Hat Trick

[IMAGE]

HAT TRICK

I have some concerns about using this strategy during head lice season. If you do too... consider using small toys or some other *motivating* item instead of a hat as a signal. You might also consider making folded paper hats to use.

There are times in a teacher’s day when many students need/want help at the same time. They line up at your desk or you run around all over the room as they wave their hands in the air to get your attention. (While they’re lined up or waving their hands, they’re not actively engaged in a learning activity). This strategy is designed to foster more on time task.

ONE HAT STRATEGY (watch out for lice concerns with this one)

Designate a terrific hat as the “My Turn Hat”. -- You could use a toy or something else instead. When a student needs teacher assistance, he/she simply retrieves the hat from a specific place and puts it on. As you are working at your desk or walking around monitoring student work, you will instantly know which student needs you. After you give assistance, the student returns the hat to the right place. You’ll need to develop rules about not rushing to beat someone else to the hat, giving the hat to a favorite friend, etc. It might be beneficial to have more than one hat to indicate "Help Needed".

Another neat thing about having ONE HAT is that you use it too. When you have the hat on, students are instructed to wait until you take it off to get assistance. This comes in real handy when you have pressing lesson plans or other chores you want to do as the students do silent reading or other independent activities.

MANY HATS STRATEGY

Make numerous hats with such sayings on them as: It’s My Turn, I Need Help, Bathroom Pass, I Read Well Today, I Read to the Principal, etc.

Devise a distribution plan for these "reward" hats according to your own criteria. This can be motivating if you don’t run it into the ground!

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

SMILE

INTERNET users: You may copy and print this for your own use and freely distribute to others. You cannot sell this information. You cannot use this information on your own web site but feel free to provide a link here. Please include my email address & phone # on anything you copy and print for others. Thanks. BJ Madewell

(316) 733-9532