March 2015 Freebies!

Who doesn't love freebies?

We have a few fun freebies this month to promote our Emotion's Package, The Ultimate Classroom & Behaviour Management Package, and Learning Goals & Success Criteria Posters.

Emotions Package


This is a cute, fun, 1 month (20 school days) program (30 - 45 minutes per day) that helps teach children how to understand their emotions and to make better choices. It uses the fun Little Monster's crew to implement a series of fun activities from a make your own monster art project to word searches, mazes, and more. It incorporates fun journaling and drama activities to help students become familiar with what triggers them, how this makes them feel, actions they can take to get away from the situation, and how to consistently make better choices and monitor their feelings.

This package extends beyond the 20 days, as you will continue to use the Emotions Scale and Feelings Journals for the rest of the year. The Mind Maps will also serve as a reference throughout the year. You might want to revisit the Mind Maps in the future and evaluate with your students how well their plans are working and if they would like to make any amendments.

FREEBIE from the Emotion's Package:

Flash Me Your Feelings



These handy little cards can be cut out, pasted on Bristol board, and laminated. Students keep them with them and every once in awhile, educators can simply ask them to flash them a card. The student will choose the card that matches their feelings. This is great for allowing educators to be aware of potential issues.

WHAT DO THE CARDS MEAN?

RED - I’m angry and losing control
ORANGE - I’m upset about something
YELLOW - I’m sad or frustrated
BLUE - I’m confused, bored, or indifferent
GREEN - I’m happy

The Ultimate Classroom & Behaviour Management Package

This classroom and behaviour management package will supply you with the resources to set up your entire classroom to prepare your students for success. This package contains resources for individual student use and whole class use. All of our packages contain differentiated versions of each assignment to cater to all of your students' abilities.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:
(Please click on the links for further details)

- Day Plan / Visual Schedule / First - Then Chart
- Awards & Certificates
(awards for positive reinforcement, certificates of success, Kindergarten graduation diplomas)
- Groups & Stations
- Learning Goals & Success Criteria Posters
- Name Cards & Sign In Cards
- Special Helper Chart, Cards, & Calendar
- Sticker Charts
(daily & weekly charts)
- Voice Level Poster
- Washroom / Drink Sign Out

FREEBIE from The Ultimate Classroom & Behaviour Management Package

Name Cards & Sign In Sheets




These Little Monster themed name cards and sign in sheets an be used for Kindergarten sign in, to label seats and desks, and to label cubbies for coats and backpacks. These are also great for taping to desks when supply teachers enter your classroom, so they can easily call on students without already knowing their names.

They include single line options for when students are just learning to write their names and the differentiated double lined version for when students are writing their first and last names. The double version also gives the teacher the opportunity to write the student's name on the first line and the student writes their name on the second line.

Learning Goals & Success Criteria Posters


Have your students be a part of the learning process by visually posting their learning goals in the classroom and having them brainstorm success criteria with you.

All of our resources feature the cute Little Monster theme. These adorable little characters make learning fun.

We suggest using our posters for:

-Ongoing assignments such as journal writing (so students can review on a daily basis)
-Large assignments to help students self assess along the way (it's effective to describe their learning in incremental steps)
-Covering the duration of an instructional period, so they know what they are expected to be able to do by the end
-Use where students need a clear understanding of what they are learning (these posters are great for clearing up confusion about what students are learning; the goal is to co-create clear and precise examples of what students are learning)
-Self-assessment (checklists are great for this)

Learn step-by-step how to create learning goals and success criteria.

FREEBIE from the Learning Goals & Success Criteria Posters.

Learning Goals & Success Criteria Graphic Organizer



This useful learning goals and success criteria graphic organizer helps teachers to organize the curriculum guidelines and break them down into meaningful learning goals that can be further broken down into success criteria (co-create with students).







Have a fantastic week of teaching.  Our  students are currently enjoying their March Break and our awesome teachers are hopefully taking a much deserved break, but let's be honest, they're probably working.

Other Things This Teacher is Working On

Blog - Practical Parenting Guidelines for Managing Challenging Behaviours

Blog - The Life of a Supply Teacher - Classroom Management, Activities, & Resources

Classroom & Behaviour Management in Gym Class

Managing Gym Class

CONTROLLING THE CHAOS AND FUN ACTIVITIES

Do you fear your students' behaviour when you know you are about to teach gym class?  They might be awesome or they might be screaming and running around and completely out of control.

What can you do to ensure a stress-free gym class?

I personally love gym class.  It's fun and I love to participate with the kids.  But I've had my share of chaotic gym classes, so let me share some tips that I use on a regular basis.

DISCUSS YOUR EXPECTATIONS AHEAD OF TIME

• Prompt your students to come up with appropriate behaviours (when they make the rules, they are more likely to follow them)
• Ask how you walk down to the gym
• Ask what the warm up routine is
• Say: Do we run around the gym screaming?
• What do we do after we run 5 laps?  (usually they sit on the black circle or black line to wait for instructions)
• Use a whistle to save your voice (1 whistle = start activity; 2 whistles = stop and look at me; 3 whistles means stop and go to the black line for instructions)

ENSURE A STRAIGHT, QUIET LINE ON YOUR WALK TO THE GYM

This is an important step.  If your students see that you follow through on your initial expectations (straight, quiet line), then they are more likely to leave the silliness for recess.  When we are walking, I give one reminder to those who talk and then send them to the end of the line.  If I have a group of line talkers, I take the entire class back to where we started and we try it again.  I often talk about putting our finger on our lip to remind us that we don't want to disturb other classes when we are in the hall.

