Quick Tips for Teachers: The Clapping Game

The Clapping Game

The clapping game is a fun way for students to review and practice
the multiplication tables.

To play:

1. Have students stand behind their chairs.
2. Choose a times table for the round (for example, the 6-times table).
3. In turn, have students name numbers beginning with one, until coming
   to a number which is a product in the selected times table.  In that case,
   the student should clap instead of saying the number. The count-off for
   the 6 times table would begin as follows: 1,2,3,4,5, clap,7,8,9,10,11, clap,
   etc.  
4. Have students continue counting around the class until the ending
   number for the round has been reached (for example 6x12=72). This ending
   number should be decided upon before the round begins depending upon the
   level of the students.
5.  If a student incorrectly claps, or,names a number which should
   be clapped, he must sit out for the rest of the round.
6. Continue to practice products of various times tables in this manner.

A fun and challenging variation is to clap for any product in the given
times table as above, and add a clap for any number that also contains the
chosen times table numeral.  In this variation for the example of the 6-
times table, students would also clap for any number that contained a 6,
even if it was not in the 6-times table: 1,2,3,4,5, clap,7,8,9,10,11, clap, 13,14,15,
clap (l6 has a 6), l7,clap, etc.

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.

Quick Tips for Teachers - Homework Lottery

Does your state have a lottery?  Often the slogan of lottery games is "You need to be in it to win it!"  Use that slogan to encourage your students to do their homework.

At random, chose a homework assignment to be a part of the Homework Lottery.  Each student who has handed the assignment in on time gets one entry in the weekly lottery.  Students who have not done the assignment do not get entered that day.  At the end of the week, select one or two names from the Homework Lottery to be the winners.

"Prizes" may include things like an extra five minutes of recess, a new box of crayons, a class story chosen by the winner, or other "prizes" chosen by the class. Keep them guessing.  Don't select a homework assignment each day, or select two on other days.  Never knowing when you'll choose an assignment for the lottery will keep students on their toes and doing their homework.

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.

Lessons for a Spring Ski Day

 I just got back home from two extraordinary days of spring skiing! Spring skiing you say - have I stumbled onto the wrong web page? No, faithful readers - you haven't. This is going to be a column about learning, I promise. I just couldn't pass up this opportunity to pass along some real life learning for those who still may be heading to the slopes!

Being retired, my friends and I finally get to enjoy some mid-week skiing after years of having to ski only on the weekends. We really don't like to see kids out skiing during the week, missing out on their valuable schooling. "Why aren't those kids in school?" we ask each other, shaking our heads. But then the memory of those rare mid-week ski days we used to enjoy while still going to school creep in, and we know that their parents are anxious to share an experience that the kids wouldn't get while skiing on a weekend.

With that in mind, we grudgingly forgive them. And this time, while riding up the chairlift, I started thinking of the many things parents could do while taking a mid-week ski trip to be sure that the kids are learning (even if it is just a little!). The list became quite long as I let my imagination go.

So, here, in no particular order, is my list of a few "Lessons for a Spring Ski Day." I hope you find one or two of them useful!

Map reading ~ A ski trip (or any trip for that matter) is a great time to get the kids involved in using maps. If you are planning a trip to the slopes, let your kids map out your route, figure out mileage, and predict driving times. You may also want to have them figure in rest stops or gas mileage while you are traveling.

Trail maps ~ Speaking of maps, ski areas offer a unique type of map for kids to become familiar with. Trail maps give kids good practice in locating where they are on the mountain, and some are even topographical maps showing the elevations. The system a mountain uses to rate the difficulty of the slopes can also figure into the lesson. Can the kids plan an "all blue" route from the top to the bottom of the mountain? Where are the best green trails? And, do you avoid those black diamonds?

Weather ~ And don't forget the weather! Before you go, have your kids read the weather maps - another kind of map we don't often think of - to be sure you won't be rained out on your spring ski day. While you are having kids think about weather, there are many weather related topics to explore. What is the average snowfall of the area you plan to visit? What causes those famous spring storms, especially in the northeast? What is the usual daytime temperature, so you'll be able to dress appropriately?

