by Sheryl Parbhoo

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Kids– even middle schoolers– love to write about themselves. Not convinced? Simply look at social media. Young teens spend hours “writing” about themselves through texts, Facebook, Twitter and the myriad of other technologies they interact with daily.

But, when faced with writing in the classroom, many of these same students shut down. Why? They anticipate boredom and don’t see the skills as relevant to their lives. The antidote? Creative writing. Here are some great ideas for middle school creative writing activities that are guaranteed to get them writing with a smile (or at least without as much eye-rolling).

Journaling

A journal is the first tool for fostering a love for writing. Kids can use the journal to explore writing in an informal way without all the pressure of a formal writing assignment. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes for journal writing before any other activities. Routine journaling gets those words on the paper which is so important. You may choose to provide or prompt, or students can free write. Journals are a fun place for even the most insecure writers to learn to love writing–especially when no “grades” are attached to the writing.

Becoming a TV star

Another fun way to get kids writing is to have them write a new, original episode for their favorite TV show, starring themselves. Kids choose how they can fit into the existing cast of characters and write about how they would all interact. Once finished, the script can be read aloud or the students can work in groups to act out the episode. This activity is so fun, it won’t even register as writing!

Discovering my Name

Middle school kids are at an age where they are discovering who they are. A great way to do that and stimulate writing skills at the same time is to have them write a story about their name. The story could be based on their family history of their name. Who in your family named you and why? What are some memories they have associated with their name? Do they share their name with a celebrity? Once the ball gets rolling with this assignment, there will be no stopping it.

Becoming a Character

Writing in context with literature is an excellent way for kids to increase reading comprehension and jog their creativity. Using a book that the student is already reading, have them become a character from that book. There are several options for this activity:

1. First, with a partner, write an interview with the character. One person is the interviewer and the other person uses what they know about the book character to answer the questions.
2. Second, write a journal entry as the character.
3. Third, write a letter to someone as the character.

All of these activities are opportunities for kids to use their creative writing skills in an entertaining way. It may be hard to compete with Facebook, but we can at least get close!

For great journaling ideas and prompts, click here.

Sheryl Parbhoo holds a degree in anthropology and is currently working on a degree in middle school education at Kennesaw State University. She lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and five children.

by Kate Wilson and Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed.

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Okay, so you will be hard pressed to find a child who loves doing homework. So, it is expected that children might fuss a bit when it’s time to unzip that book bag and buckle down. Enter: you. The parent. As a parent, it’s up to you to set the right tone, provide the right support and create a positive atmosphere for homework time. Here’s how:

1. Put on your empathy hat.

First, step into your child’s shoes and feel what they feel for a moment. Children have been at school, under the scrutiny and rules of someone else, all day. Now that they’re home, homework, in their minds, deprives them of playing, socializing and just being–all the things that they have been waiting to do all day.

So, don’t fuss back. Don’t scold. Don’t slap. Tell your child that you understand homework isn’t what they want to do at the moment, but assure them that you are going to help them get it done well, quickly, and maybe even with a little fun thrown in. Then calmly follow the next steps….

2. Make homework inspiring!

Novel idea: What if you tried to make homework actually inspiring? Impossible, you say? Well, let’s unpack this idea a bit. If you freak out at your child and use coercion and/or monkey torture to force him to do his homework, you are starting a battle that, I promise, will likely become a daily struggle (not to mention a waste of perfectly good monkeys).

Try this easy tip instead: Write (or print) a different joke or riddle at your child’s homework place before they begin each day. For an array of fun kid-friendly jokes and riddles, check out: http://101kidz.com/jokes/. You can print some, cut them out, and leave them to be discovered by your child.

Starting homework time with a giggle sets a positive tone and creates associations that homework can actually be (gasp!) fun…and, dare we say, inspiring?

3. Have a snack ready.

It’s yum-o time. Set out a fun snack that your children get to munch while they work. Something yummy that also doubles as good “brain food” is ideal: peanut butter on graham crackers, carrot sticks and ranch, tortilla chips and salsa, apples and caramel dip, crackers and cheese, a sandwich, trail mix, a bowl of cereal with milk.

Then, every once in a while, surprise them with a plate of cookies or a favorite “splurge” treat…something to make them feel rewarded for sitting down without fuss to do their homework. And, if you’re worried about peanut butter smudges on their papers, get over it. Completed homework that smells like ranch is better than pristine blank homework any day.

Stay tuned….we’ll be back soon with three more tips for surefire homework success in Part II of this Making Homework Fun series!

Kate Wilson is a professional blogger who enjoys writing about child development issues. She is also a cook, avid reader, and environmental enthusiast. 

