“Giftedness is not what you do or how hard you work. It is who you are. You think differently. You experience life intensely. You care about injustice. You seek meaning. You appreciate and strive for the exquisite. You are painfully sensitive. You are extremely complex. You cherish integrity. Your truth-telling has gotten you in trouble. Should 98% of the population find you odd, seek the company of those who love you just the way you are. You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. You are utterly fascinating. Trust yourself!”

Linda Silverman~Gifted Development Center Denver


Saturday, 4 May 2013

Calming the Chaos

I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO WRITE "THE END IS NEAR"

Welcome to the Calming the Chaos Blog Hop hosted by 2peasandadog.
All of us bloggers have come together to share our top tips for making the last month of school run smoothly. Visit each of our blogs to learn something new and catch a freebie or two!
Happy Hopping!

 STOP BACK TOMORROW FOR A NEW LINKY PARTY!
DO YOU LIKE TO READ ALOUD TO YOUR CLASS?  DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE BOOK, NOVEL OR STORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?  
PLEASE JOIN THE FUN AND LINK UP!



Each spring I ask my students to write letters to students who will follow in their footsteps and be in my class the following year.  I personalize it by getting the class list from the current teacher of that group of students.  I then give each one of my students the name of an actual student to whom they are writing. These letters often include favourite memories of being in my classroom, advice about how to be successful in the grade, things to do and not to do, best field trips, use of technology, etc. I encourage my students to write letters which are mostly positive, although I allow them to be HONEST but not mean (about me of course!). I ask them to think about how they felt when they read the letters left behind by the previous year's students.  

I give my students a variety of different decorative papers to use to write their letters.  I also let them write them by hand or using word processing software.  I collect all the letters and then store them in a folder with my "back to school" materials until the first day of the next school year.  On the first day I place a single letter on each student's desk along with my "back to school" survival kit.  I have even used an ABC book idea before and had the students write each page about being in Grade 6 Gifted.  They called these books "How to Survive Grade 6 Gifted".  They are always a hit!

My FREEBIE for you is a simple template you could use with your class or adapt to suit your needs.  Just click on the image to download your own copy.





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Calming the Chaos Participants
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17 comments:

  1. jen4 May 2013 at 09:47

    I love this idea! It's a nice way to ease into the first day of school :)

    Thanks for sharing!
    --jen

    teaching,life,and everything in between

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 09:50

    Jen,
    It keeps this years class busy and is a nice FREE way to welcome your new class!
    Hope you can use it!
    Sidney

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fun Finders4 May 2013 at 10:20

    Jen,
    You have great ideas on your blog! Thanks, Heidi
    Globicate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 11:56

      Why thank you Jen! I will have to hop over to your blog and have a little looksy myself! I love the name Globicate! Have an excellent weekend! The weather here in Toronto is awesome!
      Sidney

      Delete
  4. The Adventures of Room 834 May 2013 at 11:44

    I just found your blog. And OH MY GOODNESS. It is adorable and unbelievably packed with awesome ideas. I am so glad I came across it. I am your newest follower. Be sure to check out my blog, I am newer to the blog world~


    The Adventures of Room 83

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 11:57

      Why thank you! I am thinking of changing the design of my blog but suddenly everyone is telling me how cute it is! It is actually starting to grow on me again! Welcome to the world of blogging. I will certain to hop on over and visit you today! Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment, I do really appreciate it.
      Sidney

      Delete
  5. Jessica Harris4 May 2013 at 15:24

    I've done this with my fifth graders and it really sets a great tone to the start of the next school year :0)! I LOVE your "Keep Calm" and I've pinned it. It is my new mantra. I'm your newest follower!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 16:55

    Thanks Jessica! I had to make a new Keep Calm poster and use my favourite colour of all time! Thanks for pinning it! Have an awesome final few weeks of school (I still have 7 weeks to go!)
    Sidney

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    Replies
    1. Jessica11 May 2013 at 10:41

      I feel like a little kid - it's my favorite color too! My classroom is teal and lime green!

      Cheers,
      Jessica Harris
      Mrs. Harris Teaches Science!

      Delete
  7. BeachTeach54 May 2013 at 19:21

    I was already thinking about doing this with my fifth graders, now I'm definitely going to! Thanks for the freebie! I can't wait.

    Liz
    Beach Teach

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    Replies
    1. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 19:43

      Liz,
      I am so happy to hear you were thinking about doing this! I find that having a template to give my students makes it easier to manage. In the past I allowed them to create their own letter templates and the choice of graphics was NOT what I wanted to portray ! LOL...too many STOP SIGNS! Anyhow, enjoy!
      Sidney

      Delete
  8. Unknown4 May 2013 at 19:25

    I love your back to school idea - it is so cute! What a great way to create support and community in a classroom:) I just started following you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 19:44

      Why thanks for following! I appreciate all the support I can get. I hope you come back tomorrow and link up for the Favourite Read Aloud Linky Party. We all have our favourites, but it's nice to hear about new choices too!
      Sidney

      Delete
  9. Colleen Bergin4 May 2013 at 19:35

    What a great idea! I love your blog and am your newest follower :-)

    Colleen

    Bergin's classroom

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    Replies
    1. Ms.M from Teachingisagift4 May 2013 at 19:46

      Why thank you Colleen! I love your blog too! I hopped all over this morning to check out everyone else's posts! Have a great weekend! If you get a chance come back tomorrow and link up your Favourite Read Aloud. Nothing like another linky party to get the creative juices flowing!
      Sidney

      Delete
  10. Unknown5 May 2013 at 05:09

    Hi Sidney! I just found your blog through the hop, I'm your newest follower!

    ✿Sue✿
    ✿Science for Kids Blog✿

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ms.M from Teachingisagift5 May 2013 at 10:41

    Hi Sue~ I love how you have little flowers in your name and your blog address! I am jealous! I LOVE science...I will have to hop on over to your blog and become your newest follower too!
    Happy Sunday!
    Sidney

    ReplyDelete

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