Thursday, March 7, 2013

NOTHING COULD BE FINER THAN TO TEACH IN SOUTH CAROLINA...


Sweet, sweet Carolina!  Love my state and LOVE my teachers!  Here are some super ideas they shared at the SDE Kindergarten Conference in Columbia on March 4th.
Professor of the Day  (Karen Corontzes)
Have the leader of the day become the “professor.”  The professor leads the reading of the word wall words.

Addition Game  (Stephanie Fowler)
Two children play this game with a deck of cards.  The first child pulls two cards and adds them.  The second child then pulls two cards and adds them.  The child with the greater sum wins.

My Fingers Are Shaking  (Judy Province)
Sing or say this rhyme to release wiggles and help children gain self-control.
My fingers are shaking.         (Shake hands.)
I can’t make them stop.
My fingers are shaking.         (Shake hands.)
I can’t make them stop.
Oh, dear, Mama.                  (Hands on cheeks.)
Help me!  Help me!
My fingers are shaking.         (Shake hands.)
I can’t make them stop.
STOP!                             (Clap hands and put them in your lap.)
*Continue using other body parts.  End with “my whole body is shaking…”

Spelling Transition  (Jessica Lopez)
Call out a sight word like “the.”  Tap one child’s head at a time and they must say the letter that comes next.  Move around the room using other words until everyone has lined up.

Sweep Me Up!   (Sarah Neely)
Buy a mini broom/dust pan set and use googly eyes and markers to add a smiley face to the room.  Ask students to give you two words that rhyme; name a word that starts or ends with a sound; answer an addition problem, etc.  If the student answers correctly, “sweep” them up! (Brush their shoulder with the broom and pretend to put them in the dust pan.)

Music Box Challenge (Mecia Hartis)
You will need a music box for this activity.  Wind it up at the beginning of the morning.  When the class gets too loud, open it until they get quiet.  Do this every time you want their attention during the day.  If there is still music left in the box at the end of the day they get a treat.

Hey, Hey Rap for End of Day  (Emily Johnson)
Hey, hey, what do you say?                  (Clap hands and slap thighs.)
What did you learn at school today?
The helper of the day calls on friends to share what they learned at school.

100% Students Learning (Tabitha Brantly)
To get students’ attention when they are distracted tell them you need 100% students and eyes on the task.
Ask the student not focusing:  Who do I need to learn this task?
Student responds:  100%