It seems like every day there is an endless stream of students reporting behaviors or incidents that happen in the classroom. On one hand, we want to help our students feel heard and validated so they know we are a safe person for them to talk to. On the other hand, we certainly don't want to feed into the tattle machine. It's a fine line to walk. So how do we handle tattling in our classrooms?
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 […]
This math game is a fun way to review counting coins and money skills in the classroom.
How to set up and implement a classroom behavior plan that really works, with advice from Smart Classroom Management's Michael Linsin.
15 exit ticket ideas for any subject or grade level!
Try these Five Tips to Strengthen Your Classroom Discipline. Here is a list of 5 things you can do right now to tighten up your discipline.
Spring is here and we all have spring fever! Energy levels are higher. Students seem restless. Behaviors that have never been seen before appear. And your once quiet class becomes chatty. Every year I remind myself that this is normal. And to be expected… But that doesn’t mean we can’t remedy the situation. In this ... Read More about 10 Effective Strategies for a Chatty Class
3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.
Attention Getters will cut out your classroom chaos and work for all grade levels. Attention getters in the classroom are the perfect solution if you are...
Here’s a few classroom procedures that have worked well for me – and a couple awesome ideas I’ve run across since I’ve stepped out of the classroom...
Boundaries Sound Like... Perfect poster for every classroom/office! Gives both children and adults great examples of what healthy boundaries sound like. Comes in 2 sizes, 8.5x11 and 18x24. Immediate download.
Challenges with focus and attention can become a huge roadblock to learning for kids and young adults. Simply put, attention is critical to learning. If students can't focus on the lesson, they are going to struggle with understanding the new content. If students can't focus on the directions, they
I wanted to share how I use (and have used for several years) a token economy in my classroom. I taught at different PBIS/PBS schools for 7 years, and a token economy is the perfect addition to what your school is already doing! I’ve used this system in 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades, and absolutely ... Read more
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…
Ready to move beyond tired Jeopardy slides? Try a few rounds of the Flyswatter Game, a no-fail way to keep teens active and excited about test prep. Six Easy St
Let's teach students how to approach those deer-in-headlights moments more constructively.
What to Do About Students Who Seek Attention - Check out these tips from teachers who shared their solutions in an Advice from Real Teachers blog post.
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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.
Every English language arts teacher needs a variety of successful, student led discussion strategies that will provide opportunities for student learning.
Use these social skills visual posters to teach, discuss, and practice social skills in the classroom! They include 9 unique posters with a total of over 80 social skills. Each poster highlights a different area of social skills, including basic skills, empathy and perspective-taking, academic skills, conversation skills, friendship skills, emotions, and decision-making skills. These posters are a fun way to integrate social skills and SEL in the classroom! Additional posters are included with several of the skills put together in one large poster. They highlight: Social Skills Kids Need Social Skills We All Need Social Skills We Are Building How Can I Use Social Skill Visual Posters? You can use these social skills posters in multiple ways to integrate social skills into the classroom. Here are some simple suggestions: Post these visuals around the classroom or school to provide reminders about critical social skills. Create a social skills bulletin board. Post one poster a week or month, highlighting each of the skills throughout that time period. Use the black/white version as a coloring book as you discuss each skill. Skills Targeted: Basic Skills: following directions, using manners, having a positive attitude, working with others, good hygiene, using polite words, taking turns, greetings, waiting and having patience, being a good sport, listening to others, understanding personal space Academic Skills: paying attention, starting tasks independently, taking pride in work, participating, asking for help, cooperating and collaborating, accepting criticism, self-advocating, staying organized, persevering through challenges, avoiding and ignoring distractions, presenting and speaking in front of others Conversation Skills: introductions and greetings, starting a conversation, expressing ideas and feelings, giving compliments, using active listening skills, taking turns in conversation, showing interest in others, noticing others' social cues, thinking before speaking, staying on topic, finding similar interests, leaving a conversation Friendship Skills: expressing ideas, feelings, and thoughts, getting along with others, showing interest in others, keeping social boundaries, disagreeing respectfully, compromising, sharing, bringing out the positive in others, apologizing, repairing relationships, resisting negative peer influence, showing empathy Empathy & Perspective-Taking Skills: thinking about others' feelings, reading social cues, seeing someone else's perspective, staying open-minded, helping others in need, treating others with kindness, appreciating differences, using flexible thinking, showing empathy, thinking before speaking or acting, accepting different opinions, solving conflicts with perspective-taking Emotional Skills: being self-aware, self-regulating emotions, labeling different emotions, expressing feelings, using coping strategies, dealing with disappointments, dealing with worries, using positive self-talk, staying calm in times of stress, adapting to change, dealing with anger and frustration, being resilient Decision-making Skills: understanding choices, using self-control, seeing how actions impact others, brainstorming solutions, developing healthy habits, taking responsibility, considering consequences, weighing options, admitting mistakes, being reflective, accepting consequences Digital Version A digital version for Google Slides is now included! This means you can use these posters to highlight social skills digitally with your students through Google Classroom or other digital means. Yearlong SEL Yearlong Curriculum If you are looking to integrate social emotional skills into the classroom, consider this Social Emotional Learning Yearlong Curriculum! It is filled with specific lesson plans, activities, projects, task cards, discussion starters, and more for a year of social emotional learning. Follow Me! { Click here to follow my store! } Tips for Customers: If you have questions, please contact me through Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Please consider leaving feedback on this resource to receive TpT credits! I always strive for 5 stars and love hearing your feedback. Follow my store for notifications about new resources and freebies. Terms of Use: © Pathway 2 Success. One license is for the classroom/personal use for one educator and their students. Materials may not be shared with other educators without the purchase of extra licenses. Materials may not be posted on the Internet where they can be publicly accessed. Personal and classroom use only. Please see full terms of use for more information. Disclaimer: These resources are for supplementary support/education purposes and are not a replacement for education or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed.
