SNOW MEN AND SNOW LADIES

Toys and fashions come and go, but snowmen are never out of style. They might melt, but they will never go away!


Five Little Snowmen Finger Play
Five little snowmen fat. (Hold up five fingers.)
Each wore a different hat.
Along came the sun and melted one. (Bend down one finger.)
Now, what do you think about that?

Four little snowmen fat… (Hold up four fingers.)
Three…Two…One

Cut snowmen out of felt as shown. Place a different colored hat on each one. Remove one snowman as each verse is said.

*Place the flannel board and snowmen in a center so children can practice saying the rhyme and make sets.

*Make a simple flannel board by gluing a piece of felt to the front of a file folder. Staple the sides. Store pieces inside and glue a copy of the poem to the back.


Snowman Puppet
Cut a snowman out of heavy paper and decorate with markers. Cut a circle for the nose the width of your index finger. Cut another circle the size of your index finger out of a cup. Match up holes and tape the snowman in place. Put your hand in the cup and stick your index finger through the hole as you repeat the rhyme below.

A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot for a nose.
Along came a bunny
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny
Looking for some lunch
Ate that little snowman’s nose
Nibble, nibble, crunch! (Slowly pull your finger back into the cup.)

Flo The Snow Lady
*Cut a snowman shape out of the front of a file folder. Decorate like a snow lady. Insert orange, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and white paper. Glue the words to the rhyme on the back. As you tell or sing the chant remove the paper to reveal a new color.

(Tune: "Happy Birthday")
My name is Flo.
I'm made out of snow.
I can change my color
when I twitch my nose.

Make Flo orange, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and end with white.

I can be many
colors it's true,
but being myself
is the best thing to do!


This was one of the cutest ideas I ever heard about to make a winter day FUN! Peg Caines (Greensboro, NC) shared it with me several years ago. Peg did it with her children, but I think it'd also be fun for teens or adults. What a perfect way to encourage children to cooperate, collaborate, and problem solve!

Build a Snowman
Peg said she gave each group a snowman kit with a construction paper hat, nose, buttons, and mittens. There was also a crepe paper scarf, a roll of masking tape, and a roll of toilet paper. (It took them awhile to figure out what to do with the toilet paper.)

Snowman’s Mystery Word
Draw a snowman on the board. Think of a word or phrase and put blanks for each letter. Children guess letters (similar to Hangman). The teacher writes the letters on the appropriate spaces. If a letter that is not in the word/phrase the teacher erases part of the snowman and puts the letter in the “trash pile.” Can they decode the word before the snowman is erased?



Disappearing Snowman
Draw a snowman on the board. If children are noisy or are not following directions explain that you will erase part of the snowman. Erase one part of the snowman throughout the day as a reminder. It won't take long before all you have to do is pick up the eraser and they'll be quiet!!!

GOING CRAZY????

Are you going crazy right now? Well, here's a video that might help you destress and laugh with your students. When I was about to lose it I would sit down in a chair and slowly start singing this song. The first time I did it my students looked shocked and were speechless! They quickly realized Mrs. Feldman was just being silly and we ended up laughing together. After that when things got a little tense in the classroom I would sing this song and they would join in, relax, and smile!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgDU5RpzUms

I Am Slowly Going Crazy
(Tune: "Reuben, Reuben, I’ve Been Thinking")
I am slowly going crazy, (Cross right ankle on left knee. Place right
elbow on right knee and place chin on palm.)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, switch. (Cross left ankle on right knee and place
chin on left palm.)
Crazy going slowly am I, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, switch.
Continue singing faster and faster.

*Brainstorm other things you can do when you feel like you’re going crazy!

*Make a class book of “Things That Drive Us Crazy!”

ALL IS CALM?

Need a few new tricks to calm those excited children this week?

QUIET Man (Candace Reed)
Make "quiet man" with your fingers by sticking up pinky and pointer and touching thumb, ring man, and tall man. When the teacher holds up "quiet man" the children respond by making "quiet man" and focusing on the teacher.

Magic Triangle (Cathy Crady)
Remind children that they all have a magic triangle in their pocket. (Place pointers and thumbs next to each other to form a triangle.) When the children need to calm down ask them to take out their magic triangle and hold it in front of their mouth. Tell them to take a deep breath in through their nose, and then slowly blow through the triangle.




Body Check
Explain that it's important to listen with your 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!

Breath through Your Nose
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!