Elizabeth D. Cossick, M. Ed. has a bachelors in education from The University of Georgia and a masters in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University, Cambridge. In addition to being the editor of A Learning Experience, she publishes Little Black Dress | Little Red Wagon Magazine. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, two young children, and a frisky Westie named Munson.

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Summer is the perfect time (read: only time) for teachers to think about giving their classrooms and procedures a spiffy little makeover. This three-part series will share a few ideas for polishing up your reading corner (Part I), procedures (Part II), and discipline (Part III). It’s makeover time!

Creating a Print-Rich Environment

It’s a researched fact: children exposed to high-quality print in abundance are better readers. But, kids are just like adults: they want things (like books) to be nice, pretty and attractive before they pick them up. So, if your class library is a little less than attractive (read: tattered hand-me-downs wedged onto a spare shelf), check out these tips for creating an effective reading corner that will lure children into literacy.

First: Place Books With Covers Outward

Reading guru Jim Trelease makes the point that grocery stores arrange products with the fronts of packaging–not the spines–facing outward. Why? To attract buyers. But, how do we usually shelve books for children? Like this:

photo from www.trelease-on-reading.com

The solution? Face covers outward. Here are two ways to do just that.

TIP ONE: Install rain gutters!

This one would take some approval (it involves drilling), but look how GREAT this is. Inexpensive rain gutters make incredible, inviting book holders. Jim Trelease shares many success stories on this method on his website. Here are two photos, to show you how cute this is:

TIP TWO: Book baskets

This idea is easier and even less expensive than the gutters. Simply snag a bunch of cheap baskets from your local big-box store. Then, create genre labels for each basket by printing genres (mysteries, historical fiction, picture books, sports books, adventures, etc.) on cardstock, cutting them into small rectangles, laminating them, and attaching the labels to the front of each basket. Place books in baskets, covers facing outward. The books in a basket will overlap and cover each other obviously, but the front cover will face outward invitingly. Line up baskets side-by-side on your shelves, and voila! A colorful, inviting, well-organized library that children will literally run to when they first walk in the door. (The baskets also teach children to search for book by genre…another good literary lesson.)

Second: Comfy seating

Any non-school-looking seating options make for a great reading corner: an old rug, a couple beanbag chairs, a slew of pillows, a stack of carpet squares, a hand-me-down love seat, a futon. My elementary school library even had an old ceramic bathtub filled will pillows! It was THE hot spot in the library, of course. Any way you can set this space apart as fun and different will create positive connotations with literacy for your students.

Third: Fun lighting

A couple small lamps on the top of a bookshelf add a warm, inviting ambiance to your reading corner. Again, it’s all about giving the corner that “Oooh!-effect” when students walk in.

Fourth: Kids’ book reviews

Post a bulletin board above your reading corner that says: “Books We Dig.” You can decorate the bulletin board with a paper bucket and some paper “dirt” at the bottom (coffee grounds glued onto brown construction or bulletin board paper are cute…and smell Starbucks-y :). Tie a real plastic shovel on as an accent. Then, put a stack of colorful note cards nearby, and tell your class that after they read a book in the class library, they can recommend it to their classmates by writing a review for it on a note card, which you can then staple or tack onto the bulletin board. Include a sample card on the board that looks something like this:

Title:

Author:

Genre:

Why Was It Good?

Two-Sentence Summary (no spoilers!):

Do a mini-lesson at the beginning of the year on how to write an effective book review, using this format. (“No spoilers” is a simple reminder not to give away the ending!)

Then, when your students say, “But I don’t know WHAT to read!”–tell them to read their classmates’ reviews and pick a book.

Fifth: Stock the shelves

To stock your library with children’s books, check out garage sales, ask for donations from parents, and create a Library Wish List to send home (or post at Open House), listing titles your kids are asking for. For a large selection of children’s books at really great prices, check out: www.schoolbox.com/Children-s-Books.aspx.

Another idea: If you have a budget to play with, check out this awesome two-sided library shelf from The School Box (LOVE that store!): double sided library shelf.

Now that your reading corner has been sufficiently spiffed up, give yourself a pat on the back. You just created an inviting print-rich environment!

Elizabeth D. Cossick, M. Ed. has a bachelors in education from The University of Georgia and a masters in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University, Cambridge. In addition to being the editor of A Learning Experience, she publishes Little Black Dress | Little Red Wagon Magazine. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, two young children, and a frisky Westie named Munson.

by Bobbie Brownell

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Almost every teacher, whether they went to Yale or got their teaching degree online, thinks about using a big attention grabber to start class…especially in these final weeks of the school year when spring fever is rampant. Attention grabbers can range from a simple question to an elaborate demonstration. Either way, the message is clear: Wake up! Time to learn!

