Curating resources & sharing stories to empower teacher & student ownership, wonder, and daring.
If you’re looking for a fun last minute, super simple activity to do with your students, I’ve got you covered! All you need is a printer, paper, scissors, and something to color with! Click on the link below to download and print off four Valentine bookmarks. Leave them black and white, or color them in!
*Please do not sell or distribute this file. It is intended for only personal or classroom use.*
When I was growing up and in school, I was under the assumption that kids who were in the gifted or accelerated programs were always the ideal student with no behavior issues, super organized, and very on top of everything. Boy was I wrong! Sure, there are gifted students who are well behaved, and on top of things, but they aren’t all like that. Just as in any other classroom, students in a gifted program are diverse in their skills and abilities. Gifted doesn’t mean perfect student.
When I was taking courses to get my gifted endorsement, and especially when I was eventually teaching gifted classes, I learned that gifted kids are just like any other kids, and that their brains usually just process information in a unique way. Just as I would make accommodations for my students who had 504 plans or IEPs, I often found myself making accommodations for my students who learned at an accelerated rate. While making changes to assignments and instruction for one or two students can be challenging, it’s always worth it. Students who want to be challenged and who excel when pushed should have the opportunity to do so.
So how, then, do you challenge a gifted student? It’s really pretty easy when you have a class full of gifted learners; your entire curriculum is designed to teach accelerated students. However, when you’re changing things to accommodate one or two students, it requires a little more effort. It’s important to remember that accommodating accelerated learners doesn’t mean more work for the student; it means different work and higher level thinking skills. Below are a few ways you can challenge your gifted students while still teaching the same concepts to the entire class.
Accelerated students are such a fun group of kids. They offer unique insight and views on life, and bring so much to a classroom. How do you challenge your gifted students?
Valentine’s Day is just a couple of weeks away! If you’re looking for a fun, easy Valentine’s Day themed activity for your class to do, I’ve got you covered! Click the boxes below to download a Valentine’s Day Word Scramble and/or a Valentine’s Day Word Search. Check back next week for some more Valentine’s Day fun!
*Please only use for home or classroom use. Do not sell or redistribute these files.*
Have cell phones and other digital communications eroded our ability to communicate professionally? Have we become so accustomed to textese that we don’t even notice it anymore?
I remember the first essay a student turned in where they had ended their writing with :). I was shocked that they would even dare turn in something like that. I suppose I never even thought to tell them that using emoticons in their writing was not acceptable. I mean, they weren’t texting their friend; they were writing and turning in a persuasive essay. What I didn’t know at the time was that this was just the beginning of students using textese in their assignments, and that the problem would continue to show up in work I received from students.
As the school years passed by, and students continued to turn in work that was filled with “UR”, “Thx”, and “:)”, I realized that cell phones were directly correlated to this increased lackadaisical attitude about their work. Sure, abbreviated forms of words are easier and faster to write, but sometimes taking the easy way out just conveys laziness.
While there certainly is a time and place for this kind of writing, I assure you it isn’t in formal essays or other professional writings. My husband is a vocational counselor, and part of his job is to help people to find suitable employment. As he does this, he must review resumes, job applications, letters of intent, and so on. Just the other day, he was reviewing a resume where the applicant had included #readytowork in his resume. A hashtag! In a resume! Now, I’m all for a good hashtag, and definitely can see their value, but I also know that adding a hashtag to a resume isn’t exactly professional. Will it draw attention? Absolutely. But probably not in a super positive manner. Needless to say, this client was advised to remove the hashtag and revise his resume to be more professional.
Imagine a college admissions board reviewing applications and letters from hopeful graduating seniors, only to find the submissions are littered with unprofessional slang and textese. I don’t think it would leave the board feeling too impressed with the applicants.
As teachers, it’s important that we help our students understand when it’s okay to use more relaxed language and when it’s not. We need to teach them what professional language looks like, how to use it, and when to use it. Doing so will set them up for success as they move on to college as well as into the professional world.
“Open your books to page 24. Today we are covering chapter 3, and will learn about land formations. We will read pages 24-30 out loud as a class, with each student taking a paragraph. Let’s start with Kevin and go up and down the rows.”
OR…
“I’m going to split you into groups of 4. Each group will be given a different land formation and an information sheet on that specific formation. Review your sheet together. Then, as a group, you will use the scrap bin and other art materials to create a 3-D model of your land formation. Your group will present to the class and will share what you have learned. You have 40 minutes. Ready? Go!”
Two scenes, two different approaches, two very different responses from students. Which classroom would you rather be in?
I imagine the first scenario would produce groans, eye rolls, and heavy sighs from the students, not to mention massive amounts of anxiety for the students who absolutely loathe reading out loud in front of the class. I imagine the second scenario would be received with more enthusiasm, excitement, and willingness to participate.
