Tag Archives: Classroom Community

A Skit! (bring the Revolutionary War to life in your class!)

Posted on August 29, 2010 by ecossick| 2 Comments

by Kelli Lewis

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Skits, anyone? I always strive my hardest to make lessons and activities hands-on, engaging, interactive, and interesting because I feel that is how students learn better and learn more. I taught a week-long unit on Paul Revere and wanted to find a way to incorporate some acting for the students to perform. I searched online but found nothing. I ended up writing my own script. My class did the skit several times, to ensure that all students received a part. The students broke into groups and practiced their parts with other students who had that same part.

The skit is primarily a conversation between two modern-day peers who are discussing the Boston Tea Party. As they are discussing the events that occurred, the setting flashes back to pre-Revolutionary War Boston, and other students then act out the events.

Here’s the script:

Narrator 1: Hey, what are you doing?

Narrator 2: Oh, I’m just learning about The Boston Tea Party.

Narrator 1: A tea party? In Boston? When?

Narrator 2: No, silly. The Boston Tea Party happened a long time ago during the American Revolution.

Narrator 1: Oh, what happened?

Narrator 2: Well, the colonists were tired of King George III.

Narrator 1: What was so bad about King George III?

Narrator 2: Well, for one thing, he lived in England over 3 thousand miles away from the colonies. He was making laws and trying to rule the colonists.

Narrator 1: Were the laws fair?

Narrator 2: No, so the colonists protested.

Sons of Liberty 1: Listen here, King George III! We have our own laws!

Sons of Liberty 2: And we don’t want yours.

Sons of Liberty 3: We already pay a lot of taxes!

Sons of Liberty 1: Yeah, leave us alone!

Sons of Liberty 2: We should not have to pay a tax on tea.

Sons of Liberty 3: Let’s go talk to Paul Revere.

Narrator 1: Then what happened?

Narrator 2: Well, a man by the name of Paul Revere led a group of colonists. They called themselves the Sons of Liberty.

Narrator 1: What did they do about the taxes?

Paul Revere: Listen, men, why should we pay taxes when the king does not listen to our opinion?

Sons of Liberty 1: Yeah, no taxation without representation!

Sons of Liberty 2: Let’s do something about it!

Paul Revere: How about we form a secret club, dress up like Indians, march on board the ships, and….

Sons of Liberty 3: DUMP THE TEA!!

[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere dress as Indians.]

Narrator 1: Wait, you mean they wanted to dump the tea from all of the ships?

Narrator 2: Yes, every last bit.

Narrator 1: How would that end the tax on tea?

Narrator 2: Well, if all the tea was destroyed, then no one could pay taxes on the tea.

Narrator 1: That would get the king’s attention!

Narrator 2: Right. So on December 16, 1773….

Paul Revere: Ready men? Tonight we take over the ships.

Sons of Liberty 1: Let’s go!

Sons of Liberty 2: I’m ready!

Sons of Liberty 3: Me too!

[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere enter the ship.]

Paul Revere: Grab every pound of tea and throw it in the ocean!

[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere grab all of the tea bags and throw it overboard.]

Narrator 1: It sounds like Boston was a real hot spot in the American Revolution.

Narrator 2: Yeah, the scene of a very famous party!

Narrator 1: Not just any party…the Boston Tea Party!

Kelli Lewis is an Early Childhood Education graduate student at the University of Georgia whose great ideas we are honored to share on A Learning Experience!

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Posted in Academic Success, Assessments, Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, History

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Start a Service Learning Project!

Posted on August 26, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

by Rachel Stepp

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Is there a need in your community that your class could fulfill? Sure there is!

Service-learning involves students working to help meet a need in the community while learning academically and engaging in life skills. At first, the idea of bringing a service-learning project into your own classroom might seem overwhelming, but the outcome is worth the time! Here’s how to start your own project:

Talk with Your Students to Identify a Need. By talking with your students to identify a community need, you are allowing them to create their own project. The students live within their own community, and they often recognize needs that adults seem to ignore. For example, some of your students might realize that the local public playground has mud under the play-set, and it would be great to have mulch or grass instead of mud. Little ideas can grow into great projects. During this step, it is most important to listen to your students.

