A daily classroom newspaper to set the tone for the day. It eases children into their school work day. It also doubles as a parent contact to let parents know what their kids are working on and what events are happening.
Polar the Titanic Bear
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Point-of-View-Using-Polar-the-Titanic-Bear
The Polar Express
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/tg/polarteachersguide.pdf
The Wild Christmas Reindeer
Activities:
http://www.spokenartsmedia.com/StudyGuides/The%20Wild%20Christmas%20Reindeer.pdf
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/wild-christmas-reindeer-lesson-plan
http://mrscjacksonsclass.com/reindeer.htm
http://www.spokenartsmedia.com/StudyGuides/The%20Wild%20Christmas%20Reindeer.pdf
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/wild-christmas-reindeer-lesson-plan
http://mrscjacksonsclass.com/reindeer.htm
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There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell:
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Gimee a Break Box:
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Possible items to put inside the Gimme a Break Box. |
Gimme a Break Box
I am a special education teacher, so through the years I've come up with a few ideas that have helped my students and me navigate our days together. One idea, is a "Gimme a Break Box"! The Gimme a Break Box is a tool that is helpful for students who need breaks when they become overwhelmed academically, socially, or from too much sensory stimuli. Sometimes kids just need a break! The Gimme a Break Box is used as part of an honor system in my classroom. The students know that it used only when taking a break is truly necessary. In all honesty, the students rarely use the Gimme a Break Box. I think that part of the charm of the Gimme a Break Box, is that it provides emotional support simply by being a "thing" that they can go to if needed. This provides comfort in knowing that it is okay to need a break if they need to. This in turn, creates a sense of calm in the students. It's funny how that works! The students also understand that it is a break and not meant to be an all day avoidance of school work. The students respect the the freedom of having the ability to take a break when they need it and therefore they also respect the fact that they must return to the group as soon as possible. Usually, when students use the Gimme a Break Box, they are away from group from five to ten minutes. When needed they take the box and go to a quiet part of the classroom to relax. Their peers continue to work. It's a mutual community of respect. So, would you like to know how to make a "Gimme a Break Box"? Great! I'll provide some general instructions:
Know your Students:
First, you need to know your students. You of course know what grade level you teach so will know what kids at that age group like. Since I teach special education, I read my students IEP's to see what type things might be soothing in a Gimme a Break Box. Also, colleagues such as occupational therapists, physical therapists and counselors are always full of great suggestions.
The Gimme A Break Box-Box!:
I use a $1.00 plastic pencil box that latches for our classroom Gimme a Break Box. It's much roomier than you'd think! The list could be endless with ideas on things to put inside but I tend to focus on the five senses, things for: seeing, hearing, tasting, touch, and smell, plus things that are for emotional support. I will categorize them below:Sight:I tend to put brightly colored items with child appeal. Things they will be drawn too to take their mind off what is bothering them. Also crayons to color with or perhaps a word search puzzle. I also include a small bottle of bubbles to blow because seeing the bubbles is soothing and blowing them helps the child to breathe deeply which is helpful in calming down anxiety.
Hearing:
A mini-ipod with head phones so that others are not distracted. Sometimes a quiet hand cranked music box may be helpful too. A small lock with keys that clicks when it is opened.
Tasting:
I put a juice box and fruit gummies in the Gimme a Break Box. Sometimes kids are just hungry or thirsty and need a pick-me-up. When kids blood sugar is low they may have symptoms which include lack of focus, being fidgety, or irritable. A small nutritious snack may help. Since the Gimme a Break Box is not used often, I like to put non-perishable snacks inside the box.
Touch/Tactile/Fine Motor
I have things with a variety of textures into the Gimme a Break Box. These things may include but ar Boxe not limited to: rubber band balls, koosh, balls, stress balls, wikki stix, Aaron's thinking putty, Bendeez, inside out balls with soft spikes, satin strips, small furry critters, feathers, ...etc. Keep in mind that stress balls can be made by adding four or baby powder to uninflated balloons. This can double as a fun classroom activity!
Smell:
The olfactory sense is not to be underrated! The sense of smell can insight feelings of joy, comfort, and even fear if the scent is not associated with a good memory. We are looking for positive memories so my classroom calm down box includes: play-doh, and since lavender is known to soothe, a homemade lavender fidget bag filled with beans! In fact my class will soon be sewing lavender scented rice into a felt bag in life skills class.
Emotional:
A Railroader Ticket When a student is upset, it takes an emotional toll on them. I want them to always feel supported and valued. Taking a break should never leave the student feeling like he or she has done something wrong. So I always leave a railroader ticket (a school token) that can be turned into the school guidance office in a drawing for a weekly prize. Attached is a note letting the student know that I am proud of him/her for knowing that a break was needed and knowing that returning to class as soon as possible is a positive goal. It takes courage to take a break . It takes commitment and honesty to return to class after taking a break.