When to use an attention grabber:

• Quiet a noisy room
• Introduce a new topic
• Motivate students
• Demonstrate a theory or natural occurrence
• Ward off summeritis

Have fun getting their attention, just be careful that the attention grabber does not take away from the overall meaning of the lesson. Try to keep their focus on the learning objectives. This benefits everyone in class and helps by taking away unnecessary distractions. We all know how easy it is to get the students’ minds off of the material. Daniel Willingham’s explanation on why students remember or forget material learned in class is linked to what the students are thinking about while new material is being introduced.

Questions to consider before using an attention grabber:

• Is the attention grabber relevant to the lesson?

• Could this be done in the middle of the lesson if students start to zone out?

• Will students be engaged and motivated to learn afterward?

• Will this continue to distract the students after the demonstration is over?

Tips to motivate:

• Timing is key - Try using relevant attention grabbers in the middle of the lesson. Students tend to mentally check out around the half-way point of class. This is a great time to reel them back in with something stimulating like a thought-provoking or a controversial question for them to discuss or write about.

• Give choices – If motivation is lacking, give the students a chance to have some input in what they are learning. Giving choices on what to read or research can be a huge motivator because it allows students to learn about something they are interested in. Have students come up with their own writing prompts; you’ll be surprised by all the brilliant ideas!

• Ask questions – Ask the students thought provoking questions to start a class discussion. Discussion is an invaluable tool since it invites the entire class to become involved with the lesson and with each other. Try something like, “Is murder ever justified?” or “What do you think would be different if this classroom was in Paris?” Use anything to get them thinking and talking.

• Relate concepts to the real world – Teachers sometimes forget that the best way to learn something is the simplest way. Ask yourself, “How did I learn this?” and “How does what we’re learning relate to the outside world?” Real-world examples work because students can relate to them. At any age, we learn by making connections from things we know to new ideas and experiences. Using examples that can be found or repeated at home can help deepen the understanding between the concept and the individual student.

Transitioning into new subjects is difficult for both teachers and students. Make it fun and be creative! Paying attention to transitions will make the change easier for everyone involved. Tricky Transitions…Made Easier! is a great example of thinking about transitions and how they can be used in a younger classroom environment.

Bobbie Brownell holds a bachelors degree in English and is currently in the NC Teach program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

For those of you who commented on our articles in the past few weeks, a big special THANK YOU goes out to you. We love (love) seeing how your thoughts add to the original articles. It’s amazing what we learn when we put our heads together.

Thanks to all of you, A Learning Experience continues to grow…and, most importantly, continues to stand out as an authentic resource for creative ideas and inspiration. I hope you keep joining us here and sharing your wisdom!

And, if you’d like to submit an article for us to publish on A Learning Experience (which scores you a $35 gift card to The School Box and a nice little addition for the ol’ resume), simply e-mail a 250-350 word article to editor@schoolbox.com. Articles on a variety of educational topics are always welcome!

Warm regards,

Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed.
Editor of A Learning Experience

by Rachel Stepp

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In schools across the nation, bullying has become a serious issue for many teachers, parents and students. It’s all over the media, as well: there has been a concerning rise in bullying incidents, as well as a rise in the intensity and severity of bullying. As teachers, we must work hard to create classrooms that reduce and eliminate bullying behaviors. Here are a few tips to make your classroom and school a peaceful place.

1. Teach your students about bullying.

This idea sounds simple and obvious. But, as teachers, sometimes we get caught up in the academic curriculum and neglect social curriculum. It’s important for children to be able to identify bullies and bullying behaviors. For younger grades, you can help them do this by reading pictures books such as The Berenstain Bears and the Bully by Stan and Jan Berenstain and then having discussions with your students about what bullies do, who victims can be, and how bullying makes others feel.

Older grades especially benefit from such pointed conversations: honest discussions provide a safe forum for conversations and accountability. This will give your students an idea about how to identify bullies, and it may even let some students know that they are being bullies.

2. Eliminate stress that might cause bullying behaviors.

Many students tend to bully because they are negatively affected by something else in their lives. For example, it has been shown that students sometimes feel overwhelmed and pressured by constant testing and examinations; when students subconsciously feel like failures, they can lash out at others.

As teachers, we can reduce these feelings by lessening the stress of testing. Implement creative ways to assess in your classroom like individual creative projects, observation assessments and personal goals. When students feel ownership over their learning, they are more likely to enjoy it and retain information learned…and less likely to exhibit hostility.

