Category Archives: Classroom Organization

Classroom Organization. Everything from Teacher Organization, Classroom Design, labels, flexible seating, and organizing student materials. Here is where we find help in the “daily” activities of the classroom. Tips and Tricks help the classroom run efficiently and effectively.

My OCTOBER classroom DILEMMA!

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So my October dilemma.

We have a two-week FALL vacation.

(NO COMPLAINING HERE!)

WAHOO!!!

BUT…

We return on Oct. 14.

MONDAY

21 days (exactly ) until…

YOU KNOW IT

THURSDAY, October 31, 2019

Happy Halloween!

HALLOWEEN!

Parties,

CANDY,

Kids who can’t wait to get home ( highly DISTRACTABLE!)

(some schools…not mine….)

COSTUMES!

So … My October dilemma.

When we go back,

Do I put out HALLOWEEN themed centers?

Do I keep it OCTOBERish with Columbus, Halloween, Fall, Pumpkins, etc?

Do I just “touch” on the “HOLIDAY” stuff…and Promote the FALL stuff?

Do I add THANKSGIVING?

Should I keep it ALL going until THANKSGIVING?

What to do? What to do?????

FAll Leaves

BTW… I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE FALL!

I love October!

My favorite season.

Pumpkins

Starbuck’s Pumpkins Spiced Latte

YUMMY!

But…

CONTENT is EVERYTHING!

My students MUST take a BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT in December.

I want them to do well.

( I don’t think there will be a HALLOWEEN question on it.)

Unless it’s about

HOW MANY CANDIES DID YOU EAT ALL TOGETHER?

So ..what to do? What to do?

October INTEGRATE!

I must teach SCIENCE and SOCIAL STUDIES!

( Living things…life cycle…Plants/animals…Lifestyles Long Ago..)

So here is MY October plan:

Reading:

Nonfiction about pumpkins, apples, plants
Biographies about Christopher Columbus, Squanto
Fiction about Fall, Halloween, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving

I am checking my district curriculum

( yes, we have one )

for REQUIRED (Tested ) Skills & Strategies for this quarter.

As we delve into our reading…I make SURE to incorporate TESTED strategies.

Questioning? Sequencing? Retelling? Etc..etc…

Vocabulary? Again…check NECESSARY vocabulary for success!

I spend A LOT of time on the necessary vocabulary. I have 10-12 English Language Learners.

They need visuals, modeling, & practice before they can “TAKE ON” the new information

Phonics? Spelling? Grammar?

Required phonics skills for this quarter.

What to use for Spelling?

BOTH!

Required spelling skills AND thematic vocabulary words.

WHAT? WHY?

Because…I want them to have some INTRINSIC vocabulary to use easily in their…

WRITING!

Bear wrapped as MUMMY

I want MY Mummy! 🙂

Sorry…. couldn’t resist.

October Writing:

“How To”..grow..carve…etc… about pumpkins, apples, plants
“Informative” about Christopher Columbus, Squanto, Pilgrims
“Narrative” about Fall, Halloween, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving
Thank You cards, Invitations, Lists, Etc.

Again…I am checking my district curriculum

for REQUIRED (Tested ) Skills & Strategies for this quarter.

Whatever our REQUIRED writing prompt will be

( I already know mine is INFORMATIVE)

We will practice, practice, practice!

I won’t skip the other genres.

Just FOCUS on the INFORMATIVE!

BUT wait!

I want crafts! I want CUTSIE! I want products!

I Love October BOOKS!

And so…we will make CUTSIE lapbooks, paintings, charts, stories & crafts

about???

Fall, Halloween, pumpkins, apples

, plants, Christopher Columbus,

Squanto, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving

DON’T tell our FIRE MARSHALL.

I might HANG THINGS UP!

Definitely!

I won’t tell if YOU won’t tell.

MATH:

addition / subtraction
missing addends
place value
graphing
story problems

And October MATH??

Lots of Graphs, addition & subtraction, problem-solving, story problems

ALL ABOUT THEMES!

How many apples, pumpkin seeds, candies, turkeys, Indians, etc, etc.

(Math Journals are GREAT for this!)

and, yes..

