Looking to develop your Canva confidence so you can create beautiful handouts, flashcards, and models for your ELA classroom? Great! Find help in this post.

Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.

Amazon is a teacher's best friend! Each year my list of must haves for the classroom grows so I'm here to share more of my Amazon classroom finds!

This year, I decided to make some modifications to my classroom decor, and I am thrilled to share this reveal with you all.

If you were to walk into my classroom, there is a very good chance that music will be playing. Whether that be as background noise or as a classroom management tool, I cannot go without music in my classroom! Click HERE for all of my school appropriate playlists! Our kids now are stimulated 24/7 by all of the technology at their fingertips. They are watching Netflix, while Snapchatting, while playing a video game all at the same time! They go from an overstimulated environment at home, to school where they are expected to be quiet the majority of their day…

Hey, there, friends! It's Laura from Peace, Love, and First Grade!

Podcasts in the classroom are so fun and engaging! Have you jumped on the podcast train yet?! I have a great system for using podcasts in the classroom...

There are three kinds of teacher-decorators: those who were born for Pinterest, those who can’t, and all the ones in between (such as the broke, the tired, and the I-have-no-time-to-decorate). However, making a classroom appeal to middle and high school students doesn’t HAVE to involve serious crafting or expensive, time-intensive projects. Check out these tips from me and Bonnie from Presto Plans as you prepare your classroom for the fall (or at any time of year that you want to give it a boost!) You might also like Sara's more recent blog post, Inside My Farmhouse Classroom Makeover. 1. Have a color scheme (if you can) Sara: My principal gave each teacher the paint for one accent wall, so that shade of turquoise inspired the rest of my blue decor: milk crates, bulletin board borders, etc. It helped unify the room to make it look pulled-together instead of random. I've also learned about the importance of contrast. Even a full-blown rainbow color palette can look clean and cohesive (instead of cluttered) if you pair it with black or white to balance it out. Bonnie: If you are looking for inspiration for colors that look great together, check out this Pinterest board. There are lots of combinations that will help you choose colors when you are shopping for classroom materials. 2. Stick to a few favorite fonts Sara: Just like businesses create a brand, you are creating a classroom “look” or persona that you will be known for... or, at least a mood you will create. (Friendly? Professional? Fun? Minimalist?) Try to pick a few fonts that most of your labels, signs, and other wall-hangings will consistently use. For example, I used the Google font Crushed to make and laminate labels for my whiteboard (see below), along with mint-colored painter's tape. 3. Make your classroom library a focal point Bonnie: Your class library should draw students in and works well as the focal point for any English classroom. Here are a few things you can do to make your library stand out: Give bookshelves a makeover by rolling them a new coat of paint and/or taking the shelves out and attaching wallpaper or scrapbook paper to the back. Put a few floating shelves on the walls near your library area where you can feature particular novels recommended by students. Add comfortable, flexible seating near a library to make it more welcoming. These items can be more expensive, so shop around online or scour garage sales until you find seating that may work. Use old books as decorations! When a book is unusable, find a way to repurpose it. One easy way to do this is to cut out the pages and write a reading-inspired quote in black permanent marker on top of the page. Frame the page and put it on your bookshelf! Sara: If your classroom library is small, nonexistent, or needs some attention, check out this blog post for more ideas about how to strengthen it. 4. Display student work Bonnie: Use student work as decor by making a framed gallery wall. All you have to do is pick up some inexpensive 8x10 frames (check your dollar store) and arrange them on your wall. When you get a piece of exceptional student work, add it into the frame! If you don’t want the hassle of buying and hanging frames, order a pack of mixed color picture mats and use them to frame student work on a bulletin board. Sara: Another way to get student work on display (while also practicing literary analysis!) is to have them complete this Quote Illustration and Analysis assignment; students use Canva (or any tool you wish) to make an inspirational or literary quote come to life. The results are stunning! 5. Use author-inspired decor Bonnie: Find ways to incorporate the authors you will be studying into your classroom decor. You can do this by featuring fun facts or by sharing quotes by the author. For example, I use an interactive Shakespeare Hashtag of the Week bulletin display that exposes students to one quote from a Shakespeare play each week. If you don’t want to make your own, you might even consider assigning an author to each student and having them develop a bulletin display with a biography, fun facts, and quotes that you can swap out weekly. Sara: Don't forget to interject moments of literary ALLUSION or author-inspired inside jokes as well, like my favorite light switch art... 6. Make your posters work together Sara: On at least one bulletin board or section of wall space, add some symmetry or consistency by hanging posters in a similar style (color, font, or other), or by displaying images that have a common theme. For example, check out these posters of stylized quotes to get some English class wisdom on your walls. Bonnie: If you are looking for some ideas of common themes you could use for posters, try some of these ideas that could work in any English classroom: funny grammar quotes or fails, literary terms or genres, author quotes, famous lines from literature, idiomatic expressions, or jokes using puns! To read more about my favorite bulletin board ideas for middle and high ELA, check out this blog post. "English is Weird" poster set 7. Make displays that are EASY to update Sara: Two of my favorite bulletin board spaces were ones that took VERY little effort in updating, so I didn't have the self-imposed pressure to redo the whole thing multiple times per year. For example, my Word Nerd Challenge is quick to update on a Monday morning because all I have to do is add this week's word to the list. (I made each word tile a magnet that can go on my whiteboard!) I also made low-prep Quote of the Week flipbooks of reading and writing quotes, which students often asked to flip FOR me. I used Command hooks and spiral binding to hang it on a cabinet. Do you have additional ideas? Tell us in the comments!

