In
Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb
Incorporate a weather activity into your March lessons to
test the famous
March saying. Brainstorm with students what aspects of
weather determine
its ferocity or calmness.
After listing things like temperature extremes and precipitation types
and wind speeds, draw a calendar grid on the chalkboard or large sheet
of paper, then each day, make notes regarding the weather
variables. Review
from week to week, then do a final observation at the end of
the month.
Students can make graphs, vote each day a "lion"
day or "lamb"
day (using stickers or coloring with markers), write a short
story about
March including weather elements, have a meteorologist visit
the classroom,
or correspond with other classrooms via the internet to compare weather
information with them. Save your calendar for next year, and
you can make
comparisons from year to year.
RESOURCES >
There
is probably enough work in your classroom to keep you there for
hours after you've stopped teaching. And that doesn't even include
developing lesson plans or grading papers. You don't have time to
dust your computer and sweep your floor everyday. So let your students
help! They are usually more than eager. Plus, the added responsibilities
for the students are a lesson in themselves.
FULL
ARTICLE >
Set
a Welcoming Tone for Fall Classes
Setting up a big, empty classroom for back-to-school
can be an enormous task. Even experienced teachers find themselves
faced with a challenge when they switch schools or move into a new
classroom. Expanses of bare walls, bulletin boards, and even floors
suddenly threaten to swallow up both time and money.
Save
your sanity by choosing a theme to carry your class throughout the
coming year. Let a favorite book, song, or lesson plan guide you.
You'll find it helpful in decorating bulletin boards and even creating
a consistent tone when communicating with parents. Plus, once you
have chosen a theme, you'll discover that summertime is a great
season for becoming a pack rat - and it's a good thing! Yard and
estate sales can be wonderful places to find furnishings for a reading
corner or inspirational space. Summer is also a busy time for remodelling,
so talk to local businesses that supply items you need, such as
modular carpeting (2 foot square pieces of commercial carpeting
that are easy to arrange right where you need them) or even cabinets
if you're short on storage closets. You'll be helping the business
owner by taking something off their hands that is often trash anyway,
and you'll be lightening the load to the landfill.
Visit our How-To section for Back-to-School
ideas and helpful tips in Classroom Management.
If you need a little help finding inspiration for a classroom theme,
try our Classroom Decor articles.
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