Flashback Friday

I'm Linking up with Teaching Maddeness for Friday Flashback Linky party.

One of my Favorite Transitions is Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle. 15 years ago I went to a Conference at Hofstra University in New York. One of the break out sessions was on the brain.  I learned this little poem, and have used it as a way to transition from 1 subject to the next ever since.  The cross-lateral motion is supposed to help the brain get ready for a new topic.  It also helps the kids to stretch and is fun at the same time. 

You start by putting your thumbs inside your fist and hold your hands out to the side.  One hand is Mr. Wiggle, the other Mr. Waggle.

Here is what you say and do:

Say "Mr. Wiggle opened the door POP!" (open up four fingers on your right hand)

    "Came out of his house POP!" (stick your thumb Up)

   " and shut the door POP!" (close your fingers back to a fist so your thumb is pointing up)

"Mr. Wiggle wanted to go see Mr. Waggle, so he went down the hill and up the hill, and down the hill and up the hill, and down the hill and up the hill (move your hand up and down across your body to the opposite hand)

"He knocked on the door POP, POP, POP--No answer" (Knock on opposite hand)

"He knocked again POP, POP, POP--still no answer" (repeat knocking gesture)

"So he went back home, and he went, down the hill and up the hill, and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill" (up and down motion across your body, back to original side)

" He opened his door POP" (open fingers up)
 "Went in his house POP" (tuck your thumb back in)
"and shut the door POP" (close your fingers)

Repeat all of the above with your left hand, but replace Mr. Wiggle with Mr. Waggle. Sometimes I like to say Mr. Wiggle is going to school and Mr. Waggle slept late. When Mr. Waggle finally wakes up he has missed school.

(Then take both arms over your head and down across and in front of your body and say)

"The sun went down"

(Take both arms from the bottom and cross them in front of you and up)

"and the sun came up"

 "and Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle both woke up really early for school and they.....

Opened their doors POP, (repeat above hand motions)

Came out of their house POP,

and shut the door POP!

and they both went down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill."

(Have Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle pretend to have a little conversation about school in the middle)

"Then it was time to go home so the both went, down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill.

They opened their doors POP!

Went in their house POP!

and Shut the door POP!"
 

Now your kids are ready to go!  Here are two videos I found of it. This is not exactly how I do it, but it's pretty close. 

I mentioned in a previous post that we finally finished up our School Leader and Workers books. My son did it in his first grade class as well. He did such a great job, I am so proud of his writing. Here is how we did it.

We use circle maps to brainstorm before writing.

I broke the circle into 3 parts, to go with our verbs for sentence writing.  The Principal is.... The Principal has... The Principal can.....

One of my girls said you should put Teacher's rock in the middle!!  Teachers are.... Teachers have......Teachers can....

Circle map, tree map, sentences.

close up

We wrote about School Leaders, The Principal, Teachers, The Custodian and The Nurse. Additional pages for The Dean, The Guidance Counselor and Blanks are also available.  

We also have been using our Mystery Words and Word of the day bracelets, behavior clip chart and adding to our Word wall!   The Mystery word is a big hit! Today I put it out for morning work, and they were getting so excited to try and guess what it is.You can Check it all out here.

I hope you all had a great week and an even better weekend!