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nawlinsgurl · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject: Really bad second graders

I mentioned this before and got some ideas, which I have used almost everyday now since then, but I'm back again...Help needed!

I have a 25 min. class everyday of second graders..we call it "shogakobu". I'm teaching them English from flash cards that my boss decided. I can change things up a bit and I usually do with a ten min.game and some fun activity like a team puzzle or something.

I must show the flashcards in the traditional Japanese repeating mode (think: I say "pig", they repeat "pig", "dog", "dog", etc) and I must do a pre-printed alphabet print. The two together can be done in 5 mins. After that kids go crazy. They have a short attention span and often argue, fight, trade pencils, check Nintendo DS, and scream about chinkos and oppais.

I usually do a bingo game, winners get stickers as prizes and sometimes candy, but it comes out of my pocket so it gets a bit pricey. I need major game/idea advice and also ways to motivate kids to sit down and pay attention.

I do the 5 stars thingy on the board for first grade and erase a star everytime they go crazy/noisy. Then no stars on the board means no game. They chill out majorly when they've got one star left. But when it comes to second grade and third grade, they could care less about the stars, playing a game (unless they get a prize) and paying attention.

I love the kids to death, but I'm really getting sick of teaching them.... Confused

chollimaspeed · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Posts: 120

How many students do you have?

If you don't have too many you could play the rivercrossing game in which all the flashcards are laid out on the floor and the students are lined up in two teams at opposite ends and have to walk across each card naming each flshcard as they go. When they get to the middle they have to play rock, scissors paper. The winner stays where they are and the loser goes to the back of their team line and lets the next student go. This is repeated until one team gets across to the other side. Then they are given a point and the process is repeated. A lot of kids like this game, in my experience.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

There is another activity that races flashcards.

Divide your class into two teams. Divide your flashcaards into two piles, face down.

One contestant from each team comes to the front and stands on either side of the chalkboard. The teacher calls START! and the students race to place their cards on the chalkboard ledge while saying each flashcard word. Whoever gets to the middle first wins.

Shuffle the cards and play again with each pair.

If the team members are too unfocussed to cheer or goof off, a good variation is calling up two students to the front to show the two sets of flashcards to their groups, and the groups say the words. The team that finishes first wins.

Or, you could do it as a relay. Put the two piles of flashcards at the back of the room, arrange students in two seated lines. One student from each line runs to the back, looks at a card, says it to the first child in line who says it to the next, etc. until the last student in line tells you. Rotate students in the lines. The first line to finish the pile wins. Shuffle after each round and play again.

There must be as many variations on this kind of 'sneaky drill' as there are teachers!

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

When I taught at elementary schools, I had some classes with over 40 students. They all loved to play 'Simon Says'. We usually did it at the beginning and the end of class. If another game or activity wasn't going well, I'd say, "OK, Simon Says! Let's go!" and they'd fall into place. After a quick game, I'd tell them that we couldn't do 'Simon Says' at the end of class if they misbehaved any further. For a 40-min, once-a-week class this usually worked. Plus, you can sneak in some new words or phrases each game. I had students who knew 'right' and 'left' even though they were shaky on 'migi' and 'hidari'. Of course, your results may vary.

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:43 pm Post subject:

Thanks a ton. I was dreading going in to work tomorrow to face them. Its about 20 kids in each class, give or take a few. (Depends on the day) But I will try these games for sure!

MrChips · Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 9

Do you have chips or anything the size of buttons in large quantity in your classroom? I play a game where after they identify the picture card (or say key sentence, etc.) I hold out my fist full of chips and they get one chance to slap as many chips out of my hand as they can. If your hand starts getting sore, switch to a guessing game where you divide 3 (or how many you want) chips between your two hands behind you back and they have to guess which hand has 2 chips. Afterwards you can have them count out how many chips they have.

Most kids love this game. You can do things to make it more interesting by tightening your grip and acting surprised when the kid can't knock any chips out. Wink

edit: Sorry, just noticed your message about 20 students in each class. They probably won't have the attention span for this game. Embarassed

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

How about some kind of dance/singing CD or tape? Might require a small investment on your part and of course you would need a player, but you could probably find something at a shop. We have loads of them, if you want more info let me know.
Good luck!
Enjoy,
s

ddeubel · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 39

I have lots of karaoke, just download the player and you are set. Lots of kids karaoke produced and made by teachers. www.ddd.batcave.net

I use a yellow card/red card system. Get a time out area too , red card means however many minutes outside the group. This works quite well with Asian children, pulling them out of the group. ...kids really understand and respond to the yellow card/red card.

DD

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

I agree about the yellow/red card, very effective. I always have one on me and I teach high school.
Enjoy,
s

craven · Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Posts: 130

investing in a cool stamp can really cut down on sticker costs in the long run! I used to use a series of 3, where one was for raising their hand, one was for getting a correct answer, and one was for "the best student of the day". I then had some bigger prizes (pencils, comics) for students who could collect 5 "best student" stamps. This last category really cut down on the amount of horseplay in class, particularly when word got out that the prizes included foreign comics! Best of luck...kids that age can be sweet as pie...or bitter as goya!!

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Wandering the 'Net in search of Snakes and Ladders game blank sheets (I'm a crappy artist and rely on the photocopier for images), I happened to find a site for special needs kids that has an interesting strategy for vocabulary practice.

See http://www.geocities.com/SEN_resources/resources.html

specifically the first few phonic track games. The strategy is simple. If the student lands on a word, s/he says the word and then looks for the corresponding image and moves his/her marker to that square. The play could go back and forth for ever, and is in essence an kind of sneaky drill disguised as a game.

With 20 kids, you could make four or five seated groups. This may make classroom management easier or harder, depending on the kids' behaviour. It's also student-centered. You can circulate and relax.

I had 3rd graders play bingo in groups of four or five in a class of 20, so I know it's possible. With your kids? Hm. Good luck!