Money ~ A trip of any kind offers lots of ways for kids to practice using money. Let your kids pay for the lift tickets (you supply the $$ - or perhaps let them). During the spring there are usually ticket price discounts. Have the kids figure out the savings or the percent of the discount. If you are planning a longer trip, let them compare the rates for single day tickets and multi-day. Is there a big savings? Buying food or souvenirs is another way for kids to practice using money.

Maple Sugar ~ Spring in the northeast brings maple sugaring season. If you are planning a trip in this area, a stop at a sugar house is a nice "add-on." Kids will be fascinated by the maple sugaring process and will enjoy tasting that sweet syrup.

Seasons ~ What better time to talk with your kids about the change in seasons than in the spring. Why do the seasons change? What kinds of changes happen as we move from winter to spring? What about Daylight Saving Time ? My book Teaching About Time includes many ideas for helping your child understand these changes.

Animals ~ As spring approaches, more signs of animals can be seen on the slopes. Kids love to try to identify tracks, spot animals, and listen to the bird calls. We've seen deer and turkeys on ski trails, and heard the sounds of many birds just arrived back from their winter in the south. Just this week, we rode the gondola with a fellow who had seen a mink run across the trail while he was skiing, so keep your eyes peeled - you never know what you might see.

Northwoods Knowledge ~ Gore Mountain Ski area in the Adirondacks has a unique feature on the windows of their gondolas. In each there is a poster with a short article about some aspect of local history and folklore. Famous people from the area are profiled. Some articles tell how ski trails were named, and some are just about North Country items of interest like the Adirondack Black Fly. Perhaps the ski area you go to may do a similar thing.

Wherever you may be planning to take your kids for spring skiing, or for any other trip you may take during the year, keep your eyes open for new and interesting learning experiences for your kids. Make that trip a little bit more interesting, and give your kids some new knowledge!

And if you do get out on the slopes for some delicious spring skiing, take a run for me!!

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.

Teacher Appreciation Week Books

During Teacher Appreciation Week, teachers and parents may be looking for some great books about teachers to share with their students. Here are a few to consider.

My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, A Prairie Teacher by Jim Murphy is an excellent fiction account of what life and the life of a teacher was like in the late 1800s in the wild new west. The story is set in Broken Bow, Nebraska, and tells the tale of Sarah Jane Price, a fourteen year old, who becomes the teacher in the one-room schoolhouse where her father had been hired to teach. The book is written in diary form, and the reader gets to see Sarah's thoughts, from her first very sad recollection so the death of her father, the resident school teacher, through her struggles to fit in after his untimely death and finally, to the decision to teach in his stead and the trials and joys that come along with being a "prairie teacher".

Sarah is not welcomed as the teacher at first, and has to recruit students, set up the school, find materials, and win the hearts of her students. It is a great read - and a great read-aloud, and tells the story of a very courageous young lady and her journey to become a teacher.

Another book which is very similar in theme is The Secret School by Avi. This is also a story of a fourteen year-old girl, Ida Bidson, and her one-room schoolhouse in Elk Valley, Colorado. The story starts with Ida as a student at the school. When her teacher suddenly leaves, Ida's classmates vote that she become the new teacher. But knowing that this would not be approved by the adults, the idea of a secret school took shape. The rest is a wonderful story of Ida's trials and triumphs as a teacher.

For younger readers, two books are great fun and deal with the idea that many children have - that their teacher lives at school! My Teacher's Secret Life by Stephen Krensky looks at what teachers do after the students go home for the day. And what would you expect? They eat dinner in the cafeteria, do exercises in the gym, hear stories in the library and sleep in their classrooms. That is the belief until one student sees his teacher at the grocery store, the mall, and even roller skating! The conclusion - she must have a secret life that the other teachers don't know about. 

Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10 by Judy Finchler covers much of the same territory as My Teacher's Secret Life. What sets this book apart is the delightful pictures and the unusual typeface - this book looks like it was actually written by a 6 year-old. The teachers do the predictable things after school, like sleeping in the teacher's room, and waiting in line to brush their teeth at the water fountain. The jig is up when Miss Malarkey moves into the same apartment building as the young student. Then he thinks he needs a pass to visit her - and even sees her bare feet and RED toenails! A great read!

And one more - What Teachers Do When No One Is Looking by Jim Grant is an inspirational book about dedicated teachers and what they do when "no one is looking."

I hope you find one or two of these terrific books to share with your students soon - they are all great looks at the lives of teachers.

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.