Tag: positive classroom

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Teaching Kids About Courage

Trying new things is scary and hard sometimes! It doesn’t matter your age— the unknown can be intimidating. Picture books have a great way of teaching kids (and adults!) life lessons, including lessons about facing fears and having courage to try new things. While looking for some other books at the library the other day, I stumbled across a whole section of children’s books dedicated to this theme. 

So if you’re like me (or some of my kids) and need a reminder that sometimes being brave is scary, these books just might be for you! 

The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do by Ashley Spires

Lou is always up for big adventures with her friends… until they suggest that they play pirates up in a tree. Lou has never climbed a tree, and isn’t so sure about it. She finds all kinds of excuses to avoid climbing up to her friends, but when they all exclaim that the pirates need help, she knows she must give it a try. So she does, and she fails. After convincing herself that it’s not that she can’t climb the tree; it’s just that she doesn’t know how to yet. She decides that she will come back the next day and try again!

This story is perfect for talking to kids about being brave and trying again if it doesn’t work the first time. The illustrations are cute and well done.

The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi and illustrated by Lorena Alvarez

This book follows a young girl who just can’t seem to figure out how to ride a bike. She keeps trying, and keeps failing. She wants to give up… until the magical Yet shows up. With Yet, she can start to see that her dreams will come true, for Yet is a dreamer, maker, and one who finds a way. Yet is patient and encouraging when failures happen. Yet doesn’t give up! With Yet by her side, she learns to keep pushing forward and eventually gets to be where she wants to be.

This book is written in rhyme format, and is catchy and fun to read. The words flow well, and the illustrations are magical. It gives you the perfect dose of courage, knowing that your own personal Yet is right by your side as you try new things.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Jabari, his dad, and little sister head to the pool. Jabari tells his dad that he is going to jump off the diving board today. His dad offers encouragement and cheers him on. As Jabari gets closer to the diving board, he realizes how high it really is. He begins to come up with excuses and reasons to not try. His dad gives him a pep talk and tells him to take a deep breath and tell himself he is ready. Jabari follows his dad’s advice and begins the climb up the ladder. He got to the edge of the board, took a deep breath, and told himself he felt ready. He took the leap and discovered it was really fun! The book ends with him telling his dad that he’ll do a double backflip next.

The pictures in this book are wonderful, and the story line is perfect for teaching kids about how to work up the courage to try something new.

Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall

Jabari is back, but this time, he is determined to make a little machine that can fly across his backyard. Everything he tries doesn’t work. He’s getting frustrated and wants to give up. When his dad comes and gives him a little pep talk, he tells Jabari to “gather up all his patience, take a deep breath, and blow away all the mixed feelings inside.” Together with his little sister as his helper, Jabari gets the courage to try again. He gives it one more try, and this time, it works! He is proud of himself for not giving up and for having the courage to finish what he started.

One of the most important lessons to learn as a child is to have courage and be brave. We’re all faced with tricky situations, but being brave can change everything. These picture books all do an excellent job of illustrating just that. These books would be great to read with a class at the beginning or end of the year as kids head into a new season and part of their life!

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Out of Classroom Support

I remember my first year teaching— I was an intern, and I honestly was flying by the seat of my pants most of the year. I was still finishing up my college courses and trying to run a full schedule of 7 periods of junior high English classes. It was a lot. Ok, maybe that’s an understatement. It sometimes felt like I was drowning in a sea of teaching responsibilities, and the only thing being thrown at me to attempt to help me was a scraggly little piece of thread that kept breaking anytime I’d try grab on to it. 

However, In the midst of all of the chaos and learning, I learned to prioritize my students and my relationship with them. I didn’t want to just be a warm body standing at the front of the room; I wanted to be someone my students knew they could trust, learn from, and enjoy school with. I wanted them to know that I truly cared about them and their well being. 

Part of this process was learning about their interests, hobbies, and lives. It meant remembering to ask how their football game went, how play auditions went, and if they were going to try out for the basketball team. For one student in particular, it meant accepting an invitation to attend a horse-riding show she was going to be in. I will never forget how excited she was when I walked into the arena to watch her compete, nor will I forget how much it meant to her parents that I was there. 

As I continued my teaching experience, I attended many other school sponsored competitions, plays, games, concerts, and performances. I didn’t do it because I was bored or didn’t have anything else to do; teachers are busy people with lives outside of school. I did it because I valued my students and their interests. I prioritized building relationships and trust with them so that they knew I cared and that they would feel safe in my classroom. 

Now, as a junior high teacher, I had well over 200 students each year. There is no way I could possibly attend every event that each student had. But I did what I could, and made sure to be aware and ask questions so that they knew I cared, even if I couldn’t be there in person. 

Obviously there is a line to be aware of—avoiding attending events at a student’s home, or situations where you are one-on-one with a student is a good rule of thumb, as well as avoiding only picking one student to attend events for. You’d never want to put your job at risk— there are other ways to show your students you care about them. However, if the event is in a public place, and is a public event, attending their things can be a good way to show you care. 

