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If there is one thing that will help you be a more effective teacher, it is making connections with your students. Below we have outlined our top 10 ways that we can connect with our class. They are easy to implement and will result in your students performing better for you in all subject areas. 1. Listen! Probably the most important thing you can do every day is just listen to your students. They have so much to share and just taking a few seconds to listen to their stories will make all the difference. With the hustle and bustle that we all face on a daily basis, this can seem like it is hard to accomplish. But we must, as educators, connect with our students. Listening is the first step in establishing a trusting relationship with your class. 2. Greet Every Day When the students arrive in the hallways in the morning it is important to be visual outside your classroom door. You set the tone for your class every day. By smiling and greeting each child by name, you are recognizing that they are important and that you are glad that they are at school. It can also be a red flag as to why a child is having a rough start. You can find that out early on, and be able to address it before it balloons into a bigger issue during the school day. Plus, the kids love it and will often stop to talk to you about something that happened. Remember to listen! 3. Class Chant Every morning after we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we do our class chant. This is a time to bond together as a class and to say statements that you believe in. Here is our class chant. I am somebody. I am capable and loveable. I am teachable. Therefore, I can learn. I can do anything when I try. I will not let others stand in my way of learning. I am somebody. I am somebody. I am somebody! Students love to do this and remind me if I ever forget. We even have students come back to us from previous years and can recite it back to us. It is a great way to connect with your class and show them that they are somebody! 4. Culturally Responsive Techniques As educators we know that students learn through various methods. That is why it is so important to not always teach in the same way. Over the past few years, we have realized the importance of incorporating culturally relevant teaching techniques in our classroom. We want ALL of our students to feel included in the learning process. You can find 25 engaging culturally responsive teaching techniques for purchase by clicking here. 5. Interest Inventory A great way to get to know your students is to hand out an interest inventory.The questions on the inventory are geared at helping you get to know your students better. It is a quick, stress-free handout that you can give to your students and have them complete in under 15 minutes. Click here to download this free resource! 6. Student-Selected Music Asking students what music they like to listen to is another great way to connect with them. We have students take out a piece of loose leaf paper and write down their favorite musicians and songs. Then, we go through the process of screening them (looking up lyrics on the internet) and compile a class list. There are a few ways to do this. One is to find them on youtube and then just save them to a folder on your account. Another way is to find a Pandora Or Amazon Unlimited Music channel that has clean versions of songs available. We also like to play classical music too. Surprising kids with their songs during work time will sure to be a hit with your class! 7. Class Library If you want to build reading fluency with your class, have high interest books in your class library. Each year we find out not only the genres of books that students like, but also topics that they would love to read more about. Over the past 10 years we have included books about Minecraft, WWE wrestling, monster trucks, horses, graphic novels, and so much more. The books are easy to find in our library as we have them labeled by interest as well as genre. If we don't have a topic that a student is interested in, we make it a point to either order a few books through Scholastic Book Club or go to our local book store and buy a few. 8. Real-Life Connections If there is any way you can connect the curriculum to the students' lives it will make it more engaging for them. By doing this, it will also more than likely increase their achievement in the subject as well. Doing project-based learning is a great way to foster interest and self-motivation. Writing is a great area to implement real-life connections. If you are doing an argumentative, or persuasive, essay, have the students write about topics that matter to them. Then make sure that these essays are shared with the appropriate channels (local newspapers, principal, magazines). You would be surprised to see the responses you will get and we have had students' essays published in the local newspaper as well! 9. Star of the Week Each child deserves to be spotlighted for one week. We have the child create a "Star of the Week" poster (we provide the poster board). On the poster they can include things such as family photos, favorites (food, drink, book, TV shows/movies,...) and any other things that are important to them. They bring the poster to school at the beginning of the week and we have a special place to display it so all kids can see it throughout the week. Then at the end of the week, the student shares his/her spotlight with the class. It is amazing to see the pride they have in doing this. We also take a picture of the child with the spotlight and then email it to the parents as well. 10. Time to Talk If there was one thing we wish we could do, it would be to give each child 5 minutes of our time each day. It would be great just to meet with them and listen to what they have to say, really dive in and get to know them. But we know the harsh reality of today's rigid teaching environment doesn't allow it. But that doesn't mean that you can't find ways to sneak in a few minutes a day with kids. That morning time when students are arriving at school is key. They want to tell you so much, try and listen. That work time where students are working quietly, kneel down by them and ask how they are doing. That guided reading time when you are meeting with small groups, connect the book to their lives and find out more about each of them. The end of the day wrap up, take time to sit in a circle and share about their days. Just by taking time to allow them to talk about non-school related things will show them that you truly care. We hope that you can take the time to implement at least a few of the above ideas into your classroom. Connecting with your class truly will increase student engagement! Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more great ideas!

