CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

SET-UP FOR A CENTERS-BASED EARLY ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM

GRADES: K-3

MATERIALS:

  • paper
  • scissors

METHOD:

  1. If you have a center based classroom, as is my kindergarten class, I suggest first listing all of your centers on a piece of paper.
  2. Next, draw a sketch of the outline of your room on another sheet. Like redecorating a room in your own house, cut out little squares, label them and place them in your paper classroom. This way you won't forget anything, and it won't take any time to rearrange your room.
  3. Take note of things that block other things...does your room flow, can you see the children from all of the angles?

Believe me, I am not at all artistic. This can be done very simplistically...not to scale or anything elaborate like that. Try to use all sides of furniture as possibilities; for example, I turned an old bookshelf around to use the front shelf part as part of my home center and am corking the back of it to use as a makeshift, child accessible bulletin board that will act as the back wall of my writing center!

Just like in a house, see where outlets are to use for computers and listening centers. This year, I will incorporate my listening center with my library. I am using my old love seat from home to act as the connecting piece of furniture to use in my new "quiet space" in my classroom.

Check where sinks are (if you have them) or floor space rather than carpet space is. Put your paint tables and sand and water tables where water is accessible for quick clean ups! Have your circle time space and your block center on or near carpeted space so that it will curb the noise!

submitted by

BARBARA SHILLING
ASSOCIATED HEBREW SCHOOLS
THORNHILL, ONTARIO, CANADA
shilling@idirect.com

TICKET PROGRAM

GRADES: K-6

I use a ticket program as part of my positive reinforcement. It can be adapted to any level of specific tasks but I find it works best very broad.

MATERIALS:

  • fair tickets (the kind in a big roll that tear in half, buy them at a discount type store not a teacher store)
  • fun looking bag or box

METHOD:

  1. Whenever something gets done correctly by a group of students, the whole class, or one student, the students involved get tickets.
  2. They write their name on the back and place it into the ticket collector (the bag or box). The number of tickets given depends on the mood, the task or the number of students involved.
  3. Giving tickets can fix a problem task. For example currently my class has a problem with playing in the bathroom instead of washing hands.
  4. I now give tickets for being 'quiet and quick' the group-boys or girls (I have 13 boys to 10 girls) that finishes first each gets one ticket.
  5. The ticket number can also set an example. For example, in the times before school breaks students often will be hard to control. If you have one or two students who are still finishing their work and staying quiet while the rest of the students are running and daydreaming of days off, give the well behaved students 10-30 tickets each. This really gets the attention of others.
  6. Every two weeks have a raffle with all the names in the ticket collector. Ask a student to draw 3 tickets, the names of the students on the tickets are the winners of the week and receive a prize determined by the teacher. My class loves folders and having lunch with me. Both prizes I can afford. I also keep a supply of $.95 book club books around to use as special prizes if a student's name is on two of the tickets drawn. The students then take home the tickets to show at home.
  7. As you get into the older grades you can have different levels of prizes which the students see, the students can save tickets for a chosen level.

This activity can also introduce probability, and number relations.

Submitted by,

ANNIE FIORITA
ANTHONY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ANTHONY, NM
aafiorita@aol.com

REMEMBER ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS' NAMES

GRADES: K-12

As a substitute teacher and traffic school instructor, I usually get a new set of forty people up to five times a week. That's as many as two hundred new names a week! Uhh! It's frustrating to look at all those faces and say, "That's very good 'boy with the brown hair whose name escapes me right now'.?" As you know, remembering names builds the rapport necessary for YOU to do an effective teaching job. Here is my "Good With Names?" system that I developed over the years that let's you remember everyone's name just by simply looking at their face.

MATERIALS:

  • none

METHOD:

  1. After careful analysis of facial structure, I discovered twenty-six distinct visible areas (I call them VIEW POINTS). And since there's only twenty-six letters in the alphabet, it was logical to place each letter on each one these visible spots. Don't worry, I show you the exact location of your new alphabet. It's made easy by placing most of the letters in the simplest and most effective locations. For instance, "H" is the HAIR and "J" is the jaw etc.
  2. Since every letter is placed on exactly the same spot on everyone's face, it is consistent and incredibly simple. For instance, upon meeting someone named "Tony" (male or female) your eyes will gravitate to the portion of the face designated with the Good With Names letter "T." Believe it or not, this sinks in and becomes ingrained in your memory. So the next time you see "Tony" you will remember the spot that represents their name. This is PHASE ONE.
  3. PHASE TWO will show you all the extended regions of all the twenty-six View Points. These are the SIGHT POINTS. These Sight Points represent almost every conceivable two-letter combination of every person's name. In other words, you will know the exact location of the "To" in the name Tony. Believe me, it's incredibly easy to remember a student when you know exactly where to retrieve the first two letters of their name.

Once you are familiar with the simple locations of the "Points" in the Good With Names System, you will have an automatic trigger to remember names instantly and permanently.

submitted by
 
JEFF KORN
IMPROV TRAFFIC SCHOOL AND SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
LOS ANGELES, CA
jeffkorn@hotmail.com

OUTSTANDING STUDENTS LIST

GRADES: K-12

I developed this little technique when I was substitute teaching because I wanted an alternative to writing a student's name on the board who was making bad behavioral choices. By seeing their names on the board and/or colored cards turned around, students who have chosen "bad" behavior are either rewarded and getting credit and notoriety for their bad choices, or they are being shamed, especially since the whole class gets to see the names. This is not conducive to a positive classroom environment. Instead, I like to give that credit to students who are making "good" choices which keeps the focus on positive behaviors. This seems overly simplistic, but it really does work!! I call it my "Outstanding Students List".

