Tag Archives : #sharingiscaring


Getting Through Parents’ Night – Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

Do you ever find yourself losing sleep over parent night?

These seasoned educators from our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative have some great tips for you.

Read what they have to say about the subject.

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By Marcy Howe of It’s a Teacher Thing

Make the most of your Back-to-School event. Organize your presentation, make sure you’ve given the essential information,

and make families feel comfortable and welcomed on your campus.

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By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

A few tips to help you relax about your Parents’ Night presentation. You’ve got this!

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By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

I’d like to share what my partner and I have done to make parent night fun for everyone, including ourselves,

since neither of us likes to get up in front of an audience, other than our classroom, lol! 

Six Tips for Making Parent’s Night a Piece of Cake

By Marypat Mahoney of Just Add Students

Six tips to help you make the most out of Parent’s Night.

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Please visit the blogs from our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative, you’ll be happy you did.

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                                     RCL


Not Another Parent Night!

 

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Are you thinking, Oh No!!! Another parent night, what am I going to do? Do you stay up worrying the night before?, or feel butterflies in your stomach? Are you self conscious about getting up and speaking in front of parents? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone.

My teaching partner and I came up with a way to make parent night fun for everyone, including ourselves, since neither of us likes to get up in front of an audience, other than our classroom, lol!

It happened one afternoon, after the kids had gone home.  We wanted to do something different for parent night.  Suddenly, the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words,” came into my head, and I had an Ah ha! moment. Why not show parents what our program is like instead of telling them.  That’s  how our Parent Night Video Program began.

We prepared for the  taping by making sure we got the go ahead from the principal as well ICS_MS_lockersas all the teachers who work with our students. Next we let our classes in on it, and they just loved the idea.

When the appointed day arrived, we were at the front door, camcorder in hand, to tape them as soon as they got off the bus. We were  greeted with waves and hellos as they entered the building and proceeded to their homerooms.

Mostly, we recorded  the kids, but we also wanted to show our teaching style so the parents could get to know us a little, We would go back and forth between rooms creating a short video of both. This can be tricky because the kids are alone for a few minutes just about every period. It’s amazing how much you learn about yourself and your charges when you watch yourself teach. We always made sure that we captured each child doing something, we never wanted anyone to feel left out, or for any parent to say, “I didn’t see my Sally.”

After period one which was either history or science, we’d escort them to Unified Arts, taping while walking. Some of them would be sewing, others would be doing woodwork, art, or metal shop. Again we would go back and forth between classes doing our filming. Parents loved to see them in action, we’d hear “oohs and ahs,” as they saw their little ones using power equipment, or sewing machines, and cleaning up after themselves. They were in amazed at the types of things the kids did, especially in metal/wood-shop, without losing fingers or limbs.

Unified Arts were over, we would then tape either English or Math classes  continuing to make sure that everyone was included.

At the finish of a busy morning,  we would switch classes and get ready to go to lunch. which is a real trip. We filmed them going through the lunch line and showed the cafeteria staff serving their food. Watching their child eat, and what they threw away was eye opening for many parents.

Back to class to continue taping either math, English, world history or science classes.  As the day drew to a close, you could still see us taping the children while in homeroom study period. and as their buses were being announced over the loudspeaker.  Our ending statement says it all, “The last bus has been called, the room is empty, and quiet and sometimes we like it like that.” We always get chuckles from the parents because they can relate.

Our final step, before parent night, was to send notes home letting them know that they will be viewing a  presentation of, A Day in the Life of their Child. Then we did some edits.

During the day of parent night, the class gets to see the end production, We give them popcorn or some type or snack and enjoy the movie together. We can now laugh at ourselves and congratulate the students for a job well done.

Parent night finally arrived and our production was ready for viewing. We introduced it and told them that the video will probably answer every question that they might have and it usually does. Jokingly we called ourselves Marin & Filipek DeMille after the Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille and the parents cparents clappinghuckled over that. The ice had been broken and we’re ready to begin.

Of course, there were times when the unexpected happened, like the video player doesn’t work, or we can’t find the TV that we signed up for. We’re all human, and these things occur. We took it in our stride and the parents were understanding. Eventually, we got everything up and running and all were happy.

The best part is to watch the reactions of the parents as they watch their kiddos in action. They marvel at how busy they are and how
much work is done throughout the day. They’ve never seen how their child behaves in school and they just love this. Better still, they realize what a difficult job we, as teachers have trying to tame these middle school children.

 

 

 

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Please be sure to read the tips from these veteran teachers who are members of our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative.

We’d love to hear from you, so please leave feedback.

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Discipline with Love

By Deann Marin at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

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Offering for Educators, Comprehensive Teaching Aides. If you’d like to see what else I have to offer please visit my store.

 

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Discipline with Love

 

I’ll never forget the book I read back in college called, Discipline Without Tears, by Dr. Rudolf Dreikers. “It provides a clear, constructive outline of his proven strategies for dealing with a wide range of childhood misbehaviors. Believing that children are social beings who want to belong, Dreikers stresses encouragement, cooperation, and firm control in a democratic alliance of parents, teachers and children.” Dreiker’s book has had a long lasting effect on me and my discipline techniques were based on what he said and I would highly recommend reading it.

I can’t express enough that one of the worst things a teacher can do is to prejudge a class or a student before they even enter the room. Let’s face it, some kids get along better with some teachers than they do with others, so it’s better to listen but with a grain of salt and make your own judgment.  I once had a young man come into my class with a really bad reputation, I was told that he had a bad attitude, didn’t listen, and yada yada yada yada. Needless to say, this boy was one of my favorite students. Sure he was talkative and questioned everything, he fooled around, but I loved his personality and sense of humor. He was an excellent student, a hard worker, and really cared about learning. What more could I ask for. His parents were, however, going through a divorce, and I always took this into consideration when working with him.

