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- Welcome to the elem./middle school focus chat. Our topic: Back-to-school ideas!
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Hello everyone! Are you ready for school to start?
Kathy/5/IA-moderator - Tonight we plan to share ideas on how to start off a great school year!!
Kim/KS/8--moderator - I do an activity with my students called DATA PROCESSING. The students have to work together and it involves physical activity. It also gives them a chance to learn about each other.
JaBow - On the first day I like to pair up the kids and have them interview each other. Then they must write a biography of their partner to present to the class. They also draw a portrait of the person. These are all displayed on a bulletin board.
Mel - Hey, what about ideas for the fist day? I like to read Miss Nelson is Missing and use that to discuss discipline. I can be Miss Nelson or Miss Swamp depending on their behavior.
Mr.C - How about starting off by doing something different? Go to Global Schoolhouse, IECC or IEARN and start a project, or join one. Have your kids team up with others around the world to do something.
beegee - Cooperative activities for team building are great as well.
Patsy - I was thinking about establishing the team spirit within my group of LD kids. I have found , in 7th grade the best way I can help them fit into their peer group is to help them participate with success in their integrated classes. I have one period a day with just my "caseload" of special students so that I can prepare them for what is coming in their other classes. I often pre-teach what I know a teacher will be covering in one or two classes so they can get a jump on the kids who are quicker with the answers. This makes them look "smart" to classmates and is also good for their self esteem. Do you see your students in a small group at all?
Jamie - Any thoughts on character education ideas? I teach at a charter school with a moral focus.
Laurie/AR - A teacher friend and I found a lot of great ideas from old Mailbox magazines for character education.
JaBow - For character education, try posting sayings on a bulletin board, a new one each week, discuss what they mean, have kids write about them
Jamie - JaBow, yeah I was thinking about that. What do you think about skit representations? Beef up their public speaking.
Ga. Teacher - Laurie do you know what year the Mailbox books were?
JaBow - Mailbox is a great resource...has anyone tried their website/ http://www.themailbox.com/
Laurie/AR - I have 1999 for a lot of them. Some I don't have dates on. They had a section for Character Education. We modified them a bit.
Mel - If you subscribe to the mailbox, they have a new on-line service called the mailbox companion. You can download lots of repros and ideas.
Elaine - I teach third grade. How do you start off the first day with an intro of yourself? Reading a book? A game or activity?
Ga. Teacher - Elaine I usually take a piece of poster board and I make a collage about myself and then allow students to make comments or ask questions. You could also use the paper bag introduction.
Elaine - Ga. the collage idea about myself sounds like a neat way to start. Can you explain the paper bag intro?
Ga. Teacher - With the paper bag introduction you just put a couple of things in a paper bag (you can decorate the outside) about yourself and allow kids to sort of guess why you have these things in the bag and how they relate to you. They love it and some of them want to bring in their own paper bag with things in it. So I allowed them to have a show and tell on Friday and they bring in one thing about themselves and we try and guess how their object relates to them.
Goobers51 - Ga. teacher--I use Shel Silverstein's "What's in the Sack" from Where the Sidewalk Ends to intro something like that. Then they bring one in the next day to intro themselves.
beegee - Laurie-do fun co-op things like Mobius Strip or paper airplanes.
beegee - Ga- that's what I do to model the Me Collage for my kids!
Mel - Elaine, I have a bulletin board titled "All about me" that I use for spotlighting the kids throughout the year. I start off with myself and it's an opportunity for them to learn about me.
Kim/8/KS--moderator - I teach 8th grade with two other teachers. We divide the day into activities -- introductions, team building activity, locker assignments, team rules and expectations, brief overview of each class, etc.
Mr.C - Thanks GA. Here's another suggestion... I have a project going to help teachers collaborate online, find them projects, lessons, work together collaboratively. Visit: http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/w99/projects/muve/present.htm for an overview
Laurie/AR - I like to have a Tshirt outline with their names on it waiting on their desks. They come in and decorate their tshirts while I talk to parents. Last year they decorated their nametags. From there we move on to rules and a tour of the school.
