Great Books for TOCs

As a TOC, I love to carry around a book or two for those moments when you just have a few minutes to fill, and don't want to play a game.  Since I usually work in the primary classes, most often there are lots of books already in the classroom.  I like to bring my own books though because then the students are more likely not to have read them.  Plus, then I also have a book to read when working with the older kids since there aren't usually as many books available to read aloud in these classes.  Don't forget, older kids love being read to too!

Here are a few of my favourite books to bring along as a TOC.

Right now, all my favourites are written by Chris Van Allsburg.  He's fantastic!  He writes and illustrates his books and both the pictures and stories are very creative and engaging.  Every time I read his books the students just love it.  Plus, despite the wonderful stories and pictures, teachers don't seem to read his books much in class so the students are even more interested since they've never heard the books before.

The only drawback is that his books are quite lengthy and take a long time to read.  Typically, I like to read these books when I know I'm going to be in a class for a couple days so we can read part of it one day and finish it the next day.  Or if I knew I had a bit of time in the morning and a bit of time in the afternoon I would also read these books to them.

I like many of the Chris Van Allsburg books.  The Sweetest Fig, Jamanji and Zathura are ones I can carry around all year.  I also like The Widow's Broom around Halloween time.  It's not strictly about Halloween, but it does have a spooky theme.

Another great Chris Van Allsburg book is The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  There are two versions of this book.  The original is a book filled with pictures, each with a caption that sparks the imagination.  This is a great book to start some creative writing and can be used as a handy time filler when working as a TOC for times when the teacher hasn't left a lesson plan.  The second version has short stories based on each of the pictures written by other famous children's authors.  It could be used in combination with the first to show how the students came up with quite different stories from the authors, or on its own as a short story book.

This picture is from wikipedia.

What are some books you use as a TOC?

Sub Binder

A Sub binder is a binder which contains all the important information a substitute teacher may need when coming into your class, including the lesson plans for that day and emergency plans for when you weren't able to come up with a plan.

I first found the idea for a substitute binder on Pinterest last summer when I was looking for some good ideas for TOCs to carry around.  But as I followed the link I quickly found out that this sub binder isn't for TOCs, but for classroom teachers to leave for TOCs.  Amanda, from One Extra Degree, has created this awesome binder where teachers can organize all the important information TOCs usually need.  I thought this was a great idea and I kept the pin to use later when I had my own classroom.

I was so excited when I came across a teacher with a sub binder in September!  It was so nice walking into the room and seeing this binder on the teacher's desk.  The information was all organized and easy to find and since it was all laid out so nicely it was a breeze to read over before the students came in.  Not only does it save you from having to repeat routines each day if you have a TOC for several days, it also saves you time when creating your lesson plans on those days when you're feeling sick and just want to get back to sleep.

As a TOC, I have to say this is an incredible tool.  It's much easier to come in and find a class list, schedule, emergency information, important school contact information, and a list of helpful students all in one place.  There is also a section to include activities for time fillers, which I have to say, have come in handy in the past when music or gym has suddenly been cancelled.

Amanda even has an editable version on her TpT store so it's so easy to create one for yourself.  I would say that this is a must have for every classroom.

She also has an outline for a 'sub tub' where you can leave emergency plans for each day of  the week, for those days when you just can't force yourself to write a plan.  At least something will be available for the TOC.

For more information about the Sub Binder and Sub Tub click the link.

Elementary Art Fun

Salvador Dali Elephant Art

Materials:

- watercolour paper

- washable markers

- paint brushes

- pastels

- pencils

- water in cups

This was a very fun and engaging art activity for the students. They would first draw the elephants and then use a washable marker to outline it. After outlining, the students would use a paint brush dipped in water to smear the colour of the marker into the elephant. After that, the students would add a pastel background which was also brushed with water.

Thumbs up to smART class for providing us with this cool art project.

Here's their website for more information:

http://elementaryartfun.blogspot.ca/

We Are Silent

While teaching today the students were participating in the We Are Silent campaign. To participate, students took a vow of silence to acknowledge the denial of basic human rights to children all over the world. Students also helped collect pledges that would help support communities affected by poverty. Here's the website for more information.

http://www.freethechildren.com/get-involved/campaigns/we-are-silent/

Teaching was quite a quiet experience. At first it was a bit difficult, but after a while, we got comfortable communicating to each other by using our whiteboards. I was impressed as the students were very motivated to not speak during the day. I'm sure it took a lot of will power to stay silent. It was a good experience and the students were able to demonstrate an awareness for the violation of children's rights.