Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites: Strategies 1 and 2

I started reading Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites earlier this week. It was a great refresher from some important and effective strategies I learned in school. Though I feel like I do a good job incorporating these strategies, it's great to come up with new ideas and see what other teachers are doing as well.

Our morning mingle is a time when we get together in the morning for calendar time, Chit-Chat, Daily Fix-it, etc. I use my Smart Board and the kiddos have their clipboards as well. Most of my teaching is done with our clipboards. It's more of a group feeling, and easier to have discussions that way. I use the Think-Pair-Share a lot. I use it during Morning Mingle, mostly when we Chit-Chat.

 

 

 

 

 My kids also have a math partner (changes every day) for Math Workshop. They work independently and do partner work every day.

All of my writing activities include drawing. I also let my early finishes "free draw" sometimes when they finish early. It keeps them busy while I'm helping others finish up, and they're using their own imagination to draw instead of it being prompted.

 

This is a craftivity from Christmas. The writing promt was: If you give a reindeer a rootbeer.

 

 

This book is really great!!! This is going to be an awesome study!