Classroom Management Tips and Beginning of the Year Ideas

Compiled by Cathy-Dee Brand, St. Mary’s Elementary School, Ft. Vermilion School Division

Classroom Management Tips

Beginning of the Year Ideas

Bulletin Board Ideas

Many of the ideas submitted by other teachers are ideas they learned from the book "First Days of School" by Harry and Rosemary Wong.

It is an excellent resource for new and veteran teachers.

On these pages you will find ideas by first grade classroom teachers from around the world.  Many of these ideas are more suited for the primary grades, but a

number could easily be modified for the upper elementary grades as well.

 I would suggest looking through them and highlighting the ones you find interesting.  Make a binder to put these ideas as well as others you come

across.  Keep your year plans, unit plans and other forms in the binder as well.  This way you always know where to look!

 

Classroom Management Tips 

Throughout the year there are so many little things you can do to make your job easier and your classroom more manageable.  These are just some of the ideas

others have tried.  They are not in any particular order.

 

When cleaning up, I play Go Go Stop.  They think it's hilarious and when I say Stop!, they freeze in whatever position they were in.  If I have time, I comment on a few of the weirder ones.

I learned this at a workshop.  When you give a question that you want them to think about, tell them we're going to wait and if you blurt out an answer, you're

taking the thinking away from everybody else.  This gives a chance for the slow, methodical thinker who never gets a chance to answer questions to think.  I mentally count between 12 and 15 while I let them think.  Most of them have their hands up by that time.   Sometimes I'll choose the one who doesn’t' have his hand up (it's always the same boy--he's a VERY methodical thinker and finds it difficult to tell what he is thinking.)  I almost forgot, I also tell them that if they absolutely need to say it, that they can whisper it into their hands. 

From time to time the "Clean Desk Fairy" visits and rewards the neat desks with candy or a small prize.

I use a home-school Communication Book made from a regular exercise book.  A Ziploc bag is stapled to the inside back cover for any "loose" notices that need to go home (i.e. hot lunch forms), and parents can send things back to school in the bag (such as money for hot lunch). Everything else gets glued or written into this book so parents can be aware of any special days coming up, etc.  Our weekly spelling words are glued in on Mondays.  Parents can write questions to me or voice any concerns, and it's an easy way for me to stay in touch with the parents I never see.  I keep one as well, and demonstrate to the students how/where to glue in a  particular notice, and that way, I also have a record of every single thing  that has gone home during the year.  The students glue in or write the messages themselves, so parents have a good idea of their child's organizational abilities!!!  I suggest they cover the book with Mac-Tac or something similar--some children keep their books neat all year long, while others are less careful and need the covers repaired occasionally.  I check these books and send them home daily, and expect them to return the next day.  The students learn that they have to be responsible for them—not their mom or dad.  I get positive comments about using Communication Books every year.

 I use the old "Give me Five" when I want the children to give me their attention while seated on the carpet:  1--on your bottom, legs crossed; 2--hands folded in your lap; 3--face the speaker; 4--eyes and ears open;  5--mouths closed.  You teach, teach, teach in September, and a few weeks in, you only have to say "Give me five:  1,2,3,4,5", and they do! 

I use the McCracken Spelling Through Phonics program, and as each new sound is introduced, I invite the students to: Bring an object to school that begins with the same sound as ___ and can fit in your hand".  We share these objects first thing in the morning after we do our Chalkboard Story.

I shake everyone's hand at the door in the morning and at the end of the day.  I expect eye contact and a polite response.  When we do attendance, I have a different student read the names each week.  The Attendance monitor calls out a name, the person called responds with Good morning/afternoon  _________.  The attendance monitor then wishes them a good morning/afternoon back.  The principal walked in one morning and commented on how polite they  were to each other.  I've even caught some of them saying good morning instead of just hi to each other in the coat area.

For classroom management, I use the Magic 1 2 3 program. When a child has been asked to do something or not do a particular behaviour and do not immediately comply, I will start counting 1, 2, ...   If I get to 3 , the child knows there will be some sort of a consequence. Rarely do I get past 2. When I have, the consequence is appropriate to the behaviour. For example a few minutes in a time out or perhaps the loss of recess or a particular fun activity that the rest of the children are doing. Once you have shown the children that you are consistent when doing the Magic 1 2 3 program, it works like a charm.

I also use puppets a lot in my class. I do the Jolly Phonics program using two wonderful life like puppets named Annie and Russell to tell the children a story when introducing the various sounds. The kids LOVE it when Annie and Russell visit and talk in the class and can recall all the little stories that go with the sounds they have introduced.

I find that the children pick up so much learning when things are done to or with music. I do a lot of phonemic awareness activities through songs. There are three books that I use all the time in my class entitled

        Fall Phonemic Awareness Songs & Rhymes

       Winter Phonemic Awareness Songs & Rhymes           and

       Spring Phonemic Awareness Songs & Rhymes

These books now come with a CD that contains the tunes to the suggested songs and rhymes. They are well worth the purchase. The publisher is Creative Teaching Press.

There is another reference book called Phonemic Awareness (Playing with Sounds to Strengthen Beginning Reading Skills). I have found these references very helpful especially for the Working With Words section of the Four Blocks.

On a personal note I also use songs to teach phonemic awareness.  The songs I use are called  Fun Phonics. There is one for consonants, one for Short Vowels, one for Long vowels and one for blends and digraphs.  Another program beginning to be used more in our division is Animated Literacy.  This program also has songs to use with teaching phonetics.

I have a few tips that have always worked well with my classes.  I have a classroom of 21 this year, 16 are busy boys.  In order to get everyone lined up quietly and attentively, I ask all students to stand and push in their chairs.  Then, I as a question, such as "If you know how to spell the word 'Yesterday', raise your hand.  I tell them that I will select the person who is standing the straightest with a big smile. I select a person.  He/she answers the question and lines up.  If the word is spelled incorrectly, a friend can assist.  The person who lines up turns around and selects another person who is standing quietly with a smiles and the next person selects and so on until all students are lines up quietly.  This keeps

everyone involved.   If there is enough time, I ask if anyone has an idea for a "people" pattern.  The student who has the idea selects the people to line up and the class guesses what the pattern is.  For example, tie shoes, tie shoes, Velcro shoes, buckle shoes,...  The students want to be the pattern creator, so they will stand by their desk very quietly to be selected.

I often do a chant with the students before leaving the classroom. I say, "Hey".  The students say, "Ho".  I say, "Are we ready to go?" They say, "Yes".  We count backwards in Spanish from 10 to 0 and zip our lips saying, "Silencio".  I often have a line leader and a line backer. The line leader will do motions in the line while walking and the rest of the line must copy.  It keeps the students focused on the front of the line, and they enjoy it.

On a personal note – I also use a chant with the students – My chant is from a chant we learn at the beginning of the year.  I go AB CDE, and the students repeat the letters.  This has their attention because they are waiting for me to either say the next part of the chant or to give them information.

To assign seats on the rug, I type numbers 1-21.  I laminate each number and tape them to the spots I would like the students to sit at. Before calling students to sit on the rug, I ask all to stand by their desks with chairs push in.  I have a bag with math problems equaling the numbers 1-21.  One problem per answer.  Each student picks a problem out of the bag.  When he/she knows the answer, he/she raises his/her hand and tells me.  The student knows what number to sit on at the rug according to the answer he/she figured out.  I make the problems more difficult as the weeks progress.  Now, I have the students create the problems.  They love this, and feel very smart when the problems are in the hundreds.  It makes seating "fair".  No one complains because everyday is different

Secret Walker, Secret Worker, Secret Reader, Secret Listener This has been the most effective single strategy I have ever used to get all students doing what they should be doing.  When we are walking to library, lunch, art, whatever, I tell them I am picking a secret walker. I keep a Ziploc bag with student names written on little plastic discs (counters?).  As students are lining up I draw one or two names from the bag - these are my secret walkers.  The kids don't know who the secret walkers are so they all do their very best to follow the rules for walking.  It is amazing.  Usually one name is for going and the other for coming back.  When we get to where we are going I tell them that my secret walker did great and will get a reward when we get back to the room.  They still don't know who it was.  Then on the way back I remind them again that I have a secret walker.  When we get back to the room both secret walkers get a reward.  Usually the reward is a sticker, piece of candy, something small.  If the secret walker has not done well, I tell them that I'm very sorry the secret walker did not earn his/her reward, but perhaps next time.  I don't usually tell the class when the secret walker doesn't earn the reward, but will try to pull that child aside at some time and tell him/her what behavior he/she needs to work on when in line. As the heading indicates I also choose secret workers, readers or listeners whenever I feel I need to reinforce behavior at these times.

I put the children's names on Popsicle sticks and whenever I need to choose a child I pull one out. 

I also put the fun ways of spelling the word wall words (dribble and shoot, clap the letters, cheer for the word, opera, etc.) on Popsicle sticks and at the end of the day or whenever I need a quick filler, we pull one of those out and choose a word wall word to spell.

On the cubbies in the cloakroom, I put each child's name on twice—once where they can see it and once up high where I can see it.  

I send a note home in about October requesting a box of Kleenex from each child.  I open a new box when one is done. 

For my reading groups, I put all the activities into coloured baskets so I call up the blue basket people. 

When a child needs supplies, he takes a little dittoed list I have called Your Child Needs....  (it has pictures and words) and circles what he needs and puts it in his folder.   He can borrow supplies from a center until he brings in the supplies. 

