** Not your ordinary endless list - just what's number 1. Just the BEST.


Mickey Mouse built a house!

Anyone who has been in my class or maybe even attended a workshop, knows I use this standard to randomly choose a student. It is simple and effective and helps eliminate the feeling that the student was "picked on" by the teacher. Of course - in your class when choosing students, you should always have the rule that a student can "pass". This is important and actually leads to MORE student participation, not less.

So what do I mean? What do you do?

Count out students or groups much like Einie Meanie Minie Moe but using the following chant:

Mickey Mouse built a house
How many bricks did he use?

Each word is for one students.
Where you stop, ask that students to randomly say a number to answer the question.
If the student says "10", count 10 and that student is chosen! If the student says "10 trillion" , count by trillions.

This method makes it seem like students are choosing each other, however a smart teacher can alter the number count or direction and pick students they want (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more....).

It is a great way to choose a student in a communicative and seemingly fair fashion.

If choosing another student after this - you might try giving the student chosen the right to choose who they want. I call it "choosing a victim". Their reward for going first.

PS. You could use some of the spinners in our Teacher's Toolbox but this old fashioned method works fine!