I promised myself that this summer, I would experience some new things. So a couple weekends ago, I joined a mob. No, not the mob—a mob! For about an hour, I was a member of a local cash mob. I did a bit of research before I showed up. After all, I wasn’t interested in…
Classroom Routines
Putting Off Paperwork
Are you a paperwork warrior or a prisoner of paperwork? The golden rule of many time management experts is “only handle a piece of paper one time.” Once you lay your hands on a piece of paper, you must quickly decide right then and there whether to toss that paper, file it, or pass it…
No Recess?
Canceled recess? Say it isn’t so! Whether it’s due to too much cold, snow, rain, or wind—canceled recess is a bummer for both students and teachers. But wait! Have you checked out the Just Dance Kids videos on YouTube? “The Gummy Bear Song” is adorable and will have your little ones movin’ and groovin’. There…
The Correct Answer According to You
Smaller class sizes. I can’t argue with that one. In answer to the question Which of the following ideas do you think would do the most to improve the quality of public education in America (or the nation in which you live)?, most of you chose smaller class sizes. Of course, your choices were somewhat…
Shivering in a Winter Wonderland
I don’t ever remember the school bus being a particularly warm place in the dead of a New England winter. Sure, it was better than walking, but I think we were warmed mostly by our own youthful sense of excitement about going to school or going home. Later, of course, it just wasn’t cool to…
Hallway Manners
I love it when I see a class of students quietly parading down a school hallway. It’s such an accomplishment for both the teacher and students! Hopefully by this time of the school year students are falling into a pattern of lining up quickly and quietly; and then again maybe not! How do you encourage…
Job Titles In Excess
Into each job, a few extra responsibilities must fall. Here at The Mailbox, this is true for editors who are also social media gadflies, singers, Twitterati, and webcast hosts, just for starters. And this is certainly true for teachers. By the time I entered my second year in the classroom, I had become a technology…
Partnering Students
It’s always a thrill for me when two unrelated ideas merge in my brain and then out pops an idea I wasn’t expecting. This happened to me the other day! The idea has to do with using pairs of picture cards or word cards for quickly partnering students. For the younger crowd, you could use…
Do You Follow?
We never really get following directions, do we? Let’s admit it. Even as adults, we’re about as good at following directions as we were when we were children. There really hasn’t been much improvement. You there at your desk at Groveland Elementary in Minnetonka, you can protest as loudly as you want that I am…
Using Music in the Classroom
Music moves me! If it weren’t for Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen my housework would never get done. Adele puts a fire in my belly, and Brad Paisley’s humor tickles my funny bone. Is music a helpful tool in your classroom? Please explain. All ears! Diane