ARE YOU LISTENING?

When most teachers are asked what they look for in good students, they will respond, “I want students who can listen and follow directions.” As children spend more time in front of a screen, it’s important to slow down at the beginning of the school year to develop positive listening skills.

Turn it off! 

Turn off the big screen and get down at the children’s eye level and look at them.

Engage them! 

Get their attention with a finger play or a cheer.
*Teacher: Hocus pocus. (Pretend to wave a magic wand.)
Children: Everybody focus. (Children make imaginary goggles and put them around their eyes.)

Wait. 

Sit quietly and smile and wait.
*Close your eyes and pretend to wave a magic wand. Say, “Abracadabra. I will open my eyes when all my friends are sitting quietly.”

Lower your voice. 

By simply talking slowly with a quiet voice you will remind the children that it’s time to listen.
*Lip sinc a song or finger play like “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Anything different or original will give children “pause.”

Busy Hands 

Give them something to do with their hands. Demonstrate how to cross your fingers and put your “listening hands” in your lap.


Pretzels and Applesauce 

If children are sitting on their bottoms they will be less likely to squirm around. Remind them that their legs should look like pretzels and they should make a bowl of applesauce with their hands.

Hint! I explain that the doctor said it’s important to sit with their legs like pretzels. If the “doctor says” they are more likely to respond. (This is true because orthopedists warn sitting on the knees can be harmful.)

Body Check. 

Remind children to listen with their eyes, ears, and bodies.
*Teacher: Are your eyes looking at me?
Children: Check!
Teacher: Are your ears ready to listen?
Children: Check!
Teacher: Are your bodies sitting quietly?
Children: Check!
Teacher: Are you ready to learn?
Children: Check!

Breathe 

Tell children to slowly breath in and out their noses. It’s surprising how this will calm them – and they won’t be able to talk!

Signs 

Run off a copy of a giant ear and tape it to a stick. When you hold up the ear children know they need to listen with big ears!

Repeat 

Practice giving directions ONE time. Invite another student to repeat what you have said.

Close Your Eyes 

Have children close their eyes as you give directions. Who can open their eyes and repeat what you said?

*Occasionally, have children close their eyes when you read a story. Can they make pictures in their brain?
*Invite children to sing songs or say nursery rhymes with their eyes closed.

GREAT TEACHERS 120

KISS PRINCIPLE - KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Quiet Creatures (Jennifer Olayo)
You’ll need a large pompom, small pompom, googly eyes, and a foam heart or flower to make a quiet creature. Glue the small pompom to the large one for a nose. Add eyes and stick the heart on the bottom for feet. Children take out their quiet creatures during quiet activities. If they talk they lose their creature. When they finish they can whisper quietly to their creature.

Birthday Do Dah (Mary Lehman
(Tune: “Camptown Racers”)
Our friend name is age years old
Do dah, do dah. (Wave scarf up and down on “do dah.”)
Our friend name is age years old
Oh, do dah day.
Let’s all shout “hooray!”
It’s a special day.
Our friend name is age years old
Oh, do dah day.
*Take scarves, streamers, or just wave your hand as you “do dah” the person’s age.

Ear on the Door (Shannon Kennady)
Put a big ear on the door and when children start to tattle say, “Tell it to the ear.”

Tattle Stopper (Linda Rossiter)
Pick up some old tax forms at the library. When children start to tattle hand them a form and tell them to fill it out and then bring it back to you.

*You'll have to save this idea for December!
Letters to Santa (Shannon Kennady)
Have children write letters to Santa and then let older students (class buddies) respond to them. Put the letters in the freezer and then take them out and return them to the children. Explain that the letters are cold because they just arrived from the North Pole!

If You Can Hear Me (Susan Paulus)
If you can hear me, clap once.
If you can hear me, clap twice…
*Continue until all children are engaged and listening.

Transitional Breathing (Katie Saucier)
Smell the roses – hold a pretend bouquet of flowers and smell them.
Blow out your candle – hold up one finger like a birthday candle and blow it out.

Flip Book

Make a flip book as shown. Draw an egg, tree, cave, or other animal home on the front flip. Open and draw a critter that you would find in that habitat. Hold up to the light to see your little critter in its home.