Bubbles
Blow bubbles and see if the children can be sitting quietly before all the bubbles pop.

Self Control (Becky Gilsdorf)
Use this visual cue to help children who are out of control:

Cross hands over your chest. (Self)
Slide both hands down the sides of your body. (Control)
As the child repeats the movements silently it will calm them down.

RALPH THE RAG

You know, I really miss being in the classroom. O.K., I don’t miss everything, but I sure miss having fun with the kids. They were my best audience and I loved coming up with tricks to capture their interest. One of my favorites was Ralph the Rag. I took an old towel and knotted it at the top and used it like a puppet to focus the children’s attention. I would let Ralph sit on my hand and say:

This is my buddy Ralph the Rag. Let’s see if you can do everything that Ralph does. (I’d lean Ralph one way and wait for them to follow. Then I’d lean Ralph the other way. I’d shake his head, move him backwards, etc. Then I’d have Ralph stand up. The children would follow along as I made him turn around, jump, and so forth. I always ended by having Ralph sit quietly back in my hand.)

If the children didn’t follow along with Ralph or if they kept talking I’d pretend to cry and be Ralph. “The boys and girls aren’t listening to me so I’m just going to go away.” They’d say, “No, Ralph. We’ll be quiet and listen to you. Don’t go away.”

It was fun and it worked for a week or so.

Another trick I used was the Quiet Family. I placed some little toy figures in a lunchbox and said “I have some little friends that would like to visit our class. However, the friends have teeny tiny ears so you’ll have to use teeny tiny voices today.” The class would agree to this and I would open the lunch box and take out the friends. If someone got too loud I could count on another classmate to say, “Shhh! Remember our friends and their little ears!”

You’ve just got to create your own happiness and fun every day! 

A CUP OF IDEAS

Plastic cups for classroom management!!! Here are a few new "tricks" for you to try!

Help Me!
Give each child a red and green cup to keep in their desk. When they are doing independent work have them place the cups on their desk with the green on top. Green means they are good to GO! If they need help they put the red cup on top to indicate, “Please STOP and help me.”

Group Check
You’ll need a red, green, and yellow cup for this activity. Stack the red (bottom), yellow (middle), and green (top) cups in that order and place them in the middle of a table where students sit. If the group gets loud, remove the green cup and the yellow will be a warning to calm down. If the noise continues remove the yellow cup and they must stop all talking.


Note! I didn’t think of this. There are several variations of it on the internet.

Dippers and Fillers
This is a popular management system that many schools use. When children are unkind or say something hurtful they are “dippers.” When they are kind they are “fillers.” Punch holes in the sides of a cup and tie on a string or pipe cleaner so children can hang them on their chairs or a bulletin board. The teacher or friends can put a token in their cup to thank them for being a “filler.”
                                        

Storage
Plastic cups can be used for organizing art materials, pencils, and other supplies.
*How about a cup for “Lost and Found Crayons” or “Lost and Found Pencils”?

Snack Cups
In addition to using cups for liquids, they’re handy for serving popcorn and other snacks to children.

*Decorate with stickers and use for party treats.

Lucky Sticks
Let each child decorate a craft stick with her name. Place the sticks in a cup labeled “lucky sticks.” When you have a special job to be done pull a stick from the cup. That’s the “lucky” winner. Put their stick in your desk after they’ve had a turn and when all the sticks are in your desk put them back in the cup and start all over.

                                 

Review Questions
Write a question on the front of the cup and write the answer inside for a self-check activity.


Brainstorm
Divide students into groups of 4. Give each group a cup and challenge them to come up with as many uses for the cup as they can in 5 minutes.

SMILE BREAK

Here's a simple little classroom management trick that might help your kids keep their "cool" with all the candy and partying today.

When children are wound up, help center them with a smile break. Tell them to look at the clock and smile for 30 seconds. (Use the timer on your phone or have them look at the clock until the big hand is on the 6.)

You can also ask them to hug themselves, sit and freeze, or do other motions for a specified amount of time.

Breath Through Your Nose
I love this idea to help children focus and clam down. Have them close their lips and breath through their noses. (Works like a charm because they can’t talk!)




Babble Break
A brain break that students will love is a “talking break.” Set a timer for one minute or whatever and tell students they can talk with a friend until the timer goes off. Once the time goes off there's no more talking!

Hint! You can focus the talking break by having children discuss a story you’ve read or talk about a topic you are studying.

