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Check out this US letter designed by Donna Schies.

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Control the Chaos: What it takes to create order in the classroom and teach executive functioning skills

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The classroom is full of chaos. Technology has completely changed how kids learn. Educators are seeing the effects front and center. The solution is much more simple than you might think. It's all about combining the teaching of executive functioning skills with a technological updated blended le...

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Check out this A4 (Landscape) designed by Donna Schies.

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Have you heard of secret student? I want to share this amazing classroom management technique I use in my classroom from time to time! Unfortunately, I have no idea where I found this years ago, so please let me know if you know the original source!

INTRODUCING SECRET STUDENT

WOW! I love bringing this into my classroom in the fall after settling into our routine. Unwanted student behavior can really creep up this time of year. When I told my class all about it the first time, they ate it up! Here's how it goes...

Each morning before the kids come in, I pick a random student. I write the student's name on the board, then stick my handy dandy laminated sign on top of their name! I LOVE magnetic tape to stick on the back so that it stays up on the white board!

The students know whenever they see the sign on the board... I have a secret student that day!

I watch the secret student all day long. You can really look for anything you wish to see more of in your classroom.

Are they on task?

Ready to learn?

Is the student being kind?

Are they participating in class discussions?

Are they following school rules in and out of the classroom?

Giving reminders throughout the day works wonders. For example, saying, "Oh, I hope my secret student is following along..." totally works like a charm.

At the end of the day, IF my secret student has had a good day and, in my eyes, has earned their reward, I *reveal* the name behind the sign. If not, I just say, "Sadly, my secret student didn't have the best day. We will try again tomorrow." The class does not know who it was if the reward was not earned.

SECRET STUDENT REWARDS

I let my students pick between 15 "patriot points" (a school-wide point system to spend in the classroom store each week) or to use our exercise ball as a seat for the entire day the next day as their secret student award. You can do whatever works for you!

What's great about this classroom management strategy is that you don't have to remember to do it every day. In fact, using it when students are showing not so great behavior during the week or month could be just what you need to get everyone back on track.

Secret Student Tips and Tricks

When randomly choosing students' names to be the mystery student, you could take the students' names out each time, so everyone gets a chance to be the secret student, OR put the name back in, so the students are always left guessing! I would just write down the names if you did it the second way to track someone who is constantly being chosen.

The secret student strategy really encourages students to take charge of their own learning and behavior. In addition, it's a great way to manage students without any extra work from you.

You can try it with your students, and see if this works for you in your classroom! Grab the sign for free in my store HERE!

Pin the image below, to revisit this post later!

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Secret Student Classroom Management Strategy - Teach Create Motivate

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Have you heard of secret student? I want to share this amazing classroom management technique I use in my classroom from time to time! Unfortunately, I have no idea where I found this years ago, so please let me know if you know the original source! INTRODUCING SECRET STUDENT WOW!

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Having a classroom management system in middle school is so hard!! A lot of it is too "elementary" for them and they just won't buy into it! If you want a management system to work for any grade level, there has to be buy in from the students. When I was in college I had a professor who was like Mr. Feeney to me & he told us, "a child will do anything for a Jolly Rancher." I used this to my advantage & made it into my classroom management system!

Jolly Rancher Wars is a weekly challenge where my 5 classes compete against each other. They have opportunities to earn points throughout the class for positive behaviors. They can also lose points as a class for being too loud or off task. At the end of the week, whatever class has the most points wins!! Then the following Monday every student in the winning class gets a Jolly Rancher. Yup, that's literally it! (*If there is a tie I give it to both classes)
They earn points for:

1. Coming in quietly and immediately starting on their bell ringer

2. Perfect call & responses (They are loud, say it all together, and then immediately silent afterwards so I can give instructions)

3. Quiet work time

4. On task work time

5. Positive sub report

They lose points for:

1. Being too loud as a class

2. Being off task

*Obviously you can tweak these, but this is what I use with my students!*

Over time I have really made this more student focused than teacher focused. What I mean by this is I now have a student leader in each class that is in charge of giving the class tallys on the white board. I am still telling the student when the class earns a point, but having the job of putting the point on the white board has somehow turned into the most wanted job!! I switch students every week. What tends to happen is if the class is on task, working well, or I just forget to give them a point for something, the student in charge of the points for the week is reminding me right away!! They are so invested.

A question I get a lot about this system is if I take points away. The answer is yes. If the class is too loud or off task, I'll walk over to the board and slowly (& dramatically) erase a point. They are usually so upset haha! Them knowing that I do this also makes the students responsible for each other. If they are starting to get too loud, they remind their classmates that they could lose a point.

This will be my 4th year using this classroom management system. For the first 3 years I literally just wrote my 5 classes on my white board & gave them tally marks for points. It was free, easy, & worked like a charm! This year I decided to upgrade my Jolly Rancher board by creating labels! You can access these editable labels here. The white board was a gift from our principal to our staff two years ago so I don't have a link for that. I love that it is on a separate white board from the ones in the front so it doesn't take up any room I need. You could put this on your wall, chalkboard, whiteboard, etc.

If you are not allowed to give candy at your school, you could always change it up & have the students earn something else like free time, a class game, or whatever else they want to work for! They are so creative that they can help you come up with an idea. For the students that can't have a Jolly Rancher, I give them a mint.

This has been a game changer in my classroom management. It's easy, the kids are motivated by it, & it can quickly be implemented!! The key is to find something that works for YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS!!!!! I have seen so many teachers tweak this to use in their classroom and that is what I love about it the most! If you teach elementary and don't have separate classes, you could always have your students compete versus the other tables in the class. One thing I want to implement this year is to keep track of what class wins the most. Then at the end of the year that class will earn a party.

Let me know if you have any questions about this classroom management system I use for middle school!

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A Classroom Management System for Middle School - Maniacs in the Middle

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Having a classroom management system in middle school is so hard!! A lot of it is too "elementary" for them and they just won't buy into it! If you want a management system to work for any grade level, there has to be buy in from the students.

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This motivation system is used to reward individual students. Students earn tickets for targeted behaviors or for completing predetermined tasks. Then, at given intervals, the teacher has a raffle drawing with the collected tickets and students whose names are drawn may choose a reward. Tickets can be purchased or made and printed by the teacher.

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If you teach in an elementary classroom, chances are, you have a Marble Jar. The Marble Jar is one of my favorite classroom management tools because it is so easy and there are so many ways to use it! Just in case you have never heard of the Marble Jar, the basic idea is that you start with an empty jar, and you add marbles to reward good behavior. When the jar is full, your class gets a treat of some sort. Here are some suggestions for getting the most from your jar:

NOTE: As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Before you implement the Marble Jar consider how often you want to reward your students. Choose a big jar if you want them to work a long time to earn their reward. Keep in mind that a big jar also merits a big reward, such as a class party. Your students will not be very motivated to fill the jar if the reward is an extra five minutes of recess. If you have a particularly challenging class, consider a smaller jar with small, but more frequent rewards. Otherwise, the goal may seem so far away that it is virtually unattainable.

Some teachers use puff balls instead of marbles, often to go along with the idea of giving Warm Fuzzies. As it happens, I am a big fan of warm fuzzies-love the concept, love the book -but I don't like them in place of marbles mainly because when you add one to the jar, there is no "plunk." The plunk is super valuable because it speaks for itself. When you drop marbles in the jar, you don't have to say a word (though sometimes you will want to if it is not clear why marbles are being added).

Sometimes, the plunk is enough. If everyone is working quietly, and you drop a few marbles in the jar, then you really don't have to tell them why. But often you will want your students to know why you are rewarding them, so saying something along the lines of, "Thanks for being ready to start math, Table Three" or "Wow, you were all so quiet in line on the way back from music that I think we need to add some marbles to the jar" will let them know exactly why you are adding marbles. You can also add a small bonus by asking students to add marbles: "Thanks for being so helpful during math today, Julia. Why don't you add five marbles to the jar?"

One nice thing about a big jar is that you can be generous with your rewards. Dropping marbles in the jar often does several good things: It reminds them that you are always watching, it reinforces good behavior, and it allows you to reward many different kinds of behaviors. What should you reward? Here are some ideas:

Working quietly

Being good for a sub

Learning a new routine

Individual good behavior, such as helping another student

Lining up quietly

Doing a good job with clean up

Being on task

Being ready to begin

Solving a class problem

Just because they are such a great group of kids

While you don't want to be stingy, you also don't want to reward every single good behavior. One of the powers of the Marble Jar is that it uses Random Reward to reinforce the behaviors you want to see, which is much more powerful than rewarding consistently (think of slot machines).

Yes, you can take marbles out for bad behavior, but try to avoid it. The Marble Jar should be a beacon of positivity, not a reminder of less than admirable behavior. If you do decide to take marbles out of the jar, make a really, really big deal about it. Make sure they understand that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Bonus marbles are marbles that you put in a little dish beside the marble jar at the start of the day. At the end of the day, you decide if your students have earned all, or any, of the bonus marbles. This can lead to some great discussions if you ask them if they think they deserve the bonus marbles. Just lay some ground rules, such as not naming individuals. Often they will be harder on themselves than you would have been. Another interesting thing to try is to give each student a marble at the start of the day. On the way out the door at the end of the day, each student must consider his or her own behavior and deposit his or her marble into either the Marble Jar or back into the container where you keep the not-yet-added marbles.

The best rewards are something each student in your class will enjoy, are free or cheap, don't take up too much time, and are easy to implement. Depending on your class, a reward can be as simple as 15 minutes of free time on a Friday, but in most cases, you will need to go a little bigger than that. Class parties are popular. One idea for choosing the reward is to have the students brainstorm a bunch of ideas, narrow down to three or four, and then allow students to rank them individually by preference. This will give you a good idea about what is most motivating for your class.
Do you have a Marble Jar in your class? How is it going for you? Any ideas to add? Please comment.

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Make the Most of Your Class Marble Jar - Minds in Bloom

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If you teach in an elementary classroom, chances are, you have a Marble Jar. The Marble Jar is one of my favorite classroom management tools because it is so easy and there are so many ways to use it!

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When my friend Jill (@hellofifth on Instagram) first shared about using water bottle stickers as student rewards in the classroom, I was hooked! I bought a fews sets of them for my students and it was clear that they loved sticker rewards as well! They are cheap, easy-to-implement, and upper grade approved! Fast forward to this year, and I've made a few upgrades to how I use sticker rewards as part of my classroom management!

How my Students Earn Stickers

The most commonly asked question I get about stickers is what I give them to my students for! Here are some ideas:
- Reaching a goal
- Great listening/eye contact
- Prepared + ready to learn
- Acts of kindness
- Terrific teamwork
- Great participation in class
- Amazing leadership
- Great role model behavior
- Lining up quietly

You can really use them for anything! If your class is struggling with something, this is a great way to reinforce the positive behaviors you want to see! And these cards make it easy to hand out during class so students can pick their sticker at a more convenient time!

My students can also buy stickers as part of our classroom economy! More info about our classroom economy coming in another blog post!

How I Manage Sticker Reward Distribution

I used to have students choose stickers by searching through a jar or spreading them all out on our classroom stage, but that took a lot of time and just wasn't the most efficient system! Then I remembered this pocket chart that I got from the Target Dollar spot a few years ago! I hung it to a classroom cupboard with command hooks, and it is the perfect place to put stickers!

Now my students can see all the stickers at once, plus when they grab one it is quick and easy for them to choose the one they want! I can keep it up all the time and not have to worry about taking all the stickers out and putting them away again! The only think I have to do to keep up with it is add more stickers, which I usually do just once, maybe twice a week!

Using Classroom Management Sticker Reward Cards

When I first started this system, I would just verbally tell a student when they earned a sticker, but it can be hard to remember if it's in the middle of a lesson or if there are multiple students at once. That's why I created these sticker reward cards! They are easy to hand out in the middle of class, and then instead of students getting their sticker in the middle of a lesson, they can wait until a more convenient time (like before a break or dismissal) to redeem their reward card!

Where Students Put the Stickers

My students put the stickers on any of their personal belongings that they would like! A lot of them love putting the stickers on their water bottles, folders, notebooks, pencil box, etc.! I even had a student one year who loved putting them on his skateboard! If you are unsure of where to have your students put stickers, I included an option for you in my Classroom Management Sticker Cards where students can put the sticker right on the reward card! Then it also doubles as a positive note they can bring home to show their family!

Where I get my Stickers

These are a few of our favorite packs of stickers from the past couple years! I buy stickers based on what my students like! Sometimes I'll even ask them what type of stickers they want me to order next!

Or you can click here to shop all these stickers and other classroom favorites from my Amazon storefront!

Just a note that I always like to go through the stickers before I bring them into my class! Sometimes there are stickers that may not be appropriate included in the large packs!

Sticker Chart Display

I have a whole blog post all about this display chart and how easy it is for students to see and grab stickers from! I also share where I store stickers that aren't currently being displayed!

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Sticker Reward Classroom Management Strategy - Lessons With Laughter

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When my friend Jill (@hellofifth on Instagram) first shared about using water bottle stickers as student rewards in the classroom, I was hooked! I bought a fews sets of them for my students and it was clear that they loved sticker rewards as well! They are cheap, easy-to-implement, and upper grade approved!

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Classcraft : Video Game Classroom Management

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Classcraft : Video Game Classroom Management

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HMH Classcraft pairs ELA and math content with research-based lesson plans resulting in reduced educator planning time and increased student engagement.

