Welcome to Maggie's Earth Adventures

While observing in a school not too long ago, I watched how one teacher made sure all of her young children visited (and stayed in) their assigned centers at the correct time. Upon arrival, each child was given a large, brightly colored “necklace” to wear. These were blue, red, green, yellow, and brown circles. At ten-minute intervals, the teacher would ask children to rotate centers, based on their necklace color and at a glance; she was instantly able to determine if they were in the right place.  Brilliant.

I am a strong advocate of centers and because of the social nature of this form of learning; the holidays are the perfect time of year to stage activity stations.  Have your children view one of our animations via computer (and of course headphones) as one center. Your math center could consist of this activity using the two pages we have provided or you could print just one copy of the activity, laminate it, and cut the four main problems into cards. Children could use scrap paper for writing answers. I always liked to have a box with a slit in the top so students could slip their answer sheets into the box. You could cover the box with appropriate seasonal wrap or with plain paper. Let children decorate the plain paper with their own illustrations of Maggie, Yoshi, or even a flamingo!  Extend the activity by providing books about flamingos at your library center. Writing about imaginary experiences with flamingos is a natural for a writing center.

Even though teachers tend to use August or September as the start of the school year, I always tried to use January as a new beginning, too. I reflected on what had been accomplished, considered any changes I had to make, and prepared myself for the tasks ahead. Think about how you can relate/connect your subject areas, just as Ding Darling did. It’s also a good time to “take stock” of our successes and needs. As teachers, we tend to see all that needs to be done because we are the “fixers.” But it is helpful and healthy to consider all that has been accomplished. You can do this for yourself and for your students. In a twist on the “morning message,” gather your class before dismissal. Each day, write one sentence about something positive that happened. You will soon have a chart of optimism in your classroom.  Do this for yourself, too. We focus so much on planning, so take a minute or two at the end of your day and write a funny or heartwarming statement in your plan book describing what touched you during the day. Reading back on these will help you to see all the good you prompt in your classroom!

Happy teaching

Thank you National Wildlife Federation for providing these great photos as we highlight Ding Darling in this week’s Weekly Activity Packet.  Didn’t receive your FREE activity?  Sign on today.

Ding Darling