Creativity

I want to take a moment to mention creativity. This has got the be the ultimate secret weapon in my toolbox, without it my kids would probably never learn anything. The more creative a teacher is the more fun his/her classroom will be and the more learning will occur. I like to think of myself as a pretty creative teacher and for the most part it helps my kids a ton.

A few weeks ago my students wrote personal narratives where I asked them to focus on one small moment. I wanted to help them keep focus and add details to make their writing stronger. To introduce the focus of the writing I made shadowboxes. The students also received a handout with three boxes on it, one was for anticipation - how did they feel after being told they were going to stick their hands in the boxes without looking; "in the moment" - for the thoughts and feelings they had while they were interacting with the shadowboxes; "afterward" - for when they knew what was in the boxes. This activity was great fun for me, many of the students had so freaked themselves out that they were squealing and one was near tears. Not only was it amusing for all of us, it also helped them to focus their writing and use details. My shadowboxes were nothing crazy good, but they were something different and the kids responded to that. Several of my department members have asked to use the shadowboxes and I of course have said "yes".

I've also been writing grammar songs for my kids and it is awesome when they sing along. I take current songs that are popular or just catchy and I change the words. Then I sing the songs and record them to the karaoke versions and create a type of music video. I feel like a superstar teacher and the kids love the creativity and different take on learning I try to provide for them.

If you get stuck on something, get creative. Ask your kids to create a lesson idea or make a song (mine loved making grammar songs), do anything but give up.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for changing the world one kid at a time!