Another thing I do that is a real timesaver is just check to see if a child has homework rather than checking for correctness.  I was spending an hour each day checking work, most of which was correct.  I ask the parents to check for correctness at the beginning of the year; their signature will indicate that they have checked the work.  It did get overwhelming before I did this.

Using the chant "My hands are by my side, I'm standing straight and tall, I will not talk at all, I am ready for the hall."

Some of my best attention getters include:

clapping out a pattern, and having the kids clap it back to me (this works on a school-wide basis, too!).  I also have a little bell, timer and use the lights, My favorite one, however, is to start singing a song they all know...they join right in, and when the song is done, they are all "with you!"  So much more pleasant than trying to talk over them!

Countdown for quietness.  It goes 5 shhhh, 4 shhhh, 3 shhhh, 2 shhhh, 1 shhhh, 0 shhhh and they are all ready to listen.

One tip I use is to write my name on my original worksheets in yellow highlighter.  That way when you leave it in the copier the next person knows it's yours and places it in your mailbox...

The copier doesn't pick up the yellow unless you really have to darken the copy.  The other idea is to make your master on light yellow paper if you have that luxury.  I use the marker...  resources are limited.

Another tip that I got from a teacher I subbed for was NYFF.  I use these in my grade one room as we have about 25 drawers where the children can store their unfinished work.  We call these NYFD - Not Yet Finished Drawer. When children are absent I place work inside.  When the children have "free" time they must check their drawer first and do one thing (or sometimes I up it to two things or three things) before they explore their next station/centre. I have a lot of children who come in early and they "play" inside so some can do the work before classes even start and get caught up without too much hassle.  We also have a lot of children with low attendance  (that's another post).  I try and clean these drawers/files out once a week but sometimes it's more like once every two weeks.  It's easy to see who is using their time well and who is not.  You can also tell who has been "out" a long time.

I have a finished box where the children place the completed work.  If incomplete or if mistakes need corrections I return the work to the drawer and the children have to fix it and again place it in the "Finished Box".  I usually don't return work more then once.  A grade two teacher at the same school also started it with her students  this year and she really likes it. She uses file folders which are easier if space is an issue.  I date stamp everything.  I've tried to leave the date stamp by the finished box to let the children use it but they keep stamping the counter so I take it away.  I think I'll cover the counter with paper and leave it go for now.  I hope to train the children earlier to stamp their own work (and not the counter) so I don't have to.  I also try and get a helper to date stamp work if the children put their name and number on it.  I often forget to do this but I keep trying.  The children do copy the date for their Journal writing but that's usually it for the most part.  A few will independently print the date if they have the time.

Similar to the above idea I have a table set up in my classroom – near my desk.  On it I have a number of trays and this is where the student’s workbooks, etc., go.  I have one box set up for work that is incomplete or for students who are absent.  Every morning I check that box to see what work needs to be done and if someone has fallen quite a bit behind.  This box is also handy when a parent calls after lunch and wants homework ready to pick up after school.  I just grab the box pull out all the workbooks for that child and stick on yellow notes.  Having the table also trains the students to put their work there every day unless I tell them otherwise.  If I want to grab a group of books for marking, I know they will be on the table and not hidden in desks (usually).

Classroom management:

I teach in a highly transient school--there are many, many students who move out and in during the year.  To help me keep track of supplies and other things, I assign each of my students a number.  I use this constantly in my teaching.  I issue supplies to students with their numbers on them--that way I don't have to re-label things every time a kid moves out or in.  Also, I use the numbers for my record keeping in my roll book.  After the first term I don't even need to write the names in my roll book any more because I know each child's number.  It's also a very easy way to check and see if everyone is present in emergency

situations/fire drills/field trips/etc.  I just tell them to listen for their number instead of their name.   Since I have the numbers memorized, it's easy for me to know who is missing and I don't have to worry about having my roll cards with me.  I put the students' numbers on the end of Popsicle sticks and will draw the sticks out of a cup to choose people to answer questions, or for random drawings.

I use a card pull system for my negative discipline.  When a child misbehaves, he or she pulls a colored card out of their envelope and puts it in a container on my desk.  There is a consequence attached to each color.

Positives:

Super Stars:  I have a copy of a star that says "super star" around it. The picture is about 1 inch square.  I copy a bunch of those and when I catch a kid being good I hand them a Super Star.  They write their name on the back and enter it in a drawing that I do weekly for prizes from a prize box.

Reward Board:  I have a small white board that sits on the ledge of my chalkboard.  When I catch a kid being good I have him/her write their name on the reward board.  Then when I need someone to do something special, I choose from the names on the reward board.  If the reward board gets too full, I send those kids out to recess a minute early or something.  When the kids get a reward, they erase their name from the reward board.

Candy in a jar:  To encourage my students at the beginning of the year to learn to work quietly during independent work/reading group time, I often have a jar and a bag of candies.  When the kids are quiet, I drop candy into the jar.  When the jar gets filled up, we have a party and get to eat the candy.  (Don't choose a jar that's too big or it's too much candy.)

Magic Squares:  You need some Creole Changeable markers for this one. I use a 100 space number chart for this.  I choose 3 rewards the students would really like.  One of the rewards is a whole-class reward and the other two are individual rewards.  Each reward is given a symbol.  I use the invisible changeable marker to write the symbols on the 100 chart.  They don't show up, so you need to keep track of where you put things.  When a child is caught being good he or she gets to use one of the colored changeable markers and color in a square.  If a symbol is revealed the kid gets the corresponding reward.  If you have one class-wide reward (I make it extra recess), the whole class gets really excited any time a kid gets to fill in a magic square.  If the square doesn't reveal anything, there is no reward given.

Tens and Ones:  This is an incentive I invented out of desperation at the end of the school year last year.  I wrote the numbers 0-9 on both red and green cards.  The red cards went into a box labeled "tens" and the green cards went into a box labeled "ones."  I filled in a 100 space number chart beginning with 0 in the first spot and going up to 99. When a kid is caught being good, he/she would draw a number from each box and fill in the corresponding number on the chart.  The kid

would put the cards back in the box, so sometimes we get the same number more than once.  When the entire chart is filled in, the whole class got to have a party.

I also number the students in ABC order.  We use the student numbers in math like another post suggested.  Also when someone wants to take a picture of someone in my room.....I just ask them to select a number between 1 and  22......and that's the lucky kid.

Another thing I do is make many sets of address labels and name labels to use on "praise"  postcards sent home and to use in their books, workbooks, and journals.....sure saves a lot of time.   With the sets of address labels I can readily see how many postcards I've sent to that parent.

One thing that worked really well is the "congratulations" idea. Since this word is too long for my active kids, I shortened it to "Bravo". I wrote each letter on a piece of construction paper and laminated it. Whenever my kids are working very quietly, I put one letter up on the board, without saying a word. When they are too noisy, I take one letter down. When all the letters are up, they earn a treat, usually 5 min. extra recess or recess in the garden- basketball court (where they are not allowed to go except during PE). It worked especially well this year with my ½ class: I made 2 sets of letters, one for 1st , one for 2nd and they really tried to be quieter than the other group!

One management tip I use as well as many others from this list based on past posts, is that I assign each of my students a number which is put on all papers.  It is much easier to put papers in numerical order than alphabetical order.  For me anyway.  Not easier really--but faster. Also, I use the numbers when we line up, or when we just have a few minutes of down time.  e.g.  All even  numbers between 1 and 10 line up; all odd numbers between 1 and 20 go wash hands;  all  numbers greater than 15 but less than 19 may go to centers;  the sum of 5 and 3 line up;  etc.

I usually study my student’s likes and dislikes. I watch over them during their break time and see what they like to play. Then as a reward for good behaviour, I will allow that group to play while the other groups watch. Of course, I told them that they could be in those shoes if they had behaved themselves. Towards the last 5 minutes of play, I will allow the all other groups to play together (let them feel what it is like to play during curriculum time). Of course, I will drill into them that next time they behave themselves, they will have more time added to play.

When the class is noisy, I will switch of all the fans and lights to get their attention. (It has worked all the time) When they realize that I am at the switchboard, they come to their senses.

For lower primary kids, I usually reward them with something tangible.

Give the students a chance to get "unwind" when they come in.  Put a clock on the board with the hour and minute hands where they will be on the school clock when it is time for everyone to be in their desk and quiet. Or, set an alarm clock and when it goes off they need to be quiet and seated.

Give all students a # (preferably in ABC order) and all papers must have their name and # (I even put it on books, workbooks, pencil cases, etc.  It helps them keep track of it.  (Sometimes you can even use it for math – have all the odd #'s stand, sequence order of #'s, what # is missing, for the older grades, place value, adding, subt., etc.

Make sure students hold everything until after they are in their seats.  Notes from home, lunch money, etc. tends to get "lost" because the students just throw them on your desk when they come in.  This way you are not bombarded by all your students.

I have a special basket that is for work of students who are absent.  The students who hand-out just put their workbooks, sheets in this basket,

I'd recommend a weekly newsletter and a parent meeting where you can share what is expected. This gets parents on your side immediately.

Strong Families, Strong Schools, a report that reflects 30 years of research on family involvement in education, stated the sad fact that "in many instances parents don't feel as if we welcome them in school."

