What does your classroom say about you

What does your classroom decor say about you?

Anyone that is reading this blogpost is most likely either a teacher or a parent. And most teachers are also parents. Everyone can relate to taking your student to their classroom for the first time. One of the first things you notice as a parent may not be the teacher, or the other students but the classroom itself.

What kind of teacher did my son/daughter get this year? Classroom decorations go a long way to communicating what kind of a teacher you are to both parents and youngsters.

So when you are putting together your classroom what do you want it to say about you? Are you strict? Fun? Energetic? Boring? Are you "with it?" (Do you know what is popular with the kids in the age range that you are teaching?

Decorating your classroom with popular cultural icons can go a long way to making that important first connection with your students. And having inspirational posters and posters on behavior is one of the key components to any good classroom management plan.

So all that said, are you ready?

My sister Hilary Lewis has been teaching 2nd grade for over 20 years and this year ended up moving to a new 3rd grade classroom with only 2 years left before retirement! We joined forces over the summer and came up with some classroom decorations in the style of Minecraft called Blockcraft Kids and Pets that will make your life easier and hopefully help make those all important connections.

With the TPT site wide sale and 28% Off everything in our stores, now is the time to find some amazing new decorations and organizational stuff for your classroom! Take a look at some of the decor we created:

Name tags that are individualized can make kids feel special!

Labels that go with the theme brightens up your spaces and helps with organization, not just for you but for anyone that is volunteering or helping in your classroom:

And for classroom management it helps to post character traits that are important to classroom culture, for all kids and parents to see:

And inspiring those kids to learn is one of the biggest parts of our job as teachers. Here are some inspirational posters from my store too!

Good luck with setting up your own amazing classroom this year! Make it the best year ever! So that your students look like this:

And not like this:

I found some great tips from Edudemic on how to help young children feel safe and more at ease in the classroom:

• Have group activities where children are encouraged to decorate the classroom together.
• Install a large bulletin board and encourage student to bring photos of their family and pets to pin on the board. Children should also be encouraged to bring and share items of cultural significance to display.
• Hold an orientation early in the school year where parents are invited to the classroom. This will serve as an icebreaker and help the classroom environment feel less strange."

Have the best year ever!

Sabrina

Positive Reinforcement & Fairness in the Classroom

We have all heard and used positive reinforcement in our own classroom.  However, how we do it, how often we use it, and how we practice fairness along with it is as crucial as using it at all.  

So often I have found myself focusing on the undesirable behavior in the classroom and unintentionally let good behavior go unnoticed or unmentioned in the day.  It's hard to admit, but I have been there and done that- having spent so much of my energy trying to correct behavior by directly pointing them out over and over again, and in reality, with little success of making it consistently better.  

But I have caught myself and learned to make a conscious decision everyday to focus less on negative behaviors and highlight and focus toward the desirable instead.  As I have done this more and more, I have also seen an improvement in the classroom's morale and climate.  In addition, other students have also begun imitating and practicing the good behavior that was being highlighted.

Be Specific With Your Compliments

Instead of saying, "Johnny, stop bothering Suzie", try "I like the way Chase is working so hard on completing his work.  He is working quietly so that his friends can focus on their own work."

"Thank you, Chloe for sitting criss-crossed on the rug with your hand on your lap and is ready to learn."

"I love how the front of the line is facing forward and waiting quietly for us to use the restroom."

The more specific that you are with your compliments, the more the students will recognize the behavior that they need to imitate and will exemplify them.  This really has worked like a charm in my classroom and has helped my students correct their own behavior without my saying.

Compliment Often

Every chance that you have, compliment someone doing something.  Children love being praised by their teacher, and the more is truly the merrier.  The more that I complimented my kids, the happier they were, and the more positive our classroom has become.  Something that is so simply and intention can truly transform a classroom around!

Speaking of intention, I also make an effort everyday to compliment each of my kids.  May it be during a lesson, at recess, or even as I am marking the stars that they have earned on their behavior calendar at the end of the day, every compliment matters and you really can't beat seeing the kids grinning ear to ear because of a simple compliment from me.

Encourage Students to Compliment Each Other

Some time after a couple weeks into the school year (when the honeymoon stage is over), the tattling begins and after Christmas it comes with vengeance!  So much so that whenever I heard my name called out, I would cringe because I knew what was coming my way-- a tattle.  So I began encouraging my kids to compliment each other instead of tattling.  I helped my students see that by complimenting each other, they too are building and support each other in our learning community.  

