End of the School Year fun ideas, for YL

Each June, my students and me, get to celebrate all of the learning, hard work, and progress that we have made with end of the year  activities, in class.

After a long school year, creating and planning activities for an end of the year celebration is the last thing on my mind. There are always end-of-year assessments, data entry, deadlines, assemblies, and the usual chaos that stands at the forefront, but I still want to do some special activities with my classes.  I have tried several awesome activities that work, all these years! I save time by providing end-of-year activities for my students that are ready to decorate! Sharing here, some exciting ideas that double as great keepsakes:

Most of these ideas, which I have tested in class, with huge success, come from this site.

BALLOON TOSS: GOALS FOR THE FUTURE

I give each of my older students, a slip of paper and invite him or her to write one goal for the future.
I have students slip the notes inside balloons and then inflate them. Later, I have them toss balloons (like graduation caps), keeping one to pop and share its (anonymously) written message aloud –with the rest of the class.
(Actually, work the last part out in a way that the majority of the group likes—read one message, several messages, or all or no messages)

My 6th graders, simply love this activity! Alternatively, you could try the…

“Fortune Cookie” Balloon Toss    
I have a brainstorming session with students about the adventures of summer and all of the good things that might happen. I have every student write one positive “fortune” on a pre-cut slip of paper such as “You will go on a marvelous adventure,” “You will achieve your goals,” “You will make a new friend,” etc. Each student will put his or her slip into a balloon, inflate it and tie it off. We make a large circle and play a song. I have students toss balloons around until the music stops. Each student should end up with one balloon. Using whatever means they like (sitting on it, using a sharp pencil, hair clip, etc.),  students pop their balloons and read their fortunes. I go around the circle and have each student share his or her fortune aloud.

THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT

(A nice way to end the school year! Especially with older students or the ones who graduate)
Need: Paper, markers, tape
1.  Everyone gets a piece of paper taped to their back. (Make sure their name is at the top of the paper.)
2.  Each person is given a marker.
3.  Each person in the group must walk around the room and write a compliment or positive remark about that person on their back….. NO PEEKING!
4.  When everyone has written something positive on each others back, they return to their seat and read what was written.
5.  With a smaller group, everyone exchanges papers without looking at their own. Each participant can take a turn at reading aloud from person’s list they have.

This is a great self-esteem booster for kids! If some children still don’t know each other very well…they can write such things as: You have a great smile; You’re hair always looks nice; Great blue eyes; etc.

AUTOGRAPH BOOK

At the end of the year I have each younger student make an autograph book. They pass around their books and get everyone’s signatures and special notes ,for a summer keepsake.

IDEA: TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS DURING THE YEAR and put together a slide show.

1.  Of course we can show this as PART OF A YEAR-END SCHOOL EVENT—but it would also be a wonderful “WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION to the new children we will have the next school year.
2.  We could use it to show children and families some of the things we do-how they’re done–and what to expect!

I do it, every single  year! Both parents and students, appreciate it!

‘Indoor or Outdoor FIELD DAY’ ideas 

All children love playground games and some movement is crucial, when it comes to young learners. I usually, pre-teach the instructions and basic English games vocabulary in class, before we move out to play.

• Potato Sack Races (using old pillow cases or sacks purchased from Oriental Trading or similar supplier)
• Shoe Mix-Up: Have children take off their shoes and mix up the whole pile; have them race to put the shoes back on.
• Tug of War: Using a huge rope have Kids vs. Kids and then play with Kids vs. Adults (They’ll like that one!)
• Sock Throw: Put a tennis ball into a long sock and have kids throw it to see who can throw it the furthest!
• How about the games played in ‘Summer Olympic Games’ such as:SOFTBALL, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, HANDBALL, HOCKEY, TENNIS OR VOLLEYBALL? They’re all Summer Olympic Games!!!

A LETTER TO PARENTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR…

This letter below, is just one example. It’s a tradition for me, to write a letter to all parents, both at the beginning and at the end of each school year! I include all our goals and achievements. It works well, so far.

Dear Parents,
I give you back your child ~ the same child you confidently entrusted to my care last fall. I give him/her back pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more responsible, and more mature then he was then.

