Sanity Savers - Teaching Ideas

Staying Organized

We all have had those children that are part beaver and eat pencils. Sometimes they are our pencils. I keep a package of plastic straws handy and give them that to chew on. It has sure saved a lot of trees from becoming pencils. Connie Gee, Brentwood, TN

Children are always borrowing pencils, markers, rulers and etc. They didn’t seem to get back to me. I started collecting collateral from the children in the form of a shoe. They had to return my property for their shoe. They couldn’t go to the gym, lunchroom, bathroom, and etc. without their shoe. I loose very few items anymore. The children also learned the meaning of collateral. It’s just good economics. Connie Gee, Brentwood, TN.

Keeping Current -

When I finally grew tired of the "excuse" that students didn't have the current instructional handout, I came up with this idea. Using a plastic page sleeve, I insert a copy of the current handout and, on the other side, a "fun" sheet. Each desk or table gets one plastic sleeve. The "fun" page gets the students' attention and they also have the current instructional material. Students look forward to the "fun" page, but soon discover the value of having the instructional handout at their finger tips.

On the "fun" sheet I might list the students who have birthdays that week along with cartoons, riddles, quotes, jokes, homework tips, websites, or seasonal information. (Model good documentation by giving credit to sources).

If you teach different levels of a class, it is a good idea to use different colored paper, so your juniors aren't doing the sophomore assignment. Only occasionally will a sleeve disappear. I optimistically think that the student either really needed the instructional handout or enjoyed the "fun" page so much, he or she wanted to share it with others.

Cheryl Lawson
Vallivue High School
Caldwell, ID 83605

Jackpot!

When checking our Weekly Readers back page each week, we play "Win A Million."

I choose one student to begin answering the questions. The first question is worth $10,000. If he or she gets it right, they can go on for double the money all the way to 1,000,000. If they aren't sure of the answer, they get "2 lives." The other students can help or suggest an answer. If they miss the answer to the question, they choose someone else to start on the road to a million. They like doing this and it helps everyone stay on track.

Steve Sandefer, Grade 6, Lena Dunn Elementary School, Washington, IN 47501

You Be the Teacher

I have a learning wall which displays all the skills for the grading period.  To fill in tree times, students take turns being the teacher at the learning wall.  In order to get a turn, each student must participate. I teach kindergarten.  Some skills used are calendar, clock, days of week, coins, colors, rhymes, vocabulary words, letters and numbers.   You can use any skills you are working on.  Students love  this activity and it is a good way to utilize peer teaching.   

Theresa Teague

Selmer  Elementary  School, Nashville, TN

Group and Go!

My first graders sit at individual desks which are grouped together as "tables".  At the beginning of the year each group is given a name.  I usually begin with the days of the week or the months of the year to reinforce their familiarity with them.  I rearrange often and rename the tables according to a unit of study or concept being taught.  One of the favorites is coins and their value.  Each table is named one of the coins up to a dollar bill.  When lining up I sometimes say, if your table is worth less than 25 cents, you may line up.  The possibilities are endless!  The children look forward to each new name and learn a lot in the process.

Anne McGurn, Richmond, Virginia.

Funny Money

I have been teaching economics for 31 years, and I was Alabama's economics teacher of the year in 1994. One of the best gimmicks I have come up with can be easily done and works wonders! I use my scanner to make currency with pictures of my students on it. I print ones through hundreds. I use almost any picture they give me--even an occasional dog. I always carry some of this cash on me to reward good behavior, speech and good answers. I also fine them for various things. The students don’t get mad; they think it's fun.  I have a payday on Fridays and deduct for absences and tardies. I charge $5 to go to the bathroom or locker, and the students don't mind. I have had no flack from parents or administrators. I convert the cash to extra points at the term's end (never more than 5 extra points). I also use the cash to reward economics news that students may bring every day. Use your imagination and try it. It works!!

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