Helping Students Keep Their Desks and Materials Organized

Hi everyone!  Just popping by with a quick tip for Back to School.  I just finished my fourth week with my 2nd grade students, and we are chugging along.  Funny how I always forget how much work it is to start over every year, and teach 24 new students all of my expectations!

No, BTS is hard work….HAARRRRD WORK!

One of the things I really stress in my classroom is organization and responsibility.  Students know when I ask them to come down to the carpet, that I will only tell them ONE time what it is they need to bring with them. If they don't hear me, or don't pay attention (which is more often the case), they know they need to ask a friend or use their observation skills to figure it out on their own.  

My students are called down to our whole group area using a 50 second Mario Bros. song that I downloaded from Rick Morris' behavior management website (see link at end of post). If they are not down to the rug 1) sitting on their backside 2) criss-cross applesauce 3) eyes, ears, and mouth ready to learn, and 4) with all of the materials I asked for, they will turn their behavior card.  In my opinion, 50 second is more than enough time to get everything they need, and walk down to the rug….that is…IF, they are organized! 

Showing students exactly HOW to stay organized has been super helpful in reducing the number of students who arrive late to lessons, or who just can't find that paper you gave them yesterday.

So, in the beginning of the year we do a few big, guided, "clean up" sessions of our desks and materials, each week.  The first time I asked students to "clean and organize" their desks, many of them looked just like they did before we started cleaning.  Ugh!

Obviously, some of my little darlings simply did not know what "organized" meant, or looked like.  So, I started taking pictures of exemplary models using my phone.  I walk around while students organize 3 areas: 

1) their pencil boxes, 

2) their classroom folder

 and 3) the inside of their desks.  

After I take the pics, I show them to my students under my docucam.  HUGE difference!  Students work really hard at keeping themselves organized because they want to be the example I show to the class (and I let them pick a small treat before we go home).  

RESULT: Pencil boxes look tidy.  Class folders contain all their papers (and said papers are neatly placed inside).  Desks are orderly.  

Looking for more information on Classroom Management?

Read more about Rick Morris and musical transitions HERE.

Check out My Classroom Management board on Pinterest HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,

Nicole
Mrs. Rios Teaches

Pencil Management System

Howdy folks!  It's ME!  Mr. Greg from Smedley's Smorgasboard of Kindergarten!  People, I am so excited to be blogging on The Primary Chalkboard!  Seriously, I'm not worthy!

Today I'm sharing how I manage pencils in my kindergarten classroom.  It's a system that means I don't have to sharpen pencils during the week.  It saves me time (and saves me hand cramps!) and allows my kindergarteners to be responsible for their pencils and helps them solve problems!

Head over to my blog to see how we wrangle the pencils!   And share your pencil tips!

Student Rewards - AWESOME Buttons

Hi everyone,

I'm Valerie from All Students Can SHINE and I am SO happy to be here!

My school has a SUPERHERO theme that we use during the year. I love this theme because the kids really get into it and we have lots of fun with it! Last year, we had some great discussions about what makes us a hero. We also shared our personal 'super powers'. It was a great way to encourage the kids to find something good in everyone!

I made these super cute buttons that I plan on handing out to my students when they do something OUTSTANDING. They will be able to wear it all day and show everyone just how AWESOME they are! 

What better way to share their good news with everyone!

Come read all about it on my blog and grab yourself a copy for FREE!

 

Reading Stamina Tip

Happy Sunday, friends!! Thanks for stopping by the Chalkboard today!!!

Lisa from Growing Firsties here, with a post about Reading Workshop for you...

But, before I start, did you see Katie's Primary Chalkboard post the other day about saving your sanity on Valentine's Day? Love her tips!!

Also, be forewarned...her post is also MUCH prettier than mine! (She has a seeeeerious talent for graphics!)

But...hope you'll still like mine, too! :)

My topic today is Reading Workshop - more specifically Private Reading.

Well..that's what we call it for our first graders...we liked that the title is pretty blatant that it's reading done PRI.vate.ly. And...since it's immediately followed up by Partner Reading, when the kiddos come across something they'd like to share from their reading, they are motivated to plan for what they'd like to discuss and read during Partner Reading. (They use sticky notes for this planning.)

It helps that they place their chairs back to back, too. :)


I digress...

This particular tip is helpful for those friends that have a hard time staying engaged during Private Reading.

Not that I E.V.E.R. have students with troubles like that.

