Teacher’s Brain

Month: June 2020

First Day Of School Icebreakers

education

The first day of school is one of the biggest days of the whole year. It is a day for meeting new people and first impressions. It is also the day you set the tone for what students can expect in your classroom. All of this newness can bring up a lot of emotions for your students. This is a day that they have been eagerly anticipating all summer. They probably stayed up late the night before, thinking about what is to come the next day. With all of the excitement and anticipation, there is sure to be a lot of nervousness too! 

Starting a new school year, with a new teacher, in a new classroom is enough to make anyone anxious. For this reason, the key is to spend the first day back helping our students feel important and comfortable in our classroom. 

A great way to do that is by having some FUN. Like the old saying goes, people will remember how you made them feel. Your students will remember how they felt in your class. Getting your students engaged in a fun activity can be a huge help in relieving stress and anxiety and help them feel comfortable and relaxed. 

One of my absolute favorite ways to do that is with Escape Rooms!

These fun interactive activities are all the rage right now. Students love them. You will easily be the most memorable teacher of your students’ life. 

That’s why I created this back to school escape room! You can use these step by step instructions to guarantee student engagement while they learn about each other and work as a team and solve a mystery and escape the classroom! With a little prep, your students will work as a team to break into a box, which breaks them out of the classroom as they beat the clock! This is a great way for ANY class to learn about their peers. 

Back to School Icebreakers

Included is a PDF file with step-by-step instructions, a link to incorporate a YouTube Video to HOOK your students into accepting a mission to break free from the Ice Queen. The mystery can only be solved by working through Icebreaker Challenges and using teamwork. Opening the box, (no locks needed) leads them to enjoy recess or a library break outside of the classroom. There are 3 tasks for the students to solve before they can break free.

Check out the YouTube introduction here! 

Looking for more first day of school icebreaker activities? Check out my Getting To Know You Fidget Spinner Activities. 

You can also check out more information on making your first day of school memorable here. 

First Day Of School Activities

What are your favorite ways to get your students to have fun on the first day? Let me know in the comments below!

Netiquette for Kids and Adults

Bullying, education, Teaching Tips

Netiquette Guidelines for Online Learning and Communicating

First, let us look at the definition of netiquette.  Netiquette is the correct or acceptable way of communicating on the Internet. The core rules are to remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Your written words are read by real people who all are deserving of respectful communication.  Before you press send, ask yourself, “Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?” or “Do I care if a room full of strangers hears these words?”

It’s important to remember netiquette varies from domain to domain.  Depending on where you are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable on one domain, where it might be inappropriate on another.  KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE is something that will help you with communication just like if you are in the real world.

Respect Others

You should respect others and make yourself look “good” online.  One of the BEST and WORST things about the virtual world is you will be judged on the quality of your writing. Always check for spelling and grammar errors, know what you are talking about, state it clearly and most importantly be polite. Some sites have their own type of language due to limiting text or site terms.  Before you participate in a discussion on a new site, take time to research that site’s slang or acronyms.

Don’t abuse your power or feed the flames.  If you see a lot of angry posts being exchanged, don’t jump in and be hateful with others even it they reflect your same feelings.  Think about how you can respond in a way to make the conversation more productive and extinguish future angry postings. In addition, angry postings usually don’t change people’s minds.  As a result, negative posts can close off a conversation that could have ended with a deeper understanding of both sides.

Forgiveness

Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.  Not everyone has the same experience in the virtual world.  Some people don’t know netiquette.  You will see stupid questions, misspelled words, cyber bullying and hate filled comments.  If it’s a minor “offense,” you might want to just let it go.  If you feel compelled to respond to a mistake, do it in PRIVATE, not on a public forum to avoid cyber bullying.  I know I have posted spelling errors in the past and really appreciate a kind private message.  I have seen memories pop up about how I felt years ago and don’t feel the same way today. People change all the time.

CONTROL YOUR ZONE

Don’t be afraid to block people.  Each domain has different ways for you to snooze, block, hide, report or delete comments.  USE THEM.  You do NOT have to attend every argument you are invited to. Especially when we know there are trolls who are there just to instigate cyber fights. Think before you respond.

Here is a list of my TOP 5 Netiquette topics I share with kids and adults who are on the internet:

  • Cyberbullying is saying something to purposefully scare, injure, or hurt another person or ruining someone else’s reputation.
  • RUDE LANGUAGE  – Using curse words, or calling names is not using good manners.  Dirty jokes are not acceptable.  Use kind words.
  • CAPITAL LETTERS – USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS YELLING!
  • Laws – If it is illegal to do it outside the internet, it’s illegal on the internet. Think before you type.
  • Sarcasm is a source of plenty of misguided arguments online.  What seems like a joke to you is not to others. Be polite, respectful and direct when communicating. Of course, if you are in a private area with someone who knows your personality you can get by with more.  Remember to know your audience.

