Photo Source: busyteacher.org Attempting to regain control of your classroom after the winter break? We found this poster over at BusyTeacher.org and thought it offered a great reminder of the various things you should do {and not do!}. The reminders are simple, but are designed to help you gain perspective and set about {or continue} managing your classroom in a positive and encouraging way! BusyTeacher.org offers this poster - and lots of other great resources - for FREE over at their website, so be sure to visit and pick up your own copy!
Real talk: classroom management has always been my biggest struggle as a teacher. I think that this is true for a lot of teachers. It’s one thing to read about classroom management strategies in a college classroom, but it’s a whole other ballgame when you’re standing in front of a roomful of middle schoolers and you are somehow expected to keep them all in line! I’ve had a few tough groups over my first few years, and I needed something to up my classroom management game. The classroom management strategy I’m going to share with you today has been a total game-changer for me, and I hope it can help you, too! This strategy is called Behavior Bingo. To implement it, you will need a 10×10 chart numbered from 1-100. I used to draw mine out on big chart paper, but I’ve since created this handy printable board so that I don’t have to draw it out each time! You will also need 100 popsicle sticks each labeled with a number from 1-100. I keep these in one of those metal pails from Target, and you will also need another pail for the sticks to go in once you have pulled them. You will need a board and set of numbers for each class you are using this with – I have used it with up to 4 classes at once! I marked each class’s set of sticks with a different color and then discarded them all into the same tub. If you don’t want to buy or have to label all the popsicle sticks, I have also seen teachers use small slips of paper numbered 1-100, or even just a random number generator online! Here are the rules that I use: The object of the game is to get 10 numbers in a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) and get a bingo. At the start of each class, I write the numbers 1 2 3 on the front whiteboard. During class, I erase a number any time the students are not meeting my expectations, starting with 3, then 2, then 1. At the end of class, however many numbers are left on the board is how many popsicle sticks they get to pull that day. For example, if only the 3 was erased, then they get to pull 2 popsicle sticks. They can earn up to 3 numbers each day. The students pull out the correct number of sticks for that day. I let them take turns. I hold the jar up above their heads so they can’t peek inside. Then I color in the numbers that were pulled on the bingo board. You can certainly adjust these rules to meet your needs. For instance, you could use a smaller or bigger bingo board, depending on how quickly you want them to earn their reward. With the 10×10 board, it usually takes 1-2 months to earn the reward. You could also adjust how many numbers they can earn each day. Another thing you could do is tie the numbers to specific goals. For instance, my students know that at the beginning of class they need to be in their seats with homework out and working on their warmup. If this doesn’t happen, they know I will erase a number. As for the reward, we choose this as a class before beginning the game. I have the students brainstorm ideas (I tell them that they need to be something either relatively inexpensive or free and can only take up about 20-30 minutes of class time) and list them all on the board. Then I have the students vote for their top two choices. Some ideas we have come up with in the past include an ice cream party (I bring the ice cream, they bring the toppings), root beer float party, time outside, free time, board games, donut party, dodgeball, or popcorn and a short movie. I write their choice at the bottom of the bingo board as a reminder of what we are working toward. And that’s it! It’s very easy to keep it running, and it has been very motivating to my students, especially when they are down to only one number left for the day. You can find the printable board that I use in my Teachers Pay Teachers store if you’re interested! Do you have any awesome classroom management strategies? I would love to hear about them in the comments!
Classroom management and thinking through how my classroom will run is more important than the decorations and arrangement! Do you agree? My classroom has several different strategies set up; and as needed, I will adjust accordingly as my students arrive and I learn their needs. Today, I have 8 Classroom Management Tips for you to […]
Today I wanted to share some ideas for students who need frequent reminds to stay on task, complete their work, and use safe hands and feet. During my first few […]
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Individual behavior management with individual bingo boards to help students reach behavior goals in a fun and effective way.
