All About Me Task Cards - Teaching Memories

When I was teaching I often set up little places in the room with different activities and the children would go and get what they were to work on. Sometimes they would cycle thru and do everything, sometimes. as I learned more about teaching, it was a more prescriptive thing where they would do certain things based on an assessment. 

Some gyms do this kind of thing today.  It's a good way to set things up when the pieces of equipment are limited.

Anyway, I found these cards in a box by Frank Schaffer that I used to use for writing. Each card was numbered and had a cute drawing on it. As they did a card they colored a sort of cover sheet to show they had done a certain card.  No one ever did all the cards. They picked the ones that looked fun to respond to.

I bought a lot of these kinds of things when I first started teaching, and as I'm clearning things out now I am finding some of them that I did not give away or sell at my teaching garage sale before I married. 

These kinds of activities really clicked with some of the kids. They had a lot of fun with the assignment and ended up with nice folders with all their writing. 

When I taught, the school had a requirement to have something on the bulletin board. Although nice to have a good bulletin board, it was stupid I thought/think to just put something up that would be read one time if at all.  I didn't have time to cut out the construction paper letters.  Or I didn't make time to do it very often.  When teaching sixth grade language arts I got away with covering the board with pure white paper and then putting a new label every couple of weeks.  Mashed potatoes, polar bears in the snow.  I had found a book with ideas and used that. The kids always noticed the change of the labels and chuckled as they came in the room after there was a change in the label.

While teaching second grade though I thought it would be good to actually post something new every couple of weeks. So I had the students all draw something from their home. Draw your bedroom, draw the room where you eat, etc. Then we'd arrange their art on the bulletin board. 

At the end of the year I had them draw a diagram of their house and we labeled the different rooms or areas they had drawn earlier. It was fun to see the different homes and way they saw them. 

For another bulletin board I had them draw different people in their lives.  I hope the parents kept these books. 

I should have had my son do this too when he was little.... 

Tell me what you do when you are angry. 

Tell me about things you like to see indoors. 

What do you see in your mirror? 

What do you like to do when it's hot? 

Tell me how you feel now. 

Tell me about your favorite time of day. 

What makes you feel happy? 

Tell me about your next birthday party. 

Write ten words that tell about you. 

What would you like to learn to do? 

What do you look like on Halloween? 

What do you like to eat for breakfast? 

Tell me about things you like to smell. 

Tell about five ways to have fun. 

Write your story. 

What is your favorite word? Why? 

Tell me about something you can make. 

What do you like to eat for lunch? 

Tell about the foods you can make. 

Tell how you help your family. 

Tell about five songs that you like. 

What's funny? Draw a picture of something funny that happened to you. 

What do you like to eat for dinner? 

Tell your favorite story. 

What will happen tomorrow? 

What can you do in the kitchen? 

Tell about things you like to taste. 

Make your own footprint. 

Tell about some nice things that happened to you. 

Tell about a store that you like to visit. 

Who would you like to be like? 

Tell about something that is not real. 

Tell about things you like to do outdoors. 

Tell about five animals you would like to have for pets. 

Draw yourself with your friends. Write their names. 

Tell about your favorite place 

Tell about some toys you like. 

Write a letter to someone.... Your teacher, your friend.... 

What is the most important thing you can do? Why? 

What do you like to do when you are alone?

The value added with the Frank Schaffer cards was the cute little drawings he added.  So 'Tell me about things you like to taste' had a smiling snail with a mouthful of grass looking at you.  So the prompts could be interpreted in different ways. Here are a few I made into overhead transparencies.

Drawing would be a good thing for us all to know how to do, but especially teachers.  I remember my second Master Teacher drew some numbers on yellow paper for some reason.  We were working in a reading math lab.  Instead of just putting the numbers she surrounded each with a little drawing.  It was amazing how quickly she did the work.

One time I had the kids use special fabric crayons to draw a flower.  Then my mom transferred the design to the edge of a flowing skirt that I wore for school functions.  It was a wonderful way to remember the children and my mom's talent.  I doubt I still have this flower outfit, but perhaps I will find it in the next box I open!

Anyway, in going thru the bookcase yesterday I found some folders with teaching stuff so decided to write this memory.  No other reason.

Not quilting. Not doing paperwork.  Just going thru the bookcase.