Read this blog post for 115 creative little ideas on how to bless someone today and discover ways you can become a blessing to others.
5 ideas for better activity transitions in middle and high school classes
Sprinkle some creativity into math, science, language, and other core subjects with help from these fun and easy cross-curricular art ideas!
A pack of beautiful carousel designs to help you communicate your boundaries, rules, Instagram breaks, how to work with you and other important information in a professional and engaging way. Can also be used for any other topics as a regular carousel. Get these + over 2,600 other templates when
In this post, you'll learn about four meaningful structures you can use to help students give each other feedback that really helps. By the way, you can sign up for the pack of four free guides featured in the upcoming photos in the free resources section of this site.
Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.
Throughout my years teaching middle school, I have had the experience of seeing many "work refusals". These are the situations when kids, for a variety of reasons, just refuse to start the work you give them. They might shut down and rest their head on their desk or lash out in anger, shouting about
This listing includes 3 worksheet pages with 36 different boxes total. This listing also includes a colored example page for reference. All pages are contained within a single PDF file and you can print what you would like. Each worksheet includes 12 boxes that have "starter" lines. Students are instructed to create an image or design from these starter lines...the more creative the better! This listing is for Pack 2 of the Imagination Workouts. To see the Imagination Workout Pack 1, go to this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Imagination-Workout-Creativity-Test-Drawing-Sub-Art-Lesson-Plan-Doodle-Worksheet-1249337 This is an excellent sub art lesson plan! The drawing keeps students busy while also using their creativity. This would also be a great lesson for the first day of class to keep kids motivated and excited to be in art class. Directions: 1. Introduce students to the concept of an imagination workout. You could even do an example on the board or have students practice on the first one together. 2. Next, instruct students to think outside the box. They can draw animals, shapes, buildings, cars, symbols, etc. 3. Students can also color in their drawings and doodles. 4. Give students five minutes to walk around the class to look at other student work. The kids get a huge kick out of seeing what other kids came up with...some are VERY creative! Other lessons: *Have students choose one doodle to recreate on a larger scale *Have students try to create a story/comic out of three different doodles of their choice *Have students pass their paper around from student to student until all 12 boxes are filled up (like the game Telephone)
These pen pal prompts will help you get to know each other better and share your interests in a fun and creative way.
Are you looking to start a makerspace at your school? I've gathered all my best tips and ideas in one place for you. Let's get making!
Free printable hands outlines for handicraft workshops with children. Use hands templates for kindergarten or home preschool activities to develop kids creativity.
Here are the best yoga poses for abs, including boat pose, chair pose and plank, along with how to do them and how to make them work for your body.
1-2-3 Come Make A Name Map With Me! I teach “mapping” as a writing strategy to my college comp students. It’s a fun visual way for them to get their thoughts organized on paper, before they begin to write their essay. A name map is a terrific way to introduce "mapping" to elementary students. This is also an interesting icebreaker for the first week of school and a great way to get to know your new students. Children think of a symbol that represents them and draw that in the middle. I chose an apple as it’s sort of universal for school or teaching. Branching out from the center symbol is a variety of things about the person such as hobbies, their favorite season, birthday, what they want to be when they grow up etc. By having students use their two favorite colors to write their first and last names in the center of their object, everyone gets to know another “tidbit” about that person. The completed activities make a wonderful back to school bulletin board too! Make sure you do a personal one of yourself, so that you have a sample to show your students as a way to explain things, as well as a means for them to get to know their new teacher. Includes an explanatory note home to families. Sharing name maps is a nice activity to do after reading the story Chrysanthemum, a wonderful back to school tale, whose main character is a little mouse named Chrysanthemum. She loved her unusual name until she started school and everyone began making fun of her. It's one of my all-time favorite back-to-school books and especially great if you need some stories to go with "bucket-filling." My inspiration to do name maps, came from an art teacher’s “heart maps” that he did with his 4th graders at Riverside Elementary. Click on the link to check out their awesome endeavors. I hope you and yours have as much fun making these as I did. Click on the link to view/download Name Maps. This packet is a special FREEBIE in my TpT shop. Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN away! For your convenience, my "Pin it" button is at the top on the menu bar. “There’s few things as uncommon as common sense.” –Frank McKinney Hubbard
We use tools in our classroom that help encourage our students' thinking -- but are you making their thinking visible? We use anchor charts and other strategies, but are you doing all of these? There's one way to find out!
