Emergency Sub Plans - Are You Ready?

It's coming...you know it is...flu season. UGH!

When you or your child gets sick in the middle of the night, the last thing you want to do is sit down at the computer to type sub plans. Even worse, driving to school in your pajamas at 5:00 am to put out materials for the next day! While it would be fantastic to always have our lesson plans and materials perfectly laid out for teaching the next day, the reality is we have meetings after school and other commitments. We often need our time in the morning before school, and our planning time, to put finishing touches on our day's plans. Creating an EMERGENCY SUB PLAN system will give you peace of mind.

Click HERE to read about this short blog post about one teacher's easy idea to create a SUB TUB using materials she did not get to in previous weeks. Don't want to use a tub? How about a binder instead?

Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers are full of FREE resources to start gathering as well. One of the biggest jackpots I have come across is right HERE. This blog has an entire day's worth of activities for each grade based on just one picture book! (except Grade 4 is "Coming Soon", sorry!)

If I can assist you in gathering meaningful activities to be used in your emergency sub plans, just let me know! I'd love to hear what other great resources you and your team have as well. Feel free to leave a comment below!

Why Students Should Be Allowed to Act Out (Scenes) In Class

I just read a great SHORT article on the Mind/Shift blog by Annie Murphy Paul titled "Why Students Should Be Allowed to Act Out (Scenes) In Class". You can read it HERE! Teachers who use a variety of learning styles know first-hand the benefits of adding kinesthetic activities to their lessons. The author mentions research that concludes physically acting out text improves comprehension and the ability to make inferences.

As I read, my mind starting swimming with possibilities. There are so many ways to use the ideas presented here in any classroom. Obviously, acting out stories comes to mind. Many teachers already do this, with the use of reader's theater and puppet shows. How about having students do simple guided retelling of a story with objects or props, as suggested by the author? No props? Kids can make them during a center time!

While not everything has to be a major production, performing for an audience can be motivating for students. Since it provides an authentic reason for doing something, why not take the show on the road? Can students perform their retelling for their classmates? The homeroom next door? Their buddy class? If not, can someone videotape it, perhaps with an iPad? Then, it can easily be shared with parents via email or posted to a class website or blog.

Re-enactments do not have to be limited to the stories from the reading curriculum, either. This could be a fun way to spice up an OCM (anti-bullying) lesson. After reading a bunch of books, such as "Hooway for Wodney Wat" by Helen Lester or "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon" by Patty Lovell, students could work in cooperative groups to retell their favorite one.

Acting will work in any curriculum area as well. Annie Murphy Paul gave a great example of acting out word problems in math. What a nice way to bring a boring worksheet to life!

Social studies and science concepts become clearer this way, too. For example, when studying the water cycle, students often learn a little poem about precipitation, evaporation and condensation (click HERE to download a copy). Add some arm motions or props, such as an umbrella, and you have the visual and kinesthetic support many kids crave!

Reviewing vocabulary words becoming a chore? Ask students to find an object to represent the word. Or, challenge partners to create a ten second skit, acting out the word. Charades with a purpose!

P.E.? Art? Music? Are there class procedures that can be acted out? A famous composer or artist's biography? Rules to a game? Important terms to be mastered?

I'd love to hear how others are using the idea acting out in their classrooms. Feel free to add a comment below!

No More "I Don't Know"

When you call on your students, do they say "I don't know" or "I forgot"? Here's a quick idea to hold students accountable and not let them opt of participating.

Carly Wizeman over at First Grade Fabulosity created this awesome poster for her class titled: No More "I Don't Know"! You can read about it here or grab a copy for FREE from her Teachers Pay Teacher site here.

I love this because it encourages all kids to be involved in discussions. It allows students to save face if they were not paying attention or did not hear the question.

Last year, I made a similar one for my class, but added "No More I forgot" to my version. I also added the option "May I hear the question worded differently?" and "May I have a hint or clue?"

Are there other choices you might add for your students? Leave a comment below if you have any ideas on how this might work for you and your kiddos!