Take a cue from the recent social media craze that Kyle Schwartz started by asking her third graders to jot down “What I Wish My Teacher Knew”. This simple lesson plan not only builds your students’ sense of community, but it also shows your students that you care and are there to listen to their needs. Read the full article about Kyle Schwartz’s lesson here.
Keep a birthday calendar for your students and celebrate birthdays with a special message on the board.
Tip: Don’t forget about your summer birthdays. Take note of those in the last weeks of the school year.
Send this note home to parents asking them to write their child a letter telling them just how proud they are. If it’s in your budget, include an envelope and the paper for them to write on. You can either give out the parent letters all at once or randomly on days you feel some students need a little pick-me-up, like right before a big test.
Tip: You could even have parents do this at the beginning of the school year on Meet the Teacher Night so you don’t have to send anything home in hopes that it makes it back to you.
Click to Tweet: I love my students! Here are 5 easy ways to show your students the love from @remediapub
If you have students who play in a school sport or are in the school’s band, go to their events and show your support. Students will feel extra special knowing you are there cheering them on.
Tip: Announce student victories to the class. "Let's give Austin a round of applause. His baseball team won their game this weekend."
Sometimes it may feel like you are only sending negative notes home. Be sure to balance out the notes. If you see a student excel, succeed, or do a good deed, send a positive note home. They deserve to know you noticed, and their parents will be happy to see some positive feedback.
We know you save every empty shoebox, paper towel roll, and soda bottle just in case the right class project or craft comes along. So let us help you put those hoarded 2-liter soda bottles to work!
Start by removing the labels and the sticky residue left behind. The trick is soaking the bottles in warm water, which will get most of the label off, and then using either white vinegar or peanut butter (yes, peanut butter—smooth, not chunky) to remove the sticky residue. Worm Farm You will need a 2-liter bottle, 16-ounce water bottle (empty), sand, dirt, rocks, worms, tape, and black construction paper. Cut the tops off of the two bottles. Be sure to save the top of the 2-liter bottle. Put about one inch of rocks with a little dirt in the bottom of the 2-liter bottle, then place the smaller bottle inside the larger bottle, and begin layering sand and dirt around the smaller bottle. Once you have the dirt filled most of the way to the top, add three to five worms, and tape the 2-liter bottle’s lid back on top (remove the cap). Now, you’re ready to watch the magic happen. Worms work best in the dark, so cover the bottle with the black construction paper and check back in to see their progress. Encourage students to keep a journal to record what they see and discover. Punctured Plastic Bottle Experiment This experiment demonstrates how air pressure controls the flow of water. To demonstrate this, you will poke a hole near the bottom of a 2-liter bottle, cover the hole with masking tape, and then fill the bottle with water and put the cap on the bottle. Click here to download this experiment and activity from our Hands-On Experiments books.