I will need to keep it going until Thanksgiving.

And I will need to use EVERY MINUTE of EVERY DAY!

And yes… it will take planning, and prepping…

Bat craftivity

BATS!

Black Cat Watercolor

Black Cats

Pumpkin plant in the garden

Growing Pumpkins

Crock pot applesauce

Making APPLESAUCE!

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!

And YES

I WILL LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

You see…

FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR!

Don’t you just LOVE OCTOBER?

To those of you who hung in there to the bottom of this LONG POST…

A FREEBIE FOR YOU!

Happy FALL!

BOO BANG!

Boo Bang FREEBIE!

UPDATE! Math Practice for the WHOLE YEAR!

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Really?

Math practice…DONE?

For the WHOLE YEAR???

YEP! YEP!

Math Practice …Common Core Aligned

Daily skills for kiddos to practice!

My newest packet requires..

NO LAMINATING!!!

Really?

I mean REALLY? YES!

I Mean NO! NO LAMINATING!

HOW? Tell me HOW?

First…Print the cards on paper or cardstock.

I choose…FLUORESCENT!

Pink, green, blue, orange , & yellow!

BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT

I have Black walls ( Wal Mart Twin Sheets!)

LOVE THEM!

Bright cards LOOK GREAT!

So how do I put them on the walls?

Sheet Protectors!

Cut them to size….

( I added tape to the bottom of some to make a “POCKET”)

and

VOILA!

To see the whole wall….

Close your eyes! READY??

Love Love Love it!

Here is a preview!

And here is the best!

The kiddos use this printable

doing 4 sets a day, for 5 days

AND THEN…

take the cards out of the pockets…place a new card in front…

AND DO IT AGAIN!

New card…same skill!

Here is the student printable:

YOU SEE?

LOTS of Practice…Little teacher WORK!

Work Smarter….NOT HARDER!

Now available at 1stgradefireworks

Is reading MORE..really ENOUGH??

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Consider this my DISCLAIMER…

I read. I read a LOT!

I am NOT A College Professor.

I do NOT have a MASTERS ( or above )

in ANYTHING!

Just a READING CERTIFICATE!

I teach reading!

I am just a teacher.

A first-grade teacher.

A Veteran (27yrs ), first-grade teacher, in a TITLE 1 SCHOOL!

I read!They read!

I have seen a LOT!

Done a LOT!

Hear me ROAR!!!!!

Ok. So again.

I am a teacher.

(Aren’t they cute????)

I have been through:

Whole Language

Environmental Print

Interactive Writing

Phonemic Awareness

Leveled Readers ( DRA, GSP, AR, Lexile)

Phonics

Words Their Way

HFW

Sight Words

High-Interest Reading Books

SIPPS

Read Naturally

Daily 5

And

A MULTITUDE OF PUBLISHER’S CURRICULUM!

New sets every 7 years!

Having said this…1 thing most curriculum’s have in common :

READ!

READ A LOT!

And then…READ SOME MORE!

So …

My little sisters…

YES…both of my LITTLE SISTER’S are

PRIMARY TEACHERS!

We were discussing school.

( I know..we are NOT supposed to discuss SCHOOL during SUMMER VACATION!)

But…um…we were discussing school…

and we are trying to WRAP our minds around the

“READ..READ..READ more”

and they will

“GET IT!”

(way of thinking.)

Well, maybe…

I LOVE reading with kiddos!

See my post here about the GUIDED READING TABLE!

My concern is…

When I “release” them to read,

When I want them to become INDEPENDENT readers,

Where do they “learn” the skills to use when they “get stuck”?

Will they use strategies, when they don’t know what’s happening?

When a story isn’t making sense…do they keep reading?

If they keep reading…

Will it ALL come TOGETHER?

At a recent PD, my little sis said she understood the

READ, READ, READ philosophy.

Integrate science, social studies, math, technology

INTO READING!

YES!

Writing and Reading COMPLIMENT and Coexist WITH each other!

You can’t have one without the other!

THEY NEED EACH OTHER!

BUT…

-Me SPEAKING-

There needs to be a BALANCE of:

Skills & Strategies

in conjunction with independent reading & writing!

