A Simple Station Solution

Happy Thursday!

I'm dropping in to show you a solution I found for my station activities that is working wonderfully.

Before I share, let me share a little bit of the struggle I have had this year with stations.

My kiddos are very easily distracted. Our desks are in groups, and we mostly work at the desks during stations. So, this presented a problem. When my kids sit at a table group of 4, one partner pair is working on one activity and the other partner pair is working on a different activity. Therefore, it created some distraction. The partner pair working on one side of the group of desks was constantly hearing the partner pair on the other side of the group and would become easily off-task.

One day I had an idea. I love my "offices" from Really Good Stuff and I have several extra. So, I decided to use them to help with station management.

Here's what I camp up with:

I just stapled two sheet protectors on the right and left sides and one of my extra magnetic paper pockets from Lakeshore in the middle section. I only had one of the fancy pockets, so on my other station "offices" I just used 12x12 cardstock and stapled a sheet of construction paper on top to create a pocket. Simple!

I have the title of the station on the left side, the directions for the kids on the right side, and the materials they need in the pocket in the middle. They have everything they need plus the separation from the other group to stay distraction-free!

Now, when my partner pairs are ready to work in their stations, they just unfold the "office" and they have everything they need! When we are ready to clean up, the stations just fold right up!

The sheet protectors allow for me to easily change out the title and directions.

I am loving the simplicity and the flexibility this creates. The kids love that they are in their little "zones" and don't have to constantly tune out the partner pair across from them.

Of course these station offices could easily be moved to the floor. My students just tend to work more effectively when sitting at a desk. You could also easily make this using poster board or a tri-fold board.

Do you have any creative ways that you manage station materials?? I would love to hear!

Have a great Friday!

Teach Like a Champion- The Ultimate Tool to Ramp Up Your Teaching

I am exhausted. What a great, but crazy, first week back to school! My feet are aching and I'm hoping the tickle in my throat is just from allergies....... I have a great group of kiddos and I have my work cut out for me this year! It's going to be great!

Tomorrow I am welcoming a student teacher in my classroom for the very first time. I'm a little nervous because I really don't feel like I have much to offer, but I'm hoping she will pick up some knowledge along the way. To ensure that she does, I insisted that she get the book I describe below and we use that as kind of our "textbook" for her student teaching experience. I have been meaning to share about this book for awhile, so now seems like the perfect time!

Several years ago, in the midst of one of the my toughest teaching years to date, I happened to stumble across this book:

Little did I know as I cracked open the first pages, that this book would completely transform my teaching.

People always say that "teaching is an art." Yes, yes, yes. I firmly believe that there is a definite art to teaching, there's a human and affective aspect that must be present along with having a deep understanding of content. However, what author Doug Lemov and his team have done is come up with concrete strategies they have seen highly effective, or who they call "champion teachers," use- strategies that are common between teachers across districts, cities, and states. Essentially, they have pinned down some of the "art" of teaching into directly replicable techniques. Not only does this book give a name to specific techniques, it also creates a common language among teachers so those techniques can be analyzed and discussed.

Sounds too good to be true, right? I thought so at first. But once I started reading, I literally could not put the book down. Remember, when I first found this book I was in my third year of teaching with a tough, tough, tough, group of kiddos. You can read more about that year HERE. :)

One of the first techniques that really hit home with me is called "No Opt Out." In a nutshell, this technique does not allow a student to simply "opt out" of answering a question. If you call on a student and they don't know an answer, Lemov gives you practical classroom examples of how to respond to the student, provide various types of cues, hints, or questions, but always returning to the student to have them answer the question- even if it comes down to them simply repeating what you say.

As a young teacher still feeling slightly intimidated by my class, this technique was hard to follow at first. I had boys that would get upset and and angry when I called on them. But with consistency and persistence, the class got used to knowing that they would be held responsible for answering every question. Slowly but surely the culture of my classroom began to change and I found my confidence.

Another small example he mentions in the book that has stuck with me, and I really don't even think this is its own technique or strategy, but it's the simple concept of standing still when giving directions. Man, I thought I was on fire those first few years. I could walk and talk and pass out papers and give directions, and find the pen I left on my back table, and correct little Johnny's behavior... I was a multi-tasking, let's-get-things-done machine. But inevitably, when I was through giving my directions and thought I would take a well-deserved deep breath, fifteen hands would shoot up in the air because they didn't understand a thing I said. They were too distracted by all of my movement to even think about the words I was saying.

