"If It Was Raining Meatballs..."

I know DESMOS was made  for Math , but I have been using it for my Morning Meeting activities. I try to switch up the things that I post for them to do.

I found this list of "50 Icebreaker Questions for Kids" during my frantic search for ways to break the ice in September. 

The question that  most recently caught my eye was, "If it was raining meatballs, would you eat them?" 

Their responses made me laugh!

I needed to laugh. I needed to have that moment where the computer was my friend, and not my foe. Just that moment in time, where the stress melted away, and I sat at my desk, flanked by three computers and a monitor, and laughed at my kids' responses.

"No, because no one knows where it came from. And I don't really like meatballs."

"No, because you don't know where those meatballs been."

"I would not eat those meatballs because I don't know where they came from. Somebody could have put something in them."

"Yeah, I would get a plate and eat."

"I would not eat them because they are all on the floor. Plus the Coronavirus and all that is going on..."

"No, who knows where they have been. They might be rotten, taste horrible, be raw, who knows?"

"Yes, I would eat them, but straight out the sky, not off the ground."

"Depends on if they're cooked properly and if they're not vegan. If they taste good, and it's real meat, I don't see why not. I get it if you don't know where they came from...but it's free meatballs.' (My favorite!)

I need more moments like this. WE need more moments like this. 

If it was raining meatballs, would you eat them? :)

The "WAITING ROOM"

 I open my Zoom "door" at 8:40 a.m. every morning. Alexa helps me stay on track. My planning period is at 8 a.m., and sometimes, as you know, we get wrapped up in what we are doing and lose track of time.

Any way, one day as I was immersed  in the Bitmoji  FB group, and I came across a digital "Waiting Room."("Sharing is caring!"). 

 I was like, this is so cool, I want this for my students. I did what I so often do, I copied it and modified it a little. It had the rules, like "Mute Yourself" , a cool electronic timer, a Bitmoji character, and these really cool colors.

Well, a few days later a colleague of mine shared another digital "Waiting Room". No rules. Just a welcoming place to start the morning. And I was like, this is so cool, I want THIS for my students. And of course I copied it and modified it, but I kept the welcoming spirit of it, no rules like, "Mute Yourself."

So now, I have a very cool "Waiting Room". It has the very cool electronic timer, our Quote of the Week, our tools for the day, and of course, my Bitmoji character. (Don't tell anyone, but I change her clothes every week).😉I add messages when necessary.

My 5th graders hang out in there for 5 minutes before class starts. I am muted and my video is off, and that's their time. I sit in front of the screen, with my headset on, chilling, listening. And yes, they know I am there.

Sometimes they talk to each other, most times they don't. Except for my one darling who gets on, bright and cheerful every morning, and gives everyone a rundown of whatever he chooses. Every morning. It makes my day, his innocence.

Update: They talked to him today! Persistance is everything!:)

This was an easy way to make their mornings a little easier in this virtual environment. 💖