THERE!

I said IT!

Reading & Writing SKILLS:

Letter Sounds

Blends

Vowels

Word Families

Chunks

Grammar

Punctuation

High-Frequency Words

Capitalization

Handwriting

and MORE!

Comprehension

Questioning

Summarizing

etc, etc, etc…

(I sound like my Education College Professors!)

I was listening!

ALL of these “lessons” MUST be taught

IN CONJUNCTION with

Reading & Writing!

Yes…To be a better reader…

YOU MUST READ!

BUT…to be a better reader who UNDERSTANDS…

You must have skills and strategies

to use

WHEN

you read and write!

NOW…CAUTION!!!

Unless you are teaching ADULTS in a COLLEGE CLASS…

A 40-minute LECTURE on diagramming sentences

IS NOT…I REPEAT..

NOT

the way to do it!

If you WANT to spend 40 minutes discussing grammar…

CHUNK IT!

Do 2-3 MINILESSONS over a few days…

Let it SINK IN!

Show kiddos:

What it looks like.

Where to find it.

How to use it.

Why we use it.

When to ask for help.

Kinder-Grade 1-Grade 2 teachers…

UNITE!

Mini-Lessons with a WORKSHOP!

Use SMALL Groups for STRATEGY & Skill Groups!

Let kiddos have a chance to PRACTICE what YOU have taught them!

Let it SINK IN!

And Then..

LET THEM READ!

and

READ!

and

READ!

and then

WRITE…and write some more!

Skills, Strategies, Reading, Writing

They will become “BETTER”

and isn’t that what we ALL want to be?

BETTER!

Need some HELP?

Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!

Check out ALL my reading & writing products!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/1stgradefireworks

HELPERS…How do YOU choose them?

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I want my kiddos to

HELP!

I am NOT your MAMA.

I am NOT your Grandma,

AND

I AM NOT YOUR MAID!

🙂

We ALL work & play in our classroom.

If you work here,,,you are a part of our TEAM.

AND ALL Team members HELP!

So HOW to

“Share the JOBS?”

Make it a

CHOICE!

I don’t

CHOOSE

daily helpers.

I let them choose what they would like to do each day.

Here are my helpers:

I write their names on

a cardstock strip .

I use a 12″ X 36″ pocket chart.

I have

2 Clean Up Crew members,

2 Ball Handlers ( for recesses ),

and

2 Tech Teachers ( pass out / collect ipads )

1 line leader,

1 door holder,

and 1 messenger.

9 helpers each day.

My NUMBER 1 RULE!

If you are NOT quiet and in your seat when the

BELL RINGS…..

YOU CANNOT BE A HELPER

THAT DAY!

( Don’t be Tardy…or NOISY!)

My kiddos LOVE it!

(I’m HERE & I’m QUIET!)

Hahahaha

and then…

I ask the next person on the card…

“_(susie)___ “, would you like to be _( ball handler)_ or __(tech teacher)_”

( Go straight down the pocket chart…)

Until ALL the jobs are filled for the day!

They like having a CHOICE in their day!

and then…

I don’t have to do the JOBS!

And…I LOVE THAT!

Toby Keith and watercolors..Hmmmm

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Red Solo Cups…
Oh, How I LOVE my RED SOLO CUPS!

Um…I’m talking about in my classroom LADIES & GENTS!

What DID YOU THINK…Hmmmm??? 🙂

My kiddos had a problem with markers.

No lids, mixing up colors, etc…

I needed a 12 step intervention.

QUICK!

Enter…RED SOLO CUPS!

( I hear the Toby Keith song in my head!)

Toby Keith and his Red Solo Cup…what does that have to do with Markers?

But… I need those Cups!

Here is our before… in a tub .
ALL mixed up. YUCK!

Enter my HERO!

RED SOLO CUP!
RED SOLO CUP!

My firsties have become OCD about it!

ALL lids on! check

Colors separated! check

Markers standing tall! check

( RED SOLO CUP! RED SOLO CUP!

…sorry song stuck in my head!)