This month I am reading Strategies that Work by Stephanie Harvey and Ann Goudvis. This little suggestion came from Melissa (Got to Teach) on Elementary Snapshots last month. The book covers 6 easy strategies that will help improve students' reading comprehension. It offers lots of suggestions on shared reading and how to model the 6 strategies for your students. In her post, Melissa was also kind enough to offer some FREE strategy posters for your classroom that directily align with this text. Click on the picture below to grab the free posters. Photo Credit: Melissa, Got to Teach Click on the book image to shop this read on Amazon. Finally, click on the Focused on Fifth button to check out what other upper elementary teachers are reading this month.

Routines? Procedures? You've thought it all through. I'm sure you are well on your way to setting up your school year for success. But, have you thought about what you expect out of students' attitudes? Have you envisioned the attitudes you want to develop in your students ? What shou

Help your students become more empathetic and compassionate with these social emotional learning lessons and activity ideas that are perfect for back to school or for building classroom community any time of the year. Pull out a copy of Each Kindness by Jaqueline Woodson and your students will be re

Prepping for a Substitute Teacher in Upper Elementary. Reading, Writing, Math and Poetry activities for upper elementary students

We all know one. The person who has the out-of-control classroom. How about some strategies to help?

Creating a positive classroom culture is the first thing every classroom teacher should do the first week of school. But it shouldn't stop there. You should continue to work on class culture the entire school year. We are hear to offer some tips, advice, and activities for you to use in your classroom to build on what you started the first month of school. Interest Inventory If you have not yet given an interest inventory to get to know your students you should. We have a simple one that we have created that you can download here for free. It contains thirteen questions that will help you to know your students better. You may be surprised at some of the answers! Use the surveys throughout the year by incorporating students' interests. Your students will be excited to see that you are interested in what they like. Cooperative Challenges Another way to build a positive classroom culture is through cooperative activities. One of our students' favorites is the Marshmallow Tower Trial. In this activity, students are given a box of toothpicks, 5 large marshmallows and a few handfuls of small marshmallows. Their task is to cooperatively build the tallest tower that they can in 10 minutes. They can not use anything except the materials provided. This is a great team-building activity that will show you how your students work together. We did this the first week of school and were pleased with how well the groups worked together. Of course, at the end, we gave them some marshmallows to eat too which probably helped. We also do a "Save Fred" activity. Students come into the classroom with a situation in their group. Fred the gummy worm is stuck on top of his boat (clear plastic cup) and he has to get his life preserver (lifesaver) from under his boat with only the use of paper clips! Watch students use the scientific method as they try to solve the problem. Click here for a blog post to read more about it. Whole Group Activity After the first few weeks of school, the "honeymoon" period may be over and some students may need a reminder on what it means to be kind and respectful to each other. We have created a toothpaste activity that is sure to hit home with your students. Pull out a brand new tube of toothpaste and show your students. Tell them that you have a challenge for them. Tell the students that you want to see if they can squeeze all of the toothpaste out onto a piece of construction paper in one minute. You will have tons of hands shoot up for volunteers. Take one volunteer, set a timer, and let the student squirt it all out. You will have students cheering as the toothpaste exits onto the construction paper. When done, write the time on the board. Then pick two more volunteers, but don't tell them what it's for. When you have two volunteers, hand them each a toothpick. Tell them that their job is to put every last bit of toothpaste back into the tube. Watch as they try and try but find it impossible to do it. This is where the true learning takes place. Discuss with the class how saying something mean or hurtful is like squeezing out toothpaste-easy. But the damage left on the person who was the target will never be complete again. Those unkind words will never be fully replaced. This is a powerful lesson. If you would like step by step directions for this, you can find it here. Be Prompt When issues arise, address the problems right away. We have found that contacting parents that first month of school can make all the difference. If behaviors are ignored, they will just continue to surface and grow throughout the school year. If you want to have a positive classroom culture, you cannot let a few students' behaviors ruin that for the rest of the class. Involving the parents is key to letting those students know that they need to fix their behavior. Culturally Responsive Teaching In order to have a culture of respect, you must value diversity in your classroom. We are not only taking about racial, physical and cultural differences, but learning styles as well. It is crucial that your teaching style incorporates a wide variety of methods to reach all of your learners. We have created 25 culturally responsive teaching activity cards that will engage your students in many different ways. We use these all the time and students respond well to the wide variety of learning methods. You can find them here. You are the key to continuing a positive culture in your classroom. Make sure to stop and evaluate your current atmosphere in your classroom and use some of the above tips, advice, or activities to help make it an environment that students can thrive and excel in.

