Just because your classroom is chaotic now doesn't mean it has to stay this way. You can have a controlled, effective classroom. And when you do you can stop stressing and start enjoying teaching.
Have you fallen into the trap of saying “No talking!” or “I need quiet!” all day long?
Last week, a reader asked a question I’ve gotten a lot over the years. “How should I hold difficult students accountable?” It’s a topic I haven’t covered specifically because the answer is so simple and direct: Just like everyone else. You calmly approach the ... Read more
Tried and true classroom management strategies that work across most grade levels. These are some of teachers' favorite classroom management strategies.
How to set up and implement a classroom behavior plan that really works, with advice from Smart Classroom Management's Michael Linsin.
Teachers are humans. They are not infallible. They make mistakes. Even the best teachers. And they learn from their mistakes and become better educators. So before I share the mistakes that I think many teachers make, I want to preface by saying that teaching is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. I have
Connecting with difficult students, those who challenge us in many ways, isn’t easy. But it is essential. When you succeed in building connections with your difficult students, the reward is huge. Today, I’m sharing seven simple but effective things I’ve done to build connections with those studen
I started doing this last year and it has worked wonders. I got the idea from a friend, but she got the original idea from the fabulous blog- The First Grade Parade. It's called a Bravo Board. I like to use a dry erase board for simplicity. It happened to be a magnetic dry erase board, so it made attaching the colors and title super easy! All my desks are arranged in groups of 4-5 per group. Each group of students gets a colored bin containing supplies. Whichever color they are designated is the color for their group. They learn to work as a team and have to earn tallies as a team. This was also a simple way to teach tallies, and trust me by the end of the first 6 weeks all of my students knew how to use tallies without any problems. At the end of the week, the group with the most tallies get their names put in a drawing for a free homework pass and they get to become the BRAVO table for the entire next week. I have a little cone that says Bravo that I place at their tables for the week. They honestly all work really hard to be the Bravo table!
I usually don't know what my students' mornings are like before they arrive at school. Family dynamics, life changes, or health issues can deeply impact anyone, but the effects seem especially strong for young kids. I've heard these types of challenges described as weights, and as we get older we have more "emotional muscle," so to speak, to be able to carry those weights. As an adult, I have more emotional muscle to cope with anxiety about a move or a deadline, and I've developed an awareness of healthy things that help me deal with stress. I can treat myself to a vanilla latte, a phone call with a friend, and a few minutes of quiet time reading Real Simple and I'm pretty much back on track. A 7-year-old, on the other hand, might not yet have the ability to carry the weight of challenging life events, and might not have the vocabulary to articulate what they need. If you're a primary teacher, I bet you have a child or two or twenty in your class that are that kid--the kid who carries around emotional weights and needs a lot of behavioral support to get through the day. It can be really, really hard to have patience with a difficult student who consistently misbehaves in class or is unkind to others. How do you help kids with behavioral issues to be their healthiest, happiest selves in the classroom? This is an area of teaching I care about DEEPLY, but have by no means mastered. I'll always be learning and growing in this area, but I wanted to share some ideas I've tried and found to work, in the hope they might be helpful or inspire other creative strategies. 1. Catch them first thing in the morning. Make a point of finding the students you know will need extra support first thing in the morning. I'll often go out to the playground to pick up the kids a few minutes early, just to have time to chat, give a hug, and let students know how excited I am to see them. This helps set a positive tone for the entire day, and gets kids "filled up" before they even enter the classroom. 2. Tell them who they are. I truly believe that every challenging behavior, at its root, is really a gift that isn't being used properly. The child who is always talking when they aren't supposed to be is probably one of the most gifted public speakers in your class. The child who causes distractions is probably one of the most charismatic and natural leaders in your class. The child who always tattles probably has a huge heart for justice. When addressing behavioral issues with a student, use the opportunity to hold up a figurative mirror. Affirm the child for the leadership qualities at the root of their misbehavior, and brainstorm how to use those gifts for good. "You're a natural leader," you could say, "and other kids want to copy what you do. Instead of racing to the front of the line, could I have you model for the whole class how to politely let others go first?" 3. Send positive emails to parents or guardians with the student standing right next to you. It's always a best practice to send positive emails home for every student, but I love to write those emails in front of the student. If a student is making great choices, I'll pull them aside and say, "I need to let your family know about the amazing day you're having, and I want you to help me write the email!" The kids get so excited about this! It only takes a few moments to tap out a positive email, but letting students in on that process is another simple way to reinforce good behavior choices. 