Kim/8/KS--moderator - My team does similar to the collage idea. We die cut puzzle pieces from posterboard. Each student gets one piece and decorates it with drawings and pictures from magazines. Then we put the puzzle together on a bulletin board and label it "Our Team Fits Together."
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - I've done the puzzle idea also, Kim. How do you die cut them? What do you use?
Kim/8/KS--moderator - Kathy, we have a die cut in the shape of a puzzle piece. They are all the same, but they fit together nicely.
beegee - kim- I think our Ellison machine has a puzzle- only the primary teachers use it BUT- now I could!! Thanks!
beegee - For older kids you can have them write the name of a person they admire. Then you begin with one person and another student links arms with that person and tells how they are connected(job, period of history) until everyone in the room is linked.
PatS - For the lst day, I have the kids draw a picture of themselves on a 3X5 index card. Then we pin it to a wallmap with a string attached to where they were born.
JaBow - also, try http://www.lessonplanz.com/
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - Another idea I've used is to have the kids write postcards to the class. The board is called "First Class Summer". I stress that the postcards don't have to be of vacations - just how they spent their time (since some kids don't go on vacations)
Jamie - Any ideas for decorating the outside of the door area to welcome students and parents?
Kim/8/KS--moderator - Jamie, I bought some of the animal "peekovers" -- I think that's the name. Anyway, I have them peek around and over the door frame. It looks like they are coming through the door. Then I make a giant speech bubble (like in the cartoons) and come up with something. Our team is the AHSome Team, so I put Welcome to the AHSome Team!) (AHSome because our school is Abe Hubert Middle School
Jamie - I think when you decorate your room you should have things hanging down from the ceiling. Whatever you choose, colorful cutouts, beanie babies, maybe have the cut ready for them when they come in to decorate and then hang.
ju - I agree with things hanging from the ceiling, Jamie I was just trying to figure out what to have hanging, but having the cutouts for them to decorate is a good idea.
PatS - I have bulletin boards that correspond to our first science and history units. I also have a theme. Last year it was a school bus. There were bus name tags, welcome sign, kids names on buses on the door.
Mel - How about "Reving up for a new year" with racecars on your welcome back b. board?
Kim/8/KS--moderator - One of my bulletin boards is an FYI bulletin board for the students. It has the school calendar, activity calendar, schedule, lunch menu, etc. on it. The students really use it.
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - The 5th graders will like the racing theme!
Mr.C - I have a lot of links for poetry on my "Literacy Links" page... http://pages.ivillage.com/bc/literacy/
Laurie/CA - I read once about a great opening week idea and used it for 4th this year. Kids loved it. Basically, each kid takes index card and answers a series of questions-starting with very broad, generic ones first, like what is your favorite food? The questions become more specific, till you get to what is something that very few people know about you, that you would not mind sharing? each day you pick a card from the stack turned in, without disclosing name. Ask, if pizza is one of your favorite foods, remain standing. Continue till last question and only the student whose card it is remains standing. They loved It!
beegee - Laurie- a variation of that is "Find Someone Who" where you make a grid with items and they have to get a signature from someone who matches.
Laurie/CA - I've seen Find someone Who, but it gets a little noisy doing those kinds of activities. This is a whole class activity and they all have to listen while I choose a card for that day.
Therese - I gave each child a handout with questions mostly about favorites...books, author, color, musical group etc. We discussed it and sealed it in a decorated cereal box. The box said "Do not open until June and it was in their sight all year. Every once in a while they would ask about it.
Therese - Before the kids opened the time capsule in June. They filled out the same form again. When we opened it we compared answers as well as our handwriting!
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - I've used the same 'theme' for years ... I collect Looney Tune stuff!
MotorMouth - my door says, "Racing Into Fifth Grade"... has racetrack with cars on it.. students names are on the cars
Ga. Teacher - Motormouth how about get some used tires and paint them and use them for your reading center.
Kim/KS/8--moderator - You could paint the tires in enticing colors and put a throw pillow inside each one to make it more comfortable.
beegee - What about a center that is labeled "Pit Stop"?
Goobers51 - I think someone suggested you use flags to hang from your ceiling--good idea!
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - MM ... there are some NASCAR chapter books in a series. I bought them for my nephew ... he really likes them.
