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You MUST go into your specific Communication Log link shared with you by Mrs. Darby or Mrs. Theus. This is an example of the template.

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Create a new spreadsheet and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Sheets to edit Excel files. Free from Google.

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Make a copy of this chart to use for your lesson plans.

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FHS Updated Secondary Lesson Plan Template

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Proficiency Scales 101  What are Proficiency Scales  1

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Alabama Course of Study Standards 2021.pdf

Alabama Course of Study Standards 2021.pdf

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Alabama Course of Study Standards 2021.pdf

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The idea of improving schools by developing professional learning communities is currently in vogue. People use this term to describe every imaginable combination of individuals with an interest in education-a grade-level teaching team, a school committee, a high school department, an entire school district, a state department of education, a national professional organization, and so on. In fact, the term has been used so ubiquitously that it is in danger of losing all meaning.

The professional learning community model has now reached a critical juncture, one well known to those who have witnessed the fate of other well-intentioned school reform efforts. In this all-too-familiar cycle, initial enthusiasm gives way to confusion about the fundamental concepts driving the initiative, followed by inevitable implementation problems, the conclusion that the reform has failed to bring about the desired results, abandonment of the reform, and the launch of a new search for the next promising initiative. Another reform movement has come and gone, reinforcing the conventional education wisdom that promises, "This too shall pass."

The movement to develop professional learning communities can avoid this cycle, but only if educators reflect critically on the concept's merits. What are the "big ideas" that represent the core principles of professional learning communities? How do these principles guide schools' efforts to sustain the professional learning community model until it becomes deeply embedded in the culture of the school?

Big Idea #1: Ensuring That Students Learn

The professional learning community model flows from the assumption that the core mission of formal education is not simply to ensure that students are taught but to ensure that they learn. This simple shift-from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning-has profound implications for schools.

School mission statements that promise "learning for all" have become a cliché. But when a school staff takes that statement literally-when teachers view it as a pledge to ensure the success of each student rather than as politically correct hyperbole-profound changes begin to take place. The school staff finds itself asking, What school characteristics and practices have been most successful in helping all students achieve at high levels? How could we adopt those characteristics and practices in our own school? What commitments would we have to make to one another to create such a school? What indicators could we monitor to assess our progress? When the staff has built shared knowledge and found common ground on these questions, the school has a solid foundation for moving forward with its improvement initiative.

The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools.

Here is a scenario that plays out daily in traditional schools. A teacher teaches a unit to the best of his or her ability, but at the conclusion of the unit some students have not mastered the essential outcomes. On the one hand, the teacher would like to take the time to help those students. On the other hand, the teacher feels compelled to move forward to "cover" the course content. If the teacher uses instructional time to assist students who have not learned, the progress of students who have mastered the content will suffer; if the teacher pushes on with new concepts, the struggling students will fall farther behind.

What typically happens in this situation? Almost invariably, the school leaves the solution to the discretion of individual teachers, who vary widely in the ways they respond. Some teachers conclude that the struggling students should transfer to a less rigorous course or should be considered for special education. Some lower their expectations by adopting less challenging standards for subgroups of students within their classrooms. Some look for ways to assist the students before and after school. Some allow struggling students to fail.

Timely. The school quickly identifies students who need additional time and support.

Based on intervention rather than remediation. The plan provides students with help as soon as they experience difficulty rather than relying on summer school, retention, and remedial courses.

Directive. Instead of inviting students to seek additional help, the systematic plan requires students to devote extra time and receive additional assistance until they have mastered the necessary concepts.

The systematic, timely, and directive intervention program operating at Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, provides an excellent example. Every three weeks, every student receives a progress report. Within the first month of school, new students discover that if they are not doing well in a class, they will receive a wide array of immediate interventions. First, the teacher, counselor, and faculty advisor each talk with the student individually to help resolve the problem. The school also notifies the student's parents about the concern. In addition, the school offers the struggling student a pass from study hall to a school tutoring center to get additional help in the course. An older student mentor, in conjunction with the struggling student's advisor, helps the student with homework during the student's daily advisory period.

Any student who continues to fall short of expectations at the end of six weeks despite these interventions is required, rather than invited, to attend tutoring sessions during the study hall period. Counselors begin to make weekly checks on the struggling student's progress. If tutoring fails to bring about improvement within the next six weeks, the student is assigned to a daily guided study hall with 10 or fewer students. The guided study hall supervisor communicates with classroom teachers to learn exactly what homework each student needs to complete and monitors the completion of that homework. Parents attend a meeting at the school at which the student, parents, counselor, and classroom teacher must sign a contract clarifying what each party will do to help the student meet the standards for the course.

Stevenson High School serves more than 4,000 students. Yet this school has found a way to monitor each student's learning on a timely basis and to ensure that every student who experiences academic difficulty will receive extra time and support for learning.

Like Stevenson, schools that are truly committed to the concept of learning for each student will stop subjecting struggling students to a haphazard education lottery. These schools will guarantee that each student receives whatever additional support he or she needs.

Big Idea #2: A Culture of Collaboration

Educators who are building a professional learning community recognize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture.

Despite compelling evidence indicating that working collaboratively represents best practice, teachers in many schools continue to work in isolation. Even in schools that endorse the idea of collaboration, the staff's willingness to collaborate often stops at the classroom door. Some school staffs equate the term "collaboration" with congeniality and focus on building group camaraderie. Other staffs join forces to develop consensus on operational procedures, such as how they will respond to tardiness or supervise recess. Still others organize themselves into committees to oversee different facets of the school's operation, such as discipline, technology, and social climate. Although each of these activities can serve a useful purpose, none represents the kind of professional dialogue that can transform a school into a professional learning community.

The powerful collaboration that characterizes professional learning communities is a systematic process in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice. Teachers work in teams, engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team learning. This process, in turn, leads to higher levels of student achievement.

Collaborating for School Improvement

At Boones Mill Elementary School, a K-5 school serving 400 students in rural Franklin County, Virginia, the powerful collaboration of grade-level teams drives the school improvement process. The following scenario describes what Boones Mill staff members refer to as their teaching-learning process.

The school's five 3rd grade teachers study state and national standards, the district curriculum guide, and student achievement data to identify the essential knowledge and skills that all students should learn in an upcoming language arts unit. They also ask the 4th grade teachers what they hope students will have mastered by the time they leave 3rd grade. On the basis of the shared knowledge generated by this joint study, the 3rd grade team agrees on the critical outcomes that they will make sure each student achieves during the unit.

Next, the team turns its attention to developing common formative assessments to monitor each student's mastery of the essential outcomes. Team members discuss the most authentic and valid ways to assess student mastery. They set the standard for each skill or concept that each student must achieve to be deemed proficient. They agree on the criteria by which they will judge the quality of student work, and they practice applying those criteria until they can do so consistently. Finally, they decide when they will administer the assessments.

After each teacher has examined the results of the common formative assessment for his or her students, the team analyzes how all 3rd graders performed. Team members identify strengths and weaknesses in student learning and begin to discuss how they can build on the strengths and address the weaknesses. The entire team gains new insights into what is working and what is not, and members discuss new strategies that they can implement in their classrooms to raise student achievement.

At Boones Mill, collaborative conversations happen routinely throughout the year. Teachers use frequent formative assessments to investigate the questions "Are students learning what they need to learn?" and "Who needs additional time and support to learn?" rather than relying solely on summative assessments that ask "Which students learned what was intended and which students did not?"

Collaborative conversations call on team members to make public what has traditionally been private-goals, strategies, materials, pacing, questions, concerns, and results. These discussions give every teacher someone to turn to and talk to, and they are explicitly structured to improve the classroom practice of teachers-individually and collectively.

For teachers to participate in such a powerful process, the school must ensure that everyone belongs to a team that focuses on student learning. Each team must have time to meet during the workday and throughout the school year. Teams must focus their efforts on crucial questions related to learning and generate products that reflect that focus, such as lists of essential outcomes, different kinds of assessment, analyses of student achievement, and strategies for improving results. Teams must develop norms or protocols to clarify expectations regarding roles, responsibilities, and relationships among team members. Teams must adopt student achievement goals linked with school and district goals.

Removing Barriers to Success

For meaningful collaboration to occur, a number of things must also stop happening. Schools must stop pretending that merely presenting teachers with state standards or district curriculum guides will guarantee that all students have access to a common curriculum. Even school districts that devote tremendous time and energy to designing the intended curriculum often pay little attention to the implemented curriculum (what teachers actually teach) and even less to the attained curriculum (what students learn) (Marzano, 2003). Schools must also give teachers time to analyze and discuss state and district curriculum documents. More important, teacher conversations must quickly move beyond "What are we expected to teach?" to "How will we know when each student has learned?"

In addition, faculties must stop making excuses for failing to collaborate. Few educators publicly assert that working in isolation is the best strategy for improving schools. Instead, they give reasons why it is impossible for them to work together: "We just can't find the time." "Not everyone on the staff has endorsed the idea." "We need more training in collaboration." But the number of schools that have created truly collaborative cultures proves that such barriers are not insurmountable. As Roland Barth (1991) wrote,Are teachers and administrators willing to accept the fact that they are part of the problem? . . . God didn't create self-contained classrooms, 50-minute periods, and subjects taught in isolation. We did-because we find working alone safer than and preferable to working together. (pp. 126-127)

In the final analysis, building the collaborative culture of a professional learning community is a question of will. A group of staff members who are determined to work together will find a way.

