Student Contributor: R. Burland Having jobs in your classroom help builds a sense of community and responsibility within your classroom. The jobs help students feel included throughout the day and feel needed.The idea of having classroom jobs helps the students and the teacher. Every student is given a job no matter how small. When introducing the jobs, explain the importance of each position. It is also important to explain to students that the jobs will … [Read more...] about Classroom Jobs
K-2nd
Quiet Critters
Student Contributor: K. Cabiad Quiet Critters is a cute way to help manage volume during work time. It is a little ‘critter’ that is made at the beginning of the year by the students that only like to come out when it is quiet time.This tool is made at the beginning of the year by all the students. All you need is a jar, pom-poms, and googly eyes. At the beginning of the year when making them, you will discuss how they are making little critters to hang … [Read more...] about Quiet Critters
The Kindness Secret Mission
Student Contributor: K. Cabiad The Kindness Secret Mission is a tool that can teach students how to show random acts of kindness with nothing in return.This tool can be used during any time of the year. It is a helpful tool to teach students kindness in a creative, fun, and out-of-the-box way. It is a top-secret mission that you give to each of your students in an envelope. This mission requires them to perform random acts of kindness to their classmates … [Read more...] about The Kindness Secret Mission
Fill your Bank
Student Contributor: E Hinshaw-Rasmussen This tool is helpful when you want to praise your students for being kind and staying engaged. This tool helps bring together a classroom community.A laminated piggy bank is displayed accessible to students hung up in the classroom. Next to the laminated piggy bank is coins or tokens. When a student is caught being kind or staying engaged to another student; whoever notices will write what was “caught” on the token … [Read more...] about Fill your Bank
Put In Your Two Cents
Student Contributor: B.Bazaldua This tool is used to prevent the same handful of students from responding all the time. Each student gets two pretend pennies and each time they respond they must put a penny in the jar. They may not give a response until everyone else has put in their two cents. This management tool is great for all grade bands because all classrooms can benefit from giving students equal chances to participate.For this tool, the teacher … [Read more...] about Put In Your Two Cents
Self Assessing Turn-in
Student Contributor: A. McDonnell Students turn in work to a bin, 3 bins provided each with different label. This lets me know the confidence level each student had in the assignment turned in and then based on grading who needs extra supports.When students turn in their assignments to me, there will be three different baskets each labeled differently. One thumbs up, one thumbs sideways, one thumbs down. This allows the students to self assess on how well … [Read more...] about Self Assessing Turn-in
Classroom Cheers
Student Contributor: A. Turner Classroom cheers is a great supportive phase tool to promote a positive classroom culture. Each day, a new “cheer of the day” is selected for students to participate in when a classmate is spotted doing something great in the classroom.For this tool, you will need to come up with a number of classroom cheers to have on hand so that you can rotate through them. I found this tool on a blog post that linked a TPT post where you … [Read more...] about Classroom Cheers
Morning Class Greeting
Student Contributor: A. Turner This tool is something to incorporate into a morning meeting with the class. Each student takes a turn being greeted by their peers at the beginning of the meeting. I think this is a great tool to use with young students in order to build a strong and positive classroom community.This tool should be introduced at the beginning of the school year. It’s a great way to get students in a classroom routine and help build a … [Read more...] about Morning Class Greeting
Brag Tags
Student Contributor: B.Bazaldua This tool is helpful because it helps promote and celebrate positive behavior in the classroom. Each tag stands for a different behavior (e.g.AR super star, peacemaker, writing wizard, good listener). When a student displays a certain behavior consistently, the teacher will award them the specific brag tag to string onto a simple metal necklace that is hung and displayed on the wall in the classroom.This tool gives students … [Read more...] about Brag Tags
Light Up Ready Buttons
Student Contributor: S. Kendrick This tool is a light up button that when pressed you can turn it on and off. This could be used in a group setting where each group gets a button that they will have to press to turn on when they are finished with their task or assignment. This could also be used in an individual setting where the students would press the button to light it up when to indicate that they are finished with their work.The tool should be used … [Read more...] about Light Up Ready Buttons