I was chatting with a friend who is also a teacher the other day about how to acknowledge student birthdays. We were talking about how it is nice to recognize a student on his/her special day, but that we do not want this to take away from class time. I think it is disruptive when students bring in cookies, candy, ice cream, or cake (with no plates or utensils as my friend experiences) without asking for permission from us. Most of us do (and all of us should) carefully plan what we are going to do each day in our classroom. Distributing sugary sweets at the last minute does not always fit into this plan.
Anyhow, enter the real information for this post: Oriental Trading. (I remember getting these catalogues at home when I was a kid and relishing their cheap plastic-ness.) They currently have free shipping on any order when you use code WCE3503 at check out. You just need to place your order by August 7th.
I plan to purchase some birthday pencils. A few years ago I would print out a "Happy Birthday {so and so}" signs on fun, brightly colored paper for each student on his/her birthday. (Actually, I would print out monthly batches and leave them in a folder in chronological order.) Each student would be sought out the morning of his/her birthday and presented with the sign and a birthday pencil. I definitely remember students using their birthday pencils and some of them displayed their signs in the front of their binders or in their lockers. (For weekend birthdays, they received them on Friday. For summer birthdays, they received them the last week of school.) Maybe this year my whole team of teachers (there are 4 subject teachers and one Special Ed teacher) can be present to acknowledge that student in the hallway in the morning. Sweet and simple.
O.T. Goodies:
Birthday Pencils
Awards and other "incentives"
High Five pencils are cute!
On-sale items
How do you acknowledge student birthdays?
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