4. Give them a special role in the classroom that is theirs and ONLY theirs. There are millions of little jobs that need to be done around the classroom, so I'll assign one of the jobs to a student to give extra purpose and structure to their day. I might put a student in charge of lining up backpacks, sharpening pencils, or passing out papers. The rest of the class knows that person is our go-to expert in running the pencil sharpener or handing out papers. Giving a student a specialty can instill a deep sense of belonging, and drastically reduces behavior issues. (This works especially well when they are attention-seeking behaviors!) It also sets up a great opportunity to celebrate a student for contributing to the classroom environment in a positive way! 5. Set them up as a leader with younger students. This is a GREAT strategy for students who have difficulty completing assignments or turning work in on time. Set up a star chart (or any other goal-setting tool you have in place) to track how many assignments a student completes on time and using their best work. Set a goal for a certain number of assignments, and once your student reaches that goal, arrange a time for them to visit a younger grade to be a "tutor" for a lesson. I love the logical connection of this reinforcement--it communicates to students that their effort is valuable to the school community as a whole. It's so sweet how tenderhearted kids can be about kids that are smaller than they are. My students just melt over the kindergarten students, and take a lot of pride in helping them. 6. Involve the office in a fun way. Don't let every visit to the office be for a disciplinary issue. If a student who normally has difficulty in class goes out of their way to help another student or goes above and beyond in an assignment, I'll make a big deal out of calling the front office and saying, "I have a friend here in class who has just done their best writing for the whole year. Can I send them up to report this to the office?" Of course, the answer is always yes, and even if the principal isn't available the student gets a THRILL out of showing their work to the ladies at the front desk. The best part is that the entire class knows why the student was sent to the office, and the student is often met with applause when they return to class. 7. Help them get involved in a club/team/after-school activity. It's amazing how kids thrive with structure. I had a student my second year of teaching who had a lot of trouble making friends in class. Our school started a jump rope club, so I talked with the student's parents about signing him up. Twice a week, I went to jump rope club after school with this little boy, and we used that time to practice building some critical social skills. Having a structured activity with an engaging task was this child's sweet spot, and having a team t-shirt and a jump rope that matched everyone else's gave him a sense of belonging that he desperately needed. This little boy would often get in trouble at recess because he didn't play well with other kids, but with jump rope club he now had a new skill that he wanted to practice with the other club members every recess. Involving your student in a club or team activity could be a great way to encourage and practice healthy social skills! 8. Make them your "Lifesaver." This is a simple one, but it can make all of the difference in the world. During whole group time at the carpet, I'll ask a student who has trouble listening to be my "Lifesaver." Their job is to stand at the back of the carpet and keep an eye out for kids who are being great listeners. Every few minutes, I'll say, "Lifesaver, can you tell me who needs to clip up right now for being a respectful listener?" This strategy not only gives the student a positive way to focus their energy, but it sets them up to be a hero to their classmates. The other students are thrilled to be chosen to clip up! It's a win-win-win. 9. Have a special classroom "mascot" and a designated quiet space for students to recenter. We ALL need a break sometimes, and a place to let a wave of emotions pass. On a tough day with a student, there is no way they will hear any correction or instruction from you in the heat of the moment. In the same way adults often need to take time to cool off before resolving a problem, kids also often need time and space. When you have a student who is angry, hurt, or upset, it can be helpful to carve out a quiet space in the classroom for them to take a break before having a teachable moment. In my classroom, I have a large teddy bear that has paws filled with heavy beans. Its weight and size make the bear perfectly hug-able, and I've found that even second graders respond positively to taking a moment to be still, hug this bear with all of their might, and calm down before we have a conversation about their behavior. 10. Help them make it right (and clear the slate). It can be easy for students with behavioral issues to spiral into thinking that because they made a mistake, they are a "bad kid." We teach kids over and over to say "I'm sorry," but it's equally important for adults to tell the children in their lives, "I forgive you." Making mistakes is a normal part of childhood (and adulthood, for that matter), and our students need to be taught how to fix those mistakes. After one of my students makes a mistake, I'll ask them if they'd like my help setting things right again. Amazingly, and sweetly, the answer is always yes. We write a lot of apology letters in my classroom, and I'll often brainstorm with students an act of kindness they could do in the classroom that would restore their relationship with the classroom community. Discipline is only part of the picture, and equipping kids with strategies for restoring their relationships with others is something that will serve them throughout their entire lives! No classroom is the same, and no two children are the same, but I hope some of these ideas might be helpful with your kiddos. What else would you add to the list? I'd love to learn from you!