I am a special education teacher, so through the years I've come up with a few ideas that have helped my students and me navigate our days together. One idea, is a "Gimme a Break Box"! The Gimme a Break Box is a tool that is helpful for students who need breaks when they become overwhelmed academically, socially, or from too much sensory stimuli. Sometimes kids just need a break! The Gimme a Break Box is used as part of an honor system in my classroom. The students know that it used only when taking a break is truly necessary. In all honesty, the students rarely use the Gimme a Break Box. I think that part of the charm of the Gimme a Break Box, is that it provides emotional support simply by being a "thing" that they can go to if needed. This provides comfort in knowing that it is okay to need a break if they need to. This in turn, creates a sense of calm in the students. It's funny how that works! The students also understand that it is a break and not meant to be an all day avoidance of school work. The students respect the the freedom of having the ability to take a break when they need it and therefore they also respect the fact that they must return to the group as soon as possible. Usually, when students use the Gimme a Break Box, they are away from group from five to ten minutes. When needed they take the box and go to a quiet part of the classroom to relax. Their peers continue to work. It's a mutual community of respect. So, would you like to know how to make a "Gimme a Break Box"? Great! I'll provide some general instructions:
Know your Students:
First, you need to know your students. You of course know what grade level you teach so will know what kids at that age group like. Since I teach special education, I read my students IEP's to see what type things might be soothing in a Gimme a Break Box. Also, colleagues such as occupational therapists, physical therapists and counselors are always full of great suggestions.
The Gimme A Break Box-Box!:
I use a $1.00 plastic pencil box that latches for our classroom Gimme a Break Box. It's much roomier than you'd think! The list could be endless with ideas on things to put inside but I tend to focus on the five senses, things for: seeing, hearing, tasting, touch, and smell, plus things that are for emotional support. I will categorize them below:Sight:I tend to put brightly colored items with child appeal. Things they will be drawn too to take their mind off what is bothering them. Also crayons to color with or perhaps a word search puzzle. I also include a small bottle of bubbles to blow because seeing the bubbles is soothing and blowing them helps the child to breathe deeply which is helpful in calming down anxiety.
Hearing:
A mini-ipod with head phones so that others are not distracted. Sometimes a quiet hand cranked music box may be helpful too. A small lock with keys that clicks when it is opened.
Tasting:
I put a juice box and fruit gummies in the Gimme a Break Box. Sometimes kids are just hungry or thirsty and need a pick-me-up. When kids blood sugar is low they may have symptoms which include lack of focus, being fidgety, or irritable. A small nutritious snack may help. Since the Gimme a Break Box is not used often, I like to put non-perishable snacks inside the box.
Touch/Tactile/Fine Motor
I have things with a variety of textures into the Gimme a Break Box. These things may include but ar Boxe not limited to: rubber band balls, koosh, balls, stress balls, wikki stix, Aaron's thinking putty, Bendeez, inside out balls with soft spikes, satin strips, small furry critters, feathers, ...etc. Keep in mind that stress balls can be made by adding four or baby powder to uninflated balloons. This can double as a fun classroom activity!
Smell:
The olfactory sense is not to be underrated! The sense of smell can insight feelings of joy, comfort, and even fear if the scent is not associated with a good memory. We are looking for positive memories so my classroom calm down box includes: play-doh, and since lavender is known to soothe, a homemade lavender fidget bag filled with beans! In fact my class will soon be sewing lavender scented rice into a felt bag in life skills class.
Emotional:
A Railroader Ticket When a student is upset, it takes an emotional toll on them. I want them to always feel supported and valued. Taking a break should never leave the student feeling like he or she has done something wrong. So I always leave a railroader ticket (a school token) that can be turned into the school guidance office in a drawing for a weekly prize. Attached is a note letting the student know that I am proud of him/her for knowing that a break was needed and knowing that returning to class as soon as possible is a positive goal. It takes courage to take a break . It takes commitment and honesty to return to class after taking a break.
An Authentic Literacy Project:
Authentic Writing is writing for real purposes and real audiences. Authentic writing is
writing that is most like that which occurs in everyday life. I have shared an authentic literacy project. I hope you find this useful.
Authentic Literacy Project:
We are teaching in an era where technology has literally taken over the written word. Students’ text, e-mail, tweet, message and the list go on. Days of looking up words in a dictionary are becoming fewer and fewer. Today’s students rely on the computer or an electronic speller to define words. Even reading books and newspaper are often read on e-readers or on the internet. However, in light of this, literacy particularly writing is still a main focus in school. Students still need to know how to express themselves in writing. Students still learn to write complete, grammatically correct sentences with proper spelling. They still need to know how to take notes, write essays, and summaries. As teachers it’s very important that we take the time to teach authentic reading and writing. Authentic reading and writing activities such as writing letters and reading newspapers are skills that our students still need to know to be successful in the “real” world.
