Organization
Get your systems in place and organized. It doesn't have to be perfect or permanent. Sometimes the best systems are fluid to better meet the needs of your students.
Supplies
Organize and label materials so students can be self-sufficient. It empowers them and frees up your time from managing what the kids can handle. For those supplies that may be a little more precious than others, put a trusting student in charge to be responsible for managing them.
Systems
How do you want your class to run? Do you feel more comfortable being in charge or do you feel that your students need to help with classroom responsibilities? Here are some things to think about:
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Behavior
CHAMPS
CHAMPS is great at the beginning of the year to really teach expectations. This system explicitly tells your students what you expect of them for different scenarios during the school days. There are a million resources out there for you to download or buy. My favorite is using CHAMPS posters taped to the whiteboard and using a magnet to easily move when we switch subjects.
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PBIS
Restorative Justice
Classroom Rewards
Classroom reward systems can look like a jar of marbles, paper chains hanging from the ceiling, a container of pom poms, etc. I did something like this at first but the problem was that kids never remembered what they were working for. After searching through Pinterest I found my answer. A magnetic reward system labeled with the reward in the middle. Sitting in front of the kids everyday so they knew what their great work was going to.
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I made this to match my nature room. We start with the voted on reward up on the board. As they meet the school and my personal classroom expectations, they received a ray of sunshine. You can make something like this to match your theme or buy something like it.
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Fun Days!
We all need something to look forward to! Whether is it a vacation, party, or break. Kids are no different. They are trudging through the days along with us. At the same time we have to meet timelines and get curriculum taught before state testing. My solution is build in fun days where I am able to teach the content and the kids get new experiences.
Laser Day
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Water DayThis is best done on a warmer day. I have the kids bring towels to read on both indoors and outdoors. From the dollar store I buy floats and beach balls. I also fill up a spray bottle of water and walk around the classroom randomly sprits a student.
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The Floor is Lava |
SEL - Social Emotional Learning
Teach your students Social Emotional Lessons all year round! This is the best classroom management strategy you can implement. Teaching kids how to handle their emotions pays off in dividends throughout the year. Along with teaching kids how to problem solve relationship issues.
Here are some things I do at the beginning of every year. I put the kids in a circle and teach them how a restorative circle works.
1. Only one person talks at a time.
2. We listen to help us understand and not to respond.
3. Everyones' voice is heard.
4. We can kindly disagree.
Then I pull out my restorative circle example cards. I found these on TPT and love them. They have different scenarios on them that talk about to help problem solve. The best part is that the creator actually thought it through and picked situations that typically happen during the school year. This is all preemptive work. Getting them to ready to handle school issues on their own, when they can. We do this for the first 4 weeks. Don't let your time hang too long or you will lose your kids. Make them short and sweet. Praise for outside of the box thinking and creativity.
Self Regulation
This is a big one and one that needs to be addressed right away. Most issues at school deal with not knowing how to handle big emotions. We all feel big emotions so teach your group strategies on how to work through them, not suppress them.
I start with honesty! I tell my kids exactly what I do when I have big emotions and sometimes I tell them situations that trigger those big emotions. This is a great way to provide the opportunity for buy in. If their teacher feels angry sometimes then I guess it's okay if I feel angry sometimes too. I also practice these strategies with the entire class so they know how to use them when needed. We use what we know, so they don't know, feel out of control, get scared, then things blow up. I have seen it a million times. Providing and practicing strategies allow our kids the tools to survive.
Strategies
Deep Breathing - long and slow in through the nose, then long and slow out through the mouth.
Walk Break - Sometimes a great reset is taking a walk. That is why I always have sealed cards in envelopes with different teachers names on them. That way, when a kids needs an obvious break, I can hand them a card and they can deliver it for me.
Stretching -
Find a Friend -
Positive Self Talk -
Calm Corner -
Here are some things I do at the beginning of every year. I put the kids in a circle and teach them how a restorative circle works.
1. Only one person talks at a time.
2. We listen to help us understand and not to respond.
3. Everyones' voice is heard.
4. We can kindly disagree.
Then I pull out my restorative circle example cards. I found these on TPT and love them. They have different scenarios on them that talk about to help problem solve. The best part is that the creator actually thought it through and picked situations that typically happen during the school year. This is all preemptive work. Getting them to ready to handle school issues on their own, when they can. We do this for the first 4 weeks. Don't let your time hang too long or you will lose your kids. Make them short and sweet. Praise for outside of the box thinking and creativity.
Self Regulation
This is a big one and one that needs to be addressed right away. Most issues at school deal with not knowing how to handle big emotions. We all feel big emotions so teach your group strategies on how to work through them, not suppress them.
I start with honesty! I tell my kids exactly what I do when I have big emotions and sometimes I tell them situations that trigger those big emotions. This is a great way to provide the opportunity for buy in. If their teacher feels angry sometimes then I guess it's okay if I feel angry sometimes too. I also practice these strategies with the entire class so they know how to use them when needed. We use what we know, so they don't know, feel out of control, get scared, then things blow up. I have seen it a million times. Providing and practicing strategies allow our kids the tools to survive.
Strategies
Deep Breathing - long and slow in through the nose, then long and slow out through the mouth.
Walk Break - Sometimes a great reset is taking a walk. That is why I always have sealed cards in envelopes with different teachers names on them. That way, when a kids needs an obvious break, I can hand them a card and they can deliver it for me.
Stretching -
Find a Friend -
Positive Self Talk -
Calm Corner -
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