About Elementary Education: Bingo, Messy Desks, and a National Curriculum

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Elementary Education Elementary Education Lesson Plans Teaching 101 Student Discipline From Beth Lewis, your Guide to Elementary Education What's your favorite anytime, off-the-cuff learning activity? Besides Bingo, I've also come to like playing Whiteboard Boggle and impromptu Spelling Bees. But I'm always in the market for more easy ideas that I can share with my students. Leave a comment! ~Beth Bingo in My Back Pocket I imagine all teachers have a few easy, breezy, no-prep, all-purpose lessons stowed away in their proverbial back pockets. One of my favorite "go-to" activities is Bingo because it can be used to review material in virtually every subject area. Disguised as a game, Bingo helps my students review facts and figures they need to memorize. Best of all, I can organize and implement a Bingo game at the drop of a hat - no planning necessary. Perfect for those afternoons where you unexpectedly have 20 minutes to pass before it's time to go home.... Read more How to Help an Extremely Messy Student It seems like every year there's one student in my class who stands out as, shall we say, "organizationally challenged." Over the years, I've developed a few strategies for helping extremely messy students create a bit order out of the chaos when the standard organizational tools just aren't enough. How do you turn your little Pig-Pens into neatniks? I'm always in need of more tools in this area... sometimes even for my own desk!g... Read more One National Curriculum - Is It Possible? In her recent Op-Ed piece, One Classroom, From Sea to Shining Sea, Susan Jacoby expresses regret that a single national curriculum is not realistically possible. However, she does have three key changes she'd like to see in the American educational system: Non-compulsory guidelines (for every academic topic) developed by the brightest minds in each field An increased national investment in quality teacher selection and training (rather than penalizing ineffective teachers after they fail) The promotion of competition between schools, particularly through the support of semi-private charter schools Any thoughts on the matter? I liked this Op-Ed piece because it took a broad view of the subject, yet offered specific ideals for educational reform.... Read more Classroom Organization Tips So you have a teaching position and a classroom. But what should you do about the all-important classroom organization? It's key to set up your classroom space in a logical and user-friendly manner from the very start. Here are some resources to help you organize your room and help it stay that way. Elementary Education Ads Education Plombier 77410 Messy Student Desks Wood Desks Desks Armoire Featured Articles Substitute Teaching Strategies Parent Communication Strategies and Ideas Professional Growth Tools Becoming an Elementary School Teacher Assessment and Testing Education Glossary   More from About.com Disney Trip Planner Everything you need to plan the perfect Disney vacation -- from when to go and what to do, to saving money and picking a hotel. More > Join About.com's User Panel! Share your opinions and help us make make About.com more relevant, informative and enjoyable to use. More> This newsletter is written by: Beth Lewis Elementary Education Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Elementary Education newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Must Reads How to Hold Class Meetings 3 Powerful Story Starters Banning Words for Creative Writing Scaffolding Techniques for Good Teaching Blank Lesson Plan Template Advertisement