That Day That Teachers Dread?

Did you realize April Fool's Day is coming??? Some teachers absolutely dread this day. Are you one of them?

I'm a true believer in any opportunity to laugh!  As a matter of fact, laughter is healthy!  (See THIS blog post on the benefits of laughter!)  It's also great for the brain! (See THIS blog post on brain fitness!)

I do enjoy making the kids laugh, and I enjoy their humor.  But I kind of like to "beat them to the punch".

I set the rules first thing:  April Fool's Day is about making people laugh.  It is NOT about making people mad.

I stuck around for a while after school today setting up some things that will hopefully lead to a few laughs.

I wrote the morning letter for Monday. I usually write about the morning routine, reminding them of their daily responsibilities, and if anything unusual were going to happen on that day. Monday's letter says we're going on a field trip to Disney World. The schedule is set up with the word "field trip" at the top, and nothing else!

Here's the date for Monday:  (They have actually

earned 25 minutes, not 325!)

When you're 7, seeing things you normally see, but upside down, is pretty funny.  (Note the calendar arrow pointing to August, rather than April!)

Again, upside down is pretty funny when you're 7.

  Some of the names and stations for the morning literacy block are upside down... great stuff.  

This is where we often put "exit slips" for reading.  They put a post it on their number, telling something about the story they read.  I put a post it with a personality trait on their numbers.  Hopefully this will make them smile!

How do I bring April Fool's Day into reading?  I bring out my joke books! (Images are affiliate links to Amazon.)

          

And, of course, who understands the sense of humor of a seven year old better than Robert Munsch? (More affiliate links to Amazon.)

            

How do I bring April Fool's day into Math?  With Problem-solving!  Check out my April Fool's Day Math  Stories!

Looking for more learning related to April Fool's Day?
Try these April Fool's Day Printables!

Interestingly, I have several of the same ideas, plus a few more on last year's April Fool's Day post!  HERE is the link to see that one!

Have a happy April Fool's Day!  

I hope you hear loads of laughter!

What's Your High and Low?

I have a little tradition in my classroom that I've been doing for years at the end of the day. It's called "High/ Low". (In some circles, it can be called "Rose and Thorn.") It's when we reflect on our day and decide what was the best part of the day and what was the most challenging part of our day. 

I got the idea from an old romantic comedy starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer called The Story of Us.

 It was a cute movie about a married couple with two children who were struggling with their marriage. Every evening at dinner the family would share their high of the day and their low of the day. That got me thinking about ending the day in the classroom the same way. I tried it, and it worked out better than expected!

 

Sometimes people ask me why I let the kids focus on their low of the day... don't I want them to be positive? Well, yes, of course I want them to be positive, but sometimes they have something that is bugging them, and it makes them feel better to get it out. (Just like the rest of us!) Besides, it helps me know what's going on in the classroom. (And even though they don't mention names, I usually know exactly who they're talking about, and can address it privately later!)

In the beginning, there's usually plenty of modeling on my part. My high might be about a success the class had that day, "I was proud when the class got a good report from the art teacher," or "Everyone caught on to adding hundreds today!"  Sometimes, it's an individual success, "John turned 8 years old today," or "Mary has a brand new baby brother."

I'm particularly careful to model what a low would sound like, since I don't want this to be the focus, and I want them to know I care about them. It might sound something like this, "Fred was out sick today," or "Fran got hurt on the playground today," or maybe "Someone hurt George's feelings." More than anything, it's important to model positive feelings. This is when you learn about your students and build those important relationships.

High/ Low of the Day usually works best at the end of the day. However, it can be used in the morning for special events, such as High/ Low of the month, High/ Low of vacation, High/ Low of a holiday, High/ Low of a test, and so on!

Here's another blog post about how I do High/ Low by having the children hold a Beanie Baby when it's their turn, then tossing the Beanie to the next person: How to Have Them Happy When They Walk Out of the Classroom.

Maple Weekend

It's the end of winter here in New England, and we're enjoying a New England tradition:  Maple sugaring!

Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen many a maple tree with buckets attached!  Yep, when the days get warm but the nights are still cold, that's the right conditions for getting that sap flowing! They collect that sap and boil away!

• Did you know it takes 40 - 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup?

I love to use children's literature to teach science and social studies concepts.  

This topic includes both, a little history of the New England area, plus the science of trees and sap, as well as states of matter and evaporation!

Want to learn more about how maple syrup is made?  Here are a couple of informational books for kids about the process.  

      

Here are a few realistic fiction books that share the experience of maple sugaring:

          

  

It's truly a fascinating process!  There are several "Sugar Houses" in my area, and a true hint that winter is nearing an end.  The State of New Hampshire officially declared this "Maple Weekend" and many Sugar Houses are opened to the public this weekend!

Here's a little video I found on Youtube that demonstrates the process.

Doesn't it make you wonder how people figured out that draining trees of sap and boiling it like crazy would make a yummy liquid?  Did they try oak trees and pine trees?  How did they know to drill a hole in the tree and put a bucket underneath?  

Here's one fiction book that suggests how it might have happened, back in the days when Native Americans lived peacefully with the earth in the New England area:

Don't you just love books that put you in a totally different time and place? Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres, how about you?

What Does a Bunny Have to Do With Easter?

Did you ever wonder where the bunny came from? Or, for that fact, baby chicks? Or eggs? 

What do all these things have in common?

I often wondered that, so I looked it up, and it all made sense. Rabbits, chicks, and eggs all represent new life.

It is also appropriate that the date of Easter is close to the Spring Equinox. Again, we're talking about new life: rebirth, the world comes back to life.  

It all goes together, doesn't it?

I really don't think chocolate bunnies tie in, but I think we all could use a chocolate bunny!  Or maybe some Marshmallow Peeps!

Here are a few books about Easter that I found!  
                      

Here are a couple of books with a Spring focus!    

                 

What post about Easter would be complete with this classic?



or this one?

Happy Easter!