#2 THE HEART OF A TEACHER

Welcome to day #2 of my timeless tips for becoming a great teacher.

Wood Smethurst was one of my favorite professors at Emory University. His area of expertise was reading, but he didn't push phonics and skills. He focused on the LOVE of reading! For every child there is a topic or book that they are interested in, and the trick is to match up what the child is interested in with a book. Nope! Not a website or game - a HOLD IN YOUR HANDS AND TURN THE PAGE book.

As educators, you don't have a lot of choice in the curriculum your district/state chooses or the standards that guide instruction. Your challenge is to think of a "rabbit trap" that will interest your students and engage them in the learning process. All children are different and might be tempted by different "rabbit traps." That's why providing children with a wide range of learning opportunities (hands-on, games, partner projects, songs, etc.) is so critical. And that's why making those personal connections with each child and discovering what makes them "tick" is more important than any check list!

THROWBACK

There are tons of "rabbit traps" on my blog (drjeanandfriends.blogspot.com). This paper plate game is easy to make and can be adapted for any skill, such as letters, shapes, numbers, sight words, math facts, etc.


Directions: Do you remember the old game where you placed chairs in a circle and walked around until the music stopped? If you didn’t find a chair you were OUT! This is a similar game that can reinforce letters, words, colors, math facts, etc. Scatter the paper plates on the floor. Play some catchy music for the children to dance to. When the music stops each child finds a paper plate and picks it up. The teacher randomly points to a few children to identify the information on their plates. Have the children place the plates back on the floor and continue dancing.
*If the child is unsure about what is on their plate, invite them to “ask the audience.”