Again, looking back now, it seems so obvious! I should have checked in to see that students were hearing me and understanding my words. But with my sense of urgency and feeling the time crunch, I thought I was making the best use of time.

The examples I gave are just a few of the many. The book is divided into chapters with overarching themes and it's meant to be read on a what-I-need-at-this-moment basis. When I first found the book, my focus was on the classroom management type techniques, as I described above. As I have evolved and grown, my focus is now more on the techniques that promote higher-level thinking. But of course, without strong classroom management, the environment isn't ripe for critical thinking anyway. I have revisited the book with a new lens each year as I get a new group of kiddos and add more tools to my toolbox. This book is a great resource for every teacher, whether you are just starting out, or a twenty-year veteran.

I realized after talking with my student teacher that there is a new and updated version of the book: Teach Like a Champion 2.0!  This version has even more techniques and expanded commentary. I am so excited to dig back in and revisit all the great things this book has to offer!

The new book is divided into four major parts with several techniques subdivided in the chapters within. Below is an outline of just the four parts and included chapters. These are not the specific techniques themselves!

I highly, highly, highly suggest looking into this book. There is always room for improvement and growth, and as a teacher, I never stop growing. In just the little bit I've looked through in the past few days, I already have some goals for myself.  It. Is. Fabulous. 

Have a great week!!

Pencils: A Painless Solution

My first year teaching I realized what a mega nightmare pencils can be. Seriously. Broken pencils, missing pencils, pencils became a huge issue. I cannot explain to you how much I absolutely abhor the sound of an electric pencil sharpener. It literally makes me cringe. Two years ago I found the most amazing solution from The Wise Owl Teacher. You can download her explanation of her system HERE.

Introducing... The Pencil Bag! I know, earth shattering, right? It's so simple.

Here's how it works:

Each student is given their own pencil bag similar to the one shown below.

Image: Office Depot

The first year I used this system pencil bags were not on the supply list, so I bought them myself. I used the cheap plastic ones from the Dollar Store. By the end of the year only a few were still intact. Thankfully, at my new school they are on the supply list! Score! The sturdier nylon ones with a real zipper work the best. Trust me.

 On Mondays, each student makes sure that they have at least five pencils in their pouch and I sharpen them. I know, I know, third graders are completely capable of sharpening their own pencils, but I just cannot let go of the pencil sharpener. I have been through too many to give it up! Plus, it gives me the opportunity to check in with each individual student on Monday and ask about their weekend. ;) In my classroom the students keep all of their extra supplies in Sterilite storage containers that I store on a bookshelf. They are easily accessible and the kids can restock their bags as needed on Monday mornings.

After we sharpen pencils on Monday, not ONE pencil gets sharpened the rest of the week. Each kid has five pencils to ensure that even if one breaks, they have a reserve supply. If all five pencils are broken before the end of the week, they must borrow one from a friend. We resharpen pencils and restock the bag as needed each Monday.

In two years, I have not had issues with pencils. Honestly. Last year I adapted the 'pencil bag' into the 'supply bag' to include other basic supplies that students need on a daily basis. I give them this letter on the first day of school that explains the pouch and the expectations:

The beauty of this system is that it teaches the students to be responsible and keep up with their supplies. If a student is constantly needing to restock with five brand new pencils each week, I have a conversation with them to figure out what's going on and help them come up with a plan. This year I'm upping the expectations and fining them a dollar each time they do not have their supplies when we need them during class. Because we do not start our classroom economy until we are a few weeks into the year, the students will have plenty of time to get into the routine.

The first year I gave the students some type of reward for keeping up with their supplies each and every week. I felt like this was contradictory to what I was trying to promote. The kids were keeping up with their supplies, but not because they saw it as a necessity but a way to earn a reward. This past year I phased out the rewards as the year went on. This year I am stopping the every week reward and will be performing random checks instead. If you notice in the letter above, it says they "might" earn Scholar Dollars during these checks, meaning they will not earn a physical reward each time.

This is what the letter looked like two years ago when I first used this system.

We used a communal system  at that time so I kept all of the pencils in my cabinet and refilled the bags myself and sharpened the pencils on Fridays. I like the current system much better!

Well, that's it! Simple, but effective. I never have to think about pencils or even look at the pencil sharpener ALL WEEK!!

Do you have any great ideas for pencil management?? If you do, please share!

Behavior Reflection Quick Post!

