• Student Directed Learning (5 tips)
• Test Taking and Study Skills (10 tips)
• Puzzles and Mind Benders (7 tips)
• School to Work Connections (21 tips)

Student Directed Learning

Using the Dictionary in the Classroom

From Cara Christensen, a fourth grade teacher at Keeney School in Manchester, Connecticut:

"I have an old school desk in the back of my classroom and on top of it sits a very old and large dictionary. Attached to the desk is a sign that reads, 'Can't spell a word? Don't know what it means? Ask Mr. Webster, but please handle with care'. Consequently, my students visit the desk consistently without having to be dragged. They are also very eager to patch up the well worn, very old Mr. Webster when he starts coming apart!"

Drawing Conclusions with Blue's Clues

From Terri Berning, a fifth grade teacher at Marion Elementary School in Maria Stein, Ohio:

"One day the students and I were discussing the subject of Blue's Clues. The show is all about drawing conclusions, which is a skill with which the students were having problems. We examined the show and talked more about the skill. By the end of the lesson we were singing the show's theme song. 'We just drew conclusions, we just drew conclusions, we just drew conclusions because we're very smart'. My fifth grade students had a ball singing and dancing! The skill was reinforced in a fun way and the students began to understand the skill".

Guided Reading and Literacy Centers

From Aubrey Albert, a first grade teacher at Walker's Grove Elementary School in Plainfield, Illinois:

"I have five literacy centers where children work while I am instructing my guided reading group. At each center there is a group of four or five students working together on a common literacy task: writing center (journals or story starter), listening center (books on tape), working with words center (using letter tiles and building upon word chunks), pointing out words around the room or writing words on dry erase boards with a partner or browsing boxes (leveled classroom library books that students have been taught how to choose their 'just right' books to share with their group), and a literature circle group (read a book quietly, write information to share with your group, share the author, title and favorite part of the book with the group). Each center has a team leader. The members of each group are mixed in their reading abilities so that the upper level students can mentor the lower level students. The members are instructed to direct all questions to the group leader. If the leader does not know the answer, they can come and ask me. If a team leader is called out of their group for guided reading, they choose a substitute to act on their behalf during their absence. This system is possible with a lot of practice."

Independent Thinkers

From Roxanne Ross, a first grade teacher at Percy Priest Elementary School, Nashville, Tennessee:

"Standards demand that content be placed in an environment where children discover processes and results on their own. Whenever children raise a question, I allow them the opportunity to answer themselves. Children truly learn when we allow them to make their own decisions, discover knowledge and learn by trial and error. It is the independent thinker that is successful in life. While it may seem chaotic at first, soon children begin to function independently and successfully."

Student Control of Learning

From a Spanish teacher at Mt. Vernon High School, Mt. Vernon, Washington:

"I design an activity that offers opportunity for personal expression and that will require students to use a small piece of information that they DON'T have, such as a vocabulary word or a verb tense. Once they realize they need to know that, they will want to learn it because it has become their decision to learn it, not mine. Things acquired in this way seem to stick much better."

Test Taking and Study Skills

Understanding Test Directions

From Faye Smith, a fourth grade teacher at Lamar Elementary School in Augusta, Georgia:

"In a few weeks, the students in my county will be taking standardized tests. My students are reading well below grade level but are still expected to master fourth grade skills. To improve test scores, I am putting emphasis on reading and understanding test directions. Test directions are written on their 'Positive #2 Pencils' that are taped to their desks. Two to three times a week, students read the directions and then interpret what they mean. I give supporting examples on the board."

Daily Test Review

From Martha Baughman, a third grade teacher at Swansea Elementary School in Swansea, South Carolina:

"I help students prepare for standardized tests by providing a short daily review each morning. I use questions that are formatted like the type of test they are required to take. The skills we review increase in difficulty as the students learn new things."

Standardized Test Challenges

From a seventh grade teacher in Illinois:

"Some of our seventh grade tests measure curriculum my school teaches in eighth grade. What a challenge! Some of us stop what we are doing and teach mini-units on the topics during the month preceding the tests. Our other option is to ignore the tests and include in our end of the year reports that the concepts were not taught during that year. A future option might be to switch our curriculum, despite the philosophy that the concepts on the tests are developmentally inappropriate for the current grade level. Gee!"

Testing Practice

From Marty Crutcher, a third grade teacher at Love Chapel School in Erwin, Tennessee:

"I prepare my students for standardized tests beginning in September in several ways. I prepare all tests and quizzes, including spelling, in a standardized format. With my math chapter tests, I require that the paper showing work and checking be turned in. That lets me see where mistakes are made for re-teaching purposes and teaches students to get in the habit of copying the problem down and checking it on the extra paper. I make English quizzes in a paragraph form with the incorrect information underlined with a letter above it, just as in our standardized tests. I make my tests tricky, so students will realize that sometimes they must look more carefully than they first thought. As a result of all this preparation, when March tests begin, my students are comfortable with the format. The week before the tests we take a nice break from all this to allay the pressure. My class has practiced all year and the tests are like the final basketball game in a tournament."

Standardized Test Formats

From Margaret Johnson, an English and French teacher at West Las Vegas High School in Las Vegas, New Mexico:

"One of the major problems with standardized tests is the format. After I present information, I tell my students how the test will find out whether they know the information and give them examples. For many of my students, concentrating for the tests gives them headaches. I advise them that this procedure lasts for parts of two days and that their teachers will go easy on them for the remainder of the testing days."

Standardized Test Vocabulary and Questioning

From Patti Ralabate, a speech-language pathologist from Danbury, Connecticut:

"We've realized that sometimes our students don't do as well on the standardized state tests as we think they should because they are not familiar with the test's vocabulary or questioning format. For example, we use predicting outcomes while the tests may ask the student to forecast an ending. To make sure our students will understand the language used in our state mastery tests, everyone in our building participated in professional development sessions about how to ask questions and what language to use. I have a chart of the types of questioning used on the tests posted in my room to remind me."

Standardized Test Familiarity

From Elaine Wargo, a teacher from Perry, Ohio:

"I believe the key to a good working relationship with parents and students, when it comes to testing, is there should be no surprises. Parents should be assured that you will do your best to prepare their child for this assessment. Have students and parents attempt to answer sample test questions at the beginning of the school year, and throughout the year, so they are aware of the format of the test. Show parents the types of activities and materials you will use to get their children prepared. Keep students constantly abreast of what they are expected to do and help them accomplish this with your activities. Have students use the identical rubrics used on state tests to grade their own work. Ask them how they would grade this answer and explain why you agree or disagree with their assessment. Show them samples of other students' work so they can be exposed to good and poor attempts. Give them test-taking skills that apply to the type of test they will be taking. (Standardized-fill in the bubble tests are very different from state proficiency-short and long answer, give your opinion type questions) I think comfort and positive attitude go a long way to ease parent, student and teacher anxiety."

Sticky Note Taking

From Penny Lowe, a fifth grade teacher at Dutile Elementary School in Billerica, Massachusetts:

"I find that using square sticky notes for note taking is a wonderful way to keep my students focused. They use them to keep notes on specific sections of our social studies text and as a place to write short chapter summaries in the novels we are reading. The notes stay with the section read or attached to the last page of the chapter. The sticky notes are especially useful when reviewing for tests or preparing book reports."

Removing Temptation

From Susan Reid, a math teacher at Olive Branch Middle School in Olive Branch, Mississippi:

"My students work in groups of four and during test times there is quite a temptation for eyes to wander. I make my students responsible for keeping their papers covered. Whenever I see answers uncovered, I quietly place a small red square of construction paper on the student's desk. This is a warning and a reminder. If a second red square is placed on the same student's desk during the same test, one point is deducted. Each time thereafter, another point is deducted. I never have had to deduct more than one point and I no longer have to nag the class to keep their answers covered."

Positive #2 Pencils

From Faye Smith, a fourth grade teacher at Lamar Elementary in Augusta, Georgia:

"I give my students tips on how to pass standardized and teacher made tests. To reinforce those tips, I give each student two #2 pencils. On each pencil I print a test taking idea such as 'Read and Follow Directions'. These messages help my students to remember their test taking tips and will hopefully increase their test scores."

Puzzles And Mind Benders

Puzzles

From Christy Goodney, a social sciences teacher at Dripping Springs High School in Austin, Texas:

"I buy puzzles that relate to the subject I am teaching. For example if I'm teaching World Geography, I buy a map of the world. I keep one puzzle out at a time and tell the students they may only work on the puzzle when all their work is complete. I also tell the students that I am going to glue the puzzle together and display it in the classroom when they're finished. I have students who rarely finish an assignment, finish their work in order to work on the puzzle. I have yet to have any pieces come up missing. All the kids want to see the puzzle hung up in the room when it is finished. I write the month and year the puzzle was completed and hang the puzzles up all year instead of posters."

It Can Be

From Beverly Whitson, a third grade teacher at Lindley Park School in Asheboro, North Carolina:

"When I have some time at the end of the day, I play IT CAN BE with my class. This is a math game where the child holds up an addition sum and the class has to give the problem. For example, if the card says 17, someone called on might say, "9 + 8." If the flashcard says 8 + 9, the child holding the card would say, "IT COULD BE BUT IT'S NOT." If the child says, "8 + 9", the child holding the card would say, 'IT COULD BE AND IT IS." The children have to give the problem exactly as it's written on the card. If a child gives a completely incorrect answer such as 9 + 6, the response is, "IT COULDN'T BE." The child that answers correctly gets to be the next one to hold up the flashcard. This is a great activity for enhancing math thinking skills."

Teaching Thinking Skills

From Susan Reid, a seventh and eighth grade algebra teacher at Olive Branch Middle School in Olive Branch, Mississippi:

"I gather puzzlers and problems from the Internet, middle school math magazines, old textbooks and other publications. Each day, I put a challenging problem on the overhead and give my students time to work on the problem. When I call 'time', I place a small square of tag board on the desks of those who got the correct answer. The students write their names on the squares and place them in a can. I draw out one name and that student has to explain the method he or she used to get the correct answer. The student receives a prize for a good explanation. Then, I ask for other students to share their explanations. The students benefit from having to explain their thinking process and from seeing multiple methods of solving problems. I am amazed at the variety of methods they use to solve problems."

Daily Brainstretcher

From Kim Jury, a sixth grade reading teacher from Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"To begin each class, I choose two students who have correctly written down the homework in their school agenda and are sitting quietly. These students are the leaders of the daily 'brainstretcher'. The 'brainstretchers' are from the game Outburst and Outburst Junior or created by myself or by the students. They always relate to the content of the class for that day. One student is the card checker while the other is the one-minute timer and the name caller. As each student 'stretches their brain' to correctly name all ten items on the card, relating to the overall topic, they must also be very good listeners since they cannot repeat what someone else says. I find that this two-minute activity has a definite purpose in the classroom. It motivates all levels of students, it evolves around and reinforces the content for the day, it improves listening skills, it promotes cooperative learning, it enhances creativity and visualization and it lets each student have a crack at being the teacher for a short period of time."

