Patriotic Pinwheel Craft

This hands-on pinwheel craft is a great summertime activity! For one, you'll be inside and out of the heat. Two, you can make it thematic for the Forth of July. And three, your kiddos will be working on reading and following instructions–skills that they can take with them into the next school year and the real world.

Save Yourself from Repeating Yourself

Some students need instructions repeated, and that's okay! But you can head-off confusion and interuptions by using these seven tricks that will help you avoid the “What are we supposed to do?” question after you’ve already given your students instructions.

1. Please, get out a pen and paper.
If you’re giving big instructions explaining the giant essay that students must complete by Friday, with 631 words, double-spaced, in curlz font on the topic of deforestation (please don’t do this to your kiddos), you may want to make sure that they are writing these details down.

2. What page did you say?
Designate a spot on your board for important information that your students can always know to refer to. For example, if you are asking them to complete the questions on page 85 of their math textbook, write that on the board. This will help avoid the “What page did you say?” question.

Practice Following Directions in the Kitchen

Improving your students’ ability to follow directions is not only a skill that will help improve your daily life in the classroom, but it will help your students out in the real world.