I'm sharing this for a friend.

On the left (green) side, kiddos put all their book box books. As they read each one, it goes onto the right (red) side.

Once they finish, if there's still time, they move the pile from the red side to the green side and start again.

Please forgive the I-forgot-to-take-a-pic-of-it-at-school-with-classroom-library-books sample above...I quickly made one with the THREE books available to me downstairs in the kitchen while my own kids were sleeping.

But you get the idea, right?

It works nicely, too, for students who really love that sense of accomplishment that one gets from moving stuff from to-do to done! Sooo, I invite EVERYone to try it and privately really ENcourage a few friends in particular.

Right now, my firsties are reading for 35 mn during Private Reading while I confer and meet with small groups. Partner Reading remains at around 8 minutes.

If you'd like to check out a few more posts about Reading Workshop...head on over and check these posts out...

Book Box Organization

General Update on RW (includes a few freebies)

Smiles to you! Lisa

Behavior Management {An Idea to Try Out Next Year}

Hey peeps... Stacy here from over at Funky Fresh Firsties with a short post today.  Can you believe that we are already half way done with February?  I am already counting down the days until summer {don't judge}.
I wanna chat today about behavior management in my first grade room.  I love that all teachers have a strength... it's really cool to watch that play out in a school setting.  I feel like my strength happens to be classroom management.  Some days teaching 1st grade feels a lot like herding cats... but it's nice to know that I am a good "herder" overall!  This is my 12th year and I have found that flexibility is key.  What worked last year might not be that great this year.  Last year I used Class Dojo and my kiddos ATE IT UP!  They would beg me to bring up the screen on the SMART board each day.  You can read more about Class Dojo from my guest post for Rachel Lynette at Minds in Bloom HERE.

This year though.. my firsties don't really dig it quite so much.  What has worked is a very visual behavior management tool that goes with us around the school and is also displayed  in the classroom!  

This is at the front of the classroom right next to the SMART board.  Each child has a magnet with their number on it {These come from Tea and Coffee... mine are lime and teal.}  This allows them to see exactly where they are for the day... and also allows for redemption.  I have found that redemption, or the idea that they can get back in my good graces, is a very powerful motivator this year.  I also make them move their magnets which also seems to be pretty powerful.  If they make it to the top of the chart... they are rewarded with 10 minutes of iPad time or computer time.  

When we travel in the hallways for our special classes or to/from lunch... we take our behavior stick that is painted with the same colors and each child has a clothespin with their name clipped.  I can quickly move them up or down depending on hallway behavior.  

 This also makes them accountable to other adults in the building (their lunch monitor, specials teacher, special education teacher, etc.).  To make the stick, you paint it with the colors you choose with acrylic paint and VOILA!  The green section in the middle should be the biggest section though!  I also separated my sections with mustache washi tape and sealed it with mod podge for extra durability.

I think the key is truly being flexible and finding what works for your kiddos.  I teach in a very disadvantaged area for sure and I think the key to my success with these children is that I am in... ALL the way in.  I know their family situations and it motivates me b/c of how I grew up.  I love these children and they know it.  I hug each and every one before I put them on the buses... regardless of what kind of day they had.  They also know that when they walk in the next day, they have a clean slate.

Lastly, and possibly most importantly, I do not yell.  Ever.  The logic behind that is... I know what many of them are going home to.  They are used to being yelled at.  Have they ever seen me upset?  Absolutely.  Do they know when I am disappointed?  Yes.  I tell them at the beginning of the year that we are a family and I truly mean it.  Each one of us plays a part and we all have a job to do.  We share each other's joy and pain.

I hope that you will have a great week with your kiddos.  I think Friday is supposed to be a full moon and Valentines Day {remember when I said herding cats earlier?}.  One last thing... I am going to be giving away a set of clothespins from Tea and Coffee to one of you!!!  Here's how to enter: leave a comment with your best behavior management tip.  I will let one of my little humans pick a name on Valentines Day!  Good luck!!!

Winter Restlessness...Classroom Management for the Long, Cold Days

With winter break being a distant thing of the past, we're trying to get in our 2014 groove. Our students are too. It's hard coming off of breaks, but there is definitely something to be said about getting back into the swing of things.

We're not going to let our students freeze up this winter with their behavior. We hold high expectations of our first graders, and each time we do they prove us right! We like that part. :)

Here's a few tried and true classroom management ideas...Polar Vortex style. Well, winter style, but didn't that sound so much cooler? 

