Tips of the Trade

Lately I have learned quite a few tricks that have, for lack of a better phrase, blown my mind. Small things that make a big difference—tricks that make life easier. For example, did you know that if you bathe a small child in a laundry basket, their toys won’t float away? Or that adding a box fan to one wall of a homemade fort keeps it from collapsing? Or that Solo plastic plates work as individual dry erase boards? Or my favorite . . . Using dry erase markers, students can just write directly on a table or desk!

Although these small “hacks” aren’t necessary, they help make certain tasks easier and are worth passing on to others. Often, we use small tricks in our classroom that we don’t think are anything special. We unconsciously assume others already know about them or that they wouldn’t be interested. However, teaching is a collaborative profession, and we should share these ideas with others. Together, we can make our lives easier and accomplish more.

I witness the power of this firsthand during each online seminar and live workshop. Teachers share great ideas, from lessons to books to brain breaks to classroom design tips. It is inspiring to contribute in this collaboration and is one of my favorite benefits of participating.

This week I would like to challenge you to share one of your tips or ideas with our Daily CAFE community. Do you have a certain lesson that engages your students? A book you find inspiring? A brain break that motivates kids? A design “hack” that might help others? Join us on the Discussion Board to share and learn with our community. Remember, if it works for you, it will likely work for someone else!