Classroom hacks that actually work in a special education classroom setting. Tried and true methods from actual teachers. Read to learn more.
This listing is for a physical poster that will be carefully rolled and shipped to your home or location of choice. The poster is a "Notice to All Students" that is perfect for any teacher who wants to present rules in a more unique way. You may select the following sizes: 12x16 16x20 24x36 The shipping price is included in the listing, so the price listed is what you get. Like what you see, but want some things changed, or want a different proportion? Just ask! Thank you for visiting my shop! I have lots of other classroom decor aimed at benefitting students and making your life easier. Check them out! I can also customize any posters to suit your needs. Just ask! Shop Home https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSourKraus Classroom Decor https://etsy.me/2vn804E If you'd like a digital printable version, please check out that listing here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/463410518/classroom-rules-poster-notice-to-all
Outlawing the words "I'm done" changed my classroom! Find out how to reform fast finishers and improve the quality of work in your room!
Anchor chart inspiration for elementary teachers. Use my Not-So-Pinteresty Anchor Charts for Reading, Math, Grammar, and Writing.
On A Peach for the Teach on Facebook, I invited people to ask their most challenging behavior questions. We got some great questions, each of which really tied together. Dona asked, I have a student that comes to me from second grade (I teach 1st) for my entire reading block, who likes to shout out talk back and just shuts down when you ask him to do something. He then treats his 2nd teacher with severe disrespect when he goes back to class. Rebecca asked, I have a class of 25 this year. 1 student is below K level (I teach 1st grade), 2 are identified as ADHD, we are working towards another student getting identified as ADHD, and I have 2 students who have really disrespectful attitudes. I have tried talking with parents, I have changed their seating, I have tried encouraging them and pointing out the positive......nothing seems to be working. Ideas? Lindsay asked, I need motivation tips for kids who can do the work but basically refuse to... These are such common issues that teachers face daily. I think they all tie together and have similar interventions, which led me to write this blog post-- How to Help Calling Out and "Class Clown" Behavior. "If you put a kid in the position of choosing between looking bad or looking dumb, he will choose to look bad." - Rick Lavoie, Motivation Breakthrough When a student is performing at a level lower than his peers, he is often aware of that. That could be part of the reason for the acting out. Maybe the child is embarrassed and would rather be seen as a class clown than struggling. It allows the child a sense of control over a situation where he would otherwise feel out of control. Try giving him some control in a positive way. To intervene, start with an informal play meeting. Meet with the student individually when he is calm, to play a preferred, non-academic game at the beginning or end of the day. He may be more likely to open up honestly in that type of setting through informal conversations (e.g., favorite TV shows, games, etc.). Casually ask what he likes and doesn't like about school, and "admit" to him that you always had a hard time with [insert his least preferred subject]. Try not to make it obvious that this is the whole point of your conversation. He might give you some insight into what's causing this. It's also great for establishing rapport, which will help you to get the student on your side. Give him some sort of task with which he can be successful, and give him positive attention for completing it. Avoid patronizing him or making it obviously at a level lower than the other students. Instead, try non-academic leadership positions, like a class helper, teacher's assistant, etc. Maybe give him the opportunity to call on students with questions. "Class, today we are going to try something new." Next, set limits. Start by telling the whole class that today we are going to try something new. Starting today, the teacher will no longer answer any calling out. Explain that we need to practice raising our hands and not calling out. Demonstrate, practice, and ask for volunteers to show you what hand raising looks like. Establish a non-verbal cue (e.g., a cue card with an image of a hand, or simply hold up your hand), and completely ignore calling out. Instruct the class to also ignore calling out. Have students practice calling out while you ignore it. Explain why you're doing this, so the student knows it's not just him being ignored. Ignore the behavior, not the child. You might want to give one verbal cue, such as, "I'd be happy to answer you when you raise your hand." This is your new procedure that will happen every single time a student calls out. You could still say it in a positive tone of voice, but it's all you will say. Give a Little, Get a Little Use positive language to elicit positive language. If a student is using disrespectful language, being threatening will teach the child to talk back with threatening language. Think about your reaction when somebody confronts you with doing something wrong. You initially feel a little attacked, so you want to react. Give the student the opportunity to save face. For example, instead of, "How dare you speak to me that way?" try a, "Whoops, that sounded disrespectful. I know you could ask me using