Where does the time go? I
admit that I've been missing in action for a bit of time now, but I have a
great excuse... KIDS!
This has been a whirlwind of a year and I'm actually
really excited and looking forward to returning to the classroom but it wouldn't be a fun and exciting
"Back-to-School" time if I didn't get to share my new
Back-to-School activities with you!
Here are some ideas and tips to help you
dive back into your classroom routine. This activity will serve as not
only a fun activity, but also provide an opportunity for your students to work
on literacy skills and even some social skills. In addition, this activity works
to help break the ice. After all, it’s so hard to come back to school after
being out all summer, right?!
Providing fun activities that include practicing
literacy skills is so important for our students. As a teacher, I feel super
successful when I am able to incorporate literacy into other activities and
centers in my classroom. I am also always thinking about creative and
constructive ways to do this, especially with a classroom of diverse students.
This Back-to-School Bus activity meets all of these teaching goals for me! It
is designed to not only help students acclimate back into the classroom setting
in a fun and easy way, but it provides an avenue for them to reflect and
express fond memories about the summer.
The Back-to-School Bus activity comes
with several writing prompts for different age and grade levels. While students
are practicing their critical thinking, sentence organization and writing
skills, they are actually participating in
what feels like a fun art activity. Students are able to creatively express
themselves in writing. I know my students love thinking and talking about
themselves and their precious experiences so this activity provides that fun
opportunity while also engaging students in other ways. It barely feels like schoolwork!
As a teacher, I will also
model how to do this assignment by telling my students about my own wildly fun,
and somewhat quick, summer vacation. This ensures engagement and provides a
starting point for students. In addition, as an extension to this activity,
teachers can have children get into small groups or pairs and discuss their
projects in more detail. This extension helps them practice budding social
skills and helps me to model appropriate social skills as I flow through the
classroom and informally assess them, even though it’s cleverly disguised as
fun conversation! This activity provides teachers with a beginning assessment
to really see where students are at and what their interests are which is so
important at the beginning of the school year, especially. This helps me become
a better teacher as I get to know my students in a way that helps me teach them
more effectively.
For this teacher, that is a well-played win =)