Who doesn’t YouTube? The other day I YouTubed "What eye cream should I purchase?" YouTube is wonderful. There is a lot of information and tutorials for every interest and/or need, so it’s no surprise teachers

I've shared 5 apps that will help you in teaching STEM in the upper elementary classroom

When it comes to engaging students with nonfiction reading, simple strategies can make a huge difference! I have always found that students either love or hate reading nonfiction informational texts. And those students who do not love it, need some creative ideas to hook them into reading AND enjoying informational texts. When planning out my nonfiction reading units and strategies, I break it down into three different mini units to help the students digest all of the different elements of nonfiction reading. Nonfiction Structure: how the informational text is organized {think cause and effect} Nonfiction Text Features: features found in the text to help students digest the information that they are reading {think captions and headings} Nonfiction Reading Strategies: reading strategies that help the students understand the text more deeply {think questioning and visualizing} While teaching each of these nonfiction mini-units, I use different engagement strategies specifically created for nonfiction reading to engage and hook my readers. Here is a list of the six different engagement strategies that I use to engage ALL readers in nonfiction reading: Allow Student Choice Brain Dump Draw It Out Make an Achor Chart Be Detectives Game Time These strategies are much easier to explain in person! That is why I created a quick video you can watch all about my favorite reading strategies to hook your students in reading nonfiction. Want to learn about each of these easy-to-implement strategies that will surely yield high engagement? I created a completely FREE 20 minute PD session all about these 6 nonfiction reading strategies to help you hook your students, too! Grab it right here! Remember teaching students to understand nonfiction reading is different than reading strategies to help students comprehend a chapter book, picture book, or short passage. Teaching nonfiction reading strategies and structure require different engagement strategies. By mixing up your instruction, lessons, and activities your students will strengthen their understanding of nonfiction reading in no time at all! Looking for Nonfiction Reading Strategy Activities ? Try These! LOVE this post? Pin to save these ideas! *affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

Routines? Procedures? You've thought it all through. I'm sure you are well on your way to setting up your school year for success. But, have you thought about what you expect out of students' attitudes? Have you envisioned the attitudes you want to develop in your students ? What shou