nicer words," and only respond when he uses nicer words. If he doesn't, say, "I'll be over here when you're ready to use nice words to ask me." Dodge the Power Struggle To nip disrespect in the bud, we need to avoid power struggles-- even when a student questions what we're doing. That's the part that really tricks even the most skilled behavior interventionists. We want students to believe in, trust, and respect us. When they question what we're doing, we want to tell them. Please don't. You don't need to justify yourself in this moment. You may be skilled with planned ignoring, but when the child asks, "Why are you ignoring me?" it's too tempting to reply with an explanation, but resist the urge. If you planned and practiced this procedure previously, the child already knows why you're ignoring him. He may try to get you to give him anything other than the ignoring. Stick to the ignoring, and he will eventually try using nice words to get you to reply. It may also be helpful to teach a lesson on the words "disrespect" vs. "respect." Teach the meaning, and explain situations and words that are unacceptable. Teach this with empathy, and practice it. If the child uses negative language in class, prompt with a, "Please use your nice words if you need me to respond to you." Completely ignore anything else. I know that using a firm prompt followed by planned ignoring sometimes feels like you aren't doing anything to stop the behavior, but that's the best thing about it-- doing "nothing" stops the behavior. It completely eliminates the power struggle and argument. The child will be forced to use kind words to get any type of reaction out of you and to gain access to his wants/needs. This also works with whining. I told my little ones that my ears can no longer hear whining, and they all stopped whining. Now if only I could use planned ignoring on messes to make my kitchen clean itself! Words of Caution Sometimes when implementing planned ignoring, the child may initially test the limits and engage in more attention-seeking behavior. This is typical and should pass when he sees that he won't get a reaction. I got a comment on this post that really made me think and add another word of caution about this strategy-- exercise caution when using this for students with bonding and/or attachment needs. We certainly do not want to intensify feelings of abandonment, and we want to be sure that we are responding to their needs. It is vitally important to make sure that we are ignoring the behavior, not the child. Give the child plenty of positive attention for positive behavior. Make giving positive attention during appropriate behavior part of your behavior protocol for this child. When the negative behavior ends and the child begins acting positively, give positive attention. No need for a lecture at that moment. After the Procedure is Learned Once you are sure that the student understands how he will appropriately gain access to wants/needs, you can begin to address the calling out caused by impulsivity and habit. Make a T-chart, and write the positive behavior on the left and negative on the right (e.g., "Called Out" and "Raised My Hand"). Instruct the student to tally when he does each. This alone is often enough to curb the negative behavior. Other times with more severe behavior, it helps if tallies are tied to reinforcement. For example, the student can earn [something preferred] if he has more positive than negative tallies at the end of each block. You could also set goals based on baselines. For example, if the student reduces his calling out by ___% or does not exceed ___% incidents of calling out, he can earn [something preferred]. Class Dojo is another fun way to track this! The teacher can track the behaviors throughout the day, or the students can self-monitor behaviors on their T-Charts and plug them into the Dojo at the end of the day. Establish a procedure that students must earn more green (i.e., "positive") than red (i.e., "needs work"), or a certain percentage of green, in order to earn a reinforcer, positive note home, etc. Another helpful strategy is bonus free time. It's often harder for a student with ADHD and/or behavior needs to attend to instruction for a given length of time, so plan three breaks in the day. I call them "five minute free time" to play with something fun, and I end each of my subjects with it. It gives me five minutes to clean up or correct work, and it gives the students five minutes to regroup. If you're strapped for time, you could have students complete exit tickets, assessments, etc., and give the student with ADHD the special free time. It also gives him something to word toward, as he has to earn the free time. If a student engages in negative behavior or work refusal, I ask if he is earning his free time or if he is to make up his work during free time. Never underestimate the power of a question instead of a demand. A simple, "Are you earning your free time?" is often enough to set the behavior back on track. An additional motivational tool is a task chart where students rank their tasks by preference. They earn little reinforcement for easy/preferred tasks and high reinforcement for non-preferred tasks. You can download that chart for free here. What are some ideas you use in your classroom to help calling out and "class clown" behavior? Do you have any questions about behavior challenges? Please share in the comments below! A Peach for the Teach
The best classroom management ideas for online learning, your daily routine, helping kids manage emotions and setting classroom expectations. Plus, fun new ideas for rewards!