Big Idea #3: A Focus on Results

Professional learning communities judge their effectiveness on the basis of results. Working together to improve student achievement becomes the routine work of everyone in the school. Every teacher team participates in an ongoing process of identifying the current level of student achievement, establishing a goal to improve the current level, working together to achieve that goal, and providing periodic evidence of progress. The focus of team goals shifts. Such goals as "We will adopt the Junior Great Books program" or "We will create three new labs for our science course" give way to "We will increase the percentage of students who meet the state standard in language arts from 83 percent to 90 percent" or "We will reduce the failure rate in our course by 50 percent."

Schools and teachers typically suffer from the DRIP syndrome-Data Rich/Information Poor. The results-oriented professional learning community not only welcomes data but also turns data into useful and relevant information for staff. Teachers have never suffered from a lack of data. Even a teacher who works in isolation can easily establish the mean, mode, median, standard deviation, and percentage of students who demonstrated proficiency every time he or she administers a test. However, data will become a catalyst for improved teacher practice only if the teacher has a basis of comparison.

When teacher teams develop common formative assessments throughout the school year, each teacher can identify how his or her students performed on each skill compared with other students. Individual teachers can call on their team colleagues to help them reflect on areas of concern. Each teacher has access to the ideas, materials, strategies, and talents of the entire team.

Freeport Intermediate School, located 50 miles south of Houston, Texas, attributes its success to an unrelenting focus on results. Teachers work in collaborative teams for 90 minutes daily to clarify the essential outcomes of their grade levels and courses and to align those outcomes with state standards. They develop consistent instructional calendars and administer the same brief assessment to all students at the same grade level at the conclusion of each instructional unit, roughly once a week.

Each quarter, the teams administer a common cumulative exam. Each spring, the teams develop and administer practice tests for the state exam. Each year, the teams pore over the results of the state test, which are broken down to show every teacher how his or her students performed on every skill and on every test item. The teachers share their results from all of these assessments with their colleagues, and they quickly learn when a teammate has been particularly effective in teaching a certain skill. Team members consciously look for successful practice and attempt to replicate it in their own practice; they also identify areas of the curriculum that need more attention.

Freeport Intermediate has been transformed from one of the lowest-performing schools in the state to a national model for academic achievement. Principal Clara Sale-Davis believes that the crucial first step in that transformation came when the staff began to honestly confront data on student achievement and to work together to improve results rather than make excuses for them.

Of course, this focus on continual improvement and results requires educators to change traditional practices and revise prevalent assumptions. Educators must begin to embrace data as a useful indicator of progress. They must stop disregarding or excusing unfavorable data and honestly confront the sometimes-brutal facts. They must stop using averages to analyze student performance and begin to focus on the success of each student.

Educators who focus on results must also stop limiting improvement goals to factors outside the classroom, such as student discipline and staff morale, and shift their attention to goals that focus on student learning. They must stop assessing their own effectiveness on the basis of how busy they are or how many new initiatives they have launched and begin instead to ask, "Have we made progress on the goals that are most important to us?" Educators must stop working in isolation and hoarding their ideas, materials, and strategies and begin to work together to meet the needs of all students.

Hard Work and Commitment

Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work. The professional learning community model is a grand design-a powerful new way of working together that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. But initiating and sustaining the concept requires hard work. It requires the school staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement.

When educators do the hard work necessary to implement these principles, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school-the commitment and persistence of the educators within it.

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What Is a "Professional Learning Community"?

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To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.

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Free online learning tool and test practice program designed to help students get their best score possible on the ACT test.

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Introduction to i-Ready/August 16, 2022.pptx

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Whether you're new to our work or an expert facilitator, SRI's workshops and other events help you launch and facilitate powerful professional learning communities. These learning events are aimed at increasing educators' capacity to communicate and collaborate to create transformational learning communities fiercely committed to educational equity and excellence.

We list two types of events for educators:

Single-day and multi-day events planned and facilitated by SRI staff members

Single-day and multi-day events planned and facilitated by SRI Community members and organizations

In addition to these public events, SRI can collaborate with you and your team to develop a seminar and workshops to meet the specific needs and scope of work of your staff, school or district. Please visit our Services page and contact the national office to learn more.
Add an event from the SRI Community
Upcoming SRI Events - Arranged chronologically

Events planned and facilitated by SRI staff members

No events of this type are currently in our calendar, but please use the form below to set up a session for your group.

Single-day and multi-day events planned and facilitated by SRI Community members and organizations

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Whether you're new to our work or an expert facilitator, SRI's workshops and other events help you launch and facilitate powerful professional learning communities. These learning events are aimed at increasing educators' capacity to communicate and collaborate to create transformational learning communities fiercely committed to educational equity and excellence.

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In this age of caller ID, seeing the number for your child's school pop up on your phone can cause either panic or dread. Typically, the only reason a school calls a parent is to tell them bad news. But what would happen if schools were in the habit of making a positive phone call home?

Tell Me Something Good

Imagine how you would feel if all anyone ever did was focus on your negative behaviors and attempt to correct them.

Children who struggle with negative behaviors internalize the negative feedback they receive. If poor behavior is the only thing that receives attention, then that negative behavior is likely to continue. The resulting poor self-esteem and lack of motivation become a vicious loop that continues to feed poor behavior.

You can begin to turn that tide by sharing positive feedback with parents.

Challenging Your Staff to Share Positive Information

Educators want to praise positive behavior, even in their most challenging students. One way to do this, of course, is through your PBIS system. The expectations you set at the beginning of the school year deserve recognition.

However, challenge your staff to take this recognition a step further with a positive phone call home. Encourage them to select students who might need a little extra encouragement and challenge them to identify positive behaviors that they can praise to parents with a quick, focused phone call.

In short, student success can begin with a simple positive phone call home.

The Anatomy of a Positive Phone Call Home

A positive phone call home doesn't have to contain over-the-top praise in order to be effective. It only takes a few minutes to do, start to finish, and can reap significant rewards. Just follow this basic formula:

1. Identify yourself

Start by telling them who you are. It's likely they saw the school's name and/or number on their caller ID, but it never hurts to introduce yourself.

2. Immediately assure the parent you are not calling for a negative reason

Most parents' first reaction will be to assume something is wrong. Tell them straightaway that no one is hurt, sick, or in trouble.

3. Tell them the good news

This is where you tell them, very specifically, what positive behavior you have noticed in their child. Anything from politeness to kindness to hard work is fair game for your praise.

4. Resist the temptation to talk about challenges

Even if you are dealing with negative behavior from this student, this is not the time to address it.

5. Thank them for their time

Make the phone call brief and to the point. You want to leave the parent with a positive feeling. Thank them for their time and end the call.

Building Strong Parent-Teacher Relationships

Parents who have never received positive feedback about their child might be astounded to receive such a call. The simple act of a positive phone call can help them to refocus their view of their child in relation to school. It can also help change the dynamic of the school-home connection.

Parents who receive positive feedback from teachers feel they have an ally at school. If they feel the teacher sees the good qualities of their child, they may be more comfortable reaching out to that teacher when they have concerns. This communication between parent and teacher benefits the student in many ways.
Any time is a good time to make a positive phone call home!
Join the #GoodNewsCallOfTheDay on Twitter

Are positive phone calls home part of your school's story? If so, consider sharing them on social media. Platforms like Twitter are embracing the Good News Call of the Day movement with a hashtag: #GoodNewsCallOfTheDay. Be sure the tag @PBISRewards in your Tweets.

Here are some related articles you may find interesting:

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Typically, a school calls a parent to tell them bad news. But what would happen if schools were in the habit of making a positive phone call home?

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When you hear the word assessment, do you automatically think "tests"? While it's true that tests are one kind of assessment, they're not the only way teachers evaluate student progress. Learn more about the types of assessments used in education, and find out how and when to use them.

Jump to:

What is assessment?

In simplest terms, assessment means gathering data to help understand progress and effectiveness. In education, we gather data about student learning in variety of ways, then use it to assess both their progress and the effectiveness of our teaching programs. This helps educators know what's working well and where they need to make changes.

There are three broad types of assessments: diagnostic, formative, and summative. These take place throughout the learning process, helping students and teachers gauge learning. Within those three broad categories, you'll find other types of assessment, such as ipsative, norm-referenced, and criterion-referenced.

What's the purpose of assessment in education?

In education, we can group assessments under three main purposes:

Assessment of learning is student-based and one of the most familiar, encompassing tests, reports, essays, and other ways of determining what students have learned. These are usually summative assessments, and they are used to gauge progress for individuals and groups so educators can determine who has mastered the material and who needs more assistance.

When we talk about assessment for learning, we're referring to the constant evaluations teachers perform as they teach. These quick assessments-such as in-class discussions or quick pop quizzes-give educators the chance to see if their teaching strategies are working. This allows them to make adjustments in action, tailoring their lessons and activities to student needs. Assessment for learning usually includes the formative and diagnostic types.

Assessment can also be a part of the learning process itself. When students use self-evaluations, flash cards, or rubrics, they're using assessments to help them learn.

Let's take a closer look at the various types of assessments used in education.

Diagnostic Assessments

Diagnostic assessments are used before learning to determine what students already do and do not know. This often refers to pre-tests and other activities students attempt at the beginning of a unit.

