Tag: engaging with students

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Class Starters

Bell ringer. Self starter. Warm-up. Do-Now. Question of the Day. Bell work. Any of these sound familiar? Whatever you call it, many teachers use them: a quick mini-assignment that students complete at the beginning of class to get them focused on the material, review learned concepts, and for teachers to informally assess how students are doing. 

Back in 2009, I was an eager intern, ready to take on my first year of teaching. I remembered some of my Language Arts teachers beginning each class with a language exercise, frequently referred to as “Daily Oral Language” or DOL. In my mind, I these exercises were such a fun way to start class (probably because I loved grammar, writing, and reading). I don’t think everyone felt the same. In an effort to emulate some of my favorite teachers, I decided I was going to start my classes by having my students do DOL. 

I’d roll my overhead projector to the front of the room, place my carefully selected DOL exercises on the projector, and have my students open their notebooks and begin. I quickly realized that, much to my dismay, my students did not share my enthusiasm for sentence corrections, grammar exercises, and spelling practice. Clearly I needed to rethink my strategy and find something that worked a little better. 

It took some time to figure out what worked best for me and my classes, but I eventually settled into a new routine: rather than do DOL every day, I would rotate what we did. Some days we would do DOL, sometimes we would begin class with silent reading, and other times, we would begin with a journal prompt. The variety worked well, and kept things interesting. 

After my intern year, I found a teaching position where I taught my own classes every other day. On the days I wasn’t in my own classroom, I was a substitute for other teachers in the building. I enjoyed seeing what other teachers were doing as their bell-ringer activities. They were always a great way to start class and get students in the mindset for whatever class they were in. It gave students a reminder of material they had already learned or to give them a preview of what they were going to learn. 

I realize they don’t work super well for some classes, but for others, they are an effective strategy to begin class with. 

Do you use a bell-ringer activity in your class? What kind of questions, prompts, or activities do you have your students respond to? If you’re not currently using a bell-ringer, perhaps you might consider giving it a try as you begin a new school year!

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Four Square Slap Jack

We’re down to the last few weeks of summer break where we live, and we’re feeling it! Since I don’t have the energy to take all five of my kids to the splash pad or pool every day, I’ve had to use my creative energy to come up with activities for them to do. That’s not to say that I provide them with entertainment every second of every day— they have plenty of time to use their own imaginations and come up with their own fun. Sometimes they just need a little encouragement from me! 

I recently saw a fun idea that someone had posted, and decided to put my own twist on it and share it with you. I’m calling it Four-Square Slap Jack, and the goal of the game is for players to be the first to put their hand down on a paper whose category was NOT called out. For example, players have four papers in front of them, each with a different shape printed on it (circles, hearts, stars, and triangles). The caller calls out a category, and players race to put their hands on any other paper than that which was called. So if “hearts” was called, they place their hands on circles, stars, or triangles. 

This activity is great for younger kids, as it helps with shape recognition as well as hand-eye coordination, both of which are great skills for kids to learn and practice. It’s also a great activity to promote careful listening. I know I’m not the only parent or teacher who loves a fun game that is also educational! I’ve attached the game and instructions below— feel free to print off a copy and have fun. 

Oh, and as an added bonus, this game is great for days when you’re completely exhausted and just can’t muster up the energy to run around and play with your kids— it’s easy to play while relaxing on the couch!

This game can also be used in the classroom as a group activity or even a whole class activity.

** The printable game is free to download, but please do not re-sell, distribute, or claim as your own.**

Four-Square Slap JackDownload
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The Great Cell Phone Debate

Last week, our school district sent out an email containing their new cell phone policy. My kids are still too young to have a phone, but I read through the document so I was aware of the changes. For elementary and middle/junior schools, cell phones must be left in backpacks and settings must be that they cannot receive notifications during school hours. If a student needs to contact a parent or guardian, they must either go to the office and use the school phone or they can take their cell phone to the office and use once they are in the office. Smart watches are ok to be worn, but must be set so that they cannot receive or send notifications. For high school students, rules are the same, but phones can be used during class changes, lunch break, and before/after school hours. 