HALLOWEEN WEEK

Yes, the person who drew this cartoon must have been an elementary teacher!  Here are some tips to help you get through the week.

Whisper Wednesday

This Wednesday make a sign for your door that says “Whisper Wednesday.” Greet the children at the door as you whisper, “Welcome to whisper Wednesday. All day long we are going to use our whisper voices. Take yours out of your pocket and put it on.”

Do the morning routine, songs, reading group, and all other activities with a quiet voice.

Hint! Ask children to help you by putting their index finger on their lips to remind friends to remember to whisper.

Here are a few other relaxation ideas to try today or any other crazy day!

Vacation
Tell your class to give their mouth and their eyes a “vacation” by closing their eyes and mouths. Next, ask them to practice breathing through their noses. You’ll be amazed at how this brings down their energy level and helps them focus.

“Eye” Exercise
Demonstrate how to hold your two index fingers a few inches from your eyes on either side of your head. Look at the right index finger with both eyes and then look at the left index finger.

Tighten~Relax 

Tighten up your body as tight as you can and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Then relax and let it all go. Repeat several times.
*Starting with the toes, call out one body part at a time for children to squeeze and then relax. For example, toes, feet, knees, legs, hips, back, fingers, arms, shoulders, necks, faces, and then a whole body SQUEEZE!

Rag Dolls and Soldiers 

When the teacher calls out “rag dolls” everyone flops over like a rag doll. When the teacher says, “soldiers,” everyone stands up tall and stiff. Continue calling out “rag dolls” and “soldiers” faster and faster.

Criss Cross Applesauce

Do this on each other’s backs:
Cross cross, (Make an “x” on back.)
Applesauce, (Wiggle fingers down back.)
Spiders crawling up your back. (Crawl fingers up back.)
Warm breeze. (Gently blow on neck.)
Gentle squeeze. (Hug from behind.)
Now you’ve got the shiveries! (Tickle fingers down back.)
Hint! Have children stand in a circle and face right. That way they will each have a back to write on.

How about two new ideas to help children sit down and line up?

Sit Down Song (Alissa DeKemper)
Howdy Neighbor,
What’d ya say
It’s gonna be a beautiful day!
So clap your hands
And stomp your feet,
Turn around and take a seat!

Line Up Chant (Alissa DeKemper)
My hands upon my head I place,
On my shoulders near my face,
On my knees,
And at my side,
Then behind me they will hide.
(Lower your voice as you say it!)

PLEASE DON'T YELL

I wonder if teachers realize how “yelling” or using a harsh voice really impacts students? You could technically be a master teacher, but if you “yell” it certainly chips away at the positive image. Kids often evaluate teachers by saying, “He never yells,” or “She yells all the time.”

Henry Hush
(Hold up your index finger as you sing this song to the tune of “London Bridge.”)
Henry Hush says,
“Please be quiet.” (Pretend index finger is Henry.)
“Please be quiet.”
“Please be quiet.”
Henry Hush says, “Please be quiet.”
Shh! Shh! Shh! (Finger on lips as you lower your voice.)

If You Can Hear My Voice
In a normal voice say:
If you can hear my voice, clap your hands one time.
In a softer voice say:
If you can hear my voice, clap your hands two times.
In a whisper voice say:
If you can hear my voice, please look at me.

Continue lowering your voice until children are focused on you.


Student Heroes
5-4-3-2-1-zero (Hold up hand and put down one finger at a time.)
I’m looking for my
student heroes. (Make goggles with thumbs and fingers and place around eyes like glasses.)

*Call the names of children who are sitting quietly.

Volume Control
Some children have a difficult time monitoring their voice level. How about having a picture of a lion, a mouse, and a child? When they can talk in a regular voice put up the child. When you want them to use a whisper voice post the mouse, and when they can use a loud voice (like when they go outside) put up the lion.

Songs, Chants, Poems

Practice singing songs or saying rhymes with a “lion,” “mouse,” or “normal” voice.

TATTLE TALES

O.K. It's important to listen to children, but tattling can be like a fire out of control. To prevent negativity/aka “the squeaky wheel” from getting too much attention, it’s important to have a discussion with your class at the beginning of the year about what is an emergency. If someone is in danger of getting hurt, then it’s an emergency. (One teacher said she used the “3 B Principle” – bathroom, blood, or barf!!!) There are also several good books out now that help children understand when it is appropriate to tell the teacher and what happens when you cry wolf. (A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Fran Sandon is adorable!)