How To Use Diagnostic Assessments

When giving diagnostic assessments, it's important to remind students these won't affect their overall grade. Instead, it's a way for them to find out what they'll be learning in an upcoming lesson or unit. It can also help them understand their own strengths and weaknesses, so they can ask for help when they need it.

Teachers can use results to understand what students already know and adapt their lesson plans accordingly. There's no point in over-teaching a concept students have already mastered. On the other hand, a diagnostic assessment can also help highlight expected pre-knowledge that may be missing.

For instance, a teacher might assume students already know certain vocabulary words that are important for an upcoming lesson. If the diagnostic assessment indicates differently, the teacher knows they'll need to take a step back and do a little pre-teaching before getting to their actual lesson plans.

Examples of Diagnostic Assessments

Pre-test: This includes the same questions (or types of questions) that will appear on a final test, and it's an excellent way to compare results.

Blind Kahoot: Teachers and kids already love using Kahoot for test review, but it's also the perfect way to introduce a new topic. Learn how Blind Kahoots work here.

Survey or questionnaire: Ask students to rate their knowledge on a topic with a series of low-stakes questions.

Checklist: Create a list of skills and knowledge students will build throughout a unit, and have them start by checking off any they already feel they've mastered. Revisit the list frequently as part of formative assessment.

Formative Assessments

Formative assessments take place during instruction. They're used throughout the learning process and help teachers make on-the-go adjustments to instruction and activities as needed. These assessments aren't used in calculating student grades, but they are planned as part of a lesson or activity. Learn much more about formative assessments here.

How To Use Formative Assessments

As you're building a lesson plan, be sure to include formative assessments at logical points. These types of assessments might be used at the end of a class period, after finishing a hands-on activity, or once you're through with a unit section or learning objective.

Once you have the results, use that feedback to determine student progress, both overall and as individuals. If the majority of a class is struggling with a specific concept, you might need to find different ways to teach it. Or you might discover that one student is especially falling behind and arrange to offer extra assistance to help them out.

While kids may grumble, standard homework review assignments can actually be a pretty valuable type of formative assessment. They give kids a chance to practice, while teachers can evaluate their progress by checking the answers. Just remember that homework review assignments are only one type of formative assessment, and not all kids have access to a safe and dedicated learning space outside of school.

Examples of Formative Assessments

Exit tickets: At the end of a lesson or class, pose a question for students to answer before they leave. They can answer using a sticky note, online form, or digital tool.

Kahoot quizzes: Kids enjoy the gamified fun, while teachers appreciate the ability to analyze the data later to see which topics students understand well and which need more time.

Flip (formerly Flipgrid): We love Flip for helping teachers connect with students who hate speaking up in class. This innovative (and free!) tech tool lets students post selfie videos in response to teacher prompts. Kids can view each other's videos, commenting and continuing the conversation in a low-key way.

Self-evaluation: Encourage students to use formative assessments to gauge their own progress too. If they struggle with review questions or example problems, they know they'll need to spend more time studying. This way, they're not surprised when they don't do well on a more formal test.

Find a big list of 25 creative and effective formative assessment options here.
Summative Assessments

Summative assessments are used at the end of a unit or lesson to determine what students have learned. By comparing diagnostic and summative assessments, teachers and learners can get a clearer picture of how much progress they've made. Summative assessments are often tests or exams but also include options like essays, projects, and presentations.

How To Use Summative Assessments

The goal of a summative assessment is to find out what students have learned and if their learning matches the goals for a unit or activity. Ensure you match your test questions or assessment activities with specific learning objectives to make the best use of summative assessments.

When possible, use an array of summative assessment options to give all types of learners a chance to demonstrate their knowledge. For instance, some students suffer from severe test anxiety but may still have mastered the skills and concepts and just need another way to show their achievement. Consider ditching the test paper and having a conversation with the student about the topic instead, covering the same basic objectives but without the high-pressure test environment.

Summative assessments are often used for grades, but they're really about so much more. Encourage students to revisit their tests and exams, finding the right answers to any they originally missed. Think about allowing retakes for those who show dedication to improving on their learning. Drive home the idea that learning is about more than just a grade on a report card.

Examples of Summative Assessments

Traditional tests: These might include multiple-choice, matching, and short-answer questions.

Essays and research papers: This is another traditional form of summative assessment, typically involving drafts (which are really formative assessments in disguise) and edits before a final copy.

Presentations: From oral book reports to persuasive speeches and beyond, presentations are another time-honored form of summative assessment.

Find 25 of our favorite alternative assessments here.
More Types of Assessments

Now that you know the three basic types of assessments, let's take a look at some of the more specific and advanced terms you're likely to hear in professional development books and sessions. These assessments may fit into some or all of the broader categories, depending on how they're used. Here's what teachers need to know.

Criterion-Referenced Assessments

In this common type of assessment, a student's knowledge is compared to a standard learning objective. Most summative assessments are designed to measure student mastery of specific learning objectives. The important thing to remember about this type of assessment is that it only compares a student to the expected learning objectives themselves, not to other students.

Many standardized tests are criterion-referenced assessments. A governing board determines the learning objectives for a specific group of students. Then, all students take a standardized test to see if they've achieved those objectives.
Find out more about criterion-referenced assessments here.
Norm-Referenced Assessments

These types of assessments do compare student achievement with that of their peers. Students receive a ranking based on their score and potentially on other factors as well. Norm-referenced assessments usually rank on a bell curve, establishing an "average" as well as high performers and low performers.

These assessments can be used as screening for those at risk for poor performance (such as those with learning disabilities) or to identify high-level learners who would thrive on additional challenges. They may also help rank students for college entrance or scholarships, or determine whether a student is ready for a new experience like preschool.
Learn more about norm-referenced assessments here.
Ipsative Assessments

In education, ipsative assessments compare a learner's present performance to their own past performance, to chart achievement over time. Many educators consider ipsative assessment to be the most important of all, since it helps students and parents truly understand what they've accomplished-and sometimes, what they haven't. It's all about measuring personal growth.

Comparing the results of pre-tests with final exams is one type of ipsative assessment. Some schools use curriculum-based measurement to track ipsative performance. Kids take regular quick assessments (often weekly) to show their current skill/knowledge level in reading, writing, math, and other basics. Their results are charted, showing their progress over time.
Learn more about ipsative assessment in education here.
Have more questions about the best types of assessments to use with your students? Come ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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All posts by Jill Staake, B.S., Secondary ELA Education

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Types of Assessments for Education (Plus How and When To Use Them)

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Learn about the basic types of assessments educators use in and out of the classroom, and how to use them most effectively with students.

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Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) - Wakelet

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AMSTI Proficiency Scales | AMSTI | ALSDE

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For learning to be effective, teachers have to master classroom management strategies. A disciplined classroom is one that’s ready to learn. These research-based top techniques from experts will help your students focus better and learn more.

1. Say hello. A little recognition goes a long way. By beginning each class with a personal greeting to every student, you’ll know right away who is having a good day and who may need additional attention.

2. Set the expectation. Students can’t meet your expectations if you don’t tell them what they are. Show them how good classroom behavior looks. Better, be part of a schoolwide approach. Use PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) and apply it consistently in your classroom by explicitly teaching the behaviors you want to see.

3. Make your rules simple. Students who have difficulty understanding a long list of directions will also have difficulty understanding complex behavior rules. A short list of brief rules is more effective than a laundry list written to “catch” every misbehavior.

4. Master step one. Wait to give directions until everyone focuses their attention on you. Whether you say, “All eyes on me,” or “Line up without talking,” make sure everyone does it. If they don’t, take a deep breath and start over, again, waiting for compliance.

5. Praise the positive. Many of your students will demonstrate excellent classroom behavior. Praise them for it. Praise the students who are still learning, too, by pointing out what they’ve done right.

6. Focus on one behavior at a time. Tell children everything they’ve done wrong, and you’ll overwhelm them. When kids know they’ve messed up, they may feel downshifted. If so, they’ll be unable to pay attention to your teaching, and their behaviors may escalate. Instead, tell students the one thing you’d like them to work on first. When they’re good at it, move on to the next one.

7. Delay the discussion. Not everything requires immediate attention. If an angry child shouts at you, let her know that what she has to say is important, but you can’t listen until she calms down and speaks in a regular voice. Tell the student you’ll check back in a few minutes to see if she’s ready to talk without being angry. Be sure to follow up.

8. Show understanding and sensitivity to cultural norms. They might not mean disrespect in your culture. The child who refuses to look you in the eye when you’re talking to him may cast his glance downward out of cultural respect.

9. Practice makes perfect. You may find yourself tempted to allow for behavior that’s “good enough.” If you’ve asked your students to enter the room in a single file and they rush the door like shoppers at a sale, you must ask them to start over and try again. Repeat until all students have done what you asked.

10. Be efficient. Plan enough activities for your classroom so that you don’t have to drag out learning tasks. Use the steps above to teach students how to prepare for the lesson, conduct themselves during it, and transition to something else afterward.

Think of these classroom management strategies as “active ingredients” in classroom management. They are the kernels of influence when it comes to influencing behavior.

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Research-based classroom management strategies you can't afford to skip

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Spread the loveFor learning to be effective, teachers have to master classroom management strategies. A disciplined classroom is one that's ready to learn. These research-based top techniques from experts will help your students focus better and learn more. Say hello. A little recognition goes a long way.

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Classroom discipline is very important for effective teaching and learning, yet it constitutes one of the biggest teacher challenges nowadays. Before teaching a new class, teachers should work intensively on their classroom management strategies for achieving school discipline.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about keeping your classroom in order!

