Good morning!
It's Saturday! Yeah! I'm home drinking my coffee and it's
going to be a great day! I have LOVED meeting so many new teachers this
summer, but I'm ready to be home for a few weeks.
This week I had
the opportunity to visit Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The drive from Minneapolis
over rolling hills and past cornfields reminded me of "Oh, beautiful for
spacious skies..." Is this a great country or what? Every once
in a while we need to stop and remind ourselves of all the wonderful things in
America instead of focusing on the negative!
Anyway, an email
from a teacher this morning asked about a song to get children to sit on the
carpet. Here are a few ideas:
Have a Seat
(“Shortnin’ Bread”)
Everybody have a
seat, have a seat, have a seat.
Everybody have a
seat on the floor.
Not on the
ceiling, not on the door.
Everybody have a
seat on the floor!
Note: If
you want children to sit in a chair, then sing:
Everybody have a
seat, have a seat, have a seat.
Everybody have a
seat on your chair.
Not on the
ceiling, not in the air.
Everybody have a
seat on your chair.
Sit Down Chant
Clap your hands. (Clap 3 times slowly.)
Stomp your feet. (Stomp slowly 3
times.)
Put your bottom (Children sit down
quietly.)
in your seat!
Criss Cross
Criss cross (Children sit on the floor and cross their
legs.)
Be your own boss. (Children cross their arms like a boss. Remind them to be the “boss” of
themselves.)
Secret Signals
Explain to your students that you are going
to have some “secret signals” that only your class will know. Here they are:
1 – Whenever the teacher says “one”
everyone should sit down quietly.
2 – When the teacher says “two” everyone
should put their hands in their laps.
3 – When the teacher says “three” everyone
should smile.
You can add other signals, such as “four”
line up at the door, or “five” hands by sides.
Spotlight
Keep a flashlight handy and use it to “shine”
on behaviors you
want the children to model. “Spotlight on a quiet listener sitting
quietly on the floor.” “Spotlight
on a good helper pushing in the chairs.”