Check out some of these ideas that teachers have shared with me. And, never ever forget to have a sense of humor!

Leave a Message
Put an old phone on your desk for children to tell their concerns. Explain that you’ll listen to your messages at the end of the day. You might even want to have a directory.
Press #1 for the teacher.
Press #2 for your parents.
Press #3 for the principal.
Press #4 for the President…etc.

Write It
Get a spiral notebook and write “Things the Teacher Needs to Know” on the cover. When children come to tattle hand them the book and say, “Write it all down and don’t leave out a thing.” If they say, “I can’t write,” respond with, “Well, just draw a picture and don’t leave out a thing!”




Comment Box
Put a box, notepad, and pencil on a shelf. Explain that when they want to complain or make a comment they need to write it on a piece of paper. They must start their sentence with a capital letter and end it with a period if they want the teacher to read it at the end of the day.


Lunch Bag
Open a lunch bag and set it on your desk. When children come up to tattle say, “Go put it in the bag. I’ll listen at the end of the day.” (Yes, trust me! They will go over and talk in the bag.) At the end of the day put the bag next to your ear and pretend to listen for 15-20 seconds. Then wad up the bag and throw it in the trash as you say, “That’s the end of that!”

Tell the Mirror
Place a small mirror on your wall and when the children start to tattle say, "Why don't you go tell that little boy/little girl in the mirror?"

Tattle Time
One of my favorite stories about tattle tales came from a teacher many years ago. When her students tried to tattle she’d smile and say, “I’m sorry. Today’s not tattle tale day. Wait until May 14th and then you can tell me.”


Oreo
Another teacher said she used the concept of an Oreo cookie for tattle tales. The child reporting had to say one nice thing, then the tale, then another nice thing.


Tattle Toy
Choose a stuffed animal or puppet to listen to children’s complaints and tattles. Be sure and name the character. Explain that when you are busy they can always tell Teddy (or whatever) their problems. He’s always there waiting to be their friend.

*You can also let them tell a plant or other inanimate object.

President

Here’s another great idea for tattle tales. Put a photograph of the President on your wall and say, “I’m just your teacher. Why don’t you tell the President?” You won’t believe it, but the children will walk over and talk to the picture!

Sometimes a sense of humor is the best solution to a problem. Keep calm and laugh inside!

SCHOOL GLUE

Just think if you were a little kid and you had never held a bottle of glue before. Wouldn’t it be fun to squeeze it all out? Sometimes we forget that children need directions on how to use school materials. Tell children, “We just need to use a baby dot of glue. Not a mama dot or papa dot. Just a tiny, little baby dot.” (Be dramatic with this and say “baby dot” in a high little voice.) Demonstrate how to put a dot on a sheet of paper. “What does that look like? A little bug? A cookie crumb?”

*Put food coloring in a bottle of glue and use it at a center for children to practice making “baby dots.”

If you use glue sticks, you will also need to demonstrate how to use them. “If you barely touch the page you can’t see anything. That means nothing will stick to it. Press it gently down and then look to make sure you can see something. That means your paper will stick.”


School Glue
(Tune: “This Old Man”)
School glue, school glue,
Just a little dot will do.
Put a dot and spread it around.
It will hold your paper down.
School glue, school glue,
Don’t use more than a dab or two.
When it dries up, it will disappear.
Your work will look good never fear.


Glue Ghosts
Someone taught me how to make these years ago and I wanted to pass on the idea to you. Children squirt glue in the shape of a ghost on wax paper. Add googly eyes and let dry overnight. When they are dry, peel off the wax paper, punch a hole, and tie on a string for a necklace.  My kids loved these!

Note!  If you didn't want to make ghosts, you could like the children make aliens or other creatures.

TIDY UP

Clean up will be much more successful if you choose a song and sing it consistently when you want the children to tidy up. You really can use any song that you like (country, broadway, college fight song), but use the same song every day and model what you want the children to do.

I used to sing these songs in my classroom and to my own children at home. (My daughter and son would clean up just to get me to shut up!)

A Helper I Will Be (“The Farmer in the Dell”)
A helper I will be.
A helper I will be.
There’s work to do,
There’s work to do.
A helper I will be.
A picker up I’ll be.
A picker up I’ll be.
It’s time to put our things away,
A picker up I’ll be.

Hint! Change the words to whatever you want the children to do, such as “pick up the trash,” “push in the chairs,” etc.