This week was our first week back and, boy am I tired! My class is great though...very inquisitive and eager to learn. They take their work seriously and are actively working most of the day. Who could ask for more?? We did quite a few things this week, but I want to share with you one "get to know you" project we did that really came out great. I seriously can't stop staring at it! I saw this pin on Pinterest. I love how it looks and thought it would make a great welcome sign. Now, on the pin, the hands seemed to be just colored in. I wanted something a bit more. So we started with creating Circle Maps about ourselves. What made us special? What are some things that have shaped us? Where did you go in your life? etc....Most of the kids finished these Circle Maps in class on the first day of school. I then asked the students to trace their hands and arms on a piece of 11 x 17" piece of paper. They then had to draw, write, decorate, etc...the traced in hand with items from the Circle Map. The goal was to teach their fellow classmates about themselves in a visual way, without giving away too much information (ie: I didn't want them to write paragraphs.) That is pretty much how far we got in class. So, the first homework assignment the students had to finish the project at home. I gave them this sheet so that they could be a bit more focused on their project and add a bit if they wanted. (but if you are going copy-less, just forgo this. They can write the information on a sheet of paper instead.) The next day, the hands came back to school...and they were great! I had the kids get into groups and share what they decided to put on their hands and why. The kids learned a lot about each other in that 15 minute session! You can see some of them used words as well as pictures to tell about themselves. I love the one directly in the center of this picture! Others just used pictures, like the one in the middle here. When I went to put them around a piece of poster board, like in the original pin, they didn't fit :( I think if I had used a smaller piece of paper to trace their hands to begin with they might have. Oh well! I decided to put them up as if the hands were all in a line, raising up.....and it came out great! I overlapped the hands, so I was able to get 5 or 6 on one piece of large construction paper. I then mounted them on my wall. I love it! All in all, this was a fun little project that served as a great way for the kids to get to know each other and make a nice display! What is something you do during the first week of school to help the kids get to know each other and for you to learn a little about them? Follow me on Snapchat for even more teaching ideas!
Hexagonal thinking is a rich new way to inspire discussion. This quick post will tell you everything you need to know (and provide you with ready-to-print resources) to successfully add Hexagonal Thinking discussions into your ELA classroom.
Read a few ideas for civics and government activities. There are free lessons and activities as well as other fun hands-on, engaging ideas.
Want to draw Joy from Inside Out 2? Follow our guide on how to draw Joy and recreate one of Pixar's beloved characters.
This leaf die set is great for any Fall project, but it can also be used during other seasons to spruce up any piece in the classroom. Whether it’s a matching activity for your children or simply décor for your door, let this die help your creative juices flow! And don’t worry, it won’t take long to make due to
Alliums are a long-blooming perennial that are rich in color and height. Learn how to grow alliums in your garden so you can enjoy its blooms all Spring!
X15simple and fun hand strengthening exercises for kids to help build the muscle strength and coordination needed to carry out fine motor tasks.