Make a Plan. What would it take to carry out your service-learning project? What information will you need to know in order to finish the project? This is where you, as the teacher, can talk academically with your students. If your class is going to repair a local playground, there are many things they are going to need to know. A few examples are:

  • What do we cover the ground with, and why? (research)
  • How do we go about covering the ground? (research, communication)
  • How will we afford to do this project? (write proposals and letters for support, hold fundraisers, mathematics involving counting/managing money)
  • How much ground cover do we need? (math-area)
  • How will we maintain the property? (educate others through speeches or letters, survey and collect data to see how often the playground is used)

Do It! Now that you have all of the bones to your project, it is time to get started. Contacting someone, whether it is your principal or your city’s mayor, can be intimidating, but it is worth the chance! Once you get the permission to continue with your project, involve your students constantly. It is their project, and the more work that they are able to do, the more accomplished they will feel.

Reflect. After your class has finished their service-learning project, allow them to reflect on what they have done. Has it changed them as an individual? How will it affect their community? Will they use the playground more often now that it is fixed? Students can reflect through writing, drawing, creating scrapbooks and more.

Demonstrate/Celebrate. When all of the hard work is done, you and your class need to enjoy what you’ve accomplished! Hold an event at your service-learning project location. If you were at the playground, plan a day of play and a picnic lunch. Invite people from the community to come to your celebration. Students can prepare speeches about their work to share with others.

To successfully complete a service-learning project, it is important to remember that students need to be actively engaged in service and in academic learning at the same time. If you’re still not convinced, studies have shown that service-learning projects raise attendance, gain students’ interest, build stronger teacher/student relationships, and more!

Here is a website that has some more ideas for service-learning projects: http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/a-z_topics

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at the University of Georgia, currently working on a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

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Posted in Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, Teacher Inspiration

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5 Cheap Fieldtrips for Fall!

Posted on August 16, 2010 by ecossick| 9 Comments

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by Rachel Stepp

With cutbacks and limitations to money for field trips, it is easy to lose the desire to plan successful field trips for your classes. Here are few ideas for trips that you might want to use this upcoming school year:

1. Farm

Visit a local farm this season. Usually, farmers are willing to give students tours of their farms and allow students to pick some of their own vegetables and fruits. Also, students love to see farm animals and get to participate in animal care. For example, during the fall, students might enjoy going to a pumpkin farm. This will let them learn about science (vegetables, farming, insects, weather), social studies (economy, careers), and more.

2. Park

Most communities have local parks where students can explore nature while also exercising and playing team sports. By calling your local park services, you can find out whether or not your nature parks have guided tours or nature trails. Parks with archeological backgrounds or monuments add character to park trips. After your students have explored the park and its contents, then they can have a picnic or play sports. A rousing game of kickball or softball is a great class team builder, too!

3. Grocery Store

Most of your students have probably been to the grocery store with their parents or guardians, but they probably have not been behind the scenes. Contact your local store and ask them if they conduct group tours. Students can see the bakery and warehouse areas of a grocery store. Give your students a budget as they learn to calculate money. Make fake checkbooks for your students so that they can practice writing checks after they have collected the items from their grocery lists. Maybe your grocery store will also allow your students to scan their own groceries and pretend to be a cashier! To end the field trip, buy a simple snack to take back to the classroom and discuss the different aspects of the store.

4. Bank

Many young people are growing up without exposure to checks or cash because of the popularity of debit and credit cards. Plan a trip to a bank so that students can learn about checks, the history of American currency, counting money and more. This would be a great trip to take while students are learning about creating their own budgets and how to manage money! This will be a step into the real world that will teach them life long skills and possibilities.

5. Virtual Field Trip

If it is not possible to actually leave the school for a field trip, you can take your students on a virtual field trip! It is simple to find images and videos on the Internet of places around your community, state and even the world. Once you find these elements, combine them into a presentation that you can show students. While exploring images and videos, bring food, objects, or smells that coordinate with your presentation to make the experience more lifelike. If possible, you can decorate different classrooms in your school that students can explore as if they were different parts of your field trip location. In each room, students can participate in various activities such as dances, crafts, cooking and foreign language. This field trip option allows for classes to go further than ever before…you could even go to space!

Ask your students what they are interested about within their community to get ideas. Also, see if it is possible for your class to walk on their field trip to cut costs. These field trips will not only broaden your students’ horizons, but they will also introduce possible career paths…all without taxing your school’s tight budget.

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at the University of Georgia, currently working on a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

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Posted in Classroom Community, Field Trips, Uncategorized

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What’s in a Word? Quite a LOT!

