topic Re: Teachers' Toolkit in Among Friends

Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:19:34 GMT

Calling all teachers! Have you found anything you would like to share? I'm thinking specifically about:

words of wisdom
games
activities
organization ideas
classroom management
brain breaks

I will share a few that I've found while helping a first year teacher get ready for school.

Please share what you can!

Thanks in advance!

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:20:38 GMT

Magnetic spice tins on a magnet board for storage/easy access-

This would be good for centers, small groups, or those who finish early.

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:22:24 GMT

A way to control dice from rolling all over the place (or getting thrown). This is one of my favorites that I've seen.

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:27:29 GMT

Paint chips for random grouping- by color, number, sticker, or craft punch.

I just made a set of these for my classes!

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:30:23 GMT

Using hand signals to communicate needs, without interrupting the rest of the class-

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:36:10 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:45:34 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:47:55 GMT

Brain breaks-

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

KaliaMonet — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 22:39:19 GMT

I always like having students sit in circle so we're all facing each other. I find this eliminates the fear of talking and makes the classroom environment more friendly.

This past summer, I took an educational psychology course so I can finish earning my teaching degree (I'm tired of being an accountant). My instructor also teaches creative writing. On Fridays, he had us sit in a circle and he would give the first sentence of a story (made up one), then he would toss a squishy ball to someone, and that person would add another line before tossing the ball to someone else, and so on. It was so much fun. He recorded the story we all created together, type it up over the weekend, then he would give us a copy on Monday.

We used this as an exercise for team building, and seeing different points-of-view to help us see how different students think and develop ideas and it all comes together. This might be fun to do with middle and high school kids.

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 10:51:29 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:07:21 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:10:33 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:13:48 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

kjae — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:25:27 GMT

lolakimono-

From this teacher, thank you.

These are great ideas! I have taught kindergarten for sooooooo many years and still going. Hope you don't mind that I use them. Trying to find things to share here. Not good with posting photos.

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

LdyBugz — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:27:26 GMT

Wow! I'm not a teacher, but I think these are great! I especially like the wine rack and dry erase marker ideas.

BTW, hats off to all of he great teachers out there!

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

Imadickens — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 01:00:19 GMT

I subbed for all grades while my kids were young and saw great ideas ! Then, I taught French I in grade 8. After that, I was hired full time to teach English to at risk 9th graders. When that program was dissolved I was tenured so I went back to middle school teaming teaching Autistic 6-8 graders. I honestly can say I loved teaching all of those, but my last 10 years were the best!

K-2 First day each student got a bag with a Hersey kiss, cotton ball, paper clip, etc that were to remind students tho stick together, speak softly, etc. I didn't do it but my kids got them. It's probably on line.

K-12 two solo cups, one green, one red with the bottoms glued together. When the green side was up, student understood instructions, was doing well on activity, etc. if the red side was up, student was stuck or needed help. It kept anyone from feeling like they were only one not getting it and teacher knew immediately when lesson wasn't going well or going too fast.

6-7 grade if student could recite, answer, remember, etc list of something from lesson, I made a "ball" out of a piece of paper. I clasp my hands together and became a "basketball" net. For each item remembered, student moved one step closer to me. Then, if the shot was made, student either got prize or a bonus point on quiz, or "behavior mark" removed, whatever was important. It really hooked the hard to reach students and was a fun incentive!

6-12 I began every marking period with an A or 100 in my grade book for each student. I explained it was much easier to maintain an A average than to bring lower average up! I had many students who had never had an A before! I even had some students ask me to write a note home that they had an A average!

of course, I, like all of you I'm sure, kept food in my room! I kept cheese crackers, either with cheese inside or peanut butter, fruit snacks, pretzels, etc. we also had students we sent food home on the weekends!

if you have any q's about teaching a child on the spectrum, I'll be happy to help, if I can! If I don't know it, I'll ask my dd who is working on Ph.D. In Autism. The neat thing was that I had the kids in grades 6-8 and my dd taught them until they graduated!

If if I remember anything else, I'll add it. I love your ideas, too bad I'm retired!🤗

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

Romo — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 02:57:39 GMT

Thank you for the wonderful ideas!! Wishing all teachers out there a wonderful school year!!

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 10:27:44 GMT

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 10:53:36 GMT

@Imadickens wrote:

K-12 two solo cups, one green, one red with the bottoms glued together. When the green side was up, student understood instructions, was doing well on activity, etc. if the red side was up, student was stuck or needed help. It kept anyone from feeling like they were only one not getting it and teacher knew immediately when lesson wasn't going well or going too fast.

@Imadickens

This is the 2.0 version-

Re: Teachers' Toolkit

lolakimono — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 10:55:27 GMT