• Blog
    • Archives
  • Training Materials
    • E-Courses
    • Quote Colouring Pages
    • Mindfulness Colouring
    • Technology Integration
    • Character Education
    • Exit Tickets
  • Teaching Resources
  • Freebies
  • Podcast
    • Podcast Episodes
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Reviews
  Teachers Resource Force

Teachers Resource Force
​The Blog

How to have an engaging and reflective end of the year with your students

9/5/2017

0 Comments

 
So, I still have a way to go until my end of the school year (end of July - yes I know, pass me another chocolate bar...) but I am planning ahead with loads of ideas I can use with my students to help raise their spirits after the test stress!  
​
We all know that once tests are done, everyone pretty much switches off and it's a real challenge to keep our students engaged. Well, I've got a solution! ​Here's a really fun idea to reflect on the academic year as a whole group where you can really bond with your students and be assured that everyone will have a blast!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
This end of year reflection activity uses the concept of the game "Jenga" where students build a tower and remove pieces stacking them on top whilst trying to not knock the tower over or to build the tallest tower! Now, we're all probably familiar with Jenga blocks (I mean, they're just blocks of wood, people!) but I found an equivalent that is soooo much prettier! They are from the brand "Lewo" and you can order these from the Amazon affiliate link here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

What I like about these are that as they are already colour coded, they are really versatile to use for any game or activity in your classroom. I personally would never stick anything to my blocks as that means they can only be used for one activity - what a waste!? And I'm not a fan of the DIY blobs of ink and paint on the ends either - it just doesn't look pretty enough for me (who's with me here?!) So these blocks are the way to go in my opinion:
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
As you can see in these photos, I have created some colour coded cards with questions on them - the colours match this set of tumbling blocks perfectly! I have created this end of year reflection game to be used in 4 different ways to suit your budget, needs, resources and preference so it's really versatile!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
As we don't all have the luxury of endless colour printing at school, I have included mono versions in black and white ideal for printing onto coloured paper instead, which also look really snazzy!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
There are a total of 54 different questions in this resource which is more than the number of blocks in a pack, so there are definitely enough for 1-2 questions per student and enough variety to keep the game interesting! However, even if students were to repeat questions, every student will have a unique response so it's something that can be played more than once too!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
I designed the smaller question cards to fit perfectly in these business card holder boxes that I got for dirt cheap on Amazon! They are an effective and inexpensive way to store the cards as they fit perfectly and it's really easy to add a sticker to the box with group numbers or you could even use chalk pens or sharpies! 
You can get the boxes from these Amazon affiliate links here:
Amazon US 
Amazon UK
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
Although the card option is really fun as it creates that spontaneity not knowing what question you're going to get, I've also created different options if you'd rather have a less printing and less prep. The same questions therefore come on larger colour coded sheets that come 2 to a page so you only need to print 3 letter size / A4  pages. I have also included a mono option if you'd rather print these in black and white!
​Again, I include full rules of how to play using this method in the resource for you.
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
These larger options mean you will only need a set of 6 cards. I have created them to be exactly the size of a standard photograph (6x4in) so you can easily put them in photo albums or photo sleeves (a much more versatile option than laminating everything as this makes them easy to change up for different activities!)

Here are some great photo sleeves you can check out if you're interested:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

So, why should you get your students to play this game at the end of the school year?

Well if you're the kind of teacher who really cares about classroom community and helping students bond before they leave for the summer, this resource will leave your students with fond memories about you and their classroom. To me, it's all about how you finish the school year that matters as that is the lasting memory!

They will have a blast bonding over the good times, reflecting on their journey this year and looking forward to years to come!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!
How to have a reflective and engaging end of the school year with Jenga blocks!


​Oh and for those of you who are up for embracing more technology in your classrooms, I have created another option in the pack that is a digital interactive way to play that doesn't involve printing anything!

You can have students download the PowerPoint to their devices (you can easily convert it to a Google Slides document via Google Drive) then they can use this to access the questions and have one device per team or even one per person: it can be used with or without the dice!
And because I have tried to cover ALL bases, this option is for those of you who don't want to print anything at all! Plus, if you're on a really tight budget and can only afford to have one set of blocks, I give you instructions on how you can play as a whole class using the just one set of blocks, and one PowerPoint! Check out the clip below to see a preview of how it works.
​
You candownload the game here from TpT or directly from my store here if you prefer PayPal or paying in GBP!
I hope this has given you some fun and exciting ways to have a reflective and enjoyable end to the school year! 
Thanks for reading this post :) If you found this valuable, leave a comment below or share it out!
I truly believe that by allowing our students to take time to reflect on the school year with their peers in a fun and engaging way, they will effectively take on board on what they have learned and where they hope to be in the future, not to mention form stronger bonds with one another thus improving overall well-being and classroom ethos.

