Hello all, I have always been interested in the idea of students creating group names and decorating a poster of some sort to go along with their group. I am teaching first grade for the first time so I was wondering if the students were developmentally able to create and agree on a group name or if that is something that would distress a majority of the students? I think I have a good idea of a way to get the students to decorate a poster, it is really just the group name that is holding me down. Thanks for any advice or ideas!
A fellow teacher friend of mine let the kids pick names. The class voted on a theme (candy) and each table thought of a name. One table called themselves "nerds" and I thought that was pretty funny. I'd hear her say, "Okay, nerds, you may line up."
My groups were color coded and named after local universities. The parents/students loved it, especially learning about their specific group's school or when I wore my alumni paraphernalia to work. I haven't decided what I will name my groups this upcoming year.
Aside from a 3month end of the year position last year this is the first time I am teaching. From my experience at the end of the year I don't think my students would have been able to come up with a name, but as a previous poster said I think giving them a theme is a great idea! You can do candy, super heroes, ice cream flavors, colors, shapes, toys, TV shows, book or movie characters, etc. That's a great idea!! I'm thinking about doing this as well now.
I will name student groups using concepts we learn about during the year. For example, one thing that always trips up my kids are the US symbols (why, I'll never understand), so one table will be "Statue of Liberty", another is named "Bald Eagle", and so on. When I change up student groups, I'll change their group names. I've used seasons of the year, solid shapes, etc. The kids love it and it helps them remember important vocabulary.
That's a great idea... makes me wanna name my tables coins. Some of my kids have trouble naming coins every year. Coins and geometric shapes.
My principal shared that idea with me a couple of years ago when I was upset that my students bombed their US symbols test. Last year I decided to "expand" and use other vocabulary words for student groups when I changed their tables around.