I recently attended a Thinking Maps© training. I guess I have lived under a rock because I had never heard of or seen these before, but I loved learning about them! Does anyone use these in the classroom? If so, I would love to hear ideas! 

One of the maps is used specifically for cause and effect and when I Laura Candler's behavior reflection form utilizing a similar format, I just had to share!

I love how this allows the child to reflect on WHY they behaved the way they did and also think about the consequences of their actions. I also love that it leaves space to make a plan for improvement.  This is a great visual and more clearly shows the child the chain of events based on their actions.

I can’t wait (well, I’m not rushing misbehavior!) to use this with students.  I’m interested to hear their thoughts about the process and work with them on being more proactive. I like this option much better than anything I have used in the past.

Click the link below the picture to get your free copy from the Laura Candler! This form is part of her Creating a Caring Classroom series.

Click HERE to get your's from Laura's website!  

Have a great day!!

Smart Classroom Management: A Goldmine of Helpful Information

Good morning and happy Sunday!

Today I want to share a resource that has been hugely helpful for me in the last several months. I can't remember who's blog I saw this site mentioned on before, but I am so thankful that I saw it! The site is called Smart Classroom Management: Simply Effective Tips and Strategies.

The author, Micheal Linsin, writes weekly posts addressing classroom management- everything from dealing with parents to managing misbehavior. His posts are insightful, to the point and force you to be very self-reflective.

We all know that even the best planned lesson can fail if a teacher's classroom management skills are lacking. It's very easy for me to get caught up in the stress of lesson planning that I forget to analyze my own behavior and tendencies and think about how I'm contributing to the overall feel of my classroom. Often times, when things aren't going quite like I want them to, I realize that I am part of the problem or maybe even the whole problem. Ugh. But as Micheal says, "The only classroom management-related problems that don’t have solutions are those we’re unaware of. Once illuminated, there is always a way to solve the problem or make it manageable."

I couldn't agree more!

You can sign up for his weekly e-mails and receive one every Saturday. I love that it
comes after the week has ended so I can read them with a semi-clear mind and refocus before starting a new week.

I have been extremely pleased with the articles and have found something useful in each and every one. I hope that you will, too!

Have a great rest of your Sunday!!

Fabulous Find: Positive Discipline A-Z!

Today was such a fabulous day! I am so lucky to have an amazing friend who enjoys spending hours in Barnes and Noble (like I do) spread out on the floor completely in the way of other customers, but totally engrossed in books!! While browsing, I came across a fabulous resource!

Before I can get to that, I have to tell you about this book- Positive Discipline.  This book was an assigned read during my classroom management course in college. Although it was just an assigned read then, it has become a MUST-have now.

This book is chock-full of great tips, ideas, and resources. This is the book that helped me establish my class meeting routine and the wonderful Wheel of Choice. However, the gem of the book (in my opinion) is what the author, Jane Nelsen, calls The Mistaken Goals Chart. This baby helps you boil down a child's behavior to figure out their "mistaken goal," or what they are really trying to achieve with their unacceptable behavior. It helps you identify YOUR emotion (as the teacher) when a child behaves a certain way, describes ways students typically respond, and ultimately helps the teacher identify the child's mistaken goal. Then, it outlines respectful and effective ways for the teacher to respond.

 The four mistaken goals are:

1. Undue Attention (to keep others busy or get special service)
2. Misguided Power (to be boss)
3. Revenge (to get even)
4. Assumed Inadequacy (to give up and be left alone)

Basically, most misbehavior can be traced back to some sort of mistaken goal. Once that mistaken goal is identified, the teacher can go about meeting the child's needs in an effective and respectful way and thus avoid those difficult and confrontational situations. It's a goldmine.

I can honestly say that nothing else in my career has helped me better understand my students than this book. It has helped me identify the hidden cause of typical misbehaviors and equipped me with the tools to handle difficult situations with respect for myself and the student. It has increased my confidence and my relationships with my kiddos have been more rewarding than ever. I could do a whole series of blog posts about this book (and I just might!). And no, I am not getting payed for this- promise!!!!

Now, with THAT being said, imagine my surprise when I found THIS baby on the shelf!!!!

Seriously?!!?? MORE greatness?!?!?!

This book is a practical guide- imagine an instruction manual- that breaks down numerous typical behaviors seen in the classroom and alphabetizes them from A-Z (hence the title). The biggies are included (anger, disrespectful behavior), but lots of other behaviors are addressed (gossip, graffiti-just to name a few) as well. Each section includes a general discussion of the behavior, suggestions to help handle the behavior, suggestions for planning ahead to prevent future problems, PLUS inspirational stories!!!

