The Importance of Routines in the Classroom

Give your students something to look forward to and the discipline to follow through.

Morning routines help get the day started out right. Students ease into projects because they’ve had time to fire up their brains, hold discussions about their discoveries, and prepare for harder tasks and projects that require greater involvement. How you choose to approach mornings in the classroom could very well set the tone for the learning environment you teach in.

Here are some of the things that are achieved through dedicated morning routines.

Students see value in familiarity.

Established morning routines save time and valuable resources. They give students a set of expectations to follow. Morning routines are initiated without much thought or persuasion, too. You don’t have to coax students into getting busy because they are already familiar with what to do and how to do it.

Procrastination goes by the wayside because students know what it takes to get started.

Even when new lessons are introduced, your class know who they’ve been partnered up with. They know where to find their supplies. They’re acquainted with how much time they must complete certain tasks. There isn’t a lot of wasted time first thing in the morning because your students are procrastinating completing tasks or projects.

Your class is taken care of while you are away.

In the event of your absence, you have fewer things to worry about. Your substitute can take advantage of the Morning Work book you’ve left for him or her to view. Your students are prepared because they’re doing similar work throughout the rest of the year, so they’re ready to help the sub as much as they can.

Your classroom benefits tremendously when following a morning routine. It prepares students for the day ahead of them especially in the event of your absence. It gives them time to mentally prepare for other subjects, projects, and tasks with greater ease. It also requires discipline because follow-through is required to complete the routine and move onto the next area of focus for the day.

How to Prepare Your Classroom in the Event of Your Absence

Give your emergency substitute the tools and resources needed to teach class skillfully.

Emergencies happen when you least expect them. That’s why it’s important to be prepared by having emergency sub plans available in the event of your absence. Doing so ensures that your class receives the instruction they need to complete class projects with ease. They won’t be left in the dark because you’re away for a day or two.

In addition to purchasing files including Emergency Sub Plans for Middle School Teachers, you can do the following things to prepare for emergency absences successfully.

Create a sub binder that can be added to throughout the year.

Divide the content into sections based on subject and theme. Use a table of contents to explain where to look for specific lesson plans. You can also include information that is pertinent to your classroom as a day-at-a-glance page.  Letting the sub know the typical routine your students go through in a given day helps things go much smoother when you’re away.

Provide activities that are familiar but can be varied.

That way, the substitute teacher doesn’t spend a great deal of time explaining how an activity is done. They can teach the lesson and then give your students the opportunity to work together to come up with a solution to a problem or design a project that focuses on each member of the group’s strengths. These lessons are best utilized when you’re gone for an extended amount of time due to an emergency.

The ideas listed above help you get through an unexpected absence easily. By taking time to prepare in advance for an emergency, you’ll always be ready in the event one occurs. You won’t be stuck scrambling for content for your sub to teach.

Help your emergency substitute get through the day with greater ease. An emergency situation calls for quick thinking. Having emergency sub plans bundled and available is one way to think ahead.

What Makes a STEM Activity Great?

A successful activity sparks the imagination and gives kids creative skills they can use daily.

The right STEM activities possess a unique set of characteristics that help enhance the learning experience. If you’re looking for new ways to connect with your students, learning how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math better them as individuals and scholars is key. The lessons that you teach to the kids you’re in charge of today can significantly benefit the world in the future as many young students grow up and work in positions where the skills come into play.

The six characteristics of an excellent STEM activity are explained below.

Characteristic #1: Real-world issues and challenges are emphasized.

Whatever is going on in society, the economy, and the environment is explored through STEM activities. Students learn how they can affect these areas positively.

Characteristic #2: The engineering design process guides the lesson being taught.

Children learn to identify problems as well as create and develop solutions. They get to experience big picture thinking and directly influence the outcome of a situation.

Characteristic #3: Students get to ask questions and get fully immersed in a hands-on experience.

Students collaborate to come up with the best solution. They get to see how things work personally by having a hand in the creative thought process.

Characteristic #4: Teamwork is key to the lesson’s success.

Kids work with their classmates to build upon one another’s unique ideas and skills. This facilitates faster and better solutions overall.

Characteristic #5: Students get to apply the math and science lessons they’ve already learned to the STEM activity.

