Check these practical and research-based classroom motivation strategies!
Image 12 of 21 from gallery of Benfeld Aristide Briand Primary School / Lionel Debs Architectures. Courtesy of Lionel Debs Architectures
9 valuable lessons I've learned about Classroom Management as a middle school teacher!
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!
Explore easy classroom management strategies and ideas from other teachers to keep the classroom running smoothly and meet the 3 C's.
Do your students confuse the many symbols we use in math? Grab this math symbol reference wall to help them learn the meaning of each symbol! Here's what's included: 56 symbols are included from elementary, middle school, high school, and upper-level math. Choose the symbols that best suit the grade level you teach. Letters to spell, “MATH SYMBOLS” The symbols print inside circles with their meaning below. Cut out the circles and hang on a bulletin board or on your classroom wall. 2 printing options are included. Choose to print in color or black ink only (on any color paper). See the entire set of bright math classroom decorations here! Here's what teachers like you have said... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amanda S. says, "Printed these at the beginning of the school year and hung them across my room. My students and I have referenced them numerous times and they've been super helpful. Perfect addition to a middle school math support classroom!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Adrianne D. says, "I have many of these symbols posted on my classroom wall and I can see my students referencing them frequently! I love that they are using their resources!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kimberly B. says, "These are SO EASY to USE. Just print the ones you need or all of them. They are large and clear." Check out the preview to see all the math symbols included!
One of the great (and probably easiest) ways to gamify your teaching is through the use of game generators. These are tools that enable you to easily create various educational games without the need for any coding knowledge. And if you are wondering which tools to use, I have recommendations for you!
A simple, super smart way to motivate your students to turn in their homework.
Freebie Vault Login How do I login??? Keep Reading! Welcome to the freebie vault, Teacher Friend. As a thank you for being an email list subscriber and supporter of my business, I love to create and add monthly freebies for YOU to enjoy! It is absolutely free to join this community and to continue to […]
These teacher hacks are brilliant ideas for your classroom that'll make your life so much easier this year. Number nine will change your life!
Classroom callbacks are a technique that teachers use to get the students’ attention in a quick and fun way. Free resource available.
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3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.
Cooperative learning can be a powerful learning strategy, but only if it works well. These small changes can make group work more effective in your classroom.
This writing lesson and craft revolving around snow globes helps bring winter to the classroom, even if live in a place without snow!
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.
A lesson plan! A lesson plan! My kingdom for a lesson plan!
Scrambled paragraphs are a fun literacy activity your kids will love. This activity contains 5 interesting passages to scramble and re-arrange correctly. Students will use logic and transition words like "for example", "however", and "finally" to determine the correct order. Great activity to reinforce text structures!Each passage contains six sentences. The passages increase in difficulty, making this activity easy to differentiate. This works great as a station activity for helping teach students organization in writing. It can be useful scaffolding for students who are struggling with constructing paragraphs of their own.Answer key is included.No prep, ready to print and use! Teachers are saying: "We loved this resource. I set these up as stations. The kids went around in their groups and tried to put the paragraphs together in the correct order. It was interesting to see how the sequential one was the easiest one for him to complete. This was the perfect activity for our class needs." Format: PDF
I don’t know about you, but I can always use more classroom management tools! This was my first year back teaching after 2 years off. In some ways, I felt like I was starting over, and in some ways, I felt like a veteran teacher! Anyways, after the year was over, I knew there were […]
I posted about these songs about a year ago on my Instagram feed and so many of you asked if I would be putting these in my TPT shop to sell. At the time, we had only written three, and I just didn't feel like that was enough to make a whole resource with. Since then, I have been working on writing new transition songs that are sung to some of our kids' favorite tunes! Singing CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SONGS AND CHANTS during transitions makes moving from one thing or place to another almost seamless. Songs and chants keep students engaged, focused, and excited to learn, which in turn will save valuable instruction time. It also helps eliminate unwanted behaviors by giving your students the structure, consistency, and support they need. Most of the songs included are parodies of popular songs most kids will know. The words have been changed to help students transition in a positive manner. I printed the songs on cardstock and laminated them. I used a binder ring to attach the set together to hang on my board for easy access. There are also three different color options included. :) Let's go through a little breakdown of when and why we sing each of these songs: The Carpet: We sing this when it's time to transition to the carpet. I start they song, they join in. They have to be on the carpet in their assigned spots by the end of the song. Works like a charm every single time! I even added in some little hand motions that end the song with their hands in their laps. All I Do Is Freeze: We mostly use this when students are working in groups or with a partner. Sometimes, I need them to stop what they are doing, so that I can give them a direction or clear something up. It's a great way to get their attention! Clean Up Chant: This one is pretty self-explanatory. I do not instruct them when it's time to clean up; I just start the chant. You may want to add a timer to it afterwards if you need them cleaned up in a certain amount of time. Let's Line Up: Will kids ever get over Frozen? Probably not. If yours are still obsessed, too, they