DreamBox Learning®» back to school http://www.dreambox.com DreamBox Learning, a web-based math learning company Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:01:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Building A Classroom Community http://www.dreambox.com/blog/classroom-community http://www.dreambox.com/blog/classroom-community#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:33:45 +0000 Neal M http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=6199
  • Let your students dictate much of the community building. This can include student decisions on classroom guidelines, decorating their own space, setting up class libraries, creating and assigning class helper jobs, and more. Most years, I have students submit their own classroom floor plan options, and the class votes on a design best for learning. We reassess the design after a few weeks and make changes if necessary. Giving your students ownership over their learning environment has enormous benefits down the road.
  • Create consistent messaging to center your school year. This can be a class credo or manifesto, simple statements to drive home important aspects of your class, or quotes and sayings applicable to the school year. One year, I used the messaging from the book Fish by John Christensen, who observed the employees at Pike Place Fish Market. This had double meaning for my students, being so close to Seattle ourselves. Just this past year, our classroom message was "Professional, Powerful, Personal" and all students knew these were our three goals. Our work, our attitude, our behaviors all worked toward these three simple words.
  • A classroom can be a second home to both a teacher and students. Find design elements in a classroom to make it comfortable for both you as a teacher, and for your students as well. In past years, I've had shelves of toys and stuffed animals that students are free to use as a fidget or a comfort for those difficult days. Allow students to find ways to make your classroom comfortable! Research shows that any way we can lower a student's anxiety level leads to better academic performance. I noticed one year that my students performed better with soft, focused lighting. How many of our classrooms blast students with thousands of watts pouring out of commercial lighting! Try to create a themed atmosphere, one year my classroom looked similar to a classic library, with small lamps on desks and small groups of study areas.
  • Get rid of your "teacher space" and join your class! This is always difficult for me as a teacher. However, I've found that I do my best teaching when I'm in the same space as my students, and do not retreat to my teacher area. I have seen teachers remove any aspect of a teacher desk, and simply pull over another desk to a group of students. Try it for a week, see if you can go a whole school day staying away from a "teacher space" and really engage with your students. They will appreciate that you are on their level, and you may just prefer it as well!
    • This list is by no way comprehensive. What ways have you found to start your year that gets everyone started on the right track? Please share your ideas with us!]]>     http://www.dreambox.com/blog/classroom-community/feed 0     New Math Activity Calendar: August is Kindergarten Readiness Month http://www.dreambox.com/blog/math-activity-calendar-august-is-kindergarten-readiness-month http://www.dreambox.com/blog/math-activity-calendar-august-is-kindergarten-readiness-month#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:49:48 +0000 Tracy http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=5934 August Math Activity Calendar is all about kindergarten readiness and we're celebrating with counting, cutting and coloring activities to prepare future kindergartners for their first days of school!

    Math Activity Calendar Highlights:

    • International Art Appreciation Day on August 9th
    • Bad Poetry Day on August 18th
    • Dream Day on August 28th
    august-2010-math-activity-calendar

    Tell DreamBox How You Prep Your Kids for Kindergarten

    How did you prepare for the first day of school: flashcards? Sesame Street? Online math games? DreamBox Learning wants to know. Just leave us a comment below or send us a message on the DreamBox Learning page on Facebook to continue the kindergarten readiness conversation. If you're a teacher, we want to hear from you too - let us know if you have any wonderful kindergarten math games and activities for the class of 2024. We hope you enjoy your August Math Activity Calendar and have a fantastic school year!]]>     http://www.dreambox.com/blog/math-activity-calendar-august-is-kindergarten-readiness-month/feed 0     Last Call: Fan our Facebook Page and Win! http://www.dreambox.com/blog/last-call-fan-our-facebook-page-and-win http://www.dreambox.com/blog/last-call-fan-our-facebook-page-and-win#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:03:34 +0000 Tracy http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=3340 It's the final countdown. Only a few more days of our Facebook fan contest! Thank you to everyone who has fanned our Facebook page. Our new Facebook Math Learning page continues to grow and we're happy to have a convenient way to interact with our customers. A quick reminder to those who haven't fanned the page yet: fan our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Math.Learning before August 30 and you could win a free subscription to DreamBox Learning. Three randomly selected Facebook fans will receive free 1-month subscriptions to our online math game for kids. And one lucky Facebook fan will win a free 6-month subscription. Winners will be announced August 30. Just in time for back-to-school! If you drop by, write on our wall. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Have a safe back-to-school season and thank you for being a DreamBox fan.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/last-call-fan-our-facebook-page-and-win/feed 0 Back-to-School Resources Round Up http://www.dreambox.com/blog/back-to-school-resources-round-up http://www.dreambox.com/blog/back-to-school-resources-round-up#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:11:19 +0000 Tracy http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=3242 Best back-to-school breakfast recipes back-to-school-breakfast2 Every parent envisions cooking oatmeal for their kids on a crisp fall morning before school. But who has the time? What really happens is the kids rush out the door, barely remembering their gym clothes and backpack. As you know, a healthy breakfast is a must. These quick and easy back-to-school breakfasts from the Family Corner will appease their appetites and give you an extra minutes in the morning.

    Back-to-school safety list

    Back-to-school season is the perfect time to reassess your child's safety. This back-to-school safety printable tells parents how to keep their kids safe and covers everything from soccer goals to bike helmets. LifeOrganizers.com has another good safety checklist for traveling to-and-from school. When it comes to safety, stay ahead of the class!

    When the lunch bell rings

    back to school lunch-bag Let's be honest – most parents hate packing lunches! It's difficult to find a nutritious, fast and fun meal that won't be just traded at the table for a Little Debbie brownie. But don't pay more for pre-made. Forget the brown bag and try Bento! These healthy and easy Bento lunch recipes will satisfy their palates without depleting your pocket book.

    School supply shopping

    Parents are feeling the pinch this back-to-school season. You probably already received this year's supply list.  Don't start shopping until you know where to find the best steals and deals. Barrow strategies from this  bargain-hunting mom in St. Louis.  And when it comes to new back-to-school duds, look no further than the 10 Great Kids Fashions for Under $10.

    Back-to-school survival

    back-to-school-survival Kids and parents aren't the only ones going back-to-school -- let's not forget our teachers! We adore this back-to-school survival kit piece.  It tells both teachers and students what "rations" they'll need to survive.  Teachers should pack crayons to "color your day" and animal crackers "for when your classroom is a zoo."  Students should fill their survival kits with tissues to help "dry someone's tears." We could almost hear the collective "awww," from parents everywhere. How do you survive back-to-school? Comment below and share your favorite resources with other parents. We're all in this together!]]>     http://www.dreambox.com/blog/back-to-school-resources-round-up/feed 0