Teacher’s Brain

Month: January 2020

Student Classroom CHALLENGE – MAKE a COMMERCIAL – Win $100

Giveaway

So yesterday I had a crazy idea to offer $100 to the classroom who makes a 15-30 second commercial and uses the hashtag #TeachersBrainChallenge to share it with me on social media. There are rules to follow and a FREE download with lots of printables to get your class rolling with this idea. My mission in life is to help YOU create a fun educational environment for your students. If you are watching the Super Bowl like so many others, this will be a great way to get your students engaged in writing and teamwork activities in a fun way. PLUS, your class could win $100 for your classroom to decide how however they want to spend it!

GO HERE to find the FREE #TeachersBrainChallenge download. You need to hurry because the $100 will be given out on FEBRUARY 14th, 2020. I can’t wait to see how creative your class will be during this activity. I will share all of the commercials on my Teacher’s Brain Facebook page and my Instagram account, if your class or school followed the directions. HAVE FUN and good luck!!!!

#TeachersBrainChallenge Make a Super Bowl Commercial

You must follow the rules. The winner is subject to my discretion. You will find the rules, the rubric and printables to help students learn about target audiences and advertising strategies. Any grade can join in the fun. Feel free to share this #TeachersBrainChallenge with other teachers. Use the hashtag when posting to social media.

Summer Olympic Sports Activities for Kids

Teaching Tips

Summer Olympic in Tokyo

Athletes from all over the world gather to compete in the Summer Olympic Games every four years. In 2016, they were held in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. The 2020 Summer Olympic sports activities will be held in Tokyo, Japan. 2020 will mark fifty-six years after having organised the Olympic Games at the Japanese capital for the second time. This is an exciting topic to bring into your classroom with lots of opportunities to create classroom discussions about summer sports. As a result, families like to watch the games with their children, so your lessons and discussions can easily be reinforced at home.

Summer Sports Activities

The 2020 Olympic Agenda will use many existing competitions such as judo, equestrian events, gymnastics, archery, swimming, baseball, boxing, surfing, field hockey and volleyball just to name a few. There are 47 sports being represented. You can check them out on their web site. The Tokyo National Stadium will be revamped and replaced by a new area for the opening and closing Ceremonies. You can find a great video about Olympic Facts for Kids on YouTube. Why not have an entire unit on Summer Sports during this special time in history? Students can get some physical fitness, learn about the history of sports and have fun while incorporating all subject areas.

Summer Olympic Sports Activities for Kids

Summer Olympic Activities to do with Kids

Teaching young students about history can be difficult. However, it’s not that hard. Here are some summer Olympic IDEAS:

  • Compare and Contrast Summer and Winter Olympics
  • Make Shadow Puppets for Students to Guess the Activity
  • Write About Being a Sponsor
  • Write to Persuading Parents to Attend The Games
  • Create a Torch and Discuss the History of the Flame
  • Graph Student’s Favorite Summer Sport
  • Make Medals for Different Sporting Events
  • Design a Shirt or a Hat for The Summer Olympics
  • Keep a Journal of Each Sport Discussed
  • Use STEM Activities to Represent each Sport
  • Write the Room with Summer Sport Vocabulary Words
  • Watch Re-plays of the BEST Moments in Class
  • Read Books like Elympics by X.J. Kennedy (Exposes both Summer and Winter Olympics)

Summer Olympic Interactive Notebook

Love using Interactive notebook in your classroom? I do too! There are some great printables to support teaching about Summer Sports. Don’t just cover the sports, but add the rich history of the Summer Olympic Sports. These lessons can lead to easily fitting in adjectives during activities. Let students describe the sports. Lead students to writing activities about various summer sports by keeping data in a daily journal with your students.

Summer Olympic Sports Interactive Notebook for Kids

Have fun sharing the Summer Olympics with your class! It is an exciting sporting even that doesn’t happen often. Summer Olympic sports activities will provide a lot of great experiences for your kids!

Number Sense Build A Superhero Activity

Math

Students grasping a good foundation of number sense is essential for future success in math. This cute activity helps students build that foundation while building a superhero! They won’t even know they are learning with this activity!

Numbers in Different Ways

It is important for children to see numbers represented in different ways. This activity requires students to determine the meaning of the number by showing the numbers with tally marks, buttons, on dice and in ten frames. They must match the number parts.

Number Sense Activity for Kids

This is a great math center activity or small group activity for you to take a quick observational assessment of the students’ knowledge of number sense. There is a recording sheet provided for students who are completing the activity in a center so they are held accountable.

Number Sense Center Activity

Support Creativity

There are a couple printables to help students create their own NUMBER SUPERHERO. The pack contains 10 superheroes representing numbers 1-10. You will also find an extra activity for TEEN NUMBER SUPERHEROES for those students who have already mastered the single digits.

Directions

Cut the pieces out of card stock. Laminate the pieces to keep them protected for future use next year. Students will match the parts in order to create a number superhero. Then, students record their findings on the Recording Sheet. For a new activity with the same theme, use the “Design a Number Hero” printable.

Number Concepts

Find the BUILD A NUMBER SUPERHERO HERE.

Brevard Times SHAMES Teachers Attending Educational Rally

Teacher Problems, Teacher's Pay Teachers

Brevard Times, a Florida newspaper, posted the names of teachers who have used paid PERSONAL leave to attend a rally Monday in order to gain support for our education system. They accuse these teachers who advocate for students of “skipping work” and not providing “adequate supervision.”

These teachers who dedicate their lives to their students are not skipping work! They are using PERSONAL leave to fight for their students’ futures. They planned this in advanced with the approval of their school district. Teachers who put their careers on the line to make the Department of Education listen are heroes in my book! They are not going to the beach for the day. They are not spending quality time with their family on a vacation. Matter of fact, these teachers are going to have to leave their family just to attend. They are crying out for help in the classrooms and for their profession. If there weren’t problems in Florida’s education system, there would not be a huge shortage of teachers.

What was the purpose of the newspaper putting some of the names of the teachers attending in their paper? The paper says, ” Parents can then follow up with their child’s school to ensure that their child has adequate supervision during the school day on Monday.” Not every teacher attending is on the list.

This is a sick way to bully our treasured teachers by violating their privacy. If you plan on calling the school to find out about “adequate supervision,” consider calling to say THANK YOU to these teacher heroes and schools for supporting your child. If you are going to read their names, read them because they are honorable.

Did you know that Florida ranks 46 in the nation for teacher pay? There is a shortage of teachers not just because of the pay, but the lack of respect and resources for students. Newspapers like Brevard Times are part of the problem for not supporting their teachers in their county. It is important to point out that the school district has been very supportive of their teachers. It is Brevard Times who has failed the community.

SUPPORT THESE TEACHERS and let Brevard Times know they are the ones who need to be shamed!