Although he would have attained his growth in spite of me, it has been my pleasure and privilege to watch his personality unfold day by day and marvel at this splendid miracle of development.

Ten years from now if we met on the street, we’ll feel the bond of understanding once more, this bond we feel today.
We have lived, laughed, played, studied, learned, and enriched our lives together this year. I wish it could go on indefinitely, but give him/back I must. Take care of him, (or her) for he (she) is precious. I’ll always be interested in your child and his destiny, wherever he goes, whatever he does, whoever he becomes.

Program/Class AWARDS

 

This school year, I made  up some fun and unique awards for my older students. Together with the students in class, we found  something unique about EACH CHILD and recognized them for that unique quality.I created the awards myself on a PC but you can also download a template from the internet.

A suggestion I have found  here and we loved, in class:
We made up awards to match candy bars (I personally, adapted the names a bit…Had to match candy bars, we can buy in Greece ). Here are the names, in the original post :

• ALMOND JOY AWARD: For the person who is always happy
• BIT-O-HONEY AWARD: For someone very sweet
• BUTTERFINGER AWARD: For the person who broke the most things
  accidentally
• DOVE AWARD: For the program/class peacemaker
• GUMMY BEARS AWARD: For a very lovable child, who is always laughing
• JOLLY RANCHER AWARD: For the person always telling jokes
• KIT KAT AWARD: For the student always at the teacher’s side
• LAFFY TAFFY AWARD: For someone with a sweet disposition
• LIFESAVERS AWARD: For the person, who is always helping someone in need
• MILKY WAY AWARD: For the group daydreamer
• MR. GOODBAR AWARD: For the student who exhibits the good qualities of friendship
• NESTLE CRUNCH AWARD: An alternative to pencil chewing
• NUTRAGEOUS AWARD: For an outstanding personality
• NUTRAGEOUS AWARD: for the wild and crazy person in class
• SKOR AWARD: For athletes in the class
• SNICKERS AWARD: For having an outstanding sense of humor
• SWEET TARTS AWARD: For a sweet girl/boy
• SYMPHONY AWARD: For anyone musical
• TEDDY GRAHAMS AWARD: For the most huggable
• THREE MUSKETEERS AWARD: For the one always with the group
• WHOPPERS AWARD: For the best storytelling
• ZERO MATH AWARD: For outstanding performance in Math

etc

End-of-Year Charades

I have each student write out one memorable moment from the school year on a slip of paper. I collect all the slips in a bag, hat, etc. I divide kids into teams and have them come up one team at a time, choose a slip and act out the memory for the group. No need to keep score—the goal is just to relive all the happy memories from the year and…use their English , of course…

Alternatively, I have them write their “End of School Year Reflections”-my own favourite end-of-school-year read!

“I Remember When …” Mural 

This is a great activity when we have a few extra minutes to fill or when kids need a short brain break. I always use it ,on the very last day in class. I decorate the top of a long piece of butcher paper with the words “I Remember When …” -older students – or ” I want to say goodbye to…” -younger students- in large print.  I allow students to write and draw favorite memories from the school year until all the space is filled. We display our banner proudly in our classroom or out in the hall for others to enjoy.

 

 

 

End of the year remembrance kit

I came across this cool idea, on Pinterest, few months ago! Loved it!

This year, I decided to use it with a bunch of special older students of mine, to see if they like it ,too…

Next school year, I am definitely going to offer  these bags, to my 6th graders, on their last day in class!

This isn’t too difficult or expensive to do! The photos will help you, with the steps you will have to take and what to put inside.

Here is something to remind you of  Grade 1 (or________)…

Some seeds to remind you how much you’ve grown-
A lollipop to remind you of how sweet you are-
A book mark to remind you to always love books-
Money to remind you of how much you’re worth – (Play money)
…All in a cup/bag filled with love and a kiss.

Put all items in a paper cup/bag –wrap it up with cellophane and/or tie with raffia, yarn, or ribbon.

Team work ,matters!

The ability to work together with others as part of a team is not simply a skill needed at school, it is a vital skill used in all areas of life. For me, school is, an excellent time to cultivate the teamwork skills, children will then draw from, throughout their life.

