I am linking up with Ashley Reed from Just Reed this mid-week to share in my Top 10 Pins in Classroom Management! I know that I already shared in how my grade level shares in our classroom behavior but we also input some other great ideas and then some! As I was looking at my Pinterest board... Everything First Grade! (click on the words to take you there-- I seriously need to organize my boards better but sometimes I get so pin-happy that I can't help myself!), here are some pins that I have either already incorporated or will do this year! 1. Voice Levels: I know that this concept seems really simple, but I love how they give it a numerical value and assign it a phrase like "Silence is Golden" or my personal favourite, "Spy Talk". In my classroom, I have the plain old red, yellow, and green circles and that's about it. I like this and think I will post this up in the front of my classroom in addition to my coloured circles. teachingforfameandmoney.blogspot.com 2. Hand Signals: Loving the "Hand Jive" vibe to this poster and love it as a display for kids. I use hand signals in my classroom (different than these) and find them so useful. I especially like the "I understand/I don't understand" which is especially helpful for our ESOL/ESL kids. rainbowswithinreach.blogspot.com 3. Behaviour Beads: Similar to bucket fillers. I like this idea as they earn beads for being bucket fillers and at the end of the week they can make a bracelet. Bling-bling!! rainbowswithinreach.blogspot.com 4. Bucket Filler Necklace: Goes along with the idea of the buckets... Students wear a necklace for being bucket fillers! Kids really love getting noticed for the great things they do! Like I always tell my kiddos when coaching others on a task... "We want to encourage, not discourage!" seusstastic classroom 5. Fun Attention Grabbers: CLASS!!! Yes!!! LOL! I am always looking for fun ways that get their attention other than the clapping out a rhythm, "Give me 5", "1-2-3, eyes on me!"... Here are some other cute ways, as I am sure you might have some other ones too! 6. Brain Breaks! Yes! Even I need them. One of my favourite ones to do is the Just Dance Wii ones on youtube (like the one I have here because I love Maroon 5 and Adam Levine!). They are fun to do and like anything on the internet, preview them first! Go ahead and play the video-- you know you want to move like Jagger!!! Really, it's a great dance video! No ones looking!! LOL! If the dance craze is not your thang, then I do have some brain break cards that I have printed, cut, and laminated that I have hanging on my whiteboard on a key ring. numberonepencils.blogspot.com 7. Behaviour Coupons: I really like the idea of behaviour coupons for the classroom. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel that treasure box/candy jar can get boring and not only that but I feel like kids get way too much material things and these simple, low to no cost (my husband would be so happy, happy, happy if I spent less money on my classroom-- can I get an Amen?) coupons are a great way to reinforce good behaviour with little effort on our part other than printing and cutting them out! Fabulous!!! Behavior Coupons with a QR code!!! So, not only do they get a behavior coupon, but now they get to scan it!! Way cool in my book! classroomfreebies.blogspot.com 8. Brownie Points: I used to do a chain link in my class and each link represented whenever my class earned a compliment or were just extra fabulous. This is another cute and fun way! 9. RESPECT: Aretha sang it best! I am big believer in respect in the classroom (aren't we all??) and I saw these cute kids by whimsyworkshop.blogspot.com and thought what a cute way to help with the beginning of the year and classroom management and behavior! 10. What to do? What to do? I like this visual post for the whiteboard or chalkboard that shows students what materials they need and what they "can" and "cannot" do. firstgradeglitterandgiggles.blogspot.com I hope this gave you some new ideas that you can pin and use! I am working on some printables for my Wizard of Oz room and I am so excited! I just finished and will be uploading a new getting to know you packet on TPT-- I Mustache You a Question-- Getting to Know You Questions and Activities! I was a *little* obsessed with the mustache thing after reading the book "Mustache" by Mac Barnett with my boys and had to make a little something to with it. And so, if you managed to stay with my this far.... here is a little freebie for you from my new packet... It is from the activity: Click on the picture to take you there! It is just one page of 3 from this particular packet! Enjoy!