Anyways….here’s to firstie organization! 🙂

Thought I’d add some FIRSTIE LOVE TOO…

WATERCOLORS!

We never paint!

Well, we haven’t until now.

So here is our gift to you!

EYE CANDY FOR GRADE 1 TEACHERS!

(Doesn’t take much to make us happy!)

Enjoy!

5.5 days left…but who’s counting?

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I admit it.

I AM TIRED!

I am counting the days until vacation.

I am counting the days until I don’t have to leave the house by 7:15 AM.

I am counting the days…until I can have coffee at 8:00AM.

Ah…I Am READY!

BUT…

My teacher BRAIN won’t

STOP!

I want to start getting ready for

NEXT YEAR!!!

I know…relax, breathe…ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!

I can’t STOP! I want to plan!

We are getting a new reading program next year.

CA JOURNEYS here we come!

And so…I have begun. counting.

I have begun to plan.

MY day, my month, my year!

I am starting my new projects today!

Here’s a PREVIEW!

Focus Wall

Focus Wall Printables

SPELLING for the YEAR!!!!

The BEST PART???

These Packets can be used with ANY program!

( Just because it follows CA Journeys…doesn’t mean it will ONLY work with

that program!)

Here is the FREE Focus Wall Headers… 🙂

How about

DAILY PROOFREADING PRACTICE??

A Little Teacher Appreciation…We LOVE YOU!

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I am a VETERAN teacher.

NO.

I have NOT fought in a WAR.

I have taught in GRADE 1

( exclusively )

for over 27 years!

WOW!

( Never “graduated” to second grade..as my students tell me!) 🙂

But…

I have changed my “VIEW” on teacher appreciation.

We ALL want to be appreciated.

We want to be recognized for

SOMETHING “GOOD”

we have done!

But..

things can get a little …

OUT OF HAND!

I believe..

YES…

I believe there are

those who are

APPRECIATED

and those who

WISH THEY WERE!

I will say this ONE TIME..

IT IS NOT ABOUT TEST SCORES!

The teacher’s with the SUPER highest test scores

are NOT, always,

the teachers who are

APPRECIATED the MOST!

Now…disclaimer…teachers work WAY TOO hard!

I got that!

Some are SOOOOOO focused on the “data”..

they forget, or can’t “document” the traits of the child the “data”came from!

No where is there a box to check that says:

___ Didn’t have breakfast ( or dinner the night before ).

___ Couldn’t sleep because parents were arguing LOUDLY!

___ No one would help with homework/reading ( for the past two weeks!)

___ not in a good “mind set” today.

BUT…

these are kids!

This is life!

To attach a “number” to a student based on “today’s testing module”

is NOT

what teaching is all about!

( Ok sorry..OFF my soapbox!)

So ,

Teacher Appreciation.

Where? How? When?

Admin’s…

Please ..I don’t need a new pen with my school name on it.

If YOU really want to show me your appreciation…

HAVE MY BACK during an IEP

when ‘the team” says

I NEED TO DO MORE!

By the time I have gotten to his stage..

I HAVE DONE ALL I CAN DO!

Take the stand that I AM DONE!

SEND ME SOME HELP!

Now I have great admin’s…

I know they have my back!

THAT’s APPRECIATION!

If you want to “give” me something…

…TAKE MY RECESS DUTY!

…Take my class for an hour at the end of the day, if MY child is home sick!

… Come in and do reading groups once in a while

( an extra adult doing centers is ALWAYS appreciated).

You see…it’s NOT about the “things”

it’s about WHAT you DO!

How do you know if your “team” appreciates YOU?

Do you “share”?

Do you “follow through?”

Do you “care” about each other?

My “teaching partner”..

( I said “partner” one time..it took on a WHOLE DIFFERENT meaning!)

and I have taught next to each other

( rooms 3 & 4)

for 21 years!

We are going to retire together

the same year…in 5 years.

( We “pinky sweared”…

..as long as nothing catastrophic happens before then).

Her mom works in her room.

I call her MOM!

Our student’s think we are

SISTERS!

See the family “resemblance”?

In my heart..

SOUL SISTERS!

We run homework for each other.

We share our students.

We laugh, we cry, we CARE about each other!