 

For a team to work together effectively, it takes all members of the team to respect each other’s abilities and opinions. Teamwork is a highly social activity and involves much interaction and exchanging of ideas and actions. We all understand that, being part of a team enables a child to move from more intrapersonal (individual) ways of thinking to interpersonal (communicating with others). It will help students in all areas of their learning, and help them to feel part of a community, too.

The biggest problem in my country’s educational system is that, teamwork is not encouraged at schools- at least, not as much as it should be….

Working as part of a team will strengthen students’ social and emotional skills, help develop their communication skills, and can improve confidence.

Team games, are also important…From experience, the best way to teach children English is to not only get them physically involved within the lesson, but also to create the illusion that they are simply playing games. And rather than focus on individual development, it is also a very good idea to promote class interaction as far as possible.

Even very young learners can become independent in their learning and guided early on they will be more likely to grow into autonomous and successful language learners.

Creative use of language makes communication possible even when students may not know the perfect grammar for what they are trying to say.Nothing is more true to life than that.

When students work in groups, they have to work together to accomplish a goal. Even when the use of grammar is weak in these collaborations, communication happens, and that will give your students an advantage, when they have to face communication in the English speaking world.

Encouragement in class,is crucial ! One way encouragement comes, is when lower level students see the accomplishments of higher level students.Less accomplished students will become better speakers just by talking to others more advanced than them, without help and without pressure….When they work in groups, I see that students help each other learn.

One of the most important things for me, as far as group work is concerned, is speaking!

Putting our students in groups, gets them speaking up and practicing the language that they are trying to learn. And, speaking, is not top priority in the Greek language class…. not even in the private Greek Language schools-“Frodisteria”…

Students who are kinesthetic learners, will benefit greatly from learning through games and group work,too. Students of varying English levels can work together to support each other, make decisions together and learning from one another. Games and group work can involve all of the aspects of language—listening, speaking, reading and writing.

 

In our class, children experience teamwork in many different forms. They may be asked to work in pairs, small groups, or larger groups on a variety of different things. They may be asked to work in teams for physical activities such as ball games or running games or more formal activities such as projects. Children also often form their own team activities during their play time.

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” – Plato

I am sharing an interesting post about the benefits of Team Building, here…

 

Benefits of Team Building

1.  Getting to know each other better
2.  Bonding
3.  Building team spirit
4.  Encouraging tolerance and understanding
5.  Creating a sense of belonging and connectivity
6.  Creating a climate of cooperation and collaborative problem-solving
7.  Improving motivation
8.  Improving communication within the group
9.  Team development – Building a community with a common purpose
10. Developing trust, care, compassion, kindness and creating empathy (Trusting each other AND yourselves)
11. Building self-esteem

12. Creating an understanding and awareness of individual differences, personality strengths and  weaknesses
13. Breaking down barriers
14. Creativity – Doing things differently! Out of the box!!
15. Higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment.And all the time … Having a huge amount of FUN

Building self-esteem and rapport on day one -part 2

Self-esteem matters! We’ve long known that when students feel good about themselves, they are much more likely to become better achievers in the classroom.

Rapport , on the other hand, provides the base from which learning can take place. The rapport between a teacher and their students as well as among the students,  plays a very important role in determining if the class will be successful and enjoyable. Students are often very hesitant to speak out in class for a variety of reasons. Questions go unasked and unanswered… students remain silent because they are afraid to lose their self- esteem by being put down in front of their classmates and peers.

“It is important for students not only to realize their own uniqueness but also feel accepted by their peers” (Reasoner, 1992, p. 46).

“Studies indicate that children who lack attention or feedback are apt to have poorer self- concepts than those who receive either positive or negative feedback on a regular basis” (Reasoner, 1992, pp. 4-5).

Task 1

Back to school

WELCOME  STUDENTS WITH POSITIVE THINKING POSTERS AND DISPLAYS

 

Our classroom door: a great way of boosting self esteem and positive attitudes in any classroom – and it livens up a dull door!

“Be” bulletin board – great way to encourage the character traits we wish to see in our students!I think this is really what we should be able to do: teach kids that don’t really know how to treat others what we expect from them.

 

This is a great board and does mirror my philosophy. I love my students and believe in them, but I will push them to give me their all, too.

