Shaggies!

Do you have any kids that can't sit still? That fidget constantly? That crawl under their desk to do their work? (Or is that one just in my room?) Don't lie. You know you have them. Students like this can be extremely frustrating, but they are also what make our jobs as teachers worth it. Anywho, yesterday while perusing Wal-Mart on the tax-free weekend, I found these little gems.

I know, they look...well, shaggy. And they are. But, I really think these will help my fidgeters (is that a word?) this year. How? Well, when a student moves, pats, hums, etc., they are getting some type of automatic reinforcement. Those movements, however appealing to the student, can be distracting for the rest of the class. I'm hoping that these pencil grips provide some less obvious type of reinforcement, and I'm also hoping they don't go sailing across the room :)

Of course, these will go with explicit instructions that they stay on MY pencils, and these pencils are to be returned at the end of class. I think I'm going to have to end up buying more so that no one gets jealous or feels different. Are there things you use to keep your students focused during the day?

Check out the pic below to see a Shaggie in action!

Enjoy these last few days of summer y'all! They're going by all to fast!