Kids say the weirdest things!

I was teaching how to write sentences today and I asked the kids why punctuation isn't an important part of their writing?  Basically, "Why don't you care enough to put punctuation?"  Most of the answers were, "We're lazy," "Because texting doesn't need it," and "I don't know where it all goes."  But the best one today was what one boy said: "I usually write without punctuation.  Then I go back and just put periods in random places."  I laughed and asked, "Why?  Why would you do that?"  He said, "The teacher never told me not to."

What is going on here?  I told them that my little first grader is learning how to write complete sentences!  What happens from first grade to middle school?  I'm so amazed that punctuation wouldn't be an important part of writing.  Then I asked the class if they think that employers don't look to see if a resume has full, complete sentences.  They said they don't believe an employer would care about fragment sentences on a resume or not.  Then they said, "McDonald's won't care!"  I'm thinking, Is that as far as you are shooting here in life?    WOWOWOWOWOW!

Ah the great question!  How do we make students CARE!? 

Keep 'em Moving

During a Master's Class discussion we were talking about different ideas for lessons.  I mentioned that keeping the kids physically moving while learning really helps to keep the blood flowing to their brain.  I mentioned a couple of games and got one back from a P.E. Teacher.  Here are all of our games to share!

I love learning games.  The only problem is that I don't have very many to go around.  But these kids in Middle School, about to go to high school, need to keep their bodies moving so that the blood flows to their brains.  We need to keep them interested by keeping lessons short and practice longer and more fun.  The social interaction that the students have helps to motivate them to do well in front of their peers.  A little competition never hurt, either.  So here are some games you might be able to use in your class: 1.  Name Game (or could be used to learn Vocab)  At the first of the year I get them all in a circle with their knees facing the middle.  A rolled up poster or newspaper is used to play tag.  I call out a name and the person in the middle has to go tag that person on the knees.  The person whose name is called needs to call out another person's name before getting tagged or s/he is in the middle.  If they call the middle person's name then they automatically have to switch places and become "it".   (Watch out for violent attacks, however.  The game is fast-paced and can cause bruises.)
2.  The Bang Game!  (Used with Vocab normally, or short answers)  Have students facing eachother in pairs.  The teacher calls out the definition and the students write the word down and say, "Bang!" when they are finished.  The winner moves up a seat and the loser moves down a seat.  The goal is to get to the number one seat and win over the whole class. This one gets wild, too, but it is great fun!
3. Other than games I use center rotations so that students are not doing one activity or task for more than 15 minutes or so.  They get up and move around the room which moves the blood and I have less sleepers in class.  Centers also provide opportunities to use Gardener's different intelligences because you can plan activities that use each one at different times.  Have them draw, play games, work sheets, study, use computers, whatever you want.  It's great!

Active Alliteration 6th - 8th grade Language Arts.
Formation: Standing at desk with partners
equipment: Paper and pencil
Rules/Directions:
1. Teacher reads a story or passage that contains alliteration.
2. Whenever the students hear alliteration they jog in place.
3. Students begin activity and continue for 30 seconds or until teacher resumes reading.

Variation:
1. Have the students think of a physical activity that begins with the same letter of the alliteration.
Example: Samantha sat by the sea
Students begin to swim.

Here is another one.
Classroom Fables 7th grade Language Arts
Formation: Standing beside desks
Equipment: none
Rules/Directions:
1. The teacher reviews various sentence parts.
2. The teacher lists various sentence parts on the chalk board, along with corresponding physical activities for each sentence part:
> Article - hop on 1 foot 5 times
> Noun - walk in place 5 paces
> Verb - jog in place 5 steps
> Adverb - touch elbow to knee 5 times
> Adjective - 5 jumping jacks
> Pronoun - 5 squats
> Preposition - 5 knee lifts
> Conjunction - 5 toe touches
3. The student who sits in the first seat on the first row of desks says one word to begin a sentence (ie, "The")
4. All students complete the corresponding activity for that sentence part.
5. The 2nd student in that row then adds another word (ie,"green") and students complete the corresponding activity for that sentence part.
6. This continues going down each row so that the class creates their own silly story, each student adding one word at a time to form a sentence.
Variation:
1. Could also be used in foreign language classes.

Shaunti Feldhahn Books

Feldhahn was doing research in to the male psyche when she started noticing some gender gap issues that result in miscommunication among married couples.  She interviewed over 800 ment and came up with an awesome book that I haven't finished just yet.  The book is factual and to the point, yet open for interpretation and application into our own lives.  She's Christian so she brings out some Christian issues, but she is not preachy or over-bearing at all.  Cost? Free at your local Library! I wonder what the other two books say!