2013 March | Devoted To Vocabulary Development

Making a Connection

Posted by annfausnight on Mar 7, 2013 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

How you do it

Make sure your handshake is firm, not a dead fish grip. However, you don’t want to crush the other person’s hand.
Make sure you don’t have food or grease on your hands. You want the person to rememberyou, not what you ate.
If your hands are sweaty, give them a quick nonchalant wipe on your pants.
When you offer your hand, look the person in the eye and smile.

from The Art of Manliness blog

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/01/28/how-to-give-an-impressive-handshake/

Our principal and counselor went to a training this summer which was to help us provide children a more powerful connection to their classroom and school. One of the simplest ideas they came away with was greeting the children at the doorway each morning with a handshake. We were asked to give it a try. Most teachers did not, they were concerned about yucky unclean hands and germs.

I, however, embraced this idea. Since the first day, I have met my children, welcomed them by name, looked them in the eye, and shook their hands. They have learned, some quickly and many with much modeling, to respond with a firm handshake, a return greeting (by name) and a look in the eye. They are now really quite expert at offering their hand and politely shaking.

Each morning I have, literally, a personal connection and a chance to be positive, inspiring, funny, sympathetic or whatever is needed. The children each have a chance to confide, share, laugh, etc. They look forward to this and if I cannot be at the door for some reason, they walk up to me ready to shake hands.

Today I am at home sick. I have the same running nose crud that has been going around my classroom. I realized that this is my third sick day this year, when typically I do not need to take any. I realized this connection yesterday morning when I said to my colleague across the hall that, perhaps, I shouldn’t shake hands this morning as I wouldn’t want to give them my germs. A light bulb went off in my head, as I realized where those germs had originated.

Do I want to stop shaking their hands? I don’t think so. We have indeed established a wonderful routine and a deeper connection. Will I want to continue this routine next year? I am not sure. But I do know this, I will be buying more hand sanitizer and walking down the hall to wash my hands more often!

Hand washing

Saint Patrick’s Day Word of the Day Card

Posted by annfausnight on Mar 6, 2013 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough! ~Irish Saying

Here’s a another word of the day card for March. I just checked through my blog and discovered this is the 66th free card I have posted! This has me thinking of all sorts of ideas for goals and possible giveaways. Should I do it at 100? or 75? or both?

Saint Patrick Word of the Day Card

Please consider checking out my other word of the day cards at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Thanks!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ann-Fausnight/Category/Word-of-the-Day

These are free:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabulary-DevelopmentWord-of-the-Day-Trial-Pack

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rocks-Vocabulary-Word-of-the-Day-Cards

Enjoy!

Ann

Leprechaun Word of the Day

Posted by annfausnight on Mar 3, 2013 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

My two favorite colors of the rainbow are gold and leprechaun.”
― Jarod Kintz, It Occurred to Me

As promised, I will be posting several more new Word of the Day cards throughout this week (month). If you like my cards, please check out the many available at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Leprechaun

The first links are to my free trial packs.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabulary-DevelopmentWord-of-the-Day-Trial-Pack

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rocks-Vocabulary-Word-of-the-Day-Cards

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabulary-Development-Word-of-the-Day-Combo-A-Sets-1-3-Third-Grade

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabarlary-Development-Word-Of-the-Day-Combo-B-Sets-4-6-Third-Grade

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabulary-Development-30-Core-Content-Words-Science-Grade-3-Color

Is This Too Tricky? Example/Non-Example

Posted by annfausnight on Mar 3, 2013 in Uncategorized | 3 comments

I am making some problems with example/non-example for my class. I want them to include critical thinking skills. I have created the following pages. Is this too tricky? What grade level or age do you think could do it? Or is it just wrong and I should scrap it?

I have various other pages in math, language arts, science, and social studies. Should I pursue this idea? Thanks for your input.

Ann

Spring Is Coming!

Posted by annfausnight on Mar 2, 2013 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.

Mark Twain

I realized that I have neglected my Word of the Day cards while immersed in the busyness of the school year. I will try to get several out this week celebrating the coming of spring.