Whimsy Workshop Teaching

Teacher Clip Art, Literary Resources, Classroom Ideas

Christmas Kindness Around The World

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I strive to make my classroom a place where students feel safe, appreciated and respected just as they are.
My classroom banner says simply: “Be Kind. Work Hard.”

These ideas are reinforced all year long, but there are some special ways that we spread kindness in December for Christmas.
 
 

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
Each year we take the month of December to really focus on Random Acts of Kindness and caring for each other. If possible, I enjoy getting families involved. A few years ago [Read More…]

Social Emotional Learning in the Primary Classroom

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SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Years ago I would get some disapproving looks when I mentioned how much classroom time I dedicate to social emotional learning. “What about the curriculum! You’ll never get through it all if you don’t start right away!”
But I did get through it all, sometimes with time to spare. Why? I found that if we solidified expectations for kindness, inclusion and self-management early, and spent a LOT less time on disruptions through the year. Plus, we were shaping future citizens; it’s not [Read More…]

Books That Teach Friendship and Social Skills

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Our class spends a LOT of time learning social skills, problem solving, friendship and conflict resolution. This helps to create a peaceful environment where learning can thrive, and we do not have to spend the majority of our time solving interpersonal conflicts. We use interactive lessons from The Kindness Classroom SEL curriculum, along with many of the books listed below to reinforce concepts.
 

Click on any cover to see details of the story.
 
Llama Llama Time To Share by Anna Dewdney

Franklin Plays the [Read More…]

Writing Workshop : Setting Up For Success!

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Do you do writing workshop with your students?
My program has evolved over the last 23 years, and now it runs smoothly – although I can’t help but add new ideas each year!

 

Long before I expect students to write stories, we spend a lot of time discussing stories.
For example, every time we read a story, we …
*name the author and illustrator
*find words to describe the characters and talk about who they might remind us of
*talk about the plot and if we’ve ever [Read More…]

Making Phonics Fun and Interactive

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Teaching phonics can become a bit monotonous day after day, but there are lots of ways to keep it engaging!
Here are a few examples of the ways I’ve tried to keep phonics lessons interactive, hands on, and FUN!
Phonics instruction can also be differentiated with a little creativity.

BUILDING WORDS & SENTENCES
This activity allows for differentiation because the tasks get more complex as you work down the page. Some students will only be required to print the letters and build the [Read More…]

Phonics Centers for Back To School

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When do you start teaching phonics?
There are so many things going on at the start of a new school year!
We are getting to know new personalities, watching them interact with each other, and at the same time, we are taking notes and assessing abilities.
One of the first things I set up are my EASY and independent literacy centers.
 

 
These take very little explanation, and students can happily work on literacy skills while I use valuable time to assess their abilities before moving [Read More…]

Father’s Day Directed Drawing Ideas

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Looking for some new ideas for Father’s Day?
I’ve got two Father’s Day ideas for you – and they’re free!
 

FATHER’S DAY DIRECTED DRAWING
Do your students love directed drawing?
Parents just love the personal touch of a drawing made by their child.
It’s a simple ideas but such a wonderful keepsake!

Students just follow the steps to draw themselves and their Dad.
Then they color it in, and write about it using several writing prompts.

 
MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS
Do you have your own ideas for Father’s Day?
Do [Read More…]

Directed Drawing For Math!

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Most of my students have a good understanding of our math concepts, but could definitely use some practice with basic math facts and speed of recall. Fast recall of facts will help them in later grades when the concepts become more complex. Daily repetitive practice helps with speed of recall, but that’s not always engaging for students. This is why I began using Math Pictures every day.
 
 

Question:
How can we make basic math facts practice more engaging and fun?
Answer:
Integrate your math practice [Read More…]

Secret Sentences for Phonics Fun!

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One of the most engaging activities in my classroom over the last 20+ year has been Secret Sentences. Students LOVE to solve a secret mystery, and even better when they are practicing their letter sound knowledge at the same time!
WHERE TO BEGIN: SIMPLE WORDS
We begin with simple words. We use word tiles, scrabble tiles, or homemade tiles with n

As shown, student place tiles to match the FIRST SOUND of each little picture. They can also use dry erase marker on [Read More…]

Drawing as a Writing Prompt

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Directed Drawing is a fun and engaging way to integrate art and writing.
Here are some ways that I use art in my classroom to encourage more writing!
 

 

WRITING COMPLIMENTS
 
After your whole class directed drawing lessons, invite students to do a “gallery walk” around the room to see other students’ work. Then, leave a post-it note beside each picture and assign secret partners. Students study their partner’s drawing and write a compliment on the post-it note. Students love to return to their [Read More…]

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