Task 2

A PICTURE OF ME THROUGH MY PARTNER’S EYES

I ask my students to work in pairs, facing each other. They are asked to draw their partner’s portrait ,the way THEY  see him/her. As soon as they finish, they show each other their drawings and both  comment on them, describing their partner’s  facial or body characteristics in the picture   at the same time. During the next step, I ask them to exchange pictures and start writing words that describe  their personalities, around the picture frame. I usually brainstorm relevant  vocabulary before this activity, or use my “BE” bulletin board. (see photo  above) Finally, I ask their partners to ADD 2-3 more words  , from their own point of view. All pictures are displayed on the class bulletin board.

Rapport activity: make your partner’s portrait the way you see him/her , add adjectives which you think describe their character and personality !

Students work in pairs for this activity. They don’t show their partner their drawing until it’s done.

Task 3

HAPPY TUNNEL

I ask the children to stand facing each other in two lines and raise their arms high,with the tips of their fingers touching, to make the Happy Tunnel! I choose a child to go through the happy tunnel.I ask the class to think of a positive thing to say to the child who is going to go through the tunnel, eg I like you/You’re great/You’re nice/You’re good at…

The Happy Tunnel: I repeat the activity once or twice over several lessons, in order for everyone to have a turn.

I ask the child to walk slowly through the tunnel. The rest of the class whisper or say their sentences.The child then comes out of the tunnel with a big smile!! If time is not enough for everyone to have a turn  , I repeat the activity once or twice over several lessons.

This special activity ,which I just love, makes students feel good about themselves. It also helps them to realize how easy it is to make other people feel good too, thereby creating a positive atmosphere for learning. We  should brainstorm positive adjectives to describe people, before this activity.

 

Happiness is on the way!….

 

More  adjectives  students could  use to describe the… protagonists: “positive, quick, friendly, unique, good- humoured, sweet, intelligent, peaceful, kind, enthusiastic, funny, witty, brave, calm, responsible, polite, angelic.”

In my class, his moment resulted to be a very special one. Some students expressed how moved they felt and they thanked  their friends for what they have shared.

This activity helped to honour their uniqueness, it focused on their good qualities contributing to develop a positive self- image.

Task 4

TEACHER AND STUDENTS WRITE TO EACH OTHER

I usually do this activity as soon as we come  back to school. But, it’s nice to keep this letters exchange going  , both between the teacher and the students and among the students, throughout the school year! In my classroom, there is a letter box we use to do so…We open it ,every Friday, to read our  mail!!

I give children the opportunity to tell me a few  things they like about themselves.  I prompt them to state things they can do well, things they feel good about. I am always  surprised at how many children suffering with low self-esteem have difficulty with this task – I usually ,need to provide prompts.

I always make sure that, in my reply letter I help  them build  self-esteem through praise and affirmations.

 

Get to know your students by having them write you a letter.

Build your students’self-esteem through praise and affirmations

Task 5

ME IN A BAG

I bring a sack with a running shoe, a bread pan, a piece of stained glass, something of my daughter’s etc .I group students and dump a few things on each table.Then, I give them a few minutes to say what they think each item says about me !I invite them to bring their own sack on the following day and I am  always surprised of how many kids  actually, bring one!  It is fun to see how excited the kids get when they discover that a classmate has something in common with them. They are so proud to talk about their special talents and interests, in front of their classmates! When it is my kids’ turn to let their classmates guess about the items in their bags, they share so many personal stories, too!  This activity, definitely boosts their self-esteem!

 

Me in a bag activity, day 2: Students bring their own bags and let their classmates guess about the items in it which have to about their special talents and interests or their life in general!

 

Task 6

A BALL OF YARN

I bring a ball of yarn in class. Then, I ask the students to say their name and an interesting fact about themselves. Holding the end, they toss the ball to another student. That student will say their name and an intersting fact or what makes them unique! By the time everyone has spoken , there will be a large web of yarn which reminds the students of the bond we share with each other!

 

I am special because….

This web, could be displayed on the bulletin board with thump tacks, later!

 

I’d say that, these activities have been of utmost important in helping each student feel unique in front of his/her classmates and to develop group bonds. Students were able to understand what the other was feeling.

