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As promised yesterday, here I am with my first 'new term post'. Whenever we teachers have a longer break (longer = more than 10 days), we sometimes feel like worlds have been in between, right?! Not necessary because the students have forgotten many things, but because it just feels so long to not see kids, we usually meet regularly, for such a long time. With ourselves maybe travelling or disconnected from work as well during that period (or even longer), it can really feel 'weird' to start~'where are we, what do we do?' So, today I have my top 3 activities for you. Not ice breakers. Those are necessary as well, but I am sure you get enough of those. No, I mean 'real main activities'. Top 1 1st breakfast together  If you teach a second language it is very easy, just set it up as a restaurant and tell them to preview the language 'What would you like for breakfast" "I'd like" and different names of foods and drinks. (You can easily do so with Genki English volume 7, or create a 'flipped classroom video' on flipgrid and have them prepare the topic. My kids came today and without me teaching ANYTHING of this language, BEFORE or TODAY, they were fluent, and could just do it. They were soooo exited for the event today, they really got prepared. Then we also always add some fun group games. Today we played 'Mafia'. It is great because you can easily make up a story after you haven't seen each other for such a long time. Top 2 Find the lie!  Put a huge paper in the classroom with as many topics as students in a group. (I had 6 today so 6 topics fit perfectly, with huge classes just make groups of 4-6). Prepare the paper and write 6 questions which confer to their vacation activities. When the kids arrive, give each of them a marker right away and tell them to write down one answer to each question, including ONE lie. Once they are finished, everyone sits down and can investigate: ask each other questions: e.g. "Why did you go to Kumamoto?" "Where did you meet your grandma?" etc. When everyone seems happy , or you decide time is over, have them make their guess: "Margit, I think you didn't go to Antarktika, ...(and you can add any kind of language you want to practice here 'because' ...)" I played this yesterday with my 7th graders, and it lasted for 90 minutes, with no break. They were so involved and engaged! Try it, it is great fun.  TOP 3 Breakout This is something your kids (and adults) will love you for and want you to repeat as often as you can. Unfortunately, it is pretty much brainwork to create this from scratch, so I am stuck with one 'real breakout' per year (and a few digital ones). It is different from anything, and the goals of this game might be, (I'd like to say 'for sure are') very different from your usual classroom goals. I think they are essential! So, why do I do it after school break? Again, because it is so easy to create a story. Usually I have a little present for them (candy or so), and I put it in a box. I lock the box with a 3 or 4 digit keylock, because I have kids on my own who LOVE candies and I want to make sure these kids stay save for my students. (that is my story, always)... And of course, I forget the number to the key lock. Then the game begins, and it is up to them to find the clues hidden around the room, in shapes of a puzzle or QR code, coincidently showing up on the PC screen... This is one I did a couple of years ago:  TOP 4
Liar game I think you know this game: You have playing cards as many as players, all black, and one red. You hand out the cards and secretly everyone looks what color he has. The kid with the red cards must answer your questions with a lie, the others must tell the truth. This is a game even KG kids love. You can make it easy, just with asking: 'What's your name?' Or 'How are you?' You can quickly and easily review so much language with it and the kids will beg you for more. TOP 5 Kahoot Always on my list recently if I need to review something many times (vocab, etc). After vacation, I make a Kahoot that includes something where I can include photos of my holidays. Questions about certain museums I have been to, or foods I have eaten, etc. This way they will learn some culture and learn about me at the same time, and forget that they also are learning a language. What are your favorite Back to school activities? Was this blog helpful? Leave me a comment and you will hear from me.
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Just a quick note to let you know, I am back in Japan, and back at work. Thank you so much for your patience and for caring so sweetly not to 'disturb' my holiday. Amazing. Really really appreciated. Right now I am writing as much as I can on my Japanese blog about the time in Europe, to correspond a bit of culture there. Just realized that I haven't been on HERE for over a month. Sorry Sorry!  I have been thinking of you, and I am thinking of new steps and how to get more ideas over to everyone.
I know, teachers in Europe are already back to work. I wish you all a great and inspiring start and wonderful days with your students. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments, and I will answer there or in an even better way. Of course I am also happy if you just write about your newest teaching situation, the new school or new class you just opened, challenges, fears and ideas you have. ↓down there!♡ Here is how the crayons handled it: Red is working all year through without any holidays. Blue is coloring huge space all the time and is close to collapsing. And white~well, nothing in a picture is colored with a white crayon. Black is only used to draw lines. Pink~for a boy, it is just a girl's color~Ignorance. Only Green is happy and in harmony. Yellow and Orange had a bad fight about the color of the sun. What do you think? Do you also have complaints about too much or too little work? Or are you just in harmony?
another great picture book for our next piece. I am going to put up the detailed report on this tomorrow. Today an addition we integrated into the whole show. The 'Crayon kids' went to 'Crayon School'. The had all kinds of subjects. And so much fun learning: MUSIC~ with Boomwhackers, playing 'I can sing a rainbow'  SCIENCE Making water walk. An experiment, which creates a beautiful rainbow.  MATH Baby Monkey went out to play golf. Everyone was eager to figure out what number hole he hit. And they practiced addition and multiplication while doing so. And of course ENGLISH: A Phonics gesture reading game  Then it is time for ART class. And, do you know what could happen here? How does White Crayon feel, who had hardly been used at all ? What about red or blue, working hard all year?
Put down some of your guesses in the comments~~~. |
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