My Newly Designed Sports-Themed Classroom

This year I totally revamped my classroom (at the last minute, as I sometimes do). We had a fabulous start to the new year and the students were thrilled with the new classroom vibe. 

Some of the things I did to make it special:

First, I created a whole vibe with different sports ball paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. I purchased a soccer field rug to place under my table. I got a basketball hoop that I mounted to my whiteboard. It will be perfect for games. 

At open house, I passed out our team playbook. This was definitely a labor of love and completely matched our theme. The students and families each got one of these to take home. It told all about the classroom and me as their coach (teacher). It told about some of the special ways we will celebrate together. 

For a welcome back, I gave each student a little soccer pouch that was filled with snacks. I placed a World Cup Little Debbie snack cake inside as well as a bag of Pirate's Booty.  These were so fun and the class loved them. On a side note, my dad went to school with the real Little Debbie...Debbie McKey. So fun!

For birthdays, I have tall plastic soccer cups with straws that I will pass out. inside each one will be a soccer ring pop as well as a sports pencil and eraser. They are super cute. This coming week I will be giving these out to all of my summer birthdays. Can't wait to see their reaction to that. 

We are using a mini-economy, so even the classroom money has a sports theme. We are using "All Star Dollars." Each money amount has a different sports featured with an equal amount of female and male athletes. 

It's going to be a great year! I hope your year is just as great.

3 Things I Wish I Knew my First Year of Teaching

If I were to become a time traveler and travel back to my first year of teaching 1998-1999, I would tell that bright-eyed, dream-filled young teacher a few things. Here's what I would share. 

1. Spend a Lot of Time Teaching, Practicing, and Reinforcing Rules, Routines, and Procedures 

For a smooth year, you will need to keep a tight control on these. Set them up during the first week of school. Practice and practice some more until your students can do what you need them to do correctly. Practice again after every break, especially after long ones. You will be surprised at what students forget.

2. Once expectations are set, DO NOT let things slide. If you do, you will lose credibility and before you know it, you will be putting out behavior and procedure fires all day. For procedures, if your students do not do something in the way they were taught, stop and have them practice. If a rule is broken, start your consequences. Here's a look at mine.

First Offence: Stop Card - this is like a warning, only better because students must walk to my board and physically take a card back to their desk, placing it on top. This is a visual reminder for them to change their behavior.

Second Offense: Sideline - Students take a break at a designated spot in the classroom. They get themselves together and may rejoin the class by raising their hand when they feel ready. I generally allow them to choose their time to return unless they raise their hand right away or if they are visually not ready (still having a meltdown or upset looking). When they have their hand raised I will quietly allow them to return to their seat when I agree that they are ready.

Third Offense: Think Time - My students must fill out a behavior sheet to think about what they are doing and what they should be doing. They document what they will do when they return. I usually have them go out of my room and into another class (I have made arrangements with that teacher ahead of time) to fill out the form. 

Fourth Offense: Note Home - If students need a fourth reminder, they will receive a note home to explain that they are needing extra support to meet the behavior standards of the class. 

3. Third, I wish I knew that no matter what you do, how hard you work, the hours you spend, or any other variable, some parents will still be upset. It seems every year the class loves you, and occasionally one parent seems to be on a completely different page. Their expectations are sky-high, above and beyond the limits that a teacher should or could meet. You will have some of those parents over the course of your career. It feels like it derails you, but don't let it get to you. Shake it off and remember, you can please most people most of the time, but you will never please every person all of the time. It's not you...it's them. Don't let it get to you and make you feel like an inadequate teacher because that is far from the truth. 

I hope you keep these in mind, even if you are not a new teacher. Sometimes a few reminders can help all of us, myself included. 

 

January Classroom Reset: What I Actually Change (and What I Don't)

Why January Feels Like a Reset (But Isn't a Full Restart)

Coming back from Christmas break can absolutely feel hard. There is a lot of post Christmas excitement in the air, students and teachers are tired, and everyone has been out of the habit of classroom routines and procedures. But January doesn't have to be a full restart. You do not have to begin again like you did in August or September of this school year. January is not the new August (or September). Small tweaks make a huge difference. You do not need a complete overhaul to get everything back on track again. 