Posted on August 1, 2010 by ecossick| 5 Comments

by Kelli Lewis

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How can you improve participation, increase motivation and encourage excitement over learning without expending much effort or spending a dime? Stumped? The answer is actually on the tip of your tongue. Literally.

There’s a lot of power in the way you say things to your students. Here are some simple tips for turning daily classroom discussions into positively-charged learning experiences.

Tone it Down

Opting for normal conversational language, rather than an academic-sounding tone, is more engaging and less intimidating (not to mention less boring!). Opt for an inviting, conversational tone. Directing conversations at students’ lives and feelings can also lead to a surprising amount of  learning. Not everything has to be school-related (gasp!). Showing that you care and are interested in their lives paves the way for open minds and eager learners.

Try This:

  • “How are you doing?”
  • “What did you do this weekend?”

Don’t Pick the Orchid

One of my college professors used to say “don’t pick the orchid”–meaning don’t lead your students to a bed of flowers and then rob them of the joy of picking for themselves. Instead, allow the students to explore, talk it out and come to their own conclusions–without encouraging a certain way of thinking. Try using questions that engage the students to think on their own, instead of questions that seek a particular answer. And, rather than providing further information after a student answers a question, just simply repeat the student’s statement and give him or her time to go further independently.

Try This:

  • “What’s one more thing you could add?”
  • “How are you going to challenge yourself?”
  • “How do you feel about that?”
  • “What do you think about that?”
  • “Imagine what this would look like….”
  • “How did you figure that out?”
  • “What did you notice?”
  • “That’s what readers do!”
  • “What are you doing as a reader today?”
  • “Why do you think a reader would do that?” (OR: mathematicians, scientists, writers, etc.)
  • “What’s your reason for that?”
  • “How could you check?”
  • “What part are you sure about?”

Redirect Behavior

When it comes to addressing negative student behavior, try to phrase your response in a positive way.

Try This:

  • “What does ‘great’ look like to you?”
  • “This isn’t like you; what do you think is the problem?”
  • “How could we address this?”
  • “Is that the right decision?”
  • “Let’s think about how we could do this.”

Talk Like the Glass is Half Full

Using generally positive statements goes a LONG way toward a positive classroom environment. Here are a few to incorporate into your daily dialogue.

Try This:

  • “We get to have Math class, now!” (as opposed to “We have to do Math, now.”)
  • DON’T SAY: “Get your work done, then you can play.” (which implies that school is “work” and not fun)

It takes a little diligence to watch our speech, but the power of our words can be transformational in the classroom!

Kelli Lewis is an Early Childhood Education graduate student at the University of Georgia.

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Posted in Academic Success, Classroom Community, Discipline

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Morning Meeting~ A Great Way to Begin the Day!

Posted on July 24, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

by Kelli Lewis

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“Morning Meeting” is a great time to get to know your students, allow students to get to know their peers, and spend quality time together that is outside of academics.

Here’s how it works:

  • Check In: Greet your students and briefly share something exciting, important or interesting going on in your own life. (Aside from teaching, that is…because, yes, we really do have lives outside of these four walls….right??)
  • Agenda Box: Throughout the day, students are given the opportunity to write down instances and conflicts that occurred with their classmates. Then, if they weren’t able to resolve them on their own, the teacher can open them up for class discussion during Morning Meeting. The teacher talks with each student involved and asks questions about how it made them feel, why they did it, what they could do instead, etc. The other peers also discuss ways to help those who were involved, and they work together to come up with ways to prevent such instances from happening again. This creates a sense of teamwork among peers and allows students to realize that they can work through conflicts with others.
  • Daily Details: Go over the schedule for the day. Any special programs or deviations from the regular routine? Being able to work out the small things, early on, can make for more time throughout the day that you don’t have to deal with them.
  • Temperature Readings: Students go around the circle and give their “temperature” reading. On a scale of 1 to 10 (or 1 to 3 for younger grades), students pick the number that describes them that day (1 being not so great, 10 being fabulous.)  For younger students, you may even display illustrations along with this: a sad face for rating 1, straight face for rating 2, and happy face for rating 3. One rule: students must speak in complete sentences. This allows everyone to discuss their feelings and know exactly where everyone is coming from before the day really starts.
  • Compliments: Students are given the opportunity to raise their hand and have a Koosh ball (or other soft ball) thrown to them in order to speak. Students must not speak unless they are holding the ball. Once the ball is in their possession, they are able to give someone a compliment. For example, “I want to compliment Jackson for holding the door for the class yesterday without being asked” or “I want to compliment Alexis for sharing her crayons with me.” This is a good way for students to learn to say (and notice!) positive things–and friendships are forged. Encourage students to find compliments for everyone and not just their friends. Students soon become aware of how it feels to receive a compliment and hopefully how well it feels to give one, knowing they made someone else feel happy.

