American Idols

Bring in a top-40 song that all the kids will know/like, and have them re-write the lyrics to fit whatever concept you're covering at the time. They'll have tons of fun despite the challenge, and then they can make fun of each other while they perform their new song (and review material without even knowing it).

Example: (to the beat/tune of Nelly's "It's Gettin' Hot in Herrre") In science class, you could sing "It's gettin' rainy in herrrre, barometric pressure shows..." Cheesy, yes, but it's just an idea! =)

The Eye of the Beholder

I loved when my teachers passed out a random photograph to each student and asked them to write a brief story based on that picture. What do you think is happening in this photograph?

Inspiration

We've been using a program called "Inspiration" lately. It creates webs and outlines that help organize information in a fun and visual way. The program may not appeal to everyone, but for visual learners like me, it's usually hard to understand the "big picture." Inspiration helps me to grasp information, recognize cause-and-effect as well as relationships between concepts and topics, and it also makes presentation notes more easy to follow. You can sometimes even get a free 30-day trial...That inspires me! =)

Clay Animation

I've found just how cool clay animation is! It's a fun, hands-on, memorable, and educational. Check out our own clay animation project we did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dXShLTJ7Kw

Mad Scientists

Let your students think up inventions, build them, and even design advertisements for their new product! In fifth grade, I invented and built the "Super Duper Pooper Scooper 2000." It was practically flying off the shelves!

Get Your Hands Messy!

Allow students to use substances that are grainy, gooey, runny, sticky, smelly, squishy, and smooth. It will inspire their creativity and really helps engage the tactile learners in your class. Instead of always asking them to write their answers and ideas, let them use their hands to create a 3-dimensional work. (This picture is made of sand, by the way!)

Ohhhh, SNAP!

Have your students read Romeo & Juliet or some other work of Shakespeare and ask them to record as many "put-downs" as they can throughout the play. This helps them to interpret writing of another time period and style, and makes them appreciate Shakespeare. He was a pretty hilarious guy!

Construction Zone in the Classroom

Ok, so this blog is turning out to be more of a novel studies blog, but oh well! In fourth grade, we read The Indian in the Cupboard, and what stuck out to me the most was that we built treehouse/fort homes (like the one found in the book) with any materials we wanted. The teacher basically said "Have at it!" and it was interesting to see just how differently we contructed our houses, because students used sticks, candy, plastic shards, paper, etc.

Where in the World is Flat Stanley?!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while...I guess you could say I've been a bit "water-blogged." Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. Anyway, I've been thinking about more cool classroom ideas. When I was in elementary school, we read the book "Flat Stanley." I had to color, cut out, and laminate a "Flat Elizabeth" doll which I mailed to various relatives, friends, businesses, and even politicians around the country and world. These "penpals" brought my Flat Elizabeth doll to famous landmarks and interesting places around their town/city and would mail the doll back to me with a letter and the photos. It's a really great idea because the kids learn about geography, develop writing skills, and get excited about each new letter.

Hope is Emo

I always thought it'd be funny to let my students take underlying societal issues and make a hyperbolic commentary on society and teenage life through video. It actually takes a lot of insight and critical thinking to be able to intelligently joke about real life. I love watching "Hope is Emo" videos because they're wildly exaggerated, hilarious, but kind of true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2fMax7dSqo

This weekend I ate dinner with the Brewers, my fiance Nhu, Stephanie and Abby Owens, and Yo-Shin (the "foreign exchange administrator" from China). Among many other topics, we talked about the difference between Chinese and American classrooms. Yo-Shin was very surprised and impressed with the high level of student-instructor interaction, as well as the respect that teachers have for and the amount of freedom they give their students. What floored her the most was how much the faculty and staff at JBC- especially Dr. Eubanks- is willing to serve others. She said this was in stark contrast to the attitude and expectations of authority figures in China. Anyway, while this post isn't a lesson idea or classroom strategy, I think I needed a reminder that humility and respect in the classroom can change lives and be a witness more than subject matter or creative lesson plans.

Geography Fair

Almost every year, the 7th graders finish out the semester with a "Geography Fair." Each student chooses a country and spends about six weeks researching and preparing a presentation. At the fair (which is set up throughout the cafeteria), students wear clothes, play music, and serve food from their chosen country. Every teacher in the school takes turns bringing their class to mill around the exhibits, and it's always been a huge success. This year, however, the teachers decided to take a break because of the enormous amount of planning involved. Instead, we had our students choose a country, research basic interesting facts, prepare food, and bring in any artifacts/souvenirs they can find. We're having a mini Geography Fair! Even though the students were initially disappointed, now they can't stop talking about their projects! Sometimes it doesn't hurt to downsize. Learning and fun still takes place. =)

Bienvenidos, maestras!

Welcome to my blog! I want to use this site to share classroom ideas that are fun, interesting, inexpensive, and sometimes even easy to plan. Please don't hesitate to post your own ideas (no matter the grade level or subject matter) and make sure to share your suggestions for improving what I've posted. I love to share and compare...it keeps me on my toes. =)