What are we doing? What are we doing? Will pushing academics, technology, and testing actually pay off in 20 years? Will our children be more productive, happier, or better citizens in the future?
This list of skills that employers look for suggests we might need to adapt our teaching strategies and priorities. Recess, show and tell, group projects, learning centers, singing and dancing - that's what it's all about!!!
THROWBACK
Buddy Sticks
It's great to have children work with a partner or a small group, and these BUDDY STICKS will make sure that every child feels included. Put like stickers on the bottoms of two craft sticks. You will need as many sticks as there are children in your classroom. Place sticks in a plastic cup with stickers facing down. Children choose a stick and then find the person whose stick matches theirs. That is their partner.
Note! You can also use matching letters, shapes, numbers, etc. on the sticks.
*For small group work, put like stickers on four sticks. Remember, groups of two or four are more conducive to social interaction.
*When there is an odd number of students, let the last child chose whichever group she would like to be a part of.