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

How To Get Your Class' Attention

Thing I learned #5: Use creative ways to get the kid's attention.

(I will be putting up videos soon to demonstrate the different 'attention getters')

With 25 Kindergartners and 1st graders in my class, often times it can be challenging to get everyone's attention when something needs to be addressed. Thankfully, my program trained my on ways I can get and keep the student's attention. These attention getters require the students to stop what they are doing and join in on the sayings.

These are a few of the 'attention getters' I have learned and the ones I use.

Avalanche!!! Response: Shhh!!!

Silent Llamas! Response: Children put their middle and index finger together with their thumb to make the shape of a llama and reply Shh! Shh! as they make their llamas 'spit' the shhs.

Spongebob! Response: Squarepants!

Eyes Front! Response: Back Straight!

Are You Ready Kids?! Response: Children salute with their hand on their forehead and reply Aye Aye Captain!

Reeeeed Robin! Response: Yuuuuum!

Match In The Gas Tank: Response: Boom! Boom!

Ice Cubes! Response: Freeze!! The kids actually freeze with this one and are only allowed to move when you say 'Meltdown!'. This works best outside when the kids are running around and/or you need them to stop what they are doing immediately.

Finding! Response: Nemo!

Miss! Response: Piggy! 

If you can hear me clap once! Response: Children clap once.
If you can hear me touch your nose (touch your head, snap your fingers, touch your ear, etc.) Response: Children do what you ask. This can also be used by saying 'Simon says face forward, voices off, eyes up here, etc.'

Kermit! Response: The Frog!

Voices! Response: Off!

Eyeballs! Response: Click! (Their eyeballs are clicked on you, the speaker)

Basically with all of these, the kids know that the teacher only needs to do an attention getter once. The kids respond and all eyes and ears should be fully paying attention to the speaker.

These are effective because the kids enjoy saying all these funny saying and you won't have to be yelling 'Alright! I need everyone's attention!" Or things like that which can take a while to capture their attention. Another thing that I like about using these is that you can pretty much make up your own, whatever works for your classroom as long as it has a response.

All you have to do before you try them out on your kids is give out expectations on what you want them to do when you say them.

-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