When I was a classroom teacher, one of my favorite phrases was, “no prep.” That meant an activity could be put into my lesson plan without going to a copy machine, or cutting out a bunch of stuff, or even making a quick run to a store. Prepping lesson plans is one of the many…
All teachers know that time filler activities are important forms of classroom management—and the key is to have these ideas ready to go when needed. Who knows when you’ll have to fill those empty minutes before lunch, or before a special, or when a lesson plan you thought was fabulous suddenly becomes distinctly non-fabulous. Hey,…
Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day! And it’s a day I should probably observe. (If you’ll note the photo above, I don’t have the cleanest desk.) I suspect many of you don’t even have desks in your classroom. When I taught I didn’t bother with one because I never had time to sit…
December is here! And that means your life is about to be busy and crazy. So when thinking about blog topics for this Monday, I decided you could probably use some super easy ideas that would make your December glide by a bit smoother. Check them out! Do you need some easy and festive art…
What’s a well-known hallway transition that has been around since the beginning of time? Have students pretend there are bubbles in their mouths as they walk quietly down the hall. Has this idea been around forever? Yes. Are there more unique and creative ways to encourage quiet behavior when walking in the hallway? Yes. Is…
Do you have a bag of tricks? You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s a mental list of quick activities you can use to get students on track, transition them to a new activity, get their attention, or fill up unexpected time. A bag of tricks is a helpful and necessary classroom management tool–and…
Well, 2019 is here! Whenever a new year rolls around, I think it’s nice to explore some new transitions to use in the classroom. It’s a fun way to hold your students’ interest and keep your classroom fresh and lively! Check out these fun classroom management options: Eenie Meenie Miney Moe This fun chant is…
Which type of student seating is better—traditional or flexible? The way I see it, there’s nothing wrong with traditional seating. For years students have learned well when sitting in desks and chairs. On the flip side, there are certainly plenty of children who could learn better if they were in more comfortable seating. You want…
All teachers know that having a smooth day involves planning the transitions between activities. Transition time is when everything can fall apart and then your job begins to resemble that of a professional cat herder. Check out these quick and easy activities to keep students focused while waiting for a special, an assembly, or another…
Spring is here–and my house is a mess. For some reason, opening up the windows and allowing that fresh spring breeze into the house highlights the clutter, dust, and cat hair. (See the photo above for one of my hair producers.) So it’s time to clean! You might be feeling this way about your classroom…