What to Do With That Awkward 5 or 10 Minutes of Class You Have Left

Last week in a Grade 8 class, I found the students getting the "back to school - start up your class" activities in far less time than anticipated. I used to teach summer camp and I was a youth worker AND I have been in a variety of classes of various grade levels over the past nine years. I have a very large 'bag of tricks' and don't mind filling 5-10 minute 'gaps' with activities, but sometimes I want to try new ideas and I know some teachers, especially new teachers and new TTOCs, aren't always sure how to fill these blocks of time.

When I started teaching I did my "short practicum" with a middle school teacher who called these activities "SPONGE" activities. There is debate over using these "time fillers" but I feel if they are educational, or serve a purpose (getting to know your classmates, team building, academic, etc.) then go for it.

Here are some ideas from WE ARE TEACHERS blog:

1) Show your students one of these videos and relate it back to your lesson/content somehow.

Video	Description	Possible way of relating back to lesson/topic
The Awareness Test	A fun test of student's awareness	The importance of paying attention
Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students	A young man's heartwarming pep talk	The power of positivity/goal-setting
Zombie Kid Likes Turtles	A reporter asks a boy a question, and ... well, you'll just have to watch it.	The importance of staying on-topic
The Power of Words	A short (fictional) interaction between a homeless man and a woman who understands the power of words	The power of words
Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation	Simonova uses sand as a storytelling medium. Amazing!	The power of visuals
Eric Whitacre: A Virtual Choir 2,000 Voices Strong	Whitacre creates a virtual choir with 2,000 submitted videos	The limitlessness of creativity

**I haven't watched these videos all yet, as always  -  a teacher should fully view any video before showing it to a class!!!

2. Play Trashketball
3. Play Reviewsical Chairs
4. Write down as many ### as you can (animals, provinces, states, vegetables, etc.)
5. Hold a limmerick contest

6) Create fun structured conversations. Give the whole class a sentence stem that they have to fill in themselves, and then make them go find at least 10 different partners to practice it with. The repetition of both speaking and listening will help cement it in their brains, and the not-sitting-in-their-chairs will make it fun. 

• "One thing I will remember to tell my future grandchildren about differential equations is _____"

• "I shall uphold the honor of my English teacher, Ms./Mr. _____ and never mix up 'you're' and 'your.' I will remember the difference by _____."

• "I'm going to go straight home and tell everyone on Facebook how the most important thing I learned about cells is ____."

• "If I made a modern-day movie about the Shakespeare play we read today, I would cast _____ as _______ because they are both ______."

Read more details and ideas at the source: http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/09/25/what-to-do-with-that-awkward-5-or-10-minutes-of-class-you-have-left

Bright Ideas: Multiple Choice Fun

Create fun multiple choice sticks for students. These are great for testing for understanding, games, activities, and more. Easy to make and keep in your classroom or in your 'Bag of Tricks' as a TTOC

Multiple Choice sticks for students

Nuts, washers and bolts can go through four sticks to create these fan sticks

Or one stick per students can have 4 choices on it (one per end, per side) 

Source

Bag of Tricks Brainstorm

This weekend at the BCTF New Teachers' Conference, I facilitated two workshops. One was "Reality 101; A Day in the Life of a TTOC"

Part of that workshop involves brainstorming ideas to include in your 'Bag of Tricks' and here is what the group came up with:

If they are tough to read, try clicking the photo to see the lager version.

Anti-Bullying Picture Books

I often talk to new teachers and TTOCs about the importance of their 'Bag of Tricks' (not just a physical bag of "stuff" but also ideas, games, activities in their head to pull out when needed)

One item that is a must-have... a good picture book. I love picture books for all ages and especially ones with issues important to the students. Here are some great anti-bullying picture books that would be great to have for classes you are in.

The Recess Queen

A fresh & original twist on the common issue of bullying. Kids will relate, & parents & teachers will appreciate the story’s deft handling of conflict resolution (which happens w/o adult intervention).

Enemy Pie

In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipes for turning your best enemy into your best friend. Accompanied by charming illustrations, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

First-time author Patty Lovell’s message is clear and simple, and the theme is familiar enough to strike chords with every reader, young and old. David Catrow, illustrator of Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, Rotten Teeth, and other popular picture books, depicts a very weird-looking, very appealing little girl with warmth and cartoonish humor. Any child who is less than perfect will cheer with joy to meet Molly Lou Melon, a girl who doesn’t let anything–or anyone–shake her belief in herself.