What I actually Change in January

1. Clear clutter, don't try to redecorate

If you try to take on a complete redecoration of your classroom, you could find yourself overwhelmed and burned out on your first day back. Instead, focus on small changes like decluttering. Take down work from last quarter and get it ready to go home. Put things back in place that have been left out by students. Do a quick tidy of your teacher work space. These changes, however small, will refresh the classroom and get everything ready for learning again. 

2. Do a quick rework of your seating 

Consider classroom behaviors from before break in guiding yourself through a new seating chart. A fresh seating chart always feels good. It is novel for students and helps them to adjust again to the classroom. They do not need to sit by their bestie, instead, think about where they will do their best work without distraction. 

3. Routines and Procedures

Re-teach transitions and procedures again. Students have been out of practice for two weeks, and let's face it, things were out of the normal with programs, parties and interruptions the week before break. They need a refresher in classroom expectations. Do not just assume that they will fall right into line. Be proactive and give them a mini classroom boot camp. You won't have to be as in-depth as the first week of school, but you definitely do not want to gloss over this one.  

4. Instruction and Planning

Plan  on creating more time for review and scaffolding for the first couple of days back. Allow students to ease back into the routine and review what they learned during the first semester before moving forward into completely new concepts.

What I don't Change (Even if it's Tempting)

1. Under no circumstances do I change my classroom management system. My system is working for me. I will not add any new point systems or rewards. Consistency is more important than novelty. Students need to know what to expect. My system cannot constantly be changing. They know what is expected and what will happen if they do not follow procedures and rules. I will return to my system from day one after break. Here is a look at how I handle classroom management.  Don't fix what isn't broken. Just double down again and keep the management they have grown to rely on. 

2. I do not make any major curriculum changes. Instead of switching up programs half-way through the school year, adjust how you deliver content, not the content itself. If something hasn't been working, find a different way to teach. 

3. I do not expect perfection. Just as students make mistakes in their daily work, so they will make behavior mistakes as well. Have grace for them. Have grace for yourself, as you will make your own fair share of mistakes. Don't allow students (or yourself) to feel that a mistake determines your worth or says who you are. You are worth more than the sum of your mistakes and your students are too. Foster that growth mindset in not only academics, but in classroom behaviors as well. 

How I Re-Teach Without Making it Boring

1. Don't lecture your students. Model ideas and concepts for them and guide them as they try it on their own.

2. Practice routines as a game. Make it fun. 

3. Allow students to be a part of the process. Ask them reflection questions such as, "What worked before break? What needs a reminder?"

Common January Reset Mistakes Teachers Make

1. Too often, teachers try to change everything at once. Not only will you feel overwhelmed, but your students also need the familiarity of regular routines. Any changes made should be subtle and introduced slowly. 

2. I am an over-planner. Over-planning for the first week back can be a mistake because often, I end up with many activities that do not get touched and have to be abandoned or carried over to the following week. Be realistic with your time. It is frustrating and a waste of time to plan so many activities that, in the end, get tossed to the side. 

3. Don't expect instant results. Students may need to brush up on the steps for long division again. They may not remember that new vocabulary word from three weeks ago. They may be too excited to remember the classroom expectations the very moment they arrive back in class. Be patient. Reteach, guide, and encourage them. 

4. For goodness sake, do not compare yourself to someone else's highlight reel on Instagram. If another teacher spent their entire break overhauling everything with a super cute new classroom vibe, as Mel Robbins would advise, "Let them." You walk into your own classroom the first day back with a decluttered space, with a management system that has been working since day one, and you rock it all again. You do not have to have the cutest class on "the gram." 

What Success Actually Looks Like in January

1. Gradual improvement, not immediate clam is what you are looking for. Let's face it, students will not be calm on day one. They will want to tell you all their news. They want to tell all their friends and classmates too. They have eaten way too much sugar. They have watched way too much T.V. and played way too many video games. They have stayed up too late and slept in too late. They have been off their schedules. Some of them have most likely not hear the word "no" in a couple of weeks. So, do not expect perfection as it may have been before break. It will take a little while for students to settle back in. 