When we grew up, we had to walk uphill in the snow both ways being asked to write your name on the classroom board was not a privilege. But, it is in our class! Simply draw a thematic character up on your white board or on a piece of large construction paper or butcher paper. Leave colorful markers nearby. Call students up throughout the day to write their name in the snowman. They love it! We call on them as many times as they are caught. Some end up in the snowman 2-3 times before the day is up.

 

 At the end of the day, we let all the students who were "caught in the snowman" head to our class Sticker Station. It's just a tub that hold stickers. Easy! We throw seasonal stickers in there too each month to keep it fresh and fun! To read more about our Sticker Station Basics click {here}.

 Each of our students keeps a Sticker Board inside of their desks. We made generic ones which you can grab for free {here}.

But, today we've made exclusive Snowy Sticker Boards just for our Primary Chalkboard followers! 

Click {here} to grab your own Snowy Sticker Boards.

 You've probably heard of a class marble jar...We put a spin on an old classic just by changing the color and calling the contents a different name. It's all in the packaging sometimes...Ha! During winter, our students work together to earn class "icicles". Each time they are working together as a team to follow our class goals, they earn an icicle. When they earn 50, they vote on a class celebration. In December, we celebrated with a class Polar Express Hot Cocoa Party...Basically movie and hot cocoa station. But, other months we keep it simple ~ Extra recess, class free time, you get the idea.

 Getting our class to work quietly can be a consistent challenge in our class. But, not with the help of some stuffed friends. Each month, we have a stash of stuffed animals that float around the classroom, on the hunt for the hardest, quietest workers. Once found, they swing by for a visit while the student works. Amazing how quiet they get just when we pick him up! This month, Snowball the Snowman will be making his rounds in hopes of catching them for stickers or icicles.

Thinking outside the box when it comes to classroom management is one of our favorite things about teaching. We are firm believers that if we can't behave, we can't learn. 
In fact, we feel so strongly about students truly engaging in their learning at a young age, that we've just finished up our latest project to help them become great listeners.

 Listen Up! 
Auditory Activities for Little Listeners
Active listening is essential in today's classroom and world. Yet, even as veteran teachers, we're finding it more and more challenging to really get today's fast paced students to listen attentively. Listen Up! is helping our students move towards independent, active listening skills in meaningful and fun ways.
Visit our blog for more details.  

Getting Their Attention

Happy Monday, friends! It's Laura from Peace, Love, and First Grade!
I'm so happy to spend my Monday with you!
Hopefully, you are out and enjoying a much needed break.
If not, hang tight! Help is on its way!

A few days ago, Nicole posted about behavior management,
and one of the things she wrote about was using music to transition.
Well, today I want to tell you a few ways we get attention and transition in my classroom. :)

I like to call my tools for getting attention Freeze Signals.
For instance, when the intercom comes on, we freeze...so that's a freeze signal.
Most of my freeze signals, though, are just teacher/student chants.
Chants have been around for a long time.
I didn't invent them, but I sure do like using them.

 Here are a few of our faves:

Teacher Says: Macaroni and Cheese  -or-   32 Degrees
Students Say: Everybody Freeze

Teacher: And a Hush Came over the crowd
Students: (in a whisper) HUSSSHHH!

Teacher: Hocus Pocus
Students: Everybody focus

Teacher: Everybody in the House
Students: is as quiet as a mouse

After we use the Freeze Signals, everyone "should" stop everything and silently freeze. I say "should" because sometimes we lack self control.
That probably doesn't happen in your classroom. 

Even with our fun Freeze Signals, there were a few times during the day when we were having trouble getting ourselves together. Specifically, lining up.
Can you feel me??

So...I came up with a few Freeze Signals for particular times of day.
I'm sure someone thought of these before me, but I'd never seen them anywhere.

Getting Ready for the Hall

Teacher: Stand Up Tall

Students: We're Ready for the hall

Settling down in the line for lunch

Teacher: Hawaiian Punch

Students: We're Ready for lunch

One thing about Attention Getters.
I start the year teaching one a day for about the first two weeks.
I want them to overlearn each one.
THEN-very important-I make sure I don't overuse any of them.
If we want them to be effective, we can't use them to the point where the kids get tired of them.
Throughout the year, I add more attention getters.
January is a great time to turn "Macaroni and Cheese" into "32 Degrees." You get the idea.