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

From Charlotte Florez, a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Gearhart Elementary School in Bly, Oregon:

"To liven up the end of the day, I bring out the game Mind Trap and select a card to read to the class. The challenge sometimes is so intriguing that I send the class home to ponder the clue overnight. The Mind Trap cards range in challenge levels and all the students have an opportunity to solve the question. The students enjoy trying to solve the mysteries and I don't feel that the last few minutes before the bell are wasted."

Puzzles for Process

From Beth McLeod, a health instructor in Ellsworth, Wisconsin:

"I use puzzles as an introductory activity for setting up cooperative groups, or starting a new unit. I find it builds thinking skills, cooperation, and self analysis/reflection. I use puzzle for each cooperative group I have. I use puzzles of 25 to 100 pieces depending on the age and ability of the class. I set puzzles out on group tables, just the pieces, no picture of what the puzzle will look like put together. Then I pick up pieces from each puzzle -- enough to give each student one piece -- and put them into a container. As students enter the room they take a puzzle piece from the container and find the table that has the puzzle their piece fits into. They start putting the puzzle together right away, which keeps them busy while other students join them. Before long the whole class is engaged in putting their puzzles together in their different groups. To keep the puzzle pieces from getting mixed up, I buy puzzles that are different in design and color. After they finish putting together the puzzles, I ask them to discuss these questions:

1. How did your group cooperate to get your puzzle together?
2. Did you get your puzzle done in the allotted time?
3. How did you feel trying to put a puzzle together without seeing a picture of what it was supposed to look like?
4. Did everyone in the group feel the same way?
5. What did you learn about yourself working in a group?
6. What did you learn about your learning style?"

Mind Bending Monday

From Faith Wallace, an eighth grade English teacher at Orange Avenue School in Cranford, New Jersey:

"Critical thinking skills are an important part of everyday life. To enable my students to enhance their critical thinking skills, I have established a weekly program called Mind Bender. Each Monday, I post a new mind bender question which requires close reading and interpretation. Most of the time, the students overlook the obvious. Each student can make one guess each day. Each guess must have the student's name, date and period. Students place their guesses in a special box on my desk. The students wait anxiously all week to hear the answer and many of them make a guess every day. At the end of the marking period, the student with the most correct answers wins a prize. Mind benders can be found in different places, including the book Improve Your Lateral Thinking by Paul Sloane and Des MacHale."

School to Work Connections

Students Get Paid

From Wanda Samson, a business teacher at Fremont High School in Fremont, Nebraska:

"At the beginning of each quarter, students in my advanced computer classes create a time card for themselves. Each day students record their attendance just as one would at a job. Each class period counts four hours. On Fridays this information is transferred to a spreadsheet representing a payroll register. Formulas are put into the payroll register to calculate total hours for the week, gross pay, deductions, and net pay. Since part-time workers receive no benefits, there is no pay for snow days, school vacation, sick days, doctor's appointments, etc. There is also a deduction of � hour for tardiness. At the end of the quarter, students who have earned the most pay receive valuable bonus points. Students quickly learn that being late or absent does not 'pay'."

Student Checkbooks

From Marge Mellon, a learning disabilities teacher at Willowick Middle School in Willowick, Ohio:

"My students learn to use checkbooks. I get a check company to donate starter checkbooks that have a few pages of a register and about ten checks. The kids earn money for their account by doing homework and completing tests. They earn ten dollars for each homework assignment and their test grade percentage equals the amount of dollars they can add to their accounts. (For example, 80% = $80.00) The students learn to purchase with their checkbooks too. They look through newspaper ads and select items they'd like to buy. They must calculate the tax, subtract in the check register and write the check out to the store. My students love this unit on checkbooks and they learn real world skills."

Writing In History

From Mark Van Over, an American history teacher at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona:

"Since one can argue that specific historical data is not needed in the everyday workplace, I bypass the argument entirely by focusing on writing. I emphasize to students that the knowledge they gain in American history courses is not simply factual, but broad in basis to help them understand human nature. I assign writing to analyze this in each of our units. I further emphasize the importance of written communication beyond school by reminding students that we are a communication-oriented society. Email and faxes need to be written clearly and concisely. I incorporate various aspects of technology in many assignments. Students report research by using a Power Point presentation or by building a Web page. Through this, they learn the information and a valuable technological skill in the workplace."

Wanted: Basic Skills

From an eighth grade teacher:

"I researched the wages and background requirements for a variety of jobs to share with my students. All the best-paying high school diploma jobs require testing for placement on the hiring list and these tests focus on the basic skills students are expected to learn. I explain to my students that employers want to know a worker can be trained to do the job. If students can prove they paid attention and learned in school, that's pretty good evidence that they will learn the skills needed on the job. When students hear that, they become more enthusiastic about their lessons."

Importance of PowerPoint

From Jean Babb, a seventh grade teacher from California:

"When I teach my students how to use PowerPoint, I tell them how my husband and daughter use them at work. I also show them some slides written by a researcher from a study my students participated in two years ago."

Weekly Paychecks

From Shannon Dolan, a teacher at the Serendipity School of the Arts in Tequesta, Florida:

"I connect the classroom with the world of work by giving out weekly paychecks instead of grades. Students receive points on their paycheck with which they can buy certain rewards in life. Rewards consist of being first in line, extra recess time, sitting close to the teacher during story time, etc. The weekly paychecks are a combination of student grades, attitude and effort."

School is a Job

From Zee Ann Poerio, a third grade teacher at St. Louise de Marillac School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

"At the beginning of the school year I tell my students to think of school as their job. What goes on in school everyday can be applied to the real world of work. If students are talking when someone else is talking I say, 'If we were at work and you were talking while your boss was presenting some important material, what do you think your boss would be thinking about you? What if you were in a conference with your co-workers and you were carrying on a conversation with the person sitting next to you, or staring out the window, or taking apart your pen, while someone else was sharing information with the group, what would the other people be thinking about you?' For late or missed assignments I say, 'What if these were important reports for your job, what do you think your boss would do?' If a student arrives without a pencil or paper or leaves books at home I say, 'What would happen if you went to work one day and didn't bring the tools you needed to do your job?' It really gets them thinking. As the year goes on I'll joke about it, 'I hope no one turns in their reports late, it's almost time to give out raises.' Or, 'I am really going to be watching to see who pays attention at the staff meetings, the company needs a new Vice-President."

Connection Questions

From Donna Berkhof, a tech prep coordinator at Central Montana Tech Prep Consortium in Great Falls, Montana:

"An easy way to encourage students to make the connection to the world of work is to ask questions such as these at the end of the day or at the completion of a chapter/unit.

1. What workers use the information (or knowledge, process, tools, etc.) that we used today in their occupations?
2. How could you use the knowledge you gained today outside of school? Who uses this knowledge to make a living?
3. What future jobs can you envision where workers would use the subject matter (procedures, activities, or problem-solving techniques, etc) that we explored today?

This works great at any grade level, requires no prep time, takes very little class time and involves no paperwork! Questions such as these create a mind set whereby students think about how they can apply what they are learning outside the classroom."

Technical Writing

From Randy Swingle, an English teacher at Athens Area High School in Athens, Pennsylvania:

"I apply life skills vocabulary and writing into my curricula. Using the language that students will need to understand in the workplace, I teach form writing. My students learn to complete employment applications, create resumes, fill out W-4 forms, do banking and other personal finance, complete tax forms and medical insurance papers plus much more. I try to have a business leader come into the classroom at least once a month to discuss the business importance of the subject we are studying. I also incorporate the daily newspaper into the curriculum. Some good workplace literature textbooks are AMERICAN LITERATURE FOR LIFE AND WORK, BRITISH LITERATURE FOR LIFE AND WORK, and LITERATURE FOR LIFE AND WORK I AND II."

Groundhog/Shadow Day

From Michele Slusher, a kindergarten teacher at Woodbine Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee:

"Turn Groundhog Day into Shadow Day: a day during which the parents take their children (and maybe a few friends) to work and let them be their shadow. The children get to experience a day at work and see first hand how their schoolwork applies to the real world. We are making it a school wide event, hoping all will be able to participate."

Future Career Aspirations

From Dr. Ada A. Walls, a third and fourth grade teacher at Patterson-Kennedy School in Dayton, Ohio:

"At the beginning of the school year, I ask each of my students about their future career aspirations and parallel their career area with a classroom helper position. Students who are interested in becoming artists are assigned the class artist position and are given the task of making signs, posters and bulletin board displays. Students who wish to become teachers are student tutors and hopeful police officers become peer conflict mediators. Future scientists help me set up classroom science experiments and those interested in business fields become the class secretary or treasurers. Future firefighters assist during fire drills. Whenever possible I try to connect my students' future career aspirations with rolls within the classroom. The last day of each school week is designated as Pay Day and students are given a penny for each day they worked. They place their earnings into a classroom piggy bank and the treasurer counts and deposits the money into our school savings bank. The students plan how they will spend their savings on an end-of-the-year project. In the past, savings have been spent on a pizza party, coupons from a local fast food restaurant, an electric pencil sharpener and a charitable donation to an earthquake relief fund."

Strategies for Success

From Cindy Tennimon, a history and computer applications teacher at Goodwyn Junior High in Montgomery, Alabama:

"I spend a lot of time connecting what we do in the classroom with the world of work. For example, students' supplies are their tools for their current job. If they are unprepared, I remind them that in the working world they would not be able to do their jobs if they forgot their tools. I talk to them about how school is their job and their effort and hard work reflect the success they will have when they enter the working world. Establishing good habits now will bring them rewards in the future. Their Pay Day is when I hand out progress reports or report cards. Their effort is directly reflected in the grades they earned. We discuss how far they can go in the world of work with the pay they earned. Discussions of the workplace are supported by a yearlong effort to teach my students strategies for success in all their classes such as test taking, note taking and listening skills as well as personal goal setting. By the end of the year most are taking responsibility for their performance, which reflects growth and maturity. In junior high this is sometimes a monumental achievement!"

Career Research Project

From Paulette Jeffress, an English teacher at Person High School in Roxboro, North Carolina:

"My students are required to work on a career research paper during their junior English semester. The requirements include filling out an application, interviewing parents, taking the ASVAB, completing an interest inventory, counseling with the school-to-work coordinator, writing a research paper, interviewing someone who is currently employed in the career researched, writing business and thank you letters, memo and reflection. Most of my students agree that this is an applicable and worthwhile project."

Guest Speakers

From Stella Bock, a third grade teacher in Cranford, New Jersey:

"Every week, I choose one of my students to bring in a guest speaker on Friday afternoon. The speakers are usually parents, grandparents or family friends and they speak about how school studies have helped them succeed in their job. We've had a nurse come in and speak about the importance of math in measuring medicine and an engineer show how math, art and design help him do his job. We've also had a lobbyist, newspaper worker, storeowner and even a chandelier designer explain the link between school and the real world. Some guests bring in a collection or a hobby and focus on how their schooling helped them in their endeavors. We follow up with huge thank you cards for the guests."

