Getting ready for another year...

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Permalink Reply by Bonney on February 6, 2008 at 8:07am

I got this idea from one of my professors at UWG. The first week of school is critical to the relationship that a teacher will have with his or her students. A great idea to break the ice is to create a "me bag" for the kids where a small bag of items are given to each student at the beginning of the term. It would be wise to have all of the classes use the same bag if you have too many classes and money is really tight. Nevertheless, this idea is a great way to show your students that you care. Inside each bag is a number of things that are symbolic of who you are and what you believe. I believe that the "me bag' is valuable tool for middle grades because it lets students know a little about your values as a teacher and it is a fun thing to do for the kids on the first day rather than getting right to work. It can also work as a sort of icebreaker for them and you. Moreover, a little lesson on ethics and values never hurt anyone.

Just to give an example of a few ideas that I came up with for a "me bag" are some symbolic items that I would include in a "me bag" for my students:

1. I would give students a little star so that they have one star to hold and did not have to work hard for it. We can all soar to success by reaching for the stars but it does take hard work.

2. I will give each student a key ring because once they mold each key of knowledge; they will hold the keys to success.

3. I will give each student a toy bumblebee because the bumblebee is a magnificent insect because aerodynamically the bumblebee should not be able to fly, but the bumblebee does not know that so it goes on flying anyway. The bumblebee should be an inspiration to us all to achieve things that we think are impossible.

4. I will give each student a long piece of string and four sticks in order to make a goal (like a soccer or hockey goal). "We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don't know where you're aiming, you don't have a goal.

5. I will give each student a gold medal (a gold chocolate coin on a string). When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.

6. I will give students a picture of Rome to let them know that it was not built in one day. There are going to be many times when we fail and are disappointed. Failures and disappointments are important stepping-stones in life; the lessons that we learn from them make us stronger. Just remember, "Never give up" and most people are experts when they first try something. We have to practice and learn patience in order to be experts at something.

7. I will give students little boxes that read do not enter so that they can think outside of the box. Out-of-the box thinking requires openness to new ways of seeing the world and a willingness to explore. Out-of-the box thinkers know that new ideas need nurturing and support. They also know that having an idea is good but acting on it is more important. Results are what count. When you think outside the box, the box goes away, you no longer have limits on your possibilities.

8. A blindfold to signify that they should view others without judging by looks (what they wear or skin color). For middle schoolers this is especially important because we will find that some kids can be quite cruel and for the children on the receiving end of that cruelty, will have a very difficult time in school and no child should dread school for any reason.

Permalink Reply by Jamie Winfield on July 14, 2009 at 11:19am

One of my best experiences from this past year has been creating digital videos. Students used iMovie to create digital videos about 2 topics (a review of a Native American PauWau we attended and an overview of the Roaring 20s). They had to research, plan, learn the technology, and then work with a partner to actually create the video. It was a self-directed project. I can let you know more if you are interested and I'll post some examples under my video.