Quoting White (1997), “For a short time the academic curriculum is set aside and affective education, i.e. education of the emotions, is dealt with in a structured way.” “When harmony reigns, learning flourishes”.

Self-esteem is needed life-long and we need to remember the important role we play to enhance or damage a child’s self-esteem.

This is the book you can find the “Happy Tunnel” activity, among many more really interesting ones! Highly recommended!

 

 

 

Building self- esteem, on day one- part 1

 

Passing the ball self-esteem games

 

I always include creative activities to build self-esteem in my curriculum. We all know that, students  with low self-esteem often can feel powerless, lonely, resentful, defensive and easily frustrated. These feelings can lead to aggression, teasing and bullying behaviour. Students with high self-esteem are proud of themselves, assume responsibility for their own actions and deal with frustration well.

I deal with such self-esteem building activities, mainly during the first two weeks of each new school year! But, I do make sure that, I always  include cooperative, nurturing games in my class, throughout the curriculum.

Passing the ball self-esteem games

Initially, I introduce   large group activities with all the children. Later during the school year, I create several other self-esteem activities such as  “My Family Book”, a book about themselves and their family (they can draw, use photographs, etc.) “My Tree/My Hand Activities”, in which each child does one leaf about themselves and then, the leaves are all put on the tree. while for “My Hand” each child traces her hand and writes something about herself on each finger. Sometimes, I use books to develop self-esteem ( a favourite one is “The Incredible You! 10 Ways to be Happy, Inside and Out”  by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer) . We also do several writing activities at the beginning of each school year,  such as ” I am special because..” -which I am going to write more about during the following few weeks…..

My name is and I can….

First day in class after the summer break today, with my 3rd and 4th graders, after such a long time! I decided to spend half the lesson using the icebreakers below, in order to foster children’s self-esteem. Today’s activities , were used to to reinforce strengths and to help build individual self-esteem before the learning took  place.

Task 1- the circle 1-sitting

My name is…and this is…(3rd graders)

My name is …and I’m sitting next to…( 4th graders)

My name is…and I like….

Task 2-the circle 2

My name is….and I can…(4th graders)

Follow up: write down words having to do with the things that you can do well on a Star name tag  template to be put on your desk in order  to help the teacher learn the name YOU would like her to call you.

The Star- desk name tag template

 

Task 3- the circle 3 and ball-standing

The teacher throws the ball to a diffrent student each time who is asked to shout his/her name as loud and possible with confidence! (3rd -4th graders)

Task 4-the circle 4-standing up

My name is …and I like….(3rd graders)

My name is…and I am good at…(4th graders)

Follow up: write as many things as you can that you are good at.

My name is…and I’m sitting next to….

 

To be continued……

 

 

The benefits of team work in the classroom

My classroom and any classroom, dosen’t have to be a solo learning adventure…..it can also be a collaborative learning environment!

I always include many teamwork exercises in my weekly curriculum, to mix my lesson plan up a bit!

These group activities can be beneficial on a personal, group and class-wide level.

Our  PROJECTS depend a lot on teamwork, too! Teamwork,

 has been neglected in greek schools, where individualism prevails!

These are what I think, teamwork benefits are:

On Social Skills

When students form a group, social skills kick into action. A team of students must actively listen to each other, articulate ideas and use genuinely constructive criticism to be effective. Kids must learn to work together and cooperate. This is an opportunity to make friends and talk with others — networking can start in the classroom. This is a chance for the kids to expand their vocabulary, work on patience and learn how to take turns. Conflict resolution may also become part of the learning equation.

On a Personal Level

Each student can benefit on a personal level from teamwork. She can feel like a valued part of the group as she contributes to the project and shares her ideas, which can build confidence and self-esteem. The student will be exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking, which can expand her personal view on the subject. Teamwork activities can be the time for each student to shine and show others her skills and talents.

Learning Together

As you watch the teams work toward their goal, the educational benefits of teamwork becomes clear. As the team works, they can all offer ideas and come to conclusions together. Students not only learn by working through the team project, they also learn by explaining their thought processes and reasoning to others. Teamwork also helps foster problem-solving skills, reasoning skills and group brainstorming. The students will learn to use critical thinking and evaluation skills as a group. An effective team will evenly distribute the responsibilities, blast through the material and cover more ground than if they did the homework or project individually.