Teachers do so much for their students inside the classroom, and it’s important to remember that there are ways to support them outside of the classroom as well. If your circumstances permit, try it. Buy a ticket to the school play and watch the amazing students perform. Grab your significant other and head to the homecoming football game. Take your sister or brother with you and grab a seat at the next orchestra concert. It will be well worth your time, and I can promise you that, even if they don’t show it, your students will be so happy you came to support them. Investing in the people you care about is a great way to spend your time and energy, and the pay out is immeasurable.

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Easter Word Scramble

Easter is right around the corner! If you need a quick activity for your students or kids, I’ve got you covered! Below is an Easter themed word scramble worksheet. Have students work individually, as pairs, or in small groups to solve the puzzle. You can even have them write a story afterwards using all of the words they unscrambled!

*This printable is free, but is not to be re-sold or re-posted. It is for classroom and personal use only.*

Easter Word ScrambleDownload

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Hop Hop Hooray! Easter is Coming!

Easter is so late this year– I keep feeling like it’s already passed, but when I remember that we still have a little bit, I get excited about it again! Easter is a fun holiday, especially because it’s associated with Spring (and the extra chocolate doesn’t hurt!).

Like the few previous holidays, I’ve created a couple of Easter themed I-Spy pages: one in color, and one black and white. These make the perfect classroom activity for fast finishers, as a stand alone activity, or they can even be used for group work. They are also really great to print off and have your kids do on the car ride to grandma and grandpa’s house for the annual family Easter egg hunt. Laminate them and use them over and over again!

Regardless if you use them at home or in the classroom, I hope you and your kiddos enjoy them!

** As always, these are for personal or classroom use only. Please do not sell or re-post as your own. **

Easter I Spy BWDownload
Easter I Spy- ColorDownload

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Kids Say the Darnedest Things: Part 3

Who’s ready for the last batch of classroom funnies? I saved the best for last, and boy are they good! 

“I’m a long term sub as a preschool aid. I have one student who is constantly telling me to go to jail – “go to jail Ms. Debbie – go to jail ” or to just go away.”

“I’m a math aide, and I had a 1st grade student add 3+1 by saying “If I have 1 girlfriend and 3 more girlfriends show up.” 

“I was a behavior assistant and had a 2nd grader come up to me very upset at recess because this other kid told her, “You need to be like Ice Cream and chill out.” It was very hard to not laugh at that one because she was very upset by it.”

2nd grade: “A boy turned in a note (clearly written by him) that said, “he couldent finish his homewerk he was at sckouts.” … then when caught, followed up with an apology note saying, “Im sorry for riting a note becaus I wasnt don with my homework. And that I said my dad whate it.”

“My coworker who is in charge of after school made the comment, “I’m so tired of children, problem is my career deals with children.””(I’m pretty sure most teachers feel this way at some point!)

“I had an 8th grader who was born with some congenital defects that eventually led to his lower leg being amputated. He had a prosthetic, and was not at all ashamed of it. He would often take it off during class and put it back on backwards just to make people do a double take. I know it certainly took me by surprise the first time he did it to me!”

“I had a student tell the teacher that she had huffed a whole can of Febreeze and now she is tripping balls.” (Fifth grade)

“We had a 4 year old little girl in our class get really mad at another kid and said the following (and really enunciated every single sound)…..”shut up you freaking b*****d.”

From an 8th grade health teacher: “When trying to understand how a woman gets pregnant if they only need one sperm and egg, a boy asks, “Wait, so what happens to all the other sperm if it only takes one?” I answered that they die and are attacked by the female immune system as they’re seen as foreign invaders in the body. Another boy loudly says, “So, basically it’s like Gandalf saying, ‘You shall not pass!’” (Yes, he said it in the Gandalf voice). Another girl more quietly mumbled and replied with, “Or it’s the females cleaning up men’s messes again. Even our bodies have to fix their mistakes.”

“I’m a SPED teacher. I have a good story at least weekly, lol. I have a little guy with autism who just has the best imagination ever. He is often a robot and we have to wind him up for him to do his work (he really hates any work that involves writing). He once told us the real him stayed home to play video games, he had sent a clone instead.”

“I have a very opinionated kindergartner that loves to tattle-tale. He’ll stop me in the hallway to tell me (while pointing an accusatory finger) “him said…him said…(to the boy) What did you say?”

From an elementary SPED teacher: The next one is gross but had me dying. One of our kids is newly potty trained…mostly. He was in line walking by the front office with his class when he shakes a turd out of his pants leg!! The kid behind him goes “What is that?” and picks it up. He figured it out real quick and threw it across the foyer, where it went skidding down the tile. This was all right in front of the principal! We asked him why he didn’t tell us he needed to go to the bathroom. He said a spider put it there.”

And there you have it! Teaching may be a lot of things, but one thing it isn’t is boring. What’s the funniest thing you’ve had a student say or do?

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Kids Say the Darnedest Things: Part 1

If you’ve worked around or with kids of any age for any length of time, you know how funny they can be. I’m sure most teachers could write a book containing all the funny things they have seen or heard in their classrooms. It’s just part of the job— and honestly, probably one of the best parts of it! I mean, who doesn’t need a little laughter every now and then?

