How to Use Get-to-Know-You Activities Later in the Year

Don't throw away those get-to-know-you surveys you did on the first day of school!  This post gives you ideas for using that valuable information all through the school year. 

In a previous post, I talked about making Get-to-Know-You Nametags. The pictures below are the examples I use to show students how to make their own on the first day of school. 

Here are the ways I continue to use them:

1.  Have students keep them out on their desks for the first couple of weeks of school. It really helps me to memorize faces and names.  I just have the students keep the tags in their binders and put them back out on their desk each day. 

2.  Collect and alphabetize the tags after a couple of weeks. I hope-punch put them and put them in a binder. 

3. Refer to the nametags when you need to make a connection with a child.  If I have a difficult conversation with a student, such as poor grades or behavior, I make sure to look at their information afterwards. I make sure to find something we have in common and strike up a conversation with that information. 

For example, I used the fact that I also like watching The Office to make a connection with one of my students who I've been struggling with lately. 

What are some ways you use get-to-know-you activities later in the year?  I'd love some fresh Ideas!

No-Tech Ways to Teach and Assess Vocabulary in Core Subjects

Are you searching for meaningful ways to teach, review, and assess vocabulary in the core subjects?  Then I have what you're looking for in this post!

4-Square Vocabulary Template
I like to assign the Definition and Graphic part of the 4-square vocabulary for homework prior to the instruction of those concepts.  This front-loads the the information so students are reading to participate in class discussions.

Read more about how I use this technique by clicking here.

Review Games
After all the vocabulary has been thoroughly taught, we play review games from my Vocabulary Review Games Packet.

Other fun games to play with vocabulary:

Pictionary 

Find Someone Who:  

This technique uses a page with squares similar to bingo. In each square is a definition. The students walk around with each other and find someone who knows the right answer. That person writes the correct answer in the box with the definition and signs their name. Spend 5-10 minutes at the end for students to share the correct responses out loud.


Word Splash
Write a vocabulary word on the board and give students 10-60 seconds to write everything they can think of relating to that word.  At the end of the time, have students move to another student's paper and repeat the process with one exception:  They may not repeat write anything already written on the paper.



Vocabulary Assessments:
The template I use to assess vocabulary knowledge includes the following activities:

Fill-in-the-blank
Write the definition in your own words
Give an example/non-example
Use the word in a sentence

Read more about how I use vocabulary assessments in this post.

I made a packet for the templates for the 4-square and vocabulary test. Click here to pick up a copy of my Vocabulary Instruction and Assessment Packet.

What do you use to teach, review, and assess vocabulary?  I'd love to hear your ideas!

5-Minute Pencil-Management System

Are you tired of students coming to class without a pencil?  Do you loan out pencils and never get them back?  I have a quick and easy solution for you!

There's a saying that goes something like this:  "If a student needs a pencil, give him a pencil. There are better ways to teach him responsibility". I agree, but I also don't want to spend my entire paycheck on pencils that grow legs and walk away. 

So, allow me to show you my 5-Minute Pencil Management System!

I wrap the pencils in a unique duct tape to easily identify them and place them in a magnetic pencil holder. 

The pencils sit in the magnetic pencil cup on the board by the door. 

Before each class period is allowed to leave, I have a student count the pencils. No one leaves until all six pencils are back in the cup. 

Easy, peasy.  You can literally set this up and maintain it in under five minutes a day. 

What are your ideas for maintaining your pencils?  I'm always looking for upgrades!

Teacher-Approved Shoes

Teacher shoes have to fulfill many criteria: Comfort, durability, professionalism, and reasonable price. Read my post to see the brands teachers recommend the most!

My personal favorite: Crocs Mary Jane. 

You can search Amazon for so many diffferent styles of crocs: 

boat shoes

ballet flats

wedges

loafers

heels

Most of them are indistinguishable from expensive brands of dress shoes and they provide the comfort I love in my crocs clogs. 

Other brands my teacher friends swear by:

Tieks

Sketchers

Sperry

Birkenstock

Vionic 

Dansko 

Clarks

Toms

Dr. Marten's

Do you own any of these brands?  Do you have any suggestions of brands that should be on the list?  I'd love to hear about them!