2. What you can expect is fewer interruptions by week two or three. Resetting the classroom after a break takes time, but know that the end is in sight. Things will come back together, and it will be quicker than at the beginning of the year when it takes a full 4-6 weeks before things ever feel like I like them to. 

3. Students will once again remember routines without prompts. They did it once (before break) and they can do it again. After the first week, those reminders will taper off. Don't give up hope. Continue to provide consistency and high expectations. 

Encouragement for You, the Teacher

1. January is NOT about the sparkle, it is about stability. Getting students back into familiar routines and work will naturally bring stability. Stability will help them to feel settled and they will calm back down and be ready to get back on track in no time. 

2. Small changes count. A decluttered room or a new seating chart can make the classroom feel more settled. Reviewing a skill or a simple reminder on a classroom procedure matters. 

3. You're not behind....you are recalibrating. Regrouping and reviewing will allow time for students to settle back in and a week or two in you will be at full-steam ahead in your teaching and their learning. If you try to hit the books with full force too early, students will not be ready to learn. They need that review to fall back into place.

How do you reset your classroom in January?

STEM Challenges with a Holiday Twist: Make December Magical in Your Classroom

December in the classroom can feel like a bit of a whirlwind - students are buzzing with excitement, schedules are packed, you are juggling lessons and Christmas programs, while trying to insert some holiday fun. So how do you keep learning meaningful without losing the festive spirit? Enter holiday-themed STEM challenges! These hands-on activities are the perfect way to use that energy for creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) isn't just about equations or experiments. It is also about critical thinking and innovating. What better time to spark curiosity than during the most magical season of the year? 

 Why does Holiday STEM work?

• It Keeps students engaged during a time when attention spans are short.
• It encourages collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving
• It brings joy to learning - because who doesn't love building something festive?

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STEM Challenge Idea: Build a Christmas Tree

This one is a favorite of mine because it combines engineering with holiday cheer. Here’s how easy it is set up:

The Challenge

With your team, build the tallest Christmas tree possible using only the supplies provided. 

Materials

• Large green popsicle sticks
• Clothes pins
• Colorful pom-poms or bells

Steps

1. Ask and Imagine: How will you add height to your tree? How will you make it stand on its        own? How will you make it hold the decorations?

2. Plan: Sketch a quick design. Add details. 

3. Create: Start building your tree! Students should test to make sure it can stand and make        adjustments as they go.

4. Improve:  How can they make it sturdier? Stronger? Add ornaments for fun!

Learning Connections

• Engineering: Balance and structure
• Math: Measuring height
• Science: Stability and gravity

Want to add more challenge? Up the competition - whose tree can hold the most weight (like small bells) without falling?

If you would like a unit, all about Christmas trees, that includes this STEM challenge, you can find it right here or click on the cover page below.

Math Block Series: Math Review

One of my favorite ways to review, with my students, at the end of a math unit, is through the use of high engagement, hands on activities. I LOVE to use my math escape rooms. They are all themed and perfect to use with a classroom transformation, if that is the sort of thing you like doing in your classroom. But, even if it isn't, these escape rooms are still engaging without transforming your room. For the example I am going to show you, I used my Mission to Mars escape room, which was a review of addition skills. Each escape room themed activity comes with three levels of play that include third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade skills for easy differentiation. I kept the decorations very simple this time. I simply covered a table with a black tablecloth, added my packets and other supplies, laid out the drink ingredients (more on that in a bit), and added some star garland...super simple. The students were instantly asking questions as soon as they walked into the room...instant engagement. 

 

How to Prep the Review Game Materials

 I usually prep the packs for each team a few days ahead, or the day before. You just have to print everything for each challenge, cut and place in an envelope. I like to laminate all the puzzles so I can use them from year-to-year, so that is what I have been doing. This would be great to give to a parent who wants to be involved in the classroom, but really, the cutting itself did not take me too long. 