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Tip # 1

Let your students know that you care about them. Talk to them, find out what is going on in their lives. Are they from a broken home, did one of their parents die, are they going through a divorce, is there drug abuse in their family? There are so many reasons why children act out and these are only a few. I always try to put myself in their shoes and know that if I was going through some of the things that they’re dealing with I wouldn’t be able to concentrate or listen during class. I’d be thinking about the pain that I was going through. Many times kids will act out because they need attention, that they don’t receive at home. You might be the only one who takes the time to listen. This is why I love holding morning meetings. They can get what might be bothering them off their chests and be able to settle down for the rest of the day. It will make your life and theirs so much easier. Once the kids realize that you are there for them and you have their best interests in mind, they will do anything that you want, which includes appropriate behavior. 

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Tip #2

I’ve found that the kids want discipline, they want to follow rules, this helps to make them feel safe and secure. They like knowing what is expected of them. Ask what would happen if there were no rules. Most of them will say that nothing would get done, or that there would be chaos with everyone doing what they wanted. Then spend time setting up classroom rules with them. Ask for ideas, write them on the board, then vote for the ones that you all think are important. Help them to come up with consequences for their actions. This way, the kids will be heard, they will be making their own rules and most will follow them. 

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Tip #3

Be fair, set up consequences that fit the crime so to speak. Make sure that all of the children are treated the same way. One rule that I’ve found to be very effective is 3 strikes and you’re out. If you have to talk to a child 3 times during one period, there is a consequence, if he/she misses 3 home works in a semester, there is a consequence, if he or she is disrespectful, or bothers another child, there is a consequence, and so on. Be consistent, don’t give them chance after chance, they know the rules and if they choose not to follow them, it is their decision. 

NEVER show favoritism, the rules are for everyone. Let’s face it, we’re all human, we like some kids more than others, the trick is not to let them know. We don’t want to hear, ”Mrs. Smith likes Johnny better than me. He can do anything he wants and never gets in trouble.  Be firm, don’t raise your voice, let them know that you are in control in a kind and loving way.

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Tip #4

Keep in close contact with parents and or guardians.  Parents want to know when their little one has broken a rule, but they also like to hearwhen they have shown good behavior, have aced a test, have done a fantastic job on their homework, or have been kind to another student. Send a happy gram home, let everyone know how pleased you are. This helps to establish a good rapport with both parents and kids. They will know you care and will realize that you want what is best for everyone involved. It will make your life so much easier.

After grading a test, I will write a note to the student about their how they did. Even if they fail, I will always write something positive

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Tip #5

Lets say that Joey is a very needy child who constantly requires your attention, he is disruptive, causes arguments with others, can be a bully, you know the type. Sometimes the best way to deal with this behavior is to ignore it, and you need to teach the rest of the class to do this by rewarding them for not paying attention to him.  Peer pressure can truly be effective since everyone wants to be accepted. If the rest of the class really gets disgusted with Joey, some of them may actually talk with him about his actions, and this is more effective than you having to say something. This technique will work if the kids know that you care for them and are fair because their ultimate goal is to learn..

I’ve created a behavior modification bundle that can be utilized in a way to effectively help with discipline problems. 

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I hope some of my tips for a well behaved classroom will help you to have a great year.
Deann


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Please visit Socrates Lantern’s Social Media Sites





Please be sure to read the tips from these veteran teachers who are members of our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative.

We’d love to hear from you, so please leave feedback.

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Tips for a Well Behaved Classroom-Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

Do you want to turn this years group into a Dream Class?

One of the most difficult jobs that a teacher has is to develop discipline techniques that will be effective for their classroom. These seasoned educators from our Caring is Sharing Collaborative have been there and done that. Read what they have to say about the subject.

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By Megan Bodman of Adventures Teaching 4th

Using Whole Brain Teaching to create a well behaved classroom is a “no brainer.” I’ve got 5 tips that will help your class be well behaved no matter the situation.

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By Marypat Mahoney of Just Add Students

Looking for help with classroom management? Check out these 5 simple tips.

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By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

5-1/2 tried and true tips/resources to help your students focus on the positive behaviors.  

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By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

I’ll never forget the book I read back in college called, Discipline Without Tears, by Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs. “It provides a clear, constructive outline of his proven strategies for dealing with a wide range of childhood misbehaviors. Believing that children are social beings who want to belong, Dreikurs stresses encouragement, cooperation, and firm control in a democratic alliance of parents, teachers and children.”

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By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

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Don’t forget to check out these posts for the classroom of your dreams.

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RCL

 


How to Get and Keep Parents on Your Side

By Deann Marin of The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

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Offering for Educators, Comprehensive Teaching Aides. If you’d like to see what else I have to offer please visit my store.

 

 

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I have observed many colleagues who are uncomfortable letting their hair down, so to speak, causing them to seem aloof and unapproachable. They feel as if they are above their students and parents. It shows in the way they deal with them. They will never admit that they’ve made a mistake, and if a child points something out to them, they become defensive, angry. and mean.  When this occurs, the kids and parents feel alienated  and you will have an uphill battle for the rest of the year.

One of the main things that I realized, after years of teaching is that parents need you to care about their child, they want you to make their learning experience interesting, challenging and fun. The best way to do this is to make sure their little one knows that you are there to listen, and support them with positive reinforcement and encouragement. It’s also important that they realize you are human, you  make mistakes, and you can laugh at yourself. Once you’ve established a good rapport with the kids, and they like you, the parents will like you as well. They will do just about anything for you and you will be able to maintain the optimal environment for learning.

When you meet parents, greet them with a sincere smile and make small talk. Express how much you enjoy working with the children, it is important to be upbeat, even if you have something negative to say. Begin with a positive comment about Johnny, especially if he is having issues, tell the parent in a supportive manner, For instance, suppose Johnny is talkative, he shouts out answers, talks to friends when you’re teaching a lesson, and is constantly fooling around. You know the type. You should NEVER begin with the negatives. If you begin the discussion of Johnny’s behavior on a negative note, you will turn the parents off and you will lose their support and quite possibly turn Johnny off to learning. End by saying something complimentary.