Encouraging Send-Offs

From Mary Beth Solano, a third grade teacher at Timnath Elementary in Timnath, Colorado:

"My students are just starting to realize that there's a world beyond their playground so I try to connect their lives with the world of work on a daily basis. At dismissal, I always write 'Goodbye, future ___________' on the chalkboard. I fill in the blank with a top of the line profession that would require a college education, leadership skills and lots of training. I hope to encourage them from settling for entry level work and moving their imaginations off of the typical professional athletes' block."

Job Shadow Experience

From Margaret Williams, an LD teacher at Lake Mills Middle School in Lake Mills, Wisconsin:

"Our school coordinates a Job Shadow Day with Take Your Daughter To Work week in April. We chose this week for job shadowing because businesses often plan special events in conjunction with this national program. We encourage as many students as possible to participate. Volunteers assist two teacher coordinators place students at job sites if students would like to shadow but don't have a place to go. They must provide their own transportation and the school keeps a record of where each student is shadowing. Students who have special opportunities on alternate dates are encouraged to go with the understanding that missed work will be completed. We make visits to the local businesses to take photos of our shadowing students for the newspaper. They fill out an evaluation form in their social studies classes and write thank you notes during language arts. Most student comments are very positive and some have even found summer jobs through their shadow experience."

Collaboration in the Classroom

From Kathy Turnball, an American history teacher at Indianola Middle School in Indianola, Iowa:

American history isn't always easy to connect with the world of work so I attempt to connect classroom procedures or situations instead. When my students walk into the room and see that their desks are separated they know that they are in 'private offices'. This means they are in a testing or working situation that requires total independence and no interaction with others. When assigning partners or group work, I spend time talking about how they would act in the workplace when asked by their boss to do a group project or presentation with other employees. If an employee is absent or 'out sick' the other members of the group are expected to pick up the slack and still complete the project on time. Bosses expect their employees to work with those they like and those they dislike. I believe these situations make my students think about their performance in the classroom."

School Store

From Debra Harmon, a special needs instructor at McLoud High School in McLoud, Oklahoma:

"During lunch, my students run a school store in our classroom selling candy and school supplies. They learn to operate the cash register, count money, do inventory, interact with customers and read invoices. The students vote on how to spend their profits. They've gone on field trips and purchased yearbooks, wind suits, spirit shirts and computer equipment. This is a very educational and transitional project from which the students benefit."

Language in the Workplace

From Melissa Montz, an English teacher at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama:

"In conjunction with my students' research papers, they must talk to their parents about how they use language or composition in their career fields. This exercise really helps students see that the grammar and composition they study really does have relevance to the workplace."

Artistic Careers

From Sheri Shortridge, an art teacher from Colorado:

"I do my best to connect the topics my students study in art with careers they can do in the future. Clay can be connected to making dishes and sculpture can be associated with baking and the designs needed for the molds. Planning designs are skills needed in architecture and fashion. Lettering is needed for sign making and advertising. I also have professional artists come and visit the classroom. We've hosted silver smiths, sculptors, painters, clayboard artists and inventors. It's important that my students know that art can become more than just a hobby."

Jobs vs. Careers

From Jay Edwards, a resource teacher at Hemet Elementary School in Hemet, California:

"Very few of my students understand the difference between a job and a career. To demonstrate the difference, I pass out newspapers and ask them to find a career. They always turn right to the want ads. I explain that those are jobs not careers. Jobs are what you need when you've been laid off, your rent is due or your kids are sick. Then we turn to the front section of the paper and look at the problems that make the news. I tell them that they can devote the rest of their lives to solving problems they enjoy and someone will pay them for it! These are careers! The students then search the newspapers for problems, brainstorm solutions and create careers that meet their needs. Some choose to write their solutions in the form of a business proposal."

• Welcome Activities (1 tip)
• What's In A Name (12 tips)
• Getting To Know You (17 tips)
• The Library Is Open (2 tips)
• Activities for Now and Later (12 tips)

Welcome Activities

Laminated Kisses

From Alison Talton, a pre-k teacher:

One of the neatest things I do on the first day of school is read the book, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. It is a wonderful book about a little raccoon that has to go off to school for the first time and how his mom and he deal with it. It really makes the kids more comfortable and it kind of helps switch the focus of the nervousness of the child over to how their mom or dad feel. When we focus on that it puts some responsibility on them to be big and brave.

"I also use a small raccoon puppet that I read with, and go around and let 'Chester' (the main character) give every one a kiss on their hand. As an extension, my aide and I trace the students' hands on half of a sheet of construction paper and then send them home with a note asking the mom or someone to make a lipstick impression of a kiss, write a little love note, and then send it back to school. I laminate them when they return and the children have it to keep in their box as long as they need to remind themselves of their mom. Some will visit it several times to help them feel more comfortable!"

What's In A Name

Student Information Cards

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"I keep an information card on all of my students. I pre-print index cards on the computer requesting each students name, date of birth, address, home number, parents' work and cell phone numbers, the book numbers that they were issued and their email address. I punch all the cards and bind them with a ring. I keep them in my book bag so their information is available to me at school and at home. I just recently thought of pre-printing the information requests on the computer instead of having the kids do all the writing."

Personalized Nametags

From Sarah Pullie, a third grade teacher at Latta Elementary School in Latta, South Carolina:

"The first day of school I give my students a plain nametag with their name printed on it in black marker. I ask them to decorate the nametag with things that tell about themselves. It's interesting to see what they add to their tags. Students can find someone who shares the same interests. They can also take surveys with the nametag information and graph their findings."

Learning About Each Other

From Carla Herbert, a fourth grade teacher at Howard Wilson School in Leavenworth, Kansas:

"On the first day of school, I want to learn the children's names. At the first student's desk, I extend my hand, introduce myself and tell the class one of my favorite activities, sports, games, etc. The student must then tell me his/her name and an interesting personal fact. I then go on the next student and introduce myself again but give a new statement about myself. I repeat the statement and then go back and repeat the first student's name and statement. I continue this practice until I have learned all the student's names. By the end of the first day, they know everything about their teacher and all of us know something about each other."

Photo Flash Cards

From Patricia Lewis, a fourth grade teacher at Parker Elementary School in Middlesex, New Jersey:

"Teachers can use flash cards too! This is a terrific way to connect names and faces of new students on the first day of school. I write the child's name on the photo and shuffle through the photo flash cards several times with the names visible. Then I check my memory by covering up the names. Through this method, I can identify every new student by name on the second day."

Durable Name Tags

From Ann Harms, a second grade teacher at Grahamwood Elementary in Memphis, Tennessee:

"My students need nametags all year long because they're useful for visitors making presentations to the class. Many have told me that it's helpful to be able to call a student by name. I make my nametags out of four inch square pieces of poster board. This is a good size to read from far away. I write the child's name on both sides in large letters, laminate them, punch a hole in them and then thread them with yarn. They last the entire school year. If a tag turns over, the name is still there."

Magnetized Nametags

From Marilyn Redmond, a second grade teacher at Roland Michener Public School in Kanata, Ontario, Canada:

"I make small magnetized nametags for my classroom. I cut tagboard into pieces about 1"x1", write the students names on them, and stick magnets to the backs. I use the magnets that stores sell for business cards. One business card does four to six names. I use them for monitoring who is out of the room and for daily graphing. Every morning I put a question and a graphing grid on the board and the children place their name on the graph in the appropriate place. I've learned a lot of interesting things about my students this way."

Student Information Cards

From Doreen Lorand, a French and English teacher at Artesia High School in Lakewood, California:

"On the first day of school, I give my students an index card to fill out while I'm making a seating chart. I ask each student to write down their name, home address, phone number, the languages they speak and their interests. Then, I put them into their assigned seats and have them add their row and seat number to the card. With this information, I can already start to call them by name. Later, I use the cards to call on the students randomly. They know that when I get the cards out, they need to be prepared. If a student doesn't know an answer, I turn their card over in the pile and make sure that I get back to them shortly."

How to Learn 150 Names in a Week

From Donna Bailey, a health education teacher in Chester-Upland School District, Pennsylvania:

"I photocopy my seating charts onto transparencies and put colored paper behind them. I use a different colored paper for each class. The charts are magnetized and I leave them up on the blackboard all year for the students to see. I write their names on post-it notes and place them on the charts so that I can easily change them if their assigned seats don't work out. I make a copy of the seating chart and staple it to a matching colored folder so that the names of the students are facing me. I use this to take roll and call each student by name from the very first day. This system allows me to learn up to 150 names in a week!"

Velcro Nametags

From Maggie Niedzwiecki, a kindergarten teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"Taping nametags to a desk is convenient, but can be a sticky situation when you need to switch or to rotate kids. I have found that if I put Velcro on my table and the name tags, I can easily move them without the hassle of making a new nametag and taping it again."

Name Buttons

From Wendy Orzechowski, a resource center teacher at Judd Elementary School in North Brunswick, New Jersey:

"To learn students' names quickly (and keep them busy while I attend to first day housekeeping chores), I use our school buttonmaker. The children all receive precut circles and design name buttons, making sure their name is big and bright enough for everyone to see. They have fun using their new school supplies and engage in quiet conversation. I can walk around and memorize names."

Name Anagrams

From Martha Durand:

"At the beginning of the year I have my eighth grade science students write an anagram of their name. This helps me get to know them and they seem to enjoy working on this idea of who they are."

Student Name Tags

From Stacy Weathers, a fourth grade teacher at University Meadows Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina:

"At the beginning of the year or even during the year, teachers spend a lot of time on student name tags or name plates for the desks. I discovered an extremely easy way to get away from the hassle of buying expensive ones or cutting, writing, laminating and taping them to the desk. I buy a roll of decorative contact paper, cut it into strips, write the name in permanent marker and slap it on the desk. Easy as one, two, three."

Faces and Names

From anonymous:

"I take pictures of the students on the first day of school and create a class book with all their pictures and a bit of information about them. Then when the book rotates home with different students, the parents can put faces with the new names they are hearing so much about from their child."

Getting To Know You

Take It Apart Party

From Elaine Hardman, an elementary remedial reading and writing teacher at Andover Central School:

"I run an after school club for my students. I want to use this valuable time on academics, but also know it's important for students to get to know one another. So, once a month to have an after school gathering; this month we had a 'Take It Apart Party.' We collected broken small appliances and on the appointed day, we took them apart. We found the insides of various hair dryers are similar, toasters have springs all over the place, and gears are a wonder in old telephones and mixers. We had such a great time taking things apart that we got back together the next two days to nail our findings together into free form sculptures."