MATERIALS:

  • a piece of the black or whiteboard wide enough to list names
  • a whiteboard marker or some chalk

METHOD:

  1. I use four criteria for having your name added to the OSL (although you may certainly add or modify):
    • Pay attention and follow directions.
    • Be "appropriately" quiet.
    • Follow class rules.
    • Stay on task and complete your work.
  2. There are several rewards to being on the OSL: Those students will line up first when going to lunch, be dismissed first at recess and at the end of the day, get first choice of playground equipment, and each student on the OSL gets a small candy (Jolly Rancher) as they leave at the end of the day.
  3. A key advantage for the teacher is that if you catch a "behaviorally-challenged" student being on task (especially early in the day) you can "cement" this good behavior by adding his name to the OSL, maybe commenting on the addition. Seeing his name (finally) on the "good" list is a special reward, and he will likely attempt to repeat that in the days to come. Conversely, if you see a student (whose name is already on the OSL) slipping in behavior, you can silently erase his name without any disciplinary comment whatsoever; this student will be informed by a peer and will usually get back to good behavior.
  4. Another advantage to the OSL is that occasionally a student will raise his or her hand and ask why they are not on the OSL. I am able to then troubleshoot the student's behavior, and the student is the one who asked for the troubleshooting, and is thus likely to respond well. (It is important to remind the kids that if they do not make it to the OSL, that doesn't mean they are "bad" students. That just means that the listed students were "outstanding" on this particular day. Tomorrow is a different day).
  5. The OSL is flexible throughout the day...usually I add or delete names after each activity and sometimes during quiet activities when students are on task. I have used this little tool extensively for 2nd grade, 4th grade, and during substitute teaching at 1-8 grade levels (I have not tried it for Kindergarten or high school).

submitted by
 
DOUG HORSPOOL
LINDA VERDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
LANCASTER, CA
d.horspool@verizon.net

INSTANT WHITE BOARDS

GRADES: K-12

I wish I could take total credit for this idea, but I found it from another source and stole it immediately as all good teachers should. This is a great way to get all students involved by writing answers to questions and a quick and easy assessment to make sure all students are understanding whatever concept is being taught.

MATERIALS:

  • 8 X 11 card stock
  • plastic sheet protectors
  • erasable markers

METHOD:

  1. Smooth finish sheet protectors work great as individual white boards. Place a sheet of 8 x 11 card stock (in any combination of colors) in the protector and the students have small whiteboards they can keep in their binders.
  2. Regular markers work fine and one can use anything from Kleenex, to cut up sweats, to socks as erasers. The whiteboards are great for vocabulary practice.
  3. This is also great for math problems, correcting sentences in language arts, spelling practice, etc. I keep mine in baskets on the tables for the students to use. Otherwise they end up taking them home and not bringing them back.

Submitted by,

PATTY PASON
SPRING CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SPRING CREEK, NV
nevadasunset@citlink.net

THE EASY "A"

GRADES: 3-12

This is one way I use to help organize my classroom and ensure that both my parents and students remain aware of major projects and due dates in my class.

MATERIALS:

  • none

METHOD:

  1. When I assign a major project or novel study I send home a one page paper that details the requirements. It also includes the due date and any specific grading criteria (size of project, use of colored pencils) that might apply. (My definition of a major project is one that would take 2 or more weeks to complete and that parents should be aware of or supervising. I run these off on colored paper and send them home with students. At the bottom of each page is place for the child and the parent to sign. It must be dated as well. The students are to keep all of the paper except for this bottom signed portion. I give them 3 days to return this to me for an EASY A--- the only extra credit I offer in any subject.
  2. Students keep the remainder of the paper as guide to completing their project.I have found that this has many uses. In reading we do studies of novels, so there is one for each novel. If they are long novels, I will divide the book in two with a sheet for each section. I also use EASY A for large book report projects. In English, I give these for poetry assignments. Each month my 4th and 5th graders must memorize a famous poem. The possibilities are really unlimited in any subject.
  3. The advantages are that 1) I want parents aware of major assignments from the very beginning, 2) some children work constantly and seldom feel the joy of associating an A with their name, and 3) this is my only way of giving extra credit!! I make sure parents know this from the beginning and so I am not constantly being bothered by a parent wanting a last minute chance to pull up Junior's grade. As I do not do this often in any one subject, it does not skew my grades!
  4. One note of caution! In one week I had to hand this out in my reading class and in my homeroom. I used yellow for both letters. Yuck. It is easier to use a different color each time you run one off!

submitted by
 
SHELLEY BOWEN
MITCHELL K-6 SCHOOL
ATWATER, CA
fambowen@cyberlynk.com

A COMPLIMENT CHAIN

GRADES: K-5

MATERIALS:

  • links--math manipulatives or paper clips

METHOD:

  1. Whenever my students display outstanding behavior they are complimented by me. Of course we have already discussed what a compliment is and its importance. If they receive a compliment from me I add a link to our chain.
  2. They may also receive compliments from other teachers. However, they may not ask for a compliment or tell the teacher to tell me they were complimented.
  3. When the chain reaches the bottom of our bulletin board we will have a popcorn and movie party.

This can easily be adjusted to fit any classroom needs.

submitted by
 
YVONNE STURDIVANT
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHILD STUDY CENTER
CONWAY, AK
yvonne@conwaycorp.net

 
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