I talk quite a bit about classroom management on my blog. I have to be honest here. I have tried so many different things. I have tried the clip chart, I have tried check marks, I have tried the “flip the card”. NONE of them work for me. The book Dream Class really changed my thoughts on...

PDF Spanish conjugation chart: Having a good Spanish conjugation chart is the key to learn to conjugate your verbs fast and efficiently.

There are so many ways to make the moment you tell your parents you’re pregnant a memorable one. The look on my mom and dads face when we told then I was pregnant was priceless. It’s a moment you won’t ever forget and you can make it even more special with one of

You can make your small home feel bigger by doing a few interior design tricks to trick the eyes - see 23 ways to make home look larger

I had envisioned a wall full of photos.Then, I started out by creating the arrangement as I saw it in my mind, on the floor of the living room. It was huge!

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 […]

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If you're tired of digging into your own pockets to find ways to motivate your students, you need to check out these FREE reward coupons. You can even use the editable option to add your own coupons.

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FREE Call Backs and attention getters for the kindergarten classroom! Great classroom management tool!

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Giving students an easy, independent activity to start as soon as they arrive on the first day of school is a great way to calm their nerves. It also allows you to focus on greeting new students and getting supplies organized and put away. Here is a great first day of school printable that students ... Read More about Read & Find – First Day of School Printable

Have you fallen into the trap of saying “No talking!” or “I need quiet!” all day long?

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Track student behavior the quick, efficient way: use a checklist. Free, editable trackers can be used to document and graph behaviors.

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The pencils are sharpened, your classroom is clean and the bell rings…gulp…here they come! My feelings on the first week of school are conflicted. On one hand, it’s one of the most important weeks. Explaining and practicing the class procedures and expectations sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Success is vital. On the other hand, I’m so excited to start teaching my historical content that waiting until all the expectations are explained requires a lot of patience! Every teacher has their own plan of action for that pivotal time. Here are 5 things I can’t live without during the first week of school: One: An Icebreaker. I aim to try and make kids feel comfortable in my classroom on day one. One of my favorite little activities is Fact or Fiction. Each student receives a small slip of paper and they’re instructed to write one fact and two fictions. Then each person (including myself!) introduces themselves and we all try to guess which statement is the fact! It’s a great way to quickly learn about each other. Two: Classroom Information and Expectations. This is every teacher’s staple, I know, but it had to go on the list because it’s a must-have! When you’re making your own, spell everything out – from the obvious grading procedures and late work policy to how to pass back papers and when to sharpen pencils and go to the bathroom. Trust me, leave no stone unturned. Your classroom will function much better if you set the tone from day one. (Oh, and don’t forget a seating chart!) Three: Fun and Games. On the second day of school, I love to start class with a little game. It’s a great way for the kids to start practicing our classroom procedures and expectations while getting familiar with their teacher and classmates. Here are some of my favorite games that I use during the first week of school: (P.S. Some of these activities can be found in my Back to School Activities resources! Click the grade level you’re teaching to check them out: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth) InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing fellow classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name in the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: I love skits. LOVE THEM. I like to introduce students to the idea of skits during the first week by allowing them to create their own based on our class expectations. 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. They get to be silly and I get to reinforce my class expectations. After each skit I happily point out all the positive behaviors as well as each time a class policy was violated. It’s a light-hearted way to grab their attention and create a positive atmosphere all while practicing the laws of the land. Classmate Bingo: I love to play this game at the end of the first week. I give each student a blank bingo board with a large selection of personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. at the bottom. The students choose 16 off the list and create their customized board. Then, I randomly select characteristics from the list. If a student has that characteristic on their board, they have to write down a student’s name that matches the characteristic – but no cheating! They have to use what they’ve learned about others during their first week of school to try and win the game. Four: A Pre Test. After a few days of class information and fun, it’s time to start getting down to business. Each year, I make a short pre-test on the information they’ll learn about that year. It gives me a chance to see what the kids already know and gives them a feel for what subject matter they’ll be learning about in the coming weeks. FYI: Your pre-test probably won’t take the whole class period. Make sure to have plans for other activities, too, on the day you give your pre-test! Five: A Writing Activity. True fact: when I tell kids they’re going to do a writing activity, they groan every time. It’s a signal that the “real work” is about to begin. Luckily, they’re always relieved when I assure them that this activity will require very little research because it’s about a subject they’re experts in – themselves! I have a few different activities to choose from each year. Here are some suggestions: Student Survey: What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you hope to learn in this class? These are just some of the questions I ask students in the survey. The more I know about my students, the better I can help them achieve success in my class. Write Away: A staple of many: write a letter to a future you! I ask students to write goals for the year, dreams they wish to see realized, and questions they want to ask their “End of the Year” self. I tuck these letters away and revisit them during the last week of school. I’m Ready: Like every middle school history class, we do a lot of writing and students always have to back up their reasons, statements, etc. with evidence to support their claim. In this writing activity, students have to identify which class rule or expectation they believe is most important and provide evidence to support their claim. This activity both reinforces my classroom policies and secretly gives me a preview of their writing proficiency. Have I left anything out? If you have any fun plans for the first week of school, share them in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas for my classroom!

