3 Strategies for Managing a Classroom Effectively

These strategies will help you in your classroom management.

Be clear!

Set clear expectations and rules from the beginning of the school year. Communicate these expectations to students and ensure they understand the consequences for not following them. By having a structured framework in place, students will have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, promoting a sense of order and respect in the classroom.

Relationships are everything!

   Develop positive relationships with your students based on trust and mutual respect. Get to know your students individually, show interest in their lives, and create a supportive and inclusive classroom community. When students feel valued and connected, they are more likely to engage in learning and follow classroom guidelines.  When they know you care, they want to do better.

Engagement

  Encourage active student participation by incorporating interactive and engaging activities into your lessons. Use a variety of teaching strategies such as group work, hands-on activities, technology integration, and student-centered discussions. Active engagement keeps students focused and reduces the likelihood of behavioral problems.

 

Take the time to implement these strategies to have a great year.

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What is design thinking?

Design thinking is being creative.  It's about looking at problems through different lenses and trying to solve them in creative ways!

Stanford d school

Right before the Covid lockdown (geez, that seems so long ago!), I had the great fortune to attend a 3 day deep dive at Stanford University. It's called the dschool or the k12 lab. As a school team, we experienced design thinking as a students would.  We were given scenarios, we followed the protocol and designed away! It starts with empathy, defining, ideation, creating a prototype and testing it out. You should look into it.

Design Thinking and International Dot Day!

Did you know International Dot Day is on   September 15th?  It's a day that celebrates collaboration and creation so it aligns perfectly with design thinking.  Make sure to go register so that you get access to all their resources.

Let's connect it!

Here we will connect design thinking and   International Dot Day.  Here is a link to a slide deck I created.  It outlines the design thinking protocol as created by Stanford University.  It connects Dot Day and empathy.  And uses drawing and the Quivervision app which takes their creations to create an augmented reality experience. (I'll be honest...I do not subcribe.  I can't afford it!  I sign up for the free trial during this time.)

 

Take a dive into design thinking!  Your students will thank you!

You can also find me on these platforms!
  

Great pd: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Great pd: Gilder Lehrman

         History is an important topic to teach and Gilder Lehrman makes it wonderful and authentic.  If you are looking for great pd that connects to your students and your standards, check them out.  I am currently taking the course on The History of Latino and Latina People in the US.  They have courses on the American Revolutions and all historical concepts attached to the US.

     Sign up as a member for free and get access to all they have to offer.  Make sure to sign up your school too!  You can get free stuff all year long.  Poster, calendars and more!

You can find me on these platforms (as well as my blog!)
  

Classroom environment

Time to consider classroom environment!

Why?

Why is classroom environment so important? It's not just about making your classroom pretty.  It's about making your class a safe place.  An inviting place.  A place where kids can look up to see their learning reflected and find resources to help them succeed.

How?

Consider:

• Arrangement.   Are your desks and tables set up for great flow and easy access for pair work, discussions and group work?
• Materials.   Can your students access all materials easily and does it foster independence?
• Wall space.  Is learning visible?  Are anchor charts available for students to refer to when needed?  Is it colorful and eye-catching?
• Structures and procedures.  When structures and procedures are clear and learned, it helps the learning flow.  Spend the time in the beginning getting them set up and it will pay off.

    One way to decorate and celebrate learning is through pennants!   I love to use pennants for holidays and general learning.  Here is what I use.

You can find me on these platforms (as well as my blog!)
  

Lunar New Year 2023 is the year of the rabbit!

Lunar New Year

2023 is the year of the rabbit!  My students are so excited about it.

The History

Let's teach our kids some history about the of the Lunar New Year.  That is always fun and so important.  This project is good for grades 3-6.

Slide decks

Do you like using slide decks?  Check these out if you want something easy to use and a project for your kids.  

What ways will you teach about the Lunar New Year in your classroom?

You can find me on these platforms (as well as my blog!)
  

101st day of school! Time for Dalmatian day

101st day of school

Did you know the 101st day of school is coming up?

When is it?

Well.  It's different for everybody.  It depends on when your school year started.

Wait... 101?

Everybody celebrates the 100th day of school.  Why not shake things up and celebrate the 101st?  And we call it Dalmatian day!  Who doesn't love dogs?

Keep it centered

Keep all your activities centered around the number 101 and dalmatians.   Do you need some ideas?  Check out my packet of activities here!

I hope you and your students enjoy the 101st day of school.  I know we had a blast!

You can find me on these platforms (as well as my blog!)