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83 Best Classroom Reward Party Ideas! - Katy's Kid Corner

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Looking for classroom reward party ideas? This is the best list you'll find. Your student will have so much fun partying with you! I love class parties! Who doesn't love a good party, right?! During my seven years teaching second and third grade, I threw parties for my whole class rewards system.

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Getting to Know You Flipgrid Choice Board

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Pink & Purple Reading Interest Survey Worksheet

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Check out this US letter designed by Donna Schies.

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Paper airplanes fly across the room. Students race between desks. You can't get a word in, as they yell over you.

Disruptive behavior doesn't have to be this dramatic, like a movie scene you'd watch in a media literacy lesson, but poor classroom management will almost assuredly elevate your stress and burnout rates.

Unfortunately, a 2019 report indicates that teachers overwhelmingly report a lack of professional development support in improving classroom management. Despite this unideal situation, there are straightforward and effective classroom management approaches you can implement by yourself. These approaches can enhance prosocial student behavior and academic engagement, establishing an orderly learning environment.

Available as a downloadable list to keep at your desk, below are 20 research-backed classroom management strategies and techniques.

Use the ones that best appeal to your situation and teaching style.

Universal classroom management strategies for educators

These 20 classroom management techniques have shown to improve classroom behavior, build relationships for a better classroom community, and foster a positive classroom environment where student learning is the number one collective goal.

Try these effective classroom management strategies with your students to become a happier, more effective teacher.

1. Model ideal behavior

Make a habit of demonstrating behavior you want to see, as many studies show that modelling effectively teaches students how to act in different situations.

A straightforward way to model certain behaviors is holding a mock conversation with an administrator, other teacher or student helper in front of the class. Talking about a test or other relatable topic, be sure to:

Use polite language

Maintain eye contact

Keep phones in your pockets

Let one another speak uninterrupted

Raise concerns about one another's statements in a respectful manner

After, start a class discussion to list and expand upon the ideal behaviors you exemplified.

2. Let students help establish guidelines

Encourage all students to help you build classroom expectations and rules, as you'll generate more buy-in than just telling them what they're not allowed to do.

This is especially essential for new teachers. Near the start of the school year or during the first day of a semester, start a discussion by asking students what they believe should and shouldn't fly in terms of appropriate behavior.

At what points are phones okay and not okay? What are acceptable noise levels during lessons?

This may seem like you're setting yourself up for failure, but -- depending on the makeup of your class -- you may be shocked at the strictness of some proposed rules. Regardless, having a discussion should lead to mutually-understood and -respected expectations for your classroom culture.

3. Document rules
Don't let your mutually-respected guidelines go forgotten.
Similar to handing out a syllabus, print and distribute the list of rules that the class discussion generated. Then, go through the list with your students. Doing this emphasizes the fact that you respect their ideas and intend to adhere to them. And when a student breaks a rule, it'll be easy for you to point to this document.

You'll likely want to post these rules up in your classroom - if you haven't already - for occasional reference. If you're feeling creative, you can include the rule list in a student handbook with important dates, events and curriculum information, too.

4. Avoid punishing the class

Address isolated discipline problems individually instead of punishing an entire class, as the latter can hurt your relationships with students who are on-task and thereby jeopardize other classroom management efforts.

Instead, call out specific students in a friendly manner. For example:

"Do you have a question?", not "Stop talking and disrupting other students"

"Do you need help focusing?", not "Pay attention and stop fooling around while I'm talking"

This basic approach will allow you to keep a friendly disposition, while immediately acknowledging inappropriate behavior.

5. Encourage initiative

Promote growth mindset, and inject variety into your lessons, by allowing students to work ahead and deliver short presentations to share take-away points. Almost inevitably, you'll have some eager learners in your classroom. You can simply ask them if they'd like to get ahead from time-to-time.

For example, if you're reading a specific chapter in a textbook, propose that they read the following one too. When they deliver their subsequent presentations to preview the next chapter on your behalf, you may find that other students want a bit more work as well.

6. Offer praise

Praise students for jobs well done, as doing so improves academic and behavioral performance, according to a recent research review and study.

When it is sincere and references specific examples of effort or accomplishment, praise can:

Inspire the class

Improve a student's self-esteem

Reinforce rules and values you want to see

Perhaps more importantly, it encourages students to repeat positive behavior. Let's say a student exemplifies advanced problem-solving skills when tackling a math word problem. Praising his or her use of specific tactics should go a long way in ensuring he or she continues to use these tactics. Not to mention, you'll motivate other students to do the same.

7. Use non-verbal communication

Complement words with actions and visual aids to improve content delivery, helping students focus and process lessons.

Many differentiated instruction strategies and techniques are rooted in these communication methods. For example, running learning stations -- divided sections of your classroom through which students rotate -- allows you to deliver a range of non-spoken content types. These include videos, infographics and physical objects such as counting coins.

8. Hold parties

Throw an occasional classroom party to acknowledge students' hard work, motivating them to keep it up.

Even if it's just for 20 or 30 minutes, they should be happy with snacks and a selection of group games to play. Clarify that you're holding the party to reward them and they can earn future parties by demonstrating ideal behavior, collectively scoring high on assessments and more.

9. Give tangible rewards

Reward specific students at the end of each lesson, in front of the class, as another motivational and behavior-reinforcement technique.

Let's say a few students are actively listening throughout the entire lesson, answering questions and asking their own. Before the class ends, walk over to their desks to give them raffle tickets. So others can learn, state aloud what each student did to earn the tickets. On Friday, they can submit their tickets for a shot at a prize that changes each week -- from candy to being able to choose a game for the next class party.

10. Make positive letters and phone calls

Keep students happy in and out of class by pleasantly surprising their parents, making positive phone calls and sending complimentary letters home.

When the occasion arises, from academic effort or behavioral progress, letting parents know has a trickle-down effect. They'll generally congratulate their kids; their kids will likely come to class eager to earn more positive feedback. This can also entice parents to grow more invested in a child's learning, opening the door to at-home lessons. Such lessons are a mainstay element of culturally-responsive teaching.

11. Build excitement for content and lesson plans

This one works well no matter the grade level: elementary school, middle school or high school. Start lessons by previewing particularly-exciting parts, hooking student interest from the get-go.

As the bell rings and students settle, go through an agenda of the day's highlights for the whole class. These could include group tasks, engaging bits of content and anything else to pique curiosity. For example, "Throughout the day, you'll learn about:"

How to talk like you're a teacher (sentence structure)

Why you don't know anyone who's won the lottery (probability)

What all the presidents of the United States have had in common (social analysis)

The goal of this classroom management technique is to immediately interest students in your agenda and thereby dissuade misbehavior.

Ready to make learning an exciting adventure?

Use Prodigy to boost classroom engagement and excitement with two captivating learning games for math and English!

12. Offer different types of free study time

Provide a range of activities during free study time to appeal to students who struggle to process content in silence, individually.

You can do this by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned solo and team activities. In separate sections, consider:

Providing audiobooks, which can play material relevant to your lessons

Maintaining a designated quiet space for students to take notes and complete work

Creating a station for challenging group games that teach or reinforce standards-aligned skills

Allowing students to work in groups while taking notes and completing work, away from quiet zones

By running these sorts of activities, free study time will begin to benefit diverse learners. This should contribute to overall classroom engagement.

13. Write group contracts

Help student group work run smoothly and effectively by writing contracts that contain guidelines, having everyone sign.

Group contracts should be based on expectations that students have for each other, and you have for them. You can gather the class's thoughts by holding a discussion about what the ideal group member does, and how he or she acts. Once you've written the contract, encourage students to come up with consequences for violating expectations.

By having them sign a fresh version of the contract before each group task and project, you're empowering them to hold each other accountable.

14. Assign open-ended projects

Encourage students to tackle open-ended projects -- projects that don't demand a specific product -- to allow them to demonstrate knowledge in ways that inherently suit them.

This starts by giving the class a list of broad project ideas, asking each student to choose one. Be sure to provide a rubric for each project that clearly defines expectations. By both enticing and challenging students, you should notice they'll:

Work and learn at their own paces

Engage actively with appropriate content

Demonstrate knowledge as effectively as possible

With these benefits, students may actually look forward to taking on new projects.

15. Give only two scores for informal assessments

Recall a time you saw a big "F" in red ink on your work. You were probably too upset to review mistakes and feedback, and so are your students when they see the same.
So, consider avoiding standard marks on informal and formative assessments.
Instead, just state if a student did or did not meet expectations. Then, provide struggling students with a clear path to improve. For example, pair classmates who didn't meet expectations with those who did, giving them a review and practice activity. When strugglers are confident they understand key concepts, encourage them to tell you. Provide a new assessment, allowing them to prove their competency.

Classroom management strategies for individual students

16. Use EdTech that adjusts to each student

Give students who struggle to process your content opportunities to try educational technology that adapts to their needs.

There are many games and platforms that use adaptive learning principles to detect a given student's skill deficits, serving them content to help overcome them.

For example, Prodigy Math adjusts its content to help students in grades 1 to 8 address their trouble spots. It also offers feedback to help them solve specific mistakes, as they answer questions that use words, charts, pictures and numbers.

The best bit? Teaching tools are all available at no cost to educators and schools.
See the student experience below!
Educators, access at no cost

17. Interview students

Interview students who aren't academically engaged or displaying prosocial behavior to learn how to better manage them.

While running learning stations or a large-group activity, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

What helps them focus

Who they work well with

Their favorite types of lessons

Their favorite in-class activities

Which kinds of exercises help them remember key lesson points

Note their answers to come up with activities and approaches that engage them, thereby limiting classroom disruptions.

18. Address inappropriate or off-task behavior quickly

Avoid hesitation when you must address inappropriate or off-task behavior, especially when a student breaks a documented rule.

Acting sooner than later will help ensure that negative feelings -- whether between students or you and a student -- won't fester. Failure to act can result in more poor behavior, leading to needlessly-difficult conversations.

But keep in mind: It's usually best to talk to the student in private. Research shows that punishing students in front of peers has "limited value."

19. Consider peer teaching

Use peer teaching as a classroom management strategy if you feel your top performers can help engage and educate disruptive and struggling students.

Peer teaching activities, such as pairing students together as reading buddies, can be especially beneficial for students who suffer from low confidence and poor interpersonal skills.

Authoritative research states tutors improve self-esteem and interpersonal skills by giving feedback. Tutees realize benefits because they can ask questions and receive immediate clarification. A later study of at-risk students echoes these advantages. Although you should spend time teaching peer tutors how to properly communicate with tutees, you'll likely find the benefits are worth the work.

20. Gamify personal learning plans

Motivate students on personal learning plans by gamifying those plans, as studies - such as recent research from South Korea - indicate this will continuously engage and incentivize them.

Consider gamification strategies such as:

Adjusting your scoring system -- Give experience points (XP) -- along with traditional scores -- on tests and assignments, setting a goal for the student to reach a certain amount of XP per unit. For example, if a student scores 60% on a quiz, give him or her 6,000 XP. You can also award XP for completing extra assignments, participating in class or anything else that shows effort to learn.

Using stages -- Refer to topics and units as stages. The former terms have clear connotations for you, but students may not see how they fit together. If they're gamers, they'll understand that reaching the next stage requires overcoming precursory challenges. Emphasize this by framing certain tasks as prerequisites to reach the next learning stage.

If these strategies work especially well for individual students, you should see similar success by using them as class-wide student management techniques.

Classroom management strategy FAQs

What is the best classroom management style?

According to Diana Baumrind's work, a clinical psychologist known for her research on parenting styles, some educators believe an authoritative classroom management style may the best one. This type of high control, high involvement classroom management style is characterized by strong expectations of appropriate behavior, clear understandings of why certain behaviors are acceptable and others not acceptable, and warm student-teacher relationships.

However, there is no specific approach that has been proven to be the most effective. So you may wish to review The Classroom Management Book by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong which includes a variety of solutions that can be easily implemented. Every group of students has varying needs and will likely need a unique approach to help every student bring his or her best self to the classroom and be ready-to-learn every single day.

What are the four components of classroom management?

Implementing the top four components of classroom management from the start will set you and your students up for success all year long. They are:

Classroom design - be intentional about how you set up your desk, your students' desks, bulletin board displays, devices and other aspects of your classroom. Thoughtful classroom design can help create a safe and welcoming learning environment.

Rules/discipline - to create a safe and caring school community, develop classroom rules your students understand and - hopefully - respect. While it may not be fun, be sure to communicate that breaking classroom rules will have concrete yet fair consequences.

Scheduling/organization - being on time, keeping on task and staying organized will help set up your lessons (and your students' learning) up for success.

Instructional technique - while you may not have the flexibility you'd like when it comes to content and curriculum, you should have the freedom to choose how you teach. For example, 8th grade students may prefer a lecture-style lesson with small group discussions while 3rd grade students may prefer learning math with a digital game-based learning platform. Observe how your students learn best and use the classroom management strategies and techniques to teach your lessons.

Why is classroom management so important?

When done effectively, classroom management is important for three main reasons. It:

1. Creates and sustains an orderly learning environment in the classroom

2. Improves meaningful academic learning and fosters social-emotional growth

3. Increases students' academic engagement and lowers negative classroom behavior

Final thoughts about these classroom management strategies

These class-wide and one-on-one approaches to classroom management largely work across subjects and grade levels. Implementable without admin and parent support, they should empower you to establish an orderly - yet friendly and engaging - environment.

Look forward to better teacher-to-student and student-to-student interactions as a result.

