Elementary Matters is an educational blog focused on Elementary grades 1-3. These posts will make an elementary teacher's life easier by sharing information about how the brain learns best. It includes time savers, suggestions for classroom management, hints on effective teaching of reading, writing, and math, and several ideas for squeezing Science and Social Studies into daily instruction. These posts include links to several videos, articles, resources, and plenty of free materials.
I've always felt that reading is the most important thing we do in school, and I make it very clear that each student do some reading each and every day. Step one was all about reading to the children, but this step is all about having the children do the reading. Here are some ideas:
1. Leave out a few of their favorite books. I know, you've packed most of them, but let them enjoy their favorites for the last time. I pack my chapter books up about a week before the end of the year, since they won't have time to finish them. But I keep out those favorites. Here's another advantage: those favorites might just be the first ones you unpack in the fall!
2. Provide an End-Of-Year Memory Book. I know, who has time for this during this crazy time of year? Well, I always make the time for this, since it's something they'll keep forever. (I hope!) A couple of weeks before the end, I'll have the children write down some words about their classmates (and teachers) and their special memories from the year. I type these up and put them into a book. Yes, it's extra work, but it sure is fun to give them those books on the last day of school!
Don't kids love using whiteboards? Mine sure do! I always leave some out on the last day.
Here are a few "educational" things they can do with the whiteboards:
1. Hangman (They can use spelling words or content words from the year!)
2. Dictate sentences for each other using something you've studied or a book you've read!
3. Tic-tac-toe (it involves strategy!)
4. Make up math problems for partners to solve.
5. Keep out a set of task cards for the children to answer on the whiteboards. Here's a free set that's perfect for end of the year review: Geography Review Task Cards.
If you're anything like me, you have a TON of math games, but it's ok to pack those up, since there are several games that can be played with a simple deck of cards!
Here are some easy card games they can play to review important math skills:
1. Addition War (Like regular war, but with 2 cards added together.)
2. Multiplication War (Like Addition War, but with the cards multiplied together.)
3. Salute This is one of my favorite games (and the kids, too!) I learned about it HERE. You can download a freebie with directions to the addition version as well as the multiplication version on this website.
4. Twenty-One Some people know this game as Blackjack, but this is the "non-gambling" version. This game requires addition skills as well as some strategy and thinking about probability. The children absolutely love this one! You can download directions for playing the game here: Twenty-One.
5. Solitaire I know, this doesn't have a specific math skill, but it sure does strengthen their Number Sense!
I'd love if you shared your ideas for more educational ideas for playing cards!
If you're getting ready for the end of the school year, I'm sure things are a little crazy. It's hard to enjoy the last day of school when there is so much to do, but I've got a few ideas for you.
Yesterday I shared my first strategy for a Happy Last Day of School: Read Your Favorite Book.
Today, and for the next 5 days, I'll be sharing a new strategy for a Happy Last Day of School. Here's today's strategy:
By this point, you've probably packed up most classroom games, but it's a good idea to keep out a couple of favorites for a happy last day of school.
I prefer games that include a little reading and a little thinking!
Apples to Apples is my group's favorite game. I love it because it creates lots of giggles, but also has some thinking skills and strategy. It even has a little reading! (Explore the image: this is an Amazon affiliate link.)
Battleship is also a favorite! There's not a whole lot of reading, but there's plenty of thinking involved! (The image is also an Amazon affiliate link.)
They don't have to be store bought games!
They can be learning games you've had in your classroom, that the kiddos love to play over and over again!
We all know those last couple of weeks of school are insane: antsy students, report cards, packing the room, etc. It's all overwhelming, isn't it?
Despite it all, I refuse to let the craziness destroy my last day with my students. For the next seven days, I'll be sharing some of my strategies for a Happy Last Day of School. Here's the first!
Reading to the students is one of the most important things a teacher can do.
I'm sure you've already read your favorite book to your class. Maybe more than once! I'm willing to bet that same book might be a favorite of the students as well!
But reading it again on the last day of school leads to some very special memories.
I like to leave my students with those warm feelings for books, don't you?
Here are some of my very favorite books to read to children. (Click these for affiliate links to Amazon.)
I'm sure you've all had one of those good, ugly cries. The cleansing kind. The kind that makes you feel FREE when you're done.
