Birthday Booklets
Submitted by: Tami
July 30th, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Art | Classroom Management | ESL | Reading & Writing
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: Create a take-home Birthday Booklet a child will cherish for a long time but that takes up hardly any of your time. Some kids have kept these for years and still have them!
Detective, Detective!
Submitted by: Tami
July 30th, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | Classroom Management | ESL | Language Arts | Music | Special Education
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: At the beginning of the year, my kindergartners are learning how to spell their names and recognize the names of new classmates. This musical game really helps students identify other kids’ names and learn their letters- I especially like it when the criminal “steals” letters we are working on that particular week!
Classroom Stationery That Sticks!
Submitted by: Jacqueline
July 22nd, 2010
Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Art | Classroom Management | ESL | Language Arts | Reading & Writing
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: This is a great "First-Day" activity I use in my third grade classroom each September! Distribute one Post-it® Note to each student (We use 1 1/2" x 2" size). Each student draws his or her own "self-portrait" in pencil. Student writes name under portrait (Students can use first names or both first and last names). Teacher collects the portraits, and arranges them around the outside border of a plain 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of white copy paper. Teacher may add a title to the stationery, for example, "Mrs. Nessuno, Room 215, The Caring Classroom." After attaching the Post-it Notes, teacher creates a "master," on the copy machine. Teacher and class can then use the master to create colored copies of stationery for use throughout the year! This stationery is perfect for classroom newsletters, notes home, thank you notes both for and from students, student letters-- even class books! Note: this activity can be adapted for any grade level Pre-k-8. For younger students, the teacher can distribute larger Post-it Notes and later reduce the student portraits (before attaching to the master stationery copy) using the copy machine. When you send a note home on your class stationery, parents (and kids!) enjoy seeing the student portraits, and your classroom stationery is immediately recognized-- the parent knows that's not just another flyer for the recycle bin, but it's an important message from your classroom, which makes this the classroom stationery that "sticks" all year!
Sticky Thoughts
Submitted by: Stephanie
July 12th, 2010
Categories: 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Art | Classroom Management | ESL | History | Language Arts | Math | Music | Reading & Writing | Science | Special Education
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: I created a Venn Diagram including "Academics" and "Social" categories. I explained to my students that they would each have a pad of Post-It® Notes on the corner of their desk, and could write a note about any situations or questions they may encounter during the day. It really gave the students a voice.
First Day Activity
Submitted by: Ida
July 12th, 2010
Categories: 4th Grade | Classroom Management | Reading & Writing
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Description: I hand out a Post-It® Note to each student and ask them to write down one important quality of a good teacher. I collect them and attach them to my body. After they are all attached, I share their answers. I then "turn the tables" and drop off the sticky notes back on their desks. I tell them that those are the same qualities of a good student. Sometimes we have to make adjustments, such as: student completes homework, I provide feedback quickly on homework. I do this activity so students understand that we are working together, that we all have a part in the classroom.