How do you intend to: provide for absentees, I post assignments, explain assignments to groups, keep students working from one assignment to the other

For effective monitoring of work, how and when will you: make sure you get around to all students, not just the demanding ones look carefully enough at students work in progress to catch errors

How do you want students to turn in work: where to put it, how to pass papers in, how to keep track of whose work is or isn't turned in

SPELLING: I give the Spelling dictation tests. I'm big on parent communication and I always send home notes explaining my rules, procedures, etc. Friday we will be having our first Spelling test. I give the test in a dictation format to help the children with their auditory memory and to stress the importance of writing in complete, correct sentences. I take one point off for improper capitalization, punctuation, and for each word that is left out. This will be difficult for the class just at first, but soon they will become proficient and laugh about how it was in the beginning. Five points will be taken off for each incorrectly spelled word.

THINK POSITIVE: I type this on little colored shape pads and they put this in their assignment notebook or sometimes on their desks. We use this at the

beginning of the school year to set the expectations for the mood of the classroom.

1. Today will be great!

2. I can handle more than I think I can.

3. I'll be satisfied with trying to do my best.

4. I will make someone happy today.

5. Life is great! I'll make the most of it.

A turn in sheet is made on the spreadsheet. It contains the list of student's names and a little box after it.

MATERIALS FORM: I keep this check off form handy and just fill it out if someone has run out of materials. We put it in the assignment notebook. It says: Dear Family, Your child needs the following school supplies as soon as possible. Thanks.

MATH/READING FORM: I use it to encourage parents to practice math facts. This is just a check list form I made with the spreadsheet that has two columns: Math and Reading and seven rows (for each day of the week.

DISCIPLINE REPORT: If I have a class that needs it, I'll send this home. I seem to have a natural talent for keeping kids in order. The last fourth grade class I had this was the discipline plan. You must behave in a way that you others can learn and that I can teach. Do the Right Thing. Some years, you have to have more structure. The discipline note form has a place for name, date, parent signature. It has three crayons that I colour for the behaviour: red: unsatisfactory Yellow: improvement needed Green: satisfactory My rules are on there.... just the major points USE GOOD WORK HABITS FOLLOW MY DIRECTIONS TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT RESPECT YOURSELF

LIBRARY NOTES: One form is for lost library or classroom books. It has a picture of a kid and a book and says OVERDUE BOOK REMINDER. Parents, Please help________locate and return the following library books or materials. Thank you!______________Date Mrs. Ellis The other one is a note that I send home on the first day they go to the library. It goes into their assignment notebooks.

HOMEWORK NOTICE: I use turn in sheets to check off whether they have turned in a paper (it doesn't necessarily have to be graded yet) and each week, I send this home in the Thursday Folder so the parents can be informed. If it is not back on Monday, then too bad....so sad. It is made on a spreadsheet and has as many columns as there are subjects and about 5 rows. I just write in the missing assignment. It also has places for parent signature and date.

PARTY FORMS: I keep a folder so I can remember who is doing what. They sign up at the beginning of the Year Parent Meeting.

ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOKS: You can purchase these or use a steno notebook. It is a good habit to get into. If used properly, parents can jot you notes in the assignment notebook and you can write back. Being organized helps students get the most out of their learning day. Struggling learners more than anyone can benefit from this procedure. I send a note home on the first day that I send them home:

Dear Family,

The children use this notebook to write their daily homework assignments. Parents are to look for this assignment notebook every night and sign on the next line which indicates that you have seen the assignment. If the notebook is not signed or left at home, the school will call the parents. The children will be expected to remember to bring them to school each day and take them home each evening. Tonight is the first night they have brought their books home. Please look it over, sign the notebook and make sure it gets back to school tomorrow.

SIGN: TO DISPLAY DURING ENROLMENT OR MEET & GREET ASSIGNMENTS

Each member of the Learning Team has a responsibility.

TEACHER: Writes assignments on the board. Assists students in making the writing of assignments a habit. Checks to make sure assignments are being recorded and parents are signing. Reminds students at the end of the day to put their notebooks in their school bag. Write to parent or student any relevant notes.

STUDENT: Writes the date and the assignment in each subject legibly. Completes all assignments. Has the assignment notebook at school each morning signed by the parent.

PARENT: Assists in making the writing of assignments a habit. Insists on seeing the assignment notebook each night, making sure the handwriting is legible. Checks to see that all assignments are completed. Signs the notebook each night whether there is homework or not. Write teacher any relevant notes. Helps student to remember to bring the assignment notebook to class each day.

BIRTHDAY: I put stickers in my plan book on each child's birthday. I assign summer birthdays a day in the year where there isn't much else going on. I notify the parents about that. I have a special box filled with stickers,poems, hats, pins, etc. Even a birthday crown. They can use any of that to decorate their desk for the day. We read them a poem and sing a song. Each child decorates a piece of paper for the Birthday Child. I have a standard cover ready that says Happy Birthday and I bind the papers into a book the child takes home on that day.

Rule: Must write at least 3 compliments. They love this.

I have a form that I send home at the beginning of the year to suggest that they purchase a library book in their child's name. We have special songs to celebrate birthdays and losing a tooth. I am going to use these poetry cubes for the poems that I read. (Make Poetry Cubes out of half gallon milk cartons by cutting the bottoms to size, covering them with patterned shelf paper, gluing on six different poems, and then covering them with clear Contac paper The birthday child gets to roll the cube and we'll read whichever poem is on top.

I give the summer birthday kids an assigned birthday as close to their 1/2 birthday as I come. We make a Birthday Book for each child. I pass out ditto paper and they make a sheet for the book. The pages are bound into a spiral book. I have a set of cards that the birthday child may pick to write about. His is the first page: These area printed on a birthday cake pattern, laminated.

describe an exciting birthday party if you could have any famous person as a guest at your birthday part, who would it be and why?

tell how you would decorate your home for a birthday part.

what age do you think it is best to be and why.

tell how you feel when you see your birthday cake.

write about the wish you'd make if you blew all your candles out. Tell why

tell about the best birthday you can remember.

describe what adults do at children's birthday parties.

tell about your favourite type of birthday cards

tell about some party games that you have enjoyed.

describe how you feel when you see pictures of yourself as a baby.

describe the best birthday present you have ever received.

tell about something that you are saving your birthday money to buy.

describe your fantasy cake.

what if while playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey, you accidentally stuck a guest.

tell about one new skill or privilege you have now that you are one year older.

NEWSLETTER: I send one home each week. It gives lists of Spanish words, things we've studied, little notes and announcements, and parent tips that I get off places on the internet. I use the Parent's Site on Scholastic.com to get many ideas and also Family.com

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: Each student writes an autobiography and fills out an interest inventory. We file these inside a sleeve protector in a three ring binder.

WHILE YOU WERE ABSENT: I used to have a hard time with this. I took little collared folders and made a Title: While You Were Absent and put band aids on it. Every time a person is absent, the leader of the day gets out one of the sheets and a folder and places it on the desk of the person who is absent. I then assign their seatmates to write down the assignments on the sheet and put any paper or notes that have been passed out during the day. This really did help things to have all the work on that person's desk when they returned.

I LOST A TOOTH: It doesn't happen very often, but it will crop up. When a kid loses a tooth, I have a little sticker that says, "I lost a tooth today", which I put on a tooth shaped note. I give them a tooth necklace (from Oriental Trading) and I send home this letter:

(I got it off the Colgate toothpaste site.)

Dear Maceo,

Hi! I'm the Tooth Fairy...and I watch over your baby teeth.

So, you've lost a baby tooth. That means you're growing up! It also means that now it's up to you to watch over your grown-up teeth. You need to take care of those new teeth coming in. They are yours for the rest of your life! Here are some of the tips I've learned, hopefully they'll help you too! Don't forget to brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. And visit my friend the dentist every year. That's really important!  And my last advice is to limit your snacks. Healthy snacking is good...but don't snack all the time! Now, it's up to you. Good luck! If you follow my advice, you'll help to keep your teeth healthy and your smile shining bright!

Keep smiling!

Your friend the Tooth Fairy

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: Rules and consequences are posted. I have a discipline book that I have them write the date and what they did.

WHAT A WEEKEND: Each Monday the students write a summary of what they did over the weekend. We save them in a special file until the end of the year when we compile them into a book. It provides a special memory of the entire year.

NAME STICKS: I have large craft sticks painted with the names of each student. I use these sticks to draw names when there is a special job to be done. (It keeps from the same people getting to do everything all the time.) If I have something I don't want to keep or throw away either, I'll draw a name.  Straws work well too.

Make sure that you have established your behaviour expectations. I stress things like polite listening when someone else is speaking (teacher or student), no put-downs, keep your hands to yourself, work without disturbing the children who sit close to you, etc.

I tell them that every time they break a well-established classroom or school rule that they will get a "strike". I have a laminated piece of chart paper on the front chalkboard (up quite high so I'm the only one who can reach it) and if a child gets a strike I put a tally mark beside their name. I use a washable overhead marker to do this. Before class starts every day I erase all the strikes from the previous day, so everyone begins each day with a clean slate.

The kids all know that "strike one" means "oops, you let your behaviour slip". If you get "strike two" it means "you need to be much more mindful of your behaviour". "Strike Three" means "there will be no "GREAT" badge for you today."