How do you plan on ending the school year with a bang? Comment below, I'd love to talk more about it!
Picture
0 Comments

Teacher Life: April 2017 Update

1/5/2017

0 Comments

 
Welcome to my monthly teacher life updates where I share what I've been up to at school, what new teaching resources I have created and any other things that have been going on!
Picture
School Life:
First half of April was draining, I was on my knees - my knees I tell you! I just kept saying to myself "I think I can, I think I can!" Fortunately we had our Easter (Spring) Break for 2 weeks, so most of the month ended up being really nice! Definitely needed...
New Resources:
To ease myself back into creating during the Easter break, I decided to get creative and draw some clip art! I started with a Growth Mindset set as that was a request for some friends, and then I branched out into some Kawaii emojis of brains (for growth mindset, obvs..!) and then some poop...!?! (That was also a request, honest!) I have been a little worried that no one would want those, but quite honestly, students these days are simply LOVING that poop emoji so I guess they'd love teaching resources with them on too, right?! Who is brave enough to go first? ;) 

After the clip art creating, I decided to design a mindfulness colouring memory booklet as a nice winding down end of the year activity, which I blogged all about here! I also created another end of the year activity but this one is all about having reflective discussions as a class or in groups using Jenga blocks! Look out for a blog post on this next week, but if you can't wait that long just click the picture below to find out more!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
On The Site:
I blogged about a few different things this month! Seeing as April is Poetry Month, I wanted to give you some ideas for that: I am passionate about using Art Integration as a form of well-being, amongst other things, so blogged about that and offered a freebie in the VIP area for you!

Then I wrote about ideas for how to help your students become more resilient: I know we're dealing with testing and that pressure they are putting on themselves to be perfect, so I wanted to offer you some practical ways you can help your students during this challenging time. This was a request from one of my lovely subscribers - I just love how caring you guys are and how you're so passionate about the "whole student" and not just their academic achievements!

Finally, I wrote about how to have a successful and calm end to the school year after the craziness of testing! We know students switch off after the tests (I'm not surprised, I think most of us want to as well!) So I've given you a range of easy to implement ideas all using this one little booklet. I don't know about you, but I want to end the year on a positive note, with my students calm, happy and hopeful for the future! Check them out below:
Picture
Picture
Picture
You may also have noticed that I changed the top bar a little for you - I've added a section called "Training Materials" where I offer you more information and resources on particular passion topics. Right now there is a section for Mindfulness Colouring, Character Education and Exit Tickets and I'll always be updating them with new material: check them out!
On Social Media:
I created a few more boards on Pinterest for you this month!
There's a new one for End of the School Year full of activities, ideas and bulletin board inspiration suitable for teens!
I also created a board called Tutor Time Activities that is full of morning meeting / homeroom / tutor activities for teens to start the day off right. Routine can be all over the place this time of year, so it's good to get them settled again and hopefully these ideas can help.
Finally, I've made a board called PSHE Teaching Resources. This is a standard subject in the UK and it stands for "Physical, Social, Health Education" which is like counselling, Life Skills or Health class. It deals with a lot of personal issues to support students beyond their academic education - we're teaching the "whole" child!
I hope you find the new boards useful!

I'm still grammin' on the daily as well - I love that I can share my passion for teaching and photography on Instagram and I hope you're finding value in what I am sharing! Please drop me a comment on my photos, I'd love to make contact and follow your page too!

You may also notice that I have been making a real effort on Facebook for you recently as well - I'd love for you to check out my page for links to freebies, teaching articles, inspiration, resources and clip art to help get you inspired every day! Please do leave me a comment over there, I love hearing from you and I'll always respond!

Social media is all about connecting, so please do stop by on any of my platforms - I'd love to chat to you!
In Life:
I had a wonderful Easter break, although aside from some well-deserved long lie ins, I didn't really rest much as there was so much I wanted to create for you - oops! I did manage to take some time off with some friends over a tea in Starbucks and generally just trying to catch up on every day "life" that we can never seem to get round to during the school year, you know?! Things are going to get crazy busy for me next month as that's when our exam season starts in the UK, so wish me luck!
​

That's all from me, I hope you have had a great April! Not long to go until the end of year for some of you now, how many weeks do you have left? I still have another 12 or so?! Let me know your magic number below!
Picture
0 Comments
Forward>>

    This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings:


    Current Number Of Columns are = 1

    Expand Posts Area =

    Gap/Space Between Posts = 15px

    Blog Post Style = card

    Use of custom card colors instead of default colors =

    Blog Post Card Background Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Border Color = current color

    Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results

    Picture
    Growth Mindset Coloring Pennants @resourceforce
    Picture
    Christmas Emoji Dot 2 Dot: multiplication times tables @resourceforce
    Teachers Standards Evidence Binder (UK) @resourceforce
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Teachers Resource Force

    Promote your Page too
    Picture
    Picture

    Middle School Blogger
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

TEACHERS RESOURCE FORCE (www.TRF.one)
© 2013-2021 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

​Privacy Policy   |   FAQs

​🎙️​ SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES 🎙️
  • Blog
    • Archives
  • Training Materials
    • E-Courses
    • Quote Colouring Pages
    • Mindfulness Colouring
    • Technology Integration
    • Character Education
    • Exit Tickets
  • Teaching Resources
  • Freebies
  • Podcast
    • Podcast Episodes
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Reviews