The Tooth Cheer

My cooperating teacher at Hilcrest Elementary School, Mrs. Williams, uses “The Tooth Cheer” every time one of her students loses a tooth. Before the class does the cheer, she gathers the class on the rug. The student who lost the tooth goes to the front of the classroom and explains to the class how they lost their tooth. The student decides what the class is going to say in the cheer. Their tooth can twirl, twist, hop, or boogie. Depending on what the student decides, the class will do that motion when they are cheering. For example, if the student, Lisa, lost her fifth tooth and chose that her tooth “twisted” then the class would stand up and say:

“Lisa lost a tooth! Let’s all give a shout! (The class shouts ‘Hooray’!) It wiggled and it jiggled. It twisted all about. (The class twists around). And when that tooth was ready it jumped right out. (The class jumps in place). Lisa has lost five teeth!” (The class claps for Lisa.)

Because I believe that students' self-confidence greatly effects overall student development and achievement, I will use “The Tooth Cheer” in my class when a student looses a tooth.

This tooth cheer is effective because it establishes a procedure for losing a tooth that encourages social and emotional development. Each student in Mrs. Williams class knows that when they lose a tooth, they have an opportunity to stand in front of the whole class and tell their story. The other students know that they can ask questions about the tooth and that they will cheer for the student. When I first observed this cheer the first week I was in this classroom, I just thought it was a cute activity. But after being in a first grade class for a while, I realized that seven-year-olds lose teeth often and it is a BIG deal to them. Something that occurs so frequently must have a procedure and I want to use this cheer because it supports social interaction, increases self-esteem, and gives all students a chance to praise each other for their accomplishments.