Five minutes before the dismissal bell I tell the children that when they are ready for home (tidy desk and cloakroom area) I will give them a "GREAT" badge. A "GREAT" badge is a lid from a frozen juice container. Inside the lid I glue a laminated circle of cardboard that says "GREAT". The kids take the badge home and tell their parents "I had a great day." When they collect 10 badges they bring them back to me and we trade for a small reward (10 jelly beans or gummy bears, a special sticker). Sometimes I try to work in a bit of evaluation before we trade. I ask them to count their badges (1 to 10, 10 to 1, or by 2's to 10), say the months of the year or days of the week. I keep the badges, they get the candy. Then they work on collecting their next ten badges.

Parents are sent a letter telling them to watch for a "GREAT" badge every day. If a child goes two or three days without a badge I call the parents to ask for their help to turn the behaviour around. The system works really well for me. If the line up is noisy or choosing time gets too rough I just say "Now where is that strike pen?...I think I might need it soon." It's amazing how quickly things are quiet and running smoothly again!

One of the things that I do to introduce and reinforce classroom rules and responsibilities is keep a JAR by my chair. JAR stands for Just Acting Right. In the JAR (which is just a plastic jar) I keep little slips of paper and on each slip is a scenario. Sometimes it is a class rule – Show what someone should look like while standing in line for lunch - or – Show me what you would do if someone hit you. Sometimes it is manners – Show what you would do if someone gives you a birthday treat - or - Show what you would do if you wanted to borrow someone’s pencil. The students pick one out of the JAR (I use it during transition times) and

they act out the situation posed. It makes it a constant reinforcement of what we have done in the beginning of the year. I keep refilling the jar with things that come up during class (hitting, tattling, stealing, playing with everyone, indoor recess, writing time behavior, manners, etc.).

They use their "helping hands" to solve the problem themselves. "Helping hands" - 5 fingers - 1st strategy "Tell how you feel" 2nd - "Walk away" 3rd - "Ignore" 4th "Ask a friend for help"  5th - "Tell the teacher". Do not tell the teacher until you have tried to work it out using your "Helping hands".

To get everyone calmed down and quiet, or if I'm interrupted in the middle of a discussion/lesson and have to speak to another adult, I start the class playing the Silent Game. I chant "Silent game, silent game, one-two-three."  Then I hold up my fingers in a silent count to ten.  After everyone is silent, I point to a student, who then has to come up to my chair without making a sound.  Any noise, and I send them back to their spot and choose someone else.  If the person I point to doesn't make a sound, they get to sit on my chair, do a silent count to ten using their fingers, and choose the next person.  The game continues in the same way.  The children LOVE it, and always want to play.  If it gets noisy (it rarely does), the game ends.  Everyone tries really hard to keep it silent so they can all have a turn or get a second one.  When they are all calm (or my interruption is taken care of), I raise my hand and am picked as the last player.  I make a big show of being really quiet and tiptoeing to the front of the room, then start teaching in a very quiet voice or whisper.  It works great!  Some variations:  have the students pick boy-girl-boy-girl; make a rule that you can only put up your hand to have a turn if you haven't played yet; you have to push in your chair (silently), or walk around your table two times, on your way to the front (if playing from their desks).

To encourage quiet work time, we try to "Beat the Creature".  On the board I have a creature drawn with a head and five body parts (sometimes it looks like a big caterpillar).  If the class is working particularly quietly, I sneak up to the board and erase a body part.  If it's noisier than usual, I add a body part.  I never tell them that I am adding/erasing a part, I let them figure it out.  If all the body parts get erased and only the head is left (and it stays that way for the rest of the day), the class gets to choose a special activity to do the following day (or the next convenient day).  Some activities that have been voted on in my class are the following:  play centres time, extra computer time, extra gym time, painting or craft activities, outside play equipment time, bake a cake together and eat it, a walking field trip to the public library, a fun science experiment, and a games afternoon (where they bring puzzles and games from home to share).  At the beginning of the year, the creature starts with four body parts.  Later on, it starts with five, etc.  I simply remind them once at the beginning of a work period that I expect them to try to beat the creature and not let the creature win (get longer).

To get to know the parents:  I ask the parents to sign up for  "mini-conferences" at the beginning of the school year.  I have them come in during the second week of school for a ten minute meeting before or after school, with the purpose of

meeting them formally and finding out any pertinent info. about their child.  Because it's so early in the year, we don't discuss specifics relating to the students' academic progress.  At this meeting, I give them a copy of the class rules (which the children help me create), explain my behaviour management and discipline procedures, washroom/drink rules, explain how they can help their child with our Spelling Program, tell them about our Home-School Communication Books, tell them how and when I can use parent helpers, and ask the parents about any allergies or concerns they may have about their child and school.  I know it would be easier to just send home an info. packet, but I would rather spend the time to go over things briefly with them (and later, they can't say they didn't know, or that the notice didn't come home).  I also get a good sense of the support the children have at home and the parental attitude toward school.  I get almost every parent every year, although I stress that these meetings are optional (sometimes we do it over the phone if it's more convenient for the parent).  When we have our Open House (Meet-the-Teacher Night)/Social, I don't have to get up in front of a large group of parents and explain my program--I can relax, I've done the work already, and the parents just stop in to chat and view their children's work.

To motivate student cooperation, behaviour and citizenship:  Every student has a star card (4x5 piece of construction paper, or whatever) with their name on it.  If they are caught doing a good deed, they are asked to choose a star sticker from the star container and put it on their card.  Once they have ten stars, the star card goes on my desk.  The student then receives a new star card (with the number 10 in the upper right corner, so I know they are on their second card), and they take home a certificate with their old star card attached.  Stars are easy to get at first, and harder to come by later.  One year, I had a student reach 118 stars.  That's the record!

One of my favourite "tried and true" tips for a quick classroom clean-up is "Mystery Spot".  I tell the students I've chosen a "mystery spot" (it might be a paper scrap on the floor, scissors not put away, chairs not pushed in, etc.) and tell them they may begin cleaning.  Whoever finds the "mystery spot" earns 2 points on the Incentive Chart.  You can use whatever reward you'd like. I can't believe how quickly and quietly they all clean up. The room looks great! 

I love this tip I received from a teacher last year!  Clean the chalk off your boards w/ a Puffs Plus tissue with lanolin.  Takes off all the chalk.  I never wash my boards because these tissues clean the boards so well. Try it.  You'll love it!

The best tip I have received from this list is the bookshelf that you can make from vinyl rain gutters.  Cut into 4 foot lengths, attach to wall with brackets that are sold with rain gutters. And concrete screws to hold the brackets..  I have 4 shelves on my wall, they hold about 25 books,  all which are flat against the wall and can be seen, and the whole thing only sticks out about 5 inches!!!

LINING UP QUIETLY

Quiet, Quiet

Quiet as a mouse

So no one will know

That we're in their house.

We begin loud and then get soft.

I play "If you talk, I win" game with the kids. The deal is to walk to our destination without making a sound. If I talk, the kids win and vice versa. You'd be surprised how hard it is for me to keep quiet when other teachers want to talk as we pass by. Some teachers try to get me to talk much to the delight of the kids. We play this quite a bit at the beginning of the year (but not every time we're out in the hall.) There are no prizes but I keep a tally count score on the board. They absolutely love this game and beg to play it. It's really quite funny if you think about it. As the year progresses, we play less often but by then the kids are pretty used to being quiet. To get a straight line (something that is pretty much impossible for first graders on their own) I have the leader pick out a floor tile and have the rest of the class see if they can stay in the same square. This has a quieting effect on them also as they are usually so busy looking at the floor to stay in the correct tile row. Gee I love first grade!

I took this off of the list last year. My kids loved it, I added motions-

I'm giving myself a great big hug

I'm standing straight and tall

I'm looking right in front of me

and I won't talk at all!

My hands are hanging by my sides

I'm standing straight and tall,

My eyes are looking straight ahead--

I'm ready for the hall.

I'm giving myself a great big hug

I'm standing straight and tall

I'm looking straight ahead of me,

I'm silent and ready for the hall.

I don't think this has been mentioned lately. I'm sure I got this song from this list a while back, but it has been my favourite. I'm not really comfortable singing, but since it was a familiar tune it worked for me. You sing it as an echo after the kids are lined up in the room and just before going somewhere.

(to the tune of Frere Jacques)

T-Are we talking,

S-Are we talking,

T-In the hall?

S-In the hall?

T-No, we are not talking,

S- "

T-When we are out walking,

S- "

T-In the hall.

S- "

Just so the students don't tire of it, sometimes I say the words using various different rhythms or a rap type beat. They have to focus on how I'm saying it and not just repeat automatically. If I really need to further stress the quiet walking, then I tell them that if they are talking they will have to go to the end of the line to get more practice walking quietly. Of course I set the example by not talking myself and I reinforce their good work.

 

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Beginning of the Year Tips

 The first weeks of school are often very hectic for the new teacher as well as the experienced ones.  These ideas may help you in organizing your first week so

that you can have a great start to the school year.  The ideas are not in any particular order.

 

Before school starts – take time to sit down in your classroom and visually map out the room.  Try a few different set-ups.  More than likely you will change things throughout the year until you find the set-up that suits your needs the best.  A great idea is to take photos of your classroom before and after each change.  Keep these handy each year to help you remember some of the things you have already tried as well as the neat displays you created all year long. 

At the beginning of school I make labels with each child's name, about 15 sets.  I use these for their books, journals, workbooks, crayons, etc.  Also I make about 10 sets of labels with their names & addresses. I use these on motivational postcards.  This helps me know the number sent to each student.