Have you ever seen a beautiful piece of watercolor art and thought “I want to paint like that”? Many budding artists hold back because they just don’t know how to start painting in watercolors. I think that’s too bad. Because I believe the joy of creating with watercolors is within anybody’s reach. Some people simply
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
Make back to school fun with this T-shirt all about me art and writing activity. This all about me ice breaker really engages upper elementary and middle school students, helping with community building and reducing anxiety during the first week back to school. <> Description Using these low-prep T-shirt art and writing templates in the classroom, you will learn interesting facts about your students, while classmates enjoy sharing and getting to know more about each other too. What’s included in this all about me back to school activity? 1. T-shirt drawing activities There are 15 sections to respond to prompts with mini drawings and doodles. Prompts include self-portrait, name, age, grade, favorite color, fruit, vegetable, sport, movie, song… A selection of creative template options are available, you can choose according to the age and ability of your students. For example, confident students can use a blank template and draw their own lines and boxes to fill in. 2. T-shirt writing activities There are 15 questions / prompts to respond to in written format. These include my top 3 goals this year, something I like at school, something I find challenging, if I were a superhero, I can make the world better by, I feel happy when, I feel sad when, I aim to, I wonder if..... Choose from additional writing templates to explore goal setting and summer memories Untitled lined T-shirt templates are included for you to use in your own way Learn about the artist Piet Mondrian The T-shirt templates are inspired by the artist, Piet Mondrian's abstract work. This resource includes a poster and garlands to help create a colorful, welcoming and inspiring classroom. You can also extend the learning by studying Piet Mondrian Mondrian-inspired early finisher activities Additional fun doodle pages Bookmarks to cut out and decorate Help cut out and display classroom garlands Additional information Completed and partially completed T-shirt examples are included for display purposes and to give direction to students who may find this helpful. I used a black ball point pen and colored markers to create a modern, illustrative style to appeal to middle schoolers UK/Aus/Can templates with 'colour' and 'favourite' spellings are included in the packet. The templates will match up when glued together, back to back. Please note that activities have been designed to complete on separate pieces of paper, they are not formatted to be printed back to back on one sheet of paper. Accurate two-sided printing cannot be guaranteed as paper tends to move slightly while printing Size of templates The T-shirt templates are designed to fit US Letter and A4 paper size for printing They measure approximately 25cm and 20cm / 10 x 8 inches Work big! If you have access to a larger printer, you can scale up to 11x14 or A3 depending on the paper sizes that you use. The templates are vector files so they won't pixelate when you enlarge them Ideas for use Build a strong sense of community during the first week back Safe for shy or nervous students to share about themselves Meet the Teacher Open House Bulletin board displays ESL students Students with learning disabilities Encourage creativity in those less confident Goal setting and growth mindset Social and emotional - help students explore their feelings Welcoming new students New teacher introduction Helpful low prep project for substitute teachers End of Year reviews Display ideas These T-shirts make a fabulous display on the bulletin board or pegged up on a line as a garland or 'washing line' You could also decorate your door or use the T-shirts for personal journal covers or to label students' locker doors Glue back to back, and laminate them if you would like to refer back to them throughout the year TERMS OF USE Copyright © The Imagination Box Ltd All rights reserved by the author, Diane Pagan Strictly for personal / homeschool / single classroom use only This activity cannot be used for commercial use or distributed in any way Copying any part of this product and placing it on the internet in any form is strictly forbidden. Doing so is a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) By downloading any of my resources you are confirming your agreement to the terms of this single-user license. Please direct colleagues to my store to download further copies You will receive a single pdf file to download, containing all pages. No paper goods will be shipped to you. Print the activity sheets at home on card stock or heavyweight paper or at your local print store. Thanks for considering my activity, Diane
How to help a speech delayed child | From speech therapy activities to PECS communication boards, we’ve rounded up 32 tips & activities to get you started!
I wanted to share the details of a Christmas party I helped plan for our ward's Relief Society. In case anyone needed any Christmas party id...
Fun ways to announce your pregnancy to your family. Creative pregnancy announcements that work for grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members.
Hey friends! I have been trying to think of ways to be more environmentally friendly when I am quilting. I am really thoughtful about the beautiful fabrics I select and I want to use every scrap so that nothing goes to waste. Today I am sharing a scrap buster tutorial to make a quilted bookmark! How to make a quilted bookmark: Materials: Fusible Midweight Interfacing Quilter's Cotton Scraps Sewing Machine Iron & Pressing Mat Other Helpful materials: 6 1/2
These MOST unique pregnancy announcement ideas will help you to announce pregnancy to everyone in your life, including the dad, your parents, other kids, sister or brother, best friends, and more!
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