Be Fair

While being complimentary to my students has helped curb behavior problems, I have also learned that building a positive classroom is nothing if fairness is non-existent.  Therefore, I try my best to be very intentional in my actions and words with my students.  If I say it, then I mean it, and I follow through with every consequence that I tell the students.  If I correct a student and set the consequence if the behavior continues , then I always follow through with it.  While accommodations are used for each students, they all  know that the rules do apply to everyone and everyone is accountable and will be accountable for his/her own actions.

For more resources to help build a positive classroom environment, click to the images below.

 

Helping Students Transition Back from Winter Break

You haven't had school in over 2 weeks so you've probably enjoyed binge watching tv, staying in your pajamas all day, and eating whatever/whenever you want (please tell me that's not just me). Getting back in the swing of school is going to be hard for you and your students, but here are a few tips to help make that transition a bit easier. 

1. Review the Rules/Expectations

Just like the 1st day of school, going over the rules after break is essential! Now is a good time to review all of the classroom rules and decide if you need any more in place. One year, I let my class come up with the rules. I know you probably think that's crazy! Well, check out this huge list they came up with. I even had to cut them off! By allowing them to create the rules, they take ownership of them. However you do your rules (student led, classroom, school wide, etc), make sure to go over them and make sure students remember the consequences of breaking the rules. 

 I personally think #10 is the BEST!!

 2. Review Procedures
Along the lines of reviewing the rules, discussing the classroom procedures is also vital. Discussing arrival/dismissal procedures, classroom jobs, bathroom/drink privileges, lunch procedures, fire/tornado drills, center time, etc. are all important things to go over. We can't assume that students will remember EVERYTHING from before break. All the hot chocolate and candy canes fog up their head for a bit. :)

3. Give Students a Break
You know how exhausted you are the first week after a break and you just can't wait for lunch, recess, and your prep so you can just sit and catch your breath, well your students are like that too. So ease them back into the long daily routine. Throw in some brain breaks like these quick cards you can put on a ring for quick access.

These Fluency & Fitness Slideshows are fun because they review skills and get in movement. 

4. Take Time to Review Old Skills

We cannot expect our students to just get back in the swing of things and start learning a new topic. Your first week back is a great time to do a quick review on the main skills you've taught already this school year. Students are going to need time to practice the skills and strategies they haven't used for the past few weeks. Winter break isn't as bad as when students come back from Summer vacation, but a refresher course is a good way to transition back into the first week. It will also save some of your sanity of planning over break, because you can just pull out old lessons and activities for this review week. 

5. Let Students Share About Their Break

Students have so much they want to share about with you and their friends when they get back to school. It's been about 2 weeks without their friends, so you know they're going to want to talk. When they arrive in the morning you can use these FREE Winter writing prompts to have students write about their break. Then you can gather around in a circle and let each student have a few minutes to share about their break. 

Hopefully your first week back after break will go smooth. It's always fun to see your students again, but don't be surprised if you get this look a few times. :)

Ten Strategies to Keep Students' Attention

Have you ever called on a student and he/she looks at you like a deer in headlights?  It is getting more and more difficult to keep students on task.  I believe that technology plays a large role in this lack of attention.  When my school implemented iPads into the curriculum, I immediately thought it would be a great way to keep students' attention.  I quickly realized that although it was an effective tool, it shouldn't be used throughout the day.  Students need a variety of learning strategies.  Here are some ideas that will help keep your students' attention especially during the holiday season!

1.  Plan Effectively-  No matter how long I've been in the classroom and feel like I can teach with my eyes closed, effective planning is the key.  Whenever I left a blank spot in my plans, it often became disastrous!  I would  think that I would know what to do when the time comes, but in that very minute, I would get distracted by the million things that happen in a classroom daily (paper cut, hurt feelings, parent call, etc)  Then panic mode would set it and a worksheet would get passed out.  That may keep their attention for the skinny minute, but it won't last and it won't mean anything.  So plan, plan, plan!  Even if you are showing a movie, have a plan in case technology isn't your friend that day!

2.  Design Creative Lesson Plans-  Throughout the years, I've gone through training to make lessons more creative.  Creative lessons are well-known for engaging students.  If you are a creative teacher, yeah for you!  This part will come easy to you.  If you aren't as fortunate to have that trait, no worries!  There are so many resources available!  This useful post on creativity was posted by We Are Teachers:   40 Ways to Add Creativity in Your Lessons!

3.  Offer a Variety of Lessons for Different Learning Styles-  Do you seem to do the same activities over and over?  Is it because you think your students know the routine and it is just easier for you?  If you want your students to be more engaged, offer a variety of lessons.  Use technology for one assignment, but a pencil for the next!  Make a craft with one assignment and a simple discussion group for the next!  Tend to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners!