Every child is given a Magic Number (in alphabetical order). When we turn in tests, etc. I start with the highest number and all the tests are in order.  And the students learn the magic numbers before I do!

For ordering lunch we have the students' names on magnets. They place their name under their order on the side of a file cabinet.  Our students have a choice of three meats and two vegetables.  I have their names on a spreadsheet check list because I have to turn in who orders what to the cafeteria...  which can take a lot of time.  If they forget what they ordered in the morning, they can look at the file cabinet.  Last year I used the magnetic paper but it lost its "hold" by second semester.  This year I put labels on some advertising magnets and so far they're holding.

Ideas to do during the Summer months before school starts.

Get the textbooks ahead of time, if possible and become familiar with the topics and skills to be covered.

Start a file system to keep worksheets and ideas you collect

Prepare writing forms and topics related to seasonal themes - at least 4 for each month

Collect at least 4 seasonal books for each month and have three or 4 activities prepared for each. Make some of them longer and some shorter.

A couple of pieces of advice from an 11year veteran: Laminate everything. I am still using some of the things I made in student teaching. Make liberal use of the school's die-dut machine in case your next school doesn't have one. Be sure to make letters in a variety of colors. Keep a copy of every worksheet, writing

prompt, instructions for games, art projects, etc. File them where they can be found. I still use the file I started in student teaching and it has saved me repeatedly. Get a camera and take pictures of your bulletin boards, art projects, etc. If another teacher has something up that you like, ask for permission to take a picture. She'll certainly consider it a compliment.

One note of caution:  While laminating and using the school’s resources is a great idea – make sure you are not over-doing it so that other teachers in the school never have access or supplies when they need it.  I.E. The laminating film running out constantly.

In case any one is interested...Frank Schaffer put out a series called "Getting Ready to Teach"  there is one for every grade level and they are full of "veteran" tips for new teachers

On the first day, there is a lot of time spent on procedures.  Children know nothing, and we have to take care of lunch money, snacks, supplies, bus routes, etc.  Each school may be different. After 3 or 4 days, I realize I am getting more academics done...but it is a slow process.   I talk to the children about first grade and I reassure them that I will take care of them, and that they will see their parents after school.

Some ideas for the first week of school…

I have them make name cards and we use them for graphs....like number of syllables in their  names, teacher last  year, boys/girls.  We write in journals...I use that as a fast assessment.  I read them books about school (like Miss Nelson is Missing).  We may do some patterning.  We have them line up early for dismissal to get them in the right bus lines.  As I go through the day, I mention some rules...like raising your hand.  Later in the week you can discuss classroom rules as well as school rules.  Any time I write a chart, I pay special attention to the concepts of print, and I don't write to much - they can't sit long.  We take a tour of the school, and go out to play on the playground. 

I teach basic sight words as a whole group, evaluate them constantly, and form my reading groups in early or mid October. If children have trouble, I send the words home and group them accordingly. 

I think one mistake beginning teachers make at the beginning of the year is trying too hard to start into the meat of the curriculum.  Instead, I think things go much more smooth if I spend a lot of time discussing rules and procedures in between short activities (the kids' attention span is so short at the beginning of the year!)  If I try to start hitting academic stuff too hard, I tend to get frustrated because the kids don't yet understand the procedures of my classroom--how to get my attention, how to transition from floor to seats, levels of noisiness for different activities, etc.  The main point of my lesson plans during the first week or two is more focused on teaching the procedure and setting a routine than worrying about academics. 

For the first day of school:  Many parents often bring their children in on the first day.  I have each child and parent check in with me.  The child finds crayons and a page to color while they wait for everyone else to get checked in.  I know who has been checked in because I hand the child a nametag as they finish up with me.  I have a clipboard with my students' names listed alphabetically by first name (easier to find since they tend to tell you the first name.)  Next to the student's name I have a check list--I check off how they are to get home (including the bus number if possible), what they are doing for lunch (school or brought one from home), and then hand the parent(s) another clipboard with the conference schedule for my first round of conferences on it and ask them to sign up for a time using their child's name and listing a day time phone number with it.

On the first day of school I have a colour, cut and paste activity that keeps the kids busy while we are organizing their supplies, etc., I have an overhead on the wall that lets parents know which supplies go into their child’s desk and which go into the zip-lock bag at their desk.  Some years I use bins for extra supplies but these are not as secure and then I have to watch that the kids do not borrow from others in the room.  I don’t usually ask for volunteers ahead of time, instead I just grab a few parents as they come in and ask them if they wouldn’t mind staying for a few minutes to help any students who arrive alone.  This frees me up to welcome the new students and to deal with those shy ones who do not want to come into the room.

First Day/Week

Greet each student/parent and get info for volunteer, bus #, aide time, refreshments, etc. via simple check off form. Have student names on desks, nametags ready, and a simple dot to dot, color sheet on desk with crayons and pencil. Try to get a handwriting of first and last name from each child ASAP. Begin forming small center groups and begin with circle time to begin forming class rules. Talk about basic classroom/school safety, and note on chart paper or board. Send notes on homework, expectations, etc. home with signature required. Friday is poetry day. Review rules, refine with students. Get Ready for Monday, Full Steam Ahead

For the first day of school some of us work in schools where we are unsure of who will end up in our classroom by the end of the day.  What I do is have all my nametags handy, locker tags (if you have metal lockers you can stick the tags on with magnetic tape), etc., Then as each child arrives I can write out their names as they arrive.  If I am pretty sure of who will be in my room I can have some tags already done and on desks.  I always have at least 3 extra desks in my room for those new students who arrive unexpectedly.  I also write their names first on the tags and then laminate them.  If I write on top of laminated name cards the kids just seem to constantly erase their names.

I put together all the exercise books that I'll use that year, e.g. Journal, Language Arts, Math, etc.  and make a kit of 5 extra sets for incoming students throughout the year.

At the beginning of the year, I take the children out to play for an hour every afternoon for a week and gradually wean them off until they are able to get through the afternoon without yawning.

I use wallpaper sample to make covers for the student's journals. I use the Ellison press to cut out shapes from the sample books. The children use these on cards for parents with the students' photos in the middle. The children use the pieces of wallpaper in collages.  Use your imagination or give the children strips of the paper and challenge them to find a project to make with the material.

More wallpaper sample ideas….

Use them as book covers, then write a story on the pages inside use it for collages, tape or glue textured wallpaper to a woodblock, then dip in paint and use it like a textured stamp, Put paper over top of textured wallpaper and rub with a pencil to get the texture. Use it as backgrounds for bulletin boards, or make papier-mâché with it, I have the recipe here somewhere. Make a quilt or mosaic out of it. You could punch holes in it with a hole punch, then glue the little punches on a paper to make a picture or design. If you want real creativity, put it in a blender with a small amount of water, and chop it up. Then put it on a screen, I used a small holed strainer, and squeeze or squash the water out. Put the paper shreddings in a cookie mold and let it dry (I use plastic cookie cutters and Jell-O molds in character shapes from the dollar store). When it is dry, you have a piece of stationary that you can write on, it molds to the indentations on the inside of the molds or cookie cutters, so it shows up when it is dry. Make sure you line the molds relatively thin, just cover the bottom of the mold or cookie cutter. You can add food coloring, tomatoes, or any bright color to the blender to add color, or you can put beads, string, etc in the mold before it dries, just remember to put beads in the mold before the goop so it shows when you take it out of the mold.

Also:Ezra Jack Keates does lots with mixed media...His stories often have wallpaper with small prints, used as dress patterns for his characters, or wall paper on the walls in the apartments. Small flowers on real wall paper, look like giant flowers on someone's wall in his books. It is fun to have the children look through the books he does and find what has been painted, what has been done as a resist and cut out or used as background (see Dreams), and what has been painted on his illustrations before they are photographed for publication...they could then try it themselves...

OPENING EXERCISES

Since we are expected to begin instruction at 7:55 (and the principal comes to our end of the hall first), we begin with calendar activities in the following order: *put the day into our pocket chart holder for our calendar (they also have to guess the pattern - this month it's turkey, turkey, turkey, pumpkin . . .) and the number

*Write the date on the erasable section: Monday, November 23, 1998, ll-23-98 and the tally marks

*Money - how many ways to make 23 cents? I have a Velcro chart for this one with Velcro on the money, which is kept sorted in a pie tin.

*Odd/Even Chart

*Dress the weather bear or record the weather on a chart.  I also record the temperature each morning on a bar graph.  We put up each month and the students can easily see how the temperatures have changed over the course of the school year.

*Graph the weather - pocket chart for this too

*Place value, straws in clear cups reflecting the day of the year, also written behind the cups on an erasable place value chart so they can see the numbers, and another pattern for the day of the year going around the room reflecting the month.

*Incredible equations - a cut out piece of shower board hot glued to my chalkboard. We're doing a fact family for the 23rd tomorrow. They can do them by themselves now since we're doing them each day. We keep it pretty simple like 23-1=22, etc. And then we pass around 23 unifix cubes for the children to break apart and we add the two columns of blocks.

I pledge to show my respect by listening to others, using my hands for helping, caring about others feelings and being responsible for what I say and do.

Show and Tell

I have each child assigned to a day and they are the ONLY child and then I make themes for the year.. I started with collections, then a magic trick, then science experiment, then a craft I made (good for after Christmas), and cooking and maybe one other... the kids loved it. they got so good at speaking before their peers. they had about 5 to 10 minutes , a letter home to parents and a schedule of their dates for the year!!! skipped anyone's birthday as that day belonged to that child...

