Our new reading unit has to do with Energy and the teachers book tells us to make a Concept Board that students can post questions on but Me being...well Me I can't STOP there! Gotta go Crazy, wear myself out, and make it Higher Order Thinking/Artsy aka "Gifted-style". Students are creating various pictures, lists, and research onto the board based on what story we are reading and the goal is to make everything they add look like apps or folders with apps inside. We did one today and its looking great =]
The second thing I made yesterday was the complete make-over that I gave to my workshop rotations. 20 students in 4 perfect groups working on various skills was not something I was prepared for as a first year teacher but I'm completely using it to my advantage. Obviously one of my centers is my iPad concept board, small group with me and the others change. About half my students have watched an episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple so they picked up on the theme. They LOVE the idea of their group having a mascot!!
The name tags above the mascots are Velcro and move with the rotations. Now for the incentive. Each person within their group must earn 2-4 100% between the 4-8 centers (depending on the week) for their team to earn a gold coin. This incentive is keeping them from goofing off and talking so I'm loving it right there with them. The coins will attach to the tens mascot on the board to help the other students create goals.
Something I have learned this year, I've created multiple incentives for students to succeed and it's hard to stay ontop of but if they are learning and eager to earn 100% or turn in all their work then how can I complain how stressed I am about it?!? (what a run on sentence).
The 4th week of school was rough for my class and I. They ran down the stairs during a fire drill got complained about in Special Area and as a class collected 26 Tallys (negative behavior plan through whole 5th grade). We needed to Tidy up our Ship, none the less. It so happened to also be Talk Like a Pirate Day =D I created an entire 30 minute lesson plan about what a "Pirate Student" looks and acts like and how we are a class of Sailors. We compared and contrasted the two through art. Dawned our Pirate hats, mustaches, and eye patches one last day to get the pirate out. Ever since then when my class is acting out or I've had a sub I just ask "what hat are you wearing" and they stop and put on their (metaphoric) Sailor hat.
I had students color/decorate their Sailor Hats and Pirate Hats because I want to display their pirate hats in a way that reminds them they left the pirate behind. Their Sailor hats they'll wear when they are the Sailor of the Week and get to be my First Mate.
This Sailor theme is AhhhMazing!!!! So happy with my choice!! Pin It Now!
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