Fridays are the best day of the week...!

Happy Friday!

 

What teacher doesn't love a Friday?  In my classroom(s), it means Friday fun, no weekend homework, maybe a little extra recess, and some ketchup and pickles.

 

Hold it.  Rewind... Ketchup and pickles?  This happens to be a fun idea and time set aside for kiddos to catch-up on work, or be rewarded for working hard during the week to finish their work.  See for yourself...

 

I created a large (about 1 1/2 feet?) ketchup bottle and animated pickle.  Okay, I know I went overboard with the pickle. But he's cute, isn't he?  Who doesn't love a happy little veggie at the end of the week? 

 

Each Friday, I put these on my whiteboard, and write the names of my students underneath (they must go in one of two categories).  Students will either be a "pickle" for the day, where they can PICK a fun activity, or they are "ketchup", in which case they need to CATCH-UP and finish some work.  All of the pickles engage in a fun activity (either individually or as a group) that relates to the topic or standards being taught.  However, I make sure it is fun and a great incentive for the week.  Every Thursday students are pining over whether or not they will get to be a pickle.  It's serious business!

 

As you can guess, the ketchup kids have to finish any work they are behind in or have yet to complete.  This is also a time to help students who may have been absent or pulled out of class for whatever individual reason.  I choose to not give my students "zeros" for unfinished work, but instead, have them work on it every time we do Friday Catch-Up.  Although they won't get full credit (for those students who missed the deadline), they are still completing their work.  I think it's important that no matter what, they get the practice and exposure to whatever skill we are working on.  I feel that it is much better than the student not doing their work at all!  For those students who were simply absent, this is a great opportunity for me to teach a mini-lesson on the skill or explain the assignment.  The student also gets needed one-on-one time with the teacher to ask questions and clarify the material.  It's a win-win-win situation!

 

So, if you're looking for a fun way to wrap up the week and get work done, try pickles and ketchup.  It's a wonderful combination, and kids eat it up - figuratively, of course....

 

Happy Friday!

 

:) Emily