There really isn’t anything like the holiday season in the classroom. Attention spans get shorter while activity levels get higher. Kids are pumped full of holiday treats and cheer while routines go out the window. It’s sort of like a game of Whac-A-Mole; as soon as you handle one issue, another pops up. Isn’t it…
Our school started something new this year to help create a culture of caring kids. We had previously focused on “life skills” and had posters in every classroom displaying traits like cooperation, responsibility, respect, perseverance, etc. Students who showed those traits were nominated by their teachers every Friday and had their names read on the…
Hey, friends! I wanted to share a new sensory tool with you… bouncy bands! Whether we like it or not, so many of our kiddos have wiggles they need to get out. I’m a pretty laid back teacher. My students are allowed to sit, stand, or ride their chair when they work if they’d like…
This year I’m using more centers and cooperative groups than ever before and quickly realized I needed a new management system. I had previously used a typed sheet of paper with color-coded groups. It was too small for students to see from across the room and took me time to retype and print a new…
I’ve tried several different lunch and attendance systems over the years, but I think I’ve found my permanent solution. I’ve used it for a week now and LOVE it! Step One: Buy 92 cent Wal-Mart cookie sheet. Step Two: Use painter’s tape to layout your design with enough categories for all your lunch options, plus…
I’m following up my classroom management ideas with a few organizational tips and classroom time savers. I think it’s so important to use your time wisely in the classroom, multitask when you can, and get your students involved in the daily “to do” tasks as well. Teachers deal with a lot of paper during the…
I know I’ve been showing you sneaks along the way, but our classroom is finally complete so it’s time to give you the full tour. You can see our entire room at once in our Classroom Makeover Facebook album. On my blog, I’m going to break the posts apart to show you similar parts of…
Thank you so much for letting me get my thoughts out about our principal leaving. As promised, I’m back with an educational idea that you can use in your classrooms. I use these cute calendars for so many purposes during the year and I just finished updating them for the new school year last night….
Maria Dismondy of Be the Difference has started a series of monthly linky parties called Make a Difference Monthly. In case you missed it, I’ve already blogged about empathy and respect. This month’s topic is fairness. I hope my perspective of fairness isn’t too far off from the mainstream because this approach has greatly reduced…