4.  Mix Up Ways of Working-  Mix up expectations for how your students will work (Independent, partners, whole group, small groups) Include some reading around the room time!  They love it and it will give you time to get ready for the next lesson.  

5.  Ask Questions- Get the kids talking!  Have students thinking deeper and share perspectives!  Use the 5 W's- Who, What, When, Where, and WHY WHY WHY!  I also love to use the the Notice, Think and Wonder activity any time there is a meaningful illustration.  Students can take over the inquiry process and you can sit back and listen!
Here is a free Notice, Think and Wonder activity for the holidays:

6.  Use Sound or Silence-  Do you need to get your students' attention real quick?  Are they talking or even working in groups and you need their attention?  I like using sound or silence.  Some teachers might have a special clap or chimes.  I know a teacher who has a piano in the room!   Her students knew specific songs meant different things. (Line up, sit down, come to carpet).  My favorite is to hold my hand up and as soon as one student sees it, they put their hand up and tell others.  It is a quick and easy way to grab their attention!

7.  Give Positive Reinforcement-  When students know you are watching them, and they know they will get a positive comment or shout out by you, they will want to get their work done.    "Hey class, you guys should see what Johnny is doing over here.  Do you mind if I read your poem to the class?"  "Whoever works hard and finishes the activity in time will get a high five!"  You don't have to hand out candy or do anything crazy.  Something simple works if you make a big deal out of it!  Of course a little flash dance time at the end of the period if everyone has their work done is always a motivator too!  Read more about positive reinforcement here.

8.  Show Excitement - Whenever you are excited about a lesson, your students will be too!  I'll never forget when I was teaching a story plot lesson.  I had the picture below of the roller coaster and I was pretending I was going up the roller coaster and showed excitement and anticipation.  My students wanted me to do it again and then wanted to video tape me.  I didn't realize how exciting the lesson was going to be, but it was a hit!

Click for a plot lesson

9.   Recite and Chant-  When students are involved in a group chant, you can easily monitor who is participating especially if there is movement involved.  Reciting poems or the beginning of the Declaration of Independence gets the kids motivated to learn.

This is a portion of Poetry Slam

10.   Have a Friendly Competition-  Last but not least, have a friendly competition!  Jeopardy games are some of my students' favorites and I like putting them in groups.  I found the best way is to allow the groups to decide together on the answer.  It helps keep the competition fun and friendly

I hope this helps you keep your students on task and learning!

Pam

 

Setting up and Managing Effective Group (Peer) Work in the Classroom

Have you had success with group work in your classroom or do you try to avoid it because it can get a little crazy at times? Hi, I'm Kelsea from Teacher Gems and I'm excited to share some tips with you today for setting up and managing effective group (peer) work in the classroom. If you are one who tends to avoid group work (because, well let's face it, it can be a lot of work!) I want to challenge you to give it another try because of the many benefits. I believe that each student has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. When we pair students up in groups there are more opportunities (like assigning specific roles) to cater to individual strengths. Group work can also help prepare students for real life where they will be interacting with others on a daily basis. The social skills learned from group work alone can be worth the effort! And of course we can't forget the well known fact that two heads are better than one! In order to get the most out of your group work time it is important to have a structure in place and set up expectations prior to beginning a project. Here are 6 steps to help you get the most out of group work in your classroom.

Step 1: Selecting Groups

The first step to successful group work is setting up the groups. This may sound like a simple step but it is actually a very important step that is often overlooked. When coming up with groups there are several things you should consider. First, take into account the project your students will be working on and how many students make sense for that particular project. Anticipate the different jobs/roles that the task/project can be broken into to help determine the number of students for each group.

Once you have determined an appropriate number of students for each group it is time to figure out which students to pair up. There are several ways to do this. One approach is to be intentional about who you pair up and try to compliment a child's weakness with another child's strength and vice versa. Another school of thought it to allow students to be randomly paired in order for them to learn to work with students of differing opinions and personalities. One simple way is to have students work with the other students in their row (if you have desks) or at their table (if you have tables). Another idea is to randomly select students (which was my 4th graders preferred method). All you need for this idea is an old soup can, a little cutesy duck tape and some popsicle sticks. Peel the label off the can and wrap it with decorative duck tape (be sure to wrap around the inside lid so you don’t cut yourself like I did!). Then write each student's name on a popsicle stick and place them in the can. Now when you are ready to select students for a particular group you can just draw out popsicle sticks. I love using the can method because you can use it throughout the year for lots of other things too like picking who gets to present first, creating a new seating chart, etc. Sometimes I would even have other students pick out the names so they knew I didn’t rig it! 

