Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

Do you want to take your teacher seller business to the next level?

Are you stuck in a rut and have no inspiration to try to even begin looking for something different to try for your business?

Would you like to challenge yourself to try new technology that may propel your business forward?

If you answered yes, to any or all of the above, you’ll want to check out this FREE month-long event!

Stop at Teaching Blog Traffic School to see all the details!



~Charity

via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2oEg6Sh

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

Some days are going to feel like the cards are stacked against you no matter what you do. The question to ask is: On average, how often do those days occur?



Is this you most days?



Do any of these happen to you on a regular basis?

• You receive a memo about 15 minutes before you start your day letting you know about the change in schedule for today
• There is an unannounced fire drill during your testing time
• Immediately following independent reading time, your classroom library is trashed - and the students have already made their way to specials
• The copy machine is jammed.  Again.
• At lunchtime, your soup splatters all over your pants when trying to get it out of the staff lounge microwave
• A student randomly starts shouting during your formal observation
• "Johnny's" mom comes walking through your classroom door determined to have a serious talk about his math grade, while you are in the middle of the morning meeting
• Two students are horse-playing in the corner and accidentally knock over a huge stack of papers all over the ground you have yet to file
• You need chocolate, aspirin, and perhaps an adult beverage - and it isn't even 10 am yet.

What does proactive teaching even mean?

Some days are going to feel like the cards are stacked against you no matter what you do.  It doesn't matter who you are or what job you do - those days will happen.

The question to ask yourself is "On average, how often do those days occur?" If you are having more stressful days than satisfactory days, perhaps it's time to reflect on ourselves.  It's the one thing we ALWAYS have control over.

Proactive Teachers vs Reactive Teachers

If you constantly feel as though you are swimming upstream, you are taking on reactive characteristics.  And that takes a toll on your mood, self-worth, and happiness.  Believe it or not, those feelings will transfer to your students too.  They can sense when you are struggling.  Classroom environment and behavior management really takes a hit when the teacher is not on his or her A-game.

Proactive teachers realize that there will be unexpected events throughout the day, but she has a plan for addressing the surprises.  He knows if A happens, he will do B.  There are very few reasons to panic throughout the day if you have created a contingency plan.

Proactive teachers are less stressed and are far more flexible.  At the end of the day, the proactive teacher feels great about how the day went.  She knows there are some things she can change, and she took the positive steps to work towards those changes.  And she knows there are things that she cannot change - but she does have control as to how she reacts to those items.

// amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "gradonlischo-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Additional Resources:"; amzn_assoc_asins = "1462517986,B006U99ZIS,B008JF1IYU,0826496075"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "25161437f21ffdd5fde8b29354db1341"; // I don't know about you, but I personally feel terrible at the end of the day if I feel I had no control over my students, my schedule, my teaching, or even my thoughts.  In my opinion, there is nothing worse than feeling powerless.  We all need to feel success on some level - and knowing you did the best you could when the unexpected happens because you had control over the actions you took gives you that feeling of small wins.

We can't be effective teachers if we are feeling behind the 8-ball all day every day.

It is time to be proactive and take back control of your classroom, if nothing else.  You owe it to your students, but most of all, you owe it to yourself to feel good about your choices, even when it seems like all choice is gone.  I am here to tell you control has not been taken away from you - how you choose to work within your options is where your control really lives.

Choose to be the proactive teacher.

Are you usually proactive or reactive?  Share with us in the comments below so others know they are not alone.


Talk to you soon,
 ~Charity


This post was originally posted at Organized Classroom.

Disclosure: There may be affiliate links in this post. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.




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Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

I was thinking about file folder game organization and I thought I would share a fun (and cute) idea for displaying your file folder games! Enjoy the tips!

To help students know which game they have played, use the checklist below.  Simply fill in your student roster on the left side column.  Then, make sure your file folder games are numbered on the outside.  As students grab a game to take to a spot in the classroom, have them place an X or a check mark in the right spot.

Want your own free File Folder Game Check Out?



Head over to Organized Classroom and grab yours for free!

~ Charity




via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2CplS3v

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.



via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2olxOKX

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

Have you ever used pool noodles in your classroom?  Most of the time we think about them only for swimming or summer activities, but they are a really easy and fun material to use for creating a classroom luau learning party for your students!

Where can I buy pool noodles?

You can buy pool noodles seasonally in pretty much every big box store and the dollar store.  In the off-season if you are a northern, you will find pool noodles in bulk from Amazon - and they are pretty cheap the larger the unit you buy, so think about giving in halvsies with another teacher in your building for the most cost effective method of purchasing noodles. For the foam classroom crafts I made below, I used about 3 full noodles - and I had several left over!  They will go a long way depending on your needs and the crafts you choose to make. // amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "gradonlischo-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Classroom Luau Materials:"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "9808b007ab28b3f40d8f448f4908a2bc"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B01L094C62,B073PK94ZR,B01N7IMAAL,B01N3Z6WOX"; //

How to cut pool noodles?

It was wayyyyyy easier than I thought it would be to cut the pool noodles for my activities.  I used a basic serrated knife and they cut up very quickly and easily with very little noodle dust.  You can cut them into smaller chunks, larger chunks then lengthwise, and even cut the entire noodle lengthwise if you have an activity like a marble run.

7 Classroom Luau Learning Ideas

Here are a few of the ideas I created for my classroom learning luau - feel free to adjust the learning activities to match the ability of your students!  Each of these different ideas can be set up as a center area in your classroom to allow the students to rotate from one to another.

Name Leis:  Begin the party by having each student find the letters of their name and string them together through the hole with a piece of rope or twine.  Now you're ready to get learning!



Flower Writing:  What's more fun than writing with tropical flowers?  To make these, use a small piece of the pool noodle and cut V-shapes in 4 places.  Then, use a pen or pencil to add a hole into the noodle, flip the writing utensil around and insert into the foam.  Super cute and fun!



Palm Tree Number Sentences:  This one can be as simple or as advanced as you like.  To set this one up, write various numbers, equal signs, and operation symbols on different pieces of cut up pool noodle.  Students come to this station and must make number sentence "trees" from the supplies.  Top them off with plastic straws taped together as your leaves. Challenge your students to see who can make the largest number sentence tree and have them cross-check one another for accuracy.



Mystery Bucket Writing:  For this center, use a plastic sand pail and add an item to the bottom that students may not be able to figure out what it is right away.  Add lots of cut up pieces of pool noodle on top so that the child is not able to see the item. Then, use the Free Mystery Bucket Writing Handout below to describe what the item is, guess what it is and what it might be used for, and then finally - draw or write a sentence explaining what the actual item is after pulling it out of the bucket. This activity is perfect for making predictions based on context clues of a hidden item.



Unscramble the Sentences Kabobs:  Write out a sentence on your cut up pool noodles:  one word per each noodle.  You can even choose to write all nouns on a specific color, verb son another, articles on another, and so on. Students will then have to figure out what the correct sentence is by changing up the order of the words until it makes sense.  To make "luau kebabs" use wooden dowels from the hardware store to slide the word pieces on and off.



Spelling Limbo:  For a fun group game, use one whole pool noodle as a limbo stick.  students line up and you give them a spelling word.  If he or she correctly spells it out loud, that child gets to go under the limbo stick and back to the end of the line.  If not, they sit down. The game continues until you only have one student left standing.  Make it even more fun by turning on some party music as students are walking under the limbo stick.



Synonym Matching Flip Game:  Cut up your pool noodle into sections, then cut them in half lengthwise.  Choose whether the matching words will be on the same color, different sets of colors, or just different colors altogether. Make matching pieces that are synonyms, antonyms, author/book, or vocabulary words/definitions for any subject.  Students begin with all the pieces upside down and get to take turns flipping 2 over at a time.  If they are a match, they get to keep those 2 pieces and go again. The winner is the student with the most pieces when all have been claimed.  You could also make this an independent activity that the game is finished when the student has correctly matched all the pairs on their own.



How fun are those?  Makes me feel warmer just thinking about Polynesian party mode.  :)  Don't forget to grab your Free Mystery Bucket Writing Handout below too!


 


Do you have additional activities for a classroom learning luau party?  Add a comment at the blog post HERE - we love collaboration!

~Charity



This post originally appeared at Organized Classroom.

via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2ohdYkb

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

What are some of your most used classroom systems? I share 10 you need to be using right now in your room which will pay you back in time! Come on over!

The bigger question is "Why do I need to set up classroom systems at all?"

Classroom systems are nothing more than a followed routine.  A "classroom work manual" that helps you to be more effective in the classroom and save time.  What you do with that time is completely up to you.

You might shave a few minutes here and there which add up to hours.  You can use those extra hours to complete all your grading at school to free up time spent with your family at home.  Perhaps you prefer to use your extra time to chat with colleagues and create connections that make your workplace somewhere you look forward to coming to each day.

Or you could use your extra time for something crazy - like more teaching.  Something I know you love, otherwise you wouldn't be in a classroom.  :)  Those rewards are worth it!

When do you need a classroom system?

Basically anytime you do a task more than once.  Having a set system that is predetermined and repeats itself like clockwork will save you precious seconds and minutes.

Not to mention, students crave consistency.  Behaviors usually improve dramatically when classroom systems, such as clickers, are in place.  When students know exactly how something will happen and what their individual role is in that routine, there is less chance for distraction or acting out.

Think about your own personal morning routine from the time you wake up until the time you walk into your classroom.  I bet it is a habit to do those same steps every morning.  When you are brushing your teeth, do you do it differently each morning?  Probably not.  You have found the most efficient way to brush your teeth, you do it, and you keep moving.

Classroom routines should be no different.  You want to have routines that become a habit not only for you, but for your students.  The sign of a really great classroom system?  If you left the room, it would keep humming along without you there at all.

// amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "gradonlischo-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Classroom Resources:"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "f01ad214f2f6968bb81e59ab165291f3"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B00006IEI3,B01N2G7Z71,B06VY9MVQD,B00WV4J5AO"; // Of course, that takes time.  You have to start with the awareness of all the classroom systems you have (or need) to put in place.  Then, you need to break the system into smaller steps so you know where efficiency can be improved.  And finally, you work on implementing the routine - working out the bugs as you go along.

What works for one teacher or group of students, may not work for the next.  There is no one-size-fits-all model.  Which is great in my opinion.  Who wants a classroom full of robots?  The routines will change from teacher to teacher depending on variables such as class size, the size of the classroom environment, student needs, personal preference, and more.   But - once you get your routine mastered, your classroom becomes an inviting, safe place for students.  And that creates an environment of learning and teaching where true connections happen.

Thinking About Solutions

Now that you know what classroom systems are - and why they are important, let's take a look at 10 elementary classroom systems you need to be using right now and some questions you should be asking yourself when analyzing your current routine:

• Pencil Sharpening:  How often do my students need a pencil sharpened?  Are they allowed to sharpen while I am teaching?  What sharpener do they use?  What if the student has no pencil?

• Lining Up:  How can I have my students line up without mass chaos?  Do I call them by tables or by something else such as shirt color?  If I call by tables, is it by quietest, first ready, or just in order from the door?  How do we model how to stand in line once there while waiting for the others to be called in line too?  If we are heading to or from the library, what do we do with the books?

• Getting the Teacher's Attention:  Do the students raise their hand during class activities?  Perhaps they silently get out of their seat and stand next to me to get my attention?  Do they use a number signal (1 finger means question, 2 fingers means bathroom, etc)?  Should they use a 4 color sheet of folded paper  which alerts me to what they need?  Are there certain times of the day when they are not allowed to interrupt me?  Do I use PBIS strategies to get them to participate more?

• Packing Up for the Day:  How do I have smaller groups get their materials for dismissal so it is not madness?  Should they pack up their backpack at their desk or at the lockers/cubbies?  How do I make sure any extra papers to go home are distributed?  What do the children do once they are packed up and ready?

• Filing:  Where do my papers that need filed "live" until they are ready to be filed?  Do I file things immediately or once a week?  Do some papers get filed right away and some later?  Where can I store my files that is secure, yet still accessible?  Do I have a digital filing cabinet or a traditional paper filing cabinet?  Where can I store papers if I don't have a traditional filing cabinet?  How often do I score the assessment grading?

• Writing Your Lesson Plans:  What materials will I need to plan next week?  Do I have a copy of last year's plans to use as a starting point?  What manipulatives, games, or extra resources do I have available for next week's topics?  Are my TEs online or only as a hard copy?  What can I have pre-filled that never changes from week-to-week?

• Preparing Absent Work:  How do I make sure my absent student gets all the materials he or she missed?  Where will I keep the stack until his or her return?  Should I write the child's name on the papers?  How do I count it for grading purposes or even know that the student was out that day?

• Taking Attendance:  Roll call?  Silently look to see who is (or isn't) in a desk at the beginning of class?  Have students move a magnet with their name on it to a different part of the board to see they are "checked in"?

• Bathroom Breaks:  Do we go as a class?  What if a student needs to go at a different time?  How can they quietly alert me without interrupting class time?  Does the child need a special hall pass to leave the classroom?

• Passing Out Handouts:  Are the papers passed by the teacher or students?  Does one person from the row or group go get the materials and pass out?  Is there a group role which is assigned to do this?

Of course, each system can have many, many more questions involved when you are trying to figure out your classroom "manual."  It does take time to really think about how your perfect routine works, but when you have it in writing and can replicate it again and again with the students, you suddenly feel so much more in control of your day (and career choice as well).



What are some of your most used classroom systems?  I would love to hear in a comment below! 

~Charity



This post originally appeared at Organized Classroom.




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Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

Hopefully some of you who have schools with some low morale right now, can use one or two ideas to break up the dark cloud a bit and let the sun shine in.

When I noticed that a Facebook fan posted this on the fan page: “My principal has asked our building to work on morale among teachers…..looking for some fun/creative ideas some of you have done at your buildings!” and that there was a whole thread of ideas, I knew it warranted a free eBook, which is exactly where the following came from.

Want your copy of the free Teacher Morale Ideas eBook?



Head over to Organized Classroom and grab yours for free!

~ Charity




via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2EHu8xb

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

I whipped up some cute bulletin board letters you can print and enjoy for the spring months! You could also use them for word work.

Have fun coming up with ideas for your bulletin board, or just use the letters for word wall headings.  Even have students use them to build words in a center.

Want your own FREE bulletin board letters?



Head over to Organized Classroom to grab yours for free!

~ Charity




via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2BFbB28

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.

This friendship freebie activity is great for talking about similarities and differences! Perfect for math (grouping) and even character building!

Want your own Friendship Glyph activity?



Head over to Organized Classroom to grab yours for free!

~ Charity




via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2HnVxC0

Guest Blog Post from our friends over at ClassroomFreebiesToo.com! Hope you enjoy.





via Classroom Freebies Too http://bit.ly/2HkaJ3d