TEACHER TIPSAt the present, these are just miscellaneous tips and tidbits that I have picked up here and there and learned through my years of teaching.
Tic Tac Toe Review
This takes a lot of time initially to program the question and answer cards, but can be used over and over again through MANY years of teaching. It is also a very useful tool to use before "the evil springtime tests". (You know the ones I'm referring to.)materials
pen or pencil
a supply of 3x5 index cards
recipe type file box with blank dividersprocedure
Write a review type question on each card. Be sure to include the answers for use by substitutes. Divide the questions by subjects and label the dividers accordingly.to play
Divide the class into two teams; Xs and Os. Draw a large tic tac toe grid on the board. Ask a student from one team the first question. If that person misses the question, the other team has the opportunity to answer. The team giving the correct response gets to place and X or O wherever they choose. When I played this with my 3rd and 4th graders, I chose one person to be the scorekeeper. The student who gave the correct answer had to tell the scorekeeper where to put the mark: upper left corner, middle right middle, etc. Play continues till one team wins. We would usually keep tally marks and play when we had the time till one team got to a given score. They enjoyed playing this so much that they didn't even have to receive a reward for winning
Stump the Teacher
This is my more primary version of Tic Tac Toe Review, now that I am teaching much younger children. This review game also requires no preparation time, a big plus to too busy teachers!materials
board, markerprocedure
This game is played with the students being one team and the teacher, the other. I usually make a T shaped scoreboard with a "teacher face" on one side and "students faces" on the other. Remind the students that they must raise their hand before calling out an answer or the teacher gets the point. Ask one student a review question. If he/she raises his/her hand and answers correctly, the students get the point, if not, the teacher does. Do not allow one student to answer consecutively; rotate around the room. Students love this simple review game, but the little ones usually want a sticker or small piece of candy for "stumping" the teacher! I ALWAYS let my students win; that way we all win!Student Clipboards
Use three or four layers of poster board (even used is okay) of the same size. I think I usually use 10"x12" or so. Tape the layers together. Hot glue a clothespin to the back side of the new "clipboard"."Early Bird Area"
I prefer that my students not go to centers when they have finished their seat work assignments, so I have an area in the corner of the classroom labeled, "Early Birds" for those who finish before time to go on to the next activity. In it I have review/reinforcement activities that the children have previously been exposed to and can do on their own. Making the area and activities colorful seems to make it more appealing.
Inexpensive Literature
We all know we aren't supposed to, but we all know that we do it anyway. SPEND OUR OWN MONEY ON ITEMS FOR OUR CLASSROOMS. Two inexpensive sources I have found for quality children's literature are the local Goodwill Store ( I once came out with almost 100 books and had spent only $30.05!) and bartering with older students in the school. Offer them free ice cream, candy (if allowed) or whatever you can think of in exchange for ____ number of useable books for your classroom. Keep a running tally on the number of books brought in and be sure to give the children their reward promptly. It works!"Ready to go "Construction Paper
I try to always keep 2 or 3 sheets of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, brown and white construction paper laminated and in my file drawer. That way it is ready to go whenever I need to cut out something in a hurry. I usually keep some sentence strips laminated for the same reason. Sharpie markers write right over the laminating with no problem.The Green Team
Around the holidays and toward the end of the year as the students seem to have alittle more difficulty controlling themselves during instructional time, I use this idea to motivate them toward "more acceptable behavior". On a 12x18 laminated sheet of construction paper, I letter out "The Green Team". I also make a green cutout pencil shape for each child large enough to print their name onto and fit all on the larger paper. I then put a small piece of plastic magnet strip on the back of each pencil shape, and enough on the larger sheet to hold it on the magnetic chalkboard in my classroom.
For behavior tracking, children have a series of five cards in a pocket chart. As a school rule is broken, students must remove a card which results in loss of privileges, etc. In my class, the cards are sequentially; green, (going great!) yellow, (warning) orange (uh,oh) red, (must stop) and black (gone too far!).
Those students who can stay on green for a day, two days or whatever your students are capable of doing are rewarded. I usually choose to allow them to have lunch and a movie or music in the classroom on Friday (something that I hate, so they don't normally do it). The students love it!Puffy Names
Make names from homemade Puffy Paint-Dough on very heavy cardboard (that won't bend) or matte board. You can let the students make rubbings of their names; or trace it with their fingers, etc. This is great for those little tactile learners!! Note: This could also be used for vocabulary words, Dolch words, etc.
Puffy Paint Dough Recipe
1 part each;
salt, flour, water
(1 c. each is a good starting recipe)
Mix well. Add powdered tempera paint to this mixture if desired.
Put in squeeze bottles. Squeeze mixture from the bottle while writing. Allow to dry overnight. Letters are raised about 1/4 inch off the board.
