Tag: SPED
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34. “Tell Your Mama I said…..”
Be very aware that children are going to tell their mamas everything you say, but I have a circumstance when I lead with “Tell your mama I said….” When a child shows me respect or especially good manners, I say, “Tell your mama I said you’ve got really good manners. Mamas like to know that…
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32. Recess is Necessary
No matter how hot or cold or windy it is, you will take those children outside, not just for them but for you! Little kids have an enviable amount of energy that needs to be burned off outside. You can bundle up when it is cold, sit in the shade when it is hot but…
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33. Beware of Full Moons and Holidays
There is a substantial amount of teacher lore that suggests that there is a correlation between classroom behavior and full moons. While there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the lunar schedule impacts the behavior of school children, the researchers are not likely classroom teachers. Almost all teachers can offer anecdotal evidence that the…
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31. Sub Plans
Regardless of how healthy you ordinarily are, children are germy and they transfer those germs to you every time they love on you. Your first couple of years you will probably catch a few more colds than is customary. You have got to be prepared to be absent with little notice. Yes, it is absolutely…
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30. Room Moms
Room Moms (or Dads) are important to your classroom. They will usually take over parties, celebrations and events. They will often coordinate door decorations, holiday games, and act as a liaison between the teacher and the parents in the class. The younger the children are in your class, the more volunteers you will have for…
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27. Field Trips
My dissertation research explored what constituted lasting learning. I discovered that students remembered immersive experiences and especially field trips. Where you go on a field trip is not the only venue for learning that day. Children will be responsible for staying with their group. They will negotiate relationships with friends while riding the bus. They…
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26. Fire Drills
Go ahead and plan on it. You will have one fire drill per month that you teach school unless you don’t do it correctly, then you will have more than one a month. Fire drills are as predictable as the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. Older children know the drill while younger children…
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22. Restroom Protocol
Arguably, this is the least desirable thing a teacher is required to do in the daily performance of her duties. Nobody likes to take children to the restroom. First, you have to monitor the restroom and the children to prevent mischief from happening there. Second, you have to walk a line of children to the…
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21. Consider
Consider. I love this word. Instead of telling someone what to do, I ask them to consider something else. It softens a command to a request. It is effective for teachers, students, and parents. Instead of telling a parent, “You need to have a certain time every day to read to your child,” say “Consider…
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20. Evaluations
You are probably fully aware of how you will be evaluated as a teacher. If you are new to a grade level, a school, a district, or a state, you will most likely have more evaluations per year than someone who has been teaching the same grade in the same school for fifteen years. You…
Fire Drills 