Monday night was transition night at our school (at least for my grade level). While our administrators keep parents in the gym to go over procedures and other important boring parent things, we take the kids to our classrooms. It is when the kids learn what teacher they will be with and we only learn a few hours before hand what kids we will have.
I honestly was a little nervous. It really surprised me. I mean, come on, this is my seventh year teaching. But as soon I had my new friends in the room all the butterflies left. I am a teacher through and through.
Back to the point of this post...we needed a 30-45 minute activity to do with the kids. My team and I choose the same thing as last year...a getting to know you necklace. . There are several questions the students must answer to determine which beads to get. For example, my favorite one,
Take one star bead if you think you will like second grade a little.
Take two star beads if you think you will like second grade a lot.
Did you notice I didn't give the option of not liking second grade? Teachers are clever like that! Everyone's necklace ends up looking different. We challenge the kids to wear them back on Monday, the first official back to school day.
This idea did not originate with us! Google it, you'll find several examples.
I created some safari themed direction cards to set out with my beads. There are two on a page and made to be folded and stood on the table in front of the correct container of beads. Hope someone else can use it also. (Click the link, not the picture.)