For example: “Hi  Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Johnny is such a good kid, he’s respectful, finishes his work, he has loads of friends, a good sense of humor and I really enjoy teaching him. As you know, he is all boy and full of energy. He can be a bit talkative and sometimes disruptive because he shouts out answers without raising his hand. I’ve talked about this with him, but he is still a having a tough time. Perhaps you could speak with him when you get a chance. I know that he will improve in this area with a bit of help from all of us.”

Follow up by making yourself easily available with emails, phone calls, letters home to keep everyone informed of progress made or further difficulties. Remember that parents are sensitive where their child is concerned. So tread as lightly as you can. Be diplomatic and choose your words well.

Of course, as we all know, there are some students and parents who are an added challenge. We have to try harder and have almost limitless patience. Tact is the word here.  If Elizabeth’s mom is defensive and becomes confrontational, it is up to you to diffuse this anger. Speak calmly,  DON’T raise your voice, REMEMBER, you are a  professional.

I have had parents come in, very upset about a grade, or thinking that I was unfair, or that I hurt their child’s feelings. If something akin to this occurs, break the ice by saying something that lets them know you hear their complaint and are prepared to work with them in correcting it.

You could say:

“I am so sorry that Elizabeth believes I don’t like her, not my intention at all. As a matter of fact I like her a great deal, especially her jokes, she keeps me laughing. She received a low grade on her  test because”…Give your reasons for the negative grade. Make sure the parent understands your reasoning and reassure them that you are here for their child and want to see them succeed in this class.

The parent is satisfied, I’m feeling better about what has occurred and we’ve strengthened our relationship. As you can see, a bit of understanding, empathy and kindness goes a long way.2015-06-06

I’ve come up with a Growing Behavior Modification Bundle that has everything you need to help produce positive behavior and communicate effectively with parents.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by….I’d love to have you follow me.

Deann

 

 

Please Visit Socrates Lantern’s

Social Media Sites





 

Please take a look at more tips from these fabulous teachers in our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative

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Rainbow City Learning

 

 

 

 


5 Tips for New Teachers and Everyone Else

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

 

Teaching Tips

As veteran teachers, we all remember what it was like when we walked into our first classroom. So, in this week’s blog hop, from Sharing is Caring Teacher Collaborative, we’ve decided to share some tips with you.

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By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

5 “tried and true” teaching tips for new teachers. All that I wished someone had told me in the beginning!

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By Marcy Howe of It’s a Teacher Thing

Tips for new teachers and great reminder for the rest of us targets advice for survival in the classroom. Veteran teachers discuss their hard-earned expertise on making it through the early years of teaching.

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By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

Five things I wish I could tell to my new teacher self when I started my career.

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By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

One of the first things that I learned in college was to be nice to the custodian. He or she is your best friend.

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We hope the information that we’ve shared has helped. Please leave feedback and follow us so that you receive updates. 

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How to Communicate Effectively With Parents

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

 

 

If you feel uncomfortable talking to parents, these creative educators have some sage advice for you. Read on to see how they deal with this subject.

 

Communication Blog Post.001

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Parent Communication: The Good, the Bad, and Everything Else!

By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

Family communication makes for a smooth year! 4 “tried and true” tools that are must-haves!

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Communicating With Parents in a Caring Classroom
Ways to include parents as you build caring relationships in your classroom community.

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  How to Get and Keep Parents on Your Side

 

One of the main things that I realized, after years of teaching is that parents need you to care about their child, they want you to make their learning experience interesting, challenging and fun.

 

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Please take a look at more tips from these fabulous teachers in our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative


Don’t Go Back to School Without…

By Deann Marin at The Best of  Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

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Offering for Educators, Comprehensive Teaching Aides. If you’d like to see what else I have to offer please visit my store

 

 

As much as I love seeing those smiling faces each year, I always get a bit sad when the summer ends and I have to go back to work. I get so spoiled, getting up in the morning and doing whatever I want. No alarm clock to wake me up, no set schedule, I can stay up late, go out and party during the week, no rules, no lesson plans, no prep. It’s so easy to get used to that. Don’t you agree. This summer I’ve decided to make life a little easier for myself and teachers out there by putting together a few items that will just make your job so much easier.

 

 

Here are a few lessons that I’ve included in my “Getting to Know You,” Back to School Bundle. Something that you shouldn’t go back to school without. You’ll love my chevron apples for the names of your students, if they’re little you can pin the little apples on each child to help you remember their names.

Collages1-001You might want to place the larger chevron apples on the bulletin board, under a tree.Collage 2Once my homeroom gets settled and we’ve  taken care of those tedious little tasks, like  filling out forms and schedules it’s time for  some ice breakers, we need to get to know  each other. I play “Getting to Know You,”  from Rogers and Hammerstein’s, The King  and I.  Next we discuss the meaning of the  song and how it relates to the first day of  school.

  1. Play the song, “Getting to Know You,” from The King  and I. A YouTube Link and lyrics are included.
  2. Talk about the song and ask them how they get to know someone.
  3. Pass out Getting to Know You cards and have each child pick one. They will answer the question about themselves. The Teacher should also pick a card. and answer it, that will help them to get to know you. too.
  4. Want to make sure they are listening, you could have the class repeat something  that they learned  about each other.

  Example for younger children

Teacher answers 1st question, Rachel is the 1st student, she repeats teacher’s question and answers it, then Rachel has her their turn to  answer the question.. Josh is next he repeats Rachel’s question and  answers it, he then answers his own question.. You continue this way till everyone has had  their turn.

Example For or older children

Begin the same way as you would for younger children. When Josh has his turn, he has to repeat teacher’s Rachel’s question and answer, before he answers his own question. As game continues,  each child has more and more to remember. At the end, you should try it.

Oh,

One more thing, as if this isn’t enough, they have to say each other’s names and then say the question and answer before they can read and answer their question.  If this is too difficult, just have them repeat all the names of the students before them. Another tip for remembering names is to keep your seating chart in front of you. It’s a great ally until you know all of their names.