Tidy Up (“Jingle Bells”)
Chorus:
Tidy up, tidy up, put your things away.
Tidy up, tidy up, we’re finished for today.
Oh, tidy up, tidy up, put your things away.
For we’ll get them out again another school day.

We’ve had lots of fun as we’ve worked and played.
Now it’s time to all join in and play the clean up game.
Chorus

Can You? (Tune: “Skip to My Lou”)
I can clean quietly, how about you?
I can clean quietly, how about you?
I can clean quietly, how about you?
How about you, my darlin?

*Change the words to “push in my chair,” “pick up trash,” etc.

Magic Trash
Select one random piece of trash to be the “magic trash.” Have children pick up the room. As they dump the paper and scraps in the trash can, inspect what they have in their hands. The one to find the “magic trash” gets a prize or gets to be the line leader. (Only you and I know there's no special piece of trash!)

Timer
To help prepare children to clean-up or move to another activity, set a timer for five minutes. Explain, “You have five more minutes. When the timer goes
off we will have a whisper clean up.”

Who You Gonna Call?
Send a letter home asking if anyone has an old dust buster to donate to your classroom. Choose one person each day to be the “dust buster.” When there’s a mess shout, “Who you gonna call?” Children respond, “Dust buster!” The designated “dust buster” of the day GETS to clean up the mess.

Classroom Jobs
Assign classroom jobs weekly. Title the jobs by real careers.
Supervisor – Calls the roll.
Maintenance – Picks up the classroom.
Police Officer – Makes sure everyone walks slowly in the hall.
Mail Carrier – Passes out papers.
Librarian – Cleans the classroom library.
Gardener – Waters the plants.
Meteorologist – Gives the morning weather report.
Accountant – Does the lunch count.
UPS – Takes reports to the office.

LISTEN UP!

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.
*Thumbs up. (Put up one thumb.)
Across the chest. (Stretch fist to the opposite shoulder.)
Pat on the back. (Pat back.)
Cause you’re the best. (Hug self with both arms.)

Pretzels and Applesauce – If children are sitting on their bottoms they will be less likely to squirm around.
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!

Breath – 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!

Spotlight – Use a flashlight to “focus” on a child who is sitting quietly.
*You can also sing, “If you don’t know what to do look at _____” to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

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.

SIT DOWN PLEASE

Children will be ready to sit down and focus with one of these tips!

Give Me a Clap (Tune: “Addams Family”) Give me a clap. (Clap twice.)
Give me a clap. (Clap twice.)
Give me a clap, give me a clap,
Give me a clap. (Clap twice.)
Give me a snap. (Snap twice.)
Give me a snap. (Snap twice.)
Now fold your hands and put them down
Into your lap. (Model putting your hands in your lap.)

Sit Down Chant
Clap your hands. (Clap 3 times slowly.)
Stomp your feet. (Stomp slowly 3 times.)
Put your bottom
in your seat!

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Lap (Tune: "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes")
Head, shoulders, knees, and lap, (Point to appropriate body part.)
Knees and lap.
Head, shoulders, knees, and lap, (Point to appropriate body part.)
Knees and lap.
Legs are criss-cross applesauce (Cross legs and fold hands.)
And our hands are in our lap, lap, lap.

Sitter Spot
If your class has a difficult time sitting in a spot you can make them a “sitter spot” from felt squares or fun foam. Cut circles (any size) and write the students’ names with a maker. Spread these out so they all have a defined place to sit. Explain that it’s their “special” spot.




Divide and Conquer
One of the simplest techniques for “impulsivity” is to separate children who tease each other. Putting a high-energy student between two quiet friends will definitely have a calming effect.

Smart Hands
When I was in kindergarten 100 years ago (not really – only 69) Mrs. Meyers taught us to fold our hands and put them in our laps. Do you know this still works? One teacher demonstrated folding her hands as she told her students, “These are smart hands that will help you listen and learn.”

Criss Cross
Criss cross. (Children sit cross legged on the floor.)
Be your own boss! (Children fold arms around their chest as they give themselves a hug. Hugging their chests helps children center themselves and gain control.)

Put Your Bottom on the Rug
(Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
Put your bottom on the rug, on the rug.
Put your bottom on the rug, on the rug.
Put your bottom on the rug, then give yourself a hug.
Put your bottom on the rug, on the rug.

Have a Seat (“Shortnin’ Bread”)
Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat.
Everybody have a seat on the floor.
Not on the ceiling, not on the door.
Everybody have a seat on the floor!