Of course, Morning Meeting is a flexible time that can be adapted for each class’s (and teacher’s) personality. The goal is simply to start the day on the right foot…as a community.

Kelli Lewis is an Early Childhood Education graduate student at the University of Georgia.

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Posted in Classroom Community, Discipline, Motivation

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Classroom Organization: The Key to Success!

Posted on July 16, 2010 by ecossick| 7 Comments

by Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed.

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I love the feeling of starting a new school year “fresh” and new.  I like to start out on the right foot, and one way to ensure a great year is to begin – from the very first day – with organization.  No matter what age or grade, organization is key. Students need to be prepared for EACH subject EVERY day!

So how do we better prepare our students to be organized?  Teach organization!  “A place for everything and everything in its place” is a saying by which I learned – and now teach – organization.  Specifically, everything should have a place for storage and should be returned there when not in use.  Once I adopted this mentality, the organization dilemma became quite easy to handle and maintain.  Here are some guidelines:

  • Desk/locker organization: In my self-contained classroom, we are very space-challenged, so I’m sensitive to the number of textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, and folders we need to squeeze into small areas.  I always make sure the supplies I give them will fit in their desk and/or cubby.  If necessary, store textbooks on a bookshelf.  Also be wary of ‘space hogs’ like unnecessary supplies or trash lurking in the desks or lockers.  Model what good organization – and bad – looks like.  At the beginning of the year, I tell the students that the “Organization Fairy” visits unannounced and leaves prizes for organized desks and lockers.  I also show pictures of an organized desk (complete with smiley faces) and an unorganized desk (complete with disciplinary points).
  • Subject organization: Be clear on the requirements for each subject (provide a specific list of supplies that you require), and ensure that the students have a place for all papers (color coded folders work very well), including a system for sending home graded papers, and for their everyday note-taking or miscellaneous papers.  This way, there are no loose papers falling out of desks or lockers.  I’m constantly asking the group, “Where would be a good place for us to put this worksheet/assignment/graded test?”
  • Homework organization: Insist on an assignment book for each student, and have an established place on the board for homework assignments.  I tell the students, “When I write, you write” and they know to get out their assignment books when I’m headed to the homework board.
  • Communication organization: If age appropriate, dedicate a folder to “take home information” and “bring to school” communication (parents need organization, too!).  Additionally, set up a Reminder Board (or a section of your white/chalkboard) for daily/weekly reminders to the students.  Each morning, I verbally address the items on this list so the auditory as well as the visual students know about the reminders.
  • Deadline organization: I post my test/quizzes/project deadlines on the Reminder Board (see above) for the week every Monday morning.  The students write these deadlines in their assignment book every Monday.  I also post library book or field trip permission slip deadlines here, as well.  This also prevents the I-didn’t-know-about-that-test syndrome.

Organization is a challenge for students (and adults!), so the more guidelines we give, the better organized they’ll be.  Therefore, in my classroom, the mantra is:  A place for everything, and everything in a place.  Words to live by, literally!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.

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Posted in Academic Success, Classroom Community, Classroom Decor

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Capture it! Create a Yearbook for your Class

Posted on May 19, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

by Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed.

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The year is winding down, and soon it will all be just a memory. Maybe you can already hear faint reprises of Cats playing in the background. (And, depending on how your year went, maybe that’s a welcome refrain!)

Regardless of whether you want to clone this class or ship them off to brighter (let’s hope) futures, closure is always a good thing, right? And there’s hardly any better way to achieve closure to a productive school year than through a yearbook! I’m not talking about the laugh-at-her-big-hair-two-decades-later kind. I’m talking about a handmade, class-made book that every student can treasure for years to come. One just about YOUR class.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Create the book. Start with a folder with brads in the middle- one for each student-and insert about 10 blank white pieces of paper (or clear page protectors with paper inserted, if you want to be a little fancy).

