There are many factors to consider when thinking about the overall well being of students in a classroom. All areas of health and well being are important— mental, emotional, social, and physical. Some are easier than others to address in a classroom setting, but all are equally crucial to a child’s well being. As teachers, it is important that we are taking time to provide opportunities for our students to grow in all areas. Physical health is an area that can be a little trickier to incorporate into a classroom, especially a secondary classroom. It’s not impossible, though! Below are some fun ideas for integrating physical movement into your classroom, regardless of the age or grade you teach.
Brain breaks: Have students stand next to their desks and stretch, shake their arms and legs, or jog in place for 30 seconds. Put on a Danny Go episode and have students follow along with the actions. These kinds of quick, simple activities can help students get their wiggles out and clear their brain so that they can more easily focus on what they are being taught.
Take your class outside (weather permitting) and play a relay game, such as transporting an object from one side of the field to the other.
Take your class on a short walk around the perimeter of the building. If weather doesn’t allow for that, take a walk around the halls of the building, adding in the extra challenge of seeing who can be the quietest.
Play PE Bingo, where each student must pick five activities to complete off their Bingo board— and the activities chosen must be in a row to create a Bingo (You can use the free resource below if you’d like.)
Do a “name workout”, where each letter of the alphabet is a different exercise, and students must complete the exercises for each letter of their name. (Ex: A- 5 jumping jacks, B- 30 second jog in place, C- 5 pushups, etc.)
Play “4 Corners”. Think of a series of multiple choice questions. On paper, create posters with A, B, C, and D on them. Place the papers in the four corners of the room. As you read each question and answer options, students must move around the room to the corner that corresponds to their response to the question. This not only creates a good opportunity for physical activity, but also helps students to see what they have in common with others in their class.
For secondary students, have a class period where you play “old school” playground games— kickball, four square, hopscotch, or wall ball. You’d be surprised at how much fun teenagers have with these kinds of games (even if they put up a front that they are too old for such silliness).
Physical movement is so important for growing bodies and minds. It promotes healthy habits now and encourages kids to continue those healthy habits throughout their lives. Students of all ages need to see that all different areas of health and well being are important, and that there are simple, accessible ways to take care of each of those different areas.
**Feel free to use the free PE Bingo card below. It is intended solely for classroom or personal use and may not be sold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**
We had Parent-Teacher Conferences for my kids last night, and I was so excited to go. I love hearing updates from teachers, and my kids love to show me where their desk is, their cubby, and take me to see their work that is hanging in the hall. With five kids all at the same school, those nights can get pretty long, but they are worth it.
I enjoy hearing how they are doing academically; it’s fun to see beginning of year test scores compared to present scores— there is almost always improvement. It’s encouraging to see the forward leaps they make as they learn. I also really enjoy hearing how my children can improve. If there is an area (or multiple) that need attention, I like to know so that I can give my full support to my child as well as to their teacher.
Though I do enjoy hearing about the academic progress that is being made, I love it even more when I get a report from a teacher telling me that my child is helpful, kind, friendly, and respectful to everyone, adults and kids alike. Knowing that my child is being a good human means so much to me. We try so hard at home to teach our children to be kind, to include, and to respect others. We do our best to teach them good manners and what a good friend looks like. When I send them to school each morning, I just hope that what they have been taught sticks with them, and it is so reassuring to hear that they indeed did hear us and remembered!
I think so often parents worry about their children getting good grades, especially in upper grades. There seems to be so much pressure on kids today to be the best in their class, get the highest score on the test, or that any grade below a B is unacceptable. Obviously, parents aren’t out there wanting their kids to fail, but I think there could be more flexibility when it comes to expectations. That’s not to say for parents to just let go and stop encouraging their kids, because there is definitely value in pushing your kids to do and be their best. But when it becomes all about grades, I think we’ve missed the mark.
I was always a good student, and my grades were usually pretty good. But I can tell you that not a single person in my adult life has cared what grade I got in my high school math class. No one has asked if I scored 100% on the AP US History test I took as a junior. It simply doesn’t matter anymore. But what does matter is that I am a kind person, who includes others, is friendly, and listens to people.
When it comes down to it, the way we treat others says a whole lot more about who we are as people than the grades we pulled in school. Sure, good grades can indicate that someone is a hard, determined worker, and good grades can get you into a college where you can earn a degree and work toward making a career for yourself. Having a job allows you to have money to pay your bills and put food on the table. But it’s important to remember that being kind is good, too.