Special Students

From Wendi Slone, an education student at Tennessee State University:

"I have a tip to help students see just how special everyone truly is on the inside and out. Have every student decorate the outside of a small brown paper sack with the things they love, hobbies, etc. Then, ask the students to place a clue inside the bag about something no one in the class would know by looking at them. After everyone is finished, the students go around the room and try to guess whose bags they are. After the students have tried to guess, everyone gets a chance to explain their bag to the class. Students are able to see what they have in common with their classmates. This is a good icebreaker for the beginning of the school year."

Animal Introductions

From Mischelle Uhlman, a second grade teacher at Kwis Elementary in Hacienda Heights, California:

"On the first day of school, I pass out animal stickers to the students. I make sure that the stickers are given out in pairs so that they can be matched. The students need to find the other person in the room that has the matching sticker. The two students exchange introductions and two things that the other enjoys. They introduce each other to the class and explain what they learned. This process allows me to find out the students' interests and quickly breaks the ice in the classroom. Students also have to apply their oral language skills from the onset of school."

Two Ways to Know Each Other

From Stephanie Farley, an eighth grade remedial reading teacher at Euclid Central Middle School in Euclid, Ohio:

"I use two different ideas to start off the year. One is to have the students look around the room until they make eye contact with someone they barely know. Each pair sit together and talk for a timed two minutes. When the time is up, the students introduce their partners to the class. We all learn about each other and I learn about each student's memory and ability to share with the group. The second idea I use is to have each student pull a strip from a roll of toilet paper. They count the squares and have to tell the class one thing about themselves for each square they have. The toilet paper creates giggles which makes the students relaxed when it's their turn to speak."

Picture Books

From Judy Larson, a second grade teacher at Glenwood City Elementary in Glenwood City, Wisconsin:

"Here is a tip that I use for getting to know my students. For a first day homework assignment, I send home a small picture album (the plastic ones that come back when you develop pictures). Each child is to put in ten pictures that show their family, pets, favorite activities, etc. When they bring the albums back, they have the opportunity to share their book with the class. Every child loves to show pictures and even the shy ones have something to discuss. This helps all of us get to know more about each other. I save the albums to use for my Student of the Week board. After they've had their turn, I return the album and pictures to the student. This activity is great for opening week and gets the parents involved and participating right away."

Scientific Inquiries

From Debby Locke, a fifth grade teacher at Holy Family Catholic School in Grand Junction, Colorado:

"At the beginning of the school year I do a science experiment called, 'Who is Ms. Locke?' After a review of the scientific process, I tell the students they have to go around the room to see how much they can find out about me. I set up stations with clues about my previous jobs, my hobbies and my interests. I set it up so they have to take notes on what they find out and allow them to work in teams so they can bounce ideas off each other. They aren't allowed to ask me questions directly. My students love being detectives!"

Getting to Know You

From Virginia Easterling, an eight grade teacher at Bayou La Batre, Alabama:

"At the beginning of the school year I feel it is important to let the students know about me and to find out about them. I draw or find pictures to make a collage of things I am interested in or things that are important to me. Students have to try to discover through the picture as many things about me as they can. Then I ask them to make a collage about themselves. No words can be used. Only pictures. It is an interesting way for us to get to know each other and often I find out important and interesting things about the children."

Getting Acquainted

From Erma Morgan, a 4th grade teacher at Woodlawn Elementary:

"At the beginning of the year I have each student write down at least two things about themselves that others may not know. I then put one thing each has written into a grid and give a copy of the grid to everyone in the class. I ask the students to find the person who wrote each characteristic or experience and have that person sign their box. I'm sure to model how to discover the owners of the ideas by asking a question. 'Are you the person who owns the iguana?' or ' Are you the person who puts ketchup on peanut butter sandwiches?' This avoids the mass signature approach, demonstrates a way to begin a conversation, and provides a good way for the students to get acquainted in an active and positive way."

Share Day

From Debbie Robinson, a first grade teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary in Heidelberg, Germany:

"I do a variation of Show and Tell in my first grade class called Share Day. The first day of school I bring a family picture and briefly talk about it. I invite the children to ask questions and remind them that questions start with who, what, why, when, where, and how. I send home a letter to the parents explaining this activity, the kinds of things children can share (stuffed animal, awards, family pics, a favorite song, a joke, etc.) and the day their child will be asked to share. The students enjoy this chance to learn more about each other, and I enjoy watching them hone their communication skills."

Birthday Cards

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills in Pleasanton, California:

"I have my students get to know each other by making birthday cards. They sit in groups and design a card for the person across from them. They have to find out what hobbies that person enjoys, books they like to read, places they have been and design a cover for a birthday card accordingly. The card must have the student's name, a greeting and their date of birth. I keep the stack by the classroom calendar and post the birthdates. When someone's birthday comes up, the card gets passed around the room for everyone to sign. I give it to the birthday student on their special day along with a birthday pencil. We make up a half birthday for those who were born during the summer. The students who do not celebrate birthdays receive a greeting card during a month when there are no birthdays. This makes handling birthdays much simpler. The kids love to read their cards and know that they are celebrated and appreciated."

Birthday Cards

From Jan Formisano, a second grade teacher in Falls Church, Virginia:

At the beginning of the year, I introduce myself using 'Me In A Bag'. I put a few items that represent me in a large paper sack. In my sack, I put a paintbrush because I'm an artist, my favorite book, my favorite food, pictures of my family and my pets, my favorite CD and a cookbook. The children sit around me and I explain the significance of each item as I pull it out of the bag. This helps the kids get to know me as a person. Each child has a turn to bring in his/her own 'Me In A Bag'. This gives everyone in the class a chance to shine.�

The Sky's the Limit

From Tom Weaver, a psychology and social studies teacher at Puyallup High School in Puyallup, Washington:

"As an introductory activity, I have my students create their own ceiling posters. On their poster, they draw whatever says something about themselves. They include personal photos, cutouts from magazines and anything that reflects who they are. Each student introduces their poster about themselves to their fellow classmates. I make a big deal out of taping their posters to the ceiling tiles in the classroom. To sweeten the pot, I take digital photos of each student and give him or her a copy to incorporate into their poster. I also use the digital photos as screensavers for my class computer and use them as flashcards to help me to learn their names faster. The ceiling posters make a very colorful room with a lot of interest and creativity."

Personalized Plates

From Sue Schmitt, an English teacher at Antioch Community High School in Antioch, Illinois:

"The first assignment I give is to have my students describe themselves in eight or less letters and/or numbers. I give them a license plate template and tell them that they need to create a personal plate that best describes an important aspect of their character. They decorate their plates and explain why their choice of letters or numbers fits them. I post the plates around the room so they get to see what their classmates say about themselves. The license plates are always a big hit at parent open house."

First Week in Kindergarten

From Kathy Downing, a kindergarten teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"The first week of school, I give my students a gingerbread man nametag to wear. The nametag corresponds to the bulletin board outside my classroom door. This enables the students to easily find their room on the first day. I read The Gingerbread Man story to them and I bring a real gingerbread man to school for us to share at snack time. During recess he 'runs' away. Our class walks around the school to try to find him. As we look for the gingerbread man, we have an opportunity to meet other important people in our building such as the nurse, the principal, the secretary, etc. We finally return to our classroom and discover that he is waiting for us there. I have a colleague secretly return him to our room while we are looking for him in other parts of the building. When we return, we all enjoy our delicious gingerbread snack. The kindergartners really enjoy this activity and they become acquainted with the school building and staff at the same time."

Greeting with a Smile

From Linda C. Garrett, a business teacher at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama:

"As I personally greet each student at the classroom door, I tell students I am happy to see them and place a small smiley face sticker on them, indicating that they are my students. I found this little greeting and recognition helps break the ice the first day of school. I also have requests for stickers from former students as they pass my door. Perhaps I have started a tradition among my students. This opening day gesture costs less than a dollar and is a good investment for me and my students."

Can We Talk?

From Jim Carson, an eighth grade teacher at Northwest Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina:

"A great first-day assignment I use with my students is to have them interview each other. After I start class with a mini-lesson on asking questions and follow-up questions, I have them line up by birthday without talking, only communicating by hand signals. After they line up, I divide the line in two and have them pair up with a person across from them. This way I avoid friends interviewing friends. They interview their partner and take notes. The next day I ask each student to bring in a picture and have the students introduce each other by reading the interview and posting it and the picture on the bulletin board."

If the Shoe Fits

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"One of the most memorable activities I do on the first day of school is to have my students donate one shoe as they come into the room. Before recess, we sort those shoes in as many ways as time permits. Kids enjoy looking for patterns and guessing how shoes are sorted. Some sorts are: tied/untied, brands, color, types of bottoms, left/right, number of eyes, buckles/ties/Velcro. The kids enjoy leading the sort. As a final project they group their shoes in an interesting fashion and then table groups describe how they are organized. They then draw the table's shoes or their own. If they have only two colors, the artwork is amazing. I mount them and have a great bulletin board."

The Library Is Open

Library Orientation

From Sandra Lewis, a librarian at Colonel White High School for the Arts in Dayton, Ohio:

"Each fall I give a [library] orientation to the ninth graders. I explain where things are in the media center, how to look up materials, and policies and procedures. Then I give a quiz which has them look for materials on the shelves and via computer. The questions center on the explanations previously given. One question is: 'What's the librarian's name?' I then grade the papers and give them to the regular classroom teacher who can give them credit for their work. It's fun and educational."

Library Open House

From Betty Neighbours, a media specialist at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Guilford County, North Carolina:

"Every year I hold an open house for faculty and staff to show them new books, equipment and other materials that have come in over the summer or that they might not have been aware of during the previous year. I serve light refreshments, have music, issue invitations, and make it a festive occasion. This could easily be adapted for the classroom teacher to use with parents. This has been very popular in our school."

Activities for Now and Later

Adventures with Freddie

From Stella Bock, a teacher at Orange Avenue School in Cranford, New Jersey:

"I have a teddy bear in my class called Freddie Bear. He's pretty beat up but well loved. Each night a child takes him home with a large index card. They "take" Freddie on a trip that night to some place they've always wanted to go. "Freddie" and the child create a postcard from the place they've traveled to, one side a picture and the other side a message for the rest of the class. The message has to include some real information about the place. For example, the postcard might read, " Hi everybody, here I am in sunny Spain, did you know that Spain produces more (blank) than any other country? The postcard requires research on the part of the child for the information it contains and the picture. The kids can't wait to take Freddie on an adventure and they're improving their geography and writing skills at the same time. I usually write the first postcard, then laminate them all and bind into a class book. The kids love their adventures with Freddie!"

Class Generated Books

From Georgia Colyer, a third through fifth grade teacher at St. Thomas School in Nassau Bay, Texas:

"My students make numerous class generated books throughout the year. On the last day of school, I allow the students to choose one of the books to take home. The collective books make nice mementos for the students."

