Teaching little children is about 90% knowledge, 10% magic and 100% organization. I have the knowledge and the organization part down (even though my home office would beg to differ), and it's the magic I thrive on. I love teaching little children. I love seeing the knowledge written across their faces when they "get it"....but almost more than all of that....I love making the world of learning "magical" for them. One of the easiest things to do is to make them (the parents and children) believe in the magic.
An easy thing to do is to get a package of foam or plastic red plates and write "You Are Special" on each one. Put the plate in a ziplock bag with a little explanation about how today was a special day. The very first day of first grade! Ask the parents in the letter to let their children eat dinner (or breakfast) the next morning on their red plate. Remind them that there will be many more Red Plate days in their future!
You can go here to read stories of the Red Plate. http://www.catholicfamilygifts.com/the-red-plate-stories.aspx
I have these red plates in their mailbox for the first day of school. Eating with their family, discussing the first day and celebrating with their family is their first homework! It's easy to get parents and children to "buy into the magic" with these simple little gestures.
How do you create the magic with your students? Alicia
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