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…
All teachers know that managing transitions between classroom activities is the key to a smooth day. Without a plan, things can quickly devolve into a chaos only slightly more civilized than Lord of the Flies. So not only do you plan transitions, but you have to switch them up every once in awhile to keep…
I love to learn new tricks to help teachers manage their classrooms. The more unique and witty tricks make me rub my hands together with glee and snicker at how skillfully teachers can mold their students’ behavior. (You can add a maniacal laugh in there to enhance the visual.) Unfortunately, a lot of classroom management…
How annoying is it to receive a nameless student paper? It’s incredibly annoying. But, as a teacher, it wasn’t one of those serious management issues that I felt I needed to tackle immediately. I mean, teachers are busy, right? There were a million and one things on my list. Coming up with a method for…
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…