For me, the next task at hand is opening lockers which is a very challenging activity. I’m sure to have one or two sixth graders in tears. There is an image of a locker with directions on how to open them, you can make a copy for each child.

Homework Options you can use all of the worksheets or just a few. it’s up to you.

  1. Have students answer questions about themselves in complete sentences and make sure they use correct grammar.
  2. For younger children, I’ve included 4 all about me pages They are to answer questions about themselves and  color in the picture of a boy or girl and make the eyes and hair the same colors as their own. Two pages are in color and two pages are black and white.
  3. There are 7 writing prompts to help you begin to assess the writing skills of your class.  A grading rubric has been included for your convenience.
  4. Family tree, I’ve included 8 trees depending on the size of each child’s family. Before you pass out  the  trees ask them how many people are in  their family and give them the one with the correct amount of ovals. They can  include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, if they like. They are to  either draw the family member’s picture in the  oval, or use a photo., then write name of the person in the box underneath the picture.
  1. As a bonus, I’ve included a Back to School Crossword  Puzzle with an answer sheet.

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Another bundle that has earned the name Don’t Go Back To School Without, is my Behavior Modification Bundle which will make your life much easier. It has everything that you could possibly need to help achieve the type of behavior that is optimal for learning.

Here are some of the lessons that I’ve included.

  1. Daily Point Sheet2015-06-06

This was used for special education classes. It can also be used for any grade. Fill in the subject, activity or time, at the end of the period put a smiley face, sticker or check mark in the box if the goal was met. You could also give each task a number equivalent, that way if they child pays attention for some of the time, he could still earn credit for being on task part of the time. That way he/she will not give up. You could make each category worth 5 points, or what ever you think is appropriate for your class. Included is a blank form for you to fill in yourself with your own goals and subjects.

2.  Time or Subject Card Instructions

This was used with special education classes. Tape card/paper to each desk. When child behaves appropriately, attach a colored star (it can be handmade), sticker, check mark, or whatever you’d like.  Do this every 15-20 minutes. At end of day add it up and child earns a pre-determined reward for a certain number of stars.

  1. Daily Behavior Form for Primary Grades

Just like a traffic light. Green means go, orange means caution, and red means stop. Circle the appropriate colored oval. Green is for good behavior, Orange is for caution, not the best choice, and red means poor decision.

  1. Weekly Behavior Chart for Teacher and Child to Fill Out

It is so important for children to learn that they need to be responsible

for their own actions, that’s why this worksheet is useful. Very simple circle the number that corresponds with behavior. 5 is great, 1 is poor. The child may fill out his/hers, the teacher may fill it out, or both the child and teacher can fill it out. There is a spot for comments as well as signatures from the teacher and the parent.

Weekly Behavior Chart

Before you introduce this chart to the class, you should discuss the desired behaviors, the highest amount of points they can earn for each subject/activity or time period, and the amount of points needed by the end of the week for their desired reward.

For example, you may decide the children can earn up to 10 points, you can give them less, depending on their behavior. Each chart has a place for their name at the top, a section for subjects/times, and a place to put the points earned for that particular activity. At the bottom the child will write how many points they need for the particular reward that they would like. You have 6 activities each day, they can get 10 points for each. They can earn 60 points per day and 420 by the end of the week.You will have to decide ahead of time how many points each reward is worth. Discuss rewards with the class and see what they would like.

One Free Homework could be worth at least 375 points

Computer time 275 points

Board games  325 points

Chewing gum in class 400 points

Movie 400 points

  1. Class Reward Chart

I’ve included two class reward charts for you to keep track of the rewards used. There is room to write the names of the students, I’ve left a blank space, next to points for you to fill it in yourself. That way, the class will know how many points everything is worth and they won’t have to bother you about it. When the child uses his/her reward, put the date. That’s it.

7.  Problem Solving Worksheet

I’ve already mentioned how important it is for children to learn responsibility for their actions. Two worksheets are included that address this. The first one can be used with younger children. The child is to write about a problem that has occurred between himself/herself and another child. Not only focusing on the negative but the positive, they are asked how they could have handled the situation better, and what they have learned from it.  The second worksheet is for older students, they are asked to tell their side of the story, and how they could have handled it better. These worksheets are given to all children involved in the incident. If the child has an issue with another adult, they can use this for that also.

  1. Incident Report

As a final recourse, this form is for the teacher to fill out. It should be kept as part of the student’s record and may be copied to give to the principal and sent home to the parent.

  1. Happy Grams

So many times the only notes that are sent home are negative, that’s why I’ve created Happy Grams for any type of good behavior. I’ve included a few letters for different subject areas and good behavior, plus a blank one for you to fill in.

  1. Detention Notices to Parents

Last of all, there are 5 types of detention notices if you want to keep a child after school as a consequence for their actions. This will give you some time to speak with the child and find out what is going on. That way the child will know that you care, you are taking the time to talk. Sometimes just one detention is all it takes.
If you’d like to have the worksheets that go with the rest of these activities please visit my Tpt Store.

I hope that this post has helped to make the beginning of your school year a bit easier.

Best of luck to you..
Deann

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Please Visit Socrates Lantern’s

Social Media Sites





 

 

Don’t Start the School Year Without Taking a Look at these Great Blog Posts from my Fellow Teacher Collaborators.

Don't Go Back to School.001 (1)


Don’t Go Back to School Without…

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

What are some things that you Don’t Want to go Back to School Without?

Don't Go Back to School.001 (1)

These seasoned educators from our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blog Collaborative have some tips for you that will make those first few days easier. 

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Back to School Freebies

By Lisa Robles of LisaTeachR’s Classroom

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Here are three freebie to get you started this school year!

Don’t Go Back Without

By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

Four things that will make school your happy place this year!

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Don’t Start Your School Year Without …

By Crystal Brown of Dr Crystal Brown

Learn the four products every middle school math teacher needs to begin the school year.