Of the two scenarios, it’s pretty obvious that the level of student engagement increases exponentially with the second option. When students are engaged, they are much more likely to participate in the lesson or activity, and there is also a greater likelihood that they will retain the information that is being taught. Another positive benefit of keeping students engaged is that they are less likely to cause boredom induced behavior problems because they will be actively engaged in the lesson. I realize that not every lesson can be taught with art, models, videos, or games. Even still, teachers ought to be making every effort possible to keep students engaged and interested in the material being taught; not every engagement technique requires fancy bells and whistles.
Student engagement is vital to a thriving classroom, so here are a few ideas you may or may not have tried with your own students. Keep in mind that not every idea will work for every student or every lesson, and that’s ok! That’s why we have a variety of options in our teacher toolboxes!
Use your students’ interests– When students are interested in what they are learning or can see a direct connection to something they are interested in, they are more willing to learn and retain what is taught. If you can connect football play strategies to your study of World War II battle strategies, you’ve gained the attention of all of your football loving kids. Having your students listen to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” as you study Romeo and Juliet will quickly engage your Swiftie students.
Gamification– Use game elements in your teaching. Create a BINGO game as a review before a test, use Kahoot to reinforce information, or create a fun online scavenger hunt for students to complete to collect information.
Anticipatory Activities– When introducing a new unit or topic, provide students with a fun and engaging activity to get them thinking about what they are going to study. Studying a book about Ernest Shackleton’s crew of men who get stranded in Antarctica for a couple of years when their ship wrecks in 1912? Play a true/false game with crazy or cool facts about Antarctica and show pictures of what it is like there.
Collaborative Learning– Use group work when possible. Students can work together to solve problems, gather information, and learn together. They can learn from each other, and can gain valuable people skills through group work.
Provide Choices– Allow students a say in how they show what they’ve learned. Provide them with options that target different learning styles so everyone has a chance to use their strengths to showcase their knowledge.
Use Media– Show video clips or listen to music to reinforce content. YouTube is loaded with tons of short educational videos that can bring so much to a lesson. Music has also been proven to aid with memory and retainment.
Laugh Together– It really is true what they say- laughter is the best medicine. Laughter has a way of connecting people. Laughing together as a class can lighten the mood, ease stress, and help students feel more comfortable in their learning environment. Besides, no one likes a teacher who is grumpy and stuffy all the time!
Take a Break– Provide your students with opportunities to take a break from their learning. A simple brain break video works great. Have them stand up, stretch, and get wiggles out. Let them chat with a neighbor for a few minutes. Play a quick round of Silent Ball or Heads Up, Seven Up. Taking a short break from working can give the brain a rest and a chance to reset and refresh, which, in turn, increases productivity and alertness.
These ideas are only a few of the many techniques to engage students. Find what works for you as a teacher and for your students. Don’t be afraid to shake it up a bit and try something you maybe haven’t tried before. You may be surprised at how well it’s received by your students!
My second and third graders hit the 100th day of school mark today, and my kindergartner and preschoolers will hit it next week. It’s weird to think we are over halfway done with the school year already.
The second grade celebrated by inviting kids to dress up as 100 year olds and did a bunch of activities throughout the day. Amazon saved my behind with overnight delivery and kindly had a cute little “old man” costume at my door by 6 am. I dropped my son off at school and smiled as I watched other students walking into the school in costume. Sure, dress up days can be stressful, but they are so much fun!
Do you celebrate the 100th day of school at your school? If so, how do you celebrate? Since our school year started in the middle of August, we are hitting our 100th day sooner than a lot of other schools across the country. If you haven’t hit the 100 day mark yet, and are planning on celebrating with students, here are a few ideas you could use!
Well there you have it— fun ways to celebrate the 100th day of school! Happy celebrating!
One of my favorite novels to teach with my eighth grade students was The Giver by Lois Lowry. The novel is rich with themes and ideas that lend themselves to some really good classroom discussions. Because the main character is close in age to junior high students, it provided excellent opportunities for students to make text to self connections and dive deeper into the book and really try to understand what it would be like to live in the society that is portrayed in the novel.
The book is set in a “utopian” society. The people are pleasant and kind. They follow their laws and rules very obediently. The people don’t have memories, don’t see color, and they don’t feel pain, joy, love, sadness, etc. Weather is constant. There aren’t birthdays, and everyone born each year moves up a year (age) all together. They are assigned jobs as they become a 12, and begin training for their new assignment right away. Jonas, the main character, is given the assignment as The Receiver. His job is to receive and hold the memories of the past. It is a heavy responsibility. Through this assignment, Jonas learns just how imperfect his society really is.
Students today are pretty familiar with dystopian novels, as they have recently risen in popularity. So while the genre itself isn’t new to most kids, some of the ideas that are in the novel are, or are at least presented in a new way. This provides a plethora of discussion and thinking points for students to study as they read the novel. Below is a list of some ideas you can use as you teach this novel.
The Giver is full of so many opportunities to teach, discuss, and ponder the rights and wrongs of society. The topics, for the most part, are things that junior high students deal with or at least have dealt with in their lives. They can relate to Jonas as he navigates learning new things and goes through changes in his life. This novel opens up so many possibilities in a classroom and is a book that is worth reading!