The Class Environment

Days can get long and dull when you have a group of kids that are disconnected and staring at the walls. Group work is a welcomed change in the normal routine and gets the kids out of their seats. Schoolwork becomes more enjoyable and rewarding when you incorporate teamwork exercises. Just make sure that you define some teamwork boundaries before you let the kids loose. The kids need to know what they should be achieving, how to tell when they have accomplished their task and how long they have for this activity, otherwise you’ll just have clusters of talking students not staying on task.

Last but not least: I always have a teams seating  arrangement in the classroom.Students ,sit and work in groups !

Back to school activity ideas that work…

Every…veteran teacher has his/her favourite first-days-of-school activities.Here are a few of mine.They work….

My favourite activities, aren’t particularly unique or creative.They are intended mainly for fun.Let’s jump right into a few of them…every now and then, I’ll  be adding  more activities to  this list so, you’d better stay tuned!

ME IN A BAG: I bring a sack with a running shoe, a bread pan, a piece of stained glass, something of my daughter’s etc.I group students and dump a few things on each table.Then, I give them a few minutes to say what they think each item says about me!I invite them to bring their own sack on the following day and I am  always surprised of how many kids  actually, bring one!

Sometimes, it helps if we send a letter to parents about it, like this one…..

“Dear Families,

Your child is bringing home a “Me Bag” today. Please choose 4 or 5 items with your child that will help the class become better acquainted with him/her. Tomorrow your child will share the contents of the bag and the class will develop a “Me Chart” for your child. This will be used in our reading and writing programme.

Our charts will be based on the following sentence frames to help our emergent readers and writers.

I am ______________.

I have _____________.

I can ______________.

I like ______________.

My favourite _______________ is ________________.

As an example I shared my own “Me Bag” with the class. I included a special apple (I am a teacher), a picture of my family (I have 3 children), a piece of fabric (I can sew), a book (I like to read), a camp hat (my favourite vacation is camping).

Thanks for your help with this project.

Sincerely “

 

ANOTHER TIME CAPSULE IDEA: For this activity, I use a Pringles can.

1) I have the kids write a letter to themselves about how they feel being in the 6th grade, what they think they will be doing during the year, what their expectations for the year are, who their “best” friends will be, what they would like me to do during the year, ( how I can best help them) what the most important thing they wish to learn during the year is and anything else that comes to their mind.

I ask my younger learners to write sentences starting with ” I can” , “I will”!

2) I put them in a ziplock bag and put them in the Pringles can to be opened the last week of school and reread by the students.

They really enjoy this, particularly knowing that they will be able to open the ” time capsule” at the end of the year!

They tend to forget about the “time capsule” during the school year though, and it’s always a big surprise for them in June, when it’s brought to class!It’s a great  lesson , too: they are  reminded  that, goals setting is important!

FILL IN THE FUNNY BLANKS

During the first week, I give them a handout with a paragraph about ME! They work in groups to figure out, which facts on that sheet are not right and are asked to write the correct version of that paragraph about me mainly, by guessing…

” My name is Cecilia and I am 104 years old!

I have three bunnies: Gabriella is 6, Felipe is 16 and Rex is 17.

I have been teaching juggling for 20 years! In my free time, I like jumping off airplanes and jumping around in one foot!

I don’t like eating books but, I love eating butterflies!”

As homework, they are asked to write a similar paragraph about themselves for their classmates to guess. They work in groups first, sharing their paragraphs and then share with the class! So much fun!!

MY NUMBERS

I start the first lesson, by drawing a line on the board where I write important dates in my life  plus important numbers in my life eg, 1994, September 3rd, 19, 3, 20 etc….Students have to ask me questions about my life to guess.If the answer to a question they ask is one of the numbers on the board, I cross that number out….

eg -How many children have you got, miss?

-Three-3!

Students then, draw their own timeline and talk in pairs about it. I move around listening. Later, they share what they’ve learned about their partner with the class.

ALL ABOUT ME

Hand out an 8.5″ =14″ piece of paper ( let the kids choose a colour)

Ask them to write their name in large colourful letters ( fancy, bubble, etc..) in the middle of the page.

