No-Name
Papers
Pound
Puppies: (No-Name Papers, any
subject): I call no-name papers "Pound Puppies." I have a
small section of bulletin board decorated with Pound Puppy wrapping paper,
and I post them there. I explain that they are "lost" and their
owners need to claim them from the pound. I also remind my kids about
those MEAN 7th and 8th grade teachers who THROW OUT no name papers. Oops,
I was going to sign my name, but I forgot. I'll just close with "arf".
Submitted by Joanie Wilcox, USA
Tomb
of the Unknown Student: (No-Name
Papers, Ancient History): I dedicate part of one bulletin board to The
Tomb of the Unknown Student. The kids do the art, which changes now
and then; kids help post no-name papers as needed, when, of course, some
are spotted. Plus, kids spot their own work, after posting in "The
Tomb". All unclaimed no-name work is posted until the end of
each unit. As the closing act of any unit, the kids, in each class, walk
by, single file, & pay their respects. If any "no-names" are
left by the end of the day, they're "buried". It doesn't
matter if no-names are posted for the whole unit or a day - points off are
the same. The work was attempted; it just wasn't claimed. Submitted
by: Mr Donn
Vocabulary
Drill
Vocabulary
Drill & Test Review: Good
for any topic where you have lots of vocab words: Generate a huge list of
terms, like over 50 if possible. Write them down (probably easier to
photocopy it or make an overhead) for all the kids to see. Make a grid of
25 squares (5x5), each about 1 inch, and photocopy it so that each kid
gets a copy. Then tell them to pick 25 of the vocab words-- any ones they
want-- and put one word in each square. Then, read definitions, one at a
time (keep track of the words you are defining) out loud. Have the kids X
off the box that contains the word you are defining. They'll have to know
the definition to X it off, plus they may or may not have the word on
their grid! First to get 5 in a row wins! You'll want to verify that their
words were indeed defined before declaring a winner. Good for practice
before a quiz. Submitted by: Kevin Fleury; New Hampshire; USA
Fun
games and free powerpoints
Managing
Your Classroom
Speak in a soft voice when you wish to be
heard.
Don't point out a thing, but begin to raise
your own hand
when you want your kids to raise their hand before answering.
After a week or two, raise your hand only occasionally.
After a week more, simply ask your question.
They will raise their hands without prompting.
Your
Own Classroom Court
D.E.A.D.
(Excellent!)
How
to write Behavioral Objectives
Rational
Discipline Strategies
Handling
Bullies

Free Teaching Tools
QuizStar
TrackStar
Social
Studies Skills Tutor (Prentice Hall, free)
Absolutely fabulous. Online FREE Fun Drills for:
-
Sequencing
- Identifying Cause and Effect
- Drawing Inferences & Conclusions
- Making Valid Generalizations
- Distinguishing Fact & Opinion
- Comparing and Contrasting
- Analyzing Primary & Secondary Sources
- Recognizing Bias
- Identifying Frame of Reference and Point of View
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
Substitutes
As a sub, it's always wise to have a few lessons on hand prior to
entering a classroom. True, a lesson is supposedly left for you to use by
the teacher, but sometimes ... you need a filler or a replacement. Here's
one that will come in handy sooner or later. It works best for grades 5-10
but can be used in grades 3-12.
It was a dark and stormy night ...
55 minutes: If
the desks are not already lined up in rows, direct the kids to quickly
push their desks into rows. Tell the kids to get out some paper and a
pencil. Direct your students to write their name at the top of their
paper. Then, write down the following - It was a dark and stormy night in
(subject) when suddenly ....
Tell the kids they each have 1
minute to continue this story. When time is up, they are to hand their
story to the person behind them who will have 1 minute to continue the
story. (The last person in the row brings their story to the first person
in the row each round.) Continue this until all stories end up in their
original place. Authors will then have 2 minutes to quickly read what is
there and finish the story. Sound the clock, and go.
When this activity is finished,
ask if anyone would like to share "their" story with the class.
If nobody volunteers, pick somebody. The stories are hysterical.
Adjusting for a shorter
period of time: If you only have 10-15 minutes,
adjust like this. Do not rearrange the desks. Do not tell them to write
their names at the top. They don't need them. Tell
the kids to get out some paper and a pencil. Direct your students to write
down the following - It was a dark and stormy night in (subject) when
suddenly ....
Tell the kids they have 1
minute to start this story. Then, they are to quickly hand their paper off
and get one from someone else. You will help grab and
distribute. Speed counts. You're on the clock. The next person has 1
minute. The last person finishes the story. This is a slightly different
approach, but it works as well.
Here are more tips to help make your experience a
good one!
Substitute
Teaching Tips
Tips
Last
Days of School
This works very
well at either the start of the year,
or an end of the year exercise. http://nccphp.sph.unc.edu/aithailand/source/Module1/LostatSeaExercise.doc
More Ideas for the Last Days of School
Wrapping
Up the School Year
Summer
Letter Writing
Moving Up Day
I still remember my High School, Freshman Year, moving up
day. This activity was announced over the loudspeakers during the
second week in June, asking interested people to sign up for their class
committee. We had never done a moving up day. Nobody knew what to do. The
"day" was really an hour. Our assignment, because that's how we
thought of it that first year, was to write and learn our pertinent class
song and chant, written by our scrambled together at the last minute Moving Up committee.
That first year, our Freshman committee
consisted of three people - one made the posters, one wrote the chant and
worked with the cheerleaders to create easy to learn movement to go with it,
and I wrote the words to the song we chose - "Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka
Dot Bikini". I had about a week, because we had to pass out the
words and the chant, and help put our posters up in the hallway to generate some
interest.
Even though we had such a short time to
prepare - one week, and very part time as we also had to prepare for finals
- moving up hour was so much fun! The whole school, minus the seniors who
had already graduated and left the building, gathered in the auditorium
during the last hour of school. The front seats were left empty to hold the
moving up Juniors. The Juniors went first, singing their song, then
screaming their cheer as they moved up into the empty seats. Then the
Sophomores moved up. And finally, it was our turn. Our Freshman song &
cheer concluded the last the day of school.
By the time I graduated, Moving Up Day had
become a real day, and a school tradition. At our 20 year reunion, people
still remembered our Freshmen and Sophomore and Junior songs, because we
used the same song every year. We just changed the words slightly as we
"moved up".
Here's
our Moving Up Day Song (from long ago)
Sing to the tune of "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
We are the itsy
bitsy teeny weenie tiny whiney fat and slimy
thin and scrawny Freshman are we,
With all our cares to spare from everywhere we do our best to pass our
tests?,
to make the grade and never fade, to organize and socialize,
to help each other and discover how to reach that certain number - (your
graduation year)
we are the itsy bitsy teeny weenie tiny whiney fat and slimy
thin and scrawny Sophomores to be, maybe.
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All Rights
Reserved
Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin
Have a great year!
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