Balloons-R-Us

From John Failor, a math teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois:

"I teach a program called Freshman Academy. This program takes the thirty to forty lowest incoming freshmen and tries to get them caught up in reading and mathematics. I lead these students in running a school store called Balloons-R-Us. Balloons-R-Us allows students to purchase balloons at school for their friends' birthdays. We use the front of a janitorial closet as a store. We are open every morning before school and provide a selection of around fifteen different balloons. Included with each balloon are helium, ribbon and a weight. Freshman Academy students work at the store, help select inventory, create advertising and marketing strategies and complete financial records. We have made a profit of five hundred dollars so far this year. We plan to do a year-end report and decide what to do with the profits. I have incorporated some of the math involved in the business in my math classes. I believe any school could operate such a business."

Growth

From Roxie Ross, a first grade teacher at Napier Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee:

"At the beginning of school, I take pictures of my students and measure them. They draw a picture of themselves, record the date, and copy a sentence about how tall they are. I display the pictures for open house. We have a height chart near the door so students can compare themselves to their September height throughout the year. At the end of school, I measure the children again. They draw a new picture and write a comparison of their earlier height to their present height. Besides their physical growth, they notice their cognitive growth in penmanship and drawing from the beginning of the year. Many parents have thanked me for this keepsake."

Plank Ownership

From Vicki DeBoer, a biology teacher at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington:

"On the first day in a new facility, I wondered how to give the kids unique memories. As we dismantled the old building, I marveled at treasures found in back corners. I wanted my students to leave some treasure for when this building is no longer needed. I explained to students about plank ownership when a crew on a new Navy vessel is considered to be plank owners and leaves their autographs. Even ancient architecture reveals notes left by workers. I scanned the science lab. Under the counters are many long tall cupboards. Each cupboard has a "ceiling" that can only be seen lying on the floor. These ceilings became the place for autographs. I supplied students with markers and these requests: be tasteful in what you write and be certain it cannot be seen from a standing position. All 140 of my biology students found ways of contorting their bodies to "tag" the ceilings! I grinned as I watched it, thinking of future class reunions, visits to this school with their own children and even their grandchildren. I imagine the memories that will be brought back to those who are limber enough then to get down on the floor and gaze at the ceiling on which they wrote so many years earlier. I also grinned to think of all the teachers and students who will occupy this room over the next 40 years, never knowing what is there! It is a secret shared! Before I leave the profession this June, I will "tag" the teacher station with a note on that cupboard ceiling. I will explain to the reader that there are many treasures to be found here, if only they will look. Look into the eyes and hearts of your students, and look into the lab station cupboards!"

Geography Skills

From Robert Nemecek, a social studies teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"The first week of class, my students sketch the world on 11x17 inch paper. In order to do this; they may use only their existing knowledge of world geography. I hide all the maps in the classroom and they must label any country, state, city, region, or physical feature that they know. Then, I put these away until the last week of the course. At this time, they repeat the assignment and compare how much of the world they knew then and how much they know now. Most are amazed at how their world has changed!"

Viewing Students' Progress

From Carol Jacobs, a primary special education teacher at Margetts School in Chestnut Ridge, New York:

"At the beginning of the year, my children brainstorm and write about what they want to learn during the school year. I save the papers and at the end of the year I have them repeat the process by writing about what they actually learned. Then I post both versions on the class bulletin board. The children should see a dramatic improvement in their writing abilities."

Books into Bags

From Kathy Stiefvater and Carol Rinker, teachers at Piney Point Elementary School in Tall Timers, Maryland:

"We have our students put their books into bags so that the next school year we merely pass out the bags to the new students. This saves us a lot of time because we already have the book numbers recorded from the past year's list. This year's students add brochures to the bags that highlight the features of the upcoming school year."

Students' Year-End Evaluations

From Zee Ann Poerio, a fifth grade teacher at St. Louise de Marillac School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

"I ask my students for their opinion on the activities and special projects that were assigned during the school year. They list the major projects, assignments, or novels that we studied as I read them aloud. I ask them if I should 'use it' or 'lose it' for next year and what they liked or disliked about each project. This helps me to evaluate projects from year to year and to modify and adjust my assignments for the following year. The students love this activity because they know that their opinion counts and I love this activity because I get valuable feedback!"

Plant Sale Project

From Amy Graff, a first, second and third grade special educator at The Stapleton School in Framingham, Massachusetts:

"I incorporate many academic areas into my classroom through studying plants. We grow plants from cuttings, from seeds and from bulbs. We start at the beginning of the year and by May, we have many different kinds so my class holds a Mother's Day plant sale. Students compare and contrast the growth of the plants and record the plants' progress in their writing journals. Students sell the plants so collecting money and making change become part of the project. They calculate how much was spent on supplies and how much profit was made. We purchase books for the school library with the proceeds. We've been doing this for three years and the students just love this project!"

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"I take a picture of each student next to a measuring tape at the beginning of the year. I get double prints and mount one set. These pictures are used next to anything that is hung up on the bulletin board. That way parents and kids can identify their work quickly. I take another set of pictures just before open house and numerous pictures through the year. I purchase blank books for each child and they work on a yearbook. By June their memories as well as 15-20 pictures are theirs. You can really see the improvement in their writing as the year progresses. It's amazing to see how much the kids have changed over the year, particularly in fifth grade."

Time Capsule

From Debbie Bohn, a fifth grade teacher, now full-time released local association president in Schaumburg, Illinois:

"I begin the school year by doing time capsules with my students. They include their height, a handwriting sample, a math timed-test (multiplication facts) some predictions (both individual and class) as well as resolutions. I use oatmeal boxes or Pringles canisters for the capsules. We wrap them in wrapping paper, to seal them, them put them all into a large, taped box, kept in plain sight. We open it on the last day of school. It has been great fun."

"Constructing" a New School Year

From Dana Labarry, a fifth grade teacher at Adcock Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada:

"On the first day of school, I meet my students wearing a hard hat that says, 'Room 35 Construction Crew.' I discuss with the students how starting a new school year is like building a house. The foundation is the relationships we have with other people in the school (other classes, the office staff, other teachers, etc.), the frame is the relationships we have with our own classmates, and the interior is the decorations in our classroom and around the school.

"We discuss how important each of these elements is to making our school successful and how if one part of our building falls down, the house won't stand up. Then, we talk about building codes that regulate the building of houses. The students then come up with their own building code for our classroom (i.e., rules). Throughout the year, whenever we are having a problem in the classroom, I talk to the students about how the house we have built is not working right and might collapse. We go back and talk about the building code, which is a much more interesting way to discuss classroom rules."

• Journal Keeping (1 tip)
• Building Trust (2 tips)
• Self-Motivation (7 tips)
• Setting and Achieving Goals (6 tips)
• School Mission Statement (1 tip)
• Yes, I CAN Go to College! (2 tips)

Journal Keeping

Journaling

From Karen Gronau, a second grade teacher at Seven Oaks Elementary in Baltimore, Maryland:

"Once a week each of my students write to me in our dialogue journals. They can ask or tell me anything. They write in a marble copy book that is kept in their desks. I reply after school on the same day that they write so feedback is immediate. The students get to "talk" privately and personally with the teacher. It promotes writing for a purpose and sometimes is therapeutic for them. When I reply, I model correct grammar and spelling so they learn incidentally. A couple of years ago a former student wrote me a letter five years after I taught her. Her letter told of cleaning out her closet and finding her dialogue journal. She said, "I sat down and read all the way through it. I got in trouble for not finishing the cleanup, but I also got a lot of neat memories. I'm sure glad you did this with us."

Building Trust

Weekly Communication

From Pam Johnson Taverner, a speech teacher at Clearwater High School in Clearwater, Kansas:

"I teach a one-semester speech class that is required for graduation from our 400-student high school. One of my major goals in the first three or four weeks is to establish an atmosphere of trust. I randomly assign each student a 'best friend,' whom he or she will introduce to the rest of the class: 'I would like you to meet my very good friend. . . And the MOST interesting thing about my friend is . . . .' This is a lot less threatening and more entertaining than the 'uh, well' self-introduction.

Another component that I really treasure is the 'Weekly Communication,' which makes up 10% of the final grade. The first day of class, I give all students manila envelopes, which I ask them to decorate in a way that communicates something about themselves. Some draw pictures; others create a montage of magazine photos; some tape on photos of themselves, friends, and family. All they have to do to receive an A is to DO it. Then each week, I ask that they put in their envelopes a 'communication' of at least 1/2 page. Some have chosen to write one week about parents. Others write about their dream car, dream date, dream house, or what they would do if they won the lottery. The important thing is that, if they write a half page and turn it in on time, they get an 'A.' Spelling, punctuation, and organization don't count. One-half page equals an 'A.' The hardest part is finding the time to read each one and write marginal comments or at least draw happy or sad faces in the margins. But it is worth it. We become a family in 18 weeks, and I really believe it significantly lowers the anxiety level! I think any teacher would have an altered perception of his/her students if he or she shared a 'weekly communication' with each of them."

Morning Meeting

From Nancy Mercurio, a second grade teacher at Quidnessett Elementary School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island:

"Each day before we begin our program we get together in a circle. I share any news of the day and changes in our schedule. Sometimes we do a quick review of spelling words or share journal stories. At the end I ask for announcements. When that is done, I ask for problems. This gives the kids each day an opportunity to share their stories in an organized way and to cooperatively help with some problem solving. It eliminates the need to come in the class and want my immediate attention to tell me something. They know they'll get the chance during Morning Meeting which frees me up to get started right away on attendance and lunch count. The kids know that announcements and problems need to be current, so you don't get into stories that happened last year."

Self-Motivation

Ownership

From Chris Smith, a deputy principal for Canley Heights Public School in Sydney, Australia:

"When children are given ownership of new discoveries in learning it has a greater tendency to stick. Forty years ago, a seventh grade math class saw the birth of the 'Smith Rule' which is the square root of a number plus or minus its root. I've forgotten a lot of things in my life but this is one that stuck. Ownership really counts."

Class Funeral

From a fourth grade teacher:

"On the first day of school this year I held a funeral with my class. The children made a list of all the things they could not do. I collected the lists, grabbed a shovel and a pine tree seedling. I told the kids we were having a funeral. We all walked outside and dug a hole to bury the can't lists and to plant the new seedling in the same hole. The purpose was to learn to never say can't again and the new tree is a positive reminder of that whenever we look at it. The children are ever so quick to let the others know that they are not allowed to say the word can't. The local newspaper got hold of the story and wrote about us. What a successful lesson!"

Great Grade Chain

From Lisa Skain, an upper level special education teacher at Somerdale Park School in New Jersey:

"I give my students an opportunity to show their great grades in the classroom. At the beginning of the year, I give them a different color construction paper to use as their link color. For every test or project grade that reflects A work, both in my classroom and in their other classes, the students cut a strip of their color paper, write the subject and the grade on it, and staple it to the previous link. Along with the link added to the Chain of Great Grades, the students are entitled to select a reward from the reward jar. As the year goes on, the chain becomes longer. I love to look up and see our great grades hanging around."

