How to Simplify a Classroom Transformation
As we round the corner to the last quarter of the school year, two things become top of mind:
Test prep
Finding ways to engage these kids through all of their spring fever
It has become more and more popular to do classroom transformations as a way to have some fun with students, as well as review a ton of skills at once. And that is all well and good for some teachers. But what about the teachers with small children at home, or other personal obligations? What about the teachers who already feel completely overworked and run-down by their jobs? A full classroom transformation is daunting, and anyone who has done one will tell you that it’s expensive and a TON of work.
So, today I want to wave my simplifying wand and share with you some great ways to SIMPLIFY a transformation.
Build Anticipation
The first thing to do to completely engage your students in a themed transformation day is to build anticipation. Let’s talk about two simple ways to do it.
No Prep Option: Gather your students together the night before your fun day. Give three hints about your transformation. Write them on the board. Let students call out guesses, but don’t reveal the correct answer. Send them home wondering!
Low-Prep Option: Print invitations to your special day, and send them home the night before! For my basketball-themed transformation, I used these!
Decorate
The decorations can be the most daunting part of the transformation process. But I have a secret for you: Your students will have fun, no matter how much you decorate…as long as you buy in first! For my basketball transformation day, here are some easy ways to decorate.
No Prep Option: Stream a March Madness game on your smart board during morning work. Play some NBA-themed music during classwork time. Draw a giant scoreboard on your white board and keep score for different teams throughout the day. Let students decorate pieces of basketball decor for morning work and hang it up as they finish.
Low-Prep Option: Print some basketballs to decorate your room with. Let students decorate team banners when they win games. Project a digital slide to type team names in when students are drafted. Create some paper banners to hang around your room.
Dig into Some Learning
The heart of a transformation…as fun as it is, is to learn! There’s no need to recreate fancy materials
No Prep Option: Get a practice test from your curriculum or state assessment website, and project the questions on a document cam. During the games that you play, students will answer those questions.
Low-Prep Option: Type your questions into slides to project so there is no printing or cutting. Buy themed reading passages that students can practice test-taking strategies with, but you don’t have to right. Rely on the work that others have done to get you through!
Grab Your Own Transformation Kit
Check me out on YouTube!
Do you prefer to watch instead of read? Check out the video I made all about transformations made simpler!