So as your children (and your students) grow and learn, be sure to teach them more than just academics; teach them to be kind, patient, respectful, and inclusive. Because one day, it’s the way they are that will truly take them places in this life.
It’s no secret how much I enjoy holiday-themed activities! They just bring such a fun element to a lesson and spark so much creativity. Even though we typically think of holiday themed activities as being targeted toward elementary aged kids, you can easily bring them into any content area and any grade level simply by modifying the difficulty of the activity.
Thought I can appreciate all content areas, English/Language Arts is my favorite, since that is what I spent many years teaching. And since we are nearing Halloween, I thought it would be appropriate to share some fun Halloween themed Language Arts activities!
(Most of these will be geared more toward junior high aged kids, but can be modified for other grade levels as well.)
Read some “spooky” stories or poems. Edgar Allen Poe is always a good option for this time of year. In particular, “Tell Tale Heart” is a stellar choice for junior high students. Other options include “The Hitchhiker” by Lucille Fletcher, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Did you know Roald Dahl even has some spooky short stories?!
Ask students to write a descriptive paragraph or two giving detailed descriptions of a haunted house. Have them trade papers with a classmate and have them create a physical model (drawing, painting, cut and glue, etc.) of the haunted house using what is written.
Have students write a personal narrative about their favorite Halloween or a favorite family Halloween tradition.
Have students write and illustrate a simple Halloween children’s book.
Have students write a persuasive piece defending their right to still trick-or-treat.
Using the free “Roll A Story” printable below, have students write a short story using the elements their dice rolls choose for them.
Play some fun Halloween music while your students work on one or more of these delightful Halloween themed activities, and you’ve easily set up a fun work environment for your students to work in! Teenagers might put up a front that they are “too old” for things like this, but deep down, they love it and will eat it right up when given the chance!
** This printable is free, and is intended for home or classroom use only. Please do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. **
One of the coolest parts of being a parent is the chance to be an active participant in their education. I love knowing what is happening in my kids’ classrooms, hearing about their days, and getting to know their teachers. But… my all time favorite ways to get involved are by going on field trips and volunteering to help with class parties. They both offer such a fun glimpse into where my kids are all day and who they are with.
Volunteering serves a few purposes for me— first, it lets me connect with my child and lets me get to know their peers, and second, because I have personally been a teacher, I know how valuable parent support is, and I want my kids’ teachers to know I support them and am willing to help shoulder some of their already too heavy load. My third reason is, admittedly, a little bit selfish: I love going on the field trips because it is a fun way to experience different fun things around my community that I might not get to experience otherwise. Sure, I could take my family to the aquarium or the pumpkin patch, but when I get to go with the school, there is almost always an educational class or presentation for the kids to participate in. I enjoy learning new things, and find it fascinating to hear what they teach the kids.
Just yesterday, I got to walk with my son’s kindergarten class to a local donut shop, where we got to see where the donuts are made, watch the machinery in action, and hear all about the donut making process. It was an hour out of my day that was well spent, and I know the teacher was appreciative to have extra hands to help with students.
Volunteering has allowed me to learn really cool things at the farm, the aquarium, museum, zoo, donut shop, dentist office, post office, dinosaur museum, children’s museum, police station, and more.
From a teacher’s point of view, parent support is crucial. Knowing that your students’ parents have your back makes such a difference. Every classroom has different needs. Many, especially secondary classrooms, don’t have much need for in-person volunteers. Elementary classrooms, however, often have great need for in-person volunteers. Regardless of what kind of help teachers need, the support parents can give is immeasurable and is so appreciated.
Parents, if you don’t know how to support you children’s teachers, might I suggest a couple of ways?
Send an email letting them know you are thankful for what they do for your child. CC the principal on the email.
If finances allow, add a container of cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer, or box of tissues to your next grocery order to donate to the classroom.
Volunteer for class parties or field trips. If you can’t be there in person, offer to donate supplies for activities.
Learn the teacher’s favorite snack or treat and send one to school the morning of Parent-Teacher Conferences (or any random day!).
Volunteer to help assemble learning packets, cut lamination, grade papers, or to come in and help with reading.
It doesn’t take a lot to show your support for the teachers in your life. They are overworked, underpaid, and often completely exhausted. A little appreciation or support really does go a long way!
And teachers, if you find yourself barely surviving, don’t hesitate to reach out to the parents of your students and ask for help. I guarantee you’ll have at least one willing volunteer to help shoulder your load and make your job easier.
