Thinking Through my Classroom Management Plans

This year I wanted to work hard on classroom management. A well-managed class makes teaching a pleasure. So...I set about to research and learn more about classroom management. I wanted to brush up my skills and set up a new system for managing my classroom this year. 

Classroom Management Resources

To help myself along, I picked up a couple of old books that I have that have been sitting on my shelves for many years that have been read or partially read and forgotten. Where did my research lead me first, but the guru Harry Wong. Harry Wong's book, The First Days of School is considered a classic in the teaching world and he is at the top when it comes to educators who can manage a classroom. He is the expert! I read through most of his book in just a couple of days, taking notes along the way on things I wanted to remember or try. I also found an old interview by Harry Wong and listened to that. I checked out his website and several articles he had written through the years. There were so many treasures in his materials. 

Another book I read was called, The Classroom Management Secret by Michael Linsin. This book was so great and basically put the problem of classroom management right in the teacher's lap. being inconsistent is the worst thing you can do when upholding classroom behavior in your classroom. It starts to form a hole in your strategy when you do not consistently hold students accountable and students misbehave more and more. 

One last place I looked to was the teacher Mrs Munch's Munchkins on Instagram and YouTube. She is amazing with lots of fresh ideas. 

My Classroom Management Plan for the School Year

This year I took things from all three of these sources, and others, and added my own spin to create an effective plan for my classroom. 

1. First, we spent a ton of time on procedures, and continue to go back over those procedures on a regular basis as needed. 

2. Next, I spent some time on a plan for whole class behaviors, which are basically the expected procedures for how to do needed things together as a class such as our quiet signals and when we line up or come to our class campground/campsite (circle area). 

    Students are expected to follow procedures for line up or going to the campground like this: 

        a. stand up

        b. get ready (either empty hands or bring what is asked of them)

        c. when I give the secret word, students move silently to line, campground, or desks. 

      For our quiet signal, we do two different ones. I might say, "If you hear me clap once!" The students should clap and turn their eyes my way while remaining quiet. The second option I use is used in the same way, but it is a call and response I believe I learned at Get Your Teach on a few years back. It goes, "Hey, Hey, Hey! Listen up, Listen up!" Students shout it back to me while looking and listening. 

For our procedures, we use a whole class scoreboard. If students follow the procedure correctly, we get a point on our scoreboard under the words "Oh YEAH!" Then I will say, "Let me hear it. 1,2,3..." and they say "Oh YEAH!" If one student does not follow but the rest do, I make that one student show me the correct way to do it, but we do not get or lose a point. If several students to do follow the directions, I will give them an oops point and make them practice correctly. At the end of the day, we look at our points and compare the Oh Yeah points to the oops points. If we have more Oh Yeah points, we reveal a mystery letter to a secret prize. When all letters are revealed, the class earns the prize. If we have 5 more Oh Yeah points than Oops points, we reveal two letters. We reveal no letters if students get more Oops points. The prizes are simple things and do not have to cost anything at all. I use things like extra recess, stinky feet (no shoes for the day), bring a stuffed animal, etc. 

I also have a plan for individual management. This is where our classroom rules and consequences come in. First, I taught my students the four simple rules that I call Our Campground Rules (since we have a camping theme).

 

        1. Respect God

        2. Respect Adults

        3. Respect Students

        4. Respect Property

Under each of the rules, we have simple explanations that show what respect looks like in each situation. I also teach at a private Christian school, so we can have a rule about God. 

For the first week, after teaching my rules, I did not enforce consequences. This was a period to get used to these new rules for the year. I would remind students of which rule they broke and what the consequence would be in a few days. As students got used to the rules, I introduced the following consequences:

        1. Warning (verbal warning of the rule broken)

        2. Time Away ( either time away from friends in class or a time out during recess)

        3. Note Home

         4. Principal

While students understand that these are the consequences, they also know that the level of consequence can be skipped if the degree of rule breaking is serious. 

That pretty much sums up my classroom management plan. I do try to communicate with parents and build great communication. If you are interested in getting some ideas for parent communication and making your year run smoother in that aspect, check out that post over here. Here is another fun way to help with behavior management...click here.

3 Classroom Decor Ideas for the New School Year - #3 Llama Llama Brights

My Llama Llama decor set is near and dear to my heart. This was the first decor set I created. I also used it when I taught my own son in second grade. My classroom was beautiful. I loved the color combo of navy, pink, and lime. It was bright and cheerful without being overwhelming. Let's look at a few of the many pieces in this classroom decor resource.

Llama Llama Decor

I love the llama sayings on this little clip chart for behavior. It is a fun way to keep all the students on task.

These sweet bookmarks are a great gift for students at the beginning of the year or anytime throughout it.

You can see some of the other pieces here as well including calendar pieces, binder covers, posters, alphabet chart, and word wall.

