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Sherah Cash teaches fifth-grade science and social studies at River Road Elementary in Columbus, Georgia. “My wonderful principal, Philip Bush, doesn’t put limitations on teaching styles. I’m an ‘out of the box’ kind of teacher who incorporates many current fads (popular music, YouTube, gaming, social media) into lessons to grab my students’ attention. This is what I compete with, so why not embrace it?! I love inspiring my students to reach any goal they set.” She enjoys sharing resources on her Facebook page, Cash’s Creative Classroom.
Time-Traveling Police Phone Box
Modeled on the TARDIS from the TV series Doctor Who, this prop provides a pretend state of time travel. Students love to imagine we are all heading to a particular period in history, and it allows them to connect to the content! It also houses gaming pieces so kids can create their own learning games.
I created these to align with every lesson I teach. They provide students with a quick review of the content or help them catch up if they were absent for a lesson. Each set hangs from a ring and provides key vocabulary for all the content areas in both science and social studies, helping students quickly identify important terms.
My tire seats are, by far, the most desired place to sit. Who doesn’t like to relax while learning? These are just two of the pieces that make up our classroom’s flexible seating arrangement. Students get to choose where to sit for the day, and my only rule is that it has to be a different seat than the day before. It’s an adventure—each day they have a new view.
The Time and Memories suitcases are filled with vintage items from history: a WWII gas mask, segregation signs, Jazz Age records, presidential campaign buttons. When exploring an era, we open up a suitcase and do a show-and-tell. Many kids have brought in their own family heirlooms.
Our Facebook wall displays all the key people we learn about in social studies. It allows kids to put figures of the past into a modern-day scenario, and it provides them with background knowledge. Students love to gather around and talk about who’s coming up next in our learning!
Photos: John Amis/AP Images for Scholastic
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