Teaching Tip of the Month

This month's Teaching Tip comes from TCR3202 Teacher Tips and Inspirations .

Activities that Inspire Learning

Participation Ante

Are students not participating enough? Are the same students always participating while others just sit? Try a tally device to make the teacher and students aware of how often they are participating in whole-class activities and/or discussions.

For each activity, place three of anything on each student's desk--right in front for easy access and visibility. Sticky notes are good, because they aren't interesting enough for students to want to play with them, they stay in one place, and they don't end up on the floor. Every time a child participates in the activity, take one sticky note off his or her desk. Students left with sticky notes are quickly aware of how little they are involved.

A fun way of introducing the activity is to put the notes on each desk, but do not tell students what they are for. Just say you will be removing them, and that it is a good thing to have them removed. It is up to them to figure out why they are being removed. Students will soon figure it out. Once they understand the concept, the teacher can start over with another subject area. This is a really helpful way for a teacher to pinpoint those students who avoid participation. The teacher will also be able to see a pattern--one student may always participate in reading, but rarely during math. This can be valuable information.

"What Should I Do Now?" Mobile

Teachers often hear that famous question "What should I do now?" from students. It may bother some teachers who go through agonizing efforts to make centers, enrichment activities, games, etc., interesting. The students still do not know what to do when they rush through the assignment. This mobile is a simple way to let the students know exactly what to do without having to come to the teacher. It frees teachers up to help those who need it, and most importantly, it gives the students a sense of independence.

At the top of the mobile, write the question, "What should I do now?" Hang below it all the different activities in which the teacher would like them to participate. The teacher can hang it from the ceiling and write an activity on both sides so it can be viewed from any perspective. Or, hang it against a wall and turn over only those activities the teacher feels are appropriate for that time of day. For example, the teacher may only want the computer game option showing when the computer is free.

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