Take a Look at the Math Escape Challenges

When I introduce the escape to the students, I read off the introduction. It sets up the challenges and the goal for the challenge. I also tell them about what they earn at the end of each challenge. In this case, the addition escape room was a Mission to Mars theme. Students earned Star Bucks for each challenge they completed. After they completed each challenge, students were able to visit the Galactic Cafe' to make a special drink using their Star Bucks to pay for it. They were instantly hooked and worked so hard to figure out the secret codes for each challenge. The majority of my groups used about an hour of time, which was perfect for my math block. However, it could be split up where students do one or two challenges each day for a few days if you did not have that long. 

In the first challenge, students first rounded the numbers and solve the equations, matching puzzle pieces to the answers. Each puzzle piece had a letter on it and once the puzzle was complete, they asked for the decoder and were able to use it to find the secret code. This challenge generally takes the longest of any of them.

Challenge 2 includes a true/false worksheet for each student. Once students figure out which equations are true and which are false, they find the space ships that have the numbers matching the true equations. They put those space ships in numerical order and find their next code.  

For challenge three, students work to find the sums on each astronaut card. Once they figure out the sums, they will put those in order from least to greatest to reveal the next code phrase/word.

Challenge four has students engaging in a game of memory match. Once students match the equations to the sums, they will line up the number cards and place the matching card underneath, revealing their final code. 

This has honestly been such an engaging review activity for my students. 

Galactic Cafe'

For the Galactic Cafe' you need just a few items. There are labels to cover those items, to give everything a space theme. Here's a look at the final product. 

I have been hard at work creating a challenge for each math unit for my own classroom. I started with one for multiplication a couple of years ago, but this summer, I added the rest. I currently have: 

Place Value Safari

Mission to Mars Addition

Racing Subtraction

Circus Multiplicaiton

Dive-iding Down Under (Ocean themed dividing)

Get the entire bundle for a steal at just $29 dollars. You will save more than $8 by purchasing the challenges all together. Check those out by clicking the link here to add to your cart, or click the picture below. 

Summer Series Classroom Transformations Bonus: 5 Books to Inspire

Just popping onto the blog today to share some of my favorite books for classroom transformations. If you are looking for more inspiration, check these out. 

The Wild Card by Hope and Wade King

So much inspiration. I will always think back fondly to seeing Hope King at work in her classroom in the middle of a Toy Story classroom transformation. LOVED it then. LOVE it now. This book gives lots of ideas for bringing that magic to your own classroom. 

Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess

In his book, Dave shares a lot of innovative ideas for engaging your class. 

    Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire by Rafe Esquith

Another book filled with innovative ideas for the classroom. 

The End of Molasses Classes by Ron Clark

Ron Clark is one of my biggest heroes in teaching when it comes to classroom engagement. He has so many ideas that can be immediately put into practice. He sparked something with his magical school, The Ron Clark Academy.

Crash Course by Kim Bearden

Kim Bearden, the cofounder of the Ron Clark Academy, is another gem among teachers. Her innovative ideas and transformations bring engagement to every classroom. I have tried, and LOVE her ideas. Some have become a staple in my classroom. 

Summer Series Classroom Transformations: Part 5 Transformation Day - Escape to the Circus

It's hard to pick a favorite classroom transformation, but my Escape to the Circus one HAS to be up there. Today we are going to walk through what a day in the life looks like when doing a classroom transformation. This classroom transformation focused on multiplication skills and was an engaging way for my students to practice their times tables skills at the end of the unit before the multiplication final test. 

There was quite a bit of prep work done ahead of time because I created this transformation and all of the activities from scratch. I did not have ready-made materials. I had most of the decor already, because years ago I created a year-long circus theme for my classroom. I sewed the circus bunting and the circus tent for that year-long theme, but I have used them again and again for different room transformations. I did purchase a background to top it all off and clipped it over my whiteboards. 

My class is a multi-grade classroom with 3 grades. I created this transformation to be fully differentiated with three different levels of play, so students worked on the standards for their grade levels, but all did the same activities...only the level of play was more or less challenging. 

