Q: Everyone gets bored eventually during lecture-style learning moments. And elementary school children have a much shorter attention span than most older students, so this is not an effective teaching method to employ with 4th graders. Try employing games in your classroom to boost students' energy levels and to improve their active involvement in the learning process. There are many examples of educational games that you can find on the internet. Find some that you think your students will be interested in and adapt them to your particular topic/subject if necessary. As you use the games in class, you'll figure out what works and what doesn't. Then you can adjust the activities for the next time so that they are better suited for your specific teaching style and subject matter. Here are some helpful websites that have in-class games appropriate for 4th grade students: www.learninggamesforkids.com www.funbrain.com www.abcya.com www.knowledgeadventure.com www.education.com www.vocabulary.co.il www.jumpstart.com Unfortunately, many 4th grade students have yet to discover the joy of learning for learning's sake. Try implementing a system of rewards that will motivate your students to stay on task and to complete projects satisfactorily. Note: Try to provide incentives for input activities (things that students put time into like reading and homework) rather than on output results (like grades and scores). This will be more effective because students can control how much time they spend on activities, but they may struggle more with achieving certain grade levels. So if you assign incentives based on something students feel is largely out of their control, like what grade they get on a project or assignment, they may become flustered with the incentive program and give up trying to achieve the incentives altogether. Most 4th grade students learn best by having hands on experience within the learning process. Ask your students to bring in an object they have in their house that relates to the topic you are currently studying. This will make them think about the subject matter and apply it to their own life in order to find a suitable item to bring to class. For example, if you're discussing Native American history, try to find an authentic arrowhead and show it to your class. Then ask your students to bring something from their own house that is related to Native American history in some way. They could bring a leather vest, a beaded purse, a toy horse, a picture of a hunting bow, or any other object related to the topic.
A: Use games as a means of learning. Use rewards as incentives. Do a show and tell activity with your students.

Q: Most home improvement centers have concrete grinders you can rent out for a project so you don't have to buy one outright. If you're not sure whether a store near you rents them, call ahead and ask before you go in. When using a concrete grinder, it's important that the floor is completely free of any obstacles or debris. Remove all of the appliances and furniture in your basement. Then, go over the floor with a vacuum to pick up any dirt or dust. When you're grinding concrete, small particles of concrete can be thrown into the air. These particles can be dangerous if they get in your eyes or lungs. It's important that you wear safety goggles and a respirator at all times when you're using a concrete grinder. You can find safety goggles and a respirator online or at your local home improvement center. You can either dry grind or wet grind your floor. Wet grinding is preferable because the water on the floor soaks up the concrete dust and leaves less of a mess to clean up later on. You don't have to wet grind your basement floor, just keep in mind that you'll have a bigger mess to clean up if you don't. Read the manual that came with your concrete grinder to make sure it's compatible with wet grinding. If you decide to wet grind, spray your basement floor with enough water that there's a visible puddle across the entire floor. Make sure all of the proper attachments are in place so it works effectively. You should also read through the user's manual that came with the grinder before you turn it on. When you reach one side of the floor, move the grinder over next to the row you just made and then slowly push it back to the other side to make a new row. Continue doing this until you've gone over the entire surface of the floor. When you encounter a raised spot on the floor, hold the grinder over it for a few seconds so it grinds it down. Make sure you're pushing the grinder in a straight line. Once you've gone over the floor once with the concrete grinder, it's important that you go over it a second time in the opposite direction so that the floor is even. Do the same thing you did the first time you went over the floor, only this time push the grinder perpendicular to the rows you just made. If you wet ground the floor, you'll need to let it completely dry before you clean it. Otherwise, you can start vacuuming up the dust right away. Once your floor is clean, you can move any furniture and appliances you took out back into the room.
A:
Rent a concrete grinder from your local home improvement center. Clear off your basement floor. Put on safety goggles and a respirator before you start. Spray your basement floor with a hose if you want to wet grind the concrete. Plug in your concrete grinder and turn it on. Push the grinder back and forth from one side of the floor to the other. Repeat going in the opposite direction to create a crosshatch pattern. Let your basement floor dry if necessary and then vacuum up any dust.