I do something each week called, Write, Read, Show and Tell. The children love to bring in something to share, but they must write 3 interesting facts( sentences) about what they bring. Ten they must read it to the class before they are able to show and tell about it. The kids love this time. Following W.R. S. and T., we test our memories by listing on the bd. in categories, who ( brought something), what ( did he/she bring in? where( did they get the thing? when( did they get it) Why( did they share it with us

Jobs for Students

attendance (this person takes the attendance card to the office)

book monitor/bookshelf sorter or librarians or library monitors

Boy bathroom monitor (reports any inappropriate behaviour)

Girl bathroom monitor

line leader

caboose

chair stacker

Coatroom/boot room monitors (makes sure hallways and entrance ways are tidy throughout the day)

computer monitor (turns computers on in the AM and off at the end of day)

custodian (at the end of the day, chooses 2 to help finish cleaning the room)

door/lights  monitor

gardener (waters plants)

messenger

paper passers

peacemaker (students must take their non-violent disputes to this person before they report to me - usually they can work it out without my help)

Pencil Sharpener Captains

right hand man or girl (does whatever needs doing as the day

Student of the week

Teacher assistant

weather bear

Calendar/Date keeper

Lunch Helpers

Zookeeper/zoologist

 

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Beginning of the Year Bulletin Board Ideas

 

I put up a palm tree on the hall wall and the words Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom look Who Is In My Room!  I then have brown circles (coconuts) on the tree. The first day I take pictures of them and then cut them to fit on the coconuts.  If you don’t want the picture idea just put their names on the coconuts.   There is also a real cute Ellison punch out for a monkey that I have used on the tree.  I think I got this idea off this list.

Owls with their names or pictures are cute too with Look Whoooo Is in Mrs. _____ Room!!

I often make a large puzzle out of 4-5 sheets of oak tag (24x36 I think) with enough pieces for each child to get one and a few extras for late arrivals or adult helpers.  On the first day of school I have each child decorate their puzzle piece.  We use the puzzle to learn classmates names for a few days then I put them all together on a bulletin board with the title  " You Fit Right In !".  

I've also cut out a large bubblegum machine shape and filled it with 4" circles with each child's name and  picture.  You could also hang a "fishnet" from a party store and put fish shapes with each child's name and picture with the title "What a Great Catch!"

One year I made a big pot with a rainbow coming out of it. Put gold circles to look like coins in the pot and wrote each child's name on a coin. Labeled it "Mrs. ________ treasures" Was fairly easy--you could save and put new gold coins on for a different year.

Another year I cut worm shapes out of wallpaper, and put a little face on each one and a child's name. Put a big book shape in the  center of the door with a few corners missing and the bookworms all around. Labeled the book "Mrs. _______ bookworms"

Last year I made a wanted poster for each student with their name.  In the middle I had a bigger wanted poster with the Wanted Kind, considerate, caring students etc

This is a really cute welcome back to school display that is easy. I made a big paintbrush using brown paper for the handle, black paper for the brush, and a little strip of aluminum foil for the part the attaches the brush to the handle. I used colored paper to add to the very tip of the bristles to make it look like it had been dipped in paint. Then I cut out a bunch of paint blobs (even the MOST artistically challenged can do this!) and wrote each child's name on a blob. The caption was "A Colorful Class." A white background and lots of bright colored paint blobs makes this really stand out. I think I will pull this one out again this year.

Fish theme: Cover your door with bright blue paper to represent water. Then use light blue paper to make "squiggles" that look like waves. Find a fish pattern and bright paper to make one with each students name on it. Title it something like: "Swim on into 1st grade", maybe even "Welcome to our school" (a school of fish).

You could also, "Leap into first grade" using frogs. Maybe even make some lily pads.

This idea came from a popcorn book. Make a popcorn theatre bag or see if the local theatre will give you one. (The book had a pattern.) Put it up on your door with pieces of construction paper popcorn with the student's names on them. Title it, "Pop on in!"

When I first started teaching, I had a box of bulletin board ideas. One I remember being relatively easy and appealing was making the door a maple tree. The door was the trunk, and I used large butcher block paper and made big leaves of assorted fall colors. I made them stand out

three-dimensional by placing tape on the back and puffing them in all directions. I placed children's names on them and used the title: EVERYTHING IS

F

a

l

l

i

n

g

INTO PLACE!

It was perfect for the fall months. In October, there were falling leaves and we put Halloween directions up on it. Bats, witches, ghosts, etc.

Make the title I SHINE out of aluminum foil letters. Cut squares of  aluminum foil-one for each class member. They draw their self portrait on the foil with markers.

Place student names on lily pads and add a large frog to a board titled "I'm So 'Hoppy' You Are Here!"

This is one of my favorite ideas from Mailbox magazine. My room contains a clothesline with clothespins for hanging student work so this fits right in with this idea. Have students decorate a cutout shaped like a T-shirt. Display with the title "My New Class Suits Me To A "T"

For a slight variation title the board "It Was a "Tee-rific" Summer!" and have students decorate shirts with some of the things they did.

I have done two different things. One year I made an apple tree on the wall outside my door and put each kids name on an apple and made the heading "Look who dropped into room 214". Some apples were on the tree, others falling down, and still others in a basket under the tree.

The other thing I did was make big sunflowers. I wrote a different kid's name on each petal. I can’t remember the catchy phrase though, may have been "What a Sun-sational class!"

Make a large tree on the classroom wall. This tree may be made from flat brown paper, or wide crumpled butcher paper. - A "tree for all seasons" may, as the name suggests, be left up all year and may be decorated to suit the time of year. For the beginning of school in September, cut out large leaves from red, orange and yellow paper, print a name on each leaf and pin to the tree.

"Hats off to Mrs. Baker's class! "  This sign was surrounded by a variety of hat shapes, each with a child's name.

Print each child's name on a star.  "Welcome to my Bright Stars!"

For those Grade One teachers who have very large classes, here is a mild but effective  protest! "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe....."  Cut out a large boot, and have the children's names on girl and boy shapes around it. You could also have the children draw themselves in the first week and print their own names to put around the words and boot picture.

"I am special!" Each child draws and colours his/her own face on an inverted paper plate. Add crayoned paper strips or the correct colours of crepe paper for hair.

Printing the names on bright red apples and placing the apples on a tree or in a basket makes a colourful display.

Each year I try to pick an interesting opening theme and pick a way to have all the children's names up on our large bulletin board. (1996) was "Spiders". Each child was given the spider shape to decorate and which included their name. It was titled "Busy Workers in Div. 16". Another slogan I use is "Div. 16 Leaping Ahead" and the bulletin board is covered in frogs, or "Div. 16, We Give a Hoot" and the board is covered in owls."

Take a head photo of each child. Make a photocopy. Give each child their photocopied head and he/she can glue it to another paper. Then the child draws his body. Over the head a half circle  umbrella shape is placed covering the child's head and stapled at the top. Lift the umbrella to see the child's face. Good for rainy climates! "See me! I am under my umbrella!"

Do a mini ice-cream theme the first few days. Each child can make a large cone shape out of brown construction paper with a different coloured scoop on top. They put their picture on the ice-cream scoop and their name on the cone. The title can read "Our Class Comes In (number of children) Flavours!"

You could have the children create different fantasy fish with crayon on a pre-cut shape, leaving a large circle area in the middle for their picture and name. All must be coloured facing the same direction (preferably noses to the right so the fish are traveling from left to right). They are then fastened to the bulletin board in a triangular fashion, so that you start with one fish on the right hand side, two fish behind him, the third row with 3 or 4 fish and so on. The title of the board reads "School's In!"

Create a large yellow school bus, with the children's heads (photos, photocopies or drawings) in the windows. The side of the bus could read "Mrs. Smith's Magic School Bus".

Print each student's name on a picture of a bear or teddy bear. Title: "Welcome to Our Bear-y Wonderful Class".

Create giant puzzle pieces in bright colours. Mount these on a black background and separate each piece slightly so the background shows. Each piece can have a child's picture and the name on it. The title can be: "We Fit Together Perfectly".

Some ideas I’ve used in the past

Make a tree and then a whole bunch of oranges.  Each orange has a child’s name on it.  The title is “Orange you glad to be in First Grade” We did a number of fruit related themes – some more suitable to older grades but could be modified as well.

Isn’t it “grape” to be in grade one.

A theme with apples and worms “So you wormed your way into 4th Grade”

 

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Top 5 Ways to Get to Know Your Students

And Help Them to Get to Know Each Other

Thank you to everyone who submitted suggestions. Choosing this month's contest winners was especially challenging! We were impressed by all of your creative and enthusiastic ideas — it's obvious that for many, building connections with and among your students is one of the truly enjoyable parts of teaching.

The following winners include some original icebreakers and community-building activities that double as assessment opportunities, skill-building lessons, or projects that result in a unique, inspiring classroom decoration.

Remember, although the winners have been selected, you can continue to share your ideas on our bulletin board.