Neue Woche - neuer PICDUMP! Viel Spaß mit den Bildern :)

**Updated 7/7/15 - I put the 22 attention getters into 3 different table formats. You can choose which one (visually) works best for you.** I use these attention getters/grabbers on a daily basis with my ELL students. These attention getters are a great way to improve your classroom management. I usually pick one or two to teach the class at the beginning of the year. Then every month or every few weeks, I introduce a new attention getter, which my students can't wait for!! To get my students attention I simply say ‘Ready Set!’ and then they say ‘You Bet!’. Once the students say their part they are quietly looking at me for directions. It's as simple as that! The key is the students have to say their part the way you said yours. So if you whisper, they also have to whisper. If you said it like a robot, then they have to say it like a robot. Your students have to match your tone and intensity, which they love to do! If you like the fonts and background from this product, please check out my store! Make sure to follow me for more great resources! Thanks :)

Reduce the noise in your classroom and get students' attention with these fun classroom attention-getters. Attention-getters are simple and fun call-and-response routines in which the teacher would call out something, and then all the students should respond. This helps to quite down the classroom and to get students' attention in a fun way. It really works, and it is much more effective than yelling at students to be quiet. Below you'll find 15 classroom attention-getter examples for you to use in your class.

This week the French are celebrating Bastille day. It’s a really big deal, sort of like American Independence day and we celebrate being Frenchies and all that patriotic stuff. So I thought being half French myself, I’d do a little patriotic post on why it’s awesome to be French… 1. We were infamously led into…

Y/N works at Flourish and Blotts, and by a chance encounter she gets the attention of a certain Lucius Malfoy. Having grown up in a muggle household where the magic is scarcely represented, Y/N is not familiar with the pureblood families. Therefore, the worlds of which they both belong is unknown to the other. So, what happens when they find out their differences? - This is a Lucius x Reader story. - Warning: This fanfiction may contain some violence, mature content, smut and age gaps. 18+ only! - Ranked #4 in tag #Lucius - 14.05.23 - All original characters of the series of HP belong to the author-who-shall-not-be-named and the Harry Potter franchise. Only Y/N is my own character. Most HP characters in this story may not be canon to the original storyline.

I've been spending my winter break reading a lot of things for my classroom. I've been scouring blogs, watching YouTube videos, reading books and generally thinking about how my classroom runs. I work at a unique place, it's an all kindergarten school. You heard me right, all kindergarten! All the kids in my district come to my school for kindergarten then they go to their neighborhood school for 1-5 grades. It's super unique and extremely awesome! All the kids in our district get to know each other in kindergarten so when they see each other on the sports fields or around town, the community is united. It's really wonderful and I love working in my district. The kids and parents build lasting friendships with families that don't live in their immediate neighborhood. Since we are an all kindergarten school (8 kindergarten classrooms and 2 EAK classrooms) we have the unique opportunity to do many innovative things. For instance, we have a school wide program where the kids go to a small group every day for reading (20 minutes), then to a Phonemic Awareness room (20 minutes), then to 2 of the following places (20 minutes each), depending on the day of the week- Music keyboarding, Spatial-Temporal Math on the computers, SPARKS PE, or Word Work. We call this program "Pathways Plus" and we all love it. Because we are an all kindergarten school and because we collaborate weekly with each other, we can do many unique things like Pathways Plus. We have a school wide behavior system that we teach at the beginning of the year. Everyone on campus is aware of the rules and expectations for behavior at each of the different locations around the school. We teach the kids the playground rules, the bathroom rules, the library rules, etc. etc. One thing that we are doing is to switch from individual behavior systems in our own classrooms is to move to a more standardized system that is school wide. We think this will help the kids with consistency from room to room (since they move around so much). Every teacher has her own behavior system set up in her classroom. Mine was a chart where kids started on green and moved up or down the behavior ladder depending on their behavior. They took a ticket home each day. When they save 10 good tickets then they got a chance to choose treasure from my treasure box. This system has worked well for me for over 10 years. Well, now it's time to change that (YIKES) and move toward the Whole Brain Teaching model. Now you see what types of videos I've been watching and understand what types of things I've been reading. I've been busy because we will be switching over to this new system in January (mid year- YIKES!) I'm both excited and apprehensive about the switch. It's hard to change from something that has been working for you to something new and different. I know that it is a good thing for the kids, but it means a steep learning curve for me. I will keep you posted on how it's going. I'm sure I'll have many funny stories to tell. In the mean time, I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water! I still plan to use my songs and chants to help my transitions run smoothly. I've updated my file and added some new things. If you own it, make sure to go back to TpT to get the updated file. If you don't own it yet, I highly recommend it. It is full of songs and posters that cover topics like cleaning up, lining up, writing your name on your paper, not using too much glue, etc. I have a sub binder with all of these in it, and I have them posted around my room so that I remember to use them. The kids LOVE them and it makes transitioning super easy and fun.

