Chapter 4-
You Have Reached Your Destination.
Key Principles.
Note:
The detailed examples for each principle, exercises for the teacher and mini-lessons for the class are written in the book.
end of the year activities
The end of the year is a good time to build and deepen the students-teacher relationship. This will usually be done by games and activities which encourage closeness and humor. Through these activities, I learn about my students' fears, disappointments, successes, hopes and dreams.
Write A Poem
The students can write about the memorable events throughout the year. The memories can be good ones or bad ones.
A NOUN POEM
Line A: Choose a noun that describes a person, a place or a thing
Line B: Describe the noun with 2 adjectives joined by the word and or but
Line C: Use a verb and an adverb to show this noun in a typical action
Line D: Think up of a comparison beginning with the word as or like to show a special quality this noun has
Line E: Use a phrase beginning with if only to express a wish regarding this noun
Students create funny memes to sum up the school year.
USE Meme Generator.
feedback
Many of the tools and skills I learned as a grown-up, I teach my students to make their path easier. Giving and receiving feedback is one of these skills. I find the end of the year a great opportunity to teach it.
For me, it is a great way to learn what to preserve and what to change or improve in my classes. The students have the opportunity to learn and practice giving proper feedback.
the teacher as a story teller
As teachers we have gone through quite a few experiences and gained quite a few insights. Stories are a great way to inspire students and motivate them to overcome difficulties and succeed.
We all have beliefs about life and our behavior is affected by these beliefs. Many times the stories we tell ourselves after painful experiences make us interpret "events" that come our way in a certain way and respond accordingly.
One of the ways to change our beliefs is to practice telling the same story from a different perspective. By doing so, we find an alternative, more rational interpretation for the situation which will lead us to different, healthier emotional and behavioral consequences.