1. Getting Acquainted - Create a Class Slideshow Submitted by Angie Kelly, Grade 3 teacher, Main Street Elementary, Shelbyville, ILOn the first day of school, I begin by reading Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10. We discuss the fact that teachers are "real people" and have normal lives. Next, I share a PowerPoint slideshow with my students. I include pictures of my family, my home (and all of the rooms in it), pets, what I did over the summer, things I do for fun, etc. After I share, the students are to write an introduction of themselves. When they finish writing their draft and editing, they type what they have written. I make a slideshow of their introductions and include their picture on the slide. On parent orientation night, I have their PowerPoint showing on my television. The images of each student and their writing rotate automatically as I am giving my orientation "speech." It's a relief to look at 22 sets of parents and not have their eyes fixed on me. Instead, they are reading what my students have written. I also leave the slideshow opened on all of my computers for the first couple of weeks of school so that students can read what their peers have written.

2. Everyone Is Unique - Spin a Classroom Web Submitted by Melissa Walker, grade 5, Wilson Elementary, Graham, NCAt the beginning of the year, I focus on the idea of everyone being unique...On the first day of school, we get in a circle on the reading carpet. I begin by saying that I am going to say something about myself that is unique or something that is special and no one else in the room shares that quality with me (I tell them that it is ok if some people have the same ideas, but that we want to try to find ideas that make us different). I tell them that unique is another word for different. I ask them, what do you think about when you hear the word different? Often, they name things with a negative connotation. I tell them that I like the word unique, because it means the same thing, but that negative connotation hasn't ruined the word.

I grab a ball of yarn and I tell them one thing I think is unique about me. I will say, "I competed in a tennis tournament this summer and won the whole tournament!" I will then hold my end of the ball and throw the ball to someone else in the circle. That person will say something unique, hold a part of the string and throw the ball to another person. By the time the ball of yarn has made its way around the circle, everyone will be holding a part and it will look like a web. When we finish, I will ask the kids, "What did we make?" They will of course say that we made a web. I will then ask them to tell me about the web. Through discussion, I will eventually have them discover that, even though we are all unique and special, we are all connected to each other like a web, because we are a class.

The kids end up loving the activity once they see the connection and ask me several times throughout the year if we can do it again to see how they have changed. Throughout the year, I will reference that activity when I feel like they aren't valuing each other's unique qualities. I will tell them that being unique connects us as a family just like the web did and that each of them bring something special to our classroom web to make it connect. It ends up being a powerful first day getting to know you activity!.

3. Bookmark Greeting - Get to Know Your Readers Submitted by Susan Heath, Grade 3, Shepard Elementary, Columbia, MOI teach 3rd grade and before the students come the first day of school, I send a letter to their home with a special bookmark enclosed. I introduce myself and put some of the things I like to do outside of school. One thing, of course is reading! I invite my students (and I do the same) to bring in a book the first week of school; I ask them to mark their favorite part. It can be any book - one they are reading now or one that has always been a favorite. They mark the part they enjoy with their bookmark and we take turns telling about the book and why we like it.

The students LOVE this. We even make a list on chart paper of books we recommend to refer back to throughout the year. I get to know my new students as readers, they get excited about reading first thing, and they find out that their new classmates enjoy the same kinds of books they do!.

4. Human Analogy Game - Build a Community With Older Students Submitted by Sherry Roland, grades 11-12, Valley View Senior High, Jonesboro,

ARI have several activities I use to help my students get to know me and my expectations and many that allow the students to work well together and appreciate one another's unique personalities and skills, and I use these activities, games, and lessons throughout the year (not just at the beginning).

In the picture, students are playing a learning game: the human analogy game. I use this to teach analogies to prepare them for college testing such as the SAT), I will say the hand is to arm as the foot is to ________. Then they have to match their bodies to the correct part. (This was a very mature class; it wouldn't work with all classes or grades, but they loved it and always wanted to play it.)

See more ideas from this teacher. 

5. "What's In a Name?" -   Get to Know Students and Parents Submitted by Tressa Decker, grades 1-6, Concord West Elementary, Elkhart, INThis get-to-know-you activity is called "What's In a Name?" It is a fun and easy way for kids to learn each other's names and a little bit about each other. Just give each student a "What's In a Name?" form at the beginning of the year. The form is simple - just a few questions for them to answer OR ask their parents/guardians to help them answer. Without fail, parents enjoy this beginning-of-the-year task. They often write lengthy responses about how special their child's name is to them. I've found it is a great way to get to know the parents as well!  

Here are the questions for "What's In a Name?": o What's your full name? o Were you named after someone? o What does your name mean? o What names did your parents consider before deciding on the one you

have? o Why did they choose your name? o What is your name's country of origin? (ex. "Ivan" has Russian origins) o What is your nick-name? How did you get that nick-name? o If you could change your name, what would you name yourself? o Now.... on the bottom of this paper, please write your name in a creative

way. Can you use color? Fancy writing? Swirls? Block letters? A pattern? Design something as special as YOU are!

o If possible, please attach a small picture of yourself to this form. (photo will be returned.)

The kids bring back their forms, and everyone gets to share about their name in a Community Circle. I usually have kids tell us their name and then they can choose up to two other pieces of information from their form to share with the class. If a child is shy or nervous, I always allow them to simply share their name without the pressure of sharing the additional information. For some kids, it is stressful enough just to speak their name in front of a new class.

It's fun to post their "What's In a Name?" papers on a bulletin board in the classroom or hall. That way, lots of people in the school can get to know them, too! I'm sure you'll find — there's a lot in a name! Enjoy this AWESOME activity!

Icebreakers 2000: Getting-to-Know-You Activities for the First Days of School

One of Education World's most popular features returns this year with 19 new getting-to-know-you icebreakers for the first days of school! Consider these activities from Education World readers -- and share your favorite icebreaker activities on today's message board!

The first days of school can be difficult. When you ended the last school year, the class ran like a well-oiled machine. Kids had the routines down pat; the days flowed smoothly. Now you have a brand-new group. Patience is the name of the game as students learn classroom rules and daily routines. It might be weeks before they are up to speed.

The first days of school have their upside too. It's time to make a fresh start. You've done some summer reading on classroom management, and you're eager to try out some new ideas. You've learned from past mistakes, and you look forward this year to avoiding those mistakes. You're bound and determined that this year will be the best year yet!

Most fun of all, the opening days of school are an opportunity to get to know a whole new group of kids!

What will you do during those first few days of school? What activities might you do to help you get to know your new students? What activities will help students get to know you and one another?

For the last three years, Education World has presented a new group of getting-to-know-you ideas -- or icebreakers -- for those first days of school. This year is no exception! Today, we provide 19 ideas -- ideas tried and tested by Education World readers -- to help develop classroom camaraderie during the opening days of school.

ICEBREAKERS 2000

Opening-Day Letter

Write a letter to your students. In that letter, introduce yourself to students. Tell them about your hopes for the new school year and some of the fun things you'll be doing in class. In addition, tell students a few personal things about yourself; for example, your likes and dislikes, what you did over the summer, and your hobbies. Ask questions throughout the letter. You might ask what students like most about school, what they did during the summer, what their goals for the new school year are, or what they are really

good at. In your letter, be sure to model the correct parts of a friendly letter! On the first day of school, display your letter on an overhead projector. Then pass each student a sheet of nice stationery. Have the students write return letters to you. In this letter, they will need to answer some of your questions and tell you about themselves. This is a great way to get to know each other in a personal way! Variation: Mail the letter to students before school starts, and enclose a sheet of stationery for kids to write you back.      Meg Basker, Harrison Elementary School, South Bend, Indiana

Stringing Conversation TogetherCut string or yarn into pieces of different lengths. Each piece should have a matching piece of the same length. There should be enough pieces so that each student will have one. Then give each student one piece of string, and challenge each student to find the other student who has a string of the same length. After students find their matches, they can take turns introducing themselves to one another. You can provide a list of questions to help students "break the ice," or students can come up with their own. You might extend the activity by having each student introduce his or her partner to the class.       Stacy Moore, Garrison Mill Elementary School, Marietta, Georgia

Animal GroupsOn the first day of school, gather all the students from a grade level in a large common area. Give each student a slip of paper with the name of an animal on it. Then give students instructions for the activity: They must locate the other members of their animal group by imitating that animal's sound only. No talking is allowed. The students might hesitate initially, but that hesitation soon gives way to a cacophony of sound as the kids moo, snort, and giggle their way into groups. The end result is that students have found their way into their homerooms or advisory groups for the school year, and the initial barriers to good teamwork have already been broken.      Donna Morgan, Avery Middle School, Newland, North Carolina

A Tangled Web Gather students in a circle sitting around you on the floor. Hold a large ball of yarn. Start by telling the students something about yourself. Then roll the ball of yarn to a student without letting go of the end of the yarn. The student who gets the ball of yarn tells his or her name and something good about himself or herself. Then the student rolls the yarn to somebody else, holding on to the strand of yarn. Soon students have created a giant web. After everyone has spoken, you and all the students stand up, continuing to hold the yarn. Start a discussion of how this activity relates to the idea of teamwork -- for example, the students need to work together and not let others down. To drive home your point about teamwork, have one student drop his or her strand of yarn; that will demonstrate to students how the web weakens if the class isn't working together.      Amy Henning, W. C. Petty School, Antioch, Illinois

Student Dictionary Write five questions on the board. Questions might include the following:

What is your name? Where were you born? How many brothers or sisters do you have?

What are their names? Do you have any pets?

Tell students to write those questions on a piece of paper and to add to that paper five more questions they could ask someone they don't know. Pair students, and have each student interview his or her partner and record the responses. Then have each student use the interview responses to write a "dictionary definition" of his or her partner to include in a Student Dictionary. You might model this activity by creating a sample dictionary definition about yourself. For example: Reynolds, Kim. proper noun. 1. Born in Riverside, California. 2. No brothers or sisters.

