Tattling is always better when it's told to the President

I once did fieldwork in an inner-city preschool, full of eager, energetic young children. These children came from diverse backgrounds, families, and living arrangements, yet this made my experience that much better. These children always had something new to bring to the classroom and I always anticipated hearing what they had to say. In a classroom full of 30 three and four year old children, the noise level was mainly created by the constant tattling. Because the tattling became so repetitive and was often typical, "he said, she said" tattles, the teacher had to come up with an idea to control this problem. Instead of telling the children that their tattles were not important, she hung up a picture of the President on a wall in the back of the classroom. Every time the children had to tattle on someone for saying or doing something inappropriate, they had to tell their tattle to the President. When children forgot this rule, she reminded them that what they were telling her was just too important to not share with the President. So there stood children, talking to the "President", telling them their small problems. To me, this was creative. The teacher had to control this problem and now encouraged children to think through what they were telling the President. The children didn't want to just tell him any little tattle, they now had to think what was worth tattling on others for. This idea made children aware of their thoughts and their impressions of others in the classroom. Through this solution, not only did the children develop their cognitive thinking, they became aware of who the President was and that he holds a very important position.

Does everyone have their pencils?

Think of how many times throughout the school day you look for a pencil, use a pencil, or hear a teacher say, "Take out a pencil....Pencils down". Now imagine collecting a pencil for every time one was incorporated into your day. With all of the pencils you collect, you could make this interesting piece of art! As shown here, the pencils can be arranged in a "starburst"-like fashion with a mirror placed in the center. To get in the theme of fall, students could attach different leaves to the pencils and then place a picture of themselves playing outside in the the leaves, on a hike, etc. This is an easy, yet creative way to use classroom supplies to make artwork. Students could bring this home and hang it as a wreath on their doors, as could the teacher, to always keep a learning atmosphere lingering!

Unusual Uses for a Paperclip

I just had to share this because of the activity we did in class the other day. To test our own creativity, we completed the Unusual Uses test for a paperclip. As everyone knows and has once experienced in their school days, binders always break, fall apart, get stuffed too full, etc. This use for a paperclip is perfect! Teachers always have paperclips, a hole puncher, and rubber bands laying around inside their desk, so what better way to put them to use, instead of throwing them away? Students are able to create this "binder" all on their own, simply by punching holes in their papers, stringing a rubber band through the holes and onto a paperclip. Not only does this conservative idea make a binder, it also helps kids build their fine-motor skills by  making them use the pincer grasp!

The power of puzzles

 

With the beginning of a new school year comes many firsts for children. They meet new friends, build their social circle, discover new abilities and of course, learn. But before students of any age can comfortably open up to new people and classroom ideas, they need to be accustomed to their surroundings. The "puzzle piece classroom" is an intriguing way for students to express their emotions and personality without simply speaking in front of the class and introducing themselves. This idea can be used as an "ice-breaker" or as I find more useful, as a way to instill the idea of teamwork within the class. This idea can be incorporated into any age classroom and encourages self expression and exploration of classmates. Each student is given a puzzle piece that they are able to design any way they desire. Each piece represents a member of the classroom, their ideas, interests, culture, and hobbies. As a whole, the class must assemble the puzzle. They learn to work as a team from the very beginning and quickly realize that without a single piece to the puzzle, it cannot be completed. The same concept applies to the classroom; without a student, the classroom cannot flourish or proceed together.