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.

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These ideas are so cute!

Making inferences worksheets and activities aren't always easy for students, but there are fun ways to teach this challenging reading skill.

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Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :

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So, yesterday I showed you how I got my angle studies kicked off with my students–how I solidified understanding of “right angle”. We had lots left to accomplish–so I’ll try to share some of the different lessons and activities we did over the next days! Tip 1: If you can get your hands on thin […]

Do you want an activity that gives you real information about how your students think, perceive, process, and learn best from the very first days in your room? This Left Brain vs Right Brain Test will guide your students through a series of questions, and they will record their answers on a "map of their brain". You can read the questions aloud, have the list printed for groups or individuals, or use the task cards included to make a task card scoot around the room. I know there is a lot of research that says we don't just use one side of our brain. That isn't the point of this activity. This activity is geared toward helping you, as their teacher, get to how they think, process, and work the best so you can meet them where they are from the very first days of class. Included in this resource: Three different length tests - 8, 16, and 24 questions Three different style printable brains for each amount of questions Lists of questions with options for answers and coloring instructions Task cards for each question Results analysis pages to print for students (and parents) or read aloud Read the all about how to use the product in your classroom in this blog post! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ See what other teachers are saying: "I used this activity to show students ways they are different and the same. Students started realizing they have more in common with certain students than they thought and there was a shift in respect for one another. Plus we started researching so students saw where they had strengths and weaknesses." - Jane E. "I loved doing this activity with my students! We displayed the brains in our classroom and had many insightful conversations about how all our brains are different!" - Bethany F. "My students loved this at the beginning of the year. They wanted to know what it meant if more of their left or right side was filling up, and many even went home and had discussions with their families about it." - Cassie P.

I absolutely love having our family photo hanging up in our loft area! It makes the room more inviting and tells our story through pictures as we have guests over. The insulation polystyrene foam makes it easier on the walls and braces by making the piece lightweight.

I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to buil…

Having trouble with students following expectations? This agreement gives examples of both positive and negative behaviors and what the logical consequence would be for making that choice would be. When I have students that struggle with following directions or expectations, I have them sign this agreement. It is good to sit down and discuss logical consequences with students. This contract is inspired by restorative and reflective practice when it comes to student behavior. It is also a bit based on PBIS expectations in the classroom. You could also use this at the beginning of the year whole class. UPDATED: (not shown in the thumbnail but is shown in the video) This resource has been a big hit in my store lately, so I decided to make some upgrades to it! I have now included an editable template for the logical consequence chart (on Google Slides). You will also find two options in the PDF download for behavior reflection sheets (as mentioned in the original) and additionally, an apology letter template. This is your one stop shop for all things behavioral systems in the classroom! I hope that this product update is helpful!