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Showing posts from 2011

Leprechaun Trap Challenge (STEM): St. Patrick's Day

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Leprechaun Trap Challenge (STEM) Instructions: Build a trap to catch a leprechaun using everyday materials. Follow the design process below! Objective: Encourage creativity, engineering skills, and problem-solving by designing a functional trap that could catch a mischievous leprechaun. Planning Sheet: Materials List: What will you use? (e.g., paper, string, tape, cardboard, LEGOs, pipe cleaners, cups, paper towel rolls, craft sticks, aluminum foil, etc.) Sketch Your Design: Draw how your trap will work, labeling key parts and mechanisms. Trap Mechanism: How will your trap trigger when the leprechaun enters? Will it use a pulley, lever, or hidden entrance? Will you include bait like gold coins, glitter, or candy? Building Phase: Work on assembling your trap using the selected materials. Testing & Improvements: Try triggering the trap multiple times. Identify any weaknesses and refine the design. Reflection Questions: What was the most challenging part of building the trap? What ...
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Top things teachers should never do.

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Remember, teaching is a profession. You are a professional. Many times, we tend to forget that. Here are some some of the worse things teachers can do. Scream and yell. If you want to look bad in front of your students and staff, then you will raise your voice. Sure way to shorten your teaching career. This is related to losing your temper in class. Don't do it. No matter what, keep your emotions under control. You are the teacher, boss, and leader. You can get respect without yelling. Also on this note, classroom teachers should not single out a student and belittle them. This includes chewing them out for doing something, or not doing something. You will never brow beat a student into behaving or learning. You will only look like a foolish teacher. And quite an ineffective one at that. This includes getting upset for every little thing. Little things happen in class. They do not all require punishment, referrals, calls to the principal, etc. Let it go. Acknowledge it, then...
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Late Homework Policies

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If a teacher is going to assign homework, sooner or later a student is going to turn it in late. Or not at all and ask for an extension. What is your late work policy? Do you make it up on the fly? Many teachers do, but this is not being fair to all students. Every teacher should have a stated, clear policy when it comes to turning in late assignments. First, check to see if your school or district has a policy about late assignments. Many do. Your homework policy cannot go against this. Here are some more tips for teachers and collecting homework. Collect it immediately when students enter class, or shortly thereafter. Do not collect it whenever the student wants to turn it in. Give some credit for incomplete work. You will save a lot of trouble if you do this. You need clear options for grading late work. Have a set policy. What penalty will it cost the student to turn in late work? How about students who are absent? Your district and school probably have clear policies a...
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