PatS - Last year on lst day I had the kids make a poster of a river with mountains and clouds. They had to write 3 things they didn't like about their lives between the Mts., 3 things they loved about their lives on the top of the mt., 3 things that are ok on the river and 3 dreams on the clouds.
Laurie/AR - I don't really have a "theme" for my decorations. Our first unit is the body. I did find a job chart that looked like a child had drawn and colored it. So everything I bought looks like a kid colored it. They are so cute.
Cyn - I'm having a pond in my classroom this year.
Mel - Cyn, yes!! Get a large (refrigerator would be great) box, and cut out one side. Paint the inside blue or even purple then hang fish like it's an aquarium. Throw in some pillow and instant reading center!
Mel - Cyn, tell me about your pond. I have a tree in mine for the kids to sit under and read, a pond might fit in nicely.
Jamie - Mel- I've heard of teachers using 6 ft. silk ficus trees. Might go nicely with the pond.
Cyn - I'm in the beginning stages of creating the center, but the money was received through a grant. We are purchasing a in -ground pond which will sit in the reading corner. I'm surrounding it with stones for support. The student will bring in tadpoles to explore changes.
Mel - Jamie, my tree is out of bulletin board paper, crinkled, with branches up to the ceiling and artificial leaves hanging from the ceiling. It looks pretty good.
elaine - Cyn I bought some large flowers from bath and body works that might look good in your pond center you might want to try the store I bought them for $3.00 a piece and they're beautiful!
Laurie/CA - I'm trying to enter year with immigration unit and construction of family trees, I will be doing something with 20th century/ moon and stars and can't find a way to unite it all and decorate my room. Anyone have any decor ideas?
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Laurie/AR, Creative Classroom magazine has a great article on immigration in the August 1999 issue.
Lori/4/OH - Aviation theme- Look Who's Landed in ___ Grade
Lori/4/OH - How about paper cut out airplanes with 3-d props
Suzanne/TX/3 - Model airplanes and paper clouds hanging from ceiling
Lori/4/OH - How about passports and the book "Oh the Places You'll Go"?
Suzanne/TX/3 - "Off to a Flying Start"
elaine - I am going to have big flowers in my room this year I got the flowers at bath and body works. Does anyone have other ideas that I could use with these flowers?
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Just had an idea for flowers. What about stringing them together somehow and using them to go around the door frame? WELCOME TO THE GARDEN OF LEARNING!
Kim/KS/8--moderator - For the flowers, you could intertwine some fake ivy. A picket fence on both sides of the door would be cute.
Cyn - Carson-Dellarosa has a picket fence in their catalog along with the ivy.
Lori/4/OH - How about a math center using tangrams and geometric shapes made with toothpicks and marshmallows or clay.
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - There is a Mailbox book on centers - one for lower and one for upper grades. I don't have it, but plan to look for it.
Kim/KS/8--moderator - You could cut out pictures of wonderful places from magazines. Or better yet, have the students cut out pictures that match the settings in the books they read. They could then use the picture as part of a poster telling about the book.
Lori/4/OH - Concentrate on getting a comfortable routine and expectations down for students...one thing I've learned, control is very hard to get back once you've lost it.
Therese - I always concentrate on building relationships and laying the ground rules. The tone you set int the first couple months will carry through the rest of the year.
PatS - It is extremely important to establish a good discipline plan right away. You need to establish when they can walk, talk and sharpen pencils.
Suzanne/TX/3 - The most important thing to remember is that the kids are tired and on their best behavior the first few days. They will not always be this good, so don't let your guard down and thing that they are sweet and wonderful. You have to be strict and firm from the get-go, even when they start out really good.
Kim/KS/8--moderator - I agree with PatS. It is much better to be too strict in the beginning and let up. If you are too lenient, it is difficult to regain control
Lori/4/OH - A teacher friend of mine that has taught 28 years gave me some advice when I student taught..."Don't smile until Thanksgiving"
Jamie - I don't know if you have a "system" or plan yet; but I'm going to attempt the merit,demerit system this year.
Cess - I have heard to be harder in the beginning so they don't run you over.
