Getting Them Home!

“Oh, Auntie Em, there’s no place like home!” – Wizard of Oz 1939

One of the most important issues to both the teacher and students on the first day of school in the elementary grades is getting them back home. I think on the first day we “rehearse” our choice of transportation 3 or 4 times. It makes a really bad/sad impression on me when I have third graders who arrive with no idea of how they are getting home. They can become so anxious and this is not what anyone wants or needs on the first day of school. I can understand those little K and Pre-K babies not having any idea and needing lots of help and a transportation badge! But by third grade, I expect that parents have discussed this with their child! ANyway enough of that rant.

On the first day or even sooner at Meet the Teacher, we create our first bar graph. Students add their magnet (and, yes, they are penguins) to the whiteboard under their transportation mode. It stays up and any changes or tweaks are made throughout the first couple weeks of school.

Using My Cute Graphics adorable penguins and my own black/white/ and red border, I have created some transportation headers. If you like them, please leave a comment! Transportation Headers

Here’s how they look waiting on my whiteboard.