I wanted to share how I use (and have used for several years) a token economy in my classroom. I taught at different PBIS/PBS schools for 7 years, and a token economy is the perfect addition to what your school is already doing! I’ve used this system in 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades, and absolutely ... Read more

Student engagement is my number one goal in the classroom. None of the academic goals can be achieved without student engagement. It is essential! My biggest advice to you is to decrease teacher talk and the time students spend in their desks.I want to share some more specific ways that I keep my students engaged

You just found out you are teaching a split grade class next year. For most teachers the idea of teaching a split is overwhelming. You have twice as many

Google Slides is my absolute FAVORITE G Suite tool! It is really the most versatile tool in the Google toolbox. So today, I'm giving you 12 Google Slides Resources That Will Make Your Day! Yes, I'm going to say it. Google Slides is like a Swiss Army Knife for your classroom. It is so much more than a presentation tool. Google Slides can help you transform your classroom assignments, give students room to stretch their creative legs, engage them in new ways, and make the learning more DYNAMIC!

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.

Getting your classroom to manage itself, procedures, models and more. Visit us:

Get helpful tips for how to manage data folders in the primary classroom. Download the free student data folders kit to get started!

3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.

Ask any high school teacher, and they’ll tell you one of the most annoying rituals of the day is students coming up before and during class asking if they can run to the bathroom. Not only is it di…

We guide passionate educators who are determined to stand out from the crowd by providing thorough, high quality, no prep lessons that will keep students engaged and begging for more. Our goal is to help students love their learning and in turn love you, their teacher.

This last week we began our geography unit in second grade. We began by learning the mapping essential vocabulary of map, globe, key, scale, grid, birds eye view. We practiced making our own maps and creating symbols for our map keys. The students love making their own maps of our neighborhood where the school is...