A few more pieces include student desk name tags, labels, and a number line. 

Here is a great way to use the calendar piece in a unique display.

If you want to put a smile on your students' faces, check this out over here.

Classroom Decor Ideas for the New School Year - #2 Woodlands Nature Classroom

I LOVE nature...I mean, I REALLY LOVE nature. Camping, going to the beach, walking in the woods...those things are my jam. I love it so much that I made it my master's degree. I took have my masters in science outdoor education. I want students to enjoy nature as much as I do and find respite in it as well. Nature was my inspiration for this decor. It is a woodland theme with muted natural watercolor elements thrown in as well. Let's take a look at some of the pieces inside this classroom decor set.  

Woodlands Forest Nature Decor

First up is the classroom cash. When I go with a theme, I like to go all in. It isn't just the decor, it is everything. That includes my behavior management system too. I created a set of classroom cash to use with this theme. The cash comes in different increments like real money, but with a woodlands twist. Another part of this is class coupons. I use my coupons in a classroom store. Students can use their money to purchase class coupons for privileges in the classroom. Some of those privileges include things like: take your shoes off in class, line leader for the day, trade spots for the day, show-n-tell/talent show, evens or odds on one assignment for the day, etc. Students go crazy over these coupons. I allow them to be used throughout the year with the expiration date just being the end of the year. 

These are my class book bins. Each student gets one to use to store their library books in. They may have 5 books at a time. I love keeping a neutral colored bin that goes with any theme...black has been perfect, and I have had it for about 5 years. Each year it takes just a few minutes to print out new tags with student names on them. I simply slip them into the pocket on the front of each bin and voila, they are ready to go! I also use these same tags on my classroom library bins.

 

Every early elementary classroom needs a numberline and this one is great in the muted watercolors that are used throughout the set. This line goes up through 120, instead of stopping at the traditional 100. I like my students to see how the numbers above 100 work too. 

Getting a student work display area is a cinch with these full color or blackline posters. I hang student work coming soon posters wherever I will be hanging student work after school starts. It gives each student a spot to add their own assignments in the days ahead and throughout the entire year. 

Students need reminders of keeping the right mindset. These growth mindset posters feature different animals and nature themed pictures with sayings on each one such as, "Mistakes are proof you are trying." or "If at first you don't succeed, you're normal." I love having growth mindset quotes in my class to encourage students to work through the tough challenges. 

This bulletin board display is perfect for the start of the year. Your class of students really IS embarking on an adventure together. This would be the perfect springboard for talking about their hopes and dreams for the year. 

Having math scaffolds are so important, especially as students are learning tough concepts. These multiples posters go up through the 12's and are one of the most used posters in my classroom as students learn their times tables and division facts. 

Having an affirmation station is just an added way to show students their worth. I like having one around a mirror so they can see themselves as they read the affirmations. I have bathrooms in my classrooms, so that is where I hang one. 

I keep a welcome banner on my wall all year. Students see it as they walk into the classroom each morning. It stays all year because I like students to know they are always welcome and a part of my class. 

I like to use voice levels in my classroom to help with classroom management. I can easily use this chart with a clothespin to clip onto the voice level they are suppose to be at. This also has a waiting room to help with class interruptions while teaching small groups as well. 

Up close of some of the growth mindset posters. 

Calendar and other Woodlands themed decor goodness...

You can check this woodlands classroom decor set here. 

Setting up my Classroom Library

Why do I Need over 1000 Classroom Books?

Having a wide variety and large selection of books is a must for me. Students need to be able to choose books that interest them. They need to have many to choose from, not just a small bin or two for an entire classroom. Having a large variety gets them excited about books. It helps them to be more interested in books. Research shows that students who attend school in a classroom with a well-stocked library of quality books actually read 50% more than students who do not. That is a LOT! Having more books provides students. A great classroom library can benefit students by providing motivation and interest in books. We want to help students become life-long readers and this is one way to help students reach that goal.

Where I shop for Books 

I am constantly adding new books to my classroom library. I love the excitement I see when kids get their hands on new books. There is a buzz in the classroom as everyone eyes a book with an interesting cover that they want to check out. I hear students ask the lucky kid who got the book they wanted if they can have that book next. 

So, where do I find these new books, and how can I afford to add so many to my classroom? I am lucky to have a Goodwill bookstore in my town. It is in entire house, filled with books of all kinds. It has a large children's section and every weekend the books are on sale for 25% off! They are constantly getting new books and I can get so many when I head there. I donate these books to my classroom, but I do write my name in them since I purchase them with my own money. I have no plans to leave my school, but if I ever do, I would definitely take these books with me.

