** Not your ordinary endless list – just what’s number 1. Just the BEST.

A spray bottle

Yes, that’s right! It works like a charm in any “hot” educational environment. Indoors or outdoors. Perfect for summer.

How does it work? Well, I discovered this while teaching grade 4 in a tin roofed “shack” (portable) during the hottest summer on record in downtown Toronto (2005 – look it up!) It was so hot and we had no air conditioning and a crummy fan. I brought a thermometer to class and it regularly passed 100 F / 37 C. I showed it to the VP several times and she just said to “tough it out”. Our classroom was an oven!

The students wouldn’t do a thing! So I came up with the idea of a spray bottle. They worked and if working, got a spray from me. Boy, did they do their exercises! Classroom management was a breeze – only the cooperative students got “refreshed”.  Others were kept busy running into the school to refill the bottles. It was the perfect motivational tool. Needless to say, I was also the most popular teacher during recess duty!

Try it if things are heating up in your classroom this summer!