Many United States teachers may not have heard of the term "hot seating" yet, but we envision this creative teaching idea jumping across the pond from the U.K very soon! Overview “Hot Seating” is a teaching strategy in which either the teacher or student takes on the role of a character from a book or real person and sits in the hot seat. Then the other classmates ask questions and the person in the “hot seat” must answer the questions the way the character or historical figure would have answered. Background Knowledge For “Hot Seating” to be effective, students involved must have background knowledge of the character/person. This will need to take place during normal classroom instruction or outside of school. In order for students to acquire the background knowledge, they must do the research/read the book. Acquiring background knowledge can be accomplished through a variety of ways: Classroom textbook/or literature book Books from the school or public library Online resources (Encyclopedia Britannica, Explora, Kids Discover, etc.) Questioning At the center of “Hot Seating” are the questions that the students will be asking. It is highly recommend that you model the questioning process. You want the questions to focus on the personal feelings and observations that the character would be familiar with. It is important that you are the moderator during the questioning period so the questions stay on topic. Grouping Hot Seating can be structured a few different ways: Whole Class- This is where the entire class takes turns to ask another student(s) in the “hot seat” questions. Small Group- This is where a small group of students (5-6) ask one another student in the “hot seat” questions. Partners- This is where one student is in the “hot seat” and the other student asks the questions. Debate One interesting twist that you could do with your class is to have opposing viewpoints as part of a debate. There are two ways to do this. The first way would be to give a student in the hot seat a specific amount of time to answer questions from the audience. Then his/her “opponent” would do the same. The second way would be for both students are in front of the class taking turns answering the same questions (back and forth). This can really help students understand different perspectives. Extension Ideas During “Hot Seating”, you could have your students take notes on how the character/person answers the questions. Once the “Hot Seating” session has ended, have each student choose how he/she would like to display what he/she learned. Some choices could be: Make a poster Write a news article Create a timeline Perform a news show Write a song Teacher Tips: Decide how you want the hot seat to look in your classroom. In other words, decide if you want to do it as a whole class, small groups, or partners. Decide which student(s) will be on the hot seat. Choose the role/figure that they will portray. Find a "hot seat" for the person. It can be a simple student chair, or a special one for the activity. You may also want to show the students how to write a bibliography if students are doing a historical figure and are taking notes from various media. When the research is complete, or the literature book is finished, organize your class and figure out how questions will be asked. Make sure to help facilitate between the character/person and the audience asking questions. Check out our Hot Seating resources here. We hope you can try "Hot Seating" in your classroom. Your students will love it! Follow us on TPT. Find us on Pinterest.

Taking ownership of our learning and finding great books for balanced literacy professional development is a must for every primary teacher! These books are easy reads and filled with knowledge!

Differentiating our instruction is the key to our students’ success! We must provide materials that students can understand at his/her level, but I know this can be a tough task! It’s hard enough to create one solid lesson that’s targeted to the entire audience, and now thinking about creating materials that will meet the needs […]

Summer is about family, friends, sleeping in, barbecues, beaches and BOOKS! I read during the school year, but I am much more limited on time so I don't read as much as I'd like to. So I make up for it during the summer. I read steamy romance novels, children's literature and professional development books.

As teachers, we know that we are ALWAYS assessing, and using that information to guide our instruction. With the help of tech, that has never been easier.

Do you ever have trouble with students getting their work done during center time? This post gives you ideas for holding student accountability during this time so that you know they are making the most of their time. Using games and fun activities will help and this post includes free recording sheets.

Professional development books for math teachers to sharpen their skills and better meet their students' needs. | maneuveringthemiddle.com

Taking ownership of our learning and finding great books for balanced literacy professional development is a must for every primary teacher! These books are easy reads and filled with knowledge!