Constitution Day Activities

Are you searching for meaningful activities for Constitution Day?  Would you like to be able to conduct your Constitution Day activities during multiple core subjects?  If you said yes, then this post is for you!

I always like to try to combine my social studies curriculum with my language arts, and Constitution Day is no exception. Combining my Constitution activities during both subjects means I'm not confined to a single subject or block of time.

First, I like to make an anchor chart as a class of freedoms at home and school.  I keep it up for reference during the Constitution Day activities.  More on that later!

After making the anchor chart, we read a book I LOVE, We the Kids, to teach the preamble!  It's great for read-aloud or you can assign parts of it to older students to explore.

Flipped Classroom idea:  There's also plenty of videos on YouTube of people reading the book. You could assign the video for homework the night/days before Constitution Day.  Then, students can come in and be ready to talk about it without a read-aloud.

After reading the book and/or watching the video, we revisit our anchor chart and put stars beside the freedoms that were also mentioned in the Preamble.  

Next, I like to explore the vocabulary of the Preamble because it is so challenging robust.  I love the language used, but most students don't have any background knowledge of words like "posterity".  To do this, I use a graphic organizer.

The first version of the organizer provides support with pictures and synonyms for the meaning of the Preamble vocabulary.

The second organizer is a "challenge" for students who are ready to tackle synonyms and vocabulary independently.

If you'd like to pick up a copy, click here.

Do you have Constitution Day activities or materials that make the day fun?  I'd love to hear about them!

Grandparents Day Mini Writing Unit

Would you like to show some love to your grandparents this year?  Do you need to teach descriptive writing and poetry?  Read my post on how I combine the two!


I start out by reading some mentor texts aloud to the class that demonstrate how other kids describe their grandparent's and the experiences they share.  Some of my favorites:

Grandmother’s Book of Promises by Karen Hill

Grandpa's Face by Eloise Greenfield

I give several more mentor text suggestions in my Grandparent's Day Mini Writing Unit.

After reading the mentor texts, students interview their grandparents and use that information to write a poem in their honor.  

On Grandparent's Day, the students eat lunch with their grandparents and then read their poem to them.  It's really sweet.

My Grandparent's Day Mini Writing Unit includes:

Students will interview a grandparent through either calling, emailing, or visiting them. Students will use the answers from the interview to write a poem about their grandparent(s).

This packet includes:

~Mentor text suggestions for Grandparents Day

~Grandparent Interview letter

~Template for a “You Are” poem to honor grandparents.  In this poem, students use descriptive words and phrases to describe their grandparent(s).

~Differentiated lessons for students needing scaffolding and ready for a challenge

~Rubric

Do you celebrate Grandparent's Day at your school?  If so, what mentor texts do you use?  What activities do you do with the grandparents?  I'd love to hear about it!

Secondary Brain Break Ideas

Want to start the year off with scheduled physical activity and downtime in your classroom?  Read on to find out how I use both to capture my secondary students' attention!

1.  The Music Break: This is where I put on a song and everyone is required to walk (no running) around the classroom. They usually end up doing laps around the room, but some like to zig-zag between desks. They can also chat if they want. When the music goes off, everyone returns to their seat. 

Here's what you'll need:

Your phone Or Bluetooth-enabled music device

Appropriate popular songs (I download the instrumental version of songs with no lyrics)

A Bluetooth-capable speaker (I like the one below)

2. The Review Break: This is perfect for reviewing things like procedures and expectations or chunking larger pieces of information into smaller bites. 

I have students stand up, find two people from a different table, and tell each person the answer to a review question. For example, "What are the required materials to bring to class each day?"  That means that each student has repeated and heard the answer to that question at least four times. It reviews information and gets them moving and communicating. 

3.  The Whole-Class Longer Reward Break:  My classes earn points for demonstrating responsible behavior each day. Once the class has earned 20-30 points, I allow them to spend 20-30 minutes doing a chosen activity. Some of my favorites include:

Hour of Code

BreakoutEdu Digital

Online learning games

Sustained reading

Vocabulary games

What can you add to this list?  I'd love to hear your ideas!