Saturday, July 7, 2012

SCHOOL DAYS

School Days
(Traditional Tune)

School days, school days,                  (Sway from side to side with
Time for back to school days.         hands behind your back.)
Backpacks, and pencils,
And paper, too.                             (Hold up fingers as you name items.)
You’ll need crayons and scissors and sticky glue.        
Shopping for new shoes and clothes         (Point to shoes and clothes.)
Who will be my teacher I want to know.         (Hold up palms.)
New friends and lots of good times         (Clasp hands as if excited.)
I can’t wait to go back to school.         (Fist in the air.)

Sure, I know that for many of your summer break just started.  However, before you know it and before you’re ready the new school year will begin.
I’m going to be busy doing workshops and conferences this coming month, so I’ve prepared some back to school “vitamins” that will, hopefully, energize you and get you pumped!  Every day you’ll get a song, classroom management tip, book, or great activity to start your year.  Several years ago at a workshop a teacher corrected me when I made a comment about teachers stealing ideas.  She said, “Teachers don’t steal ideas.  They HARVEST ideas!”  So, you just go right ahead and harvest my blogs and make them your own!

Monthly Music Mix
This is the type of project that you can’t get to during the school year, but work on it this summer and you’ll be glad you did.  Get out all of your CDs, downloads, etc. and create a play list for each month of the year.  You can choose a good morning song, seasonal songs, and math and reading songs that will reinforce standards.  If you’ll go to my June/July, 2009, website you’ll get some ideas on how to do this.

CD for the Substitute
How about creating a special CD just for the substitute teacher when you are absent?  Include a good morning song, familiar songs where children can wiggle, as well as learning songs.  Worse case scenario is that the sub sings with your class all day!!
This is a cookie jar my sweet mother and father gave me for 
my birthday over 40 years ago!  I still LOVE it!