Step 2: Outlining & Assigning Roles/Jobs

Now that you have your groups in place it is time to outline the specific roles or jobs necessary for the task and assign them to each student. Here is where you want to play to your students' strengths. *Side note: rotating jobs (for different projects) can also allow for students to improve on their weaknesses while providing opportunities for each student to try out a new role (and eliminate the "that's not fair she got to do that last time" comments). 

There are several roles possible and each project could have a different set of roles. In some cases you will want to assign the same role to several group members (such as the illustrator role if the project is a poster that will be heavy in illustrations). Here are a few suggestions for roles:

1. Writer, Recorder or Note-Taker: Their job would be to write down or record all the important information needed for the project or poster. Strengths to consider for this role would be someone who is attentive to detail (yet able to see the big picture) and someone with neat handwriting.

2. Time Keeper: This person's job is to keep track of the time and help keep the group on task. You can give them a stop watch or have them watch the clock. Strengths to consider for this role would be someone who is able to think ahead and break apart a task into time segments or is not afraid to call out times to the group. You may want to instruct them to call out how many minutes are left after every 5 min. or so (to avoid distracting the group every minute).

3. Materials Manager: This person's role is to gather all the needed materials for the project and help keep them organized while the work is being done. They can also make sure the materials get put back in the correct place when the job is done.

4. Illustrator: The illustrator draws and colors all the pictures for the poster. Remember you may want to assign this role to more than one student if the project is illustration heavy such as a poster. Strengths to consider for this role is creativity, attention to detail and care of materials.

5. Researcher: This can be a role assigned to one person or assigned to the group as a whole. In this role the person would look up any information needed to complete the project and relay it to the note-taker. Strengths to consider for this role are reading ability, reading rate and the ability to skim and pick out key details.

6. Presenter: This person's role is to be the spokesperson for the group when presenting their project or poster. They should show and tell the class what the project or poster is all about. Strengths to consider for this role are speaking skills, eye contact and summarizing skills.

7. Clean-Up Crew: This is a role that I like to assign to the entire group. Working as a team to clean up is an important skill to emphasize. The materials manager can oversee the clean-up and help delegate tasks for the rest of the group to accomplish.

These are just a few ideas for roles to get you started but the options are endless! Another idea for assigning roles would be to have students volunteer or select roles within their own group.

Step 3: Setting Up Expectations

Before sending off your now eager learners, it is important to set up expectations for group work in general. What is the goal of your project? How much time should you spend on each task? What types of behaviors are expected? Here is where you can teach your students about collaboration and what it means (working together to create something). I created these posters to help students learn the key characteristics of successful group work: speaking softly, listening to each other, taking turns, encouraging each other and doing our jobs.

Step 4: Defining a Work Space

Make sure to designate a specific area of the room for each group to work. Have the necessary materials ready ahead of time and make sure the materials manager knows where to find them. Defining a work space helps cut down on messes and helps groups stay on task since they are not being interrupted by other groups. If you don't have enough separate spaces for groups to work within the classroom send one or two groups to a quiet place in the hallway. Make sure they know to be quiet and not interrupt any of the other classes or they will lose their privilege of working in the hallway! 

Step 5: Group Work in Action

Now it's time to let your students work! They will be excited to get started. Make sure there are no questions before you begin and then walk around the room and monitor groups as they work. This can be a great time to take some anecdotal notes. Note how students are communicating, how students are fulfilling their roles and which students look like they could take on more responsibilities in the future. 

Step 6: Group Evaluations/Self-Assessments

When students have completed their projects (including presentations if you have them), have students reflect on how they feel they did as a group. What things went well and what areas could use improvement? I like to provide each student with a simple chart like the one pictured below that they can complete immediately following the completion of their project. You can choose to have groups fill out one evaluation chart together or have each student complete one and then compare the results.

So there you go! Give it a try! If you are interested in the posters or chart pictured above you can find them in my TpT store by clicking on the image below.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to stop by my blog and say hello!

Personal Slates

Friends~So I have a HUGE and I mean HUGE collection of folders from past years.  I have been trying to figure out just what to do with them. I love saving money and paper in my classroom.  This is what I came up with.
Directions: 

1.Take one folder with prongs. 

2. Add one plastic sheet protector.  

3. Slide in a sheet of copy paper.

4. Add dry erase markers and that's it!

(I hot glued pom poms to the sides as erasers.  I never wanted to hot glue to the tops because then my students couldn't put the tops on the markers when they were working.  The sides work perfectly!)

 These babies have transformed my classroom.  My kiddos used tons of notebook paper and composition books in the past.  I was constantly drowning in PAPER!