ENFORCING GYM EXPECTATIONS

You are bound to have a couple of students who forget the rules once they reach the gym.  They'll start screaming as they run their laps or being completely silly.  I give one reminder of the rules and let them know that if it continues, they will have to sit on the bench until they are ready to conduct themselves appropriately.

You are also likely to have a couple of students who claim they can't participate due to injuries.  Sometimes this is true, but usually it isn't.  If I know a student is full of it, I just state that until I receive a letter from their parents, they are to participate in all school subjects, including gym.  If I'm not sure about possible injuries, then I let them sit out.  Those who try to join back in later during the fun time, owe me a warm up.  I usually tell them that they have to run the length of the gym a couple of times, give me 10 push ups and 10-20 crunches.  Sometimes I'll add or sub in jumping jacks or burpies.

FUN WARMUP

For younger students, I love to go on a bear walk.  We walk in a circle and come across things like tall grass that we have to brush out of our way, mud that we have to trek through, trees that we have to swing through, a river that requires us to jump across rocks, and finally a cave that we have to tip toe through.  I suggest writing the order down on a piece of paper so you don't forget.  After quietly stepping through the cave, we reach our hand out and lightly touch a furry creature with 2 glowing eyes.  I ask them what they think it is.  They love to yell, "A bear!"  We run the opposite way and quickly reverse our way through the barriers and eventually lock ourselves in the house (I usually have them run to a corner of the gym).  I'll quietly say, "Phew, we made it."  The culmination of this activity ensures that I have them in one location and they are quietly listening for our next activity.

COLLABORATIVE STRETCHING

Kids love to share their ideas, so I always look for quiet hands to show us a stretch.  I remind them that I only choose people who have a quiet hand in the air.  I love getting student ideas and then I like to add in a couple of yoga stretches.  One that I often do is stretching up like a pencil, then I tell them we are one of those cool bendy pencils and we stretch from left to right and front and back.  

GAMES FOR BUSY KIDS

One of the busiest classes I ever had, was quickly organized by a game of Octopus.  This class had students running in every direction.  I told them that I was almost ready to choose an octopus, but I was looking for someone who was standing quietly in front of the wall (choose a short wall).  I take some time to say, "Hmmm, let me see.  Who is standing nice and tall with their finger on their lips?"  They're dying to be chosen, so they try so hard to meet your expectations.  While I have their attention, I quickly explain the rules and then choose 2 octopi.  I like that this game allows for some busy running around, but then it collects all of the students at one end of the gym.  I don't let them run to the other end until they show me that they are ready.

Instructions for Octopus

1. Choose 2 octopi, they have to chase the fish (all the other students)
2. You are safe when you are against the wall
3.  When I say, "Fish, cross my ocean," they can run to the other side
4. If a fish gets caught by the octopus, they become seaweed (talk about how seaweed has roots, so it can't move, but  water flows, so their leaves (arms) can wave around)
5. If seaweed touches a fish, the fish becomes seaweed 
6. Fish must stop where they are touched and become seaweed in that spot 
7. The last 2 people are either the winners or become the octopi if you play again

TEAM BUILDING

 I absolutely love relay races.  The kids work together for a common goal, they cheer each other on, and they have a fantastic time doing it.

Here are my rules for successful relay races:

•  I usually have 4 teams.  I show the students where each number will line up and then count and point the students off from 1-4.  This usually ensures fair teams, as similar students generally sit together, so it separates ability equally between the teams
• When students are lined up and sitting quietly with their teams, I give my instructions

1. I model what the first person will do.  I usually start with running to the other side, doing 5 jumping jacks, running back, and high fiving the next person in line.  The next person cannot go until they receive their high five.  The first person sits at the end of the line
2. Each team member does the same thing as the first person
3. When your entire team is sitting, then you have completed the race
4. If one team has an extra student, I have the first 2 people run at the same time (having the other teams run the first person twice causes too much confusion) 
5. After the first race, I take suggestions from people who are sitting quietly with their hand up for the activities for the next race

 The best race we ever came up with was with students from grades 3-6.  They spun around 10 times, ran to the other end, did 5 burpies, then crab walked back.  It was super fun, the kids were completely engaged, the team building was incredible, and we even had other teachers walk into the gym in amazement at how great the students were working together.  This was one of the most fun gym classes I have ever had the opportunity to facilitate.

QUIET THE ROWDINESS

If you have an exceptionally rowdy class that you need to settle down, try playing a game of Silent Speed Ball.  It's great for simmering down a loud, busy bunch, especially just before transitioning into a nice, quiet, straight line for walking through the halls again.

Have fun with your gym classes and if you have an extra challenging class, remember that you don't have to stay in the gym.  If they aren't showing you that they deserve to be in the gym, then don't keep them there.  Safety and making good choices come first.  You can simply walk them back to class and have some quiet time.  Talk about why you returned to class early and what your expectations are for next time.