My kiddos just finished our SAT-10 testing a few weeks ago and now its the big kidsโ turn to take FCAT. ย FCAT testing means quiet campus, and quiet campus means- at least for this teacher and her students- absolute torture! Do you know how hard it is to keep 19 eight year olds (and one almost 30 year old teacher) quietโฆ ALL morning?! Challenging to say the least. ;)So how have Iโve been surviving these past few grueling daysโฆ?
I *may* be bribing my kiddos with sweet treats and brain breaks from GoNoodle.com! LOL!
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I am not a huge fan of using sweets to get kids to do what you wantโฆ but these are desperate times and that calls for desperate measures. As I catch kiddos making an awesome choice (like trying to be REALLY quiet or reminding their buddies to be quiet) ย I give them one little treat. That of course starts a domino effect, and BOOM, Iโve got my entire class working to be quiet.
Iโve also been using the brain-break website, GoNoodle.com
As soon as my 4th/5th grade neighbor gives us the green light (We share a chalkboard wall), ย I power up the website and we dance/run/breathe our wiggles out from the morning!
Here we are doing the โWipe Out!โ Zumba activity. This is quickly becoming one of my classes faves! What kid doesnโt like to pretend theyโre riding a surf board? LOL!
Iโm sure youโve heard of GoNoodle and it seriously lives up to all the hype! Oh, and did I mention itโs FREE!? Yeahโฆ. ย SCORE!
ย Iโve been having my kiddos earn brain breaks through out the morning by working as a class to keep quiet. As we go through our activities, if I catch them making good choices, I put a letter on the board. If we spell GoNoodle by lunch time, then the kiddos earn a โstudent choiceโ activity from the website. They LOVE it!
Iโve also been using this website to break up our subsequently SUPER long afternoon. I just keep the website minimized on my lap top and as we move from one subject to the next, Iโll throw a little activity up. I really like the โrunningโ activities for those transition because I tell the kiddos we need to work on our transition speed!
Want to try GoNoodle for yourself and help your kiddos get their wiggles out or relax before the BIG test? Oh and save your sanity in the process?! ย It is super easy to sign up!
Hereโs What to Do:
ย
1. Head to GoNoodle.comย
2. Sign-up and create your class.
3. Then choose your little โClass Chompโ!
We chose McPufferson.
Now youโre ready to get movinโ and shakin!
4. Just click โPLAYโ
and choose an activity to complete!
That is NOT all of them eitherโฆ
5. Now watch as your kiddos get their wiggles out and you regain your sanity and peace because youโll actually be able to teach after this!
No searching YouTube, or worrying that the video you chose is super grainy, or worst not age appropriate! Youโre also guaranteed to not curse under your breathe when that AWESOME video you pinned last night isnโt accessable because Pinterest is blocked at schoolโฆ #canyourelate #teacherproblems #grumble