In thinking about how to integrate authentic literacy activities into my classroom, I thought a lot about the lives of my students. I wanted to do something with authentic reading and writing that would enhance their lives. Many of my student’s families are struggling financially. Many come from broken homes. Many have lost compassion for others. It’s their lack of empathy that is critical. I thought more about authentic literacy. An integral part of authentic literacy is writing for an audience. Think about it, outside of the classroom, people almost always write when there is someone to read their writing. So, I decided to give my students an authentic literacy project that will give them both an audience and perhaps a new appreciation for others as well. Perhaps in these times where families are falling apart and kids are losing compassion doing an authentic literacy project that brings people together may just be the key to enhancing not only my students’ lives but the lives of those in our small, rural community as well.
Project Goals:
Primary Goal: The students as a group will write a newspaper article in search of senior citizens who would like to participate in our educational writing program. The students will write friendly letters to area senior citizens who volunteer to participate. The main focus of the letters will be gathering the history of the elder’s life. Students will be provided with a data collection sheet to gather significant data on.
Secondary Goal: Each student will be responsible for gathering information on their senior partner. One component will be to find out the favorite recipe of the senior. The students must also find out how life was different for their elderly buddy when they were children.
Final Project: Each student must give an oral report featuring the life and times of their elderly buddy. In their report they must include how their life is different than the person they wrote letters to. Each student should also have a poster depicting their elder buddy’s life., including a timeline.
writing that is most like that which occurs in everyday life. I have shared an authentic literacy project. I hope you find this useful.
Authentic Literacy Project:
We are teaching in an era where technology has literally taken over the written word. Students’ text, e-mail, tweet, message and the list go on. Days of looking up words in a dictionary are becoming fewer and fewer. Today’s students rely on the computer or an electronic speller to define words. Even reading books and newspaper are often read on e-readers or on the internet. However, in light of this, literacy particularly writing is still a main focus in school. Students still need to know how to express themselves in writing. Students still learn to write complete, grammatically correct sentences with proper spelling. They still need to know how to take notes, write essays, and summaries. As teachers it’s very important that we take the time to teach authentic reading and writing. Authentic reading and writing activities such as writing letters and reading newspapers are skills that our students still need to know to be successful in the “real” world.
In thinking about how to integrate authentic literacy activities into my classroom, I thought a lot about the lives of my students. I wanted to do something with authentic reading and writing that would enhance their lives. Many of my student’s families are struggling financially. Many come from broken homes. Many have lost compassion for others. It’s their lack of empathy that is critical. I thought more about authentic literacy. An integral part of authentic literacy is writing for an audience. Think about it, outside of the classroom, people almost always write when there is someone to read their writing. So, I decided to give my students an authentic literacy project that will give them both an audience and perhaps a new appreciation for others as well. Perhaps in these times where families are falling apart and kids are losing compassion doing an authentic literacy project that brings people together may just be the key to enhancing not only my students’ lives but the lives of those in our small, rural community as well.
Project Goals:
Primary Goal: The students as a group will write a newspaper article in search of senior citizens who would like to participate in our educational writing program. The students will write friendly letters to area senior citizens who volunteer to participate. The main focus of the letters will be gathering the history of the elder’s life. Students will be provided with a data collection sheet to gather significant data on.
Secondary Goal: Each student will be responsible for gathering information on their senior partner. One component will be to find out the favorite recipe of the senior. The students must also find out how life was different for their elderly buddy when they were children.
Final Project: Each student must give an oral report featuring the life and times of their elderly buddy. In their report they must include how their life is different than the person they wrote letters to. Each student should also have a poster depicting their elder buddy’s life., including a timeline.
Salt Dough Recipe for Great Projects:
Salt-dough Recipe:
Each recipe makes enough salt-dough for 4 to 5 students.
Ingredients:
2 Cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of cold water
Directions:
1) In a large bowl mix salt and flour.
2) Gradually add in water. Mix well, until it forms a play-dough consistency (being careful
not to make it too moist).
3) Form a ball and knead it for at least five minutes. The longer you knead it, the smoother
it will be.
4) Store in an air-tight container unless you are sculpting with it. I recommend chinet
paper plates as a foundation for the sculpture. The end product will hold
on tightly to the plates and will be quite durable.
5) If painting your sculptures, they do not need to be completely dry before doing so. The
projects will take several days to dry completely.
Each recipe makes enough salt-dough for 4 to 5 students.
Ingredients:
2 Cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of cold water
Directions:
1) In a large bowl mix salt and flour.
2) Gradually add in water. Mix well, until it forms a play-dough consistency (being careful
not to make it too moist).
3) Form a ball and knead it for at least five minutes. The longer you knead it, the smoother
it will be.
4) Store in an air-tight container unless you are sculpting with it. I recommend chinet
paper plates as a foundation for the sculpture. The end product will hold
on tightly to the plates and will be quite durable.
5) If painting your sculptures, they do not need to be completely dry before doing so. The
projects will take several days to dry completely.