I suggest that you get books at thrift stores and garage sales. I can pick up books for usually between $1.99 and $3.99 plus get the 25% off. These books would regularly retail for between $5.99 and $17 or so. It is really a great deal. Also, don't be afraid to ask or put out a post on social media for people to donate their old books to you for your classroom. I have had parents over the years who wanted to clear out unused books donate to me...and I always say yes to that!

How I Organize my Classroom Library

I admit it, organizing my classroom library was not a quick or easy task, but once I got it organized, it was a cinch to maintain. I have used this method with kids from 2nd grade all the way through 6th and if you train them right, and keep high expectations of them, it is so easy to have a clean and organized library all year, and even for years to come. Here's my steps for getting started.

1. First, find some bins to use. Bins not only allow you to hold more books on the shelf, but it also allows you to easily sort books into categories. Bins also turn books so that students can quickly thumb through them, looking directly at the front of the cover and not the spines. 

Bins do not have to be costly at all. I have two types of bins in my library currently and neither cost much money. The first type I picked up at Walmart. They are the shoebox bins. These usually come in sets of 6 for a discount. I like these bins for chapter books, they are just a perfect size to line chapter books up in and you can store so many in just one bin. The other type I have are dishpan bins. These are larger and they are great to use for picture books that are too big to fit in the shoebox bins. If the books are too large to stack facing out, I do turn them sideways to allow them to fit better. 

Sometimes I get these bins for free when people are getting rid of their storage bins. 

2. Next, I dump all my books out in a large area and start sorting. This is the messiest part and definitely takes the longest, but it is so worth it in the long run. I look at my books and the types of books I have. I start placing books that fit together in stacks. Sometimes I have a ton of books by one author, like Andrew Clements for instance. My students LOVE his books and I have purchased so many over the years. Sometimes I have many books about a certain topic such as the Titanic. We did an in-depth study of the Titanic a couple of years ago and the students became OBSESSED. So whenever I go to the bookstore and see a new book about the Titanic, I pick it up. With all those Titanic books, they needed their own space in my classroom library. I even have books series that obviously belong together. I have space for my Junie B. Jones, American Girl, Childhood of Famous Americans, Ready Freddy, Flat Stanley, Who Was, I Survived, Babysitter Club comics and many more series books. If kids love a series, I keep purchasing them when I see more books in the set. 

If a book does not seem to fit any specific category, then I will use subject area or genre. For instance, I have a category for fiction and biography. I also have a category for science and Bible (since I teach in a Christian school). 

3. Once the HUGE task of sorting is complete, I give each category a name and a number. I start with the number one and continue through the numbers until every category has a number. I purchase little sticker squares, they come in packs at Walmart for just a few dollars. I count how many books I have in a specific category and then I write the category number on that many stickers. I place the number sticker inside the front cover of the book. I continue adding stickers with numbers to the inside cover of every book. As I finish with a category, I place it inside a book bin. 

4. When all the books are in bins, I create tags for the outside of the bins. The tag will show the category and the number of all the books inside. For example it may say Fiction 1 or Biography 3. Many times, I add clipart to my bins to match my classroom theme. I currently have emoji's on my bin labels. I use a plastic pocket sticker on the front of each bin and slide my labels inside. I always pick up extra pocket stickers from the dollar spot at Target during back-to-school time. 

Training the Students to Use the the Classroom Library

During the beginning of the school year, I train the students to use the classroom library. I take time to show them how the books and bins are numbered. I tell them that when they are done with a book, they should place it back according to the number listed on the outside of the bin and inside of the book. I show them how to do this. We talk about the correct way to place the book inside a bin...front cover showing and right side up. I hold them to this. They are not allowed to just dump their books and walk away or put them haphazardly in a bin. Sometimes this takes some reminding and remodeling, but they can and will learn to do it. 

Student Book Bins

Each student in my class receives a book bin with their name on it. I use durable plastic ones. I have had the exact same ones for probably 5-6 years and they are still in good shape. I recommend purchasing ones that are sturdy, not ones from places like Dollar Tree where the size and quality will suffer. I think I originally spent about 60 dollars for 24 bins. I use magazine-style book bins. I also place a plastic pocket on the front of each and slide in the student name. 

We talk about how many books they are allowed to have at a time (5) and how to care for the books by not dog-earing the pages, but instead using a book mark or scrap of paper. 

Students care for their book bin and are asked to keep only books and headphones for reading online inside their bins.

Library Goals

It is a goal for me to have a self-running library with a wide variety of reading materials. I want my students to fall in love with reading and become life-long readers. I will do whatever I can to make my classroom library a place of joy to explore. Being organized, giving students choice, and making the process easy for them are all ways that I go about achieving that goal. 

Setting up your library will take some time, but once you have it, you will save so much time in the long run. I love that I do not have to reshelf books or help students with checking them out. Our library is a well-oiled machine!