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3 examples of classroom management strategies to help you regain control of your classroom through effective behavior management.
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classroom management, classroom control
Let's talk about disrespectful behaviors in the classroom. The child who talks back. The student using their cell phone, even after being told to put it away. The kid who refuses to do their work, and even loudly tells you, "no!" when you try to politely give some encouragement. The student who joke
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Unlock positive behaviors and enhance classroom management with a comprehensive behavior toolkit for teachers. Discover practical strategies and tools to create a positive learning environment. Perfect for special education teachers and professional development. Pin it now for easy access!
As the end of the school year approaches, students can often start to wind up. Think “senioritis” when you were a high school senior, but bottle up that same excitement in smaller humans. Every spring, come May or June, even a superstar teacher with the most effective classroom management system in place can still suffer the wrath of (dun dun DUN) chatty class syndrome, or as I like to call it, “June Bug.” Even if something has worked all year long, you may feel the need to reach into your bag of tricks for a little extra reinforcement.
Discover 15 invaluable classroom management tips for subs in upper elementary classrooms. Be prepared and succeed! 🍎
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Time management skills are essentially life skills. Kids and young adults need this skills now and in the future. All educators and parents want our learners to be able to work independently, use time well, and complete tasks on time. In order to meet these expectations, students need to learn, unde
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The ultimate list of classroom management strategies, organized into verbal and non-verbal strategies, parent communication tips,rewards and prizes, games, brain breaks, and visual strategies.
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Even if you're a great teacher, even if you're a swell person most days, sometimes it all gets to be too much and you just snap.
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There is a common misconception that you must have a big presence to be an effective leader. You must psych yourself up, throw your shoulders back, and move boldly among your students. Your voice must boom. Your walk must swagger. Your eyes must squint ... Read more
De-escalation is the process of calming down a situation before it escalates further. It is helping to slowly bring the temperature down before it reaches a boiling point. This is critically important skill for all educators and parents because children and young adults feel overwhelmed and angry so
Are you struggling with your classroom management plan? It can take time to find one that works! To help you out, I'm sharing the best plan I ever used.
I know I am not alone when I say that I struggle to sit through staff meetings without doodling on my paper, shifting in my seat, getting up to use the bathroom and occasionally whispering with my teacher friend next to me. Now, these are every other week, and only for an hour. Every time I leave, I […]
Even if you've been teaching a while, you might still experience moments when all of your classroom management tools stop working. This one cheap, quick strategy, using a simple blank notebook, can help you regain control in under a minute.
Using the Self-Regulation tool book is one of my favourite Behavior strategies. This is such a handy tool that got me thinking that I should share some of the benefits that it could offer other students. Detachable visuals has made this tool very popular with my kiddos. They're able to identify areas of regulation and where they find themselves. Each student has popped their name on one that's tailored to meet individual needs eg, rewards and their interests, making them individually accessible for managing their own behavior! They're constantly using the visuals to remind themselves on how to get in the “ready” for work area. They can choose the supports they need and attach them to the boxes provided on each page if they find themselves struggling! The four areas identified each have visual supports for students to check out how they feel, what area they are in and what they would need to do to get ready to work. Student's feel proud that they're able to identify they're in the "go" area and able to use the visuals to self regulate when they are in the "rest, slow and stop" areas from the visual check list. Made in 6 slightly different formats and 2 sizes has made it easy to find the best one that suits your students. Coloured tags have been added that made it faster to find the areas, along with color coordinated visuals, so no mix ups! Click here for Store FREE BONUS BOOK "My Tool Book" coping strategy you can try as well!
I’ve been learning a lot this year, and one fundamental difference in what I’ve come to understand is that there is a difference between classroom management and behavior management. The journey to understanding this fundamental truth about teaching at risk learners in a high poverty school has been powerful. What is classroom management? Classroom management is...Read More »
You classroom can run like a well oiled machine with a good classroom management plan in place. These tips and ideas will help you do that!