Taking knowledge that they already possess, children get to apply it to STEM lessons. They see why the information was important in the first place.

Characteristic #6: There is no one right answer and failures are seen as yet another step to learning.

Kids learn that there are many outcomes with each lesson. They also learn to see failure as a part of the learning process.

Now that you know what characteristics make a STEM activity great, you’ll be better able to plan activities for your own classroom. You’ll be able to add value to your students’ day by sparking meaningful discussion following a successful science, technology, engineering, and math event. The skills that the kids in your class learn are ones they can use in everyday situations.

How Magnetic Slime Teaches Kids About Science

This fun STEM activity can be created in large batches for classroom settings.

If you want a STEM activity to do in the classroom that appeals to your students, don’t overlook slime. It’s pliable so it can be squished and stretched repeatedly. It can also be made to be magnetic which ties into your science lesson about polarity. This activity is one that can be done relatively inexpensively but it does require advanced preparation so make sure to allow enough time in the school day to prep materials.

Ingredients Needed to Make Slime

The ingredients needed to make slime include liquid starch, Elmer’s Glue, Iron Oxide, a neodymium disc magnet also known as a rare earth magnet, disposable mixing bowls, wooden popsicle sticks for stirring, and a box of plastic gloves to keep children’s hands clean and safe.

To prepare the slime for use, you’ll need to do the following things:

·      Take out the bowls and give each student one along with a pair of gloves and a popsicle stick. Pour the liquid starch into a bowl. You’ll want to use ¼ of a cup per student.

·      Add the iron powder. Two tablespoons are enough per bowl. Get the kids to put their gloves on so you’ll have less mess to clean. Then, have the children stir it until it is mixed with liquid starch.

·      Put the glue in and mix. Students will need ¼ a cup of white glue each. They’ll need to continue stirring it because at first, it won’t look like anything.

·      Take the slime out and continue squishing and mixing it. This is where the gloves help most. They’ll keep your students’ hands from being stained by the experiment.

·      Pat the slime dry. Then pull out the magnets and start experimenting with the creation.

If you’re concerned about expense, you could easily have children work in groups to reduce the number of supplies needed for the STEM project.

What Students Learn from Experiments Involving Magnets

Students learn a lot from magnets. By making the slime magnetic, you accomplish two things. You teach children how to create their own science experiments using common household items, and you provide them with memorable lessons that they can share with others.

Slime is wildly popular among elementary-aged students and pre-teens. It’s easy to make and is magnetic when made according to the recipe featured on the Frugal Fun 4 Boys website. Although the recipe is intended to be made in small batches, it can easily be adapted to fit your unique classroom’s needs.

How to Start Building Good Character in the Classroom Today

Good character is learned. It is nurtured through meaningful activities led by role models such as parents, community leaders, and teachers. Your role as an educator requires many things from you. One, in particular, character building, has the power to transform your students in a truly meaningful way.

Here are ways to start building good character in the classroom:

1.    Introduce the pillars of good character in the activities you choose and the way things are run in class and school. According to the Josephson Institute of Ethics, areas of emphasis should include trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, caring, fairness, and citizenship.  Other good character traits to explore include courage, diligence, and integrity.

2.    Be a great role model. Children model the behavior they see exhibited by the people they look up to and spend the most time with. As their teacher, you have the power to instill seeds of greatness in them. Take the time to consider the actions you take and the words that you speak. Everything you do carries considerable weight in how it shapes the character of your students.

3.    Make respect a priority. No matter how much people disagree, make it know that being respectful is the only acceptable way to do so. By emphasizing respect for one’s self, parents, classmates, teachers, and community officials, children see the direct correlation between respectful behavior and positive outcomes.

4.    Volunteer as a class. Offer to pitch in as a class. Organize a volunteer effort that involves your students. It could be something as easy as walking shelter dogs or picking up trash at the park. Whatever you decide to do so, make sure to thank your students for being part of the solution and making a difference.

You can encourage your students to be the very best they can be with the activities you choose for them to engage in during classroom hours. Keep the information listed above in mind when creating your curriculum. There are many ways to help students become good citizens. Your guidance has a lasting impression on them as they get older and are faced with different challenges in adulthood.