How do you spend your first session with kids? 第一節課

2nd Grade

I always wonder how others spent their first session of each semester.

From doing roll call to general introduction of course outline and classroom management, I try to vary my OPENING session from time to time.

This semester with my 2nd graders, I played a scavenger haunt game with them.  The activity is to practice their listening skill and highlighting their recognition of beginning letter/sound.

 

I wrote down their name  when I did the roll call and each kid should copy their names once in their ABC books.  After 8 or 9 names, I pause and start a scavenger haunt game for names.

I asked kids to look for the name I said and they would come to the board to circle it. I did this for several rounds then I continued the roll call again. The rationale behind this is to make roll calling functions as an activity that also reinforce listening/speaking/reading and writing skills.

The scavenger haunt game can be versatile. So far I’ve used their name to practice the following language focus:

1. Look for names that says ‘Andy’

2. Look for names that start with the sound says /k/…

3. Who is he (motion to a boy)? Kids are to answer ‘He is Andy.’ and locate the corresponding name on the board

With the IWB, activities like this no longer require butcher papers, markers and you won’t need to think what to do with the used posters. It is a perfect tool for subject teachers who cover multiple classes with the same lesson plan. You simply photograph it after each class and documenting your class is just as easy!

After the roll call, I played the song Skidamarink by SuperSimple Songs.

 

It is such a nice song to introduce in Valentine’s Day. It’s easy to sing along and immediately bring in a loving atmosphere in the first day back to school. I stopped the song randomly to have kids come to the board to point to sight words like you, I, love, morning, in…etc.

4th graders

For 4th graders, I started the class with the video clip showcases their posters to our friends in Germany . Then we moved on to the Valentine’s Day and what people do to celebrate this loving occasion. Before I play Skidamarink to them, I asked them to look for words that hidden in the song title.

It turns out to be a fun and engaging activity for all the classes I teach!

Here’s one of the result from them

Again, IWB is such a handy tool to document your teaching material!

Here are some quick notes of the first session

1. I should work on my writing on the board!:-P

2. I should invite kids to use the IWB more, eg. write words/ change colors…etc.

All in all, I think my 1st session went pretty well.

Good to be back to work!

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