will love this line up chant. It gets them lined up quickly and without distractions, which saves so much time! Back to My Seat: We sing this when we transition from the carpet to their seats. We usually sing it a couple of times to give them plenty of time to make it to their seats. It's a really quick song! Partner Up: This song probably takes the most practice. Anytime you need students to get with their partner, you can sing this song. It also reminds them what to do when they are with their partner. Learning Math is Awesome: Sing this song to signal that it's time to begin math. I can guarantee it will get stuck in your head afterwards. Sorry. We Can't Stop Reading: This song can be used to kick off your reading block each day. It gets them excited about books and where those stories will take them! Quiet Time: I may or may not have sung this one the most. It works so well! I sing it in a calm, quiet voice, in which students will mirror. It immediately calms the room. Sing it a couple of times if needed! See!: I had to incorporate some Taylor Swift in these songs. We want students to be proud to share their thinking and comfortable talking with a partner. We also want their partners to be respectful and value what they are saying. This song is great to sing before students share with a partner or to close out a lesson by sharing what they learned or took away from the lesson. I just added some NEW songs!!! Like It Was: This is another clean up song. You could sing this one at the end of centers. It's really good about reminding students to put everything back in its place. Good For You: This is a song that you can sing as a class to celebrate someone! Maybe someone had a really great idea or accomplished something amazing, you can sing this to pump them up! We're Amazing: I am all about incorporating mindfulness into our day, so I knew I needed to create a song that encompassed that. This is another one that is going to take some practice to get down, but you can always display it as you sing. Some of the songs might take lots of practice to get down! But don't give up! After you sing it over and over, you will eventually get it. You will sing them to the tune of the chorus from the songs. I have added links to the actual songs in the PDFs. You just click the blue arrow at the bottom of the page. Always check these first NOT in the presence of students. I have gone through them to make sure they are safe, but you never know when things can change. A few of these parodies are straight from my students. I asked them what songs they wanted me to write transition songs for, and these are what we came up with. This group in particular had difficulty this year with transitions because they were all best of friends and LOVED to talk, which in turn got them distracted. I LOVED that about them, but we were losing valuable time trying to get refocused. Once I introduced a song or chant for them to do while transitioning, the difference was crazy! It keeps your learning environment positive, too, which is super important. You can check out the resource by clicking HERE or on any of the images in the post. Let me know how your students do with these songs or if you need another song added! I love your feedback! Happy transitioning!
I used to spend so much time looking for the perfect read aloud books each month to read to my students. I have finally compiled a list on this blog post to save you so much time searching for books your students will love. I have even created FREE book companion activities you can pr
Real-life kindergarten spaces!
FREE Call Backs and attention getters for the kindergarten classroom! Great classroom management tool!
I started putting together these math joke of the week posters at the end of last school year. I'm super excited about how it turned out. I put the finishing
These engaging strategies to incorporate movement in the classroom are perfect for the fidgety students & kinesthetic learners in your class!
I love to see my students work together! So I use a Whole Class Rewards system where students do that. This is a whole class rewards system that teachers...
The ticket system has been a game-changing classroom management strategy for my own high school science classroom.
Engage your ELA students this Halloween season with these spooky podcast episodes for the classroom! FREE podcast pages and activities included!
This product includes decor for an Environmental Science classroom. A fake Instagram account was created called "Mother.Nature" and various posts both helpful and harmful to the environment were created. This product includes 32 "Instagram posts" and then the title "What If Earth Had Instagram" that can printed and cut out to decorate your classroom. ***PDF Not editable Digital File ONLY -- Best if printed in color :)
Being a new special education teacher can be overwhelming and stressful. Check out The FIRST thing to do as a new special ed teacher.
If there is one I have learned in my years of working with paraprofessionals, it is that paras are teachers too. My paraprofessional is my right hand and my left hand. She is the glue that keeps us together. I realize that sometimes it is our first instinct to give them passive work because their
If you work with children, I can promise you that you will come across at least one student that has these difficult behaviors. Not only are they really stressful for the teacher but they impact the student’s life in many ways. Behaviors like disrespect and defiance can make classroom's chaotic.
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...
A simple way to teach your students classroom procedures and expectations at the beginning of the school year
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:
Pencil-shaped flip calendar with the years 2021-2032 included!It is attached to a 16-28" magnetic curtain rod (can be found on Amazon) using 1" binder rings to hang on a classroom whiteboard! Total pencil shape length is about 19-22"Click the green star ★ above to follow my store and receive all the...
Conquering your digital clutter leads to increased productivity! This post details GMAIL hacks that help teachers save time in the classroom.
Learn About the 7 Continents! Exploring the 7 Continents has never been more exciting! It’s a Small World Continent Study is filled with over 35 activities to help your students gain a greater understanding of the seven continents. This 130+ page unit is filled with great resources, posters, printables, activities, and projects that will open […]
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…
Autism and wandering in the classroom can be a huge problem, Learn the 5 steps to changing wandering behavior in your classroom. Listen now...
