EDIT: My post scheduler didn't work as intended and this Thursday piece went up today. So we're just going to call it #TBTuesday. Sigh.
For our #tbt post today, I want to share a post from the old blog about a great self-esteem or test anxiety lesson. I've packaged it all up and put it on my TPT store. As always, it's on sale until March 8th. You can also find my test anxiety professional development over at TPT.
For our #tbt post today, I want to share a post from the old blog about a great self-esteem or test anxiety lesson. I've packaged it all up and put it on my TPT store. As always, it's on sale until March 8th. You can also find my test anxiety professional development over at TPT.
Haven't we all felt at some time that coming to school requires armor or at least a shield? Just me? I remember the anxiety and stress of school, the endless worries about friends and social status (spoiler alert- I was a total nerd), and the pressures of doing well. Let me tell you, my experience has nothing on what kids are facing today.
We are beginning the descent into the end of the school year and have a big obstacle looming (looming!) over us. State testing. Our school usually does really well; our kids are pretty awesome and we all know that. However, the pressure is building from outside forces with teacher merit pay and mandatory summer school or even retention. The teachers are feeling it and the kids are feeling it.
As we get older, we start to understand that whatever it takes to overcome obstacles comes from within. With that in mind, I am making Coat of Arms with our 3rd-5th graders as a confidence booster. I begin by going over an explanation of what a coat of arms is and its history. I even show them an example of the Atkins Coat of Arms and a few others. They think I'm a rock star to have my own crest.
A coat of arms says "This is who we are and we are special." So why not make your very own?
The kids have made some amazing examples. They were so into what they were doing, you could hear an audible groan when I announced time was almost up. The class whose coats of arms hang in the hallway outside my room was so bummed to not take them home immediately, I finally had to take volunteers. It was a great wrap up lesson for our year!
Happy (almost) summer! (Note: That's just mean to include in a #tbt post, there's still snow on the ground.)
We are beginning the descent into the end of the school year and have a big obstacle looming (looming!) over us. State testing. Our school usually does really well; our kids are pretty awesome and we all know that. However, the pressure is building from outside forces with teacher merit pay and mandatory summer school or even retention. The teachers are feeling it and the kids are feeling it.
As we get older, we start to understand that whatever it takes to overcome obstacles comes from within. With that in mind, I am making Coat of Arms with our 3rd-5th graders as a confidence booster. I begin by going over an explanation of what a coat of arms is and its history. I even show them an example of the Atkins Coat of Arms and a few others. They think I'm a rock star to have my own crest.
A coat of arms says "This is who we are and we are special." So why not make your very own?
The kids have made some amazing examples. They were so into what they were doing, you could hear an audible groan when I announced time was almost up. The class whose coats of arms hang in the hallway outside my room was so bummed to not take them home immediately, I finally had to take volunteers. It was a great wrap up lesson for our year!
Happy (almost) summer! (Note: That's just mean to include in a #tbt post, there's still snow on the ground.)
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