2. Photograph. Recruit a parent helper if you can. Pull students one-at-a-time into the hallway (or into a corner of the classroom, if you’re working alone), and snap their photo. Digital cameras are best because you can print the pictures cheaply only. Print a 4 x 6 of each child.

3. Assemble. Have the children glue their photograph onto the first page of their books. Under it, they should print their name, age, your name, year of school (third, etc.), and date. Students can personalize their yearbooks with drawings, stickers, glitter, etc.

4. Fill It. For all of the other pages, students can fill in other tidbits, such as: draw the classroom; list all of the other students (or you could provide a class list to insert); an “all about me” page with their favorite music, interests, etc.; a page to list their favorite subjects/topics studied and highlights from what they learned; a page to describe their best friends; a page about their families; and–of course–several pages for autographs and notes from their classmates. You could create templates for these pages to print beforehand, for younger students. As they fill in these pages, they’re also benefiting from a nice review activity and practicing their writing skills. Ooooh…more sneaky learning right at the end of school. Your principal would be oh so proud.

5. Summarize. A page from the teacher, typed up, listing favorite activities, field trips and projects to include is nice, as well: inside jokes, funny moments and personal milestones…whatever you think the children will get a kick out of remembering.

6. Autograph. Finally, set aside an afternoon to allow time for autographing and sharing their yearbooks.

Voila! A perfectly concluded year and a perfect end-of-year activity. “Memoriiiiiieeeeees….”

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Posted in Classroom Community, Summer Learning, Writing

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Engaging and Easy End-of-the-Year Activities

Posted on April 18, 2010 by ecossick| 2 Comments

The end is drawing near, and it’s time to finish with a bang! Here are some grand activities to take you through the final days of the school year.

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by Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed.

Collaborative writing

In groups of four, have each person write an opening to a story (a mystery, a silly story, or whatever you decide).  Let them write a story opener for 5 minutes, then pass the paper to their left.  The next person reads the story opener of the person who just passed to them, then continues the story by adding the conflict or problem.  This person also writes for five minutes.  Then, each person passes again to the left, reads what’s written, then writes for five more minutes (continuing the story), and then pass again.  Finally, each person writes a final time (the conclusion), and then passes so that each person has the story they began.  Once they see what their group members wrote, the giggle fest begins!  And guess what… they just wrote four paragraphs!

Culminating projects

I like to send my students on a “scavenger hunt” to review the topics we learned throughout the year (see attached details and grading rubric).  Although you could easily tailor this project to any subject area, I use this idea in math.  This review project shows that the concepts they’ve learned in math have real-world relevance, application and connection.  The students enjoy the openness and creativity with which they’re tasked – no rigid project rules here!  Students’ projects are so creative and different from one another, too!  (A big thank you goes to Sharon Shaw for the idea; I took her high school version and made it fifth-grade appropriate).

Review games

I love the variety of PowerPoint games you can find online these days!  From Jeopardy! to Who Wants to be a Millionaire! to Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?… the options are endless!  You can choose from making your own questions from the templates or the ready-made games (both free!) chock full of good review questions.  Use your favorite search engine to find the exciting options out there!

As we draw to the close of another school year, we need to keep the academics flowing even if the energy level is low.  Students will enjoy these hands-on, energetic activities that review and reinforce the concepts taught throughout the year!

Kristin M. Woolums, M. Ed., teaches fifth grade at a private school in Atlanta and works at The School Box at Southlake during the summer months.

To submit your own ideas for publication, simply e-mail an original educational article (250-500 words) to editor@schoolbox.com. You’ll receive a $35 School Box Gift Card if you are selected for publication!

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Posted in Assessments, Behavior Management, Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, Discipline, Games, Writing

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April is the month for…

Posted on April 12, 2010 by ecossick| 3 Comments

Here’s a unique run-down of events and causes to celebrate and support this month.

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by Sandra Jacoby

No, this is no April Fool’s prank– many things are happening in April! How do you fit them all into your day plus follow your school and state’s set curriculum? Here are some ideas for several oft-overlooked events in April, plus ideas on how to easily incorporate them into your day.

Child Abuse Prevention Month

This is over looked by most, and I myself didn’t know about it until my freshman year of college in 2004. The entire month of April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the color to show your support is blue.

If you follow the website below, you will find all kinds of great links to pass on to all teachers, parents and anyone working with children and their families. Be sure to check out the Activities Calendar.

http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/preventionmonth/

To show our support, our school is wearing blue on Wednesdays!