3. Give students tools and information on how to deal with bullying.

One of the main problems with bullying is that students don’t know what to do when they are the victim. They are scared to speak out against the bully because they don’t know what will happen next. We can give our students ideas about the safe and smartest options, such as letting an adult know about the problem and protecting yourself from situations involving the bully. Here are a few concrete ideas:

• Play a “role playing” game like Bullies, Victims & Bystanders (available at The School Box). This game presents bullying in a concrete way for students, raising their awareness of bullying and its seriousness.
• Read Stop Picking On Me (A First Look At Series), which helps students discuss how they feel when they are bullied and what they can do about it.
• Invite your school counselor into your classroom to host a discussion.
• For more activities and ideas for younger students, check out The Anti Bullying and Teasing Book (also at The School Box).

Overall, it’s important to remember that both bullies and victims need support. For more information, talk to your school’s counselor about programs and age-appropriate books you can use in your classroom. Let’s work together to help protect our students and create peaceful atmospheres!

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at The University of Georgia and a regular contributor to A Learning Experience.

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by Elizabeth D. Cossick, M. Ed.

So, you’re looking for a fun way to begin your math class each day. It needs to be quick, engaging and easy to execute. Well, look no further because we’ve got a great one that students of ALL ages love–and it seriously couldn’t be easier.

Materials:

Mini white or black boards (one per child)

White board marker or piece of chalk (one per child)

Activity:

1. Pass out white/black boards and respective writing instruments to your students. Tell them that they will use their board to participate in some fun math races.
2. Then, simply call out math equations that are on-par with your class’s ability level or current topics of study. Everything from simple addition to complex long division and algebra equations will work for this activity.
3. The students solve the problems and write the answer on their boards as quickly as possible. When they have their answer written, they silently hold their board above their heads.
4. Award small prizes daily (or keep track of points and award a larger prize, like a full-sized candy bar, to one “Math Champion” each month). Prizes can be awarded for: first correct answer, second correct answer, third correct answer (to keep students working even after the first board gets raised into the air), neatest writing, or best display of steps (if “show your work” is a necessary instruction).
5. At the end of the activity, you can collect the boards or allow students to keep them in their desks for drawing and writing when they finish their work.

Your students will look forward to this fast-paced activity…almost as much as they’ll look forward to writing on their own white/black board!

Helpful Hints: Laminated pieces of white poster board, cut into 9 x 12 sheets, also make good erasable boards for use with dry erase markers. They may have to be replaced after a few months, but they’re cheap and easy to make. And, old (clean :) socks make great erasers, as well as holders for chalk and white-board markers.

To purchase mini white or black boards and pens/chalk, visit The School Box…or check out these links:

• Mini chalk board (12 pack)
• “Dustless” white chalk

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adapted from Rachel Stepp

Okay, so this post may not be as exciting as the World Cup, but they do have something in common: in both, goals are a very good thing!

By now, your crew is settled back into the routine of school after the holidays, but this doesn’t mean life has to be ho-hum. To keep students motivated for the remainder of the year, give them a little ownership over their learning. One of the best ways to do this? Setting goals.

A Goal-Setting Lesson Plan

1. Talk about different types of goals, such as short term and long term, personal goals and academic goals. Ask: Why would we want to set goals? Discuss the importance of visualizing growth and success. You have to conceive it before you can achieve it!
2. As a class, come up with several categories for goals that the students would like to set. Write the categories on the board or chart paper as you brainstorm. Some ideas: Academic, Family, Friends, Future, Sports/Hobbies/Talents, or Projects.
3. Then, once you’ve selected three to five categories as a class, have students brainstorm one or two specific goals for themselves for each category. Discuss and model how to create specific, attainable goals that are within their control (i.e. “make every soccer practice until May,” rather than “win every game”).
4. After students have brainstormed individually, allow them to work with a partner to share their goals and provide feedback to each other.
5. Once your students have solidified their ideas, give them strips of different colored construction paper. Encourage students to write one goal on each piece of paper. Allow them to write anonymously if they would like.
6. Once students have written the goals, arrange the strips of paper in a firework pattern and build a bulletin board or a door display that showcases the explosion student-generated goals. This festive display will be a daily reminder for students of what they plan on achieving…and the celebration that can happen when a goal is met!
7. Then, follow up: on a regular basis (morning work is a great time), have students journal on how they’re doing with their goals. Do they need to tweak any of the goals? Allow a time for students to share their progress…and be sure to celebrate successes, too!

And…don’t forget to set goals for yourself, too. Just because you’re the teacher doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve something new and great everyday!