14 Brilliant Ways to Quiet a Noisy Class! Check out these behavior management strategies for classroom management!

Hopefully this post is finding everyone relaxing and enjoying some time off school. I know some of you have been on break for ages--and others just wrapped up your school years this past week. If any of you are looking to "recharge" your reading instruction for the next school year, I thought I'd showcase three of my favorite professional books on the topic! Closer Reading: Grades 3-6 by Nancy Boyles Nancy was kind enough to grant me an interview last year where I shared with her some of the questions my own teammates and readers have had about "close reading"--what it IS, and what it is NOT. It's a trendy term, for sure. If you want to read more, check out the interview by CLICKING HERE. This book really was a gift for my team. We did parts of it as a book study, and it really helped us get on the same page about how we were going to define "close reading" and how we could see it helping both our whole class instruction (which it did) and our options for interventions with students struggling with comprehension (this is what we are working on now). If you want to read more about this topic, I have found her book to be the easiest, most practical guide about how to get started making changes in your reading instruction. The book is geared specifically for intermediate students, so it is a perfect match for what we do on a daily basis! Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst OK...this book was a total game changer for me. Seriously. I always thought I was a pretty decent reading teacher--especially with my "think alouds" that I would do with both picture books and chapter books. What this book made me realize is that there are certain elements in good literature that a few readers notice naturally--but MOST students do not and need them explicitly taught! Once I started doing so, I could not BELIEVE the shift in discussions in my classroom! Honestly! Students not only applied this during our read alouds--but during their book clubs and even independent reading! I am absolutely positive that this book changed the quality of my instruction. In a nutshell, Beers writes about six "signposts"--elements found in almost all novels (after a very in depth study of many books). She talks about how identifying and studying these "features" can help unlock comprehension for many students. For example, one such signpost is "Words of the Wiser"--my students LOVE to point this one out! Have you noticed in many many books, there is a character that shows up occasionally (or maybe even only once) to prove some insight or important information to another character who is going through something? Once students start to recognize this in the books they read, it helps them realize that this is a critical part of the story and they need to tune in. I am making this far more simplistic than it really is--and the book does a WONDERFUL job discussion text complexity, close reading, and many other critical literacy concepts. This is a "must have" book for anyone who teaches reading in grades 4-6, in my opinion! Not going to lie...had to make some fun mobiles a few years ago to have hanging in my room to showcase them! The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo This is a very interesting book in that I look at it almost as a reading teacher "menu". I found it extremely helpful last year when I was planning instruction for my intervention groups...I had found myself doing the same old thing over and over--and Serravallo's book was the perfect place to go to try to shake things up in my own mind. The book is organized by reading skill cluster--"Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers", "Supporting Comprehension in Fiction", "Teaching Fluency", and so on. Once you know what you are working on with your class or small group, take some time to browse through the section and get inspired with lesson ideas, anchor charts, and more! I love that she stresses what reading level "band" the lessons are appropriate for...I had one kiddo who was reading at a first grade level last year...so that is a nice feature as well. The fact that the pages are so well organized is a bonus--and just leafing through it is like looking at a Pinterest board full of reading lessons! I think it's really important as we plan for our next year, to be really thoughtful of the amount of "real reading" our students do. It is so easy to get caught up in standards, and high stakes tests and skills--and forget that research clearly says that the best way to learn to read and write---is to read and write! I am fortunate that my district is supportive of a balanced literacy program that not only encourages, but requires chunks of independent reading. In fact, to be considered "at grade level", our fourth graders are expected to be able to sustain independent reading at "just right level" books for a minimum of thirty minutes. Explicitly teaching those behaviors around this are a critical part of starting my school year. Skills such as... *Picking "just right" books *Learning to tune out distractions *Rereading to make sense of books *Knowing how to troubleshoot when meaning breaks down *What genres of books are there--and which interest me the most and other skills are an important part of my back to school reading instruction. I want to make sure my students are actually READING when it's time to read! I use a lot of the information in this resource to help guide me in case you feel this part of your school year could use a new twist. Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous and safe Fourth of July! Follow me on... Facebook Pinterest Instagram @Fourthgradestudio Twitter @FourthGrStudio Periscope @ FourthGrStudio Teachers Pay Teachers Store Blog

Find out how to spiral effectively in your classroom, to boost student learning. Lots of practical ideas in this post by The Teacher Next Door.

I remember a professional development session where the presenter projected a piece of text with lots of blanks where words should have been. A quick glance at the format told us that it was a

Routines? Procedures? You've thought it all through. I'm sure you are well on your way to setting up your school year for success. But, have you thought about what you expect out of students' attitudes? Have you envisioned the attitudes you want to develop in your students ? What shou