We are NOT the ONLY grade 1 teachers.

We have 1-2 others who teach with us.

( Depending on the year and student numbers).

We ALWAYS include them!

This is NOT a

CLOSE YOUR DOOR & DO YOUR THING!

NOPE!

WE DO!

Together.

Feel appreciated? YEP! Daily.

( I could have transfered to another school in MY district..many times!)

NOT LEAVING!

LOVE MY

CRAZY TITLE 1 school!

and then..

Your students..

When do they make YOU feel appreciated?

Is it when you are passing out report cards?

Is it when they forgot their homework?

Is it when they have interuupted you for the 1000th time that day?

Probably NOT!

It’s when that SAME little girl walks in EVERY morning

and says..

“Can I have a HUG?”

When the little boy who STUTTERS ( severely )…

asks if he can READ his newest story

TO THE CLASS!

( And EVERYONE cheers for him!)

The “behavior problem” child

who knows ( his MAMA tells him a lot )

that he is a PROBLEM..

and he hands me a heart he made with a picture of me & him!

( Melts my heart..right before he hits another student!)

and last…

the “older students” who come back..

just to say HI!

or..

“I got my driver’s license & I promise to be safe..just like you said!”

“I got a full-ride scholarship…to HARVARD!”..yes it did happen!

“I want to be back in first grade so I can PAINT!”

“Thank you , Mrs. McCarty, for listening to me!”

Giggles, Grins, Hugs, & High Fives to

ALL of YOU!

YOU make a difference!

So here is to YOU , my teacher friends!

YOU ARE APPRECIATED! By ALL of US!

Wendy 1stgradefireworks

Creating a Reading COMMUNITY!

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Reading Workshop

“Creating a Community of Readers”

via…LUCY CAULKINS!

This is my newest FAVORITE thing!

https://youtu.be/cgN2WUMW6zM

I LOVE Lucy Caulkin’s

READING, WRITING,

COMPREHENSION LESSONS

If you get a chance to hear her, see her, and/or youtube her…

DO IT!

During Reading Workshop,, I don’t want my students to stop and ask for help.

I want them to have skills to be independent readers.

I want them to be problem-solvers.

So, I am…

How?

Take a picture walk. Cover the words. Make them use the visual cues in the story. Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking, distort comprehension, or unfamiliar to them. During Reading Workshop, have them make predictions PRIOR to reading. AFTER reading, check their predictions.

I LOVE this! After reading..then what? DO SOMETHING! Reread it for NEW information. Retell it to yourself or a friend. We use our 3 fingers retell. I love this part…DIGEST IT! Just as a good meal…when you are finished, appreciate it. Think about it. ENJOY IT!

You are NEVER done! When you finish…read more! My kiddos love to stack ALL of their books on the left..as they finish reading a book…place it in a pile on their right. Keep reading! Their goal is to read more every day! STAMINA! Reading MATS are used to make goals. Our goals are to read MORE! Reading Worshop takes time. Make the time for it!

We want kids to quit using their fingers to read. Good readers use their EYES! “SCOOP” up words (phrases) with your eyes. When reading, put 3-4 words together and read the phrases! GREAT time to teach prepositions & prepositional phrases!

Always,always…reread! You will see more, read more, and understand more when you reread a story. Read it to a partner, a parent, a friend. The same book can sound new when you are reading it the second or third time!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Lucy Caulkins!

So there you are.. Reading Workshop…

GET READING!

🙂

SPRING CLEANING

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It’s Time! Roll your sleeves up, grab some garbage bags, & a cup of coffee!

It’s time for SPRING CLEANING!

SPRING CLEANING!

Not your house..not your closets..

It’s time to CLEAN YOUR CLASSROOM!

Now I don’t mean put on the gloves and scrub down the walls.

( Might not hurt to have some rags & cleaners though. )

So where, oh where, to begin?

YOUR PAPER FILES! UGH!

I know…start here.

I have been called many things..

PACK RAT,

KEEPER of EVERYTHING,

A “Professional” Piler..etc..etc…

But it’s time…time to

THROW IT AWAY!

Grab a JUMBO Garbage bag ( actually two )

and get started.