Don’t Laugh At Me

For anyone who’s ever been bullied–or been a bully themselves–it’s time to change your tune. This is not a book for whiners, but a new language that will give you the words you need to take charge and stop the cycle of teasing. Filled with inspiration and celebration, Don’t Laugh at Me is the anthem for a new bully-free world. Read it, sing it, and cheer! A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Operation Respect “Don’t Laugh at Me” Project.

How To Lose All Your Friends

With exuberant pictures and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, the author of I Like Me! takes a light-hearted look at bratty behavior that will have children laughing in recognition while learning exactly how not to behave. Colored-pencil illustrations throughout.


Compiled by: http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/5-powerful-anti-bullying-books-students-should-read/

Inferencing with Photos

I use a lot of photos and picture books to do regular inferencing with my class and also as a TTOC it is a fun way to do a quiet write... show a photo, allow for some brainstorming or sharing and inferencing, then write..... a story, description, perspective, whatever.... for a photo.

This pintrest page has some great photos you could use to print, put on SMARTboard or projector and use in a variety of ways.

Here are two examples from the page....

Riddles...

As a TTOC you want to have a "Bag of Tricks" and riddles are certainly one way to fill time, stand out, entertain, get students thinking and help with transitions.... 

5 minute mysteries are also fun and work a bit better with older students.

Riddles (Answers are at the bottom of the page)
From a Packet for Substitute Teachers

1. What goes up and down stairs without moving?
2. Give it food and it will live; give it water and it will die.
3. What can you catch but not throw?
4. I run, yet I have no legs. What am I?
5. Take one out and scratch my head, I am now black but once was red.
6. Remove the outside, cook the inside, eat the outside, throw away the inside.
7. What goes around the world and stays in a corner?
8. What gets wetter the more it dries?
9. The more there is, the less you see.
10. They come at night without being called and are lost in the day without being stolen.
11. What kind of room has no windows or doors?
12. I have holes on the top and bottom. I have holes on my left and on my right. And I have holes in the middle, yet I still hold water. What am I?
13. I look at you, you look at me, I raise my right, you raise your left. What is this object?
14. It has no top or bottom but it can hold flesh, bones, and blood all at the same time. What is this object?
15. The more you take the more you leave behind.
16. Light as a feather, there is nothing in it; the strongest man can't hold it for much more than a minute.
17. As I walked along the path I saw something with four fingers and one thumb, but it was not flesh, fish, bone, or fowl.
18. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?
19. I went into the woods and got it, I sat down to seek it, I brought it home with me because I couldn't find it.
20. What can fill a room but takes up no space?
21. It is weightless, you can see it, and if you put it in a barrel it will make the barrel lighter?
22. No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?
23. Only two backbones and thousands of ribs.
24. Four jolly men sat down to play, And played all night till the break of day. They played for cash and not for fun, With a separate score for every one. When it came time to square accounts, They all had made quite fair amounts. Now, not one has lost and all have gained, Tell me, now, this can you explain?
25. Jack and Jill are lying on the floor inside the house, dead. They died from lack of water. There is shattered glass next to them. How did they die?
26. Why don't lobsters share?
27. A barrel of water weighs 20 pounds. What must you add to it to make it weigh 12 pounds?
28. Big as a biscuit, deep as a cup, Even a river can't fill it up. What is it?
29. Clara Clatter was born on December 27^th, yet her birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?
30. He has married many women but has never married. Who is he?
31. If a rooster laid a brown egg and a white egg, what kind of chicks would hatch?
32. If you have it, you want to share it. If you share it, you don't have it. What is it?
33. You can't keep this until you have given it.
34. Take off my skin, I won't cry, but you will. What am I?
35. What book was once owned by only the wealthy, but now everyone can have it? You can't buy it in a bookstore or take it from the library.
36. What can go up and come down without moving?
37. What do you fill with empty hands?
38. What do you serve that you can't eat?
39. What do you throw out when you want to use it but take in when you don't want to use it?
40. What goes up and never comes down?
41. What has a foot on each side and one in the middle?
42. What has to be broken before it can be used?
43. What kind of coat can be put on only when wet?
44. What question can you never answer "yes" to?
45. What's the greatest worldwide use of cowhide?
46. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white?" or "The yolk of the egg is white?"
47. You answer me, although I never ask you questions. What am I?
    