I am shy.Yep, it’s a part of me that I feel like is so obvious when you are around me in person. I feel my cheeks warm up and heart racing when talking to new people. So much of that shyness is internal. I say this because I have had people tell me they would never describe me as shy. That’s me covering up a lot of my weird nervousness
A classroom economy helps manage students by setting up rewards & consequences and provides teachers opportunities to positively narrate students.
10 classroom management strategies for teaching hyperactive students, including flexible seating, fidget tools, brain breaks...
I once had a student cut off HER PONY TAIL while I was leading a small group. If you are a teacher, you might know how this happened. I was leading a reading group and she was “independently” completing a {boring} worksheet at her desk. I learned a serious lesson that day – MAKE A PLAN FOR HOW TO HANDLE THE WHOLE CLASS WHILE LEADING A READING GROUP. Lesson learned. Here are four tips that can
Simple and fun classroom management expressions used by seasoned educators. Some are silly. Others very direct. All are highly effective.
Looking for a new behavior management ideas? Try classroom points. It’s a positive reward system that works! I know a lot of teachers will see the title of this post and think “eek gad, extrinsic motivators”. I totally would have passed up the idea of classroom points if I wasn’t heavily coerced by one of my grade level colleagues. Now that I have the (simple) system in place, I LOVE
Tips for effectively redirecting a talkative class. Think about times when students become talkative and work on methods that make conversations meaningful.
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 […]
Teach responsibility in your classroom through the use of intentional activities. Continue refining what responsibility means to your students all year.
teacher hacks, back to school, back to school ideas, classroom tips, classroom hacks, classrooms tricks, classroom organization
Thousands of teachers have used these tried and true GUARANTEED tups to stop students from blurting out. Chatty Class? YOU NEED TO READ THIS!
Classroom Management is the one thing that can make or break a school year. These 6 tips will get you on the right track to a successful school year.
The new Behavior Calendars are out and ready for the 2015-2016 school year! I figured there are teachers as crazy as me that want to start thinking ahead so that the summer is not overrun with things to do. The new behavior calendars work the same as the ones from last year. There are two versions, one with happy face, straight face and sad face. The other one is a color system with green, yellow and red. For those of you who do not know, these behavior calendars are the perfect addition to any classroom management system. You print one calendar per month per student, put it in their homework folder for the month, and have daily communication with parents on their child's behavior. It takes about 5 minutes a day to fill them out at the end of the school day and are so worth the time! My students know that they want to come home with a happy face. They also know that a note can and will be sent home with a straight face (I call it the "Uh-Oh Face") explaining their negative behavior. These notes are included in this pack from TpT. I have also included good notes home, because children NEED positive reinforcements that they can be proud to share with their parents. I hope you find these calendars as useful as I do. I could not teach without them. (Especially not KINDERGARTEN!!) To purchase this item or visit my store CLICK HERE.
Some school years we have classes that are chattier than average. Although notably more exhausting, I always find these years to be the most enjoyable because chatty students are more willing to share their ideas and display their curiosity.