 A Day in the Life of a Classroom Transformation

It was the day of our classroom transformation, a multiplication circus escape room, and I was so excited for my students to come through the door. I put some circus music on to set the tone. The classroom was decorated in red and white stripes, and the big top was all ready. 

The students were immediately excited when the door opened and they realized today we were going to the circus. Once everyone found their seats and we were ready to begin, I set up the transformation by starting like a real circus with "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls..." and continuing to set up their imaginary trip through multiplication challenges to  escape to the circus. 

I passed out their circus brochures. These would hold the answers to each multiplication challenge. I explained to them that they would be completing puzzles or challenges, solving for a mystery word, and showing me before they could go on to the next challenge. There would be four challenges and students would work with a partner to complete each one. When all four challenges were complete, they would escape to the circus.

I gave each pair of students an envelope with challenge one inside. It was a puzzle that students would need to complete to find out the first secret word or phrase. Students needed to match the equations to the products to build their puzzle.

This was the most challenging of the activities. It definitely took the longest, but every single pair of students finished it. After students completed challenge one and got it checked by me, the ringmaster, I gave each student a ticket. They were collecting one ticket for each challenge they solved and a bonus ticket if they were the first team to complete all four challenges. The tickets would be used later to play carnival-style games. 

After a pair of students completed challenge one, they received the second challenge. In this challenge, students had to examine multiplication equations that were already solved to determine if the answers were true or false. Then they looked at a set of ducks that had numbers and letters on them. The numbers matched the equation problem numbers. Once they decided which of the equations were true, they took those numbered ducks and lined them up to reveal the next code. Writing it down, they came to me (the ringmaster) to check it and receive a ticket and their next challenge. 

Then it was time for challenge three. For challenge three, students received their envelope with directions. In this challenge, students had circus train cars that had equations on them. Once they solved the multiplication equation, they put the train cars in order from least to greatest products, and that revealed the code. Once again, students checked their secret word/phrase and received a ticket and challenge four when they were correct. 

 

  Last, students opened their envelopes for challenge 4, students were suppose to play a game of memory match with their partner. Once all the cards were matched, they needed to put the cards in order (by the number on each card) and place the match below. The cards below would spelled out the final clue word or phrase. Students checked this final challenge and received their last game ticket. The first pair of students received a bonus ticket. 

As a side note to this challenge, we started running low on time, and when that happened, I had my students work on this challenge without playing memory match. Instead they simply solved and matched the cards to reveal the code.

 

As students began to finish their challenges, they could use their tickets to play carnival-style games that were set up around the classroom. Students were so excited. I had five different games that students could choose from:

Ring Toss: I had a ring toss game that was marked with different points. Students had to throw the rings, add their score and they won if they reached a certain number of points. 

Basketball: I borrowed a small classroom basketball hoop set that could hook onto my whiteboard. Students threw shots and if they made a certain number of baskets, they won.

Bowling: Students could go bowling and had to knock down a certain number of pins to win.

Nerf Gun Shooting: Students had to use a Nerf gun to shoot a target. If they hit the target, they won. 

Ping Pong Ball Toss: Students had ping pong balls that they tossed into cups. If they landed a certain amount, they won the game. 

I had a table set up with snacks and prizes. As students played the games, they could visit the table for a prize if they won. 

Ring Toss

Bowling

Prizes - purchased at Dollar Tree

When we completed all the challenges and games, our transformation ended. It was a huge success with lots of smiles, hard work, and celebrations. Each student received a circus peanut to try (most had never tried them). I will definitely be repeating this one again in the upcoming year.

Here are some other views of the decor. 

If you are interested in trying this transformation out in your own classroom, I will link it here. Remember, you can do simple, medium, or challenging decor...the choice is up to you, there is no wrong or right way to decorate, but students will enjoy learning under the big top, however you choose to do it. Click on the picture below for more details.

Summer Series Classroom Transformations: Part 1: What are They

Summer Series Classroom Transformations: Part 2: Inspiration
Summer Series Classroom Transformations: Part 3: Linking the Standards

Summer Series Classroom Transformations: Part 4: Set Up