Suzanne/TX/3 - Be firm and consistent -that's the hard part, though
Goobers51 - Cess-yes--that way you are setting your expectations and they know it
Mel - This sounds mean, but I don't smile much the first week. I'm very firm but by the third week the kids and I love each other, but they know not to act up. It really works.
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Lori, I've heard that one too, but I disagree. I am strict, but I smile and joke around with my students. I just set firm guidelines so that when it's time to work, we work.
PatS - It's a myth not to smile "till Christmas. You can be firm, loving and in control, all with a smile.
delta1 - you need to establish yourself. I call parents the first week if I think I see a "trouble spot" Gets the word out to the rest of the gang!
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - Mr. C - I love to collaborate with teachers via the internet. Could you explain your project again?
Mr.C - My email is: coops@edmail.com My project involves bringing teachers together on Virtual Environments, to collaborate on online projects, share and find lessons, etc... whatever they need to do.
Mr.C - http://forum.swarthmore.edu/ ...excellent site for math teachers
Cess - Is it good to start studies the first day?
Donna - I like to spend a day or two just getting to know each other
Lori/4/OH - Cess- get some samples of things like writing that will help you decide where to begin....some little short activities are best.
Laurie/AR - I like to use a few hours in the morning to get acquainted than the rest of the day we start working. I have to get in my assessments somehow if I plan to have a conf. with parents the first two weeks of school.
PatS - Cess, you can do a theme day that incorporates all the disciplines. I usually start a couple subjects right away and introduce more as the week goes on.
delta1 - I think starting right out the first day is good. Have something fun but educational. Shows them you are ready to rock and roll!
Patsy - What great ideas..This is such fun! I have a WELCOME sign which I made from large plaid letters , arranged in an arch and laminated .This welcome sign has been on my door all year for the last 4 years. It is a small thing that people remember when they see it at Open House or whenever they first come in, but several parents and kids have told me it makes them feel always...well, welcome. Also, if you can find a special job in the school in which all your students can participate and take pride.. it builds a feeling of having a " tradition". Last two years my class was responsible for raising and lowering the flag each day outside our entrance to the school. Over the year every student learned how to fold the flag properly, flag traditions and facts, why it is flown at half staff etc. They particularly were proud of being able to show others how to do these things. Flag Day is in the Spring ..we celebrated like it was our special day and the principal announced the day and gave my class a special thanks for keeping the flag flying all year.
Laurie/AR - I will have a student "teacher" in my room for 2 weeks in Sept. and then again in Jan. Any advice?
Cess - Laurie: include her on everything and still make her feel comfortable and at home. The more you do in student teaching the less panic when beginning a new job. There is still so much I never got to see or do.
al-IA - Has everyone checked out the lesson plans for room decor? http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1167.html
Donna - for my level, (middle and up), I have a Room Rules sheet which basically outlines all of my policies. The kids and parents have to sign it and it stays in the front of their notebooks. Then there is no question about makeup tests, homework policy, etc.
Laurie/AR - Thanks. Does anyone have ideas for writing prompts? Something different from the usual "What did you do over the summer."
Lori/4/OH - A book I bought last year for prompts was great...its called 101 Questions for Kids....real neat questions.
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - One thing I did last year to save lots of time was to use the label option on my computer. Very easy to make name tags!
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Laurie, there are some links to some excellent sites with writing prompts at my site, Kim's Korner for Teacher Talk, the URL is http://www.angelfire.com/ks/teachme/prompts.html
Suzanne/TX/3 - kathy, yes - and I also make labels for my kids' folders and spirals, so much easier than writing on them all that first day
Mel - Laurie/AR--how about summer activities from an ant's (or other small insect) point of view?
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Suzanne, I do the same thing. I make several sets and use them on forms I have to fill out on the students.