Defiance, disrespectfulness, kids yelling “NO!” – this is what a teacher’s classroom management nightmares are made of! These days, most teachers may have had one or two defiant children in their class at some point, even all the way … Continue reading →
Because our words matter.
Learn how to manage one of the biggest challenges of teaching: Six disrespectful students in the same class. Yikes!
Simple strategies to monitor and manage classroom behaviors and turn your classroom management style into a positive learning environment.
That’s what my reconstructive surgeon said to me today. I am 5 weeks post op and in a lot of pain. The swelling under my left arm is the worst it has ever been and the pain is affecting every…
Many teachers aren't sure how to convert rubric feedback into grades or points. Here's one way to do it.
Whether your students are lethargic or super-charged, adding movement to your lesson plans will help to solve both issues. Not only is it healthy to move throughout the day, but it can also help students focus and become more engaged with the content they are trying to master. Due to the nature of English classes, ELA ... Read More about 10 Ways to Add Movement in the ELA Classroom
Outlawing the words "I'm done" changed my classroom! Find out how to reform fast finishers and improve the quality of work in your room!
These 4th grade anchor charts reinforce concepts for reading, science, math, behavior management, environmentalism, and more!
Don’t get me wrong — I love candy. And, a jolly rancher, a tootsie roll, or a starburst can work wonders in the classroom for student motivation and enthusiasm. So can pizza parties, and cupcake days, and brunch, and…I’ve had so many types of food parties I can’t even keep track! Recently, however, I’ve been […]
Teacher Burnout Explained in Two Pie Graphs This is a non-scientific (but probably pretty accurate) graphic I have created using my experience as a teacher. Another title for this chart could be "Teacher Burnout Explained
Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :
Hello darlings! Amy here from That Teaching Spark! If you are like me, you use some semblance of technology in your classroom. You might be 1:1 with each student having a device or you may have access to a few devices for your entire class! I'm lucky enough to have a class set of chrome carts to share with my grade level of five teachers. We rotate the chrome books around to each other. I also have four devices that I use for math rotations every day! I have to admit, I would be lost without them! There are so many amazing websites and resources out there! I asked all of you in the All About 3rd Grade Facebook Group, to share the websites you use on a daily basis. I have reviews those websites and have included the ones most often recommended in this All About 3rd Grade Symbaloo. A Symbaloo is simply a bookmarking site. You can copy and paste this link on your classroom website, Google Classroom, or other learning platform for your students. Then students can click the icon to take them to the recommended page. https://www.symbaloo.com/mix/allabout3rdgrade Most websites that I included are free or at least allow for a free version with less bells and whistles. Here are 3 of My Favs 1. Epic Epic is perfect for sharing books on your projector. It has over hundreds of popular books! They have some books read aloud but I really like it for the nonfiction and collections that it offers. You can even create quizzes for your students. Watch this video for a little overview. 2. Prodigy Play Math Prep My kiddos use Prodigy everyday in math rotations. I can assign them any standard I want and it will create questions for them. This is what students see. They create little avatar wizards and then battle through lands that they unlock. They even earn pets that can have powers! They unlock and earn power ups by answering question correctly. You can assign the skills or have the game do it for you! In this video, I explain how to assign test prep, but it is the same directions for other assignments. 3. Go Formative This is a new website for me! I am super excited to try it next year! create online assessments, classwork or homework connects seamlessly with Google Classroom ANY GRADE, ANY SUBJECT, ANY DEVICE create a class & track student data students can type, draw or upload images get LIVE results & give instant feedback to your students very easy to use FREE & PAPERLESS for both teachers and students Check out the video for a sneak peek on how it works! Join us in the All About 3rd Grade Facebook Group to learn more amazing tips like this!
Get your students focused and on track as soon as class starts with these ideas for middle school classroom routines to begin class.
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!
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This Week... August Monday, Sept. 3: NO SCHOOL-LABOR DAY Tuesday, Sept. 4: K MAP Wednesday, Sept. 5: K MAP Thursday, Sept. 6: Friday,...