Here is my criteria:

If a paper can be printed from my computer

RECYCLE IT!

(I can always print another one!)

If I have NOT used it this year…

OR last year..I usually give myself two years..

TOSS IT!

( You won’t miss it..I promise!)

Clear out EVERYTHING..files, crates, BINDERS…

IT IS LIBERATING..and SCARY ( What if I need “that”? )

It’s on my computer..

that is NEXT!

Computer FILES!

I create file folders on my computer so I can find my documents fast & easy!

First I do ELA & MATH

Then I do this:

ELA

..Qtr 1

…August/Sept/Oct

…Aug> Back to School

…Aug> CVC

….Aug> Handwriting

etc.etc. etc

I create folders within folders.

This way I can go directly to BACK TO SCHOOL

WHAT AM I DOING IN AUGUST?

I can also go directly to Johnny Appleseed…

Same with MATH

…Qtr 1

…August/Sept/Oct

…Beg Year Assessments

…Numbers to ten

etc..etc..etc..

Takes a little time…BUT SO WORTH IT!

Then when I need the masters ( because I already RECYCLED them)

voila! 🙂

SUPER SUGGESTION…

Back UP all of your files on a memory stick!

Better SAFE than SORRY!

MATH MANIPULATIVES!

UGH!

My nemesis!

OK…reality check.

Do YOU have math manipulatives

YOU JUST DON’T USE?

The little teeny tiny ones some publisher somewhere thought kids age 6 would

LOVE to use?

( USE FOR WHAT? TEETHING..FLIPPING…THROWING???????)

BAG them, Pack them up, BOX them, STORETHEM AWAY!

I can teach most math lessons with a few cubes, white boards, & smartboard.

I don’t need 700 little beans!

GONE!

The “tissue paper” booklets SOMEONE thought my firsties would need to practice fact families!

(PUBLISHERS…little fingers need CARD STOCK!)

And so…away they go!

I try to keep this to ONE box.

Don’t want to store this either.

and LAST for today..

Classroom library!

Should be this…

Don’t let it go to this… 🙂

Can be messy!

Really take a look at WHAT KIDS ARE READING!

Old ones? DONATE!

Torn ones? FIX

Need to level? I suggest LEXILES!

( Redoing mine this summer..We use DRA/Guided reading levels)

CCSS is all about lexiles..

Learning As I Go! 🙂

And so ..a little cleaning will make your teacher heart happy!

There is MORE..under the cabinets, construction/ writing paper, the dreaded

Storage drawers…I really don’t know what’s in the BACK of those drawers!

And so on & so on!

Enjoy the weather..spend a little time each day…recycling

and HAPPY SPRING CLEANING!

Classroom Management..from Harry Wong to Brag Tags!

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Classroom Management.

I know. I said it.

WAIT! DON’T LEAVE!

Classroom Management isn’t a BAD thing!

It’s how to create a CALM…so you can teach!

And isn’t THAT our GOAL?

There are a GAZILLION places to learn how to do

classroom management.

When I was beginning my career,

HARRY WONG

was the JEDI of Classroom Management!

It’s a good read for ALL of us!

After a trillion different management attempts,

retries,

changes,

changes again..

I think I have found classroom management

that works

FOR ME!

And it HAS to WORK ..

FOR YOU!

What the teacher next door is using

maybe the best thing,

“since sliced bread”.

BUT

If it doesn’t work FOR YOU,

it’s USELESS!

So WHAT do I use?

Three step program.

(NO… not a 12 step program…ONLY 3)

As every primary teacher knows,

Consistency is the key to success.

Young kids like to know what is coming next.

They like to know ” IF THIS…THEN THAT!”

And they keep ME on my toes!

And pulling my hair out!

I start my school year with group points.

It lasts about a month.

After they figure out which “friend” is going to be a problem in THIER group…

points don’t count.

I used to use “CLIP CHARTS”.

Great kids move up.

Those who need more “attention” moved down.

I had a great visual

of the “cans” and the “cannots”.

Not for me.

And so began ..

MY 3 STEPS to MY SANITY!

