returning to school

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2001 : December : 30

returning to school
By Rebecca

You said you have worked with your class a few times, so I am assuming you weren't there very long for them to get to know you. Is this correct?? I would say, do some getting to know you activities like you would at the
beginning of school. What I do is bring in a few items in a bag that are important to me (picture of my family, a cookbook because I like to cook, black lab figure since I have a black lab ,something I collect, etc.) and share it with my class. Then I give each a brown paper bag and tell them for homework, they must put 5 items (and only 5) that will FIT into the bag and bring the next

day. We have share time the next day and they get to show and tell about their items. I also quiz them about the things I brought the day before (name the people in my family and my pet, what do I collect, things like that).
The first week of school we just go over rules (acting out scenarios, drawing pictures of rules, etc.) We share some books about the beginning of school and what is expected but BEFORE ALL THAT, we play "No Rules". I ask the kids do they think it would be fun having no rules--they usually say YEAH!!! Then I say o.k., there are no rules....then I procede to someone and take there pencil away and make them get up and move...remember I can do this because there are no rules....when I let someone talk about something I start interupting them...remember there aren't any rules--we do this just a few minutes and it is ALL IN FUN! and the kids say, no rules is not fun and it will not work in our classroom. We discuss why. Then we start talking about rules we think would be good for our classroom.
Since you have a new baby, you will probably want to bring in a picture and talk about her/him. Explain why you were out at the beginning of school. Since rules were already in place and you want to change some, talk to them about the rules and discuss why you think they need to be changed.
I don't know if any of this helps your situation but I hope atleast something will. Good Luck!