The importance of maintaining classroom discipline

1. What is discipline in the classroom?

To define discipline, one must refer to the strategies a teacher uses to manage student behaviors during lessons, as well as the code of behavior that the students must comply with. This code of behavior usually includes rules of attendance, dress code, social behavior, and work ethic. The term may also be applied to the punishment that is the consequence of the transgression of the code of behavior.

2. What are the 3 types of discipline?

The three types of discipline are preventative, supportive, and corrective discipline.

PREVENTATIVE discipline is about establishing expectations, guidelines, and classroom rules for behavior during the first days of lessons in order to proactively prevent disruptions.

SUPPORTIVE discipline, on the other hand, occurs in the case of a transgression. It is usually a verbal warning or a suggestion for the correction of behavior.

CORRECTIVE discipline comes into play when a student has failed to change his or her behavior after repeated attempts at supportive discipline. It mostly refers to the consequences delivered following an infraction.

3. What is the importance of discipline in schools?

Discipline in school life is extremely important, as it sets the foundations for students' success later in life. Discipline is a transferrable skill in life and it can bring on many virtues, such as professional success through being focused and staying healthy. Discipline is what helps students achieve good performance in school and it is responsible for keeping order in the classroom.

4. How does poor classroom management affect learning?

Poor classroom management affects students' motivation, which inevitably negatively impacts their academic performance. Teachers who fail to manage a classroom effectively by not setting rules and routines and doing inadequate preparation create learning environments that are chaotic and counterproductive for learning.

Discipline problems

Even the most experienced teachers have to face classroom discipline problems. Unruly students' behavior means that instructional time is lost and students get off task. It is a teacher's job to figure out why a discipline problem occurs and how to best solve it in a well-managed learning environment.

5. What causes discipline problems in the classroom?

There are many reasons that cause discipline problems in the classroom. Handling discipline problems requires sensitivity and insight on part of the teacher, in order to understand the root of the issue.

Some common causes of discipline issues in the classroom include problems at home (e.g. if a student is experiencing an emotionally turbulent time at home) and learning disabilities, like ADD, which can cause a lack of focus. Discipline problems in the classroom are also more likely to arise if there is a lack of clear communication about the rules and consequences for breaking them.

6. What are some disruptive behaviors in the classroom?

Some common disruptive behaviors in the classroom include: talking in class, late arrivals or early departures, persistent use of electronic devices, eating, drinking, or sleeping in class, and, more seriously, threats of violence and physical and verbal aggression.

7. What are the major and minor disruptive behaviors?

There are two categories of disruptive behaviors in the class: minor and major.

MINOR disruptions include unintended hurtful words, not working on tasks, lateness, and use of electronic devices. While they require a warning from the teacher, they can be easily ignored and do not seriously disrupt teaching or learning.

MAJOR disruptions, on the other hand, go beyond rudeness and include profane language directed towards others, sexual words and innuendo, physical threats, vandalism, and stealing.

8. How do disruptive students affect the classroom?

Disruptive behavior by students interferes with the teacher's ability to effectively deliver a lesson, as it requires a large amount of the teacher's time and attention in order to be addressed. Disruptive students can also influence their peers with their actions and encourage them to behave similarly, compromising the teacher's authority.

9. How does students' behavior affect learning?

According to research conducted by the United Federation of Teachers, exposure to even mild classroom disruptions lowers the academic achievement for all students in a class. Constant interruptions can interfere with focus and detract from learning.

Handling disruptive behaviors: psychologists' advice

There are many different types of disruptive behaviors that can prevent effective teaching and learning and, so, it is vital that teachers work on perfecting their practices for managing them.

Teachers should create classroom behavioral expectations from the first day of class by outlining both productive and disruptive types of behavior, the process by which disruptive behavior will be addressed, and the consequences for ongoing disruptive behavior.

10. How do you calm a noisy classroom?

A noisy classroom is a very common occurrence that can be disruptive to the teaching and learning processes, whether it is caused by students raucously returning to class from their breaks or classmates gossiping together during lessons.

The best way to ensure a quiet classroom is by cultivating a peaceful atmosphere and establishing respect for the teacher from the get-go. You must set the tone and expectations on your first day, making students understand the classroom is a place for learning and not socializing.

To quieten chatter in a class, resist raising your voice, which only works to encourage more noise. Help students familiarize themselves with your non-verbal cues for quietening down the class, which include hand signals, counting down backward from 5 until silence is achieved, or clapping.

11. What exactly should I say if a student is disruptive in class? Psychologists' advice

Disruptive students can be a big distraction in class. Even when teachers clearly set boundaries for behavior, disruptions may occasionally take place. Teachers should be careful to assess each incident individually and respond appropriately, as causes for disruptive behavior can vary.

In all cases, teachers must remain calm and firm when addressing disruptive students, explaining to them what it is that they are doing wrong, why it is a problem, and what the proper behavior is. It is important to listen to what students have to say and make them feel understood.

Here are several phrases that you can learn by heart and apply during your class in case of disruptions. Remember that it's not only your words that matter but also your polite and friendly intonation and your overall teacher's confidence.

Psychologists suggest that teachers use the following phrases if they want to stop a conflict as quickly as possible:

Remind the disruptive student of classroom rules. If you have none, it is advisable to establish them and to hang them on a wall. E.g.: Say "James, remember that according to our classroom rules, talking during the class is considered disruptive behavior. If you continue talking, I will have to ask you to leave the classroom".

If you have just given a reprimand to a disruptive student, switch to your work with the rest of the class as quickly as possible. E.g.: Say "James, remember that according to our classroom rules, talking during the class is considered disruptive behavior. If you continue talking, I will have to ask you to leave the classroom. So, we're discussing Jack London'd novel 'Martin Eden' now. Ann, what's your opinion about the relationship between Martin Eden and Ruth Morse?"

Having verbalized your student's emotions, switch his or her attention to some other task as quickly as possible. E.g.: Say "James, you feel very upset about the results of your control work. You must find them very disappointing. And now, let's play a game".

Should you find it difficult to remember everything this when you are stressed, then just remember two short phrases that are always appropriate to start your conversation with. These are "Please, ..." and "I need you to...". Whatever message you start with these phrases, it will sound polite and conciliative. E.g.: Say "Please, answer my question" or "I need you to do this task".

Here is an insightful video on how to deal with your students' challenging behavior:

12. How do you discipline a student without yelling? Can teachers yell at students?

Even though teachers are allowed to yell at students in order to discipline them, it is not advisable as it sets a poor model. Yelling is a sign of loss of control that can be counterproductive, driving a wedge between a teacher and his or her students and provoking fear.

There are plenty of methods that do not involve yelling that a teacher can use to maintain order and control in their classroom. Establishing routines with students from the beginning of the year is particularly vital to maintaining good discipline, while a variety of classroom management techniques (such as countdowns and revoking privileges) can help you gain control of unruly students.

13. How do you handle a conflict between students and teachers?

The student-teacher relationship can be complicated and it is not unusual for students to end up in conflict with their teachers. Some conflicts are healthy and arise naturally through debates due to competing ideas on various issues.

However, if the conflict persists and appears to be antagonistic in nature, you should address this directly with your students. Listen to them to get their perspectives and carefully explain your position on the conflict in a way they understand. Teachers can seize this opportunity to teach their students the rules of civic discourse and effective self-expression. When you have tried everything to no avail, try getting assistance from a colleague, the principal, or administration.

14. How do you deal with aggressive students in the classroom?

Aggressive students often antagonize others and are drawn to physical fights or verbal arguments. Aggression constitutes severe misbehavior and should, therefore, be dealt with accordingly, with stiff consequences that send a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

If you are breaking up a fight between students, you must remain assertive and speak in a firm, no-nonsense manner. If necessary, you could consider giving the aggressive student a time-out, separating them from the rest of the class.

15. How do you handle an argumentative student?

Argumentative students who disrupt the class can be difficult to handle. If you are wondering how to discipline an argumentative student, the answer is to try to understand the motives for their behavior and allow them to be heard without losing your temper. This will help you get to the root of the problem.

While confronting the student, you must show them that you have control over the situation by being firm and outlining the consequences of their actions. Speak with the student privately and create a behavior management plan for them to deal with possible anger management issues.

16. How do you respond to a disrespectful student?

When confronted with disrespect, an easy mistake to make is to take it personally. Disrespect can be an indication of complex psychological issues that a student is facing. Resist the urge to admonish, scold, or lecture the disrespectful student and respond with kindness instead, modeling the type of behavior the student should ideally be exhibiting.

Turn the incident into a memorable lesson for the student by delivering consequences, but ensure to do this privately, rather than shaming them in front of their peers. For overt disrespect, students' parents should be notified by letter, an act which adds a layer of seriousness and accountability.

17. How do you deal with disturbing students?

It is very important that teachers talk to the parents of disturbing students who are constantly making trouble. Empathize with the student and try to get to the bottom of their behavior, while staying in close proximity with their family to monitor progress.

Discuss the behavior with your colleagues, in order to develop a common and consistent approach for dealing with the student. Above all, while dealing with a disturbing student, you should remember that it takes time for problematic behavior to change so stay patient and positive.

Student punishment

Before proceeding with student punishment, teachers should think carefully and understand its pros and cons. While punishing students can quickly stop a problem, it tends to be a short-term solution that can often be accompanied by negative side-effects, such as a drop in positive attitudes toward school and a more negative perception of teachers.