Well hello lovers! October has arrived and I am giddy. I am buying candy, decorating, and in general wanting to color with orange, yellow, and brown crayons! Fall makes me happy! Great classroom behavior makes me happy too, thus I have a fun little gimmick for you! So if you have read this blog more than once you know I pretty much live at Target. Look at what they have in the dollar bin! GIANT GOOGLY EYES! Yep! I am screaming at you! GIANT GOOGLY eyes. I have a googly eye problem. I can never have enough. “Eye” might be and eye hoarder. This is a gallon sized bag and it is far too empty for my comfort, but I am waiting until the Oriental Trading Black Friday sale to buy more. No shipping cost. I’m frugal. What can I say? Anyway, so the BIG eyes! Right away I had a plan! This is what I threw up at recess and we were behaving like champions! Then, I got super cute tonight, and made this freebie for you. You don’t need the Target googly eyes to use the freebie. The freebie (shown below) has the eyes on there for you! I did that because I hate going to Target, only to find that they are sold out. Here is what happens. I read an amazing blog post and want to do it too, but whatever they blogged about requires something from the dollar bin at Target. So I get in my car, driving way too fast to get there before they sell out, but my fast driving does not help. They are sold out!!!! IT DRIVES ME CRAZY. So just in case your Target has sold out of those big eyes (or you are reading this in February) just print the free download and you will get the picture below and more goodies too! Woo-Hoo!!! So this baby (above) goes on my whiteboard once I laminate it! Now this picture below is how they earn the 10 happy faces to have a party. I have a daily competition of happy verses sad moments. For example: You talk while I am talking. We are all sad. {Sad Tally Mark}You pick your nose and eat it. We are all sad. {Sad Tally Mark} Recent happy moment: Student whom I shall call “Human Bowling Ball” rammed into me and instead of continuing on her way, she said, “Excuse me. I’m sorry Mrs. Knight.” Progress people. Progress!!! She earned us a happy tally! The whole class thanks each other too, if the situation calls for it. The kid who found the missing glue stick cap just about got a standing ovation when he earned a happy tally. At the end of the day if there are more happy than sad moments they get to earn a happy face! I originally drew mine, but I don’t like my drawings much, so I pulled this together with Krista’s clip art! I am going laminate and really wow the kids with these! After 10 happy days we will have a reward… popcorn and Charlie Brown are in our future! This is my favorite part!!! You know the big bag of eyes??? I poured a few of them into a small container and if “ Eye like what I see” at a certain table group, they get this little trophy of sorts. If your table has the eyes when we line up, you line up first. If your table has it at the end of the day, then you get one of these!!! I simply write their name and reward them by shouting them out in front of their friends. Everyone loves their 15 minutes of fame! I am big into shouting out great behavior. We have a mini assembly at the end of every school day. It takes 30 seconds and it means the world to the kids! It’s a very personal touch and we are all thriving with the little extra bit of love and praise. So enjoy people! I hope you like what you see and follow me. I love my readers, and I love your comments too! So leave me some love because “Eye” like hearing from you all! I hope your classroom behavior is better than ever!!!
Hey, friends! I’m teaming up with my good friend Elyse from Proud to be Primary to bring you a whole slew of classroom management tips and tricks… plus, a bunch of classroom management freebies! This
Babbling Abby's Teacher Week topic today is Creative Ideas. (How about that use of alliteration!?) I am going to share some ideas of things I do in my classroom that make life a bit easier for me and hopefully will for you too! Some of these ideas are actually activities that you can use when teaching content areas. 1) Gem Jar - This is a classroom management idea I use to reward whole class behavior. I have a cut out of a jar taped to my whiteboard. There are also a bunch of magnetic gems. When the class WOW's me, I add a gem to the class jar. When other classes compliment our behavior in the hallway, the cafeteria, or Related Arts, I add a gem. When the class fills the whole jar, I let them vote on their class reward. We've done Pajama Day, Popcorn Party, Brownies, Ice Cream Sundaes, Movie, etc... 2) Flow Charts - I love flow charts! They are great for all subject areas and for classroom procedure. I made a flow chart this year for my morning procedure which is pictured below! I also have a print out of the flow chart for their PRIDE Planners. You can use flow charts for a ton of different math skills (adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, etc...) The possibilities are just endless. 3) Finger Language - I am sure many of you use your own version of this, but I like to keep it simple. I just have three hand signals. 1 finger for a question, 2 for the restroom, and 3 for using the trash can. I love not having children ask me if they can go do something. This way, I can just acknowledge their request in silence so as not to disturb the rest of the friends while their working. =) 4) Classroom Map - In third grade, we teach South Carolina history and geography. This year, I decided to make a blank giant map of South Carolina posted to one of the front bulletin boards. At the start of the year, we will mark our location and a few other major cities. As the year goes on, we will add important locations, events, regions, and people. For example, we teach about the 3 major Native American tribes in SC, so we will mark their locations as we discuss each. There are also 6 regions of South Carolina which will be added to the class map when we come to it. The map itself was made on laminated poster board. This way, I can write on the map with Vis-a-V or white board markers so I can wipe it clean at the end of the year and use it again! 5) 8 Step Model Drawing - This is the method used in Singapore where problem solving is a whiz due to the use of this method. I implemented it last year and have noticed a significant difference in my students abilities to understand and SOLVE word problems correctly. The thing I love most about this, is there are steps and children can feel successful when completing the steps. For more information on Singapore Math, visit this link. I purchased this book to help guide me last year when I was just starting out. I really recommend it! 6) Wheel of Choice - This is an idea I got from a previous teacher to help children learn to solve their own problems instead of always "tattle-telling!" This is a great idea for students to build a better classroom community and teach kids more responsibility for their actions. This isn't my actual wheel (mine has more choices), but this is a good example. My students are told to try two strategies to solve their problems before they come to me to deal with the situation. This rule obviously doesn't apply to situations that are more serious. The trick is to teach them the difference between serious offenses and minor ones that can be solved on their own.