*cries* i love them #orv

Y/N works at Flourish and Blotts, and by a chance encounter she gets the attention of a certain Lucius Malfoy. Having grown up in a muggle household where the magic is scarcely represented, Y/N is not familiar with the pureblood families. Therefore, the worlds of which they both belong is unknown to the other. So, what happens when they find out their differences? - This is a Lucius x Reader story. - Warning: This fanfiction may contain some violence, mature content, smut and age gaps. 18+ only! - Ranked #4 in tag #Lucius - 14.05.23 - All original characters of the series of HP belong to the author-who-shall-not-be-named and the Harry Potter franchise. Only Y/N is my own character. Most HP characters in this story may not be canon to the original storyline.

Do your students love graphic novels? Mine do! Babymouse rarely makes it back to the shelf before someone else checks her out!I saw these printables and

#5 is super relatable.

I LOVE my class this year. Diverse. Capable. Sweet. Unique. Enthusiastic. Energetic. Hard-working. Funny. Lovable. These are some of the words that come to mind when I think of my first graders. But one more word that also comes to mind is...chatty. Very chatty. We are a 'work in progress' with this. And thank goodness, we are continuing to improve each week. :-) Now, don't get me wrong, I believe a classroom should be FULL of rich, collaborative dialogue. Student discussion is vital, and our little guys need frequent opportunities to engage with peers and share their thoughts. I pride myself on having a dynamic, student-centered classroom that encourages this. To foster this kind of a climate, however, students also need to learn how to be effective listeners and independent workers. There are appropriate and inappropriate times for talking, and to get students to adhere to these boundaries, clear expectations must be set. Here are 12 ideas/strategies to try when working with a chatty class.

Pay attention to the quiet ones, because they’re the ones that pay attention to you when everyone else is gone. – Unknown

an answer to all life's pressing questions

Read through our favorite classroom management hacks and then hop over and become a Plato Pack member for even more teaching tools, strategies and support.

