D-Ice Breaker- A Fun Get to Know You Activity

 

I love the play on words with dice and ice breaker! :) On our campus, we will be implementing Stanford Harmony to help with social emotional learning. One thing they suggest is doing a Buddy Up and asking them questions to discuss with their buddy. I took some similar type questions and put them into a QR dice that the students can roll, scan, and answer the question. 

I plan on using this the first week of school for sure as we are getting to know our classmates and build relationships because QR codes and dice make everything more fun!! 

Questions on the cube...

-If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

-If you were stranded on an island, what three things do you take with you?

-If you could only eat one food for the rest of you life, what would it be?

-If you won a million dollars, what would be the first thing you buy?

-If you could spend the day with a fictional character, who would it be?

-If you found a magic lantern and a genie gave you three wishes, what would you wish for?

Students could even answer the question a second time with another answer if time permits. 

Click the cube to make a copy.

Tip: Print on card stock, it makes putting the dice together a lot easier!

If, you want to change the questions and add your own QR codes you can do that do. Click here for a copy of the dice template. Then go to your favorite QR generator website, type in your question, download QR code, and put into your dice template.

Happy Rolling!

Purposeful Classroom Design

It's that time of year again!! We, teachers, get to set up our classroom. I get so excited for this day, and I am the one that goes up the first day we are allowed to. :)  I'm sure we have all seen the picture perfect classrooms on Pinterst and Instagram, but that kind of classroom is not necessary for student learning to take place and success to occur. 

I put a lot of thought into my classroom design and want my room to echo what I believe as an educator. I have learned over the years that less is more. When planning and setting up my classroom, I make sure to have a focus on a few specific things. 

1. Whole Group Area- 

This is a must in my classroom!  It must be large enough for everyone to sit comfortably on the floor and in a circle if needed. We come together for many things each day; class meetings, read alouds, mini lessons, writing share time, and so much more. This area is where our class grows as a family and builds relationships together. 

2. Small Group Area- 

A lot of my teaching happens in small group, so this area is equally important. I want a place I can easily gather students and store materials, but also see the rest of the class as they work on their other activities. This is also my teacher area. I get rid of my desk to allow for extra room for students and flexible seating.
Lots of selfies happen here!:)

3. Classroom Library-

I believe every classroom should have a library no matter your subject matter. Students should have access to books everywhere. I'm a reading teacher so I have a rather large selection of books for students. I want my library to be assessable, inviting, organized, diverse, and appealing to all my students. My goal for this area is that it is well loved and used daily!

4. Student Seating-

After I have figured out my whole group, small group, and classroom library, I focus on student seating. I make sure students are able to collaborate, are able to move easily around the classroom, and have a variety of seating options. I like to incorporate flexible seating in my classroom to give students choice and ownership over there learning.

Some different options I have in my classroom:

5. Decorations-

Honestly, the last thing I think about is wall decorations. Like I said earlier, less is more. I like to incorporate our school vision, positive messages, and space to hang up the learning that we do together and student work. I incorporate a few colors, which are usually the school colors as well, and try to keep it

6. Class Materials-

When designing your classroom, also think through where students will find and access all supplies and technology. Have a spot for everything and it is organized! Remember that you will need to teach students your routines and expectations for using them all. 

Have fun, be creative, be YOU, and make your classroom an extension of what you believe! Remember you and the relationships you build with your students always trump anything you could decorate your classroom with!

I'd love to see your classroom, leave a picture. :)