At the end of the post I've linked you to free Attention Getter resources from TpT and TN. Hope you can use!

Bells, Chimes, and Other Pleasant Sounds

One of the easiest ways to get kiddos' attention is to use pleasant sounds in the classroom.
Here are some we use.

Hand bells and Call bells are very inexpensive and get the job done without being obnoxious.
Just ring the bell a few times when you need the kiddos to listen.  

We ring a call bell 3 times when we are ready to move to another station during Reading and Math Workshop.
Our daily helpers get to ring the bells.
Very Effective!

This Hand Bell costs about $6.35 from Amazon. The picture will take you there.

 This Call Bell is about $5.30 from Amazon.

You can do the same thing with wind chimes.
I currently don't have any wind chimes in my room,
but I know some teachers who couldn't live without their chimes.
One teacher I know sounds the chimes when she is ready for the kids to come to the carpet.
Again, a pleasant signal to get the kiddos moving.

This set of chimes is around $12 from Amazon.

Sometimes we just need a Whistle!

Oh, the Whistle! I have a train whistle. It is called "The Last Resort."
When the kids hear the train whistle, they know I mean business.
We are too loud or way off task and we need to get ourselves under control.
We don't mess around when we hear the train whistle.

This train whistle costs about $5.49 from Amazon.

Attention Getters from TN and TpT.

I truly believe in Attention Getters!
If you haven't tried them, give them a shot!
AND-Whatever Attention Getters/Freeze Signals you choose,
make sure YOU are happy with them.
When the teacher is happy, the classroom runs much more smoothly! :)

Have a relaxing and blessed Thanksgiving, friends!

Behavior Management Tips for Tough Times!

Whew!  This week has been tough!  The kids knew that Thanksgiving Break was right around the corner, and they were pumped up, let me tell you.  This time of year can be draining, and the temptation to lighten up in the discipline department because of exhaustion, or just pressure to address the next Common Core standard, can derail even the best of classrooms.  Here are 2 tips I use to get me through the entire year.  I hope you find them to be helpful.

1)  Be Relentlessly Consistent:  The teacher down the hall recently retired.  Sad. She is, not was, a model teacher.  She is, not was, the very essence of what a great teacher is all about! She has been incredibly inspirational, and I have learned many things from her.  But the most important lesson that I have learned from her is to "Be Consistent."  If I have appropriately explained my expectations about any part of our day, and my students do not fulfill those expectations, then we review the expectations orally, and then spend time practicing them again.  I do this without fail each and every time.  All. Year. Long.  

Sometimes, I have to admit it is a real drag to be "Relentlessly Consistent."  Like when it's lunch time, and I'm starving, and the kids decide to go berserk during line-up. I just want to leave quickly, and drop them off at the cafeteria, so bad!  But, I don't.  I send them back to their seats.  We review our class expectations for lining up.  Then, we spend time practicing.  I cruelly call attention to the other second grade classes who are walking past our classroom on their way to lunch. You get the gist.  If any of you have done the Daily Five, you probably can relate to this method of "perfect practice."  In our class we say, "Perfect practice.  Every time.  All the time."  It really does work. Yes, yes, I know it's controlling, and very Type A.   I have already accepted that "the shoe fits," in this case.  But, I also tell my students, "I will only control you until you are able to control yourselves."  

I should clarify that the expectation is not that my students will attain "perfection" or be "perfect" - That would be unfair, and too much to ask of anyone.  But, I do expect my students to practice everything the way it was taught.  When they slip up, and they do, I gently guide them back to the routines and procedures that make learning possible.  

(P.S.  The retired teacher mentioned above, now volunteers in my classroom once a week, and makes comments about how much she loves being in my classroom, and how on-task my students are.  I could just about fly over the moon after hearing those words from her.)

2) Devise systems to keep students focused, motivated, and safe.   A couple of my favorite classroom management tricks are:

Musical transitions:  LOVE! If you have not visited Rick Morris' website, New Management, go now.  He has tons of classroom management tips, including music that he uses to transition students from one activity to another.  My students' favorite is the tune for "Mario Bros."  It is 50 seconds long.  Each student knows 1) I will only give instructions one time, and 2) they must be in their place, with the proper materials, ready to learn, by the end of that tune.  If not, my students change their behavior cards (clips), and pay back any wasted time during their recess (where we will model and practice quick transitions, organize materials, whatever the obstacle may be) Transitions in my room are usually very efficient and smooth, and this tool has helped me move towards my goal of reducing unnecessary "teacher talk."

