Every 3-4 weeks, I like to do an activity called "problems to opportunities " for a warm-up exercise. Each student writes down a problem or issue they are having on a sticky note when they come to class. They then stand in a line (or this year post it online) and are paired with a random classmate. They get one minute to discuss their problem with a peer and get ideas on how to solve it. After the minute, they switch and the other student shares. We do this for about four minutes so every person in class leaves with four new ideas to solve the problem that was causing them issues. This simple activity does multiple things in the classroom: 1. Relieves stress; 2. Shows that I care about my students' problems and their mental well-being; 3. Allows students to see that sometimes you have to go to others with problems for a new perspective; and 4. Gives them a chance to learn that problems only remain problems if we stop trying to solve them. - Cathleen Beachboard, Teacher #TeacherTip ...