Bag of Tricks

Every teacher (ESPECIALLY substitute ones) needs a Bag of Tricks. As a substitute, your bag of tricks might include a foam ball or small stuffed animal that you toss out to kids for answers during a discussion as a way to keep them interested and engaged. It might include a CD to play a fun movement song to aid in transitioning between activities. For high schoolers you might include logic puzzles or encrypted messages. It may even include something similar to Emily Phillips’ Smiley Face which she uses for classroom management by giving the class (as a whole) a face part for every well-behaved activity, building up to a complete smiley face for an unknown surprise at the end of the day. My Bag certainly has a few of my favorite books (some with an associated puppet or stuffed animal for the lower grades). (I’m hoping that after reading my blog, you have a few blank copies of the End of Day report in there, as well.) For your own protection and use, you may want to toss in some hand sanitizer (keep out of the reach of tiny hands), latex gloves, a whistle (for outside only), the district or school’s emergency procedures, and any specific information you have on that particular school.

These “tricks” are not really tricks at all. Some are ideas and methods to help you manage the classroom more smoothly. Some might be fun activities, notes or certificates to use as rewards for great behavior. Others need to be possible lesson plans (like creative writing prompts or math relays) in case the classroom teacher was out for an emergency and was unable to leave you her desired lesson plans.

But keep in mind that some of your “bag” is figurative – it includes all the sage advice you have garnered from fellow educators (and your mom) about how to deal with children’s needs and behaviors; it includes any reading or professional development you have done; it includes all the resources and network of support to which you have subscribed. In this light, please take a look at Teacher’s Bag of Tricks blog. I have not been able to find an author, but the entries range from links to great resources, to meaningful commentary on articles and ideas to tangible suggestions for use in the classroom. I especially liked the Triple A Treatment post advocating acceptance, approval and affection for classroom management (May 7, 2008) and In Praise (July 22, 2008) about how specific praise can shape how a child thinks of himself, making our every single word important.