Hellllllo October!! Let’s dive into some October teaching strategies that will help make your classroom full of excitement and learning too!
1️⃣ Spicing up my lessons with fall-themed engaging lessons. Click on the images below for two examples of how I do this in my own classroom!
2️⃣ Embrace the cooler weather by taking your lessons outdoors. Fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for engagement and creativity! I recently did a gallery walk outside. I posted various readings on the outside walls around my classroom to get students moving while getting some fresh air! ☀️🌬️🍂
3️⃣Don’t forget to celebrate the little victories! Making connections with students can bring about a change for the entire classroom. I find that it’s during the month of October when I truly connect with students, now that the hectic parts of the start of the year have passed. 🤪 I do this several different ways…conversations with the first students in the classroom, while greeting them at the door, and between passing periods in the hallways.
4️⃣ Introduce collaborative projects that encourage teamwork and problem-solving. October is the perfect time to continue a sense of community in the classroom. Here’s a lesson I tend to break out when students need a day “off” but yet need a reboot to keep their participation and collaboration going. 🗣️ They love it since it combines teamwork with pop culture! Any chance I can bring the things important to them in their world, I see engagement rise.
5️⃣ Lastly, have fun!! We just had Spirit Week, and although the students aren’t the most spirited, WE TEACHERS ARE!! In fact, it’s a competitive sport at my school! Every day of Spirit Week, the departments take a group photo flaunting their coolness. So, cheers to my Social Science Department’s spirit when it came to Superhero Day, Barbie Day, PJ Day (while displaying a “white lie,” mine was “Sure, you can be on your cell phone in class!”), and Falcon Friday! However fun looks like at your school, jump into it!!
Wishing you an October filled with more rewarding moments and a never-ending supply of candy (for energy, of course!)
Until next month~
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