Broken Crayons

Take broken crayons with the paper removed and put them into muffin tins. Put them into the oven on about 250 degrees and you have wonderful new crayons. You can mix different shades of blue for water, oranges, yellows and reds for sun and volcanoes. There are many different things you can do with the crayons.

Musical Transition

Musical Transitions
Submitted by: Karlana Jester, Pre-K teacher
When it is time for my class to transition from one activity to another, I play music to motivate them to clean up quickly. I try to pick music that is upbeat and very catchy. After the children are done cleaning up the activity at hand, I usually let the music play a little bit longer so the children can dance out any extra activity they may. This way, I can have their undivided attention once we settle back done at the tables for another activity.

Working with ADHD Students

Give him or her Playdough or silly putty to play with while you are giving instructions, reading out loud, etc. Or, let them draw or color. This may sound like letting him off the hook, but I have found that many AD/HD people focus better and absorb more of what they hear when they have something to do.

I'm Watching Someone!!!

Right before my class leaves for an assembly or a field trip, I tell my students that I am going to be watching 2 students in particular to see how their behavior is. I do not tell them who those 2 students I have chosen will be. I tell them that if these 2 students are behaving well and doing what they are supposed to, the entire class will be given a special treat on our return back to the classroom (10 minutes extra recess, free reading time, a math game, etc.) This really helps ALL of my student behave because no one knows who I am going to have my eye on! If the result is a positive one, I let everyone know at the end who was responsible for the class privilege. High "fives' go up everywhere! If the result is negative, I do not mention the names but let my students know that we will try again the next time.

Submitted by: I Love That Teaching Idea! Staff
From: SLC, Utah
Date Submitted: August 23, 2001

Dismissal Song

I use a song to dismiss my students. I constantly have music playing in my classroom and the students know the cue to clean up for dismissal. This takes a lot of practice, but is quite impressive when the students can do it. I use a Raffi CD and play Day-O. In this time, the students should pack up their backpacks, stack their chairs, pick up the floor surrounding their area, then be seated quietly on the rug. In the meantime, team leaders are sharpening pencils for the next day and two other students are cleaning tables. It takes a LOT of practice, but when the routine is set, the students can get all accomplished by the end of the song. As students gather to the carpet, I play a word game or something with them and then we reflect on our day before we are dismissed--everyone shares a little.

Grade Level(s): 1-2
Submitted by: J. Brady
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/4111.shtml

HOME VOLUNTEER PACKETS

Many parents want to help, but are unable to come to the school during the day. At the beginning of the year, I ask for 5 "Home Volunteers." ** I prepare a 5 large clasped envelopes with teacher name, classroom number, and the words HOME VOLUNTEER written on each. I write the name of each of the days of the week (Mon- Friday), one day on each envelope. I also write the volunteer's family name on the envelope. I then laminate the envelope so it will last the full year. ** The day of the week on the envelope is the day of the week the parent can expect the volunteer packet to come home with their child. This helps the parent to know when to look for it, and gives them the opportunity to pick the best volunteer night of the week. ** Some of the ideas for using the packets could be: 1) placing stickers on papers--include stickers, 2) homework pages to compile--include stapler, 3) things to cut out, 4) things to put together, 5) phone calls to make, 6)letters/notes to mail and send, etc. ** If you don't have anything to send home that night, send the envelope with a thank you note and candy bar included! My parents have loved helping at home, and students enjoy seeing their parent(s) helping!

Match Maker

Supply students with half of a sentence strip with the first part of a compound word.(i.e. one student gets the word "star" and the other student gets the word "fish") Then have the whole class stand and the students have to locate their mate. Once they have found their partner with the other half of the compound word, have students recite what word they created when they found each other!

Submitted by: Ta'Nitra Robinson
From: Houston, TX
Date Submitted: April 24, 2003

Class Mascot and motto

Create a class mascot and motto for your classroom. Send a note home to students before the year begins and tell them to look for the mascot welcoming them at the door. Put the mascot and motto on letterhead, awards, etc. This helps build unity and a spirit of teamwork in your classroom. Some examples of mascots and mottos might be:

- a Leopard: Mrs. Smith's Class - a place where everyone has
their own "spot".

- a Frog: Mr. Bodily's Class - a "toadally" awesome place to be!

- an Eagle: soaring to new heights together

- the Bears: where learning is "beary" fun

Submitted by: I Love That Teaching Idea! Staff
From: SLC, Utah
Date Submitted: November 9, 2002

School Design

This tip was done with a year 3 pupil with a physical disability in mainstream primary.

He found there were parts of the school that he could not access (heavy doors, toilet cubicles etc. Instead of the usual 1-1 lessons each week, they decided to do a project called good design/bad design, an evaluation of accessibility of the school.

He designed an assessment sheet, carried out the assessment (over a couple of sessions) and then compiled and analyzed the results.

The project covered many curricular aspects and engaged the pupil in a way that I had never seen before!!!

Cereal Boxes

Collect old cereal box covers. Set aside. Then, using a die-cut machine, cut out all of the letters of the alphabet several times. Laminate for durability. Instruct students to find the matching letters that correspond to the name of the cereal and put in the correct order on the desk in front of them. By using names of familiar cereal in this activity, students will recognize that letters are put together to form words…even the words they see every day!

Paint Brush

In order to keep children still during outings to the bathroom or water fountain, I carry a small empty plastic bucket and a small paint brush. As the children complete their task, I brush their back with the 'magic glue" and they themselves stick on to the wall. They love to have their back stroked with the magic glue and it keeps them calm and safe as they wait for the other children.

Mary Nila

Chicago, Illinois

Take Home Boxes

Give each student a take home box from a restaurant or Sam’s Club/Costco. Their assignment is to color and cut out pictures of things that remain "left" in their minds even after the unit is "over!" They can decorate the top of their box, but on the inside is where you'll find the good stuff!

For example, if my students do this project after finishing a novel, I might suggest that they construct something in the "dessert" section of the box that was their favorite part. In the "meat" section might be where they describe the plot of the book. In the area where you might put a "side dish", could be where students draw and describe the characters from the book, etc.

The more 3-dimensional the diorama is, the better! These make a really cute display on a classroom shelf once they are finished sharing with their classmates.

TV Dinner Trays

When I ask for donated items at the beginning of a school year, I never forget to list "TV Dinner Trays." Here are just a few ways you can use them:

1 - Younger students can use them for counting and sorting
2 - Great for paint trays
3 - Sequence of events stories and drawings
4 - Comic strip stories
5 - A book report (ex: the "favorite part" of the story goes in the "dessert section." The "plot" of the story goes in the "main dish" section and the "characters" might go in the "side dishes" etc.)

Baby Wipes

I take a box of baby wipes with me on the playground. As the children are lined up to return to the classroom, I hand them a baby wipe to wash their hands and face; this saves time in washing hands and faces after recess when we return to the classroom for snack.

Miss Jodi

Hula Hoops

Use hoola hoops to create centers for manipulative objects. It contains the student(s) and the small pieces that they are working with!!
Lynn Cable ~ Lebanon, TN