Sentence Structure (Lisa Ruff)
Make the love sign with your hand. Your thumb is the capital.
Your pointer finger asks if it makes sense.
The little finger is a reminder for the punctuation mark at the end.
Check to make sure you LOVE your sentence. You need all three fingers to love it!

Hall Chant (Melanie Griffin)
Teacher: Are your hands ready for the hall?
Students: Yes, yes, yes they are. (Put hands behind back.)
Teacher: Are your feet ready for the hall?
Students: Yes, yes, yes they are. (Stomp feet.)
Teacher: Is your mouth ready for the hall?
Students: Mmm, mmm, mmm. (Mouth closed.)

TELL A STORY DAY

National Tell A Story Day (April 27th) is celebrated by encouraging people of all age groups to tell a story. A story can be read from a book, an imaginary story, or an actual memory.

In person or online, stories will capture children’s attention and nurture their literacy skills. Oral language, phonological awareness, comprehension, sequencing, and multiple skills are reinforced with stories. The secret ingredient to a good story is YOU! You add the magic with your enthusiasm and unique personality.

Before telling your story you need to focus children’s attention with a chant or rhyme similar to the one below:



Two little hands go clap, clap, clap. (Clap hands 3 times.)
Two little fingers go snap, snap, snap. (Snap fingers 3 times.)
Two little eyes go blink, blink, blink. (Blink eyes.)
If you want to hear a story go wink, wink, wink. (Wink eyes.)
(Lower your voice as you say each line.)

Hands up high. (Hands in the air.)
Hands down low. (Hands down.)
Hide those hands, now. (Hands behind your back.)
Where did they go? (Shrug shoulders.)
One hand up. (Right hand up.)
The other hand, too. (Left hand up.)
Clap them, (Clap.)
Fold them, (Fold in lap.)
Here’s a story for you!

Here's a participation story where children can listen and follow directions.

The Wiggle Family

Directions: Assign children to be the different characters below. (Two or three children can be each character.) Instruct them to stand up, wiggle, and then sit back down whenever their name is mentioned in the story.

Hint! When telling the story, pause slightly after saying each character's name.

Mama Sister Baby Cat Grandma

Papa Brother Dog Grandpa

One day Mama Wiggle said, "It’s such a beautiful day. Why don't we all get in the van and go to Grandma and Grandpa Wiggle's house. We’ll take a picnic lunch and have a great time!" Papa got the van ready while Sister packed a picnic lunch. Mother got the baby, and Brother got the cat and dog. Soon Mother, Father, and Baby were in the front of the van, and Sister and Brother, the cat and the dog were in the back of the van and they were on their way to Grandma and Grandpa Wiggle’s house..

"Oh, no," said Sister, "I forgot the picnic lunch!"

So Mama told Papa to stop the van. They turned around and drove back to their house to get the picnic lunch. Sister ran back to the house while the others sat in the van. Just then the dog started barking and scared the cat who jumped out of the van. Brother had to chase the cat and bring her back to the van. The Baby got so upset, he just cried and cried. Finally, Mama, Papa, Sister, Brother, Baby, the dog, and cat were all back in the van and were on their way to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

When they arrived at Grandma and Grandpa’s house everyone was so happy! The cat and dog jumped out of the van first, followed by Brother and Sister. Mother, Father, and Baby got out of the van last.

They spread a blanket under a large tree and put out the picnic lunch. And, oh, what a feast it was! They had sandwiches, and fried chicken, and cupcakes and fruit. After lunch Grandpa, Grandma, Mother, Father, and the Baby fell asleep and took a nap. Brother and Sister chased the cat and dog around and played hide and go seek.

It started to get dark, so Grandpa and Grandma gave Mother, Father, Baby, Sister and Brother a big hug good-bye. They all hopped in the van with the cat and the dog and set off towards their home.

What a special day it had been!

Here are videos where I tell some of my favorite stories.

https://youtu.be/L3UdCHXq03c
Scat the Cat

https://youtu.be/EEGo7achQeU
Kittens’ Mittens

https://youtu.be/xr7VdZtFFlU
Bingo

THREE LITTLE PIGS

https://bit.ly/drJ3PigsNarrated

MAMA BEARS ARE MAMA BEARS

Kids are kids and parents are parents regardless 

of ability or socioeconomic status.