It’s officially Fall! The leaves are changing where I live, and the morning air is crisp. It’s a beautiful thing! New seasons bring all kinds of changes, and those changes create great opportunities for exciting learning opportunities as well as lots of fun, creative art activities. Below you will find a few suggestions and ideas for some Fall fun in your classroom! Feel free to modify any activity to fit your students’ needs.
Science:
Learn about the life cycle of an apple from seed to fruit. Taste test different kinds of apples.
Learn about why the leaves change their colors. Talk a walk outside and see how many colors of leaves you can spot.
Investigate why the temperatures start to drop. Discuss the Earth’s rotation and position this time of year.
Art:
Go outside and gather some leaves from the ground. Use them to create leaf rubbings, stamps with paint, or press them and make a bookmark.
Draw a fall scene.
Gather small leaves from outside. Draw a tree trunk and branches on paper, then glue the leaves onto the tree.
Language Arts:
Read some books about Fall.
Write an acrostic poem using FALL or AUTUMN.
Write a descriptive paragraph describing a fall scene.
Math:
If available in your area, collect fallen acorns or pinecones. Sort and count in several different ways.
Conduct a class-wide survey about favorite Fall activities. Create a bar graph with the results.
Use fall themed candy as math manipulatives.
Print out and have students complete the Fall Find and Count printable at the end of this post.
Students learn best when a learning experience is engaging. And honestly, from a teacher’s perspective, teaching is much more enjoyable when the material you are teaching is fun and engaging. Play into the seasons, holidays, and other special occasions— I bet you’ll have as much fun as the students do!
** Feel free to download the free Fall Find and Count worksheet— it is only for personal and classroom use. Please do not distribute, sell, or use as your own.**
We’ve all been there as teachers— we plan the perfect lesson or activity, anticipating that it will fill as much time as possible… and then it doesn’t, and suddenly, you’re left with time to fill. A few minutes of “free time” at the end of class isn’t so terrible, but too much time? You’re going to end up with chaos and mayhem!
If (when) you find yourself in a situation like this, or find that you need a short brain break in between tasks or activities, it’s always good to have an idea or two in your back pocket to quickly pull out for your class to do.
Sure, the Internet is teeming with ready-to-go brain breaks and time fillers, but sometimes, you just need something that is not tech related and is still fun and engaging. I remember playing “Heads Up, Seven Up” or “Silent Ball” and having so much fun. If there is an element of mystery or challenge to the game or activity, it makes it even more fun.
I’ve created a fun “Challenge Game” full of different kinds of challenges to engage students and targeting several areas of learning. As a teacher, you know how much time you have available, so you can choose the type of challenge— some are super quick, while others take more time. Choose a challenge card, then pick one (or more if you have time) challenge activity and have your students complete the challenge. Split them into groups or do the challenges as a whole class— whatever fits your needs!
Have fun and enjoy connecting with your class. Parents, you can use these challenge cards, too! We all know that sometimes you just need a few minutes to reset at home. These are even great to cut out and keep in your car! Tuck them into your purse and pull them out while you wait for your food to come, the doctor to see you, or to keep the whining to a minimum when they claim they are bored.
As always, the printable is free, but is intended for classroom or personal home use only. Do not sell, distribute, or repost as your own.
You wake up and feel great, until you start to think about the things you will be doing during the day. Suddenly, you don’t feel so great anymore. You start to sweat. Your throat feels tight, and your mouth gets dry. You can feel your heart start to beat faster and faster. Your tummy feels like it’s doing somersaults, and your mind is going as fast as a race car. You convince yourself that staying in bed is the best option, because then you don’t have to face the day, and that is certainly easier than confronting the things you are worried about.
Perhaps you have found yourself in this situation a few times. Maybe this is your reality every day. Or, maybe you are one of the lucky few who doesn’t ever really worry about things to this extent. Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that anxiety and worry are real. As adults, we can usually pinpoint what it is that is making us worried, and can take the necessary steps to cope with it. For kids, however, it might not be the same. Since kids are still trying to figure out what different emotions feel like, they may not recognize anxiety for what it is; they may see it as a big, scary monster inside of themselves.
Thankfully, there are a lot of resources at our fingertips for helping our students and kiddos who deal with anxiety. One of those amazing resources is picture books! I love using picture books to teach about abstract concepts— they give kids a visual way to see the idea, and they tell about it in a way they understand. A trip to my local library presented me with several children’s books about anxiety. The following are ones that I particularly enjoyed:
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine written by Julia Cook and illustrated by Anita Dufalla
Wilma is a cute elementary aged girl who wakes up every morning and pretends to go back to sleep so she doesn’t have to face the day. Her mind is full of ‘what if’ questions— What if they serve buttered carrots at lunch? What if she gets chosen to do a math problem in front of the class and she gets the answer wrong? What if her friends don’t want to play with her at recess? What if she doesn’t get picked for a team at PE? What if her mom gives her a gross snack after school?