1. CLASS DOJO

2. GOLDEN TICKETS

3. BRAG TAGS

These 3 management strategies work for me.

If they help YOU…JUMP ON IN!

CLASS DOJO!

* I am NOT receiving ANYTHING from DOJO…

I JUST LOVE IT!

Class DOJO has allowed me

to connect with

students

and PARENTS

quickly and effectively!

Isn’t that the point of classroom management?

To effectively

“manage” a situation

and correct it,

or support it,

immediately?

YES!

Dojo is an online program where each student has an avatar. They gain or lose points as they follow the positive or negative

attributes that YOU set up.

I had a BIG problem with tardies.

8-10 kids tardy…daily.

One of my positive attributes is

ATTENDANCE ON TIME.

Every student gets a point for being in their seat,

ready to work when the bell rings!

I am down to 2 tardies..average..daily.

FOR me? Success!!!

Dojo also sends an automatic email to parents on FRIDAY, detailing their child’s points for the week!

INSTANT PARENT NOTIFICATIONS

..and I didn’t have to do ANYTHING! 🙂

AND…

After parents have signed up for texts

THAT IS THE HARD PART…GETTING THEM TO SIGN UP

(I AM RELENTLESS…I BUG THEM OVER & OVER)

I can text them at a moments notice.

AND I DO!

I also do class messages and send pictures.

I am just learning DOJO, too.

#lifelessons #newtechtolearn

#2 Golden Tickets

THIS IS MY “GO TO” PROGRAM!

IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM!

Simple.

Run a copy of Tickets on YELLOW OR GOLD PAPER.

CUT UP into tickets.

Keep in a box.

Kids earn them for ANY positive interaction, action, or reaction.

Help a friend? TICKET!

Pick up the floor? Ticket!

Say kind words? Ticket!

A friend helped YOU? Give them a TICKET!

And so MY STUDENTS start looking

and listening

for ways to give positive feedback

tickets,

to each other.

They have to tell their classmate what

they SAW or HEARD

that earned their ticket!

SO engaging!

After they get their ticket,

they write their name on the back.

No…sticky fingers.

Twice a week we COUNT tickets.

If they have 10

they can choose

their reward!

I am NOT spending ANY $$$$$$

on rewards!

NO need to!

Here are there rewards…

Reward CHOICES:

Tech Time …15 minutes on the ipads!

They can choose whatever app they want!

Friendly Lunch..ALL TIME FAVORITE:

I purchased 8 plastic placemats – 4 sets of 2

They choose 1 friend to give a placemat to, and they sit next to each other at lunch in the cafeteria, and eat lunch with their placemat and their friend. AFTER lunch, they sanitize the placemat, and put it in the office so I can pick them up after lunch.

ROYALTY for A DAY..

Students can choose to WEAR A CROWN, and be KING____ or QUEEN _____ for a day. The crowns? BULLETIN BOARD borders I have

used, scrounged, saved, begged for from others,

on hand. Measure, staple, VOILA..instant CROWN!

Wear it, take it home. I DO staple a golden ticket to the front. EVERYONE will ask WHY DID YOU GET THE CROWN?

They can explain about GOLDEN TICKETS.

Teacher chair:

They get one of my BIG SQUISHY chairs at their desk for a day. They will spin, moved, be tall, and LOVE their BIG chair.

SWIP SWAP:

Change desks with a partner FOR A DAY!

Use their books & stuff and THEY use YOURS!

Must clean each others desk

( put things back better than they were

when YOU got there..)

at the end of the day.

FREE Homework PASS!

NO homework for 1 night!

I write a note and put it in the HW folder so parent’s know.

FLUFFY FRIEND:

They can bring a stuffed animal to school for 1 day.

Sits on their desk, works in teh classroom, cannot go outside.

If kids don’t have one..they can choose 1 of mine.

LINE Jumper:

First graders LOVE to “cut in line”. The LINE JUMPER can cut in line ANYWHERE they want, for 1day. They MUST tell the person behind them…”Excuse me, I am a LINE JUMPER!”

(You can NEVER step in front of someone

without using the words EXCUSE ME

..and tell them WHY!)

#manners

Here we are in action.