November/December 2007

S.M.A.R.T. Ideas

At Short Mount Elementary in Cannon County, Tennessee, the 7th and 8th graders set up and take down the equipment in the gym for the S.M.A.R.T. classes to use. They also roll in the overhead ladder that can be locked in place. SMART students AND SMART equipment!

At Zumbrota-Mazeppa Elementary School in Zumbrota, MN, six classrooms of kindergarteners and first graders ALL get their S.M.A.R.T. floor time within the first hour of the day! Two classes at a time share the gym for 20 minutes, each using half of the gym for their own station rotation. Pretty SMART use of space and time!

In the second year at LeCenter Elementary School the S.M.A.R.T. teachers and principal figured out a way for the entire S.M.A.R.T. team to have a team meeting the last Friday of each month. By using other staff members to supervise and dismiss classes for about 20 minutes at the end of the day, S.M.A.R.T. teachers meet partly during student time and use part of their after school planning time. They LOVE it because they are able to discuss activities, share ideas, make new materials to keep the activities fresh, and brainstorm to solve problems or keep children challenged and having fun! A very SMART idea!