A teacher once told me that she had taught in low income schools and high income schools and that she had discovered that all parents wanted to protect their children and wanted what was best for their child.  That's why we need to do everything we can to make parents feel like we are "partners" and we think their child is wonderful and amazing!!

I just had to add that baby bears are baby bears regardless of IQ.  Children are children and they want to play and be loved!

Note!  last fall my daughter went to open house at her kids' high school.  One teacher actually said, "Thank you for sharing your child with me this year!"  What a beautiful thought!  

THROWBACK

Everybody lives surprises - especially children! Place a book, natural object, shape, or anything you want to talk about in a gift bag and sing this song:

Surprise Sack
(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
What’s in the surprise sack who can tell?
Maybe it’s a book or maybe it’s a shell?
What’s in the surprise sack who can see?
It’s something special for you and me!

Give them a few clues and invite children to guess what is in the bag. Slowly pull it out and you’ll have their undivided attention.

Hint! If you go to a conference or take a trip put a small souvenir in a gift bag (book, shell, pencil, toy, etc.) and cover with tissue paper. Children pass the bag around and use a complete sentence to guess what is in the bag. When all have had a turn remove the object and give it to the children like a “present.”

SURPRISE SACK

Want a new trick to capture your students' attention this week? How about a surprise sack to capture their interest and curiosity? Take a gift bag andhide a book, game, object, or prop that relates to a skill or theme you are working on and sing this song to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot.”

Surprise Sack
What’s in the surprise sack?
Who can tell?
Maybe it’s a book or maybe it’s a shell.
What’s in the surprise sack?
Who can see?
It’s something special for you and me!
What’s in the surprise sack?
Who can say?
Maybe it’s a picture or maybe it’s a game.
What’s in the surprise sack
Look and see.
It’s something special for you and me!

Mystery Box
Hide something you want to talk about (book, natural object, etc.) in a box and play “20 Questions.” Children get 20 chances to ask yes/no questions to figure out what is in the mystery box. Tally the questions on the board to keep track.



*Use this as an opportunity to teach strategies that will help narrow the answer. For example: Is it living? Is it non-living? Is it something in your house? Is it a person? Place? Thing?


Imagination Bag
Give each child a paper lunch bag and explain that you are going on an imaginary trip. You can take a trip to the pumpkin patch, zoo, outer space, or any place that fits with their interests or a theme. Have them open their bags and look for something they might see on the imaginary trip. Encourage them to take turns naming objects and making imaginary places on the floor in front of them.

*Time imagination bags into concepts you want to reinforce, such as letters, shapes, sounds, etc. For example: “Who can find something in their bag that is a square?”

Surprise Video!

Here's a new story and download that Alex May (webmaster) has created.  He's getting pretty amazing with AI!

https://bit.ly/drJKitesNarrated

#5 THE HEART OF A TEACHER

Yes, sometimes you just have to SHUT YOUR DOOR, follow your heart, and do what is best for your children.  (It also is easier to ask forgiveness than permission!)

Here is a sign that one teacher told me she put on her door.  I showed it at a workshop and a participant came up at the end and said, "Dr. Jean, I don't think my principal would like that."  Well, sometimes you just have to have a sense of humor!!!

P.S. One year I had an "issue" with an administrator. I happened to be teaching adults at the time and I was standing up for something I believed in. It broke my heart and my spirit, but I will never forget what a student said to me: "Dr. Jean, don't let them take away your joy!" I tell you that because NOBODY CAN EVER TAKE AWAY YOUR JOY IF YOU DON'T LET THEM!!!

THROWBACK

Let’s Look Important! 

Diane Ringer told me she taught her children how to "look important."  I think it would be perfect when you have an unexpected visitor walk into your room.

Would you like to know how to look important? 

Put your right hand over your heart like this. (Demonstrate)
Put your left hand across your chest and fold your arms like this. (Demonstrate)
Lift up your chin and smile importantly.
Now look at all my important people!