The Jolly Rancher Helps with Homework

As part of my job description, I have to do an hour of homework with my 25 kids. This means helping 25 different Kindergarten and 1st grade students with adding, subtracting, learning how to write, and learning how to read. 

It's madness!! There really isn't enough of me to help each and every child. I do try my best though. 

It also didn't help that students lack the motivation to complete homework on their own. I have to constantly remind students to get started, to work on their homework, to stop talking, etc.

I started to receive complaints from parents asking why their child was not completing their homework. I explained to them that I try my best to help each student but that I only have one hour to help 25 students. 

I had to do something to encourage my kids to do their homework on their own.

I thought of an incentive I could give them that ALL of them would love. I went to Stater Bros. straight after work one night and I looked at the candy section. I found a HUGE bag of Jolly Ranchers and I thought "Who doesn't like Jolly Ranchers"? 

The next day I took a sandwich bag full of Jolly Ranchers and during homework time, I explained that if they finished their homework, showed it to me, and I checked it, they would get a Jolly Rancher.

Nearly the whole class finished their homework!! Throughout the hour, student after student raised their hand and asked 'Miss Elizabeth, I finished my homework! Can I have a Jolly Rancher now??" If their homework was complete, I would congratulate them and give them their much awaited Jolly Rancher. If they needed to correct something, I would help them, check it again, and give them their Jolly Rancher.

 I ended up with one Jolly Rancher left in my baggie, which of course I ate to celebrate!

Since then, I have had an incredible improvement which has led to compliments from parents thanking me for their child finishing their homework. It's 'One less thing they have to worry about', as one parent said. 

The downfall of this is the guilty feeling I get from the possibility that I might be contributing to the cavities in their tiny mouths or to the child obesity/diabetes epidemic (though all my kids seem to be in good health). 

Overall, I feel pretty content with my method, that I am helping these little ones finish their homework, that they have something to look forward to after their 7 hour school day, and that I make them even a tiny bit happy with the help of Mr. Jolly Rancher. 

<3 Ely

Did you know the Jolly Rancher company was established in 1949?? Read the story here:  

Jolly Rancher History

Seating Chart

Thing I learned #6: Always have a seating chart for your students

Having a seating chart for your students just makes things 1,099,029,394,290 times more easier for you and your students.

Here is a sample of one of the seating charts I did for my Kinder/1st grade class. It's not really anything pretty just something I did quickly to save my life from chaos.

Tips for creating your seating chart:

• Draw the tables, chairs, and/or area where your students will be seating and label them ex. Table 1, 2, 3, etc
• Use pen for the permanent drawings and pencil for the names. In this way if you have to make any changes, you won't have to use white out and have it look all messy.
• Think of your students and who will behave best sitting next to who
• I try to seat everyone boy, girl, boy, girl because it helps my students concentrate more and talk less
• I also make sure that no good (talkative) friends are sitting together or nearby for if I do, it will guarantee them chatting and playing away.
• Make sure your students know where they are to sit every day. Let them know the name or number of their table

Sitting charts make it easier for you in the following ways:

• Students chat with each other less
• They can work better as a team
• They are motivated to do 'good' as a table
• When you need your students to do something you can tell them 'Table 1, go line up." Or "Table 2, I need you to bring the noise level down."
• Knowing where the students sit regularly will make it easier for them to get used to routine
•  It is easier to know where each student is at all times

-Ely <3

Sharing is Caring

Thing I Learned #3: If you're going to share something with one student, be prepared to share with ALL students.

This little lesson I learned was because of one little hand sanitizer. I was sick one day and decided to start using a portable hand sanitizer with a clip on so that I could clip it onto my jeans. One of my students noticed my hand sanitizer hanging from my jeans and asked what it was. I told her, "It's a hand sanitizer. It cleans your hands when they are dirty so there won't be germs on them." She then asked if she could have some because her hands were dirty. I didn't think much of it so I said sure and squirted a drop on her hands. BIG MISTAKE. Next thing I know I have another student look at his hands and say, "Miss Elizabeth, can I have some?My hands are dirty." So I give him some. What follows after that is a stampede of 10 kids rushing over to me asking for some because their hands were dirty.

This is what it felt like.

Hahaha lesson learned!!! Never give a child something unless you are prepared to give the same to ALL of them. It's pretty obvious common sense but as a learning teacher, I didn't expect it. Now I know this. 

There are exceptions of course for example when it comes to incentives. Then only the children that earn the incentive receive the item. But you have to explain why only that child or those children received the object and not the others.

I always thought it was funny how I learned this!

Take one day at a time, 

ely <3