Building Motivation

From David Kahoun, a math teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"To build motivation in the challenging classroom, try using individualized positive comments to each student in front of the rest of the class. Identify the student's strengths and attributes that make that student stand out form the rest. Also, give some positive recommendations to the students to help build upon their achievement and success. Through this activity students become anxious to hear their positive qualities and are very attentive to know what they can improve on to reach their fullest potential. Some forethought must be taken in order to make this activity meaningful to each student. This truly is a motivator for all students!"

Silent Praise

From Miranda Aaycock, a first grade teacher at Rose Hill Magnolia Elementary in Rose Hill, North Carolina:

"I encourage positive praise without a lot of noise. When someone does something great, we do 'The Aaycock Seal of Approval'. Everyone puts their hands together and claps silently three times, holding their thumbs up after each clap, and quietly says 'Great Job'. Children, parents and fellow teachers love this wonderful way of praising children without a lot of noise."

Oral Presentations

From Pamela Martin, a fifth through eighth grade special education teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"I taught my students how to create a PowerPoint presentation and I let them make one on a topic of their choice. After scripting and practicing their speeches, my reluctant public speakers gave excellent presentations to their classmates. PowerPoint proved to be a powerful motivator!"

The Magic Ring

From Bev Bowers, an elementary school LD teacher in Southland School District in Adams, Minnesota:

"I was working with a child who would not speak. I gave her a magic ring. I told her that whenever she wore the ring, she could talk. At first, she began to talk just in our classroom. But later, I allowed her to take the ring to other classrooms and then she spoke there. It was wonderful."

Want Ads

From Sheila Schnitt, a high school special education teacher in Virginia

"Some of my students thought that school was of no value to them so I decided we, as a class, would see what life would be like if they dropped out of school then and there. We searched the Want Ads for a job that they could realistically obtain with whatever skills they had at the moment. Then we figured out the monthly salary. We created a monthly budget of things they would have to pay for each month because their parents might not let them live at home anymore if they quit school. Using the newspapers, they had to find an apartment, figure out a food budget, buy a car, and price auto insurance. When they realized what life could really be like for someone with no education or skills, some of their attitudes toward school changed."

Setting and Achieving Goals

Setting Goals

From Barbara Teetor, an achievement specialist at Tyrone Elementary in St. Petersburg, Florida:

"I started a Raise Your Grades Club for the third through fifth graders at our school. After each report card, students chart their grades and set goals for their next report card. The students that wish to participate write me a letter telling me which grades they will raise and how. After the next report card, the students who have met their specific goal(s) are invited to a celebration. This club not only recognizes what students are doing right but teaches achievable goal setting."

Road to Good Talking

From Patti Ralabate, an elementary speech and language pathologist at Hayestown Avenue School in Danbury, Connecticut:

"At the beginning of each school year, I put up a bulletin board that is essentially a road with sign posts or stopping points along the way. Each student's name is written on a vehicle or sneaker made out of poster board and placed at the beginning of the 'road to good talking'. A 'goal sheet' with the specific objectives for each student is put inside a personal folder that they make. As students practice their new skills, they receive stickers that are placed on sticker cards. When the sticker cards are full, the students take them home and move their name up on the road. When a student reaches the end of the road, the whole group celebrates with a party. Students beg for extra work and extra turns to fill up their cards. No one complains when we place their name back at the beginning of the road because it means that they will have more opportunities to earn a party for the group!"

Exit Tickets

From Arlene Toivonen, a sixth and seventh grade reading teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"To keep my students focused on the day's objective, I tell them what their 'exit ticket' will be for each day. I stand at the door as the students leave and they tell me an interesting simile, a new vocabulary definition, information from the Internet, etc. Students may not give the same answer as a student who has already exited. Students stand in line and discuss ideas. It only takes a couple of minutes, provides an orderly exit, is a good review, and increases time on task. The practice also gives me a quick check of learning. Students are actually disappointed when we don't have time to do this!"

Seeing the Future

From Connie McQuestion-Burg, a resource teacher at Martin Luther King Institute, Buffalo, New York:

"In my fifth through eighth grade resource room this year, I had the students describe themselves now, in five years and in ten years using artwork and words. The students were expected to list thoughts and goals for and about themselves on a three-column sheet of paper. They were given several stacks of magazines and asked to cut out pictures that would represent themselves and their goals. This project opened their eyes to life as a student and as an adult. It also made for lively discussion of each other. The help each gave the other in finding pictures was tremendous."

Student Goals

From anonymous:

"I ask students to set goals at the beginning of each school year. As a guidance counselor, I do not see the students every day but keep their goal cards and return them at our last session toward the end of the school year. Many are happily suprised that they made more friends, improved grades, and/or completed personal goals throughout the school year improving as they had desired when the school year was beginning."

Remembering the Daily Objective

From Mary Cummings, a library media specialist at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf in Providence, Rhode Island:

"When students get home from school, their parents are likely to ask them what they learned in school that day. So, everyday I write, �Today I learned...� on the board. I complete the sentence with one important fact that I teach during the day. At the end of the day, we read the fact again together three times. I tell the students to repeat it for their parents when they are asked what they learned in school. Both students and parents enjoy this game."

School Mission Statement

Mission Control

From Eileen Durgin-Clinchard, a retired teacher, now project director for A World of Difference in Nebraska:

"In a school in Iowa, the staff all worked together to develop the school's mission statement, with some student input. Once it was crafted it became a living document that the teachers in various classes used according to their subject area. In English, they discussed choice of words and meaning, in social studies the statement's purpose and how it related to school governance, etc. In this way, everyone knew that it was not just empty rhetoric. It was reciprocal between students and staff (teachers especially). Each had a responsibility to contribute to an environment which facilitates learning as well as achieving."

Yes, I CAN Go to College!

Practice Interviews

From Peggy Hanselman, a counselor at New Hope Solebury High School in New Hope, Pennsylvania:

"We give students the opportunity to experience a formal interview. Faculty and peers interview students interested in becoming a peer leader, asking about their strengths, weaknesses, and reasons for wanting to work with middle school personalities each week. To evaluate their judgment we ask them to respond to a hypothetical situation. Seniors who are interested in community organizations' scholarships are also interviewed at school on a Saturday. Faculty and community organization representatives interview them. Our business and guidance departments cooperate to offer mock college and job interviews during the school day. Students submit a portfolio of their work, including a cover letter, resume, grades, and awards. After the interview students receive an evaluation of their interview through their business teacher."

Fieldtrip of Dreams

From Claire Melits, an instructional assistant at Wilson Elementary School in Phoenix, Arizona:

"I work at an elementary school in a district with a high drop-out rate. Many see school as an impediment to a full-time job working for minimum wage, while others get to high school where the work is hard and they don't get so much individual attention. College is often not even an option. A teacher I work with and I came up with a great field trip idea. First we had the students perform a mock courtroom debate, one side for staying in school, the other side against. I was called to the stand as a witness, because I go to school full-time AND work. I also receive financial aid. I tried to explain to the students that it is possible and that they can do it. Many students were intrigued and hands shot up. I felt this wasn't enough, so I suggested that we take a field trip to the university I attend. I spoke to a professor of mine who is more than willing to have this class visit one of hers so they can see that higher education is attainable. My professor also suggested that we meet with student aid representatives to discuss scholarships, grants, and loans. We will also ask the university's hispanic organization to meet with us since 99% of the class is Mexican-American. This trip is planned for next semester, after the Christmas break, and I can't wait to see these students experiencing a college classroom - it's something a lot of us take for granted!"

• Math (7 tips)
• Science (1 tip)
• Vocabulary (3 tips)
• Critiquing Films (3 tips)
• Review Games (9 tips)
• Across Curriculum (8 tips)

Math

Calculus Review Day

From Maureen Traverso, a calculus teacher at Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania:

"It is almost time for the advanced placement exams and my students are already nervous. I have sponsored a review day for many years with the support of my building principal. A substitute takes my place for a day and my advanced placement calculus students have calculus for an entire day! It is not as bad as it sounds. We prepare ahead by keeping a list of topics to review and questions to ask. We work as a study team and help each other to be prepared with sample exams and graphing calculator activities. To break up the day, I buy pizza for lunch and the kids bring drinks and dessert. We are exhausted at the end of the day, but the kids tell me it is worth it."

Math Genius

From Charise Hall, a seventh grade math teacher at Tiffin Middle School in Tiffin, Ohio:

"As a class warm-up, students answer questions on skills learned in previous lessons. If the students are correct, they write their name on a ticket. The tickets are collected in a can titled 'Math Genius'. We have a drawing on the last day of every month and age appropriate prizes are given. Everyday my students ask me if they can earn tickets."

Math Proficiency Tutoring Resource

From Paul Kovats, a ninth through twelfth grade math and science teacher at Perry High School in Perry, Ohio:

"In dealing with Math Proficiency Tutoring, one of the best resources I have found is Passing the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test, published by Englefield and Arnold, Inc. This workbook concentrates on mastering the learning outcomes, test-taking and problem-solving skills."

Math Facts Bingo

From Joni Reed, a teacher in the adolescent day treatment program in Jefferson County, Colorado:

"Using a bingo game, I pass out bingo cards and plastic number covers to each student. (I allow faster students to take more than one card.) Using the entire blackboard, I draw one horizontal line from left to right a few inches from the top. Then I draw four vertical lines from top to bottom, dividing the width into five equal sections. Across the top, I label each column with a letter B-I-N-G-O. Now, I spin the spinner and when a number is chosen, I do NOT call it out. Instead, I say the letter and make up a math problem which will result in the number indicated on the spinner. I write the problem on the board under the appropriate letter. Students may call out answers but I don't write anything down until I hear the correct one. Then I reinforce the correct response by saying something like, "That's right. Three times five is 15. B-15." This stays up on the board throughout the game for anyone who missed it and to provide a check for anyone who has a bingo. We play until we have three winners and have small prizes for winners. I find that problems should start out simple until students get swept up in the game and then become more challenging. My students love it!"

Concentration

From Donna Langenderfer, a 9-12 grade proficiency math teacher at Lorain Southview High School in Lorain, Ohio:

"As a fun way to review basic facts, I play a form of Concentration with my students. I take 40 sheets of paper and write with a marker 20 short questions and their answers, each on a separate sheet of paper. I mix them up and tape them on the wall. Then I take another 40 sheets of colored paper (so you can't see through them) and number them one to 40 and tape them over the other sheets of paper. I've laminated these sheets of paper since I re-use them every time we play Concentration. Students get in groups of five to 15, depending on how many teams you want. Each team takes turns calling out two numbers. I uncover the corresponding sheets of paper and if they reveal a question and its answer, that team gets a point and another turn. If they don't match, I cover them back up and the next team gets a turn. The team with the most points when all 40 are uncovered wins the game."