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Back to School Bonanzas

By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

Begin the new school year with routines in place and a few FREEBIES! Tips to consider as you start afresh!

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 Don’t Go Back to School Without

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

As much as I love seeing those smiling faces each year, I always get a bit sad when the summer ends and I have to go back to work. I get so spoiled, getting up in the morning and doing whatever I want. No alarm clock to wake me up, no set schedule, I can stay up late, go out and party during the week, no rules, no lesson plans, no prep. It’s so easy to get used to that. Don’t you agree. This summer I’ve decided to make life a little easier for myself and teachers out there by putting together a few items that will just make your job so much easier.

 

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Don’t Go Back to School Without…

By Marcy Howe of It’s A Teacher Thing

What can’t you do without in your classroom? Here’s my favorite from twenty years of teaching.  

 

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Healthy Teacher: 9 Tips for Eating Right

By Marypat Mahoney of Just Add Students

 Your classroom is ready for your students, but have you forgotten to make plans for how you will take care of YOU this year? Follow these 9 tips to help make this a healthy school year for you!

 

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Take a look at these posts from Sharing is Caring A Teacher Collaborative Blog Hop

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New Beginnings: Classroom Organization

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

Are you looking for Ways to Organize your Classroom?

Classroom Organization Blog Post.002

 You’ve come to the right place!

Get help from these seasoned and creative educators from Caring is Sharing Teacher Collaborator Blog Hop

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By Mary Carr of Carrberry Creations

Feeling over whelmed by where to start when organizing your classroom this year? Find strategies for success int his blog post.

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by Jenny Kramer of Miss Jenny and Edutunes

As you prepare for the beginning of the school year, consider organizing your day–and your lesson plans–around music. Music brings joy to both students and teachers. Songs are amazing tools for organizing a classroom, and managing a classroom, in a very positive way.

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By Marcy Howe of It’s a Teacher Thing

Great ideas for classroom organization to save you time and money.

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By Marypat Mahoney of Just Add Students

Looking for some quick tips to help you organize your desk this year? Here are 7 tips to help you get there! #5 is my favorite!

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By Crystal Brown of Dr. Crystal Brown

Learn how Microsoft OneNote can improve how you plan as teacher, organize your notes and files from meetings and professional development and share them with colleagues. 

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How Using Binders Saved My Teacher Sanity

By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

How a disorganized person found a way to bring organization to my teaching life.

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By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

It seems like every year, summer vacation goes quicker and quicker and before we know it, school comes a calling. What I’ve always liked about teaching is that each year is a new beginning. What happened last year is in the past and I’m always so happy to meet my new charges. New challenges, new things to teach, new things to learn, different methods and programs keep my teaching fresh. I’m going to share some of the things that I do to organize my classroom into a good environment for learning.

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Take a look at these posts from Sharing is Caring A Teacher Collaborative Blog Hop

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Safety on the Internet with Digital Citizenship

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

 

Image by IPractice Learning and Connecting

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What is Digital Citizenship? You might wonder.  Read these blog posts from some creative

educators to find out.

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   By Megan Bodmann of Adventures Teaching 4th Grade

Learn ways to easily incorporate digital citizenship into your lessons and find free resources.

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6 Digital Citizenship Do’s

By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

                                         In this age of technology, teaching students to become responsible digital citizens is crucial. Discover the 6 Do’s of Digital Citizenship!

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Becoming Better Digital Citizens

By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

           Using paper and pencil rehearsals to guide students as they become better digital citizens.

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A Few Thoughts about Digital Citizenship

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

               Years ago, before the onset of digital technology, an educator’s job basically consisted of teaching academics. Social Skills were learned at home.

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By Lisa Robles of LisaTeachR’s Classroom

What is digital citizenship? It’s about being responsible users of technology.

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5 Great Websites for Teaching Digital Citizenship 

By Crystal Brown of Dr Crystal Brown

This post provides a list and description of five websites that offer teachers free resources to teach their students how to be responsible, digital citizens.

 

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Raising Creative Writers in the Classroom

By Deann Marin (Socrates Lantern)

 

 

Ever wonder what makes a creative writer? See what these educators are doing to inspire their students to love writing.

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Creative Writing Tips from Pixar

By Lisa Robles of Lisa TeachR’s Classroom

                              Want some writing tips from best storytellers around? I found this great info-graphic detailing the top 22 tips from Pixar. I took a few and discuss how to use them in a classroom.

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 How to Teach Creative Writing Every Day

By Marypat Mahoney of Just Add Students

Students love creative writing activities. But all too often, we have to put those fun activities on the back burner. Here is an easy way to engage students in creative writing in every class.

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Poetry Workshop

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

Usually when I tell my students that we are going to learn how to write poems, some of them say, “I can’t write a poem,” or “Yuck, Poetry!.” By the end of the workshop, which takes about 2-3 weeks, most of the kids realize that they can in fact write all sorts of poems and they even like it.

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By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

By far, the best idea I have ever found to create better writers is to make sure that kids are writing every day. Good writers are people who write.

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Creative Math Warm-Ups

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Creative Warm-Up Activities for Math Class

Are you looking for creative ways to get your class ready for math class?

 You’ve come to the right place. Check out these great ideas that educators are using in their classrooms.

 

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Warm Up With a Math Song!

By Jennifer Kramer of Jenny’s Class and Edutunes

Are you looking for a great way to “warm up” for a math lesson? Songs are a great way to introduce concepts, to review concepts,and to pave the way for any lesson. Follow the link to hear 5 song samples, and discover ways they can be used to introduce important concepts!

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Math Warm-ups

By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

My students and I have never liked jumping into math class feet first without a chance to dip our toes in the water and get used to the idea first. Math warmups, short whole group activities based on the math you’ll be studying during the lesson, are a perfect way to dip your toes.

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Creative Math Warm-Ups

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

 There are so many creative math warm-ups to help get your class excited about math class. Here are some that I’ve used.

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Warming Up for Math!