I teach in Spain. Spaniards talk A LOT. I am dealing with a serious level of blurting out! Something had to give, so I created the perfect combination of a blurt chart with a Friday game of minute to win it. Here is how I do it… I want to emphasize that this is VERY different than the olden-style writing a name on the board for a punishment.
Check out these 5 No-Prep Reviews Games for any classroom or any subject! Click to see what no-prep review games you can add to your teacher toolbox!
NO, IT WON’T BE TOTAL CHAOS. I PROMISE! Before we get any further into this post, let me assure you my kids definitely *think* there are classroom rules. 😉 But, I don’t call them that and I haven’t for a long time. By the time they get to fifth grade, even the most well-behaved students ... Read More about No Classroom Rules = Better Classroom Management
Are you ready for back to school? These 29 classroom management tips and ideas will have you ready for the entire school year.
It’s that time of year again! We’re Back to School! It’s bittersweet isn’t it? Everything is fresh and brand new, new faces, new friends, new beginnings…and new school supplies! WooHoo! Yet, no more lazy mornings, late nights, planning your days on a whim. BooHoo! Here […]
Do you have a challenging class this year? This post has 5 behavior management strategies to try!
Avoid these end of the year classroom management mistakes that tired teachers can easily make. Learn simple things you can do instead to keep students engaged and your classroom running smoothly until the last day of school.
Don’t get me wrong — I love candy. And, a jolly rancher, a tootsie roll, or a starburst can work wonders in the classroom for student motivation and enthusiasm. So can pizza parties, and cupcake days, and brunch, and…I’ve had so many types of food parties I can’t even keep track! Recently, however, I’ve been […]
I have finally found an easy way to manage my conferring schedule! I am now in my fifth year of teaching reading, writing, and math in a “workshop” format (mini lesson, gradual release to independent work, conferring, group share) and there are a lot of kinks I am still working out. The tip I have to share today is one that has made it so much easier for me to
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I had to redo my old Blurt Chart because my class size has grown from 22 to 25! AHH! Anyways, I made this super cute polka dot Blurt Chart so I thought I would share it! New Blurt Chart: I use Velcro dots to make the stars easily go on and off of the chart. Old Blurt Chart: Here is how the Blurt Chart Behavior Management System works in my classroom: The B.L.U.R.T system discourages students from interrupting the teacher from teaching or interrupting other students from learning. Each day the students start with three stars next to their number on the chart. Anytime a student Blurts out, makes a Loud noise, interrUpts the teacher from teaching, a student is out of theiR seat talking to others, or Talking too loud they will lose a star. If a student loses all three stars they will receive a consequence. Click HERE to download the Blurt Chart from my TpT Store! ...
“We simply cannot teach our students well until we show them that we know them, care about them, and connect with them.” -Regie Routman As teachers of young children, we know how valua…
My behavior chart has seen better days! The construction paper I used has started to fade and the students' clips have done a number on the edges. I've decided to go with magnets {Click HERE for an awesome tutorial!} instead of clips for next year and am hoping that will help it last A LOT longer! Here is the new chart I made - I still really like the idea of using the sticker gemstones for each time a student makes it to the top of the chart, so I created a Outstanding Behavior Hall of Fame poster and stars. The students will earn a star once they make it to pink and will place it under the Hall of Fame poster. They will be able to add a gemstone to their stars each time they get on pink! Click on any of the images to check this out in my TpT store.
Team-Building in a Student-Led Classroom
Connecting with difficult students, those who challenge us in many ways, isn’t easy. But it is essential. When you succeed in building connections with your difficult students, the reward is huge. Today, I’m sharing seven simple but effective things I’ve done to build connections with those studen