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at The University of Georgia and a regular contributor to A Learning Experience.

by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

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The candles have all been extinguished, random evergreen needles have been vacuumed up, and the presents have all been opened and enjoyed (or returned and re-gifted). But the end of the holidays is actually the beginning of something really special in your classroom: the start of a brand new year. And unlike the newness of the year in August, this “new year” is even better because your students will return to a class of friends and a teacher they know (and love, of course).

All of this old-newness is the perfect opportunity to revisit your classroom management plan and strengthen the bonds of community (not to mention obedience) with your students. Here’s a simple first-day-back plan to get your group on the right track for 2011:

• Brainstorm “The Ideal Classroom”

Start the day by asking students what the “perfect” classroom would be like. Tell them that you’re not talking about having recess all day or never having homework (dream on!), but rather you want to know how the students and teacher would treat each other. Ask: How would you like to be treated by your classmates? By me? How should we act toward each other? Lead students in a discussion on mutual respect, kindness…and (my personal favorite) self control. Rather than lecturing or preaching, let the students share their thoughts on what makes them feel respected when they’re talking (eye contact, no interruptions, etc) and how they can show extra kindness to each other. How can we become even more like a family?

• Revisit and Revise “The Rules”

Then, look over the classroom rules together. If they’re posted on your wall, have a student volunteer read the rules out loud, pausing after each one to ask, “Why is this a good standard for our classroom?” Then, ask the students to thoughtfully consider if the rules need to be amended. Do we need any additional standards? Do any need to be reworded? A thoughtful conversation on classroom behavior will impart ownership to the students and be a better motivator than any lecture.

• Play a Team-Building Game

Next, solidify the unity of your class with a team-building activity. Try a connecting web (see this post for the how-to), where students are encouraged to compliment each other.

However you choose to greet your students come January, here’s to a happy, productive, positive New Year!

Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed., holds a Bachelors in Education from The University of Georgia and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University, Cambridge. She is the editor of A Learning Experience.

by Rachel Stepp

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Do you ever feel overwhelmed by doing everything in your classroom? Well, it’s time to let your students take some responsibilities! Here are a few of the classroom jobs that you can offer to your students:

Line Leader/Caboose: This is a classic job. The line leader position gives students the feeling of responsibility and importance. It allows them to take charge and show the rest of the class how to behave in the hallway. The caboose manages the end of the line by making sure that students stay in line and walk at a desirable pace.

Teacher’s Helper: This student can help with morning routines such as Calendar Time. Allow the student to point to the days of the week and the months of the year as students review or even sing. This student can also help to call on children to answer questions during appropriate times. For example, you might ask, “What month is it?” The teacher’s helper would then choose someone with their hand raised and ask that person to answer the question.

Paper Passer: This student helps to pass out any papers that all the students might receive. I would suggest only letting this person pass out blank worksheets or papers so that no one’s grade confidentiality is dishonored.

Homework Collector: This person can walk around in the mornings and collect homework from students. Students are very demanding of their peers, and they will be the first ones to tell you who has late homework. This person can also make a list of who has turned in homework so that you do not have to do it!

Lunch Counter: Most schools have lunch choices for students. Create an area in your classroom where students can view the lunch menu and then make their choice. Have your lunch counter tally up the results in the morning and deliver the numbers to the cafeteria.

Attendance Taker: Create a section in your room where students can mark whether or not they are at school. Let the attendance taker keep track of who is and who is not at school. The attendance taker can record the names of absent classmates and report them to you or the front office.

Book Returner: To cut down on trips to the library during class time, designate one student in the morning who will carry the books that need to be returned to the library. This student simply walks down to the library, returns the books, and comes back to the classroom.

Room Cleaners: The custodial staff does enough hard work around the school, so give them a break, too! Choose a student or two to monitor the room at the end of the day and announce areas that need to be cleaned. This will help students keep their desk areas clean. Also, if you have a small vacuum or sweeper, then students can begin to clean up the floors with it at the end of the day.

Animal Patrol: Do you have a class pet? A fish? A hamster? Choose a student to clean out your pet’s cage and to feed your animals. This eliminates some of the dirty work that comes along with having a critter in the classroom!

These are just several ideas of classroom jobs that you can use in your classroom. Their intensity will vary with grade level. Also, some jobs might be more appropriate for older grades, while others may only work in the youngest of grades. Display the names of the students and their jobs by creating a nametag for everyone and putting it by the job. You could also use “Classroom Jobs” posters and bulletin board sets that are available through The School Box (I particularly like this one … http://www.schoolbox.com/Overalls-Job-Assign-Bbs.aspx?CategoryID=1889.)

Have fun…and happy delegating!

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at The University of Georgia and a regular contributor to A Learning Experience. Lucky us!