With these slates, my students are able to respond to our classroom lessons easily and without excess paper.  

Plus: My students are crazy about them!

I have students that I have struggled to get to participate writing on their slates to answer questions during our lessons. WHAT?????????

They are portable so my kiddos take them everywhere! 

~They are so much easier than using a white board. They fit anywhere a folder does,  I can add things to the pockets to individualize them, and they work for any subject.  

~When I set up center work that requires a sheet for them to work on, I just copy it on card stock and the students slide it into their slate pouches!

Positive Reinforcement

Hi there, it's Francheryl from Primary Essentials. It's the time of year when everyone is tired. You're tired. The students are tired. EVERYONE is tired. That can make for a short patience span for everyone. With that in mind, you need to have some positive reinforcements in place so the students have a reason to keep working hard and keep their behavior in check. At this point in the year if you take recess away it just makes for a harder day for you and the student.
Depending on your class, you need to decide if your positive reinforcement needs to be whole class, by teams, or for individuals.  I always like to do a combination of whole class and teams. This gives everyone a reason to behave and the students are accountable for more than just themselves. This gets peer pressure working for the right reasons.  You also need to determine the time period between rewards. You may be at the point where you need to reward daily, or maybe you can stretch the time period a few days or a week. Again, that depends on your class.
We are also at the point in the year where you are just about broke. So, you need your positive reinforcement to be FREE or super cheap. Below is a list of things you can dangling in front of your students to get them to work towards.

extra recess
no shoes day
a snack or drink
no homework
extra computer or iPad time
technology day
fun games
listen to fun music
choose your own seat day
lunch in the classroom

You know your class and students best, and what they are willing to work towards. You could even let them help you make a list of rewards. It would be fun to do mystery rewards. Put all the rewards in a bag or jar and pull to see which one they have earned, or you could let them choose! Whatever gets the desired behavior you want!

Leave a comment and let me know what positive reinforcement you have set up for the end of the tear.

Well, that's all I got! See you around the blogging world.

Francheryl Harris
Primary Essentials

A Few Of My Favorite Things!

Hi everyone, I can't believe another school year is coming to an end.  Where did the year go?  At the end of the year I always look at some of the things I am doing in my class and I decide what worked and what I might want to change for next year.  I decided today to share a few of my favorite classroom purchases and management ideas from this year.

1.  Ikea picture frames.  

I bought these cheap picture frames last year at Ikea while I was in Florida on holidays.  I made numbers to go in the frames and placed one of them on each group of desks.  They were so easy to see and they made it easy when I wanted to call a group for  dismissal at the end of the day.

2.  Monthly storage bins

I found these great plastic containers at my local Walmart and felt they were just the right size to store extra materials for my monthly themes.  Anything that doesn't fit into my binders goes in here.  They are especially great for storing games and seasonal centers.  My May/June one is empty but not for long!

3.  Word Work storage

I love having all of my word work centers stored in one location in the classroom.  I have the drawers labelled and it helps students when it comes time to clean up.  They know exactly where everything goes.  You can get a copy of the labels here.

4.  Personalized stamp

The students at my school are given agendas to record their homework in each day.  Years ago I used to go around and initial with my pen each student's agenda which proved to be quite time consuming.  Then I read about a teacher who purchased a personalized stamp through Vistaprint.  Three years later and I am still using the stamp I had made. After student's record their homework,  I come around to quickly check their agendas and stamp them with my personalized stamp.  It has been a huge time saver for me. 

5.  Class helpers

Over the years I have had many different ways to pick the student helpers.  Many were way more complicated than they had to be.  This year I wanted to keep this routine simple.  To do this I simply typed my class list twice on a sheet of paper (I reversed the names on the list the second time I typed it) added some clip art and laminated.  Then I attached two paper clips and each morning we just move the paper clips down the list.  Easy peasy!

6.  Magnetic sleeves 

Another great purchase I made this year was to get some magnetic sleeves which can hold papers and attach easily to my magnetic whiteboard.  I use one to hold all my extra memos that student may need if they lose the originals.  I also like to use them to hold answer keys for sheets we may be working on.  I put an answer key in the pouch and students go up to the board to self check their work.  

I hope some of my favorite things from this year can help you as you plan ahead to next year.  I would love to hear about some of your favorite things in your classroom.  I am always looking for new and easier ways to do things in my class.

  If you still need an activity to finish out the year you may like to try my School Year in Pictures accordion booklet.  I am planning on having my students draw a picture in the photo frame and then write about the picture on the next page.  It should make a nice keepsake for them to look at in years to come.

School Year In Pictures

Feel free to drop by Teachers Pay Teachers store to check it out.