Welcome to Success!

What do you do in your classroom to help all students feel successful?

For many years, I used to have a banner in my room that read WELCOME TO SUCCESS! (a la Harry K. Wong)  I really do believe that all of my students have something to offer our class.  I want them to feel comfortable with themselves, and I want them to feel like they are contributing and growing in our class.

It has been a couple of years since I hung that banner.  I may have to do it again this year.  I wqant them to know that I believe that they are special and talented.  I try to show them this in my language, by offering a variety of choice activities, and by pointing out my strengths and weaknesses.  They need to know that very few of us are full of only strengths.  We all have areas that are more difficult for us.  When we work in groups, we try to "play to our strengths."  We do it as adults, so I think they should learn to do it some as children, too.  That doesn't mean we avoid trying to strengthen our weaknesses...

What things do you do to help students feel talented and successful?

Finally last week....

Last week was our state testing week.  What a long week for kids!  Most of mine did well with the change in schedule and routine, but some of my kids who struggle with focus had a tough time.

I am not a fan of testing, so I try to keep them excited by offering some fun activities.  First of all, a favorite is for their parents to write to them on sticky notes--one note for each day.  When the kids come in the room, they have a snack on their desk along with a note from a loved one.  Many get so excited that they keep them on their desks well after testing.  They can't have them on their desktop during testing, so they hang them down on their desk where they can still see it and then place them back on their desks when the testing is done. 



Many of them think that their moms and dads are coming into the room when they are gone.  It is so cute.  I love seeing the creative ways parents make the notes.  It is really touching how much of an impact it has on the kids. 

On Tuesday of testing, we celebrated Michelangelo's birthday by painting our own "Sistine Chapels."  Kids had fun laying on their backs.  I posted about this activity here.  Here are our finished creations.

Aren't the colors beautiful?

Wednesday was our World Read Aloud Day celebration.  We celebrated all afternoon with a visit from our Director of Elementary Education reading Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude to the whole 3rd grade, extra read aloud from me, read aloud with a partner and a Skype event with Navjot Kaur.  She read to us from her book A Lion's Mane.  It was a nice afternoon.  One of the kids said to me, "I've never met an author before.  Now I have!"  This Skype was set up for me by LitWorld who organizes World Read Aloud Day.



Certainly, we are glad to be done with our testing, but these special events made it all a little more fun!



What I am is...

My students LOVE this video by Will.i.am and Sesame Street.  We play it at least once a week, often as we are transitioning from activity to another.  They even do some of his motions...

It has a great message besides a catchy tune.  I love it, too!

Parent Involvement Linky

Mrs. Bee is having a parent involvement linky. I have a number of things I do that probably everybody does: Friday folder, daily assignment book, website,volunteers...

However, when I began teaching 3rd grade six years ago, I began a great activity that kids and parents love! About a month before we do our state testing, I send home a letter to my parents explaining the testing and thanking them for all of their support...At the bottom of the page, I stick a post-it note for each day of the testing. Parents are asked to write encouraging words to their child and send the notes back to me (preferably without their child knowing) before testing begins.

Each day during testing, I place a different post-it note on the child's desk. They almost always think their parents came to the classroom and put the post-it on their desk! They look forward each day to see what their parents wrote! I firmly believe it gives them an extra boost as they sit down to take the tests.

Parents are often very creative and loving in their comments to their children. Some of them nearly make me cry.

The notes can't be on the students' desks during testing, but many of them keep the notes lined up on the inside of their desks for weeks after testing. Even as our testing changes in the coming years (Hurrah!), I will find some way to keep this activity going in my room.