Which Back to School Activities Elementary can I use for Building Community in my Classroom? Which All About Me Activities are most engaging for my students?
How to create an end-of-day routine that leaves your room spotless, every time!
I found several pins with a variety of questions to pose for my class on the 1st day of school. I chose six that I felt were appropriate for my group of kids and LOVED it! There was a lot of information to gather from my students apart from their answers - I looked at spelling, engagement, and how they followed directions. Very informative. I went over each poster (in Spanish as well -- one of my students doesn't speak English! -- thank goodness for iTranslate!) and passed out dots and sticky notes to everyone. The were able to address each poster on their own and I wandered around to help individuals. Great activity!
Back to School Tips including seating arrangements, teacher must haves, and what I wish I knew from the begining of my teaching career.
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...
Real-life third grade classrooms!
It’s no secret that I am a MAJOR fan of class jobs – I mean…many hands make light work, right? Aside from having 20 or so helpers around the classroom, there’s a whole bunch of other reasons I think class jobs are super important: Helps build a sense of community…this is OUR classroom Gives students ... Read more
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:
Check out some easy DIY classroom mailbox ideas for your students and for you too including ideas that you would not have thought of!
Fun and engaging ideas to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year. Build a strong classroom community with these free resources.
Massive list of classroom jobs for elementary students in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade - such great ideas for classroom jobs!
These three icebreakers for teens will make the first class, youth group, or club fun for everyone, even the introverts.
There is something about the structure and routine of Michaela's Especially Education task boxes students are drawn to. They take immense pride in showing off their finished work, keeping all the materials together, and putting the tasks away into their rightful places.
Friday letters are a great way to connect with students in your classroom and build a solid classroom community. Get tips to implement today!
3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.
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Who's ready for a smoother year? ? Stock your classroom for success with these 11 essential supplies, resources, and strategies.
My favorite part about getting ready for back to school is getting all of the bulletin boards set up around my classroom. Here are some of my favorite ideas.
Here’s a few classroom procedures that have worked well for me – and a couple awesome ideas I’ve run across since I’ve stepped out of the classroom...
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.
The best classroom management ideas for online learning, your daily routine, helping kids manage emotions and setting classroom expectations. Plus, fun new ideas for rewards!
Five steps for fostering a calm classroom morning routine in upper elementary that will translate into better classroom management.
The first week of school generally consists of getting to know one another, in addition to discussion and practice of classroom procedures and routines. We also got our creative juices flowing by creating summer reflection writing pieces, squiggle stories, and "All About Me" mini-posters. Students are getting to know one another and me, and we are learning to work together to build a successful and positive classroom environment. On Wednesday, I wrote out six questions, all having to do with how to make our classroom and ourselves function to the highest level, on six pieces of chart paper. Students, in groups of three, spent two minutes at each chart, collaborating and responding to each question on a sticky note. After all groups visited each chart paper station, I hung all of the charts up and we discussed each answer and noticed some very interesting trends. Here's the finished product, which you can click on to enlarge: Inspired by Life in 4B To tie into the previous activity, I was inspired by my wonderful teammates, Mrs. Fadden and Ms. Mattox, to develop at class pledge with my students. We reviewed our responses to the above questions, and then we put all of the ideas together to form a cohesive paragraph that we have all agreed will help us to remember why we are here at school and what our common goal is. Below is the rough draft of our class pledge (which I will type up, make pretty, and have all of my students sign): Since we were able to develop a class goal (to achieve success in third grade), I also had each student determine an individual goal after reading the story Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni. I displayed our "Hopes and Dreams" for third grade near the classroom door, so that we can refer to, and revisit, them throughout the year. Lots of students are interested in learning how to sharpen their cursive skills, multiplication and division skills. I was very impressed by the number of students ready to take on our 40 book challenge! More on that later! Here's our class display of our hopes and dreams for third grade: Lastly, I read a book called Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The premise is that everyone carries an invisible bucket everywhere they go. When your bucket is "filled" you feel happy.When your bucket is "empty" you feel sad or upset. People can fill buckets by lending a helping hand, smiling, being kind, including others in games, and more. People can empty buckets by teasing, being ungrateful, acting disrespectfully, and more. I encourage my students to recognize the actions of bucket-fillers by writing them quick note and sticking it in their bucket display. This helps make everyone feel good. When we feel good, we want others to feel good. Therefore, kindess is passed from person to person. This is our bucket-filling display, complete with ways we can fill buckets and ways we can empty buckets: I look forward to more of these types of meaningful activities that promote teamwork, kindness, and achievement with your child!
Welcome to our class! I’ve changed some parts of my classroom this year and I have to say that I’m loving how everything turned out. Please note that this is my 12th year of teaching and I did not create this environment overnight. It’s taken years to accumulate and/or create everything that is in this ... Read More about Learning in Wonderland Classroom Tour
Read for my favorite Amazon finds for classroom management. There's something for managing groups, getting students' attention, keeping management tools organized, and more!
Are you new to teaching third grade? Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran teacher, here’s what you need to know: 1. Multiplication is king. Multiplication RULES third grade math. Our standards say that students must memorize facts within 100, but it doesn’t say how we have to do it. Lots of games and teaching ... Read More about New To Teaching Third Grade?
This year, I decided to make some modifications to my classroom decor, and I am thrilled to share this reveal with you all.
Kids love to be helpers, so give them some amazing classroom jobs for students that will build responsibility and make your life in the classroom easier.
Using positive classroom management is important in establishing a safe environment in which students can learn, collaborate, and create.
Introducing PBIS Pals Posters – the perfect way to improve your child's behavior! Whether it's at home or in the classroom, these colorful posters engage young minds, reward positive behavior, and encourage good habits.Each poster features a PBIS Pal - cute characters designed to make learning fun. Each pal teaches a different value such as responsibility, respect, trustworthiness and more. With vivid images and short phrases, these posters quickly grab and keep your child's attention.Not only are PBIS Pals Posters visually appealing, but they also help your child understand behavioral expectations and develop positive social skills. These posters provide a platform for teaching and reinforcing concepts such as friendship, following rules and recognizing accomplishments. Plus, they make the learning process easier and more enjoyable.At home, you can use PBIS Pals Posters to reduce power struggles, set limits, and reward your child's progress. In the classroom, they can be used to establish class rules, build a sense of community, and provide essential feedback.When you purchase a PBIS Pals Posters, you're giving your child the skills they need to succeed. So don't wait - give your little one the boost they deserve!
I love many parts of our classroom, but my favorite is our slipper wall. I'm answering all of your questions here, and have a FREE editable letter home to families.
Got a talkative class? Check out these 5 ways to quiet the chatter!
Are you looking for a calm classroom theme? I have five beautiful and unique classroom decor bundles that will help create a peaceful, engaging, and beautiful home away from home in your classroom! These five bundles will be a perfect way to create a calm classroom vibe!
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…
When I start the new school year, I pick a book of the day for the first two weeks. I create a variety of activities to go with each book. I use a lot of books that focus on social and emotional learning, including kindness, friendship, and respect. But, I also add in some fun ... Read More about 8 Books for Back to School
Get helpful tips for how to manage data folders in the primary classroom. Download the free student data folders kit to get started!
Discover new classroom ideas for classroom management, decor, organization, storage, desk layouts, fun ideas and more!