The ‘what if’ questions consume Wilma and make it hard for her to do things and enjoy her day. Her mom notices this happening and decides to take action. Together, Wilma, her mom, and her teacher create a plan to help quiet Wilma’s worries. They talk about the worries Wilma can control and the ones she can’t. The teacher introduces the “worry hat” that Wilma can put on whenever she feels worried— she can ‘think’ her worries into the hat, then take it off knowing the worries have left her mind.
The illustrations are just perfect, and this story does an incredible job of describing what anxiety feels like and offers some great coping strategies that kids can easily use.
My Monster and Me written by Nadiya Hussain and illustrated by Ella Bailey
This book follows a little boy as he talks about his Monster. This Monster has been around as long as he can remember, and seems to follow him everywhere he goes. His Monster shows up at interferes with just about everything the boy does. He can’t seem to escape it.
One day, the Monster gets so big that the boy just can’t take it anymore. Frustrated, he goes to his grandma’s house, where grandma helps him talk through what is bothering him. The more he talks about it, the smaller the Monster becomes, until the Monster is small enough to fit in the boy’s pocket. Now that he knows how to make the Monster smaller, the boy is able to go out and enjoy things and have fun with his friends.
I loved the analogy of a monster for anxiety. It really can feel like that— like a huge, fuzzy mean creature trying to take over everything, and it can be consuming. In the story, the boy turns to a trusted adult to sort out his feelings and make sense of everything.
The illustrations are darling, the story is simple, but the lesson is deep!
Pig and Horse and the Something Scary written and illustrated by Zoey Abbott
Pig wakes up one morning not feeling herself, so she decides to go see her friend, Horse. She tells Horse that she feels something scary inside of her, but she can’t say what it is because she is trying to ignore it. Horse is a helpful friend and suggests that they go for a bike ride. When that doesn’t work, she suggests that they go for a swim. When swimming doesn’t take away the feeling, she has the idea to get Pig to laugh really hard. But even that doesn’t work.
Horse thinks for a minute and suggests that Pig just let it all out. Pig is afraid and hesitates, so Horse comes up with the idea that they invite the scary feeling to tea. Together, they whip up some yummy treats and tea and sit down to have a tea party. When she feels ready, Pig lets out her worries— first, the night, then the idea of being alone, and lastly, the character from her bedtime story the night before. Each of these fears is represented in the book by a different colored “cloud” of sorts coming from Pig’s mind.
As she releases each fear, Pig and Horse try different ways to make each worry become smaller and smaller until it vanishes. Ultimately, Pig feels much better for having let her worries go.
I loved this book for a few reasons— first, Pig recognized that she felt different, so she sought out the help of someone she loved and trusted. Second, the fears were given a color and description to make them feel tangible. Third, Pig and Horse came up with coping skills together, and Horse did them right along side Pig as she let her worries go. The idea of not having to face worries alone would be so comforting to a child dealing with anxiety. Imagine already feeling out of sorts and worried, then having to cope with it alone! The thought of that would increase anxiety, which would put a child back at square one. Having someone to help makes a world of difference!
Way Past Worried written by Hallee Adelman and illustrated by Sandra de la Prada
Brock is past worried. His heart is pounding and his mind is racing. He has been invited to his friend Juan’s birthday party, but he has to go alone, without his brother. Brock is worried that the other kids at the party won’t like him, won’t play with him, and will laugh at him. He’s worried that his superhero costume isn’t good enough and that he wouldn’t have anything to say to the other kids.
His anxiety takes over and causes him to freeze up as he enters the party. Rather than going to join the other kids, he retreats to a tree, where he finds a new friend, Nelly, who is also experiencing anxiety. Together, they talk through their worries then decide to be brave like superheroes and join the party.
Nelly and Brock join the other kids and have a great time, glad that they decided to not let their worries get in the way of their fun day. This book is so great— the illustrations are super cute and the story tells of a kid in a situation that is familiar to most kids. Because most kids know what it’s like to attend a birthday party, they can imagine what it would be like to have to go alone, and can more easily put themselves in Brock or Nelly’s shoes.
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I hope you’re able to use one or more of these books if you ever find yourself in the position that you’re helping a student or your own child make sense of their anxious feelings!