If you are looking for editable tags for your classroom library, I have a set you may be interested in in my TPT shop. You can click on the picture below to be taken to the product.

My Newly Found Classroom Management Tip

If you are anything like me, when students need help, it is usually several students at the same time. The line beside my desk can grow quite long and surprisingly noisy and a bit fidgety. I was always getting frustrated trying to keep that line...well... in line (bad joke, I know). But seriously, it was very frustrating trying to manage the line, keep students working, and still have time to help students one on one. 

Last year, I discovered a magical way to solve this whole issue and it has been wonderful. OK, it isn't really magic, but it sure feels like it, because it has completely changed how my classroom manages themselves, allowing me to help students in peace. 

What is a Teacher Waiting Room

Let me introduce you to the Teacher Waiting Room.  I know, it sounds super official doesn't it? It is truly as great as it sounds. I created a set of tags. Last year I used clothespins and a bin with my tags. This year I stuck magnets on the back and have them on the whiteboard. Both work just about as well as the other. 

How to Use a Teacher Waiting Room

Using a teacher waiting room is simple. Instead of allowing your students to form a line for help, you will have them take the first available number instead. Students will then return to their seats and work on something else that they do not need help with until it is their turn. Students will work quietly, allowing you to quickly help other students. 

When I am ready to call a student for help, I simply call out their numbers in order, one at a time. Once their number is called, they will return their number, then they will come to see me for help. I will continue calling numbers as needed. 

My Teacher Waiting Room has Saved my Sanity

Now, instead of experiencing chaos, helping students is easy and they know exactly what to do and how to do it. It has turned a burden into a joy. I will never go back. This truly is the best thing since sliced bread! 

Be sure to click the link below to check out this resource. 

Back-to-School and a TPT Sale

Hello Teacher Friends,

I don't know about you, but I am feeling the overwhelm of summer vacation ending and the back-to-shool season beginning. It is a little stressful thinking that in less than a week, I will have my classroom full of students...this week we are gearing up with our teacher planning days and if I am honest, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the carefree summer days.

Even in the midst of saying goodbye to summer vacation, I am excited to say hello to the TPT sale this week. You cannot beat 25% off. I stocked my cart all summer with my favorite resources so that I can purchase things to help me plan my year. Maybe you are in the same boat. If you are looking for resources to make your year easier, let me show you a few back-to-school goodies that may be a fit for you.

Spy Academy Multiplication Bundle

Want to get your kiddos engaged and excited to learn those multiplication facts? Spy Academy might be just the thing. This is a multiplication learning system designed to help students learn their facts in 12 weeks. That's just one set per week! Students will love the Spy theme and you will love that your students actually WANT to learn. Filled with activities that target different learning styles, flash cards, partner activites, coloring sheets, task cards, and even a spy games, this is sure to be a winner in your classroom.

Year-Long Multiplication Centers Bundle

Finding centers that can keep your students learning while you are doing small groups can be a definite challenge. That's why I love these easy-to-prep multiplication centers. You only have to teach the students how to play the three simple games once and then each month they play the same game, but with a different theme. The changing themes keeps them engaged and you have more time to teach. These are perfect for year-round multiplication practice that will be sure to keep your students sharp in their multiplication facts. The best part is that they are differentiated for different ability levels.

First Week of School Resources

This time of year is always hectic with so much to line up for the school year. These activities will help you take some of your time back so you can focus on other things as you prep for the year.

Back-to-School Teambuilding

Team building activities are essential to building community within your classroom in the first weeks of school. I love using this art challenge with my class. Students are placed in groups and each group is given a bag of the same art supplies. The teams are given a theme. They then will use the bag of supplies to create a collaborative art project. Teams will have a certain amount of time to create their art display. If you love the show Chopped, then you will love this. This is a spin on the Chopped challenges, with an art twist and some friendly competition.

Get-to-Know You & Bulletin Board Activity

Get to know you activities don't have to be boring! I love to use the two truths and a lie activity in my classroom. Students come up with two things about themselves that are true, but could seem like a lie. They come up with a lie that could seem like a truth. The fun comes when each student reads off their list and their classmates try to figure out which is the lie. This comes with a foldable that can become a bulletin board guessing game as well. Students can color their picture and write their statements inside. Then the class can try to guess while enjoying the pictures on the board. There are over 30 different face styles included.

Parent Communication

We all know parent communication is important if we want to have a successful year. That's why these binders are so helpful. They make communicating with parents a breeze. From the newletter template to the positivie notes home and the communication logs, these binders are sure to make your life a whole lot easier and keep your parents happy in the process. These come in three different styles with editable forms included.

Classroom Decor

If you are looking for a new look that gives your classroom a little something extra, one of these decor sets may be just the thing for you.

I hope this year is everything you want it to be and more. Have a wonderful school year!

-April