Image result for name on a popsicle stickLesson 6

This was one of my personal favorite lessons.

I thought of a game that would help me get a refresher on the student's names but would be fun for them even if I made a mistake. I called the game "hiding in plain sight." All of the students names are in a can on popsicle sticks. I pulled out a stick, read the name out loud, and they had to say "one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi" before I pointed to the student. (They had an extra advantage because they had changed their desks and their seating chart around.) If they were faster than me than I got a strike. I had told them that if I got three strikes I would be out, but that happened faster than I was expecting! They were having a great time. They were hiding their name tags and saying "don't smile if she says your name guys, it'll give it away!" They decided that for each one I got right I could erase a strike. One of the students eagerly volunteered to be in charge of writing the strikes and erasing them. This was a win-win situation because the students were happy if I got their names or not and it helped me to get really sharp on them again - well worth the time.


Image result for conga lineNext, I told them that we were gonna strut to the beat on some groovy songs. I turned on "Stayin' Alive" and showed them where the main beat was. I told them it was the quarter note and we walked saying "1, 2, 3, 4." Then I would pause the music and say "freeze!" so that I could give them new instructions. We did eighth notes, half notes, whole notes, and the offbeat (meaning the "ands.") They were hesitant at first but pretty soon they formed a conga line and were dancing as they moved and walked to the given beat. I told them that I thought they could have more attitude while they walked and one student said "sassy ladies, sassy!" which was really funny. I wish I could have recorded it! They looked like they were having so much fun. They kept asking for one more song so we did the activity to "Under Pressure" and "Billie Jean" as well.

The last activity we did was add choreography to Kumbaya. I think it may have been a little bit underwhelming after such an upbeat activity, but they cooperated alright. I think it was difficult for them to multitask because their singing became very quiet and their energy while they danced was less than satisfactory. After a little coaxing it got better. The soloists did well and it looked pretty nice. I got the impression that the students were ready for a brand new activity next time. They have good attitudes, they just need something fresh.

The lesson went smoothly and I felt close to the class. They're so great! I can't believe the semester is almost over.

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 12, 2018 at 11:24 AM

    Abbie, I'm impressed by your written articulation of each lesson plan you have experienced in your classroom here on your blog. It seems that knowing the students' names has been a HUGE focus for you this semester! You mentioned it really helps with classroom management for yourself when you know each child's name...I wonder if it benefits the students in any way or just your management style? I think it does benefit the students! I just wonder if you have given thought to how those activities impact them and their classroom culture as well?
    We've almost made it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abbie AndersonJanuary 1, 2019 at 2:43 PM

      Thanks for the feedback, Savannah! I think you're right! I think the students feel more personally valued and recognized when you know them by name. I've considered what you said. Perhaps this helps them to more fully "show up" and do their best in class since they know we care and that we notice them. It's a small thing that helps us to celebrate their successes, encourage their curiosity, and show love for their unique expression.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Lesson 1 Today we started with a get-to-know-you game called " Jump in, jump out" Jump in, Jump Out turn yourself around I said Jump in, jump out Introduce yourself! My name is so and so (class says "Yeah!") And I like blank (yeah!) And I can blank (yeah!) Alright,Alright, alright When the person introducing themselves said what they can do, they made a gesture to help everyone remember. Then when the class said "alright, alright, alright" everyone did that gesture 3 times in rhythm. We had the whole class introduce themselves which was fun but a little longer than I expected. Many of them needed a little coaxing introducing themselves and picking a gesture simply because they felt kind of shy. This pushed their comfort zone a little bit, but the kids had fun. They certainly got a lot of wiggles out. Fun fact: A lot of the students said they like cake, pizza, and dogs. It's a good thing that we went over my atte
Read more
Image
Lesson 7 This lesson we analyzed songs in lots of different ways! We started by analyzing the perspective of the song because they're learning about first, second, and third person in Language Arts. I played several songs and had them raise their hand when they had identified what the songs perspective was. First person example: "We were both young when I first saw you. I closed my eyes..." (Love story by Taylor Swift) Third person example: "Once there was a mermaid, swimming gracefully. When a spaceship started sinking deep into the sea..." (The astronaut and the mermaid by Cheri Call) Second person example: "You ain't nothing but a hound dog. Crying all the time." (Hound dog by Elvis Presley) After that we compared and contrasted Elvis Presley's version of Hound dog to Big Mama Thornton's version. We watched the video with Elvis dancing and Big Mama Thornton with all her attitude. They brought up how the key seemed different
Read more