Throughout every school year at Hogwarts School, Harry Potter and his schoolmates worked on a point system on their house teams. The 4 teams in the Harry Potter novels were Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

The students were sorted into their teams on the first day of school when they arrived at Hogwarts for their very first year. You may wish to sort your students for the entire year, semester, month or week depending on what you will think work best for your group. Teachers wishing to purchase a real Hogwarts Sorting Hat can find one online in the Harry Potter Shop. along with many other terrific Harry Potter items which can complement your teaching strategies.

Each student can gain or lose points for their team based on their attendance, punctuality, classroom participation, working cooperatively with other classmates, following instructions or completing tasks on time. As well, points may be gained or lost for their team based on academic achievement, sports intramural activities to promote good health and physical fitness, classroom monitoring jobs etc. There are many various ways that allow each team to compete with each other.

Students need to be able to learn how to work effectively as a team, with others as well as individually. The peer pressure from their team members will help motivate positive responses from a student often more effectively than the teacher can motivate alone.

At the end of the competition, there should be a reward that the teacher will chose depending on what is most appropriate for his/her group of students. Work a little magic into your classroom activities this year. Challenge your students effectively.

Valerie Giles owns and operates Cyber-Prof: Teacher Resource Site an educational web site that specializes in resources for school and teacher supplies . Free stuff for teachers, teaching strategies, K-8, educational toys and games, back to school, classroom technology and home school curriculum. http://www.cyber-prof.com The accompanying article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.

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