It’s a brand-new school year—a fresh beginning. This makes it the perfect time to update, replace, and give things you no longer use the ol’ heave-ho. My good buddy, a fourth-grade teacher, gave her desk the ol’ heave-ho. As she explained to me, she rarely uses the desk, which takes up valuable classroom space. And…
Classroom Management
Hallway Ninjas
Getting an entire class of kiddos to walk quietly in a school hallway is nearly impossible, especially at the start of the school year. I say nearly impossible because I’m pretty sure last week I witnessed a kindergarten class come exceptionally close to accomplishing this goal. The kiddos, following their teacher’s lead, were slightly crouched…
Those Tough Classes
Once upon a time, I had a class full of mellow kindergartners. They remembered to raise their hands, they were kind to each other, and the year went along as smooth as silk. It was almost unnatural. And it was a total fluke, of course. My next year was crazy. That class was packed full…
Classroom Management
When I first started teaching, my classroom management skills were not what I would call stellar. I just didn’t know all the tricks—all those things that seasoned teachers have picked up to get their classes quiet, to fill time before a special, or to handle students who don’t raise their hands. My lack of classroom…
Behold the Brain Break
For some time now, brain breaks have been all the rage. Giving our brains a break every now and again certainly makes sense to me! When my brain feels like it’s ready to pop, I know I’m in trouble. Research indicates that brain breaks are a quick and effective way to activate, energize, and stimulate…
Setting the Tone
As a teacher, I’ve had the school year begin in total chaos—particularly those years in the beginning of my teaching career. I hadn’t quite gotten a handle on how to begin my school year with a relaxed and confident tone. It didn’t help that I taught kindergarten. So those first couple of years began with…
Roses, Belly Breaths, and Candles
What do roses, belly breaths, and candles have in common? They all play a role in a great calming technique I learned during an early childhood conference a few years back. And trust me; this technique isn’t just for the little ones. I’ve put it to use plenty of times myself. But I’ll explain that…
Quack!
I travel with a friend quite frequently, and we have a tendency to get up early to hit the ground running when we’re sightseeing. To accomplish this, my friend sets multiple alarms on her smartphone. The first alarm is a duck quacking. Then there are five minutes of silence. Next, we hear dogs barking. After…
Yellow Smellow
Please raise your hand if you use yellow notepads, legal pads, or highlighters. My hand is raised! I recently read an interesting tidbit about the color yellow that basically blew me away. It suggests that yellow enhances concentration. Did you ever hear of that? I’ve always thought of yellow as a bright and cheery color…
Claps, Snaps, and Moos?
My get-a-cow-to-come-say-hi skills are rusty. I learned this a few weeks ago when a friend’s car decided to conk out on a country road. While we waited for assistance, I decided to befriend a cow in a nearby pasture. I conversed. I cooed. I mooed. I even flapped my arms. Nothing but a stare—or maybe…