Earth Day

Earth Day (April 22) is just around the corner, but you have nothing planned! EEK! What to do?! Never fear, Kaboose has lots of ideas that are cheap and easy to gather!

http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/

There is also a history of Earth Day written just for kids that can be found at the above site.

National Volunteer Month

Yup, that’s right! I am sure you have thanked your classroom volunteers (high school helpers, parents, friends, etc.) profusely by now, but we do something at our school that includes all volunteers at the same time. We hold a Volunteer Appreciation Brunch during the week to show that we are thankful. People are assigned something to bring to keep cost down for everyone, and invitations are sent through the mail.

For a tight budget, ask your PTO/PTA if they would be willing to help support the idea even though most of them will more than likely be invited. You can also send home the invites to parents in backpacks (to save on postage) and personally hand deliver invitations to your own volunteers.

Another great idea is a card… or–even better–a banner! Have the entire school make and sign a banner to hang where all can see who enter the building. This is one of the best “thank you” gifts you can give!

More Grand Ideas

For a whole list of things you probably don’t know occur in April, check out: http://familycrafts.about.com/library/spdays/blaprdayslong.htm

And remember, April showers bring May flowers…so here are some more ways to celebrate this month: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/april_showers.htm.

Sandra Jacoby is a teacher in Texas who enjoys the challenges and rewards of teaching her pre-kindergarten class.

To submit your own ideas for publication, simply e-mail an original educational article (250-500 words) to editor@schoolbox.com. You’ll receive a $35 School Box Gift Card when you are selected for publication! (Not to mention that “Contributor for A Learning Experience, an online education newsletter” is a sweet little line item for your résumé.)

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Posted in Classroom Community

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How to Use Those Parent Volunteers!

Posted on March 7, 2010 by ecossick| 3 Comments

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by Sandra Jacoby

In most classroom, the teacher to student ratio is 1 : 25…or maybe even 1 : 30. If a teacher is really lucky, she may have an aide’s help for brief intervals during the day, but essentially, as teachers, we are on our own with our students. Which can leave us scratching our heads at the end of the day, asking: Did I really meet the needs of ALL of my students? Chances are, you will always feel like one of them could have used an extra boost.

This is where classroom volunteers come in.

Extra Support for Struggling Students

Having a classroom volunteer during the school day is helpful on so many levels.  They can read to the students or help them with homework or projects, allowing the teacher time to work more closely with students who need some extra support.  Of course, the teacher is still responsible for everything that goes on in the classroom; volunteers aren’t babysitters. But chances are good that the class will be more productive and better behaved with extra adult supervision while you pull students aside for extra guidance.

More Opportunities for Social Interactions

A class volunteer can provide more than just academic support; students can benefit from his or her presence socially, as well. Plan games or interactive activities for the time with the volunteer–activities like an outdoor scavenger hunt during science or group work on a messy project. These activities might seem overwhelming or “more trouble than they’re worth” when you’re alone, but they’re much more manageable and enjoyable with an extra adult around.

Every Parent Makes a Great Volunteer

Any parent willing to be in your classroom is going to make a great volunteer. Never turn away a qualifying parent, but rather, provide structured ways they can help. Be sure you have a specific plan for what they will be doing in the classroom so that they feel productive and you feel in control of your class. These days, it is especially great to have male volunteers.  So many children today are lacking positive male role models–particularly in an educational setting.  If you can recruit a daddy or two, more power to you!

Recruit Early and  Often

The easiest way to recruit volunteers is to post a sign-up sheet at the beginning of the year (during orientation or open house), where parents can note that they’re interested in volunteering. Then, don’t be afraid to call or e-mail them to ask for help!

Since it’s obviously well into the school year right  now, you can still recruit volunteers. Send home a note with a detachable bottom portion that says: “We could use a helping hand in the classroom!” Then, list several areas of help that parents can check, such as: reading to students, having students read to you, assisting during projects or art time, accompanying us to the playground, cutting and posting bulletin board materials, and helping students while they work at their desks.

Remember, you may be the only adult in your classroom, but this doesn’t mean you have to go it alone! You have a whole brood of parents who love their kiddos and would gladly lend a hand if they knew you needed help.

Sandra Jacoby is a teacher in Texas who enjoys the challenges and rewards of teaching her pre-kindergarten class.

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Posted in Behavior Management, Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, Discipline

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