Behavior Cards: These cards are a critical part of of my day-to-day management.  They are fun, differentiated, and extremely effective!  The basic idea? Students get a card that has 5, 10, or 20 boxes.  Now, it is personal, and must be appropriate for each child.  When students are on task - they earn stamps or "punches" in their cards. When their card is full, they receive some type of reward.  

 You can read more about this, and try my Christmas/Winter Differentiated Behavior Cards for FREE by clicking the image below.  Hurry this freebie expires November 25th!

Enjoy!

Nicole from

Positive Reinforcement {+2 Freebies} w/Daina

Hey guys!

It's Daina from Sticky Notes & Glitter! 

Super happy to be blogging as a Chalkie today!

My post isn't going to be super long but I do hope it will be useful for you! And yes, there's TWO freebies for you today! They are HOT off the presses! :)

I want to talk about positive reinforcement in the classroom in order to manage your classroom.

I have a tough group this year. I am departmentalized so I teach reading/writing to two classes for a total of 51 students at the moment. It's different and definitely an adjustment! I do enjoy only planning/prepping for two subjects though so it has its perks!

But nonetheless, they are extremely chatty and very quick to argue with one another over the SILLIEST of reasons!

They often leave me looking like this:

We all know it's easier to focus on the negative rather than the positive so I've really been trying to get better at focusing on the things students are doing RIGHT versus the wrong choices they are making.

As a result, I have implemented several things in my classroom this year and I'm trying my best to be consistent and deliberate in following through each and every day with both classes.

The first thing is that I use a classroom BINGO board. It's very simple but the kiddos really get into it! I print the bingo board, laminate it and hang it up in my classroom with a dry erase marker strung up beside it.

When I see a child setting a great example for any reason, I will simply say "So and so, go put your name on the Bingo board." Up they hop and scamper to the board! They are allowed to put their name anywhere on the board. Every Friday, I use bingo cards to draw a letter (B I N G O) and number (1 2 3 4 5) to pick a winner. If I draw B5, the child in the bottom spot of the B column wins! I let them pick lunch with me or treasure box as a reward. Sometimes I pick one winner, sometimes I pick up to three!

Some variations for this can be:

1. If you use numbers for your students, have them put their classroom specific number in a box instead of their whole name. Saves room and time!

2. You can draw however often you want for a winner! Weekly, biweekly, monthly, daily, whatever! It's totally what works best for you!

3. I have teams in my room and if the whole team is doing a great job, I will sometimes tell them to put their group name on the bingo board. Then, if I draw that square, the whole group gets a reward! They love when that happens!

4. If the WHOLE class is on-task and doing great, I put MY name on the bingo board! That means if I draw that square, the whole class gets a reward such as extra recess! :)

Like this idea? Good because you're in luck! Here's a freebie to help you get started in implementing this in your room! Click here to download! I did LOTS of backgrounds so hopefully one will work for your classroom! :) Feel free to pin and share with friends!

The second new thing I have implemented is what I call "Count It Up!"

In my class, I have 6 groups of students. Each group is a TEAM. This idea is all about rewarding the team as a whole. It encourages students to take responsibility for themselves and for their teammates. We talk about how to positively encourage group members and how not to "yell" at them or shush them to try and be ready.

Anytime I see a group that is on-task and working, they get a point/tally. I also award points/tallies to groups for being ready the quickest, being quietest the quickest, getting materials out the quickest, etc. The list goes on and on but you get the idea. At the end of the week, I tell the Team Captains to "Count It Up" and they know to go to the team points board and count up their team points for that week. Team with the most points gets.... you got it, a reward! I give them options and let them choose. Extra recess, treasure box, lunch with me, no homework pass, etc.

The kiddos really like it because it's a healthy competition. Students will usually get their act together quicker because they don't want their table mates upset with them. In the end, it has worked out well for me!

If you like this idea, I have another freebie for you! Again, I included lots of background options! I also have versions for FOUR teams and SIX teams as I realize classes often differ in size! :)

Click here to download! Again, feel free to pin and share!

I sure hope you  have enjoyed my post today! I hope you like these ideas and can use them in your own classroom. If you do, I would love to hear about it! :)

 Thanks for hanging out with me today! Happy Sunday!