Looking for a fun way to engage and reward your students? Try Prodigy Math! Aligned with curricula for grades 1 to 8, students will practice key skills while also exploring an exciting fantasy world.

Plus, you'll get access to free teacher tools that help you differentiate math content, send assessments and collect student insights - in just a few clicks.

Educators, access at no cost

Paper airplanes fly across the room. Students race between desks. You can't get a word in, as they yell over you.

Disruptive behavior doesn't have to be this dramatic, like a movie scene you'd watch in a media literacy lesson, but poor classroom management will almost assuredly elevate your stress and burnout rates.

Unfortunately, a 2019 report indicates that teachers overwhelmingly report a lack of professional development support in improving classroom management. Despite this unideal situation, there are straightforward and effective classroom management approaches you can implement by yourself. These approaches can enhance prosocial student behavior and academic engagement, establishing an orderly learning environment.

Available as a downloadable list to keep at your desk, below are 20 research-backed classroom management strategies and techniques.

Use the ones that best appeal to your situation and teaching style.

Universal classroom management strategies for educators

These 20 classroom management techniques have shown to improve classroom behavior, build relationships for a better classroom community, and foster a positive classroom environment where student learning is the number one collective goal.

Try these effective classroom management strategies with your students to become a happier, more effective teacher.

1. Model ideal behavior

Make a habit of demonstrating behavior you want to see, as many studies show that modelling effectively teaches students how to act in different situations.

A straightforward way to model certain behaviors is holding a mock conversation with an administrator, other teacher or student helper in front of the class. Talking about a test or other relatable topic, be sure to:

Use polite language

Maintain eye contact

Keep phones in your pockets

Let one another speak uninterrupted

Raise concerns about one another's statements in a respectful manner

After, start a class discussion to list and expand upon the ideal behaviors you exemplified.

2. Let students help establish guidelines

Encourage all students to help you build classroom expectations and rules, as you'll generate more buy-in than just telling them what they're not allowed to do.

This is especially essential for new teachers. Near the start of the school year or during the first day of a semester, start a discussion by asking students what they believe should and shouldn't fly in terms of appropriate behavior.

At what points are phones okay and not okay? What are acceptable noise levels during lessons?

This may seem like you're setting yourself up for failure, but -- depending on the makeup of your class -- you may be shocked at the strictness of some proposed rules. Regardless, having a discussion should lead to mutually-understood and -respected expectations for your classroom culture.

3. Document rules
Don't let your mutually-respected guidelines go forgotten.
Similar to handing out a syllabus, print and distribute the list of rules that the class discussion generated. Then, go through the list with your students. Doing this emphasizes the fact that you respect their ideas and intend to adhere to them. And when a student breaks a rule, it'll be easy for you to point to this document.

You'll likely want to post these rules up in your classroom - if you haven't already - for occasional reference. If you're feeling creative, you can include the rule list in a student handbook with important dates, events and curriculum information, too.

4. Avoid punishing the class

Address isolated discipline problems individually instead of punishing an entire class, as the latter can hurt your relationships with students who are on-task and thereby jeopardize other classroom management efforts.

Instead, call out specific students in a friendly manner. For example:

"Do you have a question?", not "Stop talking and disrupting other students"

"Do you need help focusing?", not "Pay attention and stop fooling around while I'm talking"

This basic approach will allow you to keep a friendly disposition, while immediately acknowledging inappropriate behavior.

5. Encourage initiative

Promote growth mindset, and inject variety into your lessons, by allowing students to work ahead and deliver short presentations to share take-away points. Almost inevitably, you'll have some eager learners in your classroom. You can simply ask them if they'd like to get ahead from time-to-time.

For example, if you're reading a specific chapter in a textbook, propose that they read the following one too. When they deliver their subsequent presentations to preview the next chapter on your behalf, you may find that other students want a bit more work as well.

6. Offer praise

Praise students for jobs well done, as doing so improves academic and behavioral performance, according to a recent research review and study.

When it is sincere and references specific examples of effort or accomplishment, praise can:

Inspire the class

Improve a student's self-esteem

Reinforce rules and values you want to see

Perhaps more importantly, it encourages students to repeat positive behavior. Let's say a student exemplifies advanced problem-solving skills when tackling a math word problem. Praising his or her use of specific tactics should go a long way in ensuring he or she continues to use these tactics. Not to mention, you'll motivate other students to do the same.

7. Use non-verbal communication

Complement words with actions and visual aids to improve content delivery, helping students focus and process lessons.

Many differentiated instruction strategies and techniques are rooted in these communication methods. For example, running learning stations -- divided sections of your classroom through which students rotate -- allows you to deliver a range of non-spoken content types. These include videos, infographics and physical objects such as counting coins.

8. Hold parties

Throw an occasional classroom party to acknowledge students' hard work, motivating them to keep it up.

Even if it's just for 20 or 30 minutes, they should be happy with snacks and a selection of group games to play. Clarify that you're holding the party to reward them and they can earn future parties by demonstrating ideal behavior, collectively scoring high on assessments and more.

9. Give tangible rewards

Reward specific students at the end of each lesson, in front of the class, as another motivational and behavior-reinforcement technique.

Let's say a few students are actively listening throughout the entire lesson, answering questions and asking their own. Before the class ends, walk over to their desks to give them raffle tickets. So others can learn, state aloud what each student did to earn the tickets. On Friday, they can submit their tickets for a shot at a prize that changes each week -- from candy to being able to choose a game for the next class party.

10. Make positive letters and phone calls

Keep students happy in and out of class by pleasantly surprising their parents, making positive phone calls and sending complimentary letters home.

When the occasion arises, from academic effort or behavioral progress, letting parents know has a trickle-down effect. They'll generally congratulate their kids; their kids will likely come to class eager to earn more positive feedback. This can also entice parents to grow more invested in a child's learning, opening the door to at-home lessons. Such lessons are a mainstay element of culturally-responsive teaching.

11. Build excitement for content and lesson plans

This one works well no matter the grade level: elementary school, middle school or high school. Start lessons by previewing particularly-exciting parts, hooking student interest from the get-go.

As the bell rings and students settle, go through an agenda of the day's highlights for the whole class. These could include group tasks, engaging bits of content and anything else to pique curiosity. For example, "Throughout the day, you'll learn about:"

How to talk like you're a teacher (sentence structure)

Why you don't know anyone who's won the lottery (probability)

What all the presidents of the United States have had in common (social analysis)

The goal of this classroom management technique is to immediately interest students in your agenda and thereby dissuade misbehavior.

Ready to make learning an exciting adventure?

Use Prodigy to boost classroom engagement and excitement with two captivating learning games for math and English!

12. Offer different types of free study time

Provide a range of activities during free study time to appeal to students who struggle to process content in silence, individually.

You can do this by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned solo and team activities. In separate sections, consider:

Providing audiobooks, which can play material relevant to your lessons

Maintaining a designated quiet space for students to take notes and complete work

Creating a station for challenging group games that teach or reinforce standards-aligned skills

Allowing students to work in groups while taking notes and completing work, away from quiet zones

By running these sorts of activities, free study time will begin to benefit diverse learners. This should contribute to overall classroom engagement.

13. Write group contracts

Help student group work run smoothly and effectively by writing contracts that contain guidelines, having everyone sign.

Group contracts should be based on expectations that students have for each other, and you have for them. You can gather the class's thoughts by holding a discussion about what the ideal group member does, and how he or she acts. Once you've written the contract, encourage students to come up with consequences for violating expectations.

By having them sign a fresh version of the contract before each group task and project, you're empowering them to hold each other accountable.

14. Assign open-ended projects

Encourage students to tackle open-ended projects -- projects that don't demand a specific product -- to allow them to demonstrate knowledge in ways that inherently suit them.

This starts by giving the class a list of broad project ideas, asking each student to choose one. Be sure to provide a rubric for each project that clearly defines expectations. By both enticing and challenging students, you should notice they'll:

Work and learn at their own paces

Engage actively with appropriate content

Demonstrate knowledge as effectively as possible

With these benefits, students may actually look forward to taking on new projects.

15. Give only two scores for informal assessments

Recall a time you saw a big "F" in red ink on your work. You were probably too upset to review mistakes and feedback, and so are your students when they see the same.
So, consider avoiding standard marks on informal and formative assessments.
Instead, just state if a student did or did not meet expectations. Then, provide struggling students with a clear path to improve. For example, pair classmates who didn't meet expectations with those who did, giving them a review and practice activity. When strugglers are confident they understand key concepts, encourage them to tell you. Provide a new assessment, allowing them to prove their competency.

Classroom management strategies for individual students

16. Use EdTech that adjusts to each student

Give students who struggle to process your content opportunities to try educational technology that adapts to their needs.

There are many games and platforms that use adaptive learning principles to detect a given student's skill deficits, serving them content to help overcome them.

For example, Prodigy Math adjusts its content to help students in grades 1 to 8 address their trouble spots. It also offers feedback to help them solve specific mistakes, as they answer questions that use words, charts, pictures and numbers.

The best bit? Teaching tools are all available at no cost to educators and schools.
See the student experience below!
Educators, access at no cost

17. Interview students

Interview students who aren't academically engaged or displaying prosocial behavior to learn how to better manage them.

While running learning stations or a large-group activity, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

What helps them focus

Who they work well with

Their favorite types of lessons

Their favorite in-class activities

Which kinds of exercises help them remember key lesson points

Note their answers to come up with activities and approaches that engage them, thereby limiting classroom disruptions.

18. Address inappropriate or off-task behavior quickly

Avoid hesitation when you must address inappropriate or off-task behavior, especially when a student breaks a documented rule.

Acting sooner than later will help ensure that negative feelings -- whether between students or you and a student -- won't fester. Failure to act can result in more poor behavior, leading to needlessly-difficult conversations.

But keep in mind: It's usually best to talk to the student in private. Research shows that punishing students in front of peers has "limited value."

19. Consider peer teaching

Use peer teaching as a classroom management strategy if you feel your top performers can help engage and educate disruptive and struggling students.

Peer teaching activities, such as pairing students together as reading buddies, can be especially beneficial for students who suffer from low confidence and poor interpersonal skills.

Authoritative research states tutors improve self-esteem and interpersonal skills by giving feedback. Tutees realize benefits because they can ask questions and receive immediate clarification. A later study of at-risk students echoes these advantages. Although you should spend time teaching peer tutors how to properly communicate with tutees, you'll likely find the benefits are worth the work.

20. Gamify personal learning plans

Motivate students on personal learning plans by gamifying those plans, as studies - such as recent research from South Korea - indicate this will continuously engage and incentivize them.

Consider gamification strategies such as:

Adjusting your scoring system -- Give experience points (XP) -- along with traditional scores -- on tests and assignments, setting a goal for the student to reach a certain amount of XP per unit. For example, if a student scores 60% on a quiz, give him or her 6,000 XP. You can also award XP for completing extra assignments, participating in class or anything else that shows effort to learn.

Using stages -- Refer to topics and units as stages. The former terms have clear connotations for you, but students may not see how they fit together. If they're gamers, they'll understand that reaching the next stage requires overcoming precursory challenges. Emphasize this by framing certain tasks as prerequisites to reach the next learning stage.

If these strategies work especially well for individual students, you should see similar success by using them as class-wide student management techniques.

Classroom management strategy FAQs

What is the best classroom management style?

According to Diana Baumrind's work, a clinical psychologist known for her research on parenting styles, some educators believe an authoritative classroom management style may the best one. This type of high control, high involvement classroom management style is characterized by strong expectations of appropriate behavior, clear understandings of why certain behaviors are acceptable and others not acceptable, and warm student-teacher relationships.

However, there is no specific approach that has been proven to be the most effective. So you may wish to review The Classroom Management Book by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong which includes a variety of solutions that can be easily implemented. Every group of students has varying needs and will likely need a unique approach to help every student bring his or her best self to the classroom and be ready-to-learn every single day.

What are the four components of classroom management?

Implementing the top four components of classroom management from the start will set you and your students up for success all year long. They are:

Classroom design - be intentional about how you set up your desk, your students' desks, bulletin board displays, devices and other aspects of your classroom. Thoughtful classroom design can help create a safe and welcoming learning environment.

Rules/discipline - to create a safe and caring school community, develop classroom rules your students understand and - hopefully - respect. While it may not be fun, be sure to communicate that breaking classroom rules will have concrete yet fair consequences.

Scheduling/organization - being on time, keeping on task and staying organized will help set up your lessons (and your students' learning) up for success.

Instructional technique - while you may not have the flexibility you'd like when it comes to content and curriculum, you should have the freedom to choose how you teach. For example, 8th grade students may prefer a lecture-style lesson with small group discussions while 3rd grade students may prefer learning math with a digital game-based learning platform. Observe how your students learn best and use the classroom management strategies and techniques to teach your lessons.

Why is classroom management so important?

When done effectively, classroom management is important for three main reasons. It:

1. Creates and sustains an orderly learning environment in the classroom

2. Improves meaningful academic learning and fosters social-emotional growth

3. Increases students' academic engagement and lowers negative classroom behavior

Final thoughts about these classroom management strategies

These class-wide and one-on-one approaches to classroom management largely work across subjects and grade levels. Implementable without admin and parent support, they should empower you to establish an orderly - yet friendly and engaging - environment.

Look forward to better teacher-to-student and student-to-student interactions as a result.

Looking for a fun way to engage and reward your students? Try Prodigy Math! Aligned with curricula for grades 1 to 8, students will practice key skills while also exploring an exciting fantasy world.