Carrie Fisher Has Died at 60

I'm so excited for the new school year that is quickly approaching. Boy was it a fast summer. My favorite part of the beginning of the year is building and nurturing a positive classroom community. I can't wait to share with you some of my bag of tricks when dealing with classroom management. They say if your kids are truly engaged in appropriate leveled activities and you are well planned and organized then you don't need much classroom management. I agree to an extent but there are just some classes that need some positive reinforcements. Over the past ten years, I've had a chance to add tools and tricks to my teaching bag. I use many different tricks and some years I change it up depending on my students. Class dojo or the super improver wall is usually what I use as my individualized work habits/behavior motivator. Today I'm going to share with you a list of some individual, whole group, and team incentives that I've used in the past. I also try to use many KAGAN structures and provide many instances for team and class building activities. This is just some ideas... keep in mind I do not use these every day! Brownie Points- This is a sweet way to get kids motivated to walking quietly on campus, being polite in the lunchroom and being on their best behavior at specials. This system is used whole group for positive behaviors. The kids love trying to earn brownie points. Each time the class earns a compliment from another teacher or faculty member, they receive a brownie on the cookie sheet. When the cookie sheet is full, the students receive a brownie party to celebrate their great behavior. Click here for a free brownie point header. Secret Star- Usually when we exit the classroom, I tell my students that I am looking for a secret star to make it to our destination without talking. I pick a card out of my secret star container. I tell the students that I am watching to see if my “secret star” is walking nicely and quietly. My kids love this little task and my line is always silent. When we get back to the classroom, the secret start gets a starburst and/or a secret star behavior bead. If you can’t do candy you could do a sticker, stamp, etc. Since it's a secret who the "Secret Star" is, everybody is usually quiet in case it's them. If the "Secret Star" is not quiet then I simply state that "My Secret Star did not make it this time." I don't tell who it was. This works wonders for getting the students to walk quietly in the hallways and it's also fun. Mystery Trash- To keep my floors clean and room tidy, I get my students motivated by playing a game of Mystery Trash. To play, I pick a mystery piece of trash or mystery object out of place. It could even be a chair that needs pushed in or book that needs put in its proper place. As soon as I announce that there is mystery trash, the students race to pick up as much trash as they can find. If they find the mystery object, they get to go to the treasure box, pick from the lollipop tree or receive a mystery trash behavior bead. Smarties/Lollipop Tree- When my students make a 100 on an AR test or 100 on a computer program, I allow them to ring a bell and wave around the Smartypants flag. After they parade around the room, they can choose some smarties or a lollipop. The best part about the lollipop tree is there are some lollipops with a mark at the end. If they are extra lucky and draw with a mark, they visit the treasure box. Some years I don't use the treasure box and I have a "bee"havior catalog instead. Handwriting Hero/ Printing Princess- I don’t get to spend as much time on handwriting practice as I wish. To motivate my students, I use this little incentive. Before writing, I tell my students I am looking for a Printing Princess and Handwriting Hero. I then pick one girl and one boy who had fabulous handwriting for the day. You will be amazed at my student’s handwriting just because they are trying to earn this award. Their work is then displayed for the week on a special wall. Lucky Ducks- I use lucky ducks for running errands or calling on students to answer questions. I have Popsicle sticks with a picture of a duck and their class number. If their number is drawn then they are the lucky duck. You can download them for free here. Magic Necklace- During stations my student know that I’m looking for a friend to earn the magic necklace. My magic necklace happens to be a solar bead necklace. When they wear it in the sun, it changes colors. I choose one person a day. Care Bears- This is great if you don’t like giving out candy. Sometimes I pass out teddy grahams to students who are “caring” for others or “caring” about their work. It’s also great for my student who is allergic to eggs, nuts, milk, etc. Knocking my Socks off Board "You're Knocking my socks off" board that I found from The First Grade Parade works wonders. Thanks to Cara for the fabulous idea. Click on her name to find the FREE stuff. Whichever table ends up with the sock at the very end of the day gets a special prize. It's something simple like ... eat lunch with a buddy... use teacher supplies... etc. Behavior Beads- So what is a behavior bead? On the first day of school I give my students their "behavior bead" on a ball chain necklace. I have made many sets for all kinds of things. You can check them out here. There are many FREE ones too! The kids get so excited about earning and collecting these badges/charms. They are perfect rewards and incentives in the classroom. Here are a few ideas: *Honor Roll *Perfect Attendance *Star Student *Caught Being Good *Good Manners *AR * Sight Word Master * Lost a Tooth One area of classroom management that I find extremely important is listening and following directions. I find that listening is an area where my students have struggled in the past. I now know that some of my students have never had the chance to practice or learn good listening skills. Before I started practicing whole body listening in my classroom, you would find kids rolling around on the carpet. Most of my students thought that you could only listen with your ears. I also enjoy using the Whole Brain Teaching techniques. My students are trained to use Hands and Eyes which creates instant silence. My class also responds well with the Class, Yes technique. I highly recommend you checking out Whole Brain Teaching. They have a wealth of strategies and techniques that truly work. I have made this poster of attention grabbers, feel free to download. Click here to download Would you like to win a starter pack of behavior beads? Please enter below! FREE 7 Habits behavior beads a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Don't die and don't go steady," the book reads, "both take you out of circulation."

Pay attention to the quiet ones, because they’re the ones that pay attention to you when everyone else is gone. – Unknown