18. Should teachers punish students?

Punishment is defined as inflicting a penalty as retribution for a transgression. According to that definition, since students often commit transgressions, it would make sense to punish them for bad behavior.

However, teachers must refrain from applying such a "black and white" approach to dealing with unruly behavior and use critical thinking instead to determine whether punishment is necessary. Teachers should always consider alternative options for dealing with bad behavior, before proceeding with punishment.

19. Which forms of student punishment are acceptable?

In most of the Western world, acceptable forms of punishment include but are not limited to demerit systems, daily report or behavior contracts, apologies, time-out, detentions, being made to write essays, and being made to pick up litter around the school.

20. Which forms of student punishment are unacceptable? Why?

A study conducted by Unicef identified over 43 types of punishment that were being given to students at schools around the world a decade ago, including physical punishment (e.g. smacking) and psychological punishment (e.g. verbal abuse and isolation).

Punishment in schools differs widely from country to country. For example, while Sweden has made corporal punishment illegal, it remains popular in Nigeria.

In the majority of Western countries, any type of physical punishment is unacceptable as it is illegal and constitutes criminal assault. While some schools use physical exercise as a form of punishment (i.e. press-ups, sit-ups, running) and it is not illegal, it is not considered acceptable as it is cruel and can be degrading for students.

21. Is it acceptable to punish everyone in the class for one person's mistake?

Collective punishment is the term used to describe the situation when a group of students, for example, a whole class or a whole grade, is punished for the actions of one or a few students. Examples of collective punishment include being taken off recess early or the class being banned from using a certain recreation area.

Most schools do not allow collective punishment, as it is known to demotivate well-behaved students and is unlikely to improve the offender's behavior according to a 2019 study.

Patience is a virtue

Knowing how to maintain student discipline in a classroom can be one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. Teachers must learn to evaluate situations on their individual merits in order to know how to respond, distinguishing between minor and major disruptive behaviors and delivering the appropriate consequences and punishments where necessary, always according to school policies.

In case of severe problems with classroom management and students that are unresponsive to corrections, teachers should reach out to colleagues for support and involve administration and the student's family when necessary.

Further reading

Need more information on the topic? Read these outstanding books and articles written by successful educators who managed to take classroom discipline under their control:

Davidson, J. & Wood, C. (2004). A conflict resolution model. Theory into Practice, 43(1), 6-13.

Edwards, D., & Mullis, F. (2003). Classroom meetings: Encouraging a climate of cooperation. Professional School Counseling, 7, 20-28.

Kohn, A. (2006). Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Reston, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Kraut, H. (2000). Teaching and the art of successful classroom management. (3rd ed.). Staten. Island, New York: AYSA Publishing, Inc.

Lewis, R. (2001). Classroom discipline and student responsibility: The students' view. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(3), 307-319.

Marzano, R.J. (2003). Classroom management that works. Virginia, USA: ASCD.

Roffey, S. (2004). The New Teacher's Survival Guide to Behaviour. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Rogers, B. (2006). Classroom Behaviour: a Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behaviour Management, and Colleague Support. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Tauber, R. (2007). Classroom management: Sound theory and effective practice (4th ed). Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, Greenwood Publishers.

Vitto, J.M. (2003). Relationship-driven classroom management: Strategies that promote student motivation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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The IDEAL School Discipline: Working Classroom Management Tips!

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Classroom discipline is very important for effective teaching and learning, yet it constitutes one of the biggest teacher challenges nowadays. Before teaching a new class, teachers should work intensively on their classroom management strategies for achieving school discipline. Read on to learn everything you need to know about keeping your classroom in order!

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AMSTI_DLCS Profile and Collections - Wakelet

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This is a short list with some activities that are easy-to-understand and implement in your lessons. These activities are great for students at all levels and promote engagement and interaction between students.

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Using i-Ready Data to Create Small-Groups 

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Using i-Ready Data to Create Small-Groups 

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Classrooms are changing.

That change can come from a new generation of teachers, emerging technologies, student behaviors, or a combination of factors.

As a result, teachers' classroom management strategies have changed as well.

If your classroom management techniques fall behind the times, you'll have a daily struggle to keep your students engaged.

Check out the eight best classroom management strategies that'll help you govern your classroom and teach your students in 2022:

1. Show enthusiasm

2. Create first-step compliance

3. Prepare

4. Master transitions

5. Foster collaboration

6. Practice follow-through

7. Remember to play

8. Start a "tech off" policy

1. Show Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is arguably the most important quality a teacher can have.

Bringing an excited attitude to your classroom improves student interest, participation, and even learning.

But "enthusiasm" doesn't always have to mean excitement. In fact, the English word comes from a Greek phrase that means " possessed by a god."

In ancient Greece, that doesn't mean you displayed any particular "godly" quality. But for the qualities you did display, you displayed them proudly and confidently.

The same idea holds true in the classroom.

Presenting yourself - and your lessons - with energy and poise is a sure way to draw students' attention.

It's effective because you establish that you're the center of your students' shared universe whenever you're at the front of the class.

This is because teacher enthusiasm doesn't always have an effect on behavior. But it does play a strong role in cognitive and emotional engagement.

Qin Zhang of Fairfield University noticed this in a controlled classroom environment. Zhang observed that some students may behave in class because of rules, grade incentives, or other external factors.

But just because they're behaving doesn't mean they're learning.

Instead, Zhang points to a concept called "emotional contagion" - the spread of an emotion that someone displays - to credit better student learning.

In a nutshell, students feel the enthusiasm of the teacher, which improves their attention, engagement, and stimulation.

This is why enthusiasm helps student learning. Enthusiasm won't make rowdy students behave well - but it does hold their attention.

2. Create First-Step Compliance

First-step compliance lets you establish a start to your class period while immediately drawing student attention to you.

This idea is great for getting students engaged from the get-go of every class, and it's surprisingly simple for how effective it is.

All you have to do is give your students an easy "task" at the beginning of class.

That task can be almost anything - but you have to deliver it as instruction.

These are some of the easiest (and most popular) first-step compliance tasks in use today:

1. "Everybody's eyes on me."

2. "Look at the screen."

3. "Point your eyes at the board."

These super-simple instructions alert your students that class has started. They also start every class period with a quick accomplishment - kind of like how you can start your day with an accomplishment by making your bed.

It may not be a big deal, but it has big results.

If you've ever seen a hypnotist on stage, you may recognize this style of instruction. It's phrased the same way hypnotists issue commands to their subjects.

The key is to minimize complexity and emphasize action. Start your instruction with a strong verb - look, point, etc. - and follow it with a focus.

Looking somewhere is often the best instruction since most people pay attention to something as they look at it.

With first-step compliance, you get every class off to a productive start.

3. Prepare Yourself

As any teacher can testify, teaching begins way before you step foot in a classroom.

It starts with preparation.

Even in the age of the Internet, it's impossible to overstate the importance of good, old fashioned prep work.

Getting ready for your classes makes all of them work more smoothly.

You can plan for disruptions, create contingencies, and note areas for improvement.

The more time you spend preparing, the fewer surprises you'll have in the classroom.

That'll keep your students more focused and engaged.

When you're prepared to teach, your students become eager to learn.

Preparation also plays a role in enthusiasm. After all, it's easier to be energetic when you know what you're going to do next.

4. Master Transitions

Transitions are key to a successful classroom. Most school class periods last somewhere between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the school's scheduling strategy.

That means you'll probably have to change gears at least once or twice every class.

That change in gears is a crucial moment in every class. If you're going to lose student engagement, it's more likely to happen during a transition than any other moment.

Thankfully, it's pretty easy to successfully transition from one topic to another.

In fact, you can transition in five simple steps:

1. Signal for attention

2. Say "in a moment"

3. Give directions

4. Say "go"

5. Observe

It's important to signal for attention so every student has their eyes on you. This step is similar to first-step compliance in that you grab attention with a short, easy-to-accomplish instruction.

The words "in a moment" are important as well. This tells students that instructions will be short and that they'll be changing gears soon.

Directions form the core of a transition. This is where you'll say what's about to happen in as few words as possible. The shorter you can say it, the better.

Fourth, say the word "go." As it turns out, "go" is a powerful word. It's short, actionable, and universally understood. When you say it, students know they're moving to the next task.

Last, it's important to observe the student follow-through. Note where they fail and where they succeed so you can change your strategy for next time.

5. Foster Collaboration

Collaboration and group work has always been a staple of education.

The peer-to-peer nature of this teaching style gives students an opportunity to connect with one another.

It also encourages relationship-building, which creates a more positive learning environment in your classroom.

Instituting collaboration in your classroom gives you a new teaching strategy with little work on your end. You can come up with expectations, goals, and deadlines, and then you can turn your students loose!

The only effort required on your part is to ensure groups stay on topic.

Collaboration doesn't have to be face-to-face either. Thanks to massive strides in online applications, companies like Google offer collaboration software your students can use simultaneously.

In other words, there's never been a better time to encourage collaboration in your classroom.

6. Practice Follow-Through

It's important that your students respect you. That means they need to respect your word.

If you say you'll do something, they need to trust that you'll follow-through.

This produces happy students, and it reinforces positive qualities like honesty, trust, and follow-through.

The more your students see you keep your word, the more likely they'll be to do it as well.

Passively, this structures your class in a positive, productive way. Students feel that your classroom is a place of kept promises and potential, both of which keep them motivated.