When finished, I explain that, they are going to stand up, use tape and put their paper on any wall around the classroom,  facing out…

They have to quietly walk around and write positive adjectives or simple sentences or phrases ( it depends on the level ) which refer to the person whose name is written on each piece of paper! I do insist though, that they ONLY refer to their classmates’ positive characteristics , talents, attitudes, etc…I tell them that everybody has something we like, something which makes him/her unique and really special!

This takes about 15 minutes. Then the children sit down.Then, I go around the room and introduce each child to the class and ask : ” Who can tell me something interesting about this person?”

Students are surprised to see how many nice things their classmates have noticed and mentioned! The shy and the introvert ones, feel really happy!

Finally, students are asked to collect the paper after the exercise and as homework, they are asked to write a short paragraph about themselves  , incuding most  of the adjectives or phrases on their piece of paper. I also ask them to add , at least ,one more positive characteristic or talent/skill they think they have and nobody has noticed yet! Great activity for boosting self-esteem!

GROUP PHOTOS

For the first day of school, I always ask my students to stand in groups of 3-4 somewhere in the classroom, holding their name cards in front of them.

I photograph each group and later, I take a class photo, too.

I make copies of the pictures right away, to start to memorise students names and faces at home that evening.

 

Our english class photo album in our pen pals’ hands!

First Day in class poster

 

I also, use these photos , in different projects throughout the school year and  on a big poster or ready-made bulletin board  with all my classes photos on it.

I put it  on the door and I choose a different theme each year….last year  it was: “Fist day at school”, this year I have decided to put the photos on a boat, with a  ” Welcome aboard” theme !

I also use the photos on projects we send to our partners abroad! My most favourite one  is ” My class photo album” ,where each student, introduces him/her self on a different album page under his/her cartoon figure with  his/her photo attached on it!

TWO WELCOME BACK SONGS

English teachers,  may become Art teachers, Music teachers, Geography teachers, PE teachers, Math teachers, Social studies teachers, Drama  teachers  and so many more…. during the  school year!

I love singing with my students in class! Music plays an important role in my teaching, too!

For instance, there is always welcome to class music, before the lesson starts. Music, when they work in groups ,on any activity. Classical music when they write tests! Musical …countdowns,  in games!Music, in skitses and school shows!

In the beginning of the school year, two of my favourite songs are:

Welcome to our classroom (Sung to: Sing a song of sixpence)

Welcome to our classroom

come in and sit right down

we are all together

take a look around.

Here, inside our classroom

there’s lots to see and do

I am happy being here

and making friends with you.

The summer’s over ( Sung to :You are my sunshine)

The summer’s over-no more vacation

But, I have had a lot of fun

And I am happy, and I’m excited

’cause now at last the school year has begun!

MY MUSIC

My desert island discs:

Which music or songs would you take with you? Why? Choose your number 1 melody. Hum the song.If there are words to the song, which ones mean something to you? Why?

Variation: I give them a prompt sentence eg ” During my holidays this year, I…” or ” When I was on the desert island, I….”. While listening to some music I have chosen , they write whatever comes into their mind! With younger students, I do some braistorming and put key words on the board before they start writing!

MUSIC MINGLE

Move with the music, stop, grab a partner and talk about a happy summer memory!

A CLASSROOM SURVEY

 This is one of my students most favourite activities because, they stand up and move around the classroom freely!….

I give them a handout with the following on it:

Go around the room and ask your classmates about the items below.Ask each question, until you receive  a positive answer. Have the first student who answers “Yes” to this  question,  sign his/her name next to the item corresponding to it  and move on to the next item…You may sit down when you are done with all your items/questions.

Find someone who….

Has a brother

Has a sister

Has a dog

Has a cat

Plays soccer

Likes Harry Potter

Has been out of the country

Has red hair

Has blue eyes

Has brown eyes

Likes spinach

Loves pizza

Can swim

Takes dance lessons

Speaks two languages

Can recite a poem

Is a new student

Loves Math

Loves reading

For  homework, I ask them to write ( In S. Present, 3rd person singular) about  5  of the most interested things they have found out about their classmates, doing this activity and share them with the class during our next lesson.