By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

Math warm ups get your students thinking about math! Quick ways to get your kids thinking! Low prep!
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Creative Warm-Ups for Math Class

By Deann Marin at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

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Math Warm Ups 2There are so many creative math warm-ups to help get your class excited about math class. Here are some that I’ve used. At least once a week, we had a math bee using flash cards for addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division. I would hold up a card and each child would have a chance to answer. If the answer was correct, they would keep the card..  We would do this for at least 30 minutes and the student with the most cards would win.  The winner would act as the teacher and hold up the cards for the next game.

The math bee could also be done as a collaborative group activity. One child would be the leader/teacher of the group and hold up the card, and each child in the group would have their chance to answer. The winner would be the leader the next time we did the activity. Collaborative groups worked so well because each child had a turn more often. Of course they all wanted to win because they liked being the leader/teacher of the group or the class.

 

This next warm-up lasts about 5-10 minutes and you can do it at the beginning of each math class. Write 5-10 math problems on the board, have them work on them at their seats. Then call on students to come to the board and write their answer. I would ask questions such as, what operation or operations did you use to get your answer, or is this answer correct, why or why not. If we were working on math facts, I would sometimes put the problem on the board with the incorrect answer and ask them to fix it and  then have them explain why the answer was wrong. In addition to this, you could write down a problem with the correct answer and ask why it is correct. At other times, I would put a  problem on the board with the correct answer, but without a mathematical sign. They would have to tell me whether the example was addition, multiplication, addition, subtraction or a combination .

Multiplication & Division Word Problems  8x8 Cover

 

Math Warm Ups 1

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My partner used an awesome activity called mental math. He would come up with a math example, or word problem that the children would do in their heads, they couldn’t use paper. The first child to answer correctly would come up with a math example for the other students,/teacher and/or both to figure out. He also had them make up mental math problems for a homework assignment. They enjoyed it so much that often times I would hear them doing mental math with their friends while walking down the hall or sitting in homeroom. They especially loved it when they could stump the teacher, which didn’t happen often, but when it did, you could hearthe class cheering.

Another great activity for the beginning of each math class is called Help Me Get There. I would put a number on the board such as 150 and the class would figure out all the combinations of numbers that are equal to it.

Here are some examples:

  • 75=75=150
  • 130+20=150
  • 160-10=150
  • 30 X 5=150
  • 450 ÷3=150

Another fun activity is Guess What Number is in My Head. This game is similar to 20 questions. Draw a big head on the board with a question mark. The class will ask questions to arrive at the correct answer.  The child who guesses the answer gets to think of the next number. This can also be done in collaborative groups. I actually prefer this method because the kids get more chances. As closure for this activity, each group gets to pick a number for the teacher and classmates to guess.

Questions you might ask are:

  • Is the number odd or even?
  • Does the number end with a 0?
  • Is the number smaller than 25?
  • Is the number divisible by 2?
  • Is the number an integer?

Use your imagination and I just know that you will come up with some great ideas.

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Picture Credit:  http://neurosciencenews.com/learning-math-neurodevelopment-hippocampus-1225/

 

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Are you looking for creative ways to get your class ready for math class?  You’ve come to the right place.

Check out these great ideas that educators are using in their classrooms.

 

 

 


Is Independence Day More than Just Fireworks?

Sharing is Caring Elite Teacher Blogging Cooperative*** Activities for the 4th of July***sharing is caring

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Is Independence Day more than just fireworks? Read what these educators have to say about it.

 

American Flag for July 4th

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Freedom in the Classroom

By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

Teaching kids about freedom and keeping it simple.

Freedom.001_zpsfjuegrswRetta

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Foster Freedom in Writer’s Workshop

By Marypat Mahoney of Just Add Students

Giving students choice on what they write about and the mode in

which it’s written puts the power back into students’ hands.

Not only that, but in the real world — our students will be

writing letters of complaint, business proposals, notes of condolence,

emails to explain or convince, blog posts to explain opinions…

the list goes on. So, how do we do that? 

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Stars & Stripes

By Deann Marin, of Socrates Lantern

When I think about July 4th, I think about our American Flag and what it represents.

I asked my class what this day means to them. A young boy stated, “It’s when you get to see fireworks.

This is one of the responses I expected, so I asked why do we have fireworks?

He just shrugged his shoulders. Another student responded and said,

“To celebrate our Independence from England.” Great answer I told him.

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Celebrating the 4th With Kids?

By Mary Carr of Carrberry Creations

Celebrating the 4th with kids and want to keep them busy?

Learn how to have kids make a little notebook craft for 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day from Carrberry Creations!



Music in the Classroom

By Deann Marin at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

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Music has always been very near and dear to me so this is a great topic to write about. From day one of my teaching career, I used music in my classroom. Even though I’m not a musician, by any means, I can plunk some notes on the piano, and play very rudimentary guitar chords and notes.

My first job, I was working witMusic in the classroom 8x8 coverh mentally challenged teenagers who had very low IQs. I began playing songs on the piano to help them learn, each day we would sing the alphabet song, low and behold they were learning their alphabet letters. They just loved when I brought the guitar into school so we could sing together. Of course, they were the only ones that I would play the guitar for, they didn’t realize that I really couldn’t play. We did have fun.

Each day at 10:00 I would turn on the TV show the Electric Company. I felt that the class would learn more by listening to the catchy little tunes and lyrics for words, letters and numbers, than they would if I used the usual methods for teaching reading and math. Don’t get me wrong, I did use phonics, etc., but for these kids who would never progress much more than a 2nd or 3rd grade level, it worked. They loved it.

A few years later, I had a self-contained class for children with severe psychological problems. They were too disruptive to remain in the regular classroom. Talk about challenging!!! Well, music does calm the savage beast. I would play classical, or quiet tunes and the kids, for the most part, would calm right down. As a reward, I would let them bring in some of their own music to share.