Real talk: classroom management has always been my biggest struggle as a teacher. I think that this is true for a lot of teachers. It’s one thing to read about classroom management strategies in a college classroom, but it’s a whole other ballgame when you’re standing in front of a roomful of middle schoolers and you are somehow expected to keep them all in line! I’ve had a few tough groups over my first few years, and I needed something to up my classroom management game. The classroom management strategy I’m going to share with you today has been a total game-changer for me, and I hope it can help you, too! This strategy is called Behavior Bingo. To implement it, you will need a 10×10 chart numbered from 1-100. I used to draw mine out on big chart paper, but I’ve since created this handy printable board so that I don’t have to draw it out each time! You will also need 100 popsicle sticks each labeled with a number from 1-100. I keep these in one of those metal pails from Target, and you will also need another pail for the sticks to go in once you have pulled them. You will need a board and set of numbers for each class you are using this with – I have used it with up to 4 classes at once! I marked each class’s set of sticks with a different color and then discarded them all into the same tub. If you don’t want to buy or have to label all the popsicle sticks, I have also seen teachers use small slips of paper numbered 1-100, or even just a random number generator online! Here are the rules that I use: The object of the game is to get 10 numbers in a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) and get a bingo. At the start of each class, I write the numbers 1 2 3 on the front whiteboard. During class, I erase a number any time the students are not meeting my expectations, starting with 3, then 2, then 1. At the end of class, however many numbers are left on the board is how many popsicle sticks they get to pull that day. For example, if only the 3 was erased, then they get to pull 2 popsicle sticks. They can earn up to 3 numbers each day. The students pull out the correct number of sticks for that day. I let them take turns. I hold the jar up above their heads so they can’t peek inside. Then I color in the numbers that were pulled on the bingo board. You can certainly adjust these rules to meet your needs. For instance, you could use a smaller or bigger bingo board, depending on how quickly you want them to earn their reward. With the 10×10 board, it usually takes 1-2 months to earn the reward. You could also adjust how many numbers they can earn each day. Another thing you could do is tie the numbers to specific goals. For instance, my students know that at the beginning of class they need to be in their seats with homework out and working on their warmup. If this doesn’t happen, they know I will erase a number. As for the reward, we choose this as a class before beginning the game. I have the students brainstorm ideas (I tell them that they need to be something either relatively inexpensive or free and can only take up about 20-30 minutes of class time) and list them all on the board. Then I have the students vote for their top two choices. Some ideas we have come up with in the past include an ice cream party (I bring the ice cream, they bring the toppings), root beer float party, time outside, free time, board games, donut party, dodgeball, or popcorn and a short movie. I write their choice at the bottom of the bingo board as a reminder of what we are working toward. And that’s it! It’s very easy to keep it running, and it has been very motivating to my students, especially when they are down to only one number left for the day. You can find the printable board that I use in my Teachers Pay Teachers store if you’re interested! Do you have any awesome classroom management strategies? I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Start as you intend to go. Have you heard this line before? My mentor said this to me as I was preparing my lesson plans my first year of teaching. I didn’t really understand what she meant at the time, but then, funny enough…. someone said the exact same thing with me when I had my first da

Do you have a newcomer student in your classroom? Here are some strategies for supporting newcomer ELLs in their elementary classroom...

Novel Brochure - Pamphlet for Google Classroom Freebie! This resource allows students to create a pamphlet that can be edited for ANY novel! The file contains a Google Drive link that can be used for Google Classroom. **Be sure to MAKE A COPY of the link and save to your own Google Drive Enjoy! Ratings on freebies are greatly appreciated! :) YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 5th Grade Novel Studies Bundle (5 Novels) Wonder Novel Study Holes Novel Study Number the Stars Novel Study Esperanza Rising Novel Study Bridge to Terabithia Novel Study ______________________________________________________________________ Tips for Savvy TpT Shoppers: How to receive credit on TpT to use for future purchases: • Go to your My Purchases page. Under each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, FREEBIES, and products: • Look for a green star near the top of any page within my store and click it to become a follower. You will now be able to see FREEBIES and customized emails from my store! ©2017 StudentSavvy All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. (unless you purchase the multiple license)

Happy December, Y'all! This is Chandra from Teaching with Crayons and Curls! This year my firsties have LOVED LOVED LOVED spending the day with a stuffed animal. Our class uses a classroom economy similar to this one from True Life I'm a Teacher and they use their money to purchase coupons. The 'Furry Friend' (spending a day with a stuffed animal) coupon is one of their favorites, so I knew I had to use this to my advantage! Meet our class Behavior Buddies- Listening Lion, Happy Hippo and Positive Pig! Aren't they adorable!? Students earn these Behavior Buddies when they are showing positive behavior! I usually choose one student per day to spend the day with each stuffed animal. Usually, they are chosen at the end of the day and they get to spend the next school day with that Behavior Buddy. The furry friend stays with them throughout the day in OUR classroom. They don't go to recess, specials, or lunch. Just makes things a little easier (and cleaner!). We've been using them for a few weeks now, and my students have started nominating each other to spend the day with a Behavior Buddy! I mean, how adorable and KIND is that!? It all started with one sweet little firstie saying, "Mrs. Dills, I think Sarah should get Listening Lion because she has been such a great listener today!" Yep, I made a HUGE deal about that! When students earn a Behavior Buddy for showing positive behavior, I also want to make sure that this is communicated to their families! So, I created certificates that the student can bring home to show their family! It's a great way to build that positive school-to-home relationship! I ordered all of my furry friends off Amazon. But, you can grab stuffed animals anywhere! Wal-Mart, Target, and the Dollar Store. There are many different animal options in my pack! Since it's so close to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to introduce holiday themed Behavior Buddies. You can grab this pack for FREE in my Teachers Pay Teachers store! Just click here or on the image below! I hope these cute little friends help promote positive behavior in YOUR classroom!

There are so many working parts in a self contained or Autism Unit. Read MORE on what you can do to survive and thrive in a self contained classroom!