PROFILES

I ask my students to draw their friend’s profile on a piece  of paper . They should look funny!

Later, the students are asked to put their  profiles  on the walls .  All the students walk around the classroom and write questions one everybody else’s paper around the profile. These,  should be short e.g. School?, Hobbies? Dislikes? Favourites? etc I always play background music during that…

Then, students take their papers down and introduce themselves using the questions. Can be set as homework, too!

SMARTIES

Firts day in class, I bring my students lots of Smarties to treat!

I ask them to take as much as they want but not eat ,yet!

Each colour of candy, corresponds to a different type of information.eg Green : Something about my school

Red: Something about my family

Blue: something about my likes/dislikes/hobbies

Yellow: something about my future plans

Students are THEN asked to write as many sentences per colour as the number of different coloured candies they have got! Tricky!!

Variation: A Roll of ….toilet paper! (” You can have as much as you need”) Ha,ha…

FIVE THINGS WE HAVE IN COMMON

I  split the students into pairs.Each pair will have 30 seconds to find five things they have in common/five things they have in common concerning their summer holidays.

At the end of the 30 seconds, I put pairs together and and give the foursome a minute to find something all four students have in common.Finally, each group, can present the list of things they have in common!( You can use this activity to form student groups, too)

MY SUMMER  HOLIDAYS  OBJECTS

 First, I bring a sack with 3-5 objects which are related to my summer holdays! I bring  them out of the sack one at a time  and ask my students to make guesses about  how they are related to my summer vacations!

For homework, I ask my students to bring to class, three objects which remind them of their  own holidays ( leaves, pebbles, sea shells, stones , wood etc) and we repeat the procedure.

A class discussion follows!

I AM SPECIAL

This is a great activity to display for the beginning of year, or any other time that I would like to focus on unique qualities of individual students.it’s a fun activity, that allows you to introduce and/or practice quotation marks with students.I have a class set of a basic person shape.Students then decorate and cut out the shape.Students write their own sentences explaining why they are special.Here is an example: Maria said : ” I am special because , I can sing beautifully” They write their sentences either on the shape or on a piece of paper that resembles speech bubble!

MY FAVOURITES

We need a piece of paper divided into four sections , one for toys one for food one for person and one for animal. Also, colouring pens and pencils.

You can see the template below.

I ask the children to draw one in each section. When they have finished , sit all the children in a circle with all the pictures in the centre. Can you quess whose is which?

A variation is to play a game: a volunteer comes to the board holding his paper in a way that nobody can see what’s in it. He tells the class three true favourites on his paper and one lie. The class try to quess what which one is not true! The first to quess right, is the next one to come to the board!

MY BEAR

This is a game that shows children that they are unique but, also allows them to see things that they have in common. It works best with students aged 8-9.I first hand them the printout of the bear you can see below.Then , I ask them to listen to my questions and colour in their bears in answer to the questions.

You can make up your own questions. I have a list of mine.

An example is: ” Do you have any sisters or brothers? If you have a sisiter, colour the bear’s tummy red. If you have a brother, colour it blue. If you have both, colour the bear’s tummy purple”!It is best to keep questions down to two or three answers.When They are finished, I ask the kids to look at one another’s bears.Can they spot similarities or differences between them?

Some more questions might be: Do you like summer or winter best Do you have any pets?  Do you prefer to read a book or play computer games? What’s your favourite desert? Ice-cream or cake?

CLASSROOM TREASURE HUNT

I give my students a handout with some directions on it which are asked to follow. They work in teams . The first team to finish the activity, wins!

Wow! You are in a new classroom this year! You can go on a treasure hunt with your team! On the lines below, describe what you have found in your new classroom….

1. Find something made of wood

2. Find something shorter than you

3. Find something made of metal

4.Find something that is yellow

5.Find something that has wheels

6. Find something that locks

7. Find a word on the word wall

8. Find something made of plastic

9.Find something taller than you

10. Find something that starts with the ‘N’ sound

11. Find something that has corners

12. Find something that hangs

13. Find a book that has three words in the title

14.Find something that has legs

It’s one of my students’ most favourite group game! I never forget to reward them with stickers when we finish! The winners , get big, ‘scratch n’ sniff’ TREND stickers.

To be continued….stay tuned!