Re: end-of-the-year catch-up

[sommerwind410@aol.com]

Congratulations, Dayle, on getting your first year under your belt. I agree with Jim and Gwen -- you've already accomplished a helluva lot!  Folks say the first year is the hardest, and I believe that to be true, so take a deep breath, and know that it's going to keep getting better!  :-)  I am going to swipe that Concentration vocabulary game of yours. Great idea ~ thanks for sharing!  One mgmt. gimmick I picked up somewhere along the way is transition football.  I took a large, rectangular piece of green felt, made a football field out of it, and mounted it on my whiteboard. There are four footballs - one for each class period, which attach with Velcro.  Basically, it's an ongoing game of teacher vs. each class.  They are challenged to make transitions quick, quiet, and orderly and within a certain time frame.  For example, if students have to pass up papers, they have 15 seconds to do so.  If they make it, they gain 10 yards; if they don't, I do.  Whenever a football crosses the end zone, a touchdown is scored. (Simply, 7 points - there are no first downs, field goals, or anything like that.)  At the end of a two-week period, if the students win, they roll a die.  A one might yield a free HW pass; a two might yield a candy treat, and so on.  If the teacher wins, they are given an extra assignment.  I have taught 6th, 7th, and 8th, and so far, it has been effective with all three grade levels.

Jim - I love the idea of the student editorial panel and would like to know more about how you set it up.  I find, too, that I run into classroom mgmt. issues now and then when it comes to adhering to the routine and was nodding my head as I read your post.

Would love to hear more updates, successes, ideas, etc. I'm *so* glad to see this list is still going!
-Cathy :-)


To Dayle - I echo Jim's response to you. Congratulations on a strong first 
ear, and increasingly stronger years to follow. Awesome
o Jim - What a lovely, gracious letter you wrote.  I liked your book review 
dea  modeled on Voices from the Middle, and your student editorial panel. How 
o you go about preparing your panel for their tasks? 
wen Aber




-----Original Message-----
From: GJSA24@aol.com
To: middle-lit@interversity.org
Sent: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 8:37 am
Subject: Re: [middle-lit] end-of-the-year catch-up 



To Dayle - I echo Jim's response to you. Congratulations on a strong first 
ear, and increasingly stronger years to follow. Awesome
o Jim - What a lovely, gracious letter you wrote.  I liked your book review 
dea  modeled on Voices from the Middle, and your student editorial panel. How 
o you go about preparing your panel for their tasks? 
wen Aber

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
--------------------------------------------------
rchives->
ttp://interversity.org/lists/middle-lit/archives.html


________________________________________________________________________
AOL now offers free email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.