Note: If you want children to sit in a chair, then sing:
Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat.
Everybody have a seat on your chair.
Not on the ceiling, not in the air.
Everybody have a seat on your chair.

Secret Signals
Explain to your students that you are going to have some “secret signals” that only your class will know. Here they are:
1 – Whenever the teacher says “one” everyone should sit down quietly.
2 – When the teacher says “two” everyone should put their hands in their laps.
3 – When the teacher says “three” everyone should smile

CIRCLE TIME TIPS

“OLD SCHOOL” CIRCLE TIME TIPS

GET UNPLUGGED - Circle time should be a natural time when you look the children in their eyes and give them 100% of your attention. Let this be an AUTHENTIC time when it’s just YOU and the CHILDREN! Be in the moment!

Harvest These Ideas- Each class is different and unique. Get to know your kids and adapt activities to stimulate them and create interest.

Intentional Teaching– What’s the point? Think of your goals and objectives and then make a plan. What age do you teach? What is their skill level?

Balance – Integrate activities where children sit and then let them stand and wiggle. Sometimes they need to be quiet and listen, and sometimes they can be encouraged to talk.

Hands-on– Try to provide multi-sensory experiences to activate different pathways to the brain. Finger plays, movement songs, handshakes, and real objects will engage children more than watching a video.

Vary the stimulus– Yes, you want to have a basic routine to give children security and help them feel comfortable, but you need a little spark each day to keep them focused and curious.

Model, Model, Model! Children learn more from your actions than your words. Model sitting quietly, listening attentively when a child is talking, being enthusiastic with your facial expressions, and making the motions for the songs and finger plays.

Quit while you are ahead! Don’t make circle time too long! Start with 10-15 minutes and then extend it as the year goes along. They will let you know by their body language when they’ve had enough!

Follow a basic routine.   For example:

Good Morning Song
Handshake
Morning Message/Review Schedule
Calendar and Weather
Pledge, Rules & Mantra
Active - Skill Songs
Concept Lesson – Theme

You might also want to highlight a different area of the curriculum each day of the week.

Marvelous Monday– Teach a new nursery rhyme or finger play. Practice it each day at circle time.

Terrific Tuesday– What’s in the news? Introduce social studies concepts of interest to the children. Discuss friendship and showing kindness. Brainstorm what to do about classroom behavior issues.

Wonderful Wednesday– Focus on oral language with show and tell, echo chants, and phonological awareness games.

Thrilling Thursday– There’s always something interesting outside your classroom door that your children will be interested in. Each season brings new experiences and objects to observe.

Fabulous Friday– Just for fun! Play a silly game, have a dress up day (silly socks, shirt of favorite sports team, etc.), be DJ and play favorite songs, etc.

During the month of June I’m going to share some activities that I did in my classroom, as well as ideas teachers have shared with me over the years. Pick, choose, adapt, change, delete – they are free and they are yours to do as you will. My hope is that you’ll be a little more excited to start the new school year and have some fun as you make plans so EVERY DAY WILL BE THE BEST DAY EVER!

Ticket to Circle Time
Run off paper tickets and pass one out to each child. Explain that it’s their special ticket for circle time.



Hint! Cut a slit in the plastic lid of a food container for children to insert their tickets as they join the group.


MORNING MESSAGE

GIVE ME A CHEER!

You’ve never downloaded my cheer cards? Well, today is the day!

These cheer cards can be used to focus children’s attention and put a smile on their faces. Every child in your classroom can feel good with these cheers.

What? cheer cards, Cheerios box or Cheer detergent box, heavy paper, scissors

Why? attention grabbers, positive self-esteem, classroom family

When? Large group, small group, all day long

How? Copy the cheer cards below on heavy paper. Cut apart. Introduce one new cheer each day. Use the cheer throughout the day. At the end of the day take a Cheerios box or a Cheer detergent box and say, “We’ve learned a new cheer. Let’s save it in our “cheer box.”

Hint! You can also tape these cheers to a bulletin, classroom door, or the front of your desk.

*When you want to encourage a child, have her reach into the “cheer box” and lead the class in that cheer.

I have two different sets of cheer cards so you can choose the one that you like best.

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2004/06_june/06_2004_pdf.html

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dr-Jeans-Cheer-Cards-1270706

Here are two videos where you can watch me demonstrate many of the cheers.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPA-jYdWe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hsOFYEMSvI