On to middle school to teach 6th grade which is my true love. The language arts program has songs to accompany each new unit.For the beginning of each ELA class they always asked me to put on the CD so that they could sing the song that went with what was being taught. The kids especially loved the Noun Song, the

lyrics and tune was very appealing. They would even walk down the hall singing it and I would hum it to myself. I guess the point that I’m trying to make is, music really helps kids learn and they don’t even realize it. I would also play music during study hall, or while the kids were taking a test to help them relax.

Another interesting way to use music in the classroom is to have them write poetry or do creative writing to classical music. First, have them close their eyes and listen. Tell them to let the melodies take them to a special place. They can then describe it in their work, they can say how it made them feel, or who if anyone was there, what happened, etc. My classes just love this activity and they also like sharing their creations with each other. This also makes for a good bulletin board.

I so enjoyed directing plays with elementary and middle school children.  As I said before, I don’t really play an instrument, so I sought the assistance of the music teacher who was more than willing to help. Wealways had a great time and it amazed me to see how talented some of those kids were. They just shined during the performances and were able to belt out the songs which always gave me chills. Talk about dancing, that was another thing that blew me away. It was awesome to see them move and groove to the tunes. Talk about America’s Got Talent, well, these kids sure had it.

So, as you can see, music can be used as an introduction to a lesson, as a way to help children learn and memorize things. Students can do research about musiciaGettingToKnowYourClassmatesandYourTeacher lyricsns, composers, directors, and write reports about them. They can learn about music throughout history as part of an ancient history unit. If you’d like to see more ideas about how to integrate music into the curriculum. Here is a link to a great website:

http://www.songsforteaching.com/suefenton/extendingsongs.htm

 

I’ve created a Back to School Binder that will be using the song“Getting to Know You.” from Rogers and Hammerstein’s hit musical The King and I, as a stepping stone to help make students feel at ease while getting to know each other.

 

 

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Technology Across the Curriculum

by Deann Marin at the Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

Offering for Educators, Comprehensive Teaching Aides. If you’d like to see what else I have to offer please visit my store

Technology has come a long way since I began my teaching career. I can remember the first computer that I used in my classroom, it was the original Apple. We had no internet access, or power-point programs. You could play simple games like Pacman and make worksheets for the kids. I thought the computer was so cool, just to be able to type and erase, without the hassle of whiteout, was a huge improvement. No CDs or DVDs only rectangular floppy discs. No cell phones, smart phones, laptops, tablets, or iWatches, just the good old Apple computer.

With time, technology improved rapidly. The old Apple was obsolete, my room was then equipped with 3 computers for students, I had my own own laptop, and a computer lab was created. However, each class visited the technology teacher only 3 times a week for a semester, sadly, not enough time for in depth learning.

Kids Computer Lab Clipart | Clipart Panda - Free Clipart Images

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For  technology to be effective it needs to be integrated into the curriculum, so I created power-point programs to reinforce  ELA and History skills. In addition, computer learning games, such as Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and Oregon Trail were purchased. Here again, the major draw back was there were not enough computers for all the kids, I set up a schedule and grouped them 2 at a time per computer. This was one way for them to practice working together and sharing, while giving them more exposure to the computer at the same time.

When the school library was finally equipped with enough computers for an entire classroom to use, I was ecstatic. So were other teachers, there was a sign up sheet for library use and everyone clamored to get some time for their projects.

I truly believe that technology based project learning is one of the best strategies for getting the class interested in the lesson. It brings it to life and makes it real. *According to research, “It supports four key components of learning: keeping the children actively engaged  by collaborating in groups, frequent interaction, feedback, and connection to real-life experts.”

I use web quests quite often. The class works in groups of 3 or 4 and utilizes the web for research.  There is so much information out there and web-quests are abundant. One project is called, “Who Killed King Tut?” They are given a worksheet with possible suspects and they are to decide if the individual is innocent or guilty. We then have a trial with lawyers, a judge, jury, and defendants. This particular project helps the class problem solve, analyze their findings and communicate with each other. My experience in doing these types of activities has always been positive. The students have so much fun working on them and so do I.

We have truly come a long in way our use use of technology across the curriculum. I look forward to seeing more of it integrated into all classrooms in every school.

Resources

*http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

http://www.margietyner.net/king-tut-webquest.html

http://my.ilstu.edu/~jabraun/students/decker/

http://king-tut-webquest.wikispaces.com/Process

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This post is part of our Sharing is Caring Teacher-Bloggers from TBOTEMC

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A Memorial Day Tribute

By Deann Marin at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

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This Memorial Day, I would like to dedicate the post and my Memorial Day Tribute Literary Bundle for Grades 4-7, to a former student, Capt. Andrew Pedersen-Keel, who gave his life for our freedom. He and Staff Sergeant Rex L. Shad were killed in March of 2013, when an Afghan policeman opened fire on U.S and Afghan forces inside police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan. He was attached to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

I cannot speak highly enough of Andrew, PK as many called him. I remember with fondness that day, years ago, when he first walked into my classroom. He was a charmer with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and I knew right away that I liked this kid. He was smart, in our top group, with such kindness, human warmth, and sincerity that made him unforgettable. The other kids in the class respected and liked him. Due to heart problems, a young girl in my class struggled to carry her books, so Andrew volunteered to tote them for her. This selfless act meant so much to her that years later, at his wake, she shared it with his mom.

We have lost a true hero, struck down at the young age of 28, who made the ultimate sacrifice to make the world a better place. I know that I am a better person for having known  him. The solace that we have is that he was a part of our life and he will live in our hearts forever. I salute you Capt. Andrew Pedersen-Keel.

If you would like to know more about Andrew, please visit this website.

http://www.soc.mil/Memorial%20Wall/Bios/Pedersen-Keel_Andrew.pdf

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Included in this literacy bundle is a timeline of the history of Memorial Day. There are comprehension questions to be answered as well as writing prompts, plaques and pictures to color. I hope that you and your students enjoy using this.

