ICEBREAKERS - Little Get to Know You Games for the First Week
Here are some links to some great websites for games to use in the first week to build your team and to help students get to know one another.
http://youthgroupgames.com.au/top-ten-icebreaker-games/
http://www.jubed.com/youth_ministry/search/ice-breaker
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/ice-breakers.page-3.html
http://youthgroupgames.com.au/top-ten-icebreaker-games/
http://www.jubed.com/youth_ministry/search/ice-breaker
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/ice-breakers.page-3.html
ROUTINES
In your first week it is important to have a clear idea about the expectations you want to build. Kids cannot necessarily read your mind, your body language or your facial expressions. Some of the things you need to think about include:
- walk into the classroom in a straight line
- walk to the front of my masking tape lines and turn right walking to the end of the masking tape
- sit on the masking tape one person after the other until the line is filled up
- begin the next row by walking down the line to the end of the masking tape
- sit on the masking tape until the next line is filled up
- keep filling lines and rows like this until all students are sitting
- place hands in laps, sit up straight, eyes on me, be silent, (Kit Wong uses the term "straight backs, straight rows!" and kids repeat that before she starts her next lesson. It's quite effective)
When students know what you want them to do they respond immediately, unless they are deciding to be defiant. If you are clear in what you want, they will respond immediately. Kids are generally compliant. Before you resort to yelling, crying or screaming at them, THINK: have I been clear about what I'm telling them to do or am I asking them to do something and giving them an option.
YOU TELL - YOU DON'T ASK!!
You are there to train, give directions, instruct, teach. You are not paid to be nice and ask them if they want to do things eg "Can you please stand behind your chairs?" (this in fact is a question, and when they don't do it straight away you have no right to get cross, when you have in fact given them the option of "can you")
Use DIRECT ASSERTIVE LANGUAGE eg "Stand behind your chairs". Often teachers will fill the airspace with unnecessary words that do not need uttering. Keep it simple, keep it strict, keep it orderly. Be direct and be assertive. Kindness comes after they do what you want when you want it.
THINK PUPPY TRAINING - puppies don't generally respond to lots of long drawn out sentences, it is short sharp commands and praise when they do get it right. Kids generally are the same.
Repetitions
Some kids just plain need to practice the same skill over and over and over and over again. We call it repetition. Get up, sit down, get up, sit down, sit there, sit here, get up, sit down. Think carefully about how many repetitions you need to learn something new and have it automatised. Generally we say 15 repetitions for our kids. This ensures that they cement it in. Some kids need more than that. If I am training students to put their pencils back in their pots when they finish their task I will have a sequence that looks like this:
- sit at your desks silently
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time for 1 or 2 minutes)
- "everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me"
- wait for this to happen (or make a mental count until everyone is looking at you to begin your next instruction)
- "thank you, begin your task again"
- students pick up pencil out of the pot
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time yourself for 1 or 2 minutes)
- everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me
"thank you, begin your task again"
- students pick up pencil out of the pot
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time yourself for 1 or 2 minutes)
- everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me
"thank you, begin your task again"
- students pick up pencil out of the pot
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time yourself for 1 or 2 minutes)
- everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me
(continue over and over until it gets done correctly).
Watch the video below, inserting the word "kids" instead of dog or puppy!! You'll use the very same strategies to train them!!
- How do I want them to enter MY room?
- How do I want them to sit when they come in?
- How do I want them to sit on the carpet?
- How do I want them to put their hand up?
- How do I want them to stop what they are doing and respond
- Do I want them to respond immediately or can they take some time?
- How do I want their desks organised?
- Where do they keep their hats, bottles, lunch, pencils?
- walk into the classroom in a straight line
- walk to the front of my masking tape lines and turn right walking to the end of the masking tape
- sit on the masking tape one person after the other until the line is filled up
- begin the next row by walking down the line to the end of the masking tape
- sit on the masking tape until the next line is filled up
- keep filling lines and rows like this until all students are sitting
- place hands in laps, sit up straight, eyes on me, be silent, (Kit Wong uses the term "straight backs, straight rows!" and kids repeat that before she starts her next lesson. It's quite effective)
When students know what you want them to do they respond immediately, unless they are deciding to be defiant. If you are clear in what you want, they will respond immediately. Kids are generally compliant. Before you resort to yelling, crying or screaming at them, THINK: have I been clear about what I'm telling them to do or am I asking them to do something and giving them an option.
YOU TELL - YOU DON'T ASK!!
You are there to train, give directions, instruct, teach. You are not paid to be nice and ask them if they want to do things eg "Can you please stand behind your chairs?" (this in fact is a question, and when they don't do it straight away you have no right to get cross, when you have in fact given them the option of "can you")
Use DIRECT ASSERTIVE LANGUAGE eg "Stand behind your chairs". Often teachers will fill the airspace with unnecessary words that do not need uttering. Keep it simple, keep it strict, keep it orderly. Be direct and be assertive. Kindness comes after they do what you want when you want it.
THINK PUPPY TRAINING - puppies don't generally respond to lots of long drawn out sentences, it is short sharp commands and praise when they do get it right. Kids generally are the same.
Repetitions
Some kids just plain need to practice the same skill over and over and over and over again. We call it repetition. Get up, sit down, get up, sit down, sit there, sit here, get up, sit down. Think carefully about how many repetitions you need to learn something new and have it automatised. Generally we say 15 repetitions for our kids. This ensures that they cement it in. Some kids need more than that. If I am training students to put their pencils back in their pots when they finish their task I will have a sequence that looks like this:
- sit at your desks silently
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time for 1 or 2 minutes)
- "everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me"
- wait for this to happen (or make a mental count until everyone is looking at you to begin your next instruction)
- "thank you, begin your task again"
- students pick up pencil out of the pot
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time yourself for 1 or 2 minutes)
- everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me
"thank you, begin your task again"
- students pick up pencil out of the pot
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time yourself for 1 or 2 minutes)
- everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me
"thank you, begin your task again"
- students pick up pencil out of the pot
- begin colouring/writing/drawing (time yourself for 1 or 2 minutes)
- everybody stop, put pencils in pots, fold arms, look at me
(continue over and over until it gets done correctly).
Watch the video below, inserting the word "kids" instead of dog or puppy!! You'll use the very same strategies to train them!!