Questions and Answers

From Roland D. Roghair, Sr., a math teacher at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa:

"On many 3x5 cards I put a problem and an answer, but they do not match. I start the students out by putting a question on the board. Someone has the answer on his/her 3x5 card. They walk up and put the answer on the board and also put up the next question (the question on their card). I give them a new card and they sit down. The process continues and everyone eventually gets up to the board. You could also do this in reverse order for another lesson."

Answers on Overhead

From Susan Edge, a sixth grade pre-algebra and science teacher at Hanes Middle School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina:

"After math qum~~es or$tests,$M put the answers up on the overhead projector. Each student is to write a brief explanation of any problem missed. This is well worth the time involved for several reasons:

1. If a student doesn't know why he missed the problem, it prompts a question.
2. If a student repeatedly writes the same explanation, it seems to have more of an effect than if I say the same thing.
3. When I look over the papers, it saves me a great deal of time in evaluating missed answers.
4. When the papers go home, it is immediately obvious to the parents the types of problems their students are having.

I learned this tip when part of the National Writing Project. It seems so simple, but changed my math teaching so much."

Science

Bowling Sheets

From Ray Andrzejewski, a chemistry teacher at Redlands High School in Redlands, California:

"As I'm taking attendance, I give a very short quiz reviewing old material or on last night's homework. When our local bowling alley went to automatic scorekeepers I got the idea of using their old overhead scoring sheets for this quiz. I randomly draw 10 of the students' quizzes each day. If eight out of the 10 quizzes are all correct, I then draw out two more to see if they 'pick up the spare.' I then keep score for them on one overhead bowling sheet and they compete against my other classes. The winning class gets a little something extra just for them. I have found that more students review yesterday's work right before class and have fewer tardy students. Students really enjoy it and it works well with all levels. My wife uses it with her eighth grade students."

Vocabulary

Computerized Flashcards

From Ron Benner, a teacher from Woodbridge, Connecticut:

"I made up templates so that teachers can print out words to use as flashcards. I use Word 97 Mail Merge with an Excel database of words. I print the flashcards out on business cards or plain paper. The business cards are great because they can be easily separated and more durable than plain paper. Plain paper works well if the teacher wants to copy them and give them to a parent. These flashcards can also be given to peer tutors to use in the school. I have done the Ginn Reading Program, the Dolch words and the first two hundred of the Fry words."

Spongy Vocabulary Review

From Luke Verna, a fifth grade teacher at Upper Perkiomen Middle School in East Greenville, Pennsylvania:

"To review vocabulary in any subject, take strips of masking tape and tape them to a rectangular sponge. Use a marker to write the vocabulary words on the tape. Have the students toss the sponge around the room to other students. The words that get chosen can depend on which finger is touching a particular part of the sponge. For example, if a student's left finger lands on a specific word that is the word they must try to define. Students love this game. If there are more than six vocabulary words, just tape over already defined words and write the new words on top."

Vocabulary Builder

From Rachel Becker, a French teacher at Orange Avenue School in Cranford, New Jersey:

"This game is based on the Groucho Marx show 'You Bet Your Life.' The game needs almost no preparation and can be played in any class that has vocabulary to learn. I am a French teacher and use the game to encourage class participation. I bring to class a list of words the students have been studying. The first word on the list is the secret word. 'Say the secret word and win a prize.' The first student to use a complete sentence which contains the secret word wins. The prize is anything the teacher wants it to be: an extra-credit point, a candy, etc. After the first word on my secret list is guessed, I tell or show the class what it was and the game resumes with the next secret word."

Vocabulary Bingo

From Linda Norman, a teacher at Ayer Middle School in Ayer, Massachusetts:

"I play a slightly different version of Bingo in my geography classroom. After students make their own 'boards' from a preprinted template and a list of current vocabulary words, I give out numbered paper chips. I then call the first definition, such as 'flat or gently rolling land' and they put chip #1 on the word they think matches the definition -- hopefully 'plain'! I proceed with subsequent definitions in the same way. When someone yells BINGO, I check to see if the words have been covered in the right order. This version of Bingo allows me to check for knowledge as well as luck!"

Critiquing Films

Movie Day

From a fifth grade teacher:

"I have a large library of curriculum related movies with worksheets for analysis that I use as incentives. If we finish the required reading, writing and publishing for a particular subject, topic or literature assignment, I schedule a Movie Day. Students are required to write a note to their parents explaining how the movie is related to what we are studying and give a brief summary of all the work they've done to earn it. I always read the requests before letting them go home so that the student is not demanding to see the movie or describing it inaccurately. Students that do not return the note to me go elsewhere and do a related reading/writing project during the movie. If the students have worked really hard, I allow them to bring snacks to share. It costs me nothing and the students work at a high level in order to participate."

After School Video Experience

From Cathy Priest, an American experience teacher at Perry High School in Perry, Ohio:

"It is often difficult to find class time to view some of the excellent documentaries and videos relating to historical topics taught in class so I encourage my students to attend an after school video experience. Together we view with a critical eye, we analyze historical and literary content, and we evaluate the importance of the video itself. This is all done in a relaxed atmosphere complete with popcorn. Students not only gain historical insight, but they also earn bonus points."

Everyone's A Critic

From Vicki Pergande, a sixth grade social studies and language arts teacher at Van Hoosen Middle School in Rochester, Michigan:

"My tip is an idea to get students to pay attention when watching movies in class. I usually make up a question sheet for them to look for answers, but this time I tried something different. I still made up a list of questions, but I didn't show them. Before the movie I told the students to take notes they could use for a question game the next day. I informed them that the more notes they took, the better chance they would have to win a 'fabulous mystery prize.' I also gave the students ideas of the type of information that might be important. We watched the movie and they took notes.

The next day it was time for the game. I explained I would give them a decent amount of time (it wasn't race) to answer as many questions as they could. I warned them that talking would disqualify them from the game and earn them a different assignment and also gave them ideas of what to do when they were done, so they would continue to provide a quiet atmosphere for their peers. When we went over the answers, we corrected in red and they wrote in the answers. I give them a quiz on the information the next week, so they make their own study guide. Every kid listened very attentively for the answers because they had a chance to win! I gave the top three students prizes (pencils and scratch and sniff stickers), and then we gave a mystery prize. We picked from a cup with numbered popsicle sticks, and if they had the number correct that was picked on the popsicle stick, they won a sticker. So even the students who have trouble taking notes had a chance. In one class we picked 5 right out of 30 to win the mystery prize!"

Review Games

Four Corner Questions

From Janice Vinco, a sixth grade science teacher from Concord, California:

"During our extended block schedule period, my students get a little restless and need a quick activity. Rather than give them a written quiz, I ask them a multiple choice question about the current topic of study and assign each corner of the room a possible answer and letter. To avoid the problem of everyone following the smart kids to the correct corner, I let them know that I've struck a deal with the 'brains' for them to purposely pick the incorrect corner sometimes to throw the others off. The kids love it because involves everyone, it's a quick and easy way to check for understanding and after doing this a couple of times, they're ready to return to their seats for more learning!"

Yummy Bingo

From Shelly Clausen:

"M&M's or Skittles are a fun addition to test review Bingo. The students can use the candies to cover up the spaces. They struggle not to eat the candy during the game and have a yummy snack when it's finished."

Millionaire Review

From Joyce King, a third grade teacher at May Elementary in Las Vegas, Nevada:

"My students are working on their own version of 'So You Want to Be a Millionaire'. They are generating lists of questions and possible answers. We are studying rain forests in science so my students research questions for our list and write four possible answers. We have also included general topic questions for the easy ones. We use prop telephones and to poll the class, we use letter cards and take mathematical averages. Lots of skills happen here and the game can be tailored to any subject area. As master of ceremonies, I know I can do as well as Regis."

Social Studies Basketball

From Gary Deurlein, a fifth grade teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"My students really enjoy reviewing for a social studies test playing this game. A basket is placed against the wall. Pieces of tape are then put on the floor, starting close to the basket and then going further back. A point value is placed on each piece of tape such as 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100. The class is divided into two teams. I then ask a review question to a member of one of the teams. If the student answers correctly, that student gets to shoot the ball into the basket. If the ball goes into the basket, the scorekeeper puts the total on the board. I then alternate sides until all students have had a chance to answer a question. The side with the highest score at the end of the game wins. At the conclusion of the game, I give both sides a reward. The students love this game not only because they are reviewing for a test, but because they're having fun!"

Bingo Review

From Janice Schano and Cindy Whittman, a cosmetology and a dental instructors at Forbes Road Career and Technology Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania:

"Terminology is often difficult for students to master. We found that playing Bingo is not only fun, the students tend to retain the information. Bingo cards can be constructed in Microsoft Word by using the Table format. Vocabulary words are then entered into each of the blocks. The instructor reads the definition, and the students mark off the correct words. Using this method, students generally score better on this portion of the exam."

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

From Linda Gibson, a second grade teacher at Dyersbury Primary School in Dyersburg, Tennessee:

"My class is enjoying reviewing each day by playing our version of the popular game show Who wants to be a Millionaire? A student is chosen to sit in the hot seat. Questions pertaining to the day's lessons are asked for each money amount. The three lifelines become, Ask A Classmate. The prize is simply a note stating the level they achieved. Every student is very competitive and supportive of the other students. This has improved their listening skills during class because any little tidbit could be asked during the game."

So You Want To Be A Millionaire

From George Beyer, a retired teacher but now a volunteer teacher's aide in Montana:

"For a test review in science we play So You Want To Be A Millionaire. Instead of one person answering all the questions, I pick students at random. No one knows who will be picked until after the question is read. The reward is .5 extra credit points for everyone in the class and the penalty is .25 extra credit points lost for everyone in class. The life lines are:

1. Ask someone else in class.
2. Ask the entire class — they have to write the answer.
3. Ask the teacher.
4. Ask me.
5. Ask the principal.
6. Ask for the question to be repeated.

Jeopardy Review

From Mark Geary and Pam Mason, a math, science and technology coordinator and curriculum specialist at Sanford Middle School in Sanford, Florida:

"We created a template in PowerPoint97 that works like the Jeopardy game show. All the teacher has to do is create original questions and answers and type them in on the corresponding slides. Easy questions go in the hundred-point row and harder questions go in the five hundred-point row. Clicking a link will bring up a question, clicking again will bring up the answer and clicking on the principal will take the player home to the main screen. This game is a tremendous review process for kids. The template can be freely downloaded at: www.magicnet.net/~itms/jeopardy/index.htm. An example that was made up by Pam can be seen at: www.magicnet.net/~itms/jeopardy/health/index.htm."

Music Review

From Nick DeNapoli, a general music teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"As part of the review of the previous day's music lesson, I sometimes use a competition game at the board to make it more fun and to find out whether or not the students have learned the information. I divide the class into two or three teams. I ask the information I want and then call out the names of a few students. When I ring a small bell, the students run to the board and complete the information as quickly as they can before the bell is rung again. I usually try to link up students of equal ability so that everyone is well matched. The students have fun and really enjoy the game."

