Pin Picks!
So many of my teacher friends told me that once I had my sweet little baby I wouldn't be thinking about school. It is partially true (hence the lack of posts!) but I find that I can't always turn my mind off from getting excited about trying new things when I am back at work in January. Pinterest definitely adds to that.
I still have a few posts to write about lessons from my pre-baby life but I thought I would share some pins that I totally want to try. You can check out some of my boards by clicking here!
Last year I had 14 different classes to teach. I kept track of attendance by having students touch their name on my Smart Board. Although it was super fun, it took a lot of time and if there was a fire drill I'm not sure if I'd remember who was absent. I like the idea of hanging the attendance lists by the door but would probably double side each sheet or even put all the classes of one grade on the same lanyard. By laminating the sheets I could easily use a dry erase marker to check off who is present.
I still have a few posts to write about lessons from my pre-baby life but I thought I would share some pins that I totally want to try. You can check out some of my boards by clicking here!
Musical Masterpiece
I like the idea of incorporating more art into my Music classes. I especially like this communal piece of art. A challenge in my room would be lack of desks. We have clipboards, though, so that could work. I also think that keeping this activity fast-paced would help to avoid any chances of kids getting bored. Part of me is feeling adventurous and may even want to use paint!
Attendance
Last year I had 14 different classes to teach. I kept track of attendance by having students touch their name on my Smart Board. Although it was super fun, it took a lot of time and if there was a fire drill I'm not sure if I'd remember who was absent. I like the idea of hanging the attendance lists by the door but would probably double side each sheet or even put all the classes of one grade on the same lanyard. By laminating the sheets I could easily use a dry erase marker to check off who is present.
Incentive Program
Normally, I'm not one for incentive programs. I'm all about intrinsic motivation. As evidenced by the comment from the teacher who is replacing me while on Mat Leave ("The kids do not like the GPS program" - the program I use for assessment and evaluation, which requires students to be self-motivated), not everyone is intrinsically motivated. It is worth reading about Matthew Stidham's incentive program based on a house system like from Harry Potter. What I think is pretty cool is that all the students in Grades 6-8 are split up into one of three houses. It really builds community as students from other grades and classes work together to earn points and rewards. I think it will be worth giving it a try, especially since I'll be back halfway through the year the kids may need some extra motivation!
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