Plus, you'll get access to free teacher tools that help you differentiate math content, send assessments and collect student insights - in just a few clicks.

Educators, access at no cost

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20 Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques [+ Downloadable List]

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Paper airplanes fly across the room. Students race between desks. You can't get a word in, as they yell over you. Disruptive behavior doesn't have to be this dramatic, like a movie scene you'd watch in a media literacy lesson, but poor classroom management will almost assuredly elevate your stress and burnout rates.

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New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.

In the 1950s, psychologists Jacob Kounin and Paul Gump discovered a curious side effect of discipline: If a student was being disruptive and the teacher responded with strict disciplinary measures, the student might stop-but other students would start exhibiting the same misbehavior. Kounin and Gump called this the " ripple effect," and it demonstrated that efforts to control a classroom can backfire.

"The teacher who is interested in controlling ripple effects can generally do so best by giving clear instructions to the child rather than by exerting pressure on him," Kounin and Gump wrote.

Decades later, classroom management is still a thorny issue for teachers. Nearly half of new teachers report that they feel "not at all prepared" or "only somewhat prepared" to handle disruptive students, in part because the average teacher training program devotes just eight hours to the topic, according to a 2014 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. This lack of training comes with a cost, as teachers report losing 144 minutes of instructional time on average to behavioral disruptions every week, which comes out to roughly three weeks over the course of a year.

Recent research confirms what Kounin and Gump discovered decades ago. A 2016 study found that while negative attention-reprimands like "Stop chitchatting!"-may temporarily stop misbehavior, students eventually became more likely to engage in disruptive behavior. Students in the study felt disengaged, had difficulty concentrating, and weren't able to effectively regulate their thoughts and emotions-a vicious cycle that "actually amplifies students' inappropriate behavior," the study authors explain.

8 PROACTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Instead of handling disruptions after they've happened, it can be more effective to set up conditions in which they are less likely to occur. Here are eight classroom strategies that teachers have shared with Edutopia, all backed by research.

1. Greet students at the door: At Van Ness Elementary School in Washington, DC, Falon Turner starts the day by giving each of her students a high-five, handshake, or hug. "During that time, I'm just trying to connect with them.... It's kind of like a pulse check to see where they are," she says.

In a study published last year, greeting students at the door helped teachers set a positive tone for the rest of the day, boosting academic engagement by 20 percentage points while reducing disruptive behavior by 9 percentage points-adding roughly an hour of engagement over the course of the school day.

2. Establish, maintain, and restore relationships: Building relationships with students through strategies like greeting them at the door is a good start. It's also necessary to maintain them over the course of the school year, and to repair them when conflicts arise. "The stronger the relationship and the better we understand our students, the more knowledge and goodwill we have to draw on when the going gets tough," writes Marieke van Woerkom, a restorative practices coach at the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility in New York.

Strategies for establishing, maintaining, and restoring relationships -such as regular check-ins, and focusing on solutions instead of problems-can reduce disruptions by up to 75 percent.

3. Use reminders and cues: "Novelty-such as the sound of a wind chime or rain stick-captures young students' attention" writes Todd Finley, a former English teacher and current professor of English education, who suggests using these techniques to quiet a noisy class.

For older students, give plenty of warning if you need them to follow instructions. Reminders and cues are helpful ways to encourage students to follow instructions without being overtly controlling or forceful. For example, if you can anticipate a disruption-such as students getting out of their seats if they finish an assignment early-give a short reminder of what they should do instead.

Reminders are commonly verbal, but can also be visual (flicking the lights to signal that it's time to be quiet), auditory (ringing a small bell to let students know they should pay attention to the teacher), or physical (using a hand signal to let students know to get back in their seats).

4. Optimize classroom seating: When students choose their own seats, they're three times more likely to be disruptive than when seats are assigned. After all, they'll probably pick seats next to their friends and spend more time chatting.

Courtesy of Emily Polak

For ninth-grade teacher Emily Polak, flexible seating is part of effective classroom management.

But that doesn't mean choice is always bad. Giving students a sense of ownership in the room, paired with clear expectations for behavior, can have surprisingly positive effects. A welcoming space can reduce anxiety and boost academic performance. Emily Polak, a ninth-grade teacher in Madison, Alabama, gave her room a cozier feel by adding a couch, a loveseat, rugs, a coffee table, and posters. Her students decide where to sit-but if they can't get their work done, they get moved back to a desk. "Discipline issues have significantly decreased. My students seem to feel more relaxed and more motivated in a setting that honors their choices," Polak says.

5. Give behavior-specific praise: It may seem counterintuitive, but acknowledging positive behavior and ignoring low-level disruptions can be more effective than punishing or disciplining students. Instead of focusing on specific students, offer praise for the behavior you want to reinforce. For example, tell students, "Excellent work getting to your seats quickly."

It's also helpful to avoid using the word don't, suggests Alyssa Nucaro, a sixth-grade English teacher in Memphis. Students are more likely to listen to instructions that include clear reasons.

6. Set clear expectations: Instead of just displaying rules for behavior, have a discussion with your students about why those rules matter. Bobby Shaddox, a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Portland, Maine, works with his students to create a list of norms-words such as inclusive, focused, and considerate -to build a sense of community. "It helps us own the behavior in the classroom," Shaddox says. "Instead of a top-down list of rules that a teacher gives a class, these are words that we generated together. These are words that we believe in."

7. Actively supervise: "Presence is crucial to maintaining classroom management and to effective delivery of instruction, and it's a skill we can develop with effort," explains Sol Henik, a high school teacher in Pleasant Hill, California. Although it's tempting to sit at your desk and grade papers, that's also an invitation to your students to get distracted. Be active: Move around the room, check in on student progress, and ask questions. It's not about policing your students, but about interacting with them.

A 2017 study found that a teacher's nonverbal cues-such as smiling and making eye contact-can "reduce physical and/or psychological distance" with their students, boosting students' positive feelings toward the teacher and the course material while improving behavior.

8. Be consistent in applying rules: Early in Kelly Wickham Hurst's career as an administrator in a public high school, she was asked to discipline a black student for violating the school dress code by wearing sagging jeans. As they walked down the hallway, he pointed out other boys-all white-who were also wearing sagging pants. "Are you gonna get him, too, or is it just me?" he asked. School and classroom expectations, rules, and routines should be followed and applied fairly to all students. Don't single out certain students-it's the behavior you should be focused on, not the student. Correct errors when you see them and provide additional instruction or reteaching when misbehavior occurs.

New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.

Courtesy of Emily Polak

For ninth-grade teacher Emily Polak, flexible seating is part of effective classroom management.

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Edutopia: The Research is in 8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips and other things to know

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New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins. In the 1950s, psychologists Jacob Kounin and Paul Gump discovered a curious side effect of discipline: If a student was being disruptive and the teacher responded with strict disciplinary measures, the student might stop-but other students would start exhibiting the same misbehavior.

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Pastel Doodle Mental Health Check In Instagram Post

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Check out this Instagram post designed by Donna Schies.

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If you're looking to assign classroom jobs, take a look at these awesome classroom jobs for students.

While teachers are typically the ones who manage, who says that students shouldn't have a role in the classroom?

Assigning classroom jobs to students teaches responsibility, makes them feel part of a team, and gives them a purpose.

The issue is coming up with enough classroom jobs for students so that everyone receives a role that's valued.

This post shares ideas for meaningful classroom jobs for students that can work for students of all ages.

No matter the grade or subject you teach, you're sure to find a role to fit every student's preference within this classroom jobs list.

15 must-do classroom routines and procedures

Classroom Jobs for Students
The following classroom jobs for students use real-world titles that are sure to grab students' attention.
1. Absentee Organizer

The Absentee Organizer has legible handwriting and pays attention to detail. He or she records class assignments and homework on a designated form.

This student places those notes in the "Absentee Folder" and gives it to the absent child upon his/her return.

2. Aesthetic Crew

This is one of the few classroom jobs for students that require more than one person to perform.

The Aesthetic Crew keeps the classroom looking immaculate.

At the end of the day, this group spruces up the classroom and erases the whiteboards.

3. Attendance Aide

The Attendance Aide takes attendance each day.

4. Backpack Monitor

The Backpack Monitor is neat and organized. He or she straightens backpacks and removes them from others' walking space.

5. Birthday Director

The Birthday Director is outgoing, likes to celebrate others, and enjoys singing.

He notes student birthdays on the classroom calendar and leads the class in singing the "Happy Birthday" song on a child's birthday.

6. Botanist

The Botanist has a tendency for "green thumb" activities. He or she waters and nurtures the classroom plants.

7. Caboose

The Caboose closes the door when the class leaves to go to another location in the school. He also turns off the lights upon the class exiting.

8. Centers Manager

The Centers Manager sets up literacy centers or word work activities. Additionally, he or she returns center activities and materials to their appropriate locations.

9. Cubby Captain

The Cubby Captain gently pushes protruding items into the respective cubby. He or she notes which cubbies are in disarray and informs the teacher.

10. Daily Scheduler

The Daily Scheduler writes the date on the board each morning and changes the month/day cards on the classroom calendar.

11. Desk Inspector

The Desk Inspector serves as a role model by keeping her desk immaculate. She reviews classmates' desks daily or weekly checking for organization plus neatness.

12. Distribution Specialist

The Distribution Specialist is efficient and organized. He distributes papers.

13. Door Holder

The Door Holder holds the door open for classmates as they walk to and from various locations.

14. Electrician

The Electrician turns on/off lights upon entering/exiting the classroom.

He or she makes sure classroom computers and mobile devices are turned off at the end of the day.

15. Financial Advisor

The Financial Advisor "pays" classmates their "salary" each week (if the class has a class economy classroom set-up).

This helper also assists the teacher in counting money raised during classroom fundraisers.

16. Musician

The Musician chooses songs from the writer's workshop playlist to play softly during independent writing time and controls the volume.

17. Paper Collector

The Paper Collector collects classroom/homework assignments, organizes them neatly, and then hands the work to the teacher.

18. Pencil Patrol

The Pencil Patrol sharpens "community-property" pencils at the beginning and end of the school day.

Additionally, he or she empties the electric pencil sharpener when full.

19. Pet Keeper

The Pet Keeper feeds and cares for the classroom pet.

20. Property Manager

The Property Manager surveys the classroom at the end of the day to make sure everything's in place.

Furthermore, he or she reports broken, missing, or in-need-of-repair items to the teacher.

21. Recycling Advocate

The Recycling Advocate empties the recycling bin regularly and encourages classmates to dispose of recycled materials appropriately.

22. Sanitation Manager

The Sanitation Manager walks around with the wastebasket asking classmates to dispose of their wastes during arts and crafts activities.

He collects big pieces of litter from the classroom floor when appropriate.

23. Snacks Distributor

The Snacks Distributor passes out snacks to classmates during snack time and ensures that everyone has been offered something.

24. Table Captain

The Table Captain distributes and collects papers for group members plus fetches materials for its respective group.

25. Technology Technician

The Technology Technician moves the lesson along by controlling the mouse when the teacher is instructing using a projector.

He or she manages the document camera as needed, distributes iPads, or assists the instructor in navigating online teaching tools.

26. Administrative Assistant

One of the most popular classroom jobs for students, the Administrative Assistant assists the classroom teacher by fetching materials needed on short notice.

She also completes duties not directly defined within other classroom jobs for students.

27. Bulletin Board Helper

The Bulletin Board Helper helps to take down and put up bulletin boards before or after school.

28. Fire Drill Deputy

The Fire Drill Deputy carries the fire drill backpack or bag with first-aid supplies during a fire drill.

29. Librarian

The Librarian keeps the classroom library organized and returns classmates' books to the school library on a daily or weekly basis.

30. Line Leader

The Line Leader leads the class from one location in the school to another.

31. Graphic Design Squad

The Graphic Design Squad visualizes and sketches new bulletin board ideas based on current learning objectives.

32. Meteorologist

The Meteorologist records the weather and temperature each day on the classroom calendar.

Also, he confirms indoor or outdoor recess on wet days.

33. Special Events Coordinator

The Special Events Coordinator maintains the school's "Current Events" bulletin board and posts memos of school events.

34. Bathroom Monitor

The Bathroom Monitor supervises the bathroom to make sure peers are not playing around, turns off faucets accidentally left running, and makes sure no one is left in the bathroom after the class leaves.

35. Errand Runner/Messenger

The Errand Runner runs papers to and from the office plus delivers messages between classrooms.

36. Nurse Aide

The Nurse Aide accompanies an injured student to the school nurse and carries the hall pass (or anything else) for the hurt student if needed.

37. Recess Equipment Monitor

The Recess Equipment Monitor scans the playground after recess to see if any sporting or play materials remain.

Additionally, he or she collects forgotten playground items and returns them to the appropriate location.

38. Student Ambassador

The Student Ambassador accompanies a new student on a tour around the school, noting important locations and/or school procedures.

He or she guides new students in learning the ins and outs of the school.

39. Substitute Helper

The Substitute Helper fills in for any classroom job when the designated person isn't available plus assists peers with their classroom jobs when more hands are needed.

40. Transporters

Transporters carry materials from homeroom to electives/specials classes (art, music, p.e).

She or he also handles materials/items that must be moved from one part of the school to another.

41. Chair Stacker

At the end of the day, these two or three students place all chairs on top of desks.

42. File Clerk

The File Clerk files any unused worksheets. He may also file lesson plans that the teacher has completed.

