Intellectual Wellbeing
At school, we as teachers' monitor your children's' wellbeing; intellectually.
The "Mini Me"
This resource is a fun and engaging way for students to depict intellectual comprehension. Students are each given two toilet rolls, the first is used to create their own doll, they are encouraged to create the doll in their own image, a "Mini-Me". Using the second roll the students create and draw their own set of emotions.
The class may come up with different faces; a happy face could resemble the student feels confident and happy with the lesson being taught, while a sad face would resemble the students lack of understanding. Student's as a whole class could decide to make the third face resemble; determination, unease, nervousness or excitement.
Once the students each have their own doll, it can sit at the front of their desks, throughout lessons students can change the face of the doll to represent their intellectual understanding of the lesson being taught.
The class may come up with different faces; a happy face could resemble the student feels confident and happy with the lesson being taught, while a sad face would resemble the students lack of understanding. Student's as a whole class could decide to make the third face resemble; determination, unease, nervousness or excitement.
Once the students each have their own doll, it can sit at the front of their desks, throughout lessons students can change the face of the doll to represent their intellectual understanding of the lesson being taught.
Justification
Students vary in intellectual ability and with such a large range of students to teach, the learning manager may leave some kids behind without realising. This resource helps the learning manager to monitor each child's intellectual understanding during class lessons and tasks. The subtle nature of the resource allows the learning manager to note how students are coping, this can be quickly documented so that later, further planning and strategies can be created and implemented to support the child's learning needs.
Students vary in intellectual ability and with such a large range of students to teach, the learning manager may leave some kids behind without realising. This resource helps the learning manager to monitor each child's intellectual understanding during class lessons and tasks. The subtle nature of the resource allows the learning manager to note how students are coping, this can be quickly documented so that later, further planning and strategies can be created and implemented to support the child's learning needs.
Bingo Balls
There is always the students in a class who think they have it all figured out, they believe if they don't have to put their hand up to answer questions - then why should they even bother listening. They let excited eager learners who are begging to be picked answer all the questions and participate in the classroom discussions.
This resource is for those students who like to sit back and fly under the radar - not anymore!
Bingo Balls is a jar of coloured large coloured balls; each ball has a students name written on it. The learning manager can focus the attention of all learners back to the lesson simply by saying, "I am going to use the "Bingo Balls" now".
This means after the learning manager has finished speaking, they ask a question relating around what was just learned, then the pick a name from the "Bingo Balls", the child whose name is drawn must answer the question.
However to ensure not to embarrass or intimidate students because a class is filled with many students who are all intellectually varied; the learning manager can colour co-ordinate the "Bingo Balls" to intellectual ability. This means the learning manager can consider the question before choosing a ball and still hold some control over who answers the question. It is important to ensure the students do not know about this, as it could lead to teasing or competitiveness which will lower the positive vibe of the classroom environment.
This resource is for those students who like to sit back and fly under the radar - not anymore!
Bingo Balls is a jar of coloured large coloured balls; each ball has a students name written on it. The learning manager can focus the attention of all learners back to the lesson simply by saying, "I am going to use the "Bingo Balls" now".
This means after the learning manager has finished speaking, they ask a question relating around what was just learned, then the pick a name from the "Bingo Balls", the child whose name is drawn must answer the question.
However to ensure not to embarrass or intimidate students because a class is filled with many students who are all intellectually varied; the learning manager can colour co-ordinate the "Bingo Balls" to intellectual ability. This means the learning manager can consider the question before choosing a ball and still hold some control over who answers the question. It is important to ensure the students do not know about this, as it could lead to teasing or competitiveness which will lower the positive vibe of the classroom environment.
Justification
The "Bingo Ball" resource has been designed to keep the students on task throughout the duration of the lesson. This teaching strategy requires the students to be listening at all times, as at any time throughout the lesson their name may be pulled from the bingo ball jar to answer a question. Therefore, with this in mind, the students are more likely to pay attention and focus, as they don't want to be put on the spot and not know the correct answer.
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The "Bingo Ball" resource has been designed to keep the students on task throughout the duration of the lesson. This teaching strategy requires the students to be listening at all times, as at any time throughout the lesson their name may be pulled from the bingo ball jar to answer a question. Therefore, with this in mind, the students are more likely to pay attention and focus, as they don't want to be put on the spot and not know the correct answer.
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Early finishers; extended learning and educational games
It is important to have extra work created and ready for "Early Finishers". Some learning managers focus only on the students who struggle, however intellectually high achieving students need to be further extended as well.
This resource is simply a jar with coloured pieces of paper, each piece of paper has a different extension activity. Some may be online, others are puzzles, word teasers, riddles, maths problems or worksheets which are printed and filed waiting to be used.
The various coloured papers could depict the level of difficulty of the extension task.
This resource is simply a jar with coloured pieces of paper, each piece of paper has a different extension activity. Some may be online, others are puzzles, word teasers, riddles, maths problems or worksheets which are printed and filed waiting to be used.
The various coloured papers could depict the level of difficulty of the extension task.
Justification
Learning Managers should of course implement differentiation into class tasks to cater to the varying intellectual levels. However as learning managers quickly learn, lessons of any kind, do not always go according to plan. The above resource has been designed for this reason, it is an engaging and helpful back up plan to cater to students who finish early, regardless of differentiations already implemented into lessons. Primary Professional Development service states that learning managers should be; "Providing alternative paths to enable all children to reach their potential" (Primary Professional Development Service, 2012).
Learning Managers should of course implement differentiation into class tasks to cater to the varying intellectual levels. However as learning managers quickly learn, lessons of any kind, do not always go according to plan. The above resource has been designed for this reason, it is an engaging and helpful back up plan to cater to students who finish early, regardless of differentiations already implemented into lessons. Primary Professional Development service states that learning managers should be; "Providing alternative paths to enable all children to reach their potential" (Primary Professional Development Service, 2012).
You can monitor your child's' intellectual wellbeing at home too!
- Fun online games to assist students learning
Top Marks - Education onlines games
News for kids
Brain Pop - Online Learning
Museum Box
Reading Eggs - Online reading resource
Solar Walk - 3D Science, Solar System Model - Assign a reading time each day where children are to read for a certain amount of time.
- Mini book club; have each family member borrow the same book from a public library. Have intellectual discussions about the book throughout reading the story and once finished reading.
- "Playing games that stimulate the mind, particularly those that make use of
strategy, will build verbal skills, plus improve powers of concentration,
perception and reasoning. Here are some recommendations for brain-building games
you can do as a family: Chess, Checkers, Crossword puzzles, Cryptograms, Word jumbles, Scrabble and Mathematical puzzles" (Dr Phil, 2013)
Communication; how can we build a stronger teacher and parent relationship.
Parents are invited to organise a Parent/Teacher meeting to discuss how students are progressing intellectually. Progression is communicated through report cards.