Title of Bulletin Board: What are we doing today?

Category: Class Management

Suggested Grade Level: k-5

Materials: paper, construction paper, plastic tape, dry erase markers

Description:

As each class would come into the gym for P.E., many children would ask, "What are we doing today?" If I started answering that question each time it was asked, we would never get to DO the lesson! So, I started writing what we are doing on the whiteboard and directing the children to look there. After that, they would come into the gym and immediately look at the board. They would often excitedly talk among themselves about the activity or wonder and guess about the new activity. After seeing that this was helpful, I made the board a bit more organized.

I used plastic (gym floor) tape to section off the whiteboard and made grade level signs. Each week I write the warm up and/or exercise activities, skills, and games. This has helped the children feel more comfortable about what we were doing as well as create excitement when they read something new. It has also helped our class time begin more smoothly as I am able to greet children and move right to the warm-up because the children are already focused on what we are doing. I realize the younger children are all not able to read the board and I use pictures when appropriate. This is just a sample week.