Special Mailbox
A cute idea for the classroom is to mount a real mailbox on a support stand. Use this to send special notes to students, praising their efforts and progress.
Some examples of reasons to send notes are as follows:
- being kind to another
- making learning progress
- being polite and courteous
- birthdays or other special times
- putting away something left out
- cleaning up unprompted
- saying something kind
- helping another student
- straightening the desk
- remembering what the teacher said
The teacher can write a special note to the student who is caught being good and put it in the mailbox for delivery. Have a mailman deliver the notes at the end of the day. Students love getting their mail and showing it off to others.
You can also have note cards ready for others to write notes. The principal, another teacher, the lunchroom people, or the custodian might want to offer praise. You can attach a small piece of magnetic tape to the back of the note before you send it home. Parents love knowing the good things their child does and posting the evidence on the refrigerator.
It's Awesome!
After students know and understand rules and consequences, this idea will work with success. Gut out the letters for the word, awesome. Attach each letter to a visible board at the beginning of the week. Tell students that if they can keep up the word all week without losing all the letters, there will be a special surprise on Friday. When disruptive behavior occurs, remove one letter. Continue to remove letters whenever necessary. You will be surprised how much peer pressure works.
Noise Level Thermometer
Make a large thermometer to control the noise level in your room. Mark it with the same temperature marks as those on a real thermometer. Use a red ribbon for the mercury. Begin each day with the room thermometer set on zero. When the noise rises, raise the temperature. The consequence of having to raise the temperature needs to be established and agreed upon by the class. Make it a cooperative learning experience.
Follow the directions below to make the noise level thermometer.
- Using poster board, cut to rectangular size desired. Size should be large enough to be seen by all students.
- Make slits approximately one inch from the top and one inch from the bottom of the poster board.
- Gut a strip of ribbed ribbon long enough to go from the top slit to the bottom slit.
- Insert the ribbon into one slit area.
- Attach elastic to the ends of the ribbon so that the ribbon and elastic are sewn together for movement of the mercury.
- Mark the temperature degrees as on a regular thermometer.
This article comes from a great book called ‘Year-Round Classroom Tips’ published by Teacher Created Resources. Article displayed by kind permission of Teacher Created Resources.
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.
