Ms. Henry
Fantastic First Five
Give up valuable instructional time? We already don't have enough time to teach. After Joe Beckman's keynote a few years ago at KPEC, Tara Henry was leery, but intrigued by his emphasis on how the first few minutes of class are the most important. Joe insisted that the first five minutes need to be dedicated to engaging and connecting with kids. A few years ago, Ms. Henry put the Fantastic First Five into her 5-8 classroom routine. She found that the next 37 minutes of instruction was more productive and more meaningful and absolutely worth the time. Here's her routine and some tips for success.
Ms. Henry's Fantastic First Five Structure
IMG_7904.MOVMaybe Monday - At the beginning of the year, Ms. Henry reads the book Maybe to her class. The theme of the book is about how each person has a unique purpose in life. This leads into the Compliments Project, a year-long project that involves students writing meaningful compliments about a person in the "hot" seat. She says, "the project is very powerful and it's a super positive way to start the week." It's one of her favorites and often evokes happy tears.
Tunes Tuesday - anything music to get kids going. Her go-to's are Joe Beckman's Hub and YouTube. Kids might use pool noodles to jam along, Body Percussion, clapping, or other hand games to get moving.
Wellness Wednesday - On Wednesdays students might go for a walk, practice mindfulness, deep breathing, or mindful eating ("yes, it's a thing," Ms. Henry says).
Tummy Tickling Thursday - Share something funny. Ms. Henry looks for funny videos like AFV or Try Not to Laughs. She's also always on the hunt for joke books at garage sales or book sales.
Fun Friday - On this day the class does some quick fun activity like cup stacking, Heads Up 7 Up, a quick outside recess, Tensies, Bingo, Boggle, Would You Rather, and more. She enjoys the team building, laughter, and fun to end the week.
Key Components for Success
Find great resources from Joe Beckman's Connection Hub, YouTube, Google, books, and garage sales.
Set up a structure or routine. Ms. Henry learned that her students (5-8) thrived off of structure so she set a theme for each day, but within this structure the activities are flexible.
Once you set up a structure and routine, get kids involved. Ms. Henry often has students sending links for music or sharing ideas for Fun Fridays.
Ms. Henry says that incorporating this routine of the Fantastic First Five has helped "build a classroom culture of acceptance, trust, humor, and family." At some point, everyone's interests and strengths are shared. The Fantastic First Five has helped Ms. Henry maximize instructional time and she wouldn't go back.
Stop by or contact her for more information. She would be happy to let you visit or chat.