43. Sanitizer Specialist

The Sanitizer Specialist gives a squirt of sanitizer to students at designated times of the day (e.g. lunch, snack time, bathroom breaks).

44. Secret Admirer

The Secret Admirer writes weekly notes of appreciation to support staff such as the custodians and lunch workers.

45. iPad Monitor

The iPad Monitor ensures that all students have an iPad when needed for instruction.

This person is also responsible for making sure that every student returns his or her iPad to the appropriate location once a lesson is finished.

46. Morning Meeting Leader

The Morning Meeting Leader starts the day off with a morning meeting question. This person helps the teacher transition students into learning-mode.

47. Lunch Bunch

The Lunch Bunch classroom job involves a group.

This group of students reminds classmates to collect their lunch trays and dispose of any trash before exiting the cafeteria.

A perk of this classroom job is that this bunch gets to eat lunch with the teacher once a week!

48. Greeter

The Greeter salutes visitors to the classroom, making them feel welcome.

49. Cheerleader

The Cheerleader leads the class in praising individual students or the whole class when receiving recognition for completing a milestone or particular task.

The student may choose from a variety of classroom claps and cheers.

50. Pledge Leader

The Pledge Leader leads the class in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. He or she may also be responsible for holding the flag during the pledge, if applicable.

51. Anchor Chart Designer

The Anchor Chart Designer frames anchor charts in preparation for an upcoming lesson. This is done by adding a simple border and maybe the lesson's title to chart paper.

Once instruction starts, the teacher and students only have to focus on filling in the chart

52. Time Filler Strategist

The Time Filler Strategist helps the teacher maintain order and structure during those last few seconds or minutes before dismissal at the end of the day.

This student involves the class in answering basic math facts or trivia questions.

53. News Reporter

The News Reporter shares with the class at the end of the day any important news that students need to remember like upcoming events, field trips, important forms that need to be submitted, etc.

This student may also remind classmates to record these events in their homework agenda.

54. Positive Affirmations Coach

The Positive Affirmations Coach leads the class in reciting one to two positive affirmations daily.

This individual helps classmates cultivate a growth mindset, encouraging them to remain positive and motivated about school.

55. Tiny Teacher

The Tiny Teacher steps in as a "substitute teacher" when the teacher has to step away from teaching very briefly to attend to something very important.

She continues what the teacher was doing such as explaining content or sharing a read-aloud book.

It's helpful if this student is very knowledgeable of subject-matter material or strong academically.

56. Early Finishers Assistant

The Early Finishers Assistant ensures that all of the activities, worksheets, and materials for early finisher activities are set up, organized, and accessible to students.

57. Morning Meeting Greeter

This student helps the teacher greet the class during morning meeting time.

He or she may also lead other parts of this scheduled time such as the morning meeting message.
Final Thoughts
Now you have a cool list of classroom jobs for students that they'll actually enjoy performing.

Make them part of your classroom management plan this school year.

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If you're looking to assign classroom jobs, take a look at these awesome classroom jobs for students. While teachers are typically the ones who manage, who says that students shouldn't have a role in the classroom? Assigning classroom jobs to students teaches responsibility, makes them feel part of a team, and gives them a purpose.

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Binder clips, those more mature cousins to paper clips, are easily one of the most versatile office supplies on the market today. From averting fashion disasters to wrangling technology, the uses of binder clips are legion. Let's take a look at some of the most creative ways that teachers and students are using binder clips to upgrade their lives.
Just so you know, we may get a small share of the sales made through the Amazon affiliate links on this page.
1. Detangle the cords behind your computer

Even in our increasingly wireless era, computer cables can be the bane of a well-organized teacher's desk. Binder clips clamp neatly to the edge of a desk. Use the metal arm loops to coral cords. You can go a step further and label each binder clip according to the type of cord it holds so you can easily find the mouse cable when it goes on the fritz.

2. Hang posters and bulletin board borders

To use binder clips to hang posters on the wall, loop a binder clip over a tack or hook, then use the binder clip to grab onto the poster, student artwork, or bulletin board supplies. This allows you to easily switch posters without having to remove tacks or poke more holes in your walls. You can also use this same method to hang small art supplies like tubes of paint from the walls, allowing you to use a bulletin board like a pegboard and gives you more vertical storage space in your classroom.

3. Use them as labels

A little bit of washi tape and some stickers can give a plain binder clip a bit of pizzazz! Or, if you have a basket full of binder clips in a rainbow of colors, you can create clear labels using a label maker like this portable Bluetooth one.

4. Label mailboxes or cubbies

And speaking of labels, binder clips with letters, numbers, or names attached can be used as simple, easily removable labels to mark student cubbies in the classroom or copy room. Clip them onto the bottom or top of each cubby and you are good to go.

5. Prop up your hot glue gun

This binder clip hack is next-level awesome. When you're using a hot glue gun, there's just no truly convenient place to set it down and then pick it back up - at least until this trick came along. Use the metal arm loops to prop up the glue gun when not in use.

6. Organize small toys and office supplies

Thread a keyring through the arm loops of a binder clip, and then slide the rings onto a rail. The clips are then perfect to hang onto baggies filled with small toys, counters, or office supplies.

7. Organize folders

This tax hack from the office supply company Avery can easily be adapted for teacher file cabinets. Do you have individual file folders you'd like to keep together in filing boxes? Simply clip them together with labeled binder clips and you'll never go hunting for loose files again.

8. Corral the classroom headphones

No matter how you slice it, headphones are a pain to store. Their cords become hopelessly entwined, and what should be a quick task - handing out earphones to each student - suddenly becomes an exercise in patience as each set needs to be carefully unraveled. Once again, binder clips come to the rescue! For individual earbuds, try winding the cord around the arm of a binder clip. You can also use mini binder clips to clip the neatly wound cords together, preventing them from getting tangled while they are in storage.

9. Create a makeshift phone stand

Binder clips can make a useful phone stand in a pinch. If you have students who need to take a selfie or make a makeshift tripod for a video project, binder clips can hold phones steady and secure.

10. Keep rolls of paper tightly wrapped

Rubber bands can get brittle and snap, making them an imperfect option for securing rolls of wrapping paper or poster board. Instead, pull out the trusty binder clips and clamp down each end for a tightly wound roll that's not going anywhere.

11. Secure trash bags to the garbage can

For pesky trash bags that get pulled down by heavy trash, binder clips can save the day. Once you loop a new trash bag over the lip of the can, simply clip the bag in place in three or four spots to keep the bag secured.

12. Hang up extra masks

While most teachers are back at school in a mask-free environment, most of us still have some spare masks tucked away in desk drawers for those inevitable sick days. Binder clips can be used like hangers for masks - you could even install a mask station for student to grab disposable masks as needed.

13. Make the cutest bookmarks ever

Thanks to "A Girl and Her Glue Gun," you too can make these cheap, easy, and utterly adorable bookmarks. It's as easy as hot gluing googly eyes to binder clips and then clipping the page of a book to mark your place.

14. Create mini clipboards for your students

This great craft tutorial comes from Instagram account Coffee 'n' Vanilla, and it's easy as pie. All you need are three items: a coaster, a stack of square sticky notes, and a small binder clip. Clip the sticky notes to the coaster and you have a perfect mini clipboard.

15. Fix a fashion disaster in a pinch

Fashion emergencies happen while teaching and teachers can't leave for a quick outfit change, so a little MacGyvering is in order. Once again, binder clips come in clutch. They can work as hair ties if a hair band breaks, and they are useful to replace a missing button or loose hem until you can get home and do a real repair.

16. Organize papers

Perhaps the simplest and most obvious way to use binder clips is to secure papers together. Teachers have stacks of papers lying everywhere around the classroom: papers to be graded, papers to be handed back to students, papers to hang on bulletin boards, assignments turned in late, assignments to save as examples for future classes, work to send home with the student going on vacation next week...the list goes on. Paperclips don't always do the trick because they don't hold securely - but binder clips sure do.

There you have it - proof that the humble binder clip is the most versatile of all the items in your junk drawer. Keep them on hand to make your life easier and more organized.

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16 Hacks Using Binder Clips that Will Change Your Life

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Binder clips, those more mature cousins to paperclips, are easily one of the most versatile office supplies on the market today. From averting fashion disasters to wrangling technology, the uses of binder clips are legion. Let's take a look at some of the most creative ways that teachers and students are using binder clips to upgrade their lives.

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Framework of a difficult phone call @mrstruckman

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It's impossible to deny the effects of students' emotions, relationships, and decision-making skills on their learning skills. While nobody - no matter their age - can live their life by their emotions, there are ways to tailor lesson plans in an effort to make everyone a success.

Classroom management ties inextricably into social-emotional learning (SEL) because they're both moving parts that change with the passage of time. Where one student may have needed academic intervention at the start of the school year, they may be sailing along nicely come the middle of the year.

Thus, classroom management and social-emotional learning are adaptable and able to meet everyone's needs as social and emotional growth takes place. Below, we're going to break apart the ins and outs of SEL and demonstrate the impact classroom management has on this manner of learning. In the end, you'll have the framework for a behavioral management plan that can be implemented, tracked, and highly successful.

Social-Emotional Learning

Before we begin, let's take a moment to examine the fine print of SEL. SEL can only be achieved when teachers acquire an in-depth look at students' history because this form of learning targets how students manage their emotions, achieve goals, maintain healthy relationships, and make good decisions.

Knowing where a student is "coming from," so to speak, allows a teacher to manage their course material with this in mind. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) created a popular framework that addresses five core competencies for SEL. These will help teachers tailor their lesson plans according to each student's needs:

1. Self-Awareness - CASEL defines this as the ability to recognizes students' emotions to see how they impact personal behavior. A firm grasp on students' self-awareness allows the teacher to set realistic expectations regarding strengths and limitations.

2. Self-Management - This element includes the ability to self-regulate emotions. With a strong grasp on self-management, teachers can help students manage their stress levels and impulse control.

3. Social Awareness - Social awareness allows both students and teachers to empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This can help teachers encourage students to recognize behavioral norms and adjust accordingly.

4. Relationship Skills - Healthy relationship skills revolve around the ability to communicate clearly, listen well, resist peer pressure, and offer help to others.

5. Responsible Decision-Making - Perhaps as a culmination, this element involves the ability to make respectful choices in social situations, based on norms, and the ability to evaluate the consequences of actions.

With these five elements in mind, teachers can go on to create an impartial environment for students. SEL addresses each individual's social and emotional progress as they advance through their classes. The goal is to see an improvement in all-around behavior and, thus, an improvement in academic success.

Classroom Management

If you're here, you already know what classroom management looks like. In includes planning, preparation, nurtured relationships, and ongoing observation. As such, it's easy to see why SEL pairs well with classroom management. Here are five elements of classroom management that positively impact SEL:

1. Steady Routine

In order to tailor your lesson plans according to each student's needs, it's necessary to have a complete understanding of each student's social and emotional capabilities. If you develop a steady classroom routine, then students may not have to tackle a surge of stress that comes from not knowing what to expect.

2. Clear, Concise Instructions

If instructions are provided in such a way that they're clear, concise, and easily understood, this, too, will lessen the emotional burden placed upon students. This can include written down instructions and even visual instructions on your SmartBoard.

3. Designated Course of Action

Clearly establish where students are to sit when they're completing their work and where students are to turn in their work. What happens upon the completion of their assignment?

Are they allowed to take a book from the library? Can they get started on another assignment? A clear course of action ties in neatly to a steady routine, clear instructions, and understood expectations.

4. Personal Conferences

What better way to manage students' shifts in social and emotional behaviors than 1-on-1 conferences? Spend time meeting individually with students to see how they're feeling about their assignments and social interactions with peers.

This will enable them to express themselves to you more fully and enable you to see where their comprehension is with regard to various classroom activities.

5. Recorded Observations

As you take note of students who are excelling in one area and falling behind in another, this will help you tailor your assignments for each individual need. Perhaps one student requires more time to complete assignments.

Meanwhile, what if another needs to have a secondary assignment lined up because he or she will inevitably finish fast and still need to be challenged? Either way, ongoing data collection will always prove critical when individualizing students' behavioral management plans and helping them succeed.

The Impact of Classroom Management on SEL

A steady routine, clear instructions, and personal attention will establish a safe classroom environment for all learners, no matter what philosophy you're focusing on. But, they work especially well when intently focused upon the social and emotional aspects of a student's capabilities.

Here are added ways in which classroom management positively impacts SEL. No matter your position within the school system, you can implement any (or all) of these tactics today.

A Growth Mindset

It's possible to create a growth mindset for all your students because, no matter where they are today, they can be somewhere better tomorrow. From the start of the school year, make it clear to students that everyone will make mistakes and some will excel in one area while others will excel in another.

Push students to persevere through the hard times so that they can return their focus to more pleasurable activities. Help them advance through their tricky multiplication problems so they can return to their work in geometry, for example. When all is said and done, praise their perseverance as they move into a more comfortable activity (which can also be lauded since they're doing well there, too).

Emotional Acknowledgement

One of the most crippling things a teacher can do is diminish a student's sense of self-worth. This is often unintentionally done when students don't feel heard. By acknowledging students' emotions - in the good times and the bad - you're setting them up for success.

Of course, this is not to say that they can be led by their emotions. Whether a student likes it or not, he or she will still be required to complete their tricky multiplication worksheet. However, their voice will be heard and, thus, their self-esteem won't be berated.

This is, of course, something to annotate in your notes. Determining which topic areas are a struggle and which ones are a breeze allows educators to anticipate how a student will respond to certain situations.