Have students bring in small pictures of themselves to paste next to their entries in the Student Dictionary. Bind the definitions into a book, and display it at back-to-school night.      Kim Reynolds, Warwick Elementary School, Fremont, California

Classmate Scavenger Hunt Provide each student with two index cards. Ask each student to write a brief description of his or her physical characteristics on one index card and his or her name on the other. Physical characteristics usually do not include clothing, but if you teach the primary grades, you might allow students to include clothing in their descriptions. Put all the physical characteristic index cards in a shoe box, mix them up, and distribute one card to each student, making sure that no student gets his or her own card. Give students ten minutes to search for the person who fits the description on the card they hold. There is no talking during this activity, but students can walk around the room. At the end of the activity, tell students to write on the card the name of the student who best matches the description. Then have students share their results. How many students guessed correctly?      Patricia McHugh, John W. Raper Elementary School, Cleveland, Ohio

Cooperative Musical Chairs This activity is a takeoff on the familiar musical chairs game. Set up a circle of chairs with one less chair than the number of students in the class. Play music as the students circle around the chairs. When the music stops, the students must sit in a seat. Unlike the traditional game, the person without a seat is not out. Instead, someone must make room for that person. Then remove another seat and start the music again. The kids end up on one another's laps and sharing chairs! You can play this game outside, and you can end it whenever you wish. Afterward, stress the teamwork and cooperation the game took, and how students needed to accept one another to be successful. Reinforce that idea by repeating this game throughout the year.      Danielle Weston, Willard School, Sanford, Maine

Hands-On Activity Have students begin this activity by listing at least 25 words that describe them and the things they like. No sentences allowed, just words! Then ask each student to use a dark pen to trace the pattern of his or her hand with the fingers spread apart. Provide another sheet of paper that the student can place on top of the tracing. Because the tracing was done with a dark pen, the outline should be visible on the sheet below. Direct students to

use the outlines as guides and to write their words around it. Provide students a variety of different colored pencils or markers to use as they write. Then invite students to share their work with the class. They might cut out the hand outlines and mount them on construction paper so you can display the hands for open house. Challenge each parent to identify his or her child's hand.      Veronica Coker, Lanesville Elementary School, Lanesville, Indiana

Chain Gang Begin by asking students "Who can do something really well?" After a brief discussion about some of the students' talents, pass out paper and ask students to write down five things they do well. Then provide each student with five different-colored paper strips. Have each student write a different talent on separate paper strips, then create a mini paper chain with the strips by linking the five talents together. As students complete their mini chains, use extra strips of paper to link the mini chains together to create one long class chain. Have students stand and hold the growing chain as you link the pieces together. Once the entire chain is constructed and linked, lead a discussion about what the chain demonstrates -- for example, all the students have talents; all the students have things they do well; together, the students have many talents; if they work together, classmates can accomplish anything; the class is stronger when students work together than when individual students work on their own. Hang the chain in the room as a constant reminder to students of the talents they possess and the benefits of teamwork.      Kimberlee Woodward, substitute teacher, Waterford, Michigan

Silhouette Collage Stock up on old magazines. Your school librarian might have a discard pile you can draw from. Invite students to search through the magazines for pictures, words, or anything else that might be used to describe them. Then use an overhead projector or another source of bright light to create a silhouette of each student's profile; have each student sit in front of the light source as you or another student traces the outline of the silhouette on a sheet of 11- by 17-inch paper taped to the wall. Have students cut out their silhouettes, then fill them with a collage of pictures and words that express their identity. Then give each student an opportunity to share his or her silhouette with the group and talk about why he or she chose some of the elements in the collage. Post the silhouettes to create a sense of "our homeroom."      Kathy Juarez, Piner High School, Santa Rosa, California

Headlines As part of the normal first-day routine, many teachers have each student fill out a card with such information as name, address, phone number, parents' names and work numbers, and so on. You can use such cards to gather other information too, such as school schedule, why the student signed up for the class, whether the student has a part-time job, and whether he or she has access to the Internet at home. As a final bit of information, ask the student to write a headline that best describes him or her! This headline might be a quote, a familiar expression, or anything else. When students finish filling out the cards, give a little quiz. Ask students to number a sheet of paper from 1 to __, depending on how many students are in the class. Then read aloud the headlines one at a time. Ask students to write the name of the person they think each headline best describes. Who got the highest score?

Bonus! It seems as if parents are contacted only if there is a problem with students. At the end of each grading period, use the home address information to send a postcard to a handful of parents to inform them about how well their child is doing. This might take a little time, but it is greatly appreciated!      Dawn Walters, White House High School, White House, Tennessee

MORE QUICK GETTING-TO-KNOW-YOU ACTIVITIES

Following are a few more activity ideas that were sent our way:

Pop Quiz Ahead of time, write a series of getting-to-know-you questions on slips of paper -- one question to a slip. You can repeat some of the questions. Then fold up the slips, and tuck each slip inside a different balloon. Blow up the balloons. Give each student a balloon, and let students take turns popping their balloons and answering the questions inside.      Contributor Unknown

Fact or Fib? This is a good activity for determining your students' note-taking abilities. Tell students that you are going to share some information about yourself. They'll learn about some of your background, hobbies, and interests from the 60-second oral "biography" that you will present. Suggest that students take notes; as you speak, they should record what they think are the most important facts you share. When you finish your presentation, tell students that you are going to tell five things about yourself. Four of your statements should tell things that are true and that were part of your presentation; one of the five statements is a total fib. This activity is most fun if some of the true facts are some of the most surprising things about you and if the "fib" sounds like something that could very well be true. Tell students they may refer to their notes to tell which statement is the fib. Next, invite each student to create a biography and a list of five statements -- four facts and one fib -- about himself or herself. Then provide each student a chance to present the 60-second oral biography and to test the others' note-taking abilities by presenting his or her own "fact or fib quiz." You can have students do this part of the activity in small groups.      Mitzi Geffen

Circular Fact or Fib? Here's a variation on the previous activity: Organize students into two groups of equal size. One group forms a circle equally spaced around the perimeter of the classroom. There will be quite a bit of space between students. The other group of students forms a circle inside the first circle; each student faces one of the students in the first group. Give the facing pairs of students two minutes to share their 60-second oral "biographies." While each student is talking, the partner takes notes. After each pair completes the activity, the students on the inside circle move clockwise to face the next student in the outer circle. Students in the outer circle remain stationary throughout the activity. When all students have had an opportunity to share their biographies with one another, ask students to take turns each sharing facts and fibs with the class. The other students refer

to their notes or try to recall which fact is really a fib.      Contributor Unknown

People Poems Have each child use the letters in his or her name to create an acrostic poem. For example, Bill could write

BigIntelligentLaughingLoving.

Tell students they must include words that tell something about themselves -- for example, something they like to do or a personality or physical trait. Invite students to share their poems with the class. This activity is a fun one that enables you to learn how your students view themselves. Allow older students to use a dictionary or thesaurus. You might also vary the number of words for each letter, according to the students' grade levels.      Bill Laubenberg

Another Poetic Introduction. Ask students to use the form below to create poems that describe them.

Name ______________________Title (of poem)_______________I will never _______________,I will never ________________,and I will never ______________.I will always ______________.

This activity lends itself to being done at the beginning of the school year and again at the end of the year. You and your students will have fun comparing their responses and seeing how the students and the responses have changed.      Contributor Unknown

Food for Thought To get to know students and to help them get to know one another, have each student state his or her name and a favorite food that begins with the same first letter as the name. For example: "Hi, my name is Latrece, and I like liver." As each student introduces himself or herself, he or she must repeat the names and favorite foods of the students who came before. Watch out -- it gets tricky for the last person who has to recite all the names and foods!      Latrece Hughes

I Am NOT! Here's a challenging activity that might help high school teachers learn about students'

abilities to think critically. Send students into the school hallways or schoolyard, and ask each to find something that "is completely the opposite of yourself." Option: To widen the area to be explored, provide this activity as homework on the first night of school. When students bring their items back to class, ask each to describe why the item is not like him or her. You'll get a lot of flowers, of course, and students will describe how those flowers are fragrant or soft or otherwise unlike themselves. But you might also get some clever responses, such as the one from a young man who brought in the flip-top from a discarded can; he talked about its decaying outward appearance and its inability to serve a purpose without being manipulated by some other force (and how he was able to serve a purpose on his own).      Joy Ross

Personal Boxes In this activity, each student selects a container of a reasonable size that represents some aspect of his or her personality or personal interests, such as a football helmet or a saucepan. Ask students to fill that object with other items that represent themselves -- for example, family photos, CDs, dirty socks, a ballet shoe -- and bring their containers back to school. Students can use the objects in the containers as props for three-minute presentations about themselves. The teacher who provided this idea suggests that you model the activity and encourage creativity by going first -- it's important for students to see you as human too! She included in her container a wooden spoon because she loves to cook, a jar of dirt because she loves to garden, her son's first cowboy boot, a poem she wrote, a rock from Italy because she loves to travel, and so on. You'll learn much about each student with this activity, and it will create a bond among students. As each student gives a presentation, you might write a brief thank-you note that mentions something specific about the presentation so that each student can take home a special note to share with parents. It might take a few days to give every student the opportunity to share.      Valerie Braun