Joke of the Day

Have you ever tried to implement a Joke of the Day in your classroom?  This year, in my 25th year of teaching, I have put it in for the first time.  To be honest, I have a different group of kids every day in my position, so it is actually a Joke of the Week for me, but I love it!  I think it is a tradition I will keep for as long as I teach.  If I move to a position where I teach the same students every day, I may only do it once a week, but I will for sure keep one in my plans regularly!

Why?  You may be wondering why...  Well, here are a few reasons that I love having it in my routine.

1.  My students LOVE it.  At least a few every day walk into my room asking, "What is today's joke of the day?"  This reason alone is reason enough.  I know that having my students excited about any part of their day with me will help them be engaged and ready to learn.

2.  I get to hear them laugh.  It might seem to be the same reason as number 1, but it it makes me happy to hear them chuckle.  A happy teacher is a better teacher.  I know that for sure.

3.  It makes them think.  Even the most simple cartoon like the one above provokes conversations among their peers.  "I don't get it"... then someone else begins to explain.  Explaining something as simple as a joke is such a great mental exercise for my students.

4.  It creates a "classroom culture".  I love having them refer to a former joke.  Its like old friends getting together and telling a funny story about the "good ole days".  My 3rd graders will weekly refer to their pencil as a "wireless keyboard" in reference to this "Joke of the Day" from more than a month ago.

5.  

5.  It gives them a routine.  When they see the "Joke of the Day" on the screen it is a mental reminder that we will be starting class soon.  I can leave it on the screen while they talk about it, laugh, gather pencils and journals that they know they will need.  It is a much more pleasant routine than me starting right off with a slide that I expect them to write or do work on.  I don't have to verbalize those reminders, "get your pencils and expandables" over and over again as I once did. 

6.  Google makes it easy!  While watching Netflix (usually Grey's Anatomy), I can search joke for kids, or joke for kids technology (our past unit) or whatever kind of joke I want.  There are so many at my fingertips within seconds!  I usually gather 5 or more at a setting and save them to keep and plug in at a minutes notice.  You can easily do inspirational quotes ( I do this as well), riddle of the day (I have done these before and they were very popular), a quick word puzzle, an analogy, any quick thing you want!

Maybe you want to implement it slowly and just have a Joke of the Day on one day of the week.  Watch and see how your students react when they start to expect a joke up on the board every Thursday (or whatever day you choose).  Maybe you make up a schedule, joke on Monday, inspiration on Wednesday, riddle on Friday... whatever works for you.  Don't make it too hard on yourself, though.  Teaching is hard enough.

I do hope you like adding a little laughter to your classroom.  It might make your days a little more enjoyable.

What are your students saying about you at the dinner table?

As a parent, I treasure those family conversations around the dinner table.  It is where we connected as a family and I learned about my children and spouse's day.  The vacations and the 'big" moments are fun, but I feel like it is those nightly meal conversations where we made our connections that will last forever.

Teachers- you need to know that you are in those conversations.  My children told stories about class.  They told me about funny things their teachers did, times they felt unfairly treated, and how their teachers reacted to stress and behavior issues in the classroom. 

I have also have had many parents tell me that their child tells them about me around the dinner table.  Often times, it is a story that I thought was something very incidental or some I can't even remember when they happened!  Sometimes they are about things I do all the time (sing silly songs, tell silly jokes, talk about my love for the Astros or the color purple) but it seems it is NEVER about the way I taught a concept! 

No matter how many hours I spend on building a lesson, tweaking my presentation and defining the objectives, that is NOT what they are going home and talking about.  That is not what is resonating in their mind.  Now, mind you, I do believe it is sticking with them!  I do believe that the work it takes to make an engaging lesson is worth it!  But, it is not what they will remember about you. 

However, I do believe that if you make positive connections through your actions, they are more open to learn those well developed lesson!  I've seen it work.  I've witnessed it in my own children.  The teachers that they loved to tell funny stories about are also the ones that I watched them grow in their expertise of that subject/ grade level.

Making connections works.  Have fun with your students.  Let them get to know you as a person.  Get to know them as a person.  They will talk about you at the dinner table regardless of how you treat them, but the tone of the stories is up to you!

Have a great week!

Treasure the beautiful moments!

A beautiful moment happened in my classroom the other day.   I keep reflecting on it and appreciating it.

We ended a unit last week, and the students had completed small research projects to share with each other.  They were allowed to choose their presentation piece.  Many chose Google slides shows, but some chose posters, iMovies, or just a prepared speech.  My teaching partner and I were happy with any of those choices, we just wanted them to be able to share their knowledge with their peers.  Now, we learned some things about the way we were teaching research, and we will definitely be helping our students learn to be better note takers in the future, but that is a different blog!  On Wednesday, we witnessed a beautiful act of kindness in our classroom!

The third graders were being chosen randomly, and 36 of them had presented.  They had listened to each other respectively and been a good audience.  (yes- we took a few brain breaks!)  The last boy was called and he had chosen to give a speech.  He stood in front of his peers, said the title, and began to "freak out" a little.  He began shaking his head and saying, " I can't do it.  I can't do it."  I went and stood next to him and put my hand on his shoulder, "Yes you can do it.  I'm here with you".  That didn't seem to help him.  My partner teacher said, "We are all here to support you, no one is judging.  We just want to learn from you. "  She and I continued to try and calm him and get him to present to no avail.  Suddenly a voice from the crowd, said, "what if we close our eyes?"  We said, "let's try it!" and 36 heads went down with hands covering their eyes. 

The student took a deep breath, and began.  He read the whole thing and they all looked up and clapped for him. 

I'm not going to lie.  I think a tear welled up in my eye.  The students went on to pack and clean up to head back to class for dismissal (as usual we were running late).  I just kept reflecting on that moment.

What if we hadn't listened to that voice from the crowd?

How did they know what he needed when I didn't?

I'm so glad they felt safe giving an idea.

I'm so glad that he felt safe accepting it and went on.

I'm so glad he has this triumph to remember next time he has to speak in front of a crowd and to build on this success.

I'm so thankful for those sweet children supporting him.  They could have been cynical, "we had to do it with people looking", but they weren't!

I'm going to keep that beautiful image in my bank of thoughts that I turn to when something is not going perfectly in class.  I'm going to treasure this beautiful moment.  I hope you treasure your beautiful moments too!