I wish I could take pages out of the book and show them to you here, but I don't want to infringe on any copyright laws!!! Head on over to Amazon now to take a look for yourself. I promise- you will NOT be disappointed.

My amazing friend, who just so happens to be my teammate, and I discussed how valuable this resource will be during the year when we have our team meetings. I think every teacher needs a copy on their shelf!

Positive Discipline also has their own website where you can find the whole line of Positive Discipline products. It's worth a look!

Do you have any other tips, suggestions, or advice related to these books?? Has anyone read them and had positive experiences?? I would LOVE to hear your feedback!

Must-Have Resources for New (and Experienced) Teachers

Wow. This week has been an emotional roller coaster! Lots of stuff going on and only one instructional week until the big test. Ugh. I saw this picture on Hooty's Homeroom  and I HAD to share.

'Nuff said.

Besides the stress of testing, one of the teachers on our team is out for maternity leave (great timing, right?) and we have a new member on our team as a long term sub! She is so wonderful, but this is her first time ever being a long-term sub. She is walking into a super tough situation at a super tough time of the year. It all made me reflect on what it was like my first year teaching (especially the first few weeks) and how stressful and overwhelming it was! It makes my heart race just thinking about it!

Looking back, it's amazing how much I have learned in a few short years. This is only my fourth year teaching and already I feel like I have grown exponentially. Our school has some tough-to-love kiddos and lots of challenges, but we work together as a team and we make magic everyday. But that magic does not come without hard work, LOTS of learning, and sacrifice.

I wanted to share some of the resources I have used over the years that have truly made a HUGE impact in my teaching. I'm sure you probably know already about most of these, but I'm sharing them anyway!! :)

The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher 

This one is amazing- full of ideas and lots of preparation materials for the first day and beyond. A must-have for any new teacher.




Setting LImits in the Classroom: A Complete Guide to Effective Classroom Management

This one is full of practical tips and strategies to combat all kinds of behavior problems and how to be proactive to avoid problems in the first place. A great read for anyone who struggles with discipline or has those "challenging" kiddos. Even if you don't, it's still a great read for perfecting your classroom management skills.



Ron Clark's The Essential 55

This one describes Clark's 55 rules for his students. A great read for setting and maintaining high expectations in the classroom.




And now, my absolute favorite: Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College

This book truly deserves a post all its own. It has truly changed my teaching. It points out so many seemingly small things that can make a massive difference and has helped me truly reflect on my teaching. If you have not read this one, it's a MUST read for any teacher, regardless of how many years you have been teaching.


Those are my top four!

The amazing thing about teaching is how different each year can be. Every group of kiddos is different and provides its own share of challenges. Teachers have to adapt and change and be truly flexible. It's a tough job, but so rewarding. However, if you struggle with management and discipline, the rewarding moments are fewer and farther between.

Our profession is one of on-the-job training. No amount of student teaching or college courses can truly prepare you for what you face "in the trenches." That's why it's also very easy for a teacher to be drowning without anyone ever noticing. It's our job as teachers to support each other, help each other, and mentor each other so that we all can experience the true joy of teaching. :)

What resources have helped you become the great teacher that you are?? Please share!!!

Our Classroom Economy and Store

This past week was super busy for me- we had a bridal shower for one of my teammates, it was Dr. Seuss Day, and for some crazy reason on Friday of the week before, I decided to start our classroom economy- not thinking about all the chaos that was coming up! Anyway, it all culminated on Friday with Dr. Seuss Day AND the opening of our class store.

Several years ago, I came across an amazing teacher who writes for Scholastic, Beth Newingham. She is simply amazing- and amazing doesn't even do her justice. You can tell how dedicated she is to her students and how she strives to make concepts relatable and fun. Her stuff has become very popular and I'm sure you already know of her! If you don't know who she is and would like to know more, you can check out her website here.

One of my most favorite things she wrote about was her classroom economy. If you would like to read more about it, you can view her post HERE.

In that post, she explains in great detail how her classroom economy works. Because economic principles are part of our third grade curriculum, I decided to start the same kind of thing in my classroom. It fulfills instructional requirements, but also provides students with real-life experiences of earning, spending, and saving money. Plus, it's a great classroom management system.

Two years ago, I started my very first classroom economy. I went all out making applications, detailed job descriptions, bought tons of items for our class store- the works. This year, it is much more condensed. :)

My students have already studied a bit on economics and we have had many discussions regarding earning, spending, and saving money, so this was the perfect time of year to introduce the classroom economy.

