Lining up students to change locations.
To go to lunch, I chose to line students up by who had their tables ready. The learners sit at color-coded tables that accomodate 4-6 students. Before I would call a table to line up, I had to see that they had their lunch materials in hand and their tables had only the necessary notebooks and textbook for when they returned from lunch. The students were eager to be the first table chosen and I saw those 4th graders sit straight up in their seats with big smiles as they waited to line up for lunch. By calling one table at a time, I was able to avoid over crowding in the classroom that could have caused injuries. As we embarked on our journey, I walked next to students with the line monitor trailing behind me. I would occasionally turn around, with a dramatic swivel similar to that of a graceful dancer, to check the students behind me. They smiled as I twirled along the line. When we made it to the cafeteria there was traffic in the doorway. While we waited for other students to file in or out of the cafeteria, I read to the kids. They had done an exceptional job of following procedures for walking to lunch, so I decided that they deserved some poetry. This adorable book of poems (pictured to the left) are all related to school and most of them can be read in under a minute. The students wanted to hear the humorous and thought-provoking poems, so they stayed quiet as we waited and I animatedly read goofy poetry to them. I have always had a love for the performing arts, so I never feel more comfortable than I do when reading aloud to students and making them laugh. Eventually, traffic to/from the cafeteria cleared and I was able to dismiss my learners to eat their well-deserved lunches. As I continue my career, I hope to offer my students a little variety in everyday tasks. If learners are able to control themselves and follow appropriate procedures, I will reward their hard work in creative ways. I believe it is a highly effective strategy to release students to line up that are ready for the upcoming tasks and have shown that they can follow directions. For younger learners, I'd like to convince they are actually ninjas in training. We would discuss that ninjas are quiet, disciplined and very hard to be detected. Students would then practice their ninja-like walk while in line. While we walk, I'd like to engage students with the world around them by pointing out the beauty of nature and the various displays around the school's campus. Simon Says is a great game to be played in the hallway as well. I believe there is great value in finding the pleasure in the little things of everyday life, and I hope to share that love with my students.
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