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Celebrate Student Learning!
Presenters: Diane Maletta, Madeline Basil, Ian Corbett, & Mary Kate Vaselik
All of us could use an extra bit of motivation for our elementary and middle school students! Gather some new ideas for teaching the same concepts you have taught each year as well as some new ways of building community by attending this session during ISRA’s 2016 Bicentennial Bash to celebrate Indiana’s 200th birthday!
“Celebrating Student Learning” will provide you with over 200 ideas to quickly and easily implement in your classroom, and promises to re-energize and empower your students to learn, grow and celebrate their learning during the 2016-17 school year. Current teachers will demonstrate many of these activities through their experiences, videos and photos, and through invited audience participation. Participants also will be offered the opportunity to share activities and practices that have worked well in their own classrooms.
The following ideas offer a glimpse of the 200 ideas that the teacher presenters will share with you.
•PICTURES!
A favorite activity of many students and teachers is to take a first and last day of class picture in the same location in your classroom or school. It’s fun for everyone to see the changes that have taken place! Throughout the year, also consider including pictures of your students in your weekly or monthly newsletters. They feel more a part of the classroom and school community this way, and will be more engaged in your classroom activities and learning!
•WE CAN!
Adding a “We Can” wall in your classroom and hanging anchor charts everywhere in your classroom, including on your window blinds will allow for as many visuals to assist your primarily visual learners you find in elementary and middle school classrooms.
•PERSONALIZE IT!
It’s particularly engaging and motivating for your students when you use their names, personalities, friends, hobbies, and pets in word problems and stories used in your teaching and within assignments given.
•CLASS VISITORS!
Although field/study trips are highly motivating and engaging, they are not always cost-effective. Consider inviting guests into your classroom, such as the mayor, a business owner, or even a parent or grandparent to speak or share something relevant to the topic you are teaching and students are learning. Remember to ask parents at the open house or start of the year to sign up for times to volunteer or share their work experiences, etc. with your students.
The following links give you a further sneak-peak at some of the links we will provide for you at our “Celebrating Student Learning!” session to add to your engaging classroom. We hope you enjoy them!
• Online Encyclopedia-dkfindout
• Creating Positive Classroom Culture
• MobyMax
We will provide an invaluable handout of the 200 ideas as well as award great teacher prizes at the conclusion of our session. We look forward to seeing you there!