To begin, we brainstormed jobs that we believed would be needed in our classroom. Common things like a secretary, librarians, etc. were thought of, but my students also brought to my attention that we needed a negotiator- someone to mediate when issues arise in our classroom. This surprised me, but I loved it! Once we decided on the jobs, the kids applied for the position they wanted and thought they would be best at. In the past, I used a form that I printed up to make it seem very official. This year, to be perfectly honest, I decided to start this on an absolute whim-seriously- so the kids wrote the information down on notebook paper. They wrote their full names, age, birthday, gender, the position they were applying for, and several sentences explaining why they deserved the job and why they think they would be good at it.

***Side note: In case you are reading this and thinking how I have gone this whole year without having jobs in my classroom- I haven't. Students have been doing different jobs all year, but they never earned money. They just did various tasks out of their own willingness to help!  ****

After reading the applications, I assigned each student a job. I explained to the kids that for the first few weeks, everyone will earn the same amount of money. After we've had the system in place and everyone  has a chance to do their jobs, we will decide on a pay scale as a class. We will decide if certain jobs deserve a higher or lower amount of pay and why. For now, everyone is earning a salary of $10/week. There is no rhyme or reason for the amount- just an easy number to work with!

Throughout the week, students have the opportunity to earn extra money by earning credits. In the past, I have used this printable sheet from Beth Newingham, and maybe eventually I will go back to that, but for now, students are recording their credits and debits on an index card. Simplicity, people! Students can earn credits by being on task, following directions, and so on. Credits will be added to their paycheck amount. However, the beauty of this system is that students can also receive debits. Debits will be taken OUT of their paycheck. Students can earn debits for things like not following directions, receiving a blurt alert card, and other non-favorable behaviors. The total amount of credits they earned during the week (credits minus debits) are added to their weekly salary and are paid to them on payday. I am the only one who can give debits and credits, and I am the only one who can record them on the students' log sheets. I simply use tallies. Easy peasy. Students must keep up with their logs throughout the week. If they are lost, they must start a new one. This is a great lesson in organization and responsibility. I had one student who had earned almost ten credits during the week but lost his log before payday. You can guarantee he will keep up with his log next week!

At the end of the week, I wrote students a paycheck. Each student received a check made out to them. This template came from Beth Newingham's post.

You can grab the template for yourself HERE. They brought their check to me and received Koonce Cash for their check amount plus any credits they earned. I designed the Koonce Cash myself and printed it on colored paper. I also found a 'paid' stamp at Office Max. Each check was marked 'paid' after it was cashed. After cashing their check, the students took their money to the class store.

Our class store is made up of several items I got at Wal-Mart (bubbles, erasers, mechanical pencils, etc., some classroom coupons I downloaded for FREE from K. Dupre on TpT (you can get them HERE), and some random other items I had leftover from other years. It's a little bare now, but it will grow over the coming weeks. 

Each item is labeled with the price. I aimed to have baskets or some other sorts of containers... as you can see, that didn't happen! 

While at the store, students filled out a sheet that recorded their spending choices. They recorded whether they were buying items for themselves or for someone else, or whether they would save their money for a larger item. We had great discussions about short-term and long-term spending goals. This form also came from Beth's post. You can grab the sheet HERE.

This first time around, I was the store cashier. If a student bought something, I collected the money, made change as needed, and wrote them a receipt. I was super excited to find these sales order pads at Wal-Mart. They have the carbon copy (I know they say they are carbon-less, but I don't know how to describe the extra copy any other way- the extra copy?!) underneath, so I was able to keep one for a record of sale and give the other copy to the student as their receipt. The kids loved having a receipt and it made their shopping experience more realistic. Eventually, we will do reports analyzing various aspects of our store and our spending habits as a class. Next week, the cashier will be a student's job.

The kids stored their money, their receipts, and their spending report in their "wallet." The wallets are just envelopes with a label attached. :)

In a month or so, the kids will be completing a business project and the store will slowly evolve into one of purely student-generated products. For now, I will be stocking the shelves myself. I guess they deserve it ;) Just kidding!

This is just the beginning of many great things to come with the class economy and store. Like I said, it is a much more condensed form of the system I ran in the past, but I think I like it the way it is! It's manageable!

Do you have any suggestions on how to effectively run a classroom economy? If you have any tips or tricks, please share!!!