Why Memorial Day is Important 8x8 Cover

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For Teachers:……………………………….Page 4

Dedication to Capt. Andrew Pedersen-Keel..Page 5

Memorial Day Historic Timeline…Page 6

Comprehension Questions…Pages 7-8

Writing Prompts

Paragraph about Memorial Day History..Pages 9-10

Memorial for a fallen soldier………….Pages 11-12

Write a letter to a soldier……………..Pages 13-14

Memorial Day Speech by President….. Pages 15-16

Design a Plaque& Pictures to Color

Design a Plaque Honoring a Soldier……….Page 17

Animals are Heroes Too Make a Plaque……Page 18

Our Heroes, Pictures to Color………….Pages 19-20

Grading Rubrics………………………Pages 21-22

Answer Sheets……………………….. Pages 23-24

Resources…………………………….Page 25

Contact Page……………………………Page 26

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10 Ways to Keep Students Learning Over the Summer

 By Deann Marin at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs

 

Offering for Educators, Comprehensive Teaching Aides. If you’d like to see what else I have to offer please visit my store.

 

Summer is the time for fun, fun, fun! School is out no more hitting the books. The only problem is that much of what was learned during the school year is forgotten, “out of sight, out of mind.” Not so with these ten fun educational activities that will keep the children looking for more and not even realizing that they are learning.

 

1.   Have your child, if he/she is old enough, take pictures of different things that you do over the summer. This will be especially exciting if you travel somewhere. They can put their photographs in a nice scrapbook and write a few  sentences about them. Make sure correct punctuation and grammar are used. What a great memory to look back on. When the school  year begins, this book can be shared in class.

2.   Help your child make a summer calendar for June, July, and August. They can use crayons, pencils, paint, rulers to color them in and add special things that they did over the summer. This will help to reinforce number recognition and counting. An effective way to work on addition and subtraction would be to say: “How many days till we go to the beach? or how many days ago did we go to see grandma and grandpa?’ even “How many days till you go back to school?”(of course they may not want to think about that!)

3.   Make  musical instruments from materials that are found around the house. Use towel/toilet paper rolls decorate them with paint, then put small pebbles inside. Close each end with cloth, or paper then glue them on or secure with rubber bands. This can be used as a rattle or rain stick.  Other instruments that they can make are drums, a box guitar, or a maraca, etc. This is a helpful websitd:  http://www.howcast.com/guides/841-how-to-make-musical-instruments-  for-kids/

4.   Cooking and measuring the ingredients help with math skills. They will have to read the recipe and measure the ingredients correctly.These recipes look yummy: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/recipes-for-kids/cooking- with- kids.html

5.  If your child likes the computer or tablet, take advantage of it. Have him/her become a web ranger. They will go on quests and learn about national parks. It will help enhance skills in history and geography because they will be asked to solve mysteries and puzzles, play games and more. Check it out on this website: http://www.nps.gov/webrangers/ 

6.  Start a family garden. Decide what type of garden it will be, flower,vegetable, herbs or a combination. Then read up on it. Learn about the particular plants that will be used, find out where they should be placed, in the sun or shade. What types of soil are best, etc.  They can use some math measuring skills to figure out how far to space each plant. They can also measure plants to estimate the growth.  They might also try a science experiment to see if seeds grow faster in sun or darkness and keep a written record.  You can go to this website for more information. http://www.kidsgardening.org/

7.  When riding in the car have your child read signs, names of cities, towns, parks, or look for license plates from different states and figure out what states are the farthest away from them, or they can count the number of license plates they see from the different states. Another game that is fun when traveling is to start with the letter A and name a city, state, or country that begins with that letter, go through the entire alphabet. A variation of this would be to say a state, city, or country name and the next person has to come up with a name beginning with the last letter of the place just said. Austin/Nebraska, Anchorage/Evansville, and so on. Everyone in the car plays to make it more fun.

8.  For those would be scientists, start a rock or critter collection. See how many different rocks/ critters they can discover and find information about them in a book or on the web. They can make a scrapbook with photographs and information about the rocks or critters that they have collected.This is a great site for rock collecting, your child will have loads of fun while learning. http://www.kidsloverocks.com/html/guide_to_collecting.html This is just right for collecting those critters. http://www.kidactivities.net/category/Science-Kids-Collecting-Insects.aspx

9.  Have a scavenger or treasure hunt. You will have to write out directions as to where to find something and your child will have to read it in order to find the prize. This website has printable check lists, 10 ideas for scavenger hunts as well as tips and tricks.http://www.mykidsadventures.com/scavenger-hunt-ideas/ This pinterest page has loads of ideas on this subject  https://www.pinterest.com/tiffanymoore2/scavenger-hunt-ideas-for-kids/

10.  Plan a family fun day. Have your child write everything down from the menu to the games that will be played.

Here are some ideas that can be written down

  • Describe the activity. What will you do? Will you play games, go for a swim, watch a movie?
  • How will you prepare ahead of time. Will you need tickets, a picnic lunch, or a reservation?
  • What supplies will you require.
  • How much will it cost?
  • Who will be invited?

Make sure that you or your child takes pictures and then he/she can make an online photo album, write a few sentences about each image and email it to all of those who attended.

 11.  You can play word games such as scrabble, to work on spelling skills, board games like Yahtzee to help with math skills, card games like war which will utilize number skills, or word bingo.  I’ve also included some items that you can purchase through my Tpt store to help reinforce math and word skills learned in school.

 

 

End of the Year addit,subt,mult,div board game for grades 2-4  8x8 Cover

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Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern's Tpt Store.

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern’s Tpt Store.

 

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern's Tpt Store.

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern’s Tpt Store.

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern's Tpt Store.

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern’s Tpt Store.

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern's Tpt Store..

Click on image to visit Socrates Lantern’s Tpt Store..

 Check out these blogs for more ideas from some awesome educators

Blog Hop

1. DIY Farmwife-Sharing is Caring- Fight the Sum

2. Carberry Creations- Keeping Students Learning All Summer

 

 

 

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