| | The First Day Back! | | Summer vacation is more than half over and soon it will be time to start thinking ahead to the first day of school! Do you have a special routine for the first day or do you just wait to see how things go? Instead of leaving it up to chance, here are some fun ideas to make sure the first day runs smoothly! | | | Two or three weeks prior to school starting, send a postcard to each of your new students. Include a little note about yourself, what they can look forward to in the upcoming year and some tips for being successful in your classroom. Kids will love receiving something in the mail and it will make them more excited to meet you on the first day. Also, this will make a great first impression with their parents! | | | When your new students walk into class on the first day, watch their faces light up as they see a "Welcome Back Sack" on their desk! Fill it with things such as pencils, erasers, stickers, a free homework pass, a bookmark or a small treat. This is a great way to start students off with the materials they will need for your class and you can find most of these items at your local dollar store. | | | As a fun activity, have your students draw a self portrait of themselves and have them write down some of their goals for the upcoming school year. Collect the pictures and put them in a safe place until the last week of school. During the last week of school, have your students draw another picture of themselves and write down the goals they think they accomplished. Pull the original picture out and hang them side-by-side. Your students will be amazed how much they learned and how their abilities changed over a school year! | | |
A new school year means different things for different people. It can bring on mixed emotions for not only your students but for you as well. By having a plan and being prepared, you can ensure that the first day will be a hit and everyone will be excited to be there!
Source- www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/ideas...
| | | | |  | | | | "Broccoli? Ewwww." | | Sound familiar? If you're a parent, we're sure you've heard this line (and fifteen variations of it) numerous times before. Presenting new foods to children can be a challenge and most of the time it results in pasta being pushed around the plate and the dog getting an extra serving of vegetables, but luckily - there's an end in sight. We've gathered five ways to get your picky little-one to stop moaning and start eating! | | |
1) | | More Showing and Less Telling. | | | | | Demanding that your child eat a certain food may result in more damage than good. Try putting new foods on your plate first and saying how much you like them. We have a good feeling that once Mommy and Daddy talk about their new favorite dish, your child will be curious and want to give it a taste test. | | | | | 2) | | Pick a side (or two). | | | | | Your kids might not be crazy about the Tomato and Basil soup in the middle of their plate but hey, they love the grilled cheese that comes with it. Try introducing one new food with two old ones on the same plate – but don't make a big deal about the recent addition. You may be surprised with how much your child is willing to try when they aren't being "force fed" different foods. | | | | | | | | 3) | | Get creative. | | | | | Channel your inner Food Network star and start thinking in themes. Does your child love going camping in the summer? Here’s an idea: Take a turkey sandwich and cut it into a triangle – representing a tent. Around the sandwich, put a few pieces of steamed broccoli (trees) and a few pretzels (fallen logs). Then, top it off with a cup of blue jello to represent the lake! | | | | | 4) | | Give 'em choices. | | | | | Kids love having a say in what they put in their belly and now you can offer them choices, knowing that no matter which one they pick – it's a nutritional one. Works great for meal time and snack time! | | | | | 5) | | Dip It! | | | | | Veggies, chicken, you name it – everything tastes better when you get to dip it! Squeeze their favorite dips (BBQ sauce, Honey Mustard, Ranch) onto the plate for extra encouragement to eat up! | | | | | | | | Want even more ideas? Check out the CD, Dancing in the Kitchen: Songs that Celebrate the Joy of Food!, sure to excite even the pickiest of eaters!
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