Use this hands-on, interactive Wonder novel study to teach kindness and courage with your students. Everything you need to teach a unit on the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio is included in this editable unit! This bundle includes both the PRINTABLE, EDITABLE and the DIGITAL version of the workbook. This digital version is perfect for distance learning and compatible with Google Slides and Google Classroom. This EDITABLE resource includes the following activities: Teacher directions Postcard precepts INTERACTIVE BULLETIN BOARD Welcome to your “Wonder Workbook” student letter 15 Wonder themed bell ringer prompts “Before you read” worksheet Comprehension questions for all eight (8) sections of the book. “Stereotypes: Eliminating Judgment” activity “Mr. Browne’s Precepts” chart Vocabulary charts Extended plot structure foldable specifically for Wonder Wonder characterization flipbook “We’re All Wonders” extension activity (for upper grades) Wonder task cards Wonder complexity wheel Wonder focus lesson Identifying themes in Wonder graphic organizer Figurative language tic-tac-toe Kindness campaign project Wonder portraits project Concrete poetry activity Final test Cover pages for each section This resource is based on Bloom's Taxonomy-- higher level thinking skills! Your students will master a variety of skills during this unit including: Writing for purpose Reading beyond the text How to remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create based on the text and materials included How to follow along with the text and identify themes, figurative language, and literary elements How to identify stereotypes and eliminate them through kindness and courage Mastery of vocabulary terms The deeper meaning of Mr. Browne's precepts Identify and explain the plot structure of the novel Create products for a purpose Check out what other teachers, just like you, are saying about this resource: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I am a 8th grade Social Studies teachers whose schedule completely changed this year. Now I am teaching 6th graders in a Global Thinkers class with a emphasis on reading and writing. This Wonder Workbook has been a LIFE SAVER! This has made my job of teaching a novel for the first time a lot less stressful. The activities in this workbook (comprehension qs, vocab, plot, etc.) let my students reflect on the book and helped me check their understanding as we go along. Thank you so much for creating this amazing resource!" -Chelsey P. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "So many great pages in this resource! We use it as a guide as we read through Wonder. Wouldn't read the book without this resource!" -Deborah O. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I love this resource so much! I was really struggling with how to do a novel study digitally, and this digital notebook saved me. It has options for both in-person and remote learning, which really suited my needs as I was teaching hybrid. I love how it had thought provoking questions as well as creative assignments. It was 100% worth the buy!" -Magic With Ms. Mandy Please download the preview for more information. The preview provides images of the Wonder Workbook in action. Connect with Me SuperHERO Teacher Blog Find me on Facebook Find me on Instagram Find me on Pinterest If you like this product, please leave feedback!

This moon craft is great for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or older kids. It's a great art extension during a space theme in the classroom.

Why use math sorts? Discussions Differentiation Aligned to the standards No-prep FUN! 1. Discussions We constantly tell students to show their work or explain their thinking. Using math sorts weekly will give students practice in putting their thinking into words. Your students will use math vocabulary as they explain how they sorted their cards. They […]

Have you ever had a class with so many difficult, disruptive students that you felt that you could barely even teach? What can you do to get past it? In this post, I am going to address this problem with my best advice, and some advice from others as well.

I've done a lot of experimenting with desk arrangements over the years. I've definitely found my favorite. Keep reading, I'll tell you about it. I've also discovered that it's smart to pick a few

Fun STEM activity for outdoor play and makes a great science lesson! (Includes a printable rocket template).