Suzanne/TX/3 - On the first day of school I always read a book called The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf, Michael Letzig (Illustrator) , then we talk about how to get along and support each other; then we go into the rules - it is about a box of crayons that is ugly to each other - I'm better than blue, etc. Then a kid buys the box and uses them all to draw a picture and they start complimenting each other, very good book
Suzanne/TX/3 - we always practice lining up; going to the restroom; meeting on the rug; turning in papers; anything I expect to have as a routine
Kim/KS/8--moderator - Well, my district is completely assessment driven, so we have to fill out a portfolio card for each student. The card lists all of the benchmarks for the students and we mark their scores. (Kind of like a year long report card.) I also use the labels on the conference sheets for Accelerated Reader and a modified version of Writier's Workshop (it's not the "textbook" version.)
kjc - suzanne, do you go over the rules for that particular activity and then practice it?
old friend - I like to do a mixer with my third graders. I have a list of things like, "lives in an apartment" "has a cat" "knows how to swim" etc. They go around and ask each other the questions and get signatures. They really enjoy it.
Suzanne/TX/3 - kjc, yes, paractice, practice, practice, model, model, model, compliment the ones doing well
lobster - On my first day of school I pair up my fourth graders with a list of questions like hobbies, favorite foods, pets, etc. and then they introduce their pair to the class.
elaine - I give them Welcome Bags - I got the idea from the chatboard it was an idea with a cottonball eraser and other things they all symbolize something. The eraser was to explain to the kids that everyone makes mistakes but that its okay
Donna - Jamie, at the high school algebra level, questions weren't the problem . The kids had 35 each night for homework, and they were tough. I had to do them also just to keep up. No winging it! and they liked to use the names of greek philosophers for the characters in the word problems, no mary and john.
Lori/4/OH - Anyone stressed about state proficiency tests....it seems to be a running theme here.
Mel - I think I will suppliment the Saxon Math Program. I'm not much on "canned" programs. I like to do lots of creative things. Besides, no program is perfect.
lobster - Katie, I am not a new teacher but I have come a very unusual route...a music teacher, then, a gifted ed teacher, now a fourth grade teacher. What grade do you teach in Clinton? I live down the road from you in Higganum!
Donna - Actually, the problem with Saxon is that it is based on a cyclical method of teaching. The night you teach a new topic, there is only one problem on it, but 34 problems that spiral back over the last 5 subjects. The next night, there will be one problem for the new topic and 3 for the previous one. The number of problems for a topic increases the further away you get from the topic. The opposite of every other program.
milymo - Proficiency is a running theme here too!
uni/in - Suzanne I hope it is ok for primary - the upper grades Silver Burdett is awful
uni/in - Donna I like the books that are cyclical I think it keeps them from learning it just for the test but for a lifetime
Mel - Donna, I think reviewing of skills is important, but geez, that many review problems? Seems like they won't grasp the new skill before it becomes a review skill!
Jamie - Mel, I'm with you. And I like to devote Wednesdays totally to problem solving and hands on. However, the school I'm at has an extremely high level of parental involvement. And they want to see the paperwork.
Donna - uni, I agree about the spiral effect, but when the concept is new, I really like to stress the practice so that they can become comfortable with it.
Mel - Jamie, invite the parents to come for the hands on day. They could help. Send paperwork home at night for reinforcement. Stand your ground girl! Most parents come around if you explain that there are different learning styles but I know what you mean about some of them! All parents should have to take a teaching methods class!
Donna - Mel, Jamie, I agree. I did supplement the current work with extra problems, but I also taught a new concept each day. I had to be finished in time for the uniform district-wide final exam. Then I still had 1 and a half weeks for .. whatever
lobster - Good luck to you Katie. First years are very special. You will never forget your first class.
Katie - I agree with Mel Jamie, parents would probably love to come in and help
uni/in - Jamie do keep up the hands-on and inviting parents is a good idea. Using manipulatives and "real-life" problems was the only complaint I got from parents - they wanted to see oodles of problems
Mel - First year teachers---take pictures!!!!
Suzanne/TX/3 - jamie, i play math games once a week with my kids, then they take them home and teach their parents how to play - parents don't question the value of hands-on much after they see the relevance
Suzanne/TX/3 - uni - pull out the Piaget - show them how it is so important to go from the concrete to the abstract
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - I need to take off also. Feel free to continue chatting here. Thanks for all the great ideas shared this evening!!
Donna - katie, don't know much about little ones. But there are books of card games in the teacher supply stores.
lobster - Goodnight everyone. Good luck, Katie. Thank you moderators for all the great ideas.
Kathy/5/IA-Moderator - Good night Kim! THANKS!!!