Some benefits of crying:
Crying releases toxins.
Crying improves vision.
Crying improves your mood.
Crying aids sleep.
Crying relieves stress.
Crying dulls pain.
Crying boosts communication.
Sometimes I know I need to cry, but the tears just won't come. If I need to trigger the tears, music will usually help me out.
For some, it's a good book, a romantic movie, or sharing thoughts with friends.
Those often work for me.
But mostly, it's music.
In particular, Broadway music. Many of my readers know my "other" love (besides teaching) is theatre, and I've performed in hundreds of shows. Broadway music touches me.
As I'm sure many teachers are in need of a "good cry" these days. I've been thinking a whole lot about children and their emotions. There are a whole lot of sad and scary feelings out there, and it concerns me. How do you teach about Lockdowns and Active Shooter Drills while holding onto your own emotions as well as those of the children?
I've been in need of a good cry for a few weeks now.
Finally, I saw this video, and the floodgates were opened!
This is called "Found/ Tonight". It's performed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hanson), both Broadway legends. These two musicals are both Tony award winners, and the performers are incredible. Most of the songs in Hamilton bring tears to my eyes, but The Story of Tonight is pretty amazing, as is You Will be Found from Dear Evan Hanson. The combination of both bring me a strength I didn't know I had. Hence, floodgates are opened!
This song from Pippin is one I used to sing (and still do) with good friends from college. I particularly like this version of Corner of the Sky, since it's sung by the original Pippin, John Rubenstein, whom I've actually met! (In 1990, he saw me perform in A Chorus Line!) Sorry, there are no visuals with this one!
We're back to Hamilton. As I mentioned above, many songs from this musical make me cry. This one is when Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) meet their respective children.
Speaking of children, (That seems to be a common theme in many of these Broadway songs that make me cry.) Far From the Home I Love is song by Hodel when she is leaving her home and family for a man she loves. Not a dry eye in the house after this one! This song is particularly poignant, since I played Golde in a production about 8 years ago, and my daughter played the role of Hodel, singing this beautiful song.
The story of a friendship. For Good is such a strong, sweet song from Wicked. I'm sorry I couldn't find a video with the amazing Idina Menzel, but at least I have Kristen Chenowith! The line, "you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart" gets me going every time!
I played the role of Lady Thiang in The King and I back in 2001. My daughter was only 8, and this was her first musical ever. My dad was my motivation for Something Wonderful. I still think of him whenever I hear it. This video is performed by one of my very favorite Broadway performers, Lea Salonga. This video transitions into Being Alive from Company. Being Alive sums up many of my thoughts on relationships.
What I Did for Love from A Chorus Line answers the question "What are you going to do when you can't dance anymore." I think the beauty of this song is that everyone can have a strong connection to it. Just fill in the word of your choice... "What are you going to do when you can't ___________ anymore?"
For a real deep cry, ask "What are you going to do when you can't teach anymore?"
I was in a production of A Chorus Line back in 1990. (I was also teaching 1st grade at the time.) The show ran for 6 weeks, 4 shows a week, and I cried onstage every night when we performed this song.
Rent is a pretty amazing show. I wasn't in this one, but I did perform Seasons of Love with a group in a Christmas Concert. (Fun alto part!) But seriously, it's the context of the song in the show that brings me to tears every time!
Les Miserables has several songs that are tear jerkers to me, but once I heard this song in the context of the armed service, I lost it, and do every time I hear Bring Him Home.
This has been a guaranteed tear-jerker for me since the early 90s when I saw Miss Saigon in London. (Yes, this is another show with a lot of tear-jerkers. The storyline pretty much rips out your soul!) I Swear I'd Give My Life for You is a sweet moment of love for a child in the middle of the hell that was Vietnam. This was years before I had a child, but I knew I would love my child like this.
This last video is a little "treat." This isn't going to be bringing on any "ugly" cry like most of these others do for me. But it's a sweet, sentimental tear.
I hope you don't mind that this video isn't quite the quality of the others, but I do happen to be in it! I'm Lucy... in the blue dress.) This is the final song (Happiness) from You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, from a production I did in 2007. I assure you, these people can sing a whole lot better than it sounds in this video, particularly that guy playing Charlie Brown!