It's the first day of school. Whether you've welcomed students into your classroom for many years or it's your first year ever, it's always exciting (and sometimes a bit terrifying!) to meet so many new students at the start of the year. You know you're going to spend the next year together and making a good first impression is the key to getting started on the right note. Here are 5 ideas to take with you into the new school year: Tip #1: Over Plan In one of my first years as a teacher, I made the mistake of under planning for the first day of school. I worked so hard to make everything perfect but I didn't anticipate how fast some of the activities would be completed. As a result, I found myself looking up at the clock and seeing 15 minutes left of class staring back at me...along with 22 faces waiting to see what I had planned for them for the rest of class. Oops. I quickly added a small review game, but I felt so disorganized. I had put so much thought into the first day of school but had made a classic rookie mistake. With that in mind, my first advice for you is to over plan. Have a back-up activity or two already prepared in case you find yourself with some wiggle room at the end of class. If students see that you have fully prepared for their arrival on Day 1, you'll already be off to a great start. Tip #2: Make a Seating Chart I'm sure there are some benefits in allowing students to sit wherever they'd like on the first day of school, but it is definitely not a strategy that works for me! There are two big reasons I have a seating chart posted right when they walk into the classroom: it establishes order and parameters on Day 1 and I can call them by their name when we start our activities. I love seeing student's faces when I call them by their name within 5 minutes of entering my classroom. It immediately starts establishing the positive classroom community I strive to create in my classroom. They know my name and I know theirs! It shows them that I care about them as individuals. (And yes, I do keep a seating chart in my hand or nearby so I can discreetly refer to it during class - it takes me a few days to memorize all those new student names!) Having a seating chart also demonstrates that the classroom is organized and a plan is in place for their learning. It sets the stage for a great school year right away. Tip #3: Change it Up I've made the mistake of spending half the class period (or more!) discussing my syllabus, classroom rules, procedures, etc. Talk about a BORING first day for the kids! Now, I change it up and make a point to select 3 or 4 different activities for an hour-long class. I usually start with a small icebreaker that doesn't put kids on the spot. Then I give kids my welcome letter which introduces them to the class and review over the parts I think are most important on Day 1. Then, we review some class rules and end with a few games / activities to get them talking and moving around. I spread out my classroom rules, procedures, syllabus, etc. over the first 2-3 days of school so as to not overwhelm the kids with too much information all at one time. They will appreciate you for it! P.S. If you're looking for some fun digital activities for the first week of school, check out some of my favorites here! Tip #4: Choose a Game (or two!) I love to host a game or two on the first day of school! Also called icebreakers, these fun little games or activities encourage students to communicate with each other and helps you learn more about their personalities right from the start. Side note: Icebreakers can make...or break...a child's confidence in your class on Day 1. Seriously. I love a good icebreaker, but never want to put a child in a position where they feel uncomfortable on the first day - this is the opposite of my goal of building a positive classroom community! This means I make sure to choose icebreakers that aren't going to put a singular student "on the spot" (like a solo skit/charades or solo public speaking role). Ultimately, it depends on the class and you know your students best, but sometimes those types of icebreakers are better left for later in the year when students know each other better and feel more comfortable in your classroom. That being said, here are some of my favorites. (Some of these can be found in my Back to School Activity resources on TpT!) Check them out here for sixth, seventh and eighth grade: InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name on the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: This activity is perfect for a class who loves skits. These skits are centered around our class rules, expectations and procedures. I first divide students into small groups of 2-3. Each group then randomly receives one of our class procedures or expectations. As a group, they have to work together to create two mini skits - one showing the RIGHT way to follow the expectation, the other showing the WRONG way. Hilarity ensues when showing the wrong way to follow a class rule. After each skit, I point out all the positive behaviors as well as reinforce the correct ways to conduct ourselves in the classroom. Online Games: Something new I tried last year was a great success: taking the classroom rules, procedures, policies, syllabus information, etc. and turning them into a fun online review game at the end of the week! The kids LOVED the games and it was a fun way to review. Some of my current favorite game websites are Blooket, Quizlet, Kahoot and Gimkit. Tip #5: Dress for Success Every individual teacher has their own preference for clothes, so this is not a tip about wearing particular types of clothes or styles on the first day of school - just advice recommending that you dress to impress in a way that fits your style. When students walk into the room, they are making a first impression of you. What will it be? I make sure to dress teacher-professional that day because I want my students to see not only my classroom neat and organized, but also my appearance. My main goal is to convey that I take my time at school and their learning seriously and that I am organized and will conduct myself as someone who is approachable and professional. What you wear conveys your personality - both on a personal and professional note - to your students. They are watching carefully! There are SO many things to think about as you prepare for the first day of school. If you were creating your own list of 5 things every middle school teacher should do on the first day of school, what would it say? Add your thoughts to the comments section to help other teachers ace that first day, too! :)
Keep your classroom organized, your sanity intact, and your social media channels popping.