    

Answers

1. Carpet
2. Fire
3. A cold
4. A nose
5. A match
6. Corn
7. A stamp
8. Towel
9. Darkness
10. Stars
11. A mushroom
12. A sponge
13. A mirror
14. A ring
15. Footsteps
16. Breath
17. Glove
18. River
19. Splinter
20. Light
21. A hole
22. Silence
23. Railroad
24. Four men in a dance band
25. Jack and Jill are goldfish.
26. They're shellfish.
27. Holes
28. A kitchen strainer
29. She lives in the Southern Hemisphere.
30. A priest
31. None. Roosters don't lay eggs.
32. A secret
33. A promise
34. An onion
35. A telephone book
36. The temperature
37. Gloves
38. A tennis ball
39. An anchor
40. Your age
41. A yardstick
42. An egg
43. A coat of paint
44. "Are you asleep?"
45. To hold cows together
46. Neither, the yolks are yellow.
47. A telephone  

Yahoo Article: Substitute Teacher Bag without breaking the bank

I saw a block link up to this article. Although it is American and written in 2007, it is worth a read.... Obviously disregard the parts that do not apply...

In the world of substitute teaching, being prepared is half the battle. Your substitute teaching bag can help make the difference between a smooth day and the day from hell. At the same time, substitute teachers are not known for earning fabulous amounts of money, so packing a substitute teaching bag needs to be inexpensive as well. Here are some tips on how to pack the perfect frugal substitute teacher bag:

1. Pick the right bag: Pick a bag that looks professional. Your ratty tote back that says "I Love to Shop" on the side may be functional, but it will not look professional. Decide on the type of bag that fits you. Do you want a backpack? There are many professional looking backpacks on the market these days. Would you like a briefcase, or a really large purse? Make sure the bag is roomy enough to hold all your necessities, but not so big that you have to dig through it every time you need a pencil. Take a look in your closet- do you already have a bag that will work? If not, check thrift stores, yard sales, consignment shops, and e-bay. I have a large leather messenger bag that I found at a thrift store for under ten dollars.

2.Get two small plastic school supply boxes, in two different colors. You can find these at back to school sales and dollar stores.

3.Pick up some basic school supplies: Never assume that what you need will be available to you in the classroom. I have chalk, dry erase markers, notebook paper, erasers, markers, colored pencils, pencils, pens, gluesticks, a small pencil sharpener, and crayons. I have used every one of these things at least once. One of the most inexpensive ways to get these items is to shop during back to school sales. I paid .20 cents for the name brand crayons, .10 cents for a twelve pack of pencils, and .10 cents for three glue sticks. I spent less than five dollars for all the supplies together. If you teach elementary school, having a digital thermometer and some thermometer covers may also be useful, as many school nurses will only see students if they have a fever or are throwing up. Eliminate having students out of your room unnecessarily by taking their temperature before you write a nurse pass. Having Band-Aids and latex gloves would also be useful, especially if you work with younger ages. Put your school supplies in one of the plastic school supply boxes. If you missed the back to school sales, try the dollar store, discount stores, and thrift stores. Yard sales also have these types of items surprisingly often.

4. Think about your personal needs: I recommend that you use the second plastic school supply box for small personal items. Keep small change, cough drops, headache medicine, tampons, etc in this box. I recommend getting the no water needed medications, such as Tylenol to Go, as you do not know if you will have water with you or a chance to grab a drink while you are teaching. I also keep a few granola bars and other snack foods in my box to keep the temptation to hit the vending machine down.

5. Have Something for the Kids To Do: When I started subbing, the district recommend that I buy a few (very expensive) workbooks for different age groups to keep the kids busy in an idle moment. I simply went online and found free worksheets for various age groups. Since I usually do not have access to a copier, I looked for things that I would not need copies. By having lessons and activities that I could easily write on the board, I eliminated the need for having enough copies on hand of something I may or may not use. I also have a few books that appeal to several age groups, like Shel Silverstein poems. Make sure that your books and stories are not too long, as many idle moments are ten minutes or less. Buy the books at yard sales, thrift stores, and Friends of the Library sales. Thrift stores and yard sales are also an excellent place to find flashcards, trivia cards, and other quick and easy small items to keep students occupied.

