Hey y'all! Over the past couple of weeks I've had some questions from teachers about how I use Class Dojo in my classroom and utilizing my...
Read for my favorite Amazon finds for classroom management. There's something for managing groups, getting students' attention, keeping management tools organized, and more!
Learn how to play the Kaboom game in your classroom to make practicing math facts, sight words, and more a blast for your students!
Try these essential tips for how to run Math centers: Easy, simple, and effective organization ideas and resources for the K-2 classroom.
Want to change up your classroom management style? Check out my post about the Call and Response Classroom Management technique for all ages!
Classroom management is one of the most important things a teacher can master. Here are 2 kindergarten classroom management ideas that work!
I've been thinking about what I want to do for homework next school year. This year, while teaching 3rd grade, they had a reading passa...
The end of the school year is such a special time as testing winds down, and you finish teaching those last few standards. You may even find you have little pockets of time throughout your days when you and your students can work to strengthen that special classroom community bond that's been building throughout the year. One of my favorite ways to savor that last few weeks with my family-away-from-home before they head off for summer break is through design challenges and game play.
14 Brilliant Ways to Quiet a Noisy Class! Check out these behavior management strategies for classroom management!
Welcome to the second part of my classroom management series on dealing with blurters. These kids are just a special kind of friend and th...
Get helpful tips for how to manage data folders in the primary classroom. Download the free student data folders kit to get started!
I talk quite a bit about classroom management on my blog. I have to be honest here. I have tried so many different things. I have tried the clip chart, I have tried check marks, I have tried the “flip the card”. NONE of them work for me. The book Dream Class really changed my thoughts on...
These 2nd Grade I Can Checklists are written by The Curriculum Corner. Provided are free checklists, posters, tracking pages & more.
When I took this second grade position, I had many things on my to-do list. However, the first item on my list was classroom management ideas. Any teacher would agree that the most important skill in running a class is classroom management. There are so many strategies, but my go-to is Class Dojo! The Benefits
So you have survived the first computer lesson with your Kindergarten class and now you want to teach them how to login for themselves. It will depend of course, on how usernames and passwords have been set at your school as to how you approach this. At the school where I teach computers, the Kinder classes have a class username and password. For simplicity, the username and password are the same. Before the lesson, I made some color coded login cards. While in the classroom, the little learners practiced 'typing' on their login cards. We discussed the colors and order of the letters. We talked about uppercase and lowercase letters, said the sound and the letter names. We showed our partners how we could type our username and password. The little learners even searched for the letters in their own name. Who knew there was so much learning to be had with logins? When we arrived at the computer lab, the little learners were ready to try typing their username and password on a real keyboard. After I demonstrated typing the username and password (and made a few mistakes accidentally-on purpose to introduce backspace), the little learners took their login cards to their computer. I'm going to be honest here. This color coded login card is not a miracle worker. It did take three adults 30 minutes to guide the class in this process. I did learn that next time I introduce a Kinder class to computers, I will spend more time on light and quick finger touches on the keyboard! But I will say that each little learner did login that day, and a month on the login cards continue to support the little learners as they become independent loggerinerers (that's totally a word, right?). Best of all is the smile on their faces when they have done it all by themselves for the first time! Priceless! Want to make your own color coded keyboards? Click HERE or the image above to grab your copy!
Friday letters offer so many insights into your students and keep parents connected to your classroom. See how I teach students to manage them themselves.
Classroom Management: Using a WOW Board No comments Classroom Management, student recognition, WOW board Have you heard of the WOW board? This tool is not a brand new idea, but I only started using it last year. And, I intend to keep using it! Using a WOW board is a great (and super easy) way to recognize individual students and reward their choices, achievements, and efforts. It is also a great way to boost self-esteem too. What is it? The board is simply a table that is printed onto poster sized paper. The table is labeled with letters along the bottom, and numbers along the side, creating cells. It is laminated so it can be used again and again. I printed my board using the standard poster size setting on our poster maker. I know that some schools may not have a poster maker, but there is no rule that says your WOW board has to be poster sized! How do you use it? When you see a student making a smart choice, setting a good example, making gains, or whatever you feel should be recognized, they add their name to the board. They can choose any space they want and write their name in the selected space. Many WOW boards have 100 spaces, but I like for it to fill up quickly, so my board has only 25 spaces. Since I use other means of recognizing students, like reward tags, I didn't want a board with 100 spaces. Since the board is laminated, students can use an Expo Vis-a-Vis marker to add their name. This makes it easy to erase and start over when we're ready to do so. What do you do when the board is full? When the board is full of students' names, I choose 5 students to receive a "prize." Really, they get to choose a classroom reward coupon. Prize buckets and I don't get along (#clutter). The classroom rewards cost me nothing and the kids love them. You can find all sorts of classroom reward options on TPT. Then, I erase the board and we start filling it up again and the cycle repeats. How do you choose the winners? I usually just pick five random cells and write them on a sticky note, without looking to see whose names are in those cells. For example, I might write down A3, C4, B5, D2, E1. I call out the cell number and identify the name of the student written in that cell. They're a winner! You could write all your cells (i.e. A1, A2, A3, etc.) on color tiles, small slips of paper, or anything else you can fit into a small bucket. Then, when it is time to choose your winners, you just pull a tile, slip of paper, etc. out of the bucket and match it to the name in that space on your board. Using a Wow board is just another way to recognize your students and motivate them to do their best. If you'd like to give it a try, you can download my free template. If your school doesn't have a poster maker, don't dismiss the idea of using a WOW board. You could easily print this on regular paper and just use a smaller sized version. The kids will still love it! DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Share It:
Here is an effective pencil management system for any grade level PLUS a FREE Pencil System planning guide to set up your own pencil system.
Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...
This sixth grade teacher discusses Behavior Reports--part of a management system used to keep her classroom running smoothly...
Just found out you're teaching second grade! Here's a quick start guide!
Planning the first day of school is one of my favorite back to school tasks! Here's ideas for the first day of 2nd grade.
When I was teaching, I often had a tricky time getting my prep students to line up in an orderly fashion. It was even harder to get them to walk sensibly around the school. That’s when I made my mystery walker cards! All you need to do is print off enough cards for your whole […]
If you have an extra-chatty class, check out this post with tips for how to get your students to stop talking in just one week!
The best ideas for staying on top of everything.
Are you a new 2nd grade teacher? Here are the best tips for taking on grade 2 and all the fun that comes with it!
Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...
Brain breaks are a great classroom management tool to use regularly in your classroom. Brain breaks are short, 1 to 2 minute, activities that can…
Tutorial on how to effectively use Classdojo in your elementary classroom
Looking for a new and engaging classroom management system for your classroom? I love Secret Student because all of my students buy into this system...
Brag tags transform the culture of your classroom. Read on for 7 tips to get this classroom management system up and running successfully.
Want to add fun to your classroom environment? Use this advice & free Cheer Cards download (in English and Spanish) to engage and motivate your students
Stop taking away recess and using other punishments to control your students. Find success with 10 powerful classroom management strategies!
Songs for the classroom, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, teachers pay teachers, posters, transitions, hand washing, walking in the hall, lining up
Learn how to plan and manage literacy centers through differentiated instruction activities, rotations, & behavior management strategies.
Got a talkative class? Check out these 5 ways to quiet the chatter!
If you're tired of digging into your own pockets to find ways to motivate your students, you need to check out these FREE reward coupons. You can even use the editable option to add your own coupons.