I’ve posted before about my teacher binder. As an organizationally-challenged person, I had to find that one thing that would hold me together as a teacher… and my binder is it. I love this thing. It’s within an arm’s reach at any given moment (home or school) and keeps me sane. And honestly? Creating it was simple. Unfortunately, my teacher binder had seen better days, so it was time to perform a little overhaul. While I’m working on my own, I thought I’d share 5 steps to creating your own teaching binder! 1. Plan first. For me, the easiest way to do this was to gather all the papers I thought I wanted in my binder, and split them into piles. This will help you know how many dividers and what size of binder to buy. Don’t forget that you can use the space in front of and behind the dividers! 2. Get the supplies. Pick a binder you LOVE (for me, color is huge) and splurge for the heavy duty one. Believe me- you’ll be using this thing a lot. I also picked dividers that had pockets and were easy to write on (and erase, if I change my mind later). A friend gave me Vera Bradley binder clips, and I use this one to pin my lesson plans to the cover so that the 2-page spread opens instantly when I open the binder. This binder clip also adds just enough “cute” to make me smile whenever I look at my binder! It sounds silly (seriously who has designer binder clips) but I probably see it 20 times each day. Worth it. 3. Think about the covers. What are the things you constantly need to reference? For me, a cute cover with my name on it would be okay- but really, I need my class list, my current Post-It list, and the weekly newsletter (with spelling & vocab. words, academic focuses, etc.). Normally, this would have a class list, which I didn’t show for obvious reasons, and there’s usually a Post-It list or two. Still… I like how clean and neat my binder looks on my desk! (Plus, the color stands out if it does find its way into a pile.) 4. Think about order. What papers do you need access to the most often? My lesson plan pages go in the front because I reference them throughout every day, and my calendar goes next. (I love Google Calendar, but a written one works best for me. I printed this one for free from The Twinery Blog.) I put any lists for quick reference (computer logins, school schedules, curriculum maps, policies, etc.) in the reference tab. My Student Info tab holds my data (so useful when I plan my small groups at home!), but also copies of anything like IEP’s, ILP’s, RTI plans, and documentation. The back includes things I might need to look up once a week while planning, but not daily, like my standards lists and my archive of planning pages/ meeting notes. Once you’ve decided, write on the dividers. (I used a skinny Sharpie- on most surfaces, nail polish remover will take it right off if I ever change my mind!) 4. Hole punch everything and try it out! This is the perfect time of year to give this baby a trial run and give you plenty of time to tweak it for next year! I found out that having a “meeting notes” section was just not enough for me, so I added some extra subsections. You’ll find what works for you! I plan my teacher binder as something that I will take to every meeting, take home every night, and use constantly throughout my day. It means that whether I’m at home, in my classroom, or somewhere in the school, I have everything I need to stay organized and up-to-date! There are plenty of other guides out there to making a teacher binder, but it’s my hope that this can help you make the one that’s right for you. Yes, it takes a bit of time… but I put mine together in about an hour (minus shopping) and it has saved me so much more than that!

Do you play music in the classroom? Here's our classroom playlist of first grade greatest hits!

Entering a brand-new classroom is nerve-wracking for most of our English speaking students. For our newcomer ELLs, it can be a very intense and scary experience. Providing them with a welcoming, thoughtful environment from the moment

Free Printable Back to School Banner Crayons. Crayons for bulletin board decorations, crayon banner classroom decor or classroom door crayon theme.

I wanted to stop by today and share some a few of my “go-to” activities during the first week of school to build our classroom community and set expectations for […]

These attention activities cover various types of attention: divided attention, sustained attention, selective attention and more.

✨Welcoming Newcomers students into your classroom with this Essential Words Lap Book will be a sure way to help them start off on the right foot and feel excited about learning English. This lap book will expose newcomer students to important English vocabulary, including: ✅the alphabet ✅numbers ✅colors ✅body parts ✅days of the week and months of the year ✅survival phrases ⚠️Bonus: An English Workbook is included to help support the vocabulary and skills the lap book covers. ❤️It is the perfect activity for Newcomers to work on independently during class time or for homework. ✍Related Products Interested in another resource for newcomers or the needs of your rising ELL students? Here are a few of my best selling resources: • ESL Newcomers Curriculum • ESL Writing Curriculum • ESL Speaking & Writing Activities • WIDA ACCESS Practice Test Prep • ESL Vocabulary Picture Dictionary ❤️Let's Connect! Sign up for my newsletter, which is filled with new ideas, activities, and exclusive freebies! Click here to sign up! If you have any questions or ways I can help, please feel free to email me at [email protected] Other ways to stay connected! ⚡ Equipping ELLs Membership

Rewards and incentives can be a critical component to classroom management success. They are also the perfect tool to help learners to go outside their comfort zones and learn new skills. Simply put, providing rewards and incentives encourage positive behaviors. Sometimes rewards are seen in a negat

This post explains how teachers can use an academic version of the highly engaging Spoons game to review concepts. Free games included!

Amazon teacher favorites! If you are looking for some new classroom finds, gere are some to add to your wishlist.

What I've learned about quickly building relationships as a speaker has helped me better connect with students in my classroom—especially disengaged kids.

Using positive classroom management is important in establishing a safe environment in which students can learn, collaborate, and create.

Aujourd'hui, j'aimerais vous faire part de l'avancée de mes réflexions sur la gestion des comportements dans la classe. Lors de ...