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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Birthdays are a special time, but many schools are discouraging cupcakes. (It's a sad day because as a teacher I loved when kids had birthdays and I got a cupcake.) Well, here's
an idea that is gluten free, sugar free, and sure to accommodate all food allergies while giving children a sweet birthday memory. You can watch me explain it on this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O53tvyWSWKA

Make a circle of friends and invite the birthday child to stand in the middle. The birthday child can choose friends to be the candles on their cake. For example, if they are five years old they select five friends; six years old six friends, etc. The candles/friends stand around the birthday child and then the rest of the class holds hands to make the birthday cake as they say:

Today is child’s name birthday.
Let’s make her/him a cake. (Circle arms to make a bowl.)
Stir and mix and mix and stir, (Pretend to stir.)
Then into the oven to bake. (Pretend to put cake in the oven.)
Here’s our cake so nice and round. (Circle arms.)
We’ll frost it with icing white. (Spread frosting with palm.)
We’ll put age candles on it. (Hold up fingers.)
To make her/his birthday bright.

After singing the traditional birthday song, let the birthday child “blow” out the candles. The candles wiggle down to the floor when they are blown out.

What else can you do?
*Make the traditional paper birthday crown for the child to decorate. (This is one of those ideas that is timeless. And, it emphasizes that children are happy with PLAIN VANILLA!)

*Make a “Happy Birthday” book. Each child in the classroom draws a picture of something they would like to give the birthday friend. A simple sentence like “My wish for you is_____.” could be added to the page. The birthday child decorates a large sheet of construction paper in which the pictures from their friends can be stapled to make a book.

*Give the birthday child one special wish. She can choose a game, book, song, friend to sit by, etc.

*Spray paint a chair gold and decorate with fake jewels. The “Fancy Nancy Chair” can be used for birthdays and other classroom celebrations.

*In my granddaughter’s school they “give” a favorite book to the class on their birthday.

MORNING MEETING CELEBRATIONS

Morning meeting is a special time to celebrate little milestones in children's lives like losing a tooth or getting a new pair of shoes. Here are some songs that we always used to celebrate these events. 

Happy Haircut (Tune: "Happy Birthday to You")
Only sing this song if the children like their haircut. We've all had haircuts where we wanted to hide in a sack!
Happy haircut to you.
Happy haircut to you.
You're sure lookin' good!
Happy haircut to you.

New Shoes (Tune: "This Old Man")
When children wear a new pair of shoes to school, let them stand in front
of the room and dance as you sing this song to them.
Here’s one foot. (Child sticks out one foot.)
Here are two. (Child sticks out other foot.)
Each is wearing a brand, new shoe,
So stand up, turn around, dance around the floor. (Child dances in a circle.)
That’s what these two feet are for. (Point to feet.)

Welcome Back (Tune: "The Bear Went over the Mountain")
If a child has been absent, insert their name in this song when they return to school
to let them know you missed them.
Welcome back child’s name.
Welcome back child’s name.
Welcome back child’s name.
We’re glad you’re here today.


Loose Tooth (Tune: "Turkey in the Straw")
Celebrate when a child loses a tooth by using their name I this tune.
Oh, look in child’s name mouth
And what do you see?
A great, big hole where a tooth used to be.
Well, they wiggled it and jiggled it until it wiggled free.
Now, there’s a window when they smile at me.

GOOD MORNING SONGS

How do you start your day? I liked to stand by the door and personally greet each child with a hug or a handshake.

Note! If your school restricts physical contact, a smile or air hug will go a long way.

Think about the routine you want to use each day and just jump right in...

Do you call it circle time or morning meeting or??? Whatever you call it, choose an active song that you like and use it to get the blood going to the brain and release wiggles.

It's important to choose a song and do the same song every day. That way it will become an "indicator activity" and when the children hear it they'll know it's time to get the show started!

These are some of my favorite good morning songs:

Rise and Shine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyAD2OoFuoY

Feeling Fine 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bm8lk7lvUg

Time to Get Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39__jCTwNt0

Here's a video I did several years ago with some morning routines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HnBi61cfiU

HOW DO ANIMALS SAY GOOD MORNING!

https://bit.ly/drjAnimal

WALK THE ROOM

Here's a variation of circle time that might be perfect for older students to spark their interest as you reinforce skills. How about having the children stand and walk around the room instead of sitting? As children walk to different locations you can engage them in some of the songs, movements, and interactive activities suggested.

My World
What? flag, US map, poster of handshakes, classroom rules

How? Sing a good morning song, say the pledge, do a handshake, review rules, etc.



Math/Science
What? calendar, weather chart, hundreds chart, daily schedule

How? Sing songs about the days of the week or the month, review your daily schedule. Sing the weather song and have a “meteorologist” report. Count, add boys and girls, think of equations that equal the date, etc.



Word Wall
What? word wall, flashlight, pointer, fly swatter

How? Sing, dance, clap, and cheer words. Make sentences with words, play games, spotlight words, spell words with sign language, etc.




Alphabet Wall
What? class alphabet, pointers

How? Sing alphabet songs and play letter recognition games. Clap on consonants and jump on vowels. Do Karate writing where children punch up high for tall letters, punch in front of them for middle letters, and give a little kick for letters with a tail.



Hint! Even if you don’t want to do all of the above activities, it’s important to get the children up and wake up their brain with a song or movement activity.

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