The new policy was received with mixed reactions, as one would expect. I was at a neighborhood gathering later that day, and it seemed to be a big topic of conversation. All of the adults were happy about the policy, but all of the teens I spoke with were less than thrilled about it. Which, honestly, is exactly what I expected the reactions to be. 

The teens were not excited about not having instant access to their phones. “But what if my mom needs to text me during the day?” one of the girls asked. To which I told her, “If it’s a big enough emergency, she can call the front office, and they will get a message to you! If it’s not a big emergency, then it can wait!” … She was not excited about my answer. 

I think her response was rooted in more than a fear that her parents wouldn’t be able to immediately get hold of her; I think it was based in panic that her phone wouldn’t be right with her at all times. We have all become so used to having our phones in our hand, pocket, or purse at all times that the thought of being without it often causes an uneasiness and uncertainty. It’s an interesting phenomenon that is unique to this period of time. 

From a teacher’s perspective, I see some great benefits from this new policy. I love the idea of phones being completely out of sight and not on them all the time. Digital distraction is real. I haven’t been in the classroom for eight years now, so this problem wasn’t nearly what it is now, but I would have really loved not having to ask students several times to put their phones away— and I had a no phones policy in my classroom! The idea of having my students be more present in class is one I can get behind. The focus that can come when a device is not attached to someone is incredible. There is also the problem of devices being used to cheat on assignments or tests. I’d like to say that all teachers are super aware and on top of things that are happening in their classrooms, and would be aware enough to catch a cheating student, but I think we all know that just isn’t the case, unfortunately. Not having phones immediately available is a good thing when it comes to sneaky students who want to cheat. 

I remember allowing my students to use their phones to read (I taught English, and we did daily reading time). We also often had times where I allowed students to listen to music with headphones while we did independent work— most of them had music on their phones, so it worked really well and made for a very quiet classroom. Sometimes phones came in handy during writing/research assignments when we weren’t in the computer lab and someone needed to look up a quick fact or something. Even though phones were useful for these things, I don’t see a no phone policy being a problem today, as most secondary students are issued their own school-owned Chromebook that they can use. And honestly, reading from a real, physical book is quite a treat and is not all that inconvenient. 

The other question that arises is should the district be able to dictate this kind of thing for teachers? Should teachers be able to institute their own cell phone policy within their own classrooms? Obviously, most teachers would likely be on board with phones being out of sight during class, but there are some teachers that do allow for occasional phone use and have a little more flexibility. I don’t know if there are any easy answers here.

What I do know is that when at school, students need to be focused and present. The texts, posts, and games can wait. Education is crucial, and it’s alarming how many students today don’t think it is. We cannot avoid phones and other digital devices— they are almost a necessity for living in today’s modern society. But we can be better about when and where we use them, and I know we can definitely be better about how, when, and where we allow our children and students to use them. Their young, developing brains do not need screens all day every day. In fact, they’ll be better off with minimal screen time. 

While this great cell phone debate is real, is a hot topic, and doesn’t have easy answers, it’s one we face today. Where do you stand on this issue?

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The Spartans of Education

This past weekend, my husband and our two oldest boys ran a Spartan race— a grueling race that includes running along dirt trails for a specific distance all while conquering obstacles along the way. The kids’ races ranged from 1-3K with 10 or so obstacles, and adult athletes could choose between a Sprint (5K + 20 obstacles), Super (10K + 25 obstacles), or the Beast (21K + 30 obstacles). The race course was at a ski resort, which meant steep hills and mountainous terrain. It was 90 degrees outside, and we were at a base elevation of 6,391 feet. It was indeed a test of mental and physical strength and stamina, and was certainly not for the feint of heart. It was truly inspiring to watch the athletes compete and overcome the challenges with which they were faced. 

Some of the obstacles athletes were asked to complete were less intense (like crawling through a tube or crawling under a tunnel), while others were much more intense (such as lifting and carrying a 60 pound ball from one end of the obstacle area to the other and back again, the rope climb, or the inverted wall climb). The obstacles by themselves would be challenging, but not impossible; add in the above mentioned factors of temperature, terrain, elevation, and distance to run, and the obstacles suddenly become much more daunting.