Celebrated Successes

Let's stay with the notion of making a student feel heard. Students need to receive as much praise as they receive correction. Consider creating a "Weekly Spotlight" section in the classroom where each student is showcased for something they did exceedingly well.

In this instance, no one is called out publicly (and possibly embarrassed). However, they can be made aware of (and celebrated for) their strengths. This is, of course, something to also be addressed in your personal conferences.

Relational Skills

One of CASEL's five pillars of SEL is relationship skills. These are best fostered in small groups or pairs. The skills learned within the safety and comfort of a small group or pair can then be translated into larger groups.

As the teacher, you can select alternating partners for each student. This teaches students how to cooperate with others to achieve a common goal and build community in the classroom. Within these small groups, whether they realize it or not, students will be forced to negotiate with others and come to understand their strengths.

Coping Skills

If you have a student (or students) who tend to struggle more with otherwise-commonplace activities, they may be more prone to frustration or disappointment. In these moments, you can provide them with a quiet space to regroup.

This can even be the place where you gather for those one-on-one conferences to affirm students' progress in the classroom. Once it's established as a safe space, it can always be returned to in times of need. Maybe you'll place a few pillows on the floor, a soothing lamp, and journaling materials.

Increased Reflection

On a regular basis, set aside time for freewriting or journaling. SEL isn't just for the benefit of the teacher. While teachers are understanding the manner in which emotions tie into a student's academic success, students can always learn more about themselves, too.

Turn the entire classroom into a "quiet corner" during this time. Dim the lights; play soft music. In the hubbub of what's sure to be occasionally overwhelming, you can turn portions of the school day into a time for quiet reflection. This may also be a nice time to conduct those individual conferences.

Community Building

Another regular expectation to rotate into the mix is classroom jobs. This will give students a sense of ownership over their classroom and (in some instances) give them something to look forward to. Classroom jobs also cultivate a sense of community among students.

Students can each take turns leading the line, passing out papers, cleaning the whiteboard, and more. You can also decide if this will be another opportunity for team building or individual success.

New Perspectives

Whenever possible, encourage students to take on their own perspectives and opinions. Use the reading time to ask students to voice their opinions on various characters and their actions.

Use journaling time to ask students to record their thoughts on various subject matters. All this allows them to foster a sense of ownership over their feelings and confidence in their self-expression.

What's the Overall Impact?

The overall impact of classroom management on SEL extends well beyond the happy days in the classroom. Empowering students to ascertain their personal strengths while making them feel valued and strengthened is something that will serve them well them throughout the entire course of their academic and professional careers.

By encouraging small group work, students are learning how to function on a team. By encouraging them to push through their difficult assignments to get to the ones they excel in, students are learning how to problem-solve. All this has the potential to promote a stronger character, temperance, and follow-through.

Although life is rife with emotional distress, you can foster an environment where students feel safe. And, even when the going gets tough, they'll have coping skills taken from SEL. They can journal, retreat to a quiet space, start their classroom job, or request a personal conference.

Classroom Management for Success

Classroom management is inextricably tied to social-emotional learning. The two pair perfectly well, but that's not to say it doesn't require diligence to sew these moving parts together.

Creating a behavior intervention plan requires insight into your current students and follow-through. As you know, it doesn't just start and stop with the creation of a classroom management plan. Regular updates and adjustments are also required.

This is where we come in. Here at Insights to Behavior, not only do we help you create, update, track, and report on behavior management plans, we also help you go beyond chronicling behaviors to determine underlying causes.

If you're a school counselor, special education director, school psychologist, or behavior interventionist, feel free to sign up for our free monthly series on managing student behavior.

If you're a Director of Special Education, schedule a 30-minute online personal demo of our software application.

Together, we can help you create a legally-defensible behavior intervention plans in under an hour. The improvements that will be felt in your classroom will be tangible, real, and - most of all - greatly beneficial to all your learners.

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The Impact of Classroom Management on Social-Emotional Learning

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It's impossible to deny the effects of students' emotions, relationships, and decision-making skills on their learning skills. While nobody - no matter their age - can live their life by their emotions, there are ways to tailor lesson plans in an effort to make everyone a success.

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Every teacher wants to start their school year off on the right foot. Why not do it with a great game? Playing games with students taps into their innate sense of free-spirited fun and reduces stress. Meanwhile, games allow you to reinforce content and concepts. Games are an undercover way to spark collaboration and improve communication as a team-builder. Games help groups feel more comfortable and connected.

What Games Teach Us About Classroom Management

First, well-planned games provide an opportunity for relationship building. In turn, this creates a safe space. Game playing is the language of children. They are an easy inroad for getting to know one another, fostering camaraderie, and allowing student leaders to emerge. Academically, games can teach new material and are helpful when rehearsing vocabulary, reviewing for tests, and assessing learning. Games make learning fun!

Organizing and participating in games builds empathy between students and teachers. Students often realize how challenging it is to direct a group, communicate, and work towards a common goal. According to Berkley's Greater Good Science Center, students who internalize this are more likely to show prosocial behavior, demonstrate kindness and inclusion, and are more cooperative in class. Empathy is essential for running a smooth classroom and accomplishing tasks. Friendly competitions also help students increase their intrinsic motivation and facilitate a growth mindset.

Delegate Roles

One way to ensure any game runs smoothly and more collaboratively is to assign jobs. Shift out of your role as the classroom teacher to that of a team manager. Once you learn the ins and outs of a particular game, determine what jobs pop up. Assign roles to students so you can step back. It also allows students to step up and be more autonomous. Note that more than one student can be assigned a particular role if you rotate each round. This approach is especially appealing to those who do not wish to participate competitively but want to support the team.

For four roles you can give to students, take a look at our complimentary download, 4 Collaborative Game Playing Roles. Check out our PRO Pack, Games in the Art Room, for more resources like this.

Download Now!
Other roles you can assign may include:

Scorekeeper: Keep a tally of the scores.

Timekeeper: Oversee the start and end of each round and monitor the clock for cleanup.

Host: Review the rules, lead the players in each round, and maintain positive morale and good sportsmanship.

Judge/Quality Control: Reset materials after each round and check for fairness.

Cheer Crowd: Hype peers, support players, and generate excitement.

Focus Attention

When it comes time to play a game, the energy in the room can become palpable. Focus students' attention using one of our Art Teacher Hacks, such as the call and response lyric game. Another fun song to use is Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. Teach them that when you say, "I get knocked down," they respond with "but I get up again," and you will be ready to give directions in no time!

After reviewing the rules and expectations, divide the class into teams as needed. Make sure you have a plan for this ahead of time so there is no delay in starting the game. For example, they can count off, split by table groups, or separate by birthdate.

Tech-Based, Seated Games

This online game-learning platform allows users to customize games (called Kahoots) to play. Students can compete over quizzes, formative assessments, learning new art topics, getting to know their teachers, and any other reason you want to challenge their knowledge! Kahoot is an easy peasy setup if you have access to technology. Different game styles are customizable with your photos, GIPHY's library of GIFs, YouTube video links, or Getty Images.

Timeframe: Customizable, but allot 20-30 minutes to start.

Host computer

Ability to project host computer's screen

Computers, tablets, or cell phones with internet for each player

Kahoot platform login (The Basic Plan with Quiz and True/False options are free.)

Materials Needed:
Goal: To win the highest amount of points by answering the most questions with accuracy and speed.

1. Design the game by following the prompts on the Kahoot platform or customize a game created by someone else.

2. Rules vary depending on the style of game chosen, but each player must select one of the response options to get points.

3. The game will automatically tally the score as you go along.

Rules and How to Play:
This funny, easy, and low-risk " blind-contour " game is a perfect ice-breaker for the art room. Good for warmups, Art Heads helps students transition mentally from their previous class. Curated drawing prompts can connect students with the topic of study on hand. This is a silly game that students can appreciate from elementary to high school.

Additionally, this game is unlike others when judging a winner. Art Heads is entirely subjective. The judge can pick work that closely resembles the prompt, least closely resembles it, or whichever image resonates with them. This out-of-the-box system creates friendly competition, reinforcing that the game is all about fun. However, you and the students will be surprised by the impressive art that will emerge. This game really gets students talking!

Timeframe: Customizable. You can design the game to last for five minutes or 25 minutes, so it's very versatile for your schedule.

Host computer

Ability to project host computer's screen

Sketchbook or paper on a clipboard/sturdy surface for each player

Marker for each player

Slideshow of line drawings to replicate

Goal: To "replicate" the drawing projected on the screen without looking.
Materials Needed:

1. Create a slideshow of simple line drawings that gradually become more complex. Place only one image per slide.

2. Select a student judge to pick a winner for the first round.

3. Ask students to place their open sketchbook or paper attached to a clipboard on top of their heads.

4. Set a timer for 20-60 seconds, depending on the complexity of the drawing.

5. With markers ready, ask students to view the first projected image from the slideshow and recreate the image without looking at their drawing.

6. The judge picks a winner based on personal criteria, such as the accuracy of the drawing, how creative it looks, the least accurate, etc.

7. The first winner has the option to become a judge or pass the role on to a different player.

8. Repeat the process with each new slide.

Customizable Classic Games
Rules and How to Play:
This is a classic game beloved by many for the anticipation it builds. Bingo is a classroom staple, and, through technology, the online game is fully customizable and free to create. Bingo cards are perfect for rehearsing vocabulary, reviewing procedures, or studying for a test.

In this version of Bingo, note that the content in the columns and rows varies from the traditional game. Players must match the content according to the game-style pattern indicated at the start of the game. Game-style pattern ideas include straight-line, diagonal, four corners, and filling the card.

Timeframe: Dependent on the "luck of the draw" and game-style pattern. "Fill the Card" takes the longest to complete. The average time per round is about 20 minutes but can end much faster.

Host/Bingo Caller computer

Free bingo cards

Terms are cut into individual strips and placed in a bowl, bucket, or a bingo spinner

Printer

Bingo daubers, markers, chips, or torn paper to cover/mark squares

Goal: Shout "Bingo!" after successfully covering terms matching those called, according to the game style chosen.
Materials Needed:

1. Pass out printed bingo cards to each student and a method for marking/covering their card.

2. Give all terms that appear on the bingo cards to the Bingo Caller.

3. The Bingo Caller announces what type of game is in play, such as straight, diagonal, four corners, fill the card, etc.

4. The Bingo Caller stirs up the paper strips and calls out the definition of the term (without saying the term), then selects a student to guess the answer.

5. Once the correct answer is announced, each student covers the term with a marker on their bingo card.

6. The Bingo Caller continues in this fashion until a player calls "Bingo!"

7. Verify the winning board. The player can call out their terms, and the Bingo Caller can check the player's card.

8. After each win, clear the scorecards and start a new game.

This entertaining guessing game originated on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Originally made with physical cards held to the forehead, it has been developed into a mobile app. More recently, it has been adapted into a board game using headbands. This fast-paced game is great for the art room because you can create themed decks for any topic of interest.
Rules and How to Play:

200+ index cards with art terms printed/written on them

Marker

60-second timer

Goal: Guess the highest number of answers correctly.

1. Divide into 2-3 teams and split the deck of index cards so there is one deck per team.

2. Choose the first person who will have to guess. The remaining players offer clues.

3. The guessers each have a deck of index cards facedown in front of them. The guesser will hold a card up to their forehead with the term facing out so they can't see it.

4. Start the timer.

5. The guesser's team will shout out clues, "act it out," sing songs, offer fill-in-the-blanks, etc., to help the guesser say the term on the card. The only word(s) the team can't say is the term(s) on the card.

6. The guesser has 60 seconds to answer as many cards in their deck as possible.

7. The team can "pass" one card during each round. If the team gives an illegal clue, they must pass that card and pick another one.

Materials Needed:
Active, Team-Based Games

5. Marshmallow Wars

This is a fun team-building game. Like dodgeball, any game where you are throwing something toward someone needs to have the rules, boundaries, and consequences laid out. Time each round between one to three minutes.
Rules and How to Play:

Two tables facing each other, about 20 feet apart

Ten cups for stacking in a pyramid

One to two bags of jumbo marshmallows

Two chairs, optional

Goal: Stack a pyramid of cups before the opposing team has a chance to knock them down.

1. Divide into two teams, with a designated cup stacker for each. The cup stacker can sit or stand behind the table the cups will be stacked on.

2. The rest of the players defend their cup stacker from incoming marshmallows and throw marshmallows to knock their opponent's cup pyramid down.

3. Players can only throw from behind their table where the cup stacker is seated.

4. Any player can retrieve marshmallows from the ground. But they must go back behind the table for throwing. Players throwing from anywhere else must sit out.

5. Cup stackers continuously try and complete their pyramid until one team is successful or time runs out.

6. Any player or cup stacker may retrieve fallen cups, but only the cup stacker is allowed to stack the cups.

Materials Needed:
6. Candy Cane Olympics

This game takes its inspiration from Nic Hahn. Not only are the Candy Cane Olympics hilarious to watch, but this is an excellent relay game that encourages collaboration. The learning curve is part of the fun when controlling the headband-candy cane hook. Students are usually very uncoordinated at first, so it can be a positive empathy builder. Connect this concept to other new things they have tried, like realistic drawing and learning to cut with scissors. With any new skill or task, we may be awkward at first. After some practice, we gain confidence and competency!

