Kim Dees Useful Teaching Tools

Making Everday A Day Of FUN Learning

2008-10-28T08:44:00.006-07:00

Each day of school should be a day of fun, having fun learning is also very encouraging to the students. Let face it if most students enjoyed going to school more students would stay enrolled and the high school drop out rate would decrease. If possible try to discuss at the end of the day about what they enjoyed and what they would like to do tomorrow and try to incorporate it into the next days lesson. I believe that as long as a kid enjoys the lesson the teacher will have more participation.

Also always congratulate your kids, let them know that you are proud of them and what they are doing. When teaching a lesson use a sing-a-long if possible, this technique will also get the students involve and remember to sing along with your kids as well.

There are so many way to make elementary school fun, but always remember it starts with the teacher.

Time Management

2008-10-28T08:44:00.005-07:00

We all know that there is not enough time in the day for anything. It is especially hard when it comes to teaching, we have a time frame on everything and we must have them complete in a timely manner, so time management is very important. As you make your lesson plans be aware of the time the assignment or activity will take. Also keep in mind the amount of time the students will spend on a specific assignment, so do not just assume that an activity will only be ten minutes when it might take the students twenty minutes to do.

When doing an activity encourage participation. Some children will participate when others are doing so. Remember to identify the things that take up most of your time and see what ways you can cut back. Students love to help the teacher, so let some of your students help you with some of the activities. Also if you have one big activity spread it out to make it more than one and be creative one assignment can cover more than one subject.

Activities

2008-10-28T08:44:00.003-07:00

We all know that there are a lot of things that can be done in the classroom today, but as teachers we want activities that are fun and keep the children focus and willing to learn. One important activity that I would like to share is "equal sticks". During my early field experience my teacher shared with me the way she uses her equal sticks. We all know how some students can get upset because you always call on them or you never call on them, well a great daily activity for teacher sis to get a class count of Popsicle sticks and print every child's name on the stick. Through out the day as you are doing classroom things use those equal sticks to choose which student will do what. I thought that would be a great idea for all teacher to use in the elementary level.

Other activites you can use through out the classroom is a daily weather activity, using the equal sticks choose a student to go to a window and tell the class how the weather is. The class will keep a bar graph of the weather. This is not only a science activity but a math activity as well.

Basically teahers should pick activities that will excite the students and keep the student interested in learning.

Motivating Students

2008-10-28T08:44:00.001-07:00

I believe that in order to have a peaceful class you should always motivate your students. It is one if the most important rules in my rule book. Student motivation also helps out the teacher a lot. One idea to keep students motivated is to have assignments that keep them interested in learning. Plan an activity that gets all the students involved, but at the same time keep ordered. One example, for instant an art project. Do not tell a child hoe their picture should look and do not give example on the board. Let the children have their own idea of how a tree make look. Let you kids use their imaginations, it encourages the kids that their is no right or wrong answer, usually this type of activity will also motivate the shy ones in class as well.

Also when giving instructions, use an object of some sort to keep focus, the kids will be curious to know what the object is for and be encourage to know what the lesson is about. Also when presenting a new activity have class time to give examples or let the students get started, giving students an assignment to take home does not always encourage them to do it because they either do not understand because they were to afraid to ask in class. If given time in class, it also helps the teacher to have small one-on-one time with the students if they have any questions

Introduction

2008-10-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to Useful Teaching Tools. As you have read my name is Kimberly Dees, I am a junior here at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. My ultimate goal is to become an Elementary Principal. I have been working with kids for a while now, my favorite place was at one of the Montessori Schools in Mobile County. My hobbies are trying to cook, since I have my own place now I am always trying new things on the stove. I love spending time with my family, my parents are my world, I love to make them smile and I would not trade them for the world. My little sister is my best friend, but she also keeps me on my toes, she is in her teenage years.

My site is her to inform you about different ideas I get from my journey here at the University of South Alabama. Hopefully you find my ideas useful in your classroom. So many of teachers are taught different things through out our career and I would like to use this site to share workshops, ideas and other items with other educators

A little about me

2008-10-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

Hello my name is Kimberly Dees and I am pursuing my Elementary Education Bachelors Degree. I currently hold an Associates in Science degree from Faulkner State University. I am now enrolled at the University of South Alabama were I am a Junior. After college I plan to began teaching at one of the locals public schools. After teaching for a while I plan to go back to school part-time to pursue a career in Administration. I would like to be an Elementary school principal.