Have you noticed
some students who just can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves? Well, here are a few ideas that might
help.
Get a shoebox
and write “brain toys” on the box.
Next, get some old socks and tie knots in them. When children need to focus invite them
to get a “brain toy” from the box.
They can hold the sock, untie it, tie knots, and give their fingers
something to do.
I’ve had
teachers say, “Well, what if everybody wants a sock?” Who cares? Get
a sock for everyone. The main goal
is to give children an outlet that is acceptable, quiet, and won’t bother
another student.
A similar idea
came from a first grade teacher.
She gave each of her students a jumbo craft stick to decorate. They tied a 20” piece of string to
their sticks and kept them in their desks. When their hands got “figdgety” they could get out their
fiddle sticks and wind and unwind the string.
You just never
know what will work until you try!
I recall a teacher who kept a bottle of lotion on her desk and called it
“self control lotion.” When her
students were having trouble paying attention she would give them a squirt of
lotion and tell them to rub it in.
They believed her just like Dumbo believed he could fly with the feather
in his trunk! Her students would
actually come up to her and say, “I need a little self control lotion.”
Teaching is a
challenge, but it’s also like winning the lottery when you find the right “fix”
in your classroom! Keep on trying!