This is a simple idea. But it's how you can lead by example to keep students engaged in your class.

7. Remember to Play

All work and no play makes students stressed out.

In fact, as of 2014, American high school students are more stressed out than adults.

That may not sound significant - these days, we throw around the word "stress" so much that it's hard to remember what such a small word actually entails.

But short-term stress has a major impact on the brain's ability to learn. Long-term stress is even worse, to the point where it can impair minute details like cellular communication.

So when students say they're stressed, they're really saying they can't learn.

That means it's on teachers like you to take the edge off. Even if your class only has a five or 10 minute break from the rigors of a student's life, it can give them a break from direct stress.
You can reduce stress in the classroom by:

1. Making jokes and encouraging laughter

2. Fostering creativity

3. Recognizing student accomplishments

4. Gesturing to encourage engagement

5. Staying positive

The most powerful method on that list is laughter. If you can make students laugh just once a day, it means they've forgotten about their stress - even if it's for a moment.

The results could change how much your students learn.

8. Start a "Tech Off" Policy

There's no question that students today are more distracted than any other generation.

Smartphones, tablets, and even watches are all culprits when it comes to distracting students.

If you want to keep your students on-track as often as possible, you need a "tech off" policy.

You have a couple ways to do this.
First, you can force all students to remove the devices from their pockets, turn them off, and flip them (face-up) on their desks.
That lets you see who's followed instructions. It works best when students place their smartphones in a very specific area of their work station - like the top right corners of their desks.

When you can see that devices are turned off, you can be sure students won't be distracted by them.
Second, if you're using tech in your classroom as well, you can institute a penalty for delayed work.
So if a student doesn't finish their work on school computers before the end of the period, they have to finish their work on paper during the next class.

While this may not sound that threatening, it's a serious motivator for the digital native generation. They've grown up with borderline-unlimited access to screens.

If you take those screens away, they often feel like something is missing.
Third, you can institute more direct penalties, such as deducting points from their grade.
With one of these policies, you're sure to find different degrees of success. You can always refine a strategy to make it more specific to your classroom, too.

It may take some trial and error, but every day will be another step in the right direction!

Start Managing Your Classroom Today

Sometimes all it takes to get a better hold on managing your classroom is a constant reminder of how other teachers succeed.

Rather than write these strategies down for yourself, download a PDF version that you can reference any time!

Click below to download the PDF version of this blog now so you always have it on hand!

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8 Wildly Successful Classroom Management Strategies for 2022

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Classrooms are changing. That change can come from a new generation of teachers, emerging technologies, student behaviors, or a combination of factors. As a result, teachers' classroom management strategies have changed as well. If your classroom management techniques fall behind the times, you'll have a daily struggle to keep your students engaged.

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8 ELA & Social Studies Tips for Lesson Planning

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8 ELA & Social Studies Tips for Lesson Planning

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Feel free to make a copy and use this tardy sheet with your students to keep accountability with attendance. This is also helpful for documentation purposes.

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SIOP Lesson Plans and Activities

Our collection of SIOP lesson plans and activities includes exemplary SIOP lesson plans developed by teachers who were involved in the foundational SIOP research study, as well as new updates from our current research and professional development projects. We invite you to read these lesson plans and activities individually or with your colleagues in order to learn more about the SIOP Model. You may want to discuss why these lessons are effective for English learners or how to incorporate the SIOP strategies these teachers used in your own lessons.

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CAL was a partner in the Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE). CREATE researchers developed curriculum to build the language and literacy skills of English learners in the middle grades. Lesson plans and materials were infused with instructional features of the SIOP Model including language objectives, explicit vocabulary instruction, student interaction, building background knowledge, and comprehensible input.
Learn more.

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Our collection of SIOP lesson plans and activities includes exemplary SIOP lesson plans developed by teachers who were involved in the foundational SIOP research study, as well as new updates from our current research and professional development projects. We invite you to read these lesson plans and activities individually or with your colleagues in order to learn more about the SIOP Model.

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A professional learning community (PLC) is a team of educators who share ideas to enhance their teaching practice and create a learning environment where all students can reach their fullest potential. Most PLCs operate within a school building or across a district. They can be organized by grade level, content area or an entire teaching staff.

Not every educator is sold on the idea of yet another meeting, but when done right, PLCs reap huge benefits for both students and teachers. Here are four ways PLCs enhance teaching and learning:

1. PLCs allow educators opportunities to directly improve teaching and learning.

PLCs allow teachers an easy way to share best practices and brainstorm innovative ways to improve learning and drive student achievement. Good communication is key so that educators can share opinions and feel that what they are doing in the classroom matters.

These learning communities also enhance teacher reflection of instructional practices and student outcomes. Meeting with your PLC gives you the ability to share student progress, and when the data is shared across grade levels within the building, educators and administrators take ownership of every child's education.

In online learning environments, it's especially important to create professional learning communities to lighten the load. When collaborating with other educators, discuss ways to share work to lighten the load and ensure you aren't duplicating work.

2. PLCs build stronger relationships between team members.

The very essence of a PLC is a focus on and a commitment to student learning. Meeting weekly creates a bond and builds a team of leaders within the school or district that eventually extends regionally and globally.

To build a strong team, it's important to define roles and relationships of team members. This starts from understanding everyone's strengths within the department and throughout your PLN. Enhancing the strengths of others builds trust and makes relationships come to fruition.

When mutual respect for each other's opinions is developed within the team, all team members become leaders within the group.

3. PLCs help teachers stay on top of new research and emerging technology tools for the classroom.

Collaboration within a district and beyond is essential in order for educators to have ongoing and regular opportunities to learn from each other. A global PLC allows teachers to share and learn from each other daily. Twitter and other social media sites let teachers collaborate worldwide and create a community of practice that far exceeds their classroom walls.

Within your district or school, you can use a variety of tools to set up communication channels so you can share ideas and best practices or easily join text chats or video calls to collaborate in the moment.

This type of ongoing professional development informs teachers about new research and emerging tools for the classroom, and it gives educators a look at what other schools, cities, states and countries are doing in their schools.

4. PLCs help teachers reflect on ideas.

Learning from others in your PLC allows you to reflect on ways to enhance your teaching and to adjust your practice. The more minds that come together from different backgrounds, the more likely you are to add value and purpose to the field of education.

When PLC's come together, they must focus their efforts on questions related to learning and create products with the end result of answering questions that lead to student achievement. Student success must be the focus of PLC collaborations.
Looking for more ideas on how you can address challenges in education? Learn from hundreds of educators at I STELive 21. Dr. Jennifer Serviss has 23 years of educational experience. She is currently at Loris High School in Horry County, South Carolina. She has a bachelor's degree in special education from Georgian Court University, a master's in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University and holds a Doctorate in Educational Technology Leadership. Dr. Serviss resides in Myrtle Beach, SC with her husband and two amazing kids. This is an updated version of an article that originally published on November 6, 2019.

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4 benefits of an active professional learning community | ISTE

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A professional learning community (PLC) is a team of educators who share ideas to enhance their teaching practice and create a learning environment where all students can reach their fullest potential. Most PLCs operate within a school building or across a district. They can be organized by grade level, content area or an entire teaching staff.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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https://alex.state.al.us/cos-ae

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International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards

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International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards

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Additional Curriculum Guides specific to your content can be found in the JefCoEd "Hidden Shared Drives" in your JefCoEd Google Drive. Go to: Shared Drives> Hidden Shared Drives> Employee Docs-Curriculum & Instruction> 6-12 Secondary Curriculum Resources> then choose your subject area to find resources specific to your course

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Fostering Active Comprehension: Asking and Answering Questions

Shadia encourages her first-grade students to engage in authentic inquiry before reading a text. By asking questions about the topic, students' reading focus is linked to finding answers to their questions. Shadia's students stay engaged by working in pairs.
Submitted by Shadia Salem, a first grade Transitional Arabic Bilingual Teacher at Dorn Elementary in Hickory Hills, IL.
ENL (English as a New Language) High School Students: Encouraging Communication in a New Language

Mindy develops a grade-level, standards-based unit and provides her ninth graders with clear modeling and guided practice using game-type activities for Romeo and Juliet. Mindy also demonstrates working with colleagues to help raise awareness of scaffolding lessons so all learners can be engaged.
Submitted by Mindy Lewis-Hitch, the 9th grade English as a New Language Department Lead Teacher at Ben Davis 9th Grade Center in Wayne Township, IN.

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Learn from real classroom examplesWIDA sponsors video contests for educators of multilingual learners to showcase innovative instruction that promotes language development and content learning.Watch how teachers around the consortium create learning opportunities for students to develop language within academic contexts.

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Technology in Motion provides job-embedded professional development for teachers to promote the use of technology in teaching and learning. The program offers services, materials, and training that support teachers' professional growth in effective teaching practices, the creation of technology-rich learning environments, and project-based learning.

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This lesson plan template is optional for FHS teachers; however, this lesson plan template is extremely beneficial for exceptional learners and English learners.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Rubric for Monitoring Lesson Planning & Instruction 

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Rubric for Monitoring Lesson Planning & Instruction 

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Co-Teaching with the Inclusion Teacher, the Math Coach, and/or the Instructional Coach

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Co-Teaching with the Inclusion Teacher, the Math Coach, and/or the Instructional Coach

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Knowing the pros and cons of the six models of co-teaching can help teachers determine which one is best for a given lesson.

Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo

One Teaching, One Observing: One teacher is directly instructing students while the other observes students for evidence of learning.

One Teaching, One Assisting: One teacher is directly instructing students while the other assists individual students as needed.

Parallel Teaching: The class is divided into two groups and each teacher teaches the same information at the same time.

Station Teaching: Each teacher teaches a specific part of the content to different groups as they rotate between teachers.

Alternative Teaching: One teacher teaches the bulk of the students, and the other teaches a small group based on need.

Team Teaching: Both teachers are directly instructing students at the same time-sometimes called "tag team teaching."

Teachers who are assigned co-teaching roles often have little experience or training in co-teaching. Learning what works and what doesn't often must come with experience. And teachers don't always get to choose who they teach with, which adds an extra layer of challenge because it can leave the individuals' roles in the lesson planning phase and during instruction blurry.

Teaching partners should consider each model's purpose and merit before deciding which to use for a particular lesson or part of a lesson. Considering the benefits of each model should help teachers determine which to use for a given lesson.

6 Models of Co-Teaching: Pros and Cons

One Teaching, One Observing: As a supervisor, I've seen this model implemented both with purpose and without. It takes time to develop a working relationship with another teacher. When the relationship isn't working, this model appears more often, and often without purpose.

When one teacher is directly instructing the students, the other should be observing. The observing teacher is collecting data, which can be useful in determining what instruction takes place next, which students need additional help, and what co-teaching model may be used next to address any identified needs.

Pros: less time collaborating, less interruption, more focused and purposeful data collection.

Cons: loss of one instructor, can be used too often due to a lack of planning or a lack of content knowledge or self-efficacy, can be underutilized for its intended purpose without focused data collection.

One Teaching, One Assisting: This model is often implemented in a one-sided fashion, with one teacher left in the role of assistant. This model can be extremely useful if the teachers swap roles so that both gain comfort in teaching the content and in assisting students one-on-one. Being professional and looking for signs that students are either not on task or are struggling with the content and sharing those signs with the other teacher can mean the difference between a student's success or failure in a lesson.

Pros: less interruption between teachers, more eyes on students to identify those in need.

Cons: loss of one instructor, can be used too often due to a lack of planning or a lack of content knowledge or self-efficacy, can be underutilized for its intended purpose without a focused group of students to assist based on the lesson design.

Parallel Teaching: I've seen parallel teaching work extremely well-it can be a great way to reduce the feel of a larger class. By breaking the students into two groups and teaching the lesson simultaneously, more students can get the close, small-group instruction that research indicates helps struggling learners. More students have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the process than they would in a larger group.

This is also a great model when the content is extremely challenging because it allows each teacher to really differentiate instruction for each student in the smaller group.

Pros: smaller instructional groups, more time for students to fill in instructional gaps, classroom management is easier.

Cons: difficult logistics, takes more time to collaboratively plan, requires that both teachers have content expertise.

Station Teaching: Station teaching is a way for each teacher to own a piece of the content and replicate that piece of the lesson multiple times within the same period with different groups of students. Unlike parallel teaching, teachers using this model can each focus more on a specific part of the lesson as groups rotate through each teacher's station. Additional stations that aren't led by one of the two teachers can foster students' independence and give them time to practice the material.

Pros: capitalizes on each teacher's strengths, smaller instructional groups, refined lesson planning.

Cons: takes more time to plan, requires good timing on the part of both teachers.

Alternative Teaching: I've seen teachers use this model to help a small group of students accelerate their learning, catch up on missed content, or fill in their gaps in understanding. The keys are finding space so that the other students are not disrupted while this small-group instruction is taking place, and ensuring that students in the small group don't miss new information.

Pros: gives students opportunities to close instructional gaps, can help students with chronic absenteeism, focuses resources on a target student population.

Cons: requires dual planning of time and content so that there's no missed instruction.

Team Teaching: A true team-teaching lesson is a thing of beauty. Two teachers whose personalities complement each other offer benefits for all students in the classroom. Getting to this point requires years of experience, collaborative planning, and a positive, professional relationship that is always being refined and improved. Supervisors and principals need to know that this model can be achieved by making the teaching pairs a priority when scheduling the building.

Pros: capitalizes on two teachers' expertise and instructional strategies, gives both teachers the spotlight in front of the entire class.

Cons: often requires experience in working together (although it can be done with a new pair of team-teachers), immense planning, and a healthy relationship in order to work.

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Knowing the pros and cons of the six models of co-teaching can help teachers determine which one is best for a given lesson. Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo One Teaching, One Observing: One teacher is directly instructing students while the other observes students for evidence of learning.

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Lessons and strategies for all subjects and grade levels

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Career resources for students

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to be a firefighter? You're not the only one! Many people see firefighters on television or in movies and assume that all it takes is plenty of time at the gym. While strength is an important aspect of the job, the knowledge and technical skills required are...

View Resource

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Authentic lessons, instructional strategies, and engaging activities for 21st Century Learning

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Social Studies Proficiency Scales Google Drive

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Social Studies Proficiency Scales Google Drive

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Coach O’Neil on Instagram: "Saw this game all over Twitter at the beginning of the year. ⁣
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Finally made my own Octopus and the kids are loving it! ⁣
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If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! Tape 8 noodles in between two hula hoops. ⁣
⁣
I ended up with a big octopus and then a smaller one made with half noodles. ⁣
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#PhysEd #ElemPE #PE #peteacher #tag"

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151K likes, 14 comments - coach.oneil_pe on April 8, 2024: "Saw this game all over Twitter at the beginning of the year. ⁣
⁣
Finally made my own Octopus and the kids are loving it! ⁣
⁣
If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! Tape 8 noodles in between two hula hoops. ⁣
⁣
I ended up with a big octopus and then a smaller one made with half noodles. ⁣
⁣
#PhysEd #ElemPE #PE #peteacher #tag". 

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View this post on Instagram

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5_Things I wish I would’ve known in my first year of teaching a quick lesson on teaching accountability! #h | Davis Berger | Davis Berger · Original audio | Facebook

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5_Things I wish I would’ve known in my first year of teaching a quick lesson on teaching accountability! #h. Davis Berger · Original audio

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130K views · 9K reactions | Have you played the dice game? It's tried-and-true test review fun for all grades! 🎲 Thank you @mrs.b.tv for sharing this beloved game and other student engagement tips at Dojo Day Charlotte. #teachers #education #classdojopartner | ClassDojo | classdojo · Original audio

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Have you played the dice game? It's tried-and-true test review fun for all grades! 🎲 Thank you @mrs.b.tv for sharing this beloved game and other student engagement tips at Dojo Day Charlotte....

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106K views · 8.5K reactions | The best review game ever! #grudgeball #review #testprep #education #scienceteacher #teacher | Nancy Bullard | mrs.b.tv · Original audio

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The best review game ever! #grudgeball #review #testprep #education #scienceteacher #teacher. mrs.b.tv · Original audio

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Philip Lindsay on Instagram: "Here are my top three ways to accommodate students with ADHD in the classroom.

Here’s some clarifiers:

- I work with Middle School students. These are geared toward middle school age and above. 
- I have smaller class sizes than typical. I do believe these can be established in a larger class size, but it is more difficult. 
- These are jot instructional strategies. These are the way I try to accomodate students with ADHD within my instructional time to help with executive functioning and impulse control. I’ll do a video on instructional strategies soon!

Let me know what you’ve seen work in your classroom!

#adhd #specialeducationteacher #studentswithadhd #teachersoftiktok #teacherfyp #teach"

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13K likes, 669 comments - mr_phlindsay_sped on January 29, 2024: "Here are my top three ways to accommodate students with ADHD in the classroom.

Here’s some clarifiers:

- I work with Middle School students. These are geared toward middle school age and above. 
- I have smaller class sizes than typical. I do believe these can be established in a larger class size, but it is more difficult. 
- These are jot instructional strategies. These are the way I try to accomodate students with ADHD within my instructional time to help with executive functioning and impulse control. I’ll do a video on instructional strategies soon!

Let me know what you’ve seen work in your classroom!

#adhd #specialeducationteacher #studentswithadhd #teachersoftiktok #teacherfyp #teach". 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Philip Lindsay (@mr_phlindsay_sped)

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so informed on Instagram: "Just in case you needed a refresher 🧠"

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43K likes, 191 comments - so.informed on November 17, 2020: "Just in case you needed a refresher 🧠". 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by so informed (@so.informed)

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Classroom management system using "money" for rent and rewards.

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12K views · 1.9K reactions | Ugly classroom wall or bulletin board? Cover it up. FREE poster set via linktr.ee in bio. or go here: tinyurl.com/5yvzvax2 #teach #teachers #teachersofig #teachersofthegram #teachersofinstagram #iteach #iteachtoo #iteachhighschool #iteachmiddleschool #English #Englishteacher #ela #secondary #teachertalk #teaching #middleschool #highschool #homeschool #studentteacher #firstyearteacher | Laura Randazzo | randazzo_laura · Original audio

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Ugly classroom wall or bulletin board? Cover it up. FREE poster set via linktr.ee in bio. or go here: tinyurl.com/5yvzvax2 #teach #teachers #teachersofig #teachersofthegram #teachersofinstagram...