Across Curriculum

Student Made Study Guide

From Karen Janzen, a physics teacher at Wheat Ridge High School:

"To help the students review for their semester final, I divide the class into the number of units we have covered. Each group has about twenty-five minutes to prepare one overhead transparency with all of the most important information from the section. At the end of class, each group shares their overhead with the others. Every student gets a study guide to help them when they study at home and we all get to see many colorfully decorated pages! Afterward, I make a couple of classroom copies that students can check out if they were absent."

Graffiti Day

From JD Stillwater, a physics, earth and general science teacher at Claymont High School in Uhrichsville, Ohio:

"I have a Graffiti Day when it's time to review a unit. Each student gets a dry erase marker and they have ten minutes to graffiti-ize the room. The graffiti must be related to the given topic. They can only write on glass surfaces, white boards and desktops and only school appropriate language can be used. While we all browse and admire the graffiti, I ask questions and point out the important stuff. The kids have just as much fun erasing what they wrote when we're finished."

Helping Students to Remember

From Angela Lozoya, a science teacher at Charles Shedd Academy in Mayfield, Kentucky:

"Sometimes it's hard for my students to remember what we learned in class so at the beginning of each class I have them jot down four things that we discussed in class from the previous day. This not only helps them to remember what we discussed, but gives them an extra credit grade. At the end of the week, we take what we learned all week, and turn it into a Bingo or Jeopardy game. The winning team or student then receives a small award such as a free homework pass or a free coke break. This gives each child the incentive to learn and increase their knowledge."

Basketball

From Vic Heintzman, a fifth grade teacher at Keaau Elementary in Keaau, Hawaii:

"I divide my class into any size groups. I make up a list of twenty or more questions on the subject being studied. I call on groups sequentially to answer one question and set a time limit. If the group answers correctly, a member of the group gets to shoot a 'basket' from a designated place in the classroom. If the basket is made, the team receives a point which is written on the board. I use a sponge ball and wastebasket. Using this method, I have found that the information is shared with everyone and test scores show improvement."

Group Review

From Susan May, a teacher and journalism advisor at McCook High School in McCook, Nebraska:

"A great review learning activity is to have students divide a piece of paper into 4 quadrants. Then they wad the paper up and throw it on the floor. Each student now grabs another piece of paper and repeats the activity, writing in another quadrant. Students can't write something that they already wrote OR repeat something already on the sheet. After repeating this activity four times, I chose one student to read something from her sheet. That student chooses another student, who has to explain/perform/demonstrate the one thing the previous student read as well as something from his sheet. We keep repeating until all students have been called on. This is a great way to review and have fun."

El Zippo Moving Game

From (Mrs.) Chris H. Cochran, a teacher of English to ninth and eleventh graders at Hickory High School in Chesapeake, Virginia:

"This is useful as a review for any class. To prepare, I ask students to make up a certain number of questions and answers based upon what they have been taught. One class period can be allotted for this preparatory assignment. I give a notebook grade based on an assessment of the amount of questions and answers assigned.

The next day the students have their notebooks and are ready to begin the El Zippo moving game quiz. It is called 'El Zippo' because only one person is allowed to speak at a time and no one can say anything unless the speaker recognizes and calls upon that person. I start the game by asking a question. Students who know the answer raise their hands. The student who is called on and answers correctly takes the teacher's place at the front of the room, and the teacher moves to the student's desk. The procedure is repeated with the student asking the question and then moving to the desk of the student answering correctly. Students receive an A for answering the questions successfully and may participate by answering, asking, and moving as many times as they are called on by other students. Students ask questions and answer questions in a quiet manner as they move from desk to desk feeling very successful. I pencil in the grade as each new person becomes involved. At the end of the period, each student should be in a different desk and should realize that he or she has just had one of the best reviews a class can have."

Take Home Test

From Ken Mercier, a ninth grade earth science teacher at Kawaunee High School in Kewaunee, Wisconsin:

"Periodically I give have my students a 'take home' test. The twist is I have them TEACH their parents or guardians the chapter we have just covered. I give them a list of 15 items and they must pick 8-10 topics to teach. A sample topic for a chapter on the moon might be to explain why the moon goes through its various phases during a lunar month, using a model. I have had parents tell me of standing outside in front of headlights (the sun) while their child uses a volleyball to show where the moon is at different phases. Most students also explain eclipses while doing this as well. The benefits are many. Parents like this testing because it gives them a chance to see what their children are learning. The students enjoy it because it is something different. In addition, any time you teach someone a concept you are more likely to understand it much better. Grading is done by the parents, using a 1 to 3 scale, with a 3 being very well done, a 2 being completed with some problems, and a 1 when the student had a hard time and did not really know much about the topic."

Students Creating Test Questions

From Elaina J. Ortino, who teaches seventh and eighth grade EH/SED students at Immokalee Middle School in Immokalee, Florida:

"I teach middle school students who function below grade level and who have behavior problems, all within a self-contained classroom. To be effective, I am constantly looking for ways to help my students become accountable for their learning and allow them to make choices in their education. I find that by doing this, negative behaviors decrease. To evaluate the learning of my students, I have them create their own test questions. They are given a 3X5 lined card on which they formulate five test questions on one side and write the answers on the other side, along with page numbers where the answers are found. By doing this, my students are reading, searching, learning, memorizing and formulating questions. I collect the cards and quiz the students orally by separating the class into two teams, each with one spokesperson. I allow students to use their books when searching for answers. The group that answers the most questions correctly receives one free assignment pass. The other group perceives half an assignment pass for a job well done. At written test time, students are less anxious because they are well-prepared and because they know I will use only their questions. Surprisingly, many students work hard to search and formulate difficult questions. No surprises on the test. Besides the students having great success with this strategy, they walk away with a sense of empowerment and achievement."

• Thanksgiving (6 tips)
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Thanksgiving

Thank You Acrostics

From Jennifer Crandall, a German teacher at Excelsior Elementary School in Excelsior, Minnesota:

"Just prior to Thanksgiving, I do 'Thank You Acrostics' in my classroom. I teach German so we use the word Danke, but any language would work just fine. The kids write the word 'danke' down the left side of a regular piece of paper and think of things for which they are thankful that start with those letters. To extend the activity I ask them to draw small pictures of the things they are listing next to the word. Students will sometimes need a reminder to think deeper than their Nintendo, but the results are usually very thoughtful. I then give them construction paper to glue it onto. The activity makes good fridge art for home."

Planting Corn

From Elberta Clinton:

"To illustrate one way the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims grow crops, have the children crust chocolate wafers to resemble soil. Then, add a piece of candy corn and a gummy fish. This reinforces the idea that fish (fertilizer) helped the corn to grow. There's also a short finger play to go along with the activity.

Pull the fish from the sea.
Plant them with a seed.
Makes the corn grow way past me.
What a great little deed!"

Log Cabins

From Vera Crisafulli, a kindergarten teacher at Jefferson School in Glendive, Montana:

"To make a Pilgrim or Abraham Lincoln cabin, wash out school milk boxes, dry them and staple them shut again. Paint the boxes brown or cover them with a 2-inch strip of brown paper. The children can glue small straight pretzels that lay like logs all around the box. Next, cover the roof with a piece of brown paper and sprinkle with brown colored coconut. (To color coconut just add food coloring to it and shake it up in a plastic bag.) This makes a fun Thanksgiving project for the little ones."

Thanksgiving Ideas

From Vallye Blanton, a fifth grade teacher at Lake Park Elementary School in Georgia:

1. "I give my students a list of people or objects (President Clinton, a professional football player, Regis, Snoopy, Harriet Tubman, a Martian, a pizza pan, etc.) and ask them to write a paragraph, sentence, or a few words describing what the person or object has to be thankful for. This often leads to good discussions and has resulted in some excellent pieces of writing from my students.
2. My students keep a calendar for the month of November and every night write a few sentences about something they are thankful for that happened that day.
3. To work on research skills I give my students thirty questions about Thanksgiving. In order to complete the assignment, they must use all sorts of reference materials. I ask questions about the Mayflower's voyage and the dimensions of the ship, the number of passengers who made the trip, which President declared Thanksgiving a holiday, and many others. The students must use an atlas, dictionary, encyclopedia, and other reference materials - even a cookbook - to find the answers! This is a good activity in which to involve parents.
4. Each of my students is asked to bring a favorite recipe for Thanksgiving dinner and type it on our class computer. Then we make a cookbook to send home to each family."

Giving to Others I

From Darlene Roker, a fifth grade teacher at Vermont Avenue Elementary in Los Angeles, California:

"Before Thanksgiving each year, I let my students know that in our class we remember that however much they don't have, there's always someone who has less. Therefore, they have to come up with some way to support a contribution to an outside organization before they have their own holiday party. In the past, we've donated to a run-away shelter for teens and other organizations. We have collected cans for redemption, collected money from students, but whatever we did, it had to come from the students. I want them to feel the joy that comes from giving. Usually I ask the recipient organization to send a letter to my class that they can enjoy. Then when it's time for our party, they have the satisfaction of having given before asking."

Giving to Others II

From Heidi Jordan, a kindergarten teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida:

"Each year, around Thanksgiving, I teach a lesson about helping others and how important it is to give to other people in the community who cannot provide for themselves. I ask the families to send non-perishable food items that we can give to the needy through a local organization. I have always felt it is important for the kids to know what they have donated individually, but also to see how much there is collectively when we all donate. I have had the children draw pictures of their canned goods and put them on a bulletin board. However, this year, I used a six-foot tall wooden cut-out of a tree that I have in my classroom and hung the actual canned goods and other food from its branches. We call the tree 'Our Giving Tree' and it is such a visual, concrete way for the students to see what a contribution they are making."

Thanksgiving Feast

From Kim Wilson, a special education teacher in Jefferson County, Kentucky:

"When I taught in a self-contained classroom, my students prepared and served a Thanksgiving lunch for their parents. The cafeteria staff cooked the turkeys for us, but the students and I prepared everything else. For science lessons we studied nutrition, for social studies we examined different harvest festivals around the world, for math the lessons involved consumer math, etc. The students had to make a budget to buy all the food based on money I had from a grant. We went to the store to purchase the food. The students made the centerpieces and decorations and had to write invitations to their family members. Each child could invite two people. The students also wrote an additional invitation to one staff member they wanted to join us for lunch. The families and staff members really enjoyed this lunch and my students are still talking about it three years later."

Martin Luther King Day

Holiday Songs

From Mazie G. Lewis, a general music teacher at Hyatt Park Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina:

"During my 27 1/2 years of teaching, I've always enjoyed creating and improvising songs to help my students understand and enjoy special music for holiday celebrations. I discovered that many of my very young students were singing 'Martha Luther King' instead of 'Martin Luther King.' After sounding out 'Mar--tin Luther King' several times, I noticed the rhythmic resemblance to the spiritual song 'Amen.' So I created "MLK-Amen!" Try it:

Mar--tin Luther King!
Mar--tin Luther King!
Mar--tin Luther Ki