While the game looks easy, students quickly discover that strategy, communication, and problem-solving as a team are required to gain an edge over their opponents. I was happily surprised that my middle school students did not tire of this game. They played for our entire 50-minute class!
Rules and How to Play:

Four bins to hook candy canes onto, about 20 feet apart

One to two packages of candy canes (plus extra in case any break)

Ribbon and string

Tape

Goal: Move as many candy canes from the starting bin to the ending bin.

1. Divide into teams. The more bins you have, the more teams you can have. Note that each team requires two bins.

2. Create teams of three players. Each player wears a headband with a string attached and a candy cane secured at the end like a fishing hook.

3. Two bins are placed at one end of the room with six candy canes hooked on the edges.

4. Players line up at the opposite end of the room near their empty bin.

5. One player at a time from each team will attempt to hook one candy cane from the bin onto the candy cane headband.

6. Then, players walk it to the other side of the room, where they drop the candy cane inside an empty bin.

7. The second player can take their turn as soon as the first player successfully drops off the candy cane.

8. Players continue in order until all candy canes are transferred or time runs out.

9. Teams have three minutes to try and transfer all six candy canes.

Winners, Losers, and Prizes

There are no losers when you are not playing for a "prize." The goal of game playing is to enhance learning and provide stress relief. While I rarely offer physical or treat-based prizes, I do give students art room rewards. These rewards usually benefit the entire class and tie directly into the art room. The "winning" team can earn a privilege for the class like free seating or choosing the topic for the next drawing warmup, First 5.
Materials Needed:

Have an "art outside" day

Choose the classroom music playlist

Pick the next medium we work with

Lead the class for the day

Making Management Fun
Rules and How to Play:
Classroom management is something you build and maintain all year long. It fluctuates throughout the seasons but doesn't have to be a headache. It's never too soon or too late to use games to support your classroom management.

The beginning of the school year is a valuable time to introduce games. Students receive so much new information and may experience sensory overload. They need opportunities to connect with their classmates, and they appreciate a teacher who recognizes this. Games are excellent for encouraging community, collaboration, and problem-solving. All of these make classroom management infinitely more fun!
Other ideas include: For more resources on games in the art room, check out the following: What are your favorite games to play in the art room? How do you use games as classroom management tools?

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6 Exhilarating Classroom Management Games You'll Want to Play in the Art Room - The Art of Education University

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Every teacher wants to start their school year off on the right foot. Why not do it with a great game? Playing games with students taps into their innate sense of free-spirited fun and reduces stress. Meanwhile, games allow you to reinforce content and concepts.

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Classroom management can be a struggle any year, but this year, it seems to have gotten way harder. Why? Well, many of our students haven't been in a "traditional" or "normal" classroom for over a year. Therefore, they didn't get the classroom management practice they needed. In my classroom, I have found an easy and fun way to make classroom management work is to play classroom management games with my students.

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What is Classroom Management

Classroom management includes the systems you have in place throughout your classroom to make sure everything runs smoothly. I have systems for my general classroom that are just all time expectations, but I also have classroom management systems for my centers. However you choose to run your classroom management is totally up to you, but I have found, especially with the challenging classes, that using classroom management games is incredibly effective.

Keep Score with a Year-Round Classroom Management Game

Of all the classroom management games, Scoreboard is my favorite. I love it because you can play it year round and it has worked with every single class I have taught. This first classroom management game keeps it stickin' simple even with the materials. All you need is a white board and Expo marker, a Google Slide, a chalkboard and chalk, or literally anything that you can write on and save. In order to "play," all you need to do is draw a scoreboard. On one side you draw a smiley, and on the other, you draw a frownie. I learned this with Whole Brain Teaching and it's a system that is so simple that no one can mess it up or make it difficult to use.

How to Use Scoreboard

In order to play this game, you simply give students a smiley for following your classroom expectations, or you give them a frownie. When giving a frownie, you never call out a student. You simply say something like, "Man, I have friends who are not sitting nice in their chairs." It might be one student, but that one student knows it was him/her. Then you put the tally in the frown column. Once you do that, you say, "Give a mighty groan." In one second, the students all say, "Ugh."

Typically, what then happens after this is awesome. The student who was not doing what they were supposed to, will start sitting right. At this point, I will call the student who corrected his/her behavior and say, "Man, I love how Steve is sitting nice in his chair! Let's have a one second party!" Then the students have a one second party. Notice, when giving a smiley, I call the student out by name, but I don't do so when giving a frownie. Now, you don't always have to give a smiley back right after giving a frownie, but it can be effective here and there. You can also give smileys if your whole class does something awesome.

The Don'ts of Scoreboard

One of the bigger problems I have seen when teachers use Scoreboard in the classroom is they don't follow the plus/minus three rule. The plus/minus three rule says during this classroom management game the students are never too far behind or too far ahead of you. If they feel like they have it in the bag, they won't mind a few frownies here and there. In addition, if they are so far behind they feel like they can't catch up, the game doesn't seem possible to win and the classroom management helper becomes a hindrance.

Another thing you don't want to do is promise the world. At the bottom of your Scoreboard, you want to write what the reward is. When you reward students, you want to start small, and then they get bigger as the year goes on. Start with something like, one minute of talk time or getting to go to recess first or line up last.

For older students, you can take or give one page less of homework. Here's the deal, you don't have to actually add or take it away. I was in a district that required homework. So, I would just say I planned on giving you two pages but now you have three or I planned on giving you four pages, but now you have three. This might seem deceptive, but it's a classroom management game, and your job is to educate them, not actually give them less to do.

Regardless of what you decide to do, make sure you start small. If you start too big, you'll have to take them to Disney World at the end of the year. This is going to apply to all the classroom management games that I share with you.

A Classroom Management Game that Shouts "BINGO!"

Classroom Bingo is a fun game to play that can be incorporated with Scoreboard. My students loved this game! So, sometimes my reward would be that we get a break from playing Scoreboard, and we'd play Classroom Bingo instead. To play Classroom Bingo, you open up the Google Slide and project it on the board. It's nice to have it displayed so your students can see where they are at. You can play all different kinds of bingo. For example, you can play regular bingo, postage stamp, or black out. We often played for a black out in my classroom.

How to Play Classroom Bingo

You'll need to have the Google Slide open and projected, but you don't want to be "Presenting" it. You'll want to keep it in edit mode. With Classroom Bingo, you have your classroom rules or expectations. When you see your students doing what they are supposed to be doing, they get to spin. The spinner will open up a separate tab, but it is completely kid friendly. You'll have them tap to spin, and it will tell them what they got. At this point, you will click "Close." Make sure you don't hit remove. Then you're going to draw and drop the piece they got onto the board. Again, if they win, make sure you start small. The only reason this prize might be a bit bigger is if you used Classroom Bingo as your reward for Scoreboard.

When to Use Classroom Bingo

You can use Classroom Bingo any time during the day whether it's the whole day, during centers, or during cleanup time. I really enjoy the versatility of this game because you can tailor it to your needs. I personally liked using it when I had a specific classroom management issue. When I used this classroom management game for a specific issue, I used it throughout the week. This helped get in more practice on a needed skill. You can get Classroom Bingo in your classroom for free by joining my VIP Club!

A Classroom Management Game that is as Easy as 1, 2, 3....4!

Connect 4 is an amazing classroom management game that, like Scoreboard and Classroom Bingo, is stinkin' simple! Connect 4 is on a Google Slide, and you set it up for your students to be in two different teams. I only use two teams because that's how many colors are on a Connect 4 board. I like to use this game if we are doing anything at tables like centers or group work of some kind.

How to Play Connect 4

I use this game in conjunction with Scoreboard. Whenever they got five smileys, the person who got the fifth smiley gets to go up and put a marker on the board for their team. I also allowed someone to come up and put a marker on the board if they did something especially great. For example, a student might help another student when he/she is down, pick up a piece of paper that was on the floor, or volunteer to help with an undesirable task.

Connect 4 Reminders

Just like the game Connect 4, the pieces "fall" to the bottom. Therefore, students can't just put them all over the board. The nice thing about this game is if it ends quickly, you can easily start it all over again. Remember to keep your rewards small. You don't want to have to take them to Disney World at the end of the year. You can also get this game for free by signing up for my VIP Club!

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Classroom management can be difficult whether it's all the expectations or just one or two. When there is a struggle, making it a fun game instead of yelling or lecturing can make all the difference in your classroom environment. Using classroom management games in your classroom can be a real, well, game changer.

Until Next Time...

Keep Being Educational Rock Stars

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3 Simple Classroom Management Games for Engaging Students - Farrah Henley Education, LLC

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Classroom management can be a struggle any year, but this year, it seems to have gotten way harder. Why? Well, many of our students haven't been in a "traditional" or "normal" classroom for over a year. Therefore, they didn't get the classroom management practice they needed.

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How to play silent ball a great indoor recess game!

Unfortunately, with rain, snow and cold weather this winter, students may be spending more times indoors. This is the time to pull out those all time favorite games for the classroom. The Game of the Week is Silent Ball!

Age Group: Pre K - Grades 5

Length of Activity: Under 10 minutes

Developmental Goal: To develop non-verbal communication and eye-hand coordination.

Have players spread out standing up in the available space.

Explain the rules of play and check for understanding with yes or no questions.

You will need one medium size ball, any that is appropriate for the players catching skill level.

How To Play:

Leader counts down, "3, 2, 1, silent" and passes the ball to another person in the play area.

A player must sit down if:

S/he drops the ball.

S/he makes a bad pass.

They talk or make noise.

Play continues until only one person remains.

Last player standing gets to be first to throw the ball in the next round.

All players who were sitting may return to play at the start of a new round.

If game is progressing slowly, add a challenge by limiting time to throw, having all players take spread out, asking everyone to keep one hand behind their back at all times and so on.

Variations:

For young, beginning players: Have youth sit or stand in a circle. See if they can pass the ball around the circle without anyone laughing or talking. Add more balls for a challenge round.

Silent Trees! Start with players sitting on the ground, when a player makes a mistake, s/he stands up and becomes a tree. Trees must remain planted, i.e they cannot move his/her feet. The tree can re-enter the game by deflecting or intercepting a pass. The person who was unsuccessful at making a pass becomes a tree.

Find 156 fun games in our newest Game Guide.

Includes everything from games you can play in a small space with no materials, to games you can play in a big group during recess. Search for games by age level, time/space/materials available, and by the life skills used (like problem solving or teamwork).

Love implementing Game of the Week? Playworks offers professional development programs that will teach your staff to use recess and playtime to improve health and support learning. Curious to learn more? Submit the Training Assessment form and a local Playworks representative will respond directly.

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The Game of the Week: Silent Ball | Playworks

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How to play silent ball a great indoor recess game!

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I don't know about you, but I am always looking for fun and new ways to tackle classroom management. What better way to get your students to buy into positive behavior than with some games?! These games are so engaging, create instant student buy in and can be adapted and individualized. And I love anything that makes teaching life easier - and these games do just that!

I get so many questions about how to use and implement these games in the classroom, I thought I create make a blog post with the how tos, FAQ and my tips and tricks for easy implementation.

Bingo

Classroom Bingo is my FAVORITE because:

it creates instant engagement and buy in

there are so many different themes and boards to keep it interesting all year

can be used for a whole class, groups or individual students

Here's how I prep and use classroom management bingo:

1. Decide on what behavior you and your students want to work on (I love having a classroom discussion on what my students THINK we can improve on! Again, creates student buy in!)

2. Print board, game pieces, laminate, and add velcro to both (I use these velcro circles!) This ensures you can use the board and pieces AGAIN AND AGAIN! Prep once and you are good to go!

3. Display on whiteboard (use these magnets!) or anywhere around your classroom!

4. Randomly pull pieces when you see that behavior or focus area done well by your students. EXAMPLE: If you are working on transitions bingo-if you see a quick and quiet transition, pull a piece! You can pull one or more pieces a day or even go a day without pulling any pieces. It is totally up to you and your students!

5. Once they earn 5 in a row, (or whatever you decide on) they earn the prize!

Table group bingo:

This is great for helping table groups work together. Each table gets a card (each table card is different) and a bucket with their pieces in it. They also decide as a group what they want their prize to be. Here's how it works: when you see a table group working together, on task, or doing what they need to be doing, they will come and pick a piece out of their bucket. Once a table earns five in a row, they will earn their prize. You can play again, pick different prizes or choose another game.

Individual bingo:

Individual bingo is great for those students who might need an extra incentive or behavior plan. These small boards are in full color and perfect for the corner of a desk. You can let the student pick their prize so they are more excited to work towards it! When a student is meeting expectations, you can pull a piece and then use a whiteboard market to cross it off. Once the student earns the prize, you can play again or just transfer it to another student!

FAQ about Bingo:

Q: How many pieces do you pull a day?
A: This is totally up to you, but I definitely pull whenever I notice the positive behavior. I don't have a limit on how many I pull.

Q: Can students lose pieces?
A: Absolutely! If we are working on "No Blurts" bingo and they have been blurting out a lot, I have taken a piece away. This is teacher discretion!

Q: What prizes do you use?
A: I LOVE prizes that cost nothing. I usually have students vote on this but there are tons of prizes included in the form of a printable page! Ideas include: lunch with the teacher, no shoes, extra recess, and more!

Classroom Connect

This is another classroom management game that you can add to your toolkit. I love how this game could even be adapted for older classes, where you can have two classes play against each other. You can also play teacher vs students, girls boys vs. or any 2 groups together!

If students are working on transitions and they are doing what is expected, they get to go and add a connect piece. Here's the kicker: they have to drop the piece in and have it fall down to the next available blank space. They cannot just pick where they want the piece to go!