Professional Development for STEM and STEAM Teachers There are increasingly more PD opportunities for STEM and STEAM educators, ranging from online courses and webinars to conferences or hands-on workshops. This is a list to get you started, which I will be updating as more opportunities are added. Please feel free to comment with any of your own recommendations so I can add them to the list as well! Online PD Opportunities and Webinars edWeb.net Webinars and PD, such as Developing a Fundable and Sustainable STEM Program SimpleK12.com - hosts individual PD, free webinars, or PD for schools and districts. STEM options such as "Spark Imagination and Innovative Thinking with STEAM in your Classroom" Learner's Edge: Choose from online or print. STEM options such as "Consumer to Creator: Coding and Kids" NICERC: Cyber, STEM, and Computer Science curriculum for K-12. Cyber education certificate available ITEAA STEM Webinars (STEMinars) - members get access to previous webinars, such as "Top 10 Ways to Incorporate STEM in Your Elementary School" or one about safer Makerspaces ISTE: Check out ISTE U for topics such as digital citizenship or follow their blog for more ideas. STEM Conferences and Onsite Training Opportunities Early Childhood STEM Conference: http://ecstem.org Hosted by the Children's Center at Caltech STEMpostium Ventura County: http://www.vcstemposium.org/ From the website, this is a "FREE week-long (4.5 day) summer institute for K-12 teachers followed by two optional Saturday workshops during the subsequent school year." NSTA Conferences: https://www.nsta.org/conferences/ From their site, "Each year, NSTA hosts a national conference on science education (in the spring), three area conferences (in the fall), and a STEM Forum & Expo." NASA Space Port Conference: https://nasa.epscorspo.nevada.edu/space-space-port-area-conference-for-educators/ Presentations are given by astronauts and NASA science and engineering experts in all fields. Awesome! STEAM Days of Summer: https://www.scienceworld.ca/steam-days-summer ASTC https://www.astc.org/conference/ Texas STEM Coalition: txstem.org/ ISTE https://www.iste.org/ Your go-to edtech conference! CA STEAM symposium: https://www.stemcalifornia.org/ Content Teaching Academy @ James Madison University: http://cta.jmu.edu/ American Society for Engineering Education, ASEE conferences: https://www.asee.org/conferences-and-events/conferences Arts Integration and STEAM Summit Other Ideas Shadow a professional! Find an experienced STEM teacher and shadow them for a day. Can't find one, or don't have the ability to take a day to do this? Join the STEM Teacher support group on Facebook: STEM Teacher Group on Facebook Ask burning questions, find photos of STEM labs and makerspaces, get recommendations for resources on different STEM topics. Another way to connect with other educators is through Twitter chats. Twitter Chats: ISTE list of twitter chats or visit this awesome list! Resource-Specific Training for Robotics and STEM Tools If you have or are trying to acquire specific tools, robots, etc. for your classroom, visit the websites of the manufacturers of these devices. Many of them have extensive training opportunities and learning resources. Here are some of my favorites: MakeyMakey training MakeWonder professional development (makes of Dash, Dot, and Cue) littleBits webinars Sphero professional learning Let's Start Coding online training Pin these Ideas for Later

I am an avid reader of all types of professional development books. Each summer, I choose 2-3 books to read based on my classroom needs. I often choose a new book to read throughout the school year ba