As I’ve reflected on the race over the past couple of days, I couldn’t help but think about how the whole race experience relates to education. At the beginning of each school year, we are given a new set of students, each with their own abilities, talents, likes/dislikes, and interests. They each have their own race to run alongside their classmates, and they all have obstacles to overcome. 

For some students, math may be their rope climb, where they find themselves finally making progress just to start slipping back down as a new concept is introduced. For others, science may be their inverted wall, difficult to gain traction on and overcome, while it may be a tunnel crawl for others, fairly easy to get through. 

It was interesting to watch athletes help each other overcome obstacles. I watched as one friend easily made it over a set of 6 foot hurdles, only to turn around and go back to help her friend by offering a boost to get her started. I watched complete strangers finish the rope climb, then turn to offer strategies and advice to athletes before they took their turn on the rope. I watched as my husband helped another athlete get his footing during a sand bag pull. I was grateful for the four people, all strangers, who stopped and immediately helped my husband when his calves cramped up and he couldn’t walk. As my husband finished the race, two of those people who helped him were waiting for him at the finish line because they “just wanted to see him finish.” It became clear that the people offering help to others weren’t in the race to be the fastest or the strongest. They were there to prove to themselves that they could do it, and to help others do the same. 

As our students learn and grow throughout the year, they are met with many challenges, and some may be in it for themselves, but most are not. Most kids are willing to help their classmates, be a friend, and cheer each other on. It’s remarkable to see the difference it can make when struggling students are boosted by their peers. There is a new light in their eyes when they see that other people believe in them and want them to succeed. 

So while they may be running in the same race, not all students will face the challenges with the same ability or confidence. As teachers, we get the unique opportunity to help facilitate the kind of relationships within our classrooms that will encourage, build, uplift, and carry. We also get the chance to do those things ourselves for our students. We get a front row seat to see our students progress, learn, grow, and thrive. We get to be their cheerleaders, give them boosts, and provide them with tips and advice on how to conquer their challenges. And that, my friends, is one of the coolest parts of being a teacher.

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Patriotic Learning Activities

In my last post, I shared a couple of printable worksheets/activities that you could use to teach your kids or students about Independence Day. Since not all kiddos are interested in worksheet-style learning, I’m back with a few more ideas! Teaching kids about the history of our nation is so important. It’s important for them to understand how our country was founded and to know about the incredibly brave men and women who fought (and still do fight) and worked so hard to establish America. 

Teaching kids about history doesn’t have to be boring. It’s easy to incorporate play and games into their learning. Below are a few ideas you can try!

Patriotic Sensory Bin

Using any sensory bin base you’d like (my favorites are rice or beans), you can add small patriotic themed items. Ideas include small flags, red, white, and blue gems/stars/pom-poms, small pictures of national monuments or presidents, and so forth. Bury the items in the sensory base, and let your kids get to work exploring and finding fun treasures!

Patriotic Matching

Print off two copies of several pictures of our national symbols, monuments, presidents, Founding Fathers, etc. Glue them on to paper squares and play memory. Whenever a match is made, take a minute to talk about why the object or person in the picture is important to America’s history. 

If memory style matching isn’t something your child likes, you can place one set of pictures on the table or wall, then hide the other set of pictures around the house or room. Again, as matches are found, talk about each picture.

Independence Day Trivia

This is a great activity for older kids. Write down several questions (and answers) about the history, places, and people of our nation. Divide kids into teams and have an Independence Day Trivia Face-Off. If the person whose turn it is can answer the question without their team’s help, two points are awarded to that team. If they need the team’s help, one point is awarded for a correct answer. If the first team is unable to answer correctly, the second team gets a chance, earning one point for a correct answer. You could place a small flag in the center of the table, and the first person to grab it gets the first chance to answer the question.

Tally the points as you go, and the winners get a red, white, and blue rocket popsicle!

Historical Story-Telling

Assign each child a story from our nation’s history. Give them a few minutes to prepare, then have them re-tell the story in their own words. Another version of this would be to have them write and illustrate a children’s book telling the story they have been assigned.