Knowing that I wasn’t the only teacher who had a whole slew of funnies from students, I asked several fellow educators and other school employees for their funniest kid-isms, and their responses did not disappoint! They are too good to keep to myself, so sit back and enjoy as I share the funny things students have said and done! It’ll take a few posts to get through all of them, but that will just spread out the happiness!

“I had a fourth grader who looked me dead in the eyes and try to tell me in November after we’ve done 3 months of science work, that she didn’t know how to use a pencil and couldn’t do our assignment. She changed her tune when I asked very seriously if she needed to visit the no-nonsense kindergarten teacher for help.”

“I was teaching 8th grade, and my classes knew I was very seriously dating someone, and became very invested in trying to get all the details (which I definitely did not share!). One day at the end of class, I was wrapping things up when a student raised his hand. When I called on him, he told me he found something he needed to turn in to lost and found— a small round black lidded container of some kind. Once he got up to where I was, he said, “Miss, I have a question for you.” He then got down on to one knee, held up the little box, opened it and said, “I have no idea what this is. But will you take it for me?” Immediate laughter erupted from the entire room (and from me!) as everyone realized they had just witnessed a fake proposal. I told him I would take the box, but that I was already spoken for. Oh— and the box he ‘proposed’ with? It was a little thing of violin rosin.”

“I teach preschool and these are some things they’ve said that made me laugh enough I took note of them in my phone:
“Walmart is one of the most important things”
“Birds are really nice, they just tweet everywhere.”
“When I was at my grandmas I ate an apple, almost all of it!!”
“Earth is my favorite, EVEN there is a park.””

“My first year teaching, I had a girl come in for SEPs WITH her dad, then said, “My dad has a crush on you!!” while he was there.” (1st gr.)

“Reading a book called A Monster Calls and there’s a two page pic of the main character’s feet (stepping on a bed of yew tree leaves…part of the story). Student didn’t skip a beat and said, “Sweet, I didn’t even have to pay for those!”
I laughed so hard it took a full minute to compose myself (9th)”

“A 5th grader asked me in the middle of January if we could turn the A/C on because he was sweating. He was wearing two thick coats because he had left one at school and needed to bring them both home. He didn’t want to take them off because they were too hard to put back on again.”

“I had a 2nd grader tell me that she was “really worried about tomorrow.” I said, “What’s tomorrow?” She said, “Wednesday.””

“I feel bad finding so many things funny (I’m not laughing AT them, I’m laughing WITH them, right?) but I do! One that came immediately to mind is a sophomore telling me she couldn’t type her outline like I showed them, because her keyboard doesn’t have Roman numerals on it.” (High School)

Teaching is a job with many challenges, but thank goodness we can always count on our students to make the job fun, memorable, and entertaining. Stay tuned for part 2 of classroom funnies!

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The Benefits of Peer Tutoring Programs

Luke was a student of mine many years ago. I still remember his tussled blonde hair, glasses, and sweet disposition. Third period that year was a better place because of him. Luke didn’t get to go to eight different classes like most of his peers; in fact, he only got to attend three or so. Luke was a student in our school’s moderate to severe Life Skills Special Education class. He had a disability that made it harder for him to learn and perform at the same level as his same aged peers. But did this stop Luke from trying his best? Absolutely not! Did this disability stop his peers from including him and helping him? It sure didn’t! I watched countless kids defy the “norm” of teenage behavior and go out of their way to help Luke and other kids like him. It was beautiful to watch. 

One student in particular, Lily, was assigned to be his “buddy” for his time in my class. Our school had a peer tutor program, which allowed mainstream ed students to voluntarily use one of their elective credits for a term to accompany a special needs student to a class and help them during that period. Peer tutors would sit next to these students and help them stay on task, help make sure they had the papers and supplies that they needed, and help them in any other way that was needed. 

The peer tutor program benefited everyone involved. For the special needs student, it gave them a friend to rely on during the class and gave them a sense of belonging. Putting SPED students in the least restrictive environment is essential for development and progress. Peer tutors benefited as well, as it gave them a sense of purpose and pride. They were given the opportunity to work one on one with the most special kids in the school. It also gave them a chance to serve fellow students. The Life Skills teachers were able to breathe easier knowing that their students were in good hands when they got to go to mainstream classes. The mainstream teachers got the chance to witness a special relationship form, and also got the privilege of having such special kids in the classroom. Logistically, having a peer tutor in the room allowed the teacher to be able to continue teaching without having to stop as often since the peer tutor could assist their buddy. The other students in the class also benefited from the program because they got to see the example set by their peers who had given up time to help others. 

I don’t know of a single student who has participated in a peer tutor type program who hasn’t come out a better person. It really is such a unique and beneficial opportunity. I realize it isn’t for everyone, but for those interested, it can be a great chance to help others and make a difference for students who otherwise often get overlooked. 

I know there are programs like this in secondary schools across the nation. If you aren’t familiar with your school’s program, ask a counselor or the Special Education teachers at your school; I’m sure they’d love to educate you on the ways that mainstream students can help their peers.