When you see that my students aren't doing what is expected (or whatever skill we're working on) it will be the teacher's turn to drop a piece.

FAQ about Connect:
Q: What happens if the teacher wins?
A:That is totally up to you. You can decide to clear the board and start all over, or you can use a classroom economy system and students have to pay you a dollar or whatever system you use.

Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic-Tac-Toe is another hit in the classroom because students will love any chance to face off against the teacher. I love this classroom management game because it can be used for daily management of behavior, expectations or strategies. This game is usually completed faster than the other games, so it's a great game to run alongside of Bingo or Connect or to introduce between other games to spice it up!

You can play this game very similarly to Connect and it can be adapted to boy vs. girls, groups or different classes. When you see students meeting expectations, they get to place a piece on the board. You can pull sticks to have a student come up and place their piece on the board. If the class wins, they get the prize or if the teacher wins, you can choose how to proceed (very similar to Connect above)

MY BIGGEST TIP:

Lastly, here is my biggest tip to create even more buy in and get students excited about these classroom management games: have your class vote on which one they want play! It takes no time at all and it gets students SO excited!

For the assembly for all my games, I recommend laminating the boards and pieces and then adding velcro dots. I use the regular size for whole classroom games and these smaller size dots for individual games. Insider tip: I put all the velcro pieces on the back of the game pieces BEFORE cutting them. This saves so much time! You can also just use a whiteboard marker if you don't want to cut them out (this might work good for table group or individual games) I also love these small buckets for holding my pieces while the game is in session and I use these magnets and hooks to display on the whiteboard.

You can check out my entire classroom management games bundles below and you can also snag this FREEBIE to give this a try in your classroom tomorrow! Enter your email below to get Kindness Bingo straight to your inbox!

Classroom Management Bingo
Classroom Connect
Tic-Tac-Toe
Classroom Management Games Bundle

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Classroom Management Games - Teach Create Motivate

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I am always looking for new ways to tackle classroom management. What better way to get your students to buy into positive behavior than with some games?

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A quick way to start a conversation is by asking someone about their favorite game. Whether it's the latest video game craze ( Fornite takes the cake there), a beloved childhood board game or the local sports team they never miss watching, games are an engaging topic.
As adults we love games. And so do our students.
Adding elements of gameplay in the classroom increases engagement. Throw in opportunities for students to level up, earn badges and points using teamwork in a friendly competition and watch their motivation skyrocket.
Gamification can be as simple as adding a Kahoot to the end of a unit or as complex as #QRBreakIn, an exciting game-based approach to centers.
During the weekly #DitchBook Twitter chat (Thursdays at 7 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. MST / 9 p.m. CST / 10 p.m. EST), we discussed gamification in the classroom. The conversation included ideas for using gameplay to create experiences that are different, innovative, tech-laden, creative and hands-on.

Below you will find 20 ways to gamify your class. Educators shared ideas along with links to resources so that you can begin using gamification in your classroom right away! Be sure to click on ALL of the blue links for quick access to all of the tools and templates!

Check out this Wakelet to see the whole discussion along with this Padlet full of gamification resources crowdsourced by the #Ditchbook community.

20 ways to gamify your class

1. Turn a boring sit and get PD or class about learning a new tool into an exciting experience through gamification.

3. Turn a spreadsheet into a game of BINGO, contecto, tic-tac-toe and more with the templates provided in Flippity.

4. Bring board games like Scrabble into the classroom digitally.

A3: We can remix all sorts of games in Slides/Drawings/PowerPoint/Spark. Pull in design elements from the games. Make the template what you need it to be. Then share with students! #ditchbook https://t.co/xhNUUxWPpp
- Matt Miller @ #NCTIES2020 3/4-5 (@jmattmiller) February 21, 2020

7. Utilize online apps and tools like Class Craft, Quizlet, Kahoot, Class Dojo to add gamification to your lessons.

8. Google Sheets can be a fantastic tool for adding elements like points, badges and leveling up. Check out Alice Keeler's post and template.

A3: There are lots of ways/tools for this, but it depends some on your theme. I am doing a Marvel's Agents of Shield theme, so side missions for agents will be in the form of QR codes all over campus. Sneaky ways to get learning in outside of class time. 🙂 #DitchBook
- Lᴀᴜʀᴀ Sᴛᴇɪɴʙʀɪɴᴋ #RockNTheBoat (@SteinbrinkLaura) September 28, 2018

10. Google Forms have many, many uses in the classroom. Try using them for a digital addition to BreakoutEDU.

11. A simple but effective way to add a little competition into Google Classroom is to let them reply to one another and choose their favorite response.

Q3: I've even used Google Classroom "Question" assignments and had Ss reply to their favorite peer responses with "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner". Student with the highest votes wins #ditchbook
- Jenna Ervin (@EverythingErvin) September 28, 2018

12. Old classics like "The Price Is Right" can make a comeback in the modern classroom using G Suite tools!

14. Story Cubes add the element of storytelling to a game-based activity. Pair them with an online tool like Flipgrid to create a challenge for your students.

15. The Iron Chef Eduprotocol is a class favorite for adding a bit of friendly competition to any subject area.

16. Why keep scavenger hunts confined to school grounds? With Google Earth or Nearpod, students can literally explore the entire globe!

17. Your students are extremely creative. Get them in on the gamification by challenging them to make badges for their accomplishments. Alice Keeler has some great templates to get you and your students started.

Q4: I had students last year who wanted to make their own badges for tasks they completed, to encourage higher-performance and competition with the other classes #ditchbook
- Jenna Ervin (@EverythingErvin) September 28, 2018

18. There's a reason that online multiplayer games like Clash of Clans are so popular. When we leverage that engagement in the class, serious learning can come out of play.

19. Start the year off with a gamified syllabus! Elementary level teachers can use this idea for the beginning of the year or even for Back to School Night!

20. Level up your gamification and challenge your class to create their own game!

How do you feel about game-based learning? How have you used it in class? Which of these ideas could you start using? Leave your ideas in a comment below!

Want to get in on the next #DitchBook Twitter chat?
Having trouble? Still unclear on how a Twitter chat works? Feel free to tweet to these #DitchBook ambassadors and they'll help - Karly Moura @karlymoura, Sean Fahey @seanjfahey, Sandy Otto @sandyrotto, Rachel Marker @rachelmarker, Evan Mosier @emosier3, Mandi Tolen @TTmomTT, Craig Klement @craigklement, Tara Martin @taramartinedu, Krista Harmsworth @zonie71, Anne Kamper @annekamper, Rayna Freedman @rlfreedm, Lance McClard @drmcclard, Stephanie DeMichele @sdemichele or David Platt @herrplatt!

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Games are fun. We love playing them, watching them and even creating them. But how can we bring elements of gameplay into our classroom in meaningful ways? Here are 15 ways to gamify your class.

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Physical Education (PE) isn't the only class that should emphasize movement! Whatever the grade or subject area, every teacher can effectively incorporate movement into the school day. Most students take fewer than 5,000 steps during a non-PE school day. (That's including one recess!) Health experts recommend at least 10,000 steps or 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

Adding physical activity to classrooms will result in more focused, better-behaved students who can accomplish even more throughout the school day.

Physical Activity Improves Academics and Social-Emotional Well-Being

It should go without saying that movement is good for us. Emerging research suggests that more physical education, recess, and physical activity can improve academic achievement (CDC, 2015). Physical activity in the classroom has been shown to increase cognition, memory, and recall.

Increases in daily physical activity are also positively associated with socialemotional aspects of learning such as mood, behavior, and stress level.

A Classroom Culture

Most teachers already implement sensory or movement breaks, which are a great start.

Examples of effective movement breaks can be found at www.GoNoodle.com and www.brain-breaks.com. Once physical activity is woven into the daily routine, it can become part of the classroom culture. Students and teachers will feel the positive effects of being active.

Lead by example! Let students see you enjoy moving in the classroom throughout the day.

Simple Strategies for More Movement in the Classroom

Don't just sit around: When students need to be seated, consider seating such as physio-balls, balance discs, or ergonomic stools. Standard desks can also be modified for movement by using resistance bands or rubber bands around the legs of the desk to use as a wiggle bar.

Stand up: When convenient, students can use standing desks or stations).The act of standing burns more calories and expends more energy.

It also increases blood flow, oxygen uptake, and muscular fitness.

Walk and talk: When students work in pairs, why not walk and talk? Teachers can encourage movement through walking in the classroom and the school building as space allows.

Keep count: When students arrive at school, keep count of their steps using inexpensive pedometers or phones (for older students). Tracking steps is motivating and can be incorporated into the classroom and reinforced at home. Help students set goals, track steps, crunch numbers, chart progress, and more.

Take it outside: Students enjoy the change of scenery and benefit from fresh air.

Outdoor space allows for plenty of gross motor movement. Physical activity should become an expectation during the school day.

If teachers appreciate the connection between exercise and learning, students will too.
Lynn Pantuosco-Hensch is a professor in the Movement Science, Sport, and Leisure Studies Department at Westfield State University.

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Making Movement a Part of Your Classroom Culture | NEA

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Physical Education (PE) isn't the only class that should emphasize movement! Whatever the grade or subject area, every teacher can effectively incorporate movement into the school day. Most students take fewer than 5,000 steps during a non-PE school day. (That's including one recess!)

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50 fun call-and-response ideas to get students' attention

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Call-and-response is a time-tested technique for getting attention. Instead of repeating yourself, train students to respond to a fun statement!

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This classroom management technique works like a charm! I laminate my sign and put magnetic tape on the back. I write my secret student's name on the board and stick the sign over it!

3 signs included with multicultural options!

To read my blog post about this go here--> bit.ly/secretstudentfreebie

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This classroom management technique works like a charm! I laminate my sign and put magnetic tape on the back. I write my secret student's name on the board and stick the sign over it!3 signs included with multicultural options! To read my blog post about this go here--> bit.ly/secretstudentfreebi...

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Regular reflection helps students learn, and some simple strategies can make it a regular and meaningful routine.

We know that reflection increases student learning. It supports growth mindset and encourages students to improve and learn from their mistakes. We may engage our students in reflection in our classrooms, but it's not often habitual-I know I've been guilty of treating reflection as an event rather than as something we do all the time.

With all the challenges of teaching content and assessing learning outcomes, we can fall into the trap of skipping the reflection. And benchmarks in the year such as student-led conferences or mid-semester reflection points may perpetuate the narrative that reflection is an event. But while these benchmarks are important, we need to move away from larger events and make time for frequent reflection as part of the classroom culture and routine.

What can we do to make this a reality in our crowded schedules?

Setting More Frequent Short-Term Goals

Instead of-or in addition to-setting goals a few times a year, have students reflect more regularly about what they're working on. Daily learning targets are a great tool to have students regularly reflect on their goals.

After presenting the daily learning target, ask students to set a goal related to the content or a behavioral focus. At the end of the lesson, have them quickly reflect on that short-term goal-they can experience a quick success and sense of accomplishment, or if they didn't quite meet the goal, they can think about how to change what they did to help ensure a better outcome next time.

Similarly, have students set goals for a unit -they'll reflect more regularly than with a semester- or year-long goal. While this goal setting might seem like an isolated event at first, if you incorporate it into all units, it will become a normal routine. These goals can be monitored throughout the unit as often as needed, and can help foster a sense of growth over time as reflection is a normal way of interacting with the goal.

Checking In Quickly

Quick check-ins can make reflection routine, and they're critical to following up on short-term goals. Questions are key here. Straightforward questions framed around "What?" "So what?" and "Now what?" help students to process their learning, make connections, and set next steps in a safe, low-stakes way.

What did you accomplish today?

What was something you already knew that was reinforced?

What was the most important thing you learned today?

What did you appreciate the most today?

What do you need to learn more about?

What emotions do you need to be aware of next time?

What are you most interested in learning about next?

Ask your students things like:

Portfolios tie in nicely with both short-term goals and quick reflections. While teachers often have students keep portfolios to show their best work, portfolios that show growth and honor the process of learning can support regular reflection.

A process or working portfolio supports a culture of reflection. A process portfolio shouldn't contain only a student's best work. Instead it should have works in progress-students should include images or samples of that work and the corresponding reflections.

I've seen process portfolios go wrong when teachers wait until student conferences, for example, and then rush to have students add work and reflection evidence. This, again, conveys that reflection is a major event. If students instead add to the portfolio regularly and include artifacts that demonstrate learning in progress, when the big moments come along they won't need to do much if anything to prepare.

Making Sure It's Routine

I know I've experienced this scenario as a teacher: I announce, "We're going to do a short reflection today," and the students mutter a collective, "Ugh."

The teacher may perceive this as reflection burnout, but it could be that students perceive the teacher's phrase as raising the stakes and imposing busy work on them, even though our hope is that they will see reflection as something that helps them learn and grow. Instead of making a big announcement about reflection, try telling students simply, "I'd like you to respond to this prompt in your portfolio." Keep it low-key and routine.

Reflection is a powerful practice and mindset to foster in the classroom. Teachers can serve as mentors to students in helping reflection become part of their way of being. Through a variety of quick strategies, use of portfolios, and frequent goal setting, we can make reflection a meaningful and routine norm.

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Treating Reflection as a Habit, Not an Event

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Regular reflection helps students learn, and some simple strategies can make it a regular and meaningful routine.

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Purple Modern Gradient Steps How To Start A Business Tips Infographic

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Check out this infographic designed by Donna Schies.