American Role Play

Rather than having them verbally re-tell a story or event, have children reenact an important event. Provide props and costumes if available!

A Star-Spangled Sing-A-Long

Teach kids the words to our national anthem and have them sing along. Be sure to explain what all the words mean, the history behind why the song was written, how it became our national anthem, and even a little bit about the man who wrote it! 

Patriotic Crafting

There are endless options here— have kids create a flag out of various materials, use different methods to paint “fireworks”, or create a mosaic of the flag, a monument, or person. Never underestimate the power of construction paper, scissors, and a glue stick! 

Whatever you decide to do, remember to keep it age appropriate, make it fun and engaging, and let kids use their imaginations! The material and skills learned are the most important part of activities like these, so there isn’t one “perfect” way to get things done. Relax, have fun, and remember that messes can be cleaned up!

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Independence Day Printables

Independence Day is such a fun holiday. Beyond the parades, fireworks, and BBQs, there’s so much history behind the day. Most kids aren’t in school at this point of the summer, so it gives parents an incredible opportunity to teach their children a bit about the history of our nation and the sacrifices and work it took to build our country. No matter your political views, I think we can all acknowledge just how incredible it was what our Founding Fathers did!

Whether you’re staying home this Fourth of July or traveling to be with family and friends, you can use these free printable activities to both keep your kids busy and teach them a little bit about our nation’s birthday!

** These printables are FREE, but please only use them for personal or classroom use. Do not resell, re-post, or claim as your own. **

4th of July I-SpyDownload
Independence Day Word ScrambleDownload
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Humor in the Classroom

Teachers wear a lot of hats in the short amount of time they are with their students each day. At any given moment, they might be a teacher, a nurse, a disciplinarian, a peace maker, a counselor, or even a comedian or entertainer. This is only one of the ways that teachers are amazing. Elementary teachers especially find themselves switching hats frequently during the day. It’s quite the skill, and is very impressive. 

So often in a classroom, the need for humor or silliness arises. Obviously, teaching isn’t meant to be a comedy act every day, but when used at the right time, comedy can be a great tool. Think of the last time you laughed and how you felt afterwards. I’d bet that most people would say that they felt happier and less tense or stressed after laughing. 

Using humor in the classroom can do a lot for the overall feeling in the room, and can help put people at ease. Humor can be used in many ways and in many situations, such as using it to diffuse a tense situation, make a point, bond with students, or help students remember something you’re teaching. 

Saying or doing something funny can help students feel more at ease. I remember several times using humor to try help lighten the mood in the room right before I handed out tests. While I wanted my students to focus on the test and do their best, I also wanted them to know that the test wasn’t the most important thing in their lives. I also recall times where I was feeling grumpy, tired, or otherwise just not in the mood to be in the classroom. Those times were usually when a student would execute a perfectly timed joke or funny comment, and the result was almost always a happier mood in the room.

Using humor or silliness to illustrate a point or concept can be very effective. When there is an emotion tied to something, there is a greater likelihood that the brain will remember it. When my seventh graders were learning when and where to use each kind of punctuation mark, we watched a short video of Victor Borge, who had created a sound for each punctuation mark. Every time he got to a comma, he would make a specific sound, and would make a different sound every time he got to a period, and so on. (If you want to watch it, click here.) After watching the video, I had students create their own “punctuation sounds” for a reading passage and perform them for the class. The amount of laughter was great that day, and the students talked about it all year long. 

It can feel a bit vulnerable for some people to stand in front of a room and act silly or try to use humor. But, if students see you laughing and making the best of a situation, they are more likely to respond with the same vibe. So many students gather information on the mood in the room, and respond accordingly. 

While humor can be a very effective teaching tool, it’s important to keep in mind that it ought not be used to make light of a very serious situation or to ridicule or speak poorly of any group or individual. There is never a place for jokes, comments, or humor that targets a specific group or person, especially in a negative manner.

Silliness and humor don’t have to be used in every setting or situation, but when the time and place are appropriate, it can make a big difference for all involved. After all, laughter is the best medicine!