Anyone here not do calendar time? I keep thinking...there must be a better way! It seems like the kids (and I) will get so bored with it. Anyone do something else instead? Or somehow make calendar time a little more exciting?
I have always seen teachers have the student of the day/week lead calendar time. After you model this a few weeks, there's no reason why the kiddos couldn't do it.
We do it where at the end of reading the morning agenda we send all helpers to do their jobs (including that one). The rest of them start taking turns to fix a sentence at the bottom of the board (small class). Then helpers stand and state what was up with their job (ie, what the date is). I'm too tired to think of creative ways to jazz it up but I'm sure there is cool stuff you could do.
My calendar time is actually included with the math program that we use. I'm not going to spend 15 minutes going over the calendar, but I will touch base everyday on writing the date and all that jazz.
I have the children do it for morning work when they come in in the morning. They have a calendar in their folder as well as a weather chart and graph. We then go over it and go through it on our large calendar and weather graph. We are required to do calendar for our math program as well but I actually like it.
Our calendar time is also integrated with our math program (Everyday Math). It doesn't take long, once you get a routine down. The kids can pretty much run it themselves.
We do calendar at the beginning of the year, but after they seem to get it, we do a really quick version (that the students are in charge of) and we start number of the day (my version of the Trevor Calkins stuff). We decide if its even or odd, represent it with dot arrays and ten frames, etc. Then the students go to their desks and make up equations for the number. For example for the number 10, (1+9, 5+5, 2X5 11-1, 2+2+2+2+2). Then we share them on the carpet. I challenge them to find new ways to use strategies, and find new ways to represent numbers. Its good because it works for all different levels. My kids who struggle with math will do stuff at their level, while the kids who excel will start exploring multiplication, division, fractions.... I hope this makes sense.
Ahh, great idea! I think that's what I'll do. I've never head of Trevor Calkins, but I will look into him. Thanks for the great idea. (Btw, is the # of the day the # of that day of school? Thanks!
Our team had a debate about that. Some of us do the days in school as the number of the day and others use the day of the month. I might change it up as the kids get a bit more used to it. For now I'm using the day of the month.
I did the date as the number of the day because I had a weak group and as the numbers got higher I didn;'t think they could handle it. You could do either though. My school invested in Trevor Calkins "Power of Ten" (not the tv show) materials and ten frame cards. There are some really good ideas in it for mental math, and helping kids develop their own personal strategies rather than memorizing. It uses games to teach math facts too so it helps kids enjoy math time.
I have a calendar helper each week. They do the calendar in about 4 minutes after lunch each day. The helper teaches the class and I sit and add info when needed.