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2.4M views · 57K reactions | why I hate the ODD diognosis #adhdinwomen #adhd #adhdawareness #anxiety #odd | Anxiety ADHD | Anxiety ADHD · Original audio

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why I hate the ODD diognosis #adhdinwomen #adhd #adhdawareness #anxiety #odd. Anxiety ADHD · Original audio

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Badge Rosters (for emergencies or events)

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Badge Rosters (for emergencies or events)

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Possibly the best teacher hack?? #teacherhack #teachertip #teachertips #teachershelpingteachers #firstgrade #firstgradethings #teacherresource #teacherthings #firstgradeteacher | mrslarsenslittles | mrslarsenslittles · Original audio | Facebook

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285K views · 10K reactions | These bin labels are the companion to my self-assessment tickets. 👏🏻 When I was in the classroom, I had my students turn in their work into a bin that matched their level of understanding after they completed independent practice work. They would also staple their self-assessment tickets to their work before placing it in one of these turn in bins. 😍 This made it easier for me to see how students viewed their own work and progress towards mastery. It also helped me differentiate my small groups. But ultimately, it helped students be a part of their own learning, take ownership over meeting learning goals, and helped them be more aware of how they felt about learning certain skills. It did take some time for students to gain confidence and feel comfortable enough to choose the bin they felt best matched their understanding. But once you build that trust and help students understand what it means to move towards mastery, the leveled turn-in bins become second nature. Check out more ideas in my Visible Learning story highlight and grab these labels for free in my shop 🥰 or comment LABELS and I'll DM you the link. #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teacherspayteachers #teaching #teacherproblems #teacher #teacherlife #teachertips #teachersofinsta #teachersofig #teachersofinstagram #elementaryteacher #elementaryschool #iteachfifth #teachermom #teacherproblems #assessment | Tales from a Very Busy Teacher | jun_yuh · Original audio

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These bin labels are the companion to my self-assessment tickets. 👏🏻 When I was in the classroom, I had my students turn in their work into a bin that matched their level of understanding after they...

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Create your own wearable diagram with this FREE resource. For a visual guide, be sure to watch the video on this page or on our Instagram account! https://www.instagram.com/knowyourselfacademy/

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1.4M views · 15K reactions | Middle schooler have no chill! They cannot resist! 😂These are the mild ones. Nothing like a good Kahoot! #middleschoolteacher #teachersoftiktok #teach #teacher #middleschoolersbelike #middleschool | Mr. Lindsay | Mr. Lindsay · Original audio

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Middle schooler have no chill! They cannot resist! 😂These are the mild ones. Nothing like a good Kahoot! #middleschoolteacher #teachersoftiktok #teach #teacher #middleschoolersbelike #middleschool....

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1.8M views · 42K reactions | See photosynthesis in action #science #biology #photosynthesis #plants #learning #DidYouKnow | The Action Lab | The Action Lab · Original audio

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See photosynthesis in action #science #biology #photosynthesis #plants #learning #DidYouKnow. The Action Lab · Original audio

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Shop Giant Educational Coloring Sheets - cherrycreeklane

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Discover engaging educational coloring sheets for young kids. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten age kids. Spark creativity & learning. Shop now & ignite young minds!

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843K views · 80K reactions | SO many of you asked to see how I made this bulletin board border. Well....here is the step by step tutorial. Hope you love it!! Comment LINK for the tissue paper I purchased. | Life Skills Creations | lifeskillscreations · Original audio

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SO many of you asked to see how I made this bulletin board border. Well....here is the step by step tutorial. Hope you love it!! Comment LINK for the tissue paper I purchased.. lifeskillscreations ·...

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231K views · 3.4K reactions | THE laziest teacher hack to get your kids to finally read instructions. AND they try to get to class early just to find my mistake so less tardies & less confusion all bc I never proof read. ✨🥰🎥Credit : christina_pina 🍎✏️ Like our page @Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest aspects of teaching! . #teacherhumor #primaryteacher #targetteachers #teacheroutfit #iteachmiddleschool #teacherlife #firstgradeteacher #teachersbelike #weareteachers #teachershare #teacherstuff #teacherinspiration #teacherootd #teachergoals #teacherstyle #teacherpaysteacher #teacherhack #teachertip #kindergarten #firstgrade #secondgrade #teacher #teacherspayteachers | Be Happy Teachers | Be Happy Teachers · Original audio

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THE laziest teacher hack to get your kids to finally read instructions. AND they try to get to class early just to find my mistake so less tardies & less confusion all bc I never proof read.…

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497K views · 3.7K reactions | I wish I had gotten the part where I applied peanut butter to my face because they forgot to mention bread 😅✨🥰🎥Credit : mamabeardteacher 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest aspects of teaching! . #teacherhumor #primaryteacher #targetteachers #teacheroutfit #iteachmiddleschool #teacherlife #firstgradeteacher #teachersbelike #weareteachers #teachershare #teacherstuff #teacherinspiration #teacherootd #teachergoals #teacherstyle #teacherpaysteacher #teacherhack #teachertip #kindergarten #firstgrade #secondgrade #teacher #teacherspayteachers | Be Happy Teachers | Be Happy Teachers · Original audio

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I wish I had gotten the part where I applied peanut butter to my face because they forgot to mention bread 😅✨🥰🎥Credit : mamabeardteacher 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas...

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What if I told you classroom help was available and you didn't have to do it all yourself? Well, it is and you don't! Give your students jobs and your classroom suddenly becomes a team of people working together instead of just you struggling to do it all alone. Classroom jobs aren't just busy work for younger grades. A job system can be adapted to be beneficial from PreK to high school.

Why classroom jobs?

Classroom jobs foster a sense of community. It helps students feel like they have an important place in the classroom. This ownership makes them more likely to strive to do well. Jobs give a feeling of purpose, which helps with self-esteem, behavior regulation and attendance. Jobs can be used to promote kindness. And, of course, jobs take work off the teacher's plate!

Classroom job ideas

1. Kindness catcher

This student keeps an eye out for acts of kindness. They then write a quick note about the act on a post-it note and stick it in a designated spot on the wall or bulletin board.

2. Greeter

The greeter arrives to class first and greets everyone by name as they arrive.

3. Birthday manager

This student keeps track of classmates' birthdays and checks to see if they want it publicly acknowledged or not. If they pass, the birthday manager discretely gives them a card on their special day.

4. Inspirational quote writer

This person is in charge of writing an inspirational quote or message on the board each morning.

5. Maintenance

Sink leaking? Desk wobbly? The classroom maintenance person acts as your liaison with the staff member in charge of maintenance.

GET THESE IN FREE PRINTABLE FORMAT!

6. Paper person

This person is in charge of all things to do with paper - passing it out, collecting it, stapling, hole punching, filing, etc.

7. Errand runner

The errand runner is your delivery and pickup person. They can also walk sick students to the nurse.

8. Absent student support

This person checks in with students when they return from an absence to make sure they know what was missed and are aware of upcoming assignments. They also send an encouraging message to students who are out for more than two days.

9. Homework and form helper

Students go to this person when they are missing printed assignments or forms instead of you.

10. Materials manager

The materials manager keeps materials organized. They also make a list of what needs to be replaced or replenished.

11. Germ patrol

Also known as hand sanitizer squirter. This person stands at the classroom door squirting hand sanitizer to those who pass. They also make sure tissues and soap are replenished.

12. Encourager

This person pays attention to their classmates and offers words of encouragement to those who need it, either verbally or through a quick note.

13. Announcements

Put someone else in charge of reminders and announcements at the start of class.

14. Pencil Patrol

This person keeps pencils sharpened, checks them out to students and then collects them at the end of class.

15. Bulletin board team

A few students can be on this committee to help keep bulletin boards updated and maintained.

16. Name chaser

This person looks over papers to make sure they have a name on them, then finds the owner if a name is missing.

17. Door person

It's distracting to stop teaching every time someone comes to your door. The door person handles it for you, taking messages and interrupting your lesson only as needed.

18. Positivity spreader

Your classroom is a positive, supportive and encouraging place to be, so why not spread it to the rest of the school? This person acts as an ambassador outside of your classroom to post notes of positivity on bulletin boards.

19. Tech support

Duties include setting up technology and making sure equipment is charged.

20. Desk and counter wiper

It's not the most glamorous job, but keeping surfaces clean is an important part of a healthy classroom.

21. Librarian

The librarian makes sure books are put away correctly. They also monitor their condition, taping ripped covers as needed.

22. Info seeker

Sometimes a question comes up that you just don't have the answer to. This person has the teacher's permission during these times to research the info and report to the class.

23. Gardener

This person is in charge of watering classroom plants.

24. Substitute worker

Students with jobs are still going to be absent. The substitute worker monitors absences and steps in to take over those jobs for the day.

25. Job coordinator

This might be the most important job of all! Once you get a system in place, the job coordinator takes on the task of monitoring jobs.

GET THESE IN FREE PRINTABLE FORMAT!

It might take some trial and error to find what works best for your group. How often to change jobs, how many jobs offered at a time, jobs available, etc. are all up to you. The goal is to encourage students to become kind, helpful, responsible members of your school community, while also lessening your own workload. This scenario benefits everyone - but especially the teacher!

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25 Classroom Jobs That Promote Kindness & Responsibility AND Lessen Your Workload

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Classroom jobs encourage kindness, responsibility and a sense of community. Plus, they ease the teacher's workload.

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When instructional coaches also teach in the classroom, they can build mutual trust and respect with teachers.

Hero Images Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

Instructional coaches bring many valuable skills to a school community, but they don't often have opportunities to teach. At the same time, teachers are stressed, schools are stretched, and everyone is looking for ways to improve instruