Giveaway Week 2 - Classroom Management & Organization {part 2}

Welcome back!  Yesterday’s giveaway was so big that it’s continuing today!  Today’s topic is classroom management… this is one of the BIGGEST challenges that teachers face… starting off on the right foot with classroom management can make or break your entire year.  So, first I’m going to tell you a few things I do, then I will highlight a few of my favorite products that can help you get off to a great start this year!  One of the most basic tips that has saved me thousands of headaches and arguments is so simple, I wish someone would have told me this as a new teacher (no worries, I figured it out on my own after 3 or 4 years!)… so, what’s the big secret?? It’s simple… Number. Your. Students.  That’s it.  Number them.  Why, might you ask?  Well, initially, I decided that I needed numbers for the times when the office would call to tell me that little Susie got sick at recess, and would I please send her backpack down to the office so she could leave?  Well, I had 29 kids (mercy me!!), how was I supposed to know which powder puff backpack was hers??  It was a nightmare.  So I decided that numbering the hooks might make my life easier… but I didn’t do it right then… sigh… the next year, I encountered more problems with my numberless class… I basically had 2 types of students.  Those who ALWAYS had to be first in line, and those who lingered at the end and kept running away to be at the BACK of the line… OY!  Trying to bring my class in from recess was a 3-ring circus.  It was then that I finally decided to number them.  With numbers, there was no pushing and shoving to be the first OR last in line.  Recess started looking like this: bell rang, kids lined up, we all walked inside.  I swear I could hear angels singing.  Initially, I numbered the kids in ABC order based on first names, because that was easier for them to make sense of, but the past few years I have switched to using their last names, simply because it matches our attendance and gradebook, which is all online, and is a pain in the rear to go in and rearrange names.  Now, to be fair, my last name was closer to the END of the alphabet, and I was always jealous of my best friend, whose last name started with a C… he ALWAYS got to be near the front!!  So, to solve this problem, I have a “line leader” and “caboose” helper each week… so everyone gets a controlled chance to be first and last… I never have any arguing or pushing and shoving in line!

But, wait, the numbering system gets even better!!  I use the students’ numbers for all sorts of things.  My coat racks are labeled with big vinyl numbers, so there’s no pushing and shoving at the coat rack (and, bonus, I now know where Susie’s backpack is when she’s sick!).  Students write their numbers on their assignments, so I can quickly see who hasn’t turned in their assignment, and entering grades online is a breeze.  When there’s a fire drill, kids know to line up in “number order” as I call it, and I quickly count to see who is here and who is missing.  Students sign off their homework each morning on a numbered chart (that’s another post for another day, I promise!) and again I can quickly see that 7, 9, and 20 didn’t bring back their homework.  I will think to the day before and check if anyone was absent, then I will write their numbers down so they can finish their homework at a later point in the day.  I also use their numbers for my card pull chart, which is the classroom management my school uses.  I know everyone has an opinion about card pull charts… personally, I like them… however, it’s a school-wide requirement that we use them, so, yeah… I have used the card pull system for 7 years now, and still have my original card pull chart.  It’s kind of in sad shape, but every year I keep hoping it will make it through just one more year… this year I had a child get mad and rip his pocket off, but it was easily repaired with some packaging tape and a quick trip through the laminator ;) see, problem solved! HA!  Whatever classroom management tool you choose, the most important thing is to be consistent with it.  At my school, everyone starts on green every day.  The first card pull moves you from green to yellow, and yellow is simply a warning.  I always have to remind parents of this, because they often freak out or get very upset with their children for consistently pulling yellow cards.  Kids are not allowed to move back to green until the next day, so if they get a warning but stay on yellow, it’s still a successful day for the most-part.  If the misbehaving continues, they will pull to red.  Red cards result in 5 minutes of missed recess.  I make them write behavior sentences during those 5 minutes.  If the problems continue, they then move on to orange, which is called “stop and think time”… they have to fill out a problem-solving paper in another classroom and take a 15 minute cool-down break.  If that STILL doesn’t solve the problem, they are on blue, which is an office referral, and they get to visit with the principal… it’s VERY rare for kids to get on orange or blue… usually blue cards are a result of physical aggression and a white slip… (if they are sent to the principal’s office for BIG problems, or get suspended, etc., then it’s an automatic blue card).  Now, that’s how we do it as a whole school, so it’s great because by the time the kids are in 2^nd grade, they are familiar with the program.  I have worked in schools where everyone did their own thing, and many teachers chose NOT to use card pulls.  Find what works best for you and stick with it!!

 Here’s an example of a card pull chart from lakeshore… I can’t find a picture of mine, and I’m not going into school just to take a picture :) mine is basically just a poster with library envelopes and colored cardstock, but you get the idea:
 

Today’s giveaways are all about classroom management, and the best thing about these packets is that they will complement any existing behavior program you may already have in place!  Up first is a set of AMAZING behavior coupons from the self-proclaimed teachaholic, Mel D., who blogs over at Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations.  Mel recently wrote a FABULOUS post about classroom management, and I would encourage you to check out the entire post here, which explains her packet in greater detail. (She is also writing an e-book, which I can’t wait to read!!) Anyway, THREE lucky winners are going to snag her AWESOME coupons.  I’ll be honest, I struggle with rewarding students for doing the things that they are SUPPOSED to be doing at school… and I’m not the most creative teacher on the planet, so I’m not good at coming up with rewards that kids will like and be motivated to earn.  Well, with Mel’s packet, there are 65 options for you to choose from… certainly there might be something that you can handle, right??  Mel has spent her entire summer revamping this amazing packet and it’s guaranteed to work wonders in your classroom!  Take a look at this awesomeness:

 

The next few items will be bundled together for one lucky winner!  Remember to scroll to the bottom to enter today’s giveaways!!

Up first is a great coupon packet from Laura at Peace, Love, and First Grade. She has compiled 50 darling coupons, and almost all of them can be implemented without spending a penny!!

Next is a brilliant classroom management system from Stacey at Teaching Ever After.  She has come up with a darling lemonade-stand style classroom management set… I LOVE the “sour notes” and “cool it” cards! You can read more about her system here.

 

And finally, the lucky winner will get a set of jungle-themed punch cards and an “all about me” packet from Dilly Dabbles.  I love punch cards / sticker charts to keep a few struggling kiddos focused.  Some kids need something right on their desk to motivate them, and these are a perfect solution.  The “all about me” poster would be great as an incentive that they get to share with the class when they have earned 12 punches, or as a fun back to school activity to share with the class as the year begins.

 

Hurry and enter… this giveaway closes Wednesday night at midnight!!

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