's heart, and it will be stress-free for you. That's a whole lotta love.
Happy Mother's Day!
It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Let's celebrate with a...drumroll...
Sale!
All my teacher resources are 28% off with Coupon Code: THANKYOU17
Here are some delightful choices:
A gorgeous Mother's Day Card, with dozens of suggested phrases you can use for any occasion. This easy printable works well for a Thank You, Friendship, Graduation, or Memorial Day veterans card, or to send any thoughtful message.
A butterfly mask or flying butterfly craft to celebrate spring, symmetry, or your unit on insects.
A keepsake Memorial Day craft box.
One buyer placed paper mache hearts inside to give to veterans.
Another hung them from the classroom ceiling with different length
strings. There are wonderful possibilities...
A Substitute Teacher's Survival Kit with tons of tips, printables, teacher scripts and lessons, so you will be calm and confident in the classroom.
NOT JUST FOR SUBS, this guide makes a great refresher course or a comprehensive sub binder for the regular teacher. If you need to take a day off, no worries! This Sub Binder will assure that your class was in good hands.
Or my all-time favorite, this in-depth guide to the Perfect Lesson. It features checklists, charts, cheat-sheets, insider tips, scripts, class posters, lesson plans and
lesson plan templates for an expert Danielson teacher evaluation in K –
5.
Whatever you do, end the school year with 28% off, and enjoy every bit of it!