Before the start of each school year, I spend a lot of time reevaluating the routines and procedures that I use in my classroom. Establishing routines and procedures early on, sets the stage for a well-managed classroom and helps ensure "smooth sailing" for rest of the school year!! Below is a list that I refer to each year when establishing routines and procedures for my classroom.... {Click here to download!} Like anything else we teach our students, these routines and procedures need to be taught, modeled, practiced, and reinforced!! The following are the routines and procedures that I focus on the most, and the ones which I believe help foster a high-functioning learning environment.... Entering the Classroom "Ready to Learn" One of the first procedures that I teach my students is how to enter the classroom, and what to do once they come in. I strongly emphasize that they need to enter the classroom "ready to learn". We spend a lot of time talking about what it means to be ready to learn.... coming in quietly, having all materials needed for class, ready to follow directions or routines, and ready to GET TO WORK!!! My students learn quickly to always look to the white board for directions. First thing in the morning, after recess, and after lunch, I always have specific directions written on the board. Students learn to come in, look to the white board, and then begin following directions right away. This gives me time to take care of business, especially in the morning. At the same time, it teaches students independence. I always love the compliments I get from subs about how well my students follow directions, and how quickly and easily they get to work!! Teacher Signal The "teacher signal"-- No teacher should be without one!! For me, I have always use the simple and easy, GIVE ME 5. With this, I simply raise my hand and say, "Give me five," and my students raise their hands and show me that they're ready to.... STOP! LOOK! and LISTEN! Below is the graphic that I have displayed for the first weeks of school. We spend a lot of time discussing the expectations, and PRACTICING during those for first few weeks. {Click here to download!} Most of the teachers at my school and our principal use this strategy, so it's something consistent for the kiddos from year to year. However, I have always been very intrigued by some of the fun and catchy "attention grabbers" out there. I have often thought about giving some of these a try. Here are some great examples.... {SOURCE} {SOURCE} Transitions I will never forget my first year of teaching.... It never occurred to me that I would need to teach students how to transition from one activity to the next. So of course, chaos would ensue each time I gave students a simple direction, such as taking out a text book, or coming down to the rug. Each simple task would turn into full-blow conversations!! I would then have to get their attention all over again to give the next direction. A vicious cycle!! I quickly learned that quick and quiet transitions needed to be taught, practiced, and reinforced, NON-STOP for those first few days of school. The key is to always wait until students are quiet and then set the expectation for WHAT they need to do, and HOW they need to do it. I also teach my students to save their movement for when I am COMPLETELY done giving a direction. Quality of Work I spend A LOT of time at the beginning of the year discussing the quality of student work. It's always amazing to me how upper grade students forget {or do they?!} some of the most basic skills they learn in the primary grades. We're talking things as simple as using a period at the end of a sentence, or misspelling the word "read". In my class, I like to have a list of "must haves" that students refer to as they are working, and before they turn an assignment in. While of course there is always room for error, there are just certain things that are simply nonnegotiable for upper elementary (general ed.) students.... {Click here to download!} If anything on the list is missing, I simply hand assignments back to students, and remind them to refer to our Must Have List. Additionally, we spend a lot of time focused on "presentation" and students taking pride in their work. For example, when I assign projects I ask students to outline their writing with black or colored marker, add details and at least 3 colors to their illustrations, and to make the most of the space they have on their paper. I spend a lot of time modeling this, and I am constantly reinforcing high-quality work. In my classroom, time, effort, and pride go a long way!! Final Thoughts With any and all routines and procedures, it is so important to constantly set expectations during those first days. Right before recess, I always remind students about what is expected when they come back into the classroom after recess. Before an assignment, I ask students to tell me how I expect them to behave while they are working. We are constantly talking about expectations! Plus, we practice ALL THE TIME!! When we line up for lunch, we practice how to walk in a line. When we come in after lunch, we practice how to come in the classroom quietly. It seems like a lot, but it is so important to get them in place so that the rest of the year is smooth sailing!!! If you're looking for some Back to School activities and printables to ease you into the school year, be sure to check out this Back to School resource in my teacher shop. Click on the pic below to learn more!

Students benefit from hands-on activities to help boost their conceptual understanding of math. This focuses on measuring liquid volume.

Surprise visit from your principal? Not to worry - I've got you covered with 3 no-prep activities that are sure to impress during a surprise observation!

Switch up normal classroom routines with these three ideas that are easy to implement into your grade 4, 5, 6 classroom. Students will be engaged in adding digital components, using color and sketch notes or giving your upper elementary or middle school classroom a makeover.

Top picks for math professional development books that every math teacher must read.

Early finishers need activities so you are not scrambling to find something meaningful for students to work on when they complete work.

I have learned a few tips over the years about how to teach paired passages effectively. Read this post to learn five ways to teach paired passages.

Lesson Planning Quick Tips: Professional Development Blog SeriesGREAT FOR: Lesson Plans, Student Teachers, New Teacher, Professional Development, Back to SchoolSign up for email updates and follow me on TPT for updates.This is a quick reference guide for lesson planning. This would make and excelle...

Extra Beat, Take a Seat is a really fun game to play with upper elementary students to help them count beats. This can be played with no materials or rhythm sticks.

After a workshop, collect essential feedback from teachers with these educator-centered exit ticket ideas for professional development.

Professional development is key to developing successful teachers. Check out these professional development workshops.

In this post, I am sharing my top three reasons why upper elementary teachers should have centers in their classroom, plus BONUS material!

There's nothing like a word of wisdom from someone who's been in your shoes! Check out these top tips from over 50 teachers on classroom management, self care, and more!