What do you do if you are a victim of cyber attacks or negative comments?

  • If it’s a crime, call 911 or if you are a child tell an adult.
  • If someone is hopeless or suicidal contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline online or at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
  • A child is being bullied in school, contact the teacher, counselor, principal or parent.
  • If the school doesn’t respond, contact the superintendent, State Department of Education or Department of Justice.
  • If it is offensive, don’t respond.  Do report it to the site admin. Block the person and delete comments.  You are in control of your zone.

A great  interactive learning resource for educators and parents, Sammy’s Guide to Internet Safety. The guide teaches kids how to enjoy the internet safely while providing fun activities and games.

First Day Of School Activities

kindergarten survival, Teacher's Pay Teachers

The first day of school is exciting for both teachers and students. The anticipation of starting a brand new school year is so fun but let’s admit it, it can be a little nerve-racking sometimes! It can feel like planning for a huge event for a room full of elementary aged kids. It is so important to make a good impression on your students and get started off on the right foot, so you want to plan it out just right. You want your students to really get to know you and your personality so they can trust you and enjoy learning in your class. However, you also want to establish rules and guidelines so your expectations are clear. Laying it all out at the beginning will set you all up for success from the very start. 

 

Your perfect first day of school should include a couple of crucial components.

 

  •  Start the day by introducing yourself and getting to know your students. You can try a fun ice breaker game or activity to help get your students relaxed and comfortable. It can be hard for some students to come to school on the first day in an environment that they are not familiar with. Get to know you activities will help them feel comfortable in their new classroom. 
  • Explain your rules and expectations clearly. It is so important for students to know what is expected of them, what is acceptable behavior in class, and what isn’t. Come up with a way that you will reinforce good classroom behavior and what methods you will use when there is misbehavior. 
  • Share a schedule. It helps students to know what to expect each day. Establishing a routine can help greatly increase their comfort and confidence level. 
  • Create a classroom community. Helping your students feel a sense of belonging and acceptance in your classroom will be so important to their success. Along with helping them academically, it can also help them when it comes to developing their social skills and making new friends. 

 

To help you make a good first impression on your students and make the first day of school a memorable one, I created this fun back to school resource that is perfect for kindergarten teachers.

 

I included a FULL day of detailed lesson plans with printables, links, editable plans, suggested plans, ideas and activities to make prepping as easy as possible. 

First day

 

What do you do to make your first day of school special for your students? Let me know in the comments!

Want more information on getting ready for kindergarten? Click here!

 

Will Education Change After The Coronavirus?

education, Teacher's Pay Teachers

There are so many unknowns right now because of the spread of the coronavirus and it has turned everyone’s world upside down. Especially those in the education field. Our plans were all put on pause and we were sent home to start learning from a distance. It was a hard adjustment to say the least. 

Many teachers are wondering how we can possibly plan for a new school year with all of the unknowns. How is education going to change after coronavirus? Will things ever go back to normal? 

There are a lot of changes in education that will likely be happening soon

  • There will likely be a surge in innovations like live broadcasts and online learning. Our online learning system now was rushed and imperfect. Now that there is such a huge need for this, it will likely lead to more streamlined and easy ways for us to connect with our students from a distance.  
  • Private education may grow. There are many who won’t agree with the way that public schools are handling social distancing guidelines and that could lead to a surge in parents enrolling their kids in private schools. This means we might be seeing smaller class sizes. 
  • This experience will build resilience. This pandemic has forced us all to be adaptable and go with the punches whether we liked it or not. This will encourage more people to be creative problem solvers and work together more to reach our objectives. 
  • Budgets will change. School districts rely on state money which comes from taxes and income. Both of these sources took a hit with the economic downturn because of the coronavirus shutdown. This means that budgets for schools will be getting cut which could impact many facets of education. 
  • Everything will be more digital. People are already weary of any cough or sneeze so extra precautions will be taken wherever possible, including the way we teach. The use of distance learning and digital classes will likely increase in the months to come. 

Students are living history right now with the Coronavirus of 2020. It is a difficult time for them because of all the major changes in their life. Students can take responsibility to help protect the world by washing their hands, staying home when they are sick or using social distancing.

I created this 22 page memory journal to help them document their experience and focus on things they can control. 

education after coronavirus

For more information on how journaling in times of stress and uncertainty, check out my post here.

How do you think education will change? Let me know in the comments below!