6. Get a whistle: You may be taking students out to recess, or subbing for PE. This inexpensive item will make this part of your job much easier.

Keep your bag packed and ready at all times, and you will be ready for any job at a moment's notice. Whether you just substitute teach here and there for extra money, or make a career of it, the organized substitute bag can make your job much easier. There is no reason that you have to break the bank to be the most organized substitute teacher in your district!

I have blogged before about a "Bag of Tricks" and while much is listed here I would also include running shoes for teaching gym, waterbottle, some stickers or a stamp, a few easy games - I always have a bean bag ball for various games, a good picture book, a deck of cards, and some dice.

Source

Back to School... Get Your Bag of Tricks Ready

The first week of school for TTOCs can be slow. Often there are not a lot of calls to go in for work, but there are things you can do during that week to prepare for a busy school year.

One suggestion I give to TTOCs is to take this time to get your "Bag of Tricks" ready to go. A 'Bag of Tricks' is something I have with me when I go into any classroom. The items in there will have you prepared for (almost) any situation. Here are some items in my bag:

• Writing Utensils
• pens
• pencils
• overhead pens
• dry erase pens
• chalk
• Activities
• mad libs
• sudoku
• picture book
• playing cards
• dice
• Personal Items
• Lunch
• Running Shoes
• Tylenol
• Tissues
• Waterbottle
• Mints
• whistle
• Extras
• stamps or stickers
• small beanbag or ball
• prizes or rewards
• your card or contact info

I also like to have my camera or cell phone to snap photos of bulletin boards, classroom set-up, and such that I like.

What do you always bring with you?
Comment below with your ideas to share....

Who am I? What am I saying?

Thanks for visiting. I am Ms. Long, a teacher in Coquitlam, B.C. Canada. After seven years of teaching on call (as a substitute/TTOC) I "converted" to a continuing part time Middle School teacher. I love Middle School! I did my practicum in a grade 6/7 class and have worked much of my contract time in Middle School.

Right now I TTOC part time and teach Middle School part time. After so many years as a TTOC, I have become a strong advocate for new teachers and TTOCs and work with our local union and school district to promote engagement and support for teachers early in their career.  I am chair of the local and provincial TTOC committee, a facilitator for new teachers and TTOCs in our school district and help plan Professional Development in our local as well.

I am a bit of a technology geek, and spend my time "unwinding" after a long day on pinterest and blogging educational resources, articles and ideas to share with other educators. Thank-you for visiting my blog.



I recognize that some terms I use frequently aren't necessarily common terms so I wanted to have this post as reference.

TTOC - Teachers-Teaching-On-Call.
In many school districts this is also known as a "substitute teacher" however, in British Columbia, Canada, where I teach, we are known as TEACHERS, teaching-on-call. We are equally trained and certified as classroom teachers and either make the choice to teach on call or are waiting for a temporary or continuing contract to become classroom teachers part or full time.

Bag of Tricks
This is the tool box teachers have. It can be an actual bag of supplies, but I also use it in reference to what you have in your back pocket (or in your head) for any situation you encounter. TTOCs in B.C. frequently get called into a variety of grade level and subject levels so having a "Bag of Tricks" helps a teacher-on-call be adaptable to any situation. This is also good for contract teachers when you have fast-finishers, or some flex time to fill with educational activities.

Fast-Finishers, Early-Finishers, Sponge, Flex Time
The time between lessons or activities where students can get disruptive if they don't have something to focus on. I like to have a lot of activities for this time because I recognize students work at different paces and as a TTOC sometimes the classroom teachers lesson goes faster than planned for some or all students.

I will add to this as needed. I have had some people asking about terms I use.

Some new resources

I try not to spend a lot of money on resources. As a TTOC I don't know what grade level or subject area I will eventually end up in, so I try not to spend a lot of money on resources, but today at the BCTF New Teachers Conference there were some items I had to have.

At Artel's table, I bought some new smelly stickers. Smelly stickers are "My thing" I love them and give them out, usually in students agenda books, when I go into TTOC. Students love them and I often hear from their classroom teachers how much they love my smelly stickers. I am stocked up for after Spring Break with some cool new scents such as banana, bubblegum, apple, popcorn, blueberry, peach, tutti frutti and even DIRT!!

Barefoot Books had a table and I got a new book with cd Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush".

This book is amazing. It has a c.d. done by Fred Penner and the book explores how children from Mali, Europe, India and China do their morning routines. It's a great way to explore other cultures, morning routines, and music. They had some other great books, but again, on a TTOC budget I probably over spent... but there were a lot of free resources I got too... but I will get to that.

Lastly, bought yoga pretzel cards. I am so excited to use these in the classroom as well as at home.

My daughter loves yoga and as a TTOC I have done chair aerobics with classes, but think these fun yoga cards will be very useful. I am also ways looking for new DPA activities that I can do when I go in for a day with a new class.

Speaking of DPA acticvities, Action Schools BC was there and had a ton of amazing resources. This is the bag, books and bean bags they gave me:

They also did a workshop and everyone got an amazing kit with even more resources. I plan to book them for TTOCs in my local. Everyone gets a bag of stuff and leaves with a ton of ideas to use in the classroom - it is so great for TTOCs. I can't wait!

Some other free resources I got include:

From BC Art Teachers' Association - Collections of Lesson Ideas in spiral bound books.

From the BC Socials Studies Teachers' Association - a large map, a ton of handouts and lesson plan ideas.

From FAST (Fighting Antisemitism Together) - 'Choose Your Voice' Teacher's Guide and dvd

From Parks Canada - a number of resources and pamphlets for field trips and class games and projects.


From Poetry in Voice - 'Recitation Contest' Teacher's Guide with some absolutely amazing lesson plans and examples as well as details on preparing for the poetry competition. I strongly encourage you to check out their website: Poetry in Voice.

From CPF (Canadian Parents for French) - posters and pamphlets, which I especially enjoyed as my daughter is in French Immersion.

From the BCSCA (BC School Counsellors' Association) - stress relief squeeze "hearts" and 'Friends for Life' workbooks which I have used before and absolutely love using with students.

There was a lot more but I don't recall which tables and I don't have the items close enough at the moment to look through but a usb flash drive, pens, pencils, and a lot of lesson plan one-pagers. So useful!

I honestly hope more new teachers and TTOCs consider going to the BCTF New Teachers' Conference again next year - It was absolutely amazing!

Read more about the conference here.

Magic Piece of Garbage

I only recently learned of this gem. It is great to get the kids excited about tidying their classroom.

Tell the class that you have scanned the ground and have dubbed a specific piece of garbage the "magic" piece of garbage. Whoever picks up the magic piece of garbage gets a prize.

You stand by the garbage pail and each student shows you their garbage as they toss it into to bin. Let them know you won't tell them who has won until the floor is clean. Give them a specific start time (ex. they can't start until you say "go!"). This works with all age groups, and really gets the room clean in a hurry!

TTOC Tool Bag

This is a list I composed for new TTOC's

Teacher-On-Call Bag of Tricks

• Whistle on a lanyard
  
• Business Cards
  
• Extra Pens, Pencils, Highlighters, overhead pens, chalk, white board pens
  
• Notebook / Journal to jot ideas down
  
• Print-outs (crosswords, word searches, colouring sheets, Sudoku, activities)
  
• A Small bean bag or foam ball (for games)
  
• Bag of candy or treats
  
• Deck of cards
  
• Dice
  
• A good picture book
• Mad Libs Booklet
  
• Video
• Stickers or Stamps and Stamp Pad
  
• Book or Magazine
  
• Two minute mystery stories
  
• Flash cards
  
• Guinness Book of World Records, I Spy, Amazing Facts books or printouts
  
• Personal Items:
  
  • Kleenex
    
  • Cough Drops
    
  • Water Bottle
    
  • Lunch
    
  • Snacks
    
  • Running Shoes
    
  • Other Personal Items

Helpful Websites

http://www.abcteach.com/

http://www.worksheets4teachers.com/

http://www.teacherprintables.net/

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/

http://www.freeology.com/

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/

http://supersubstituteteachers.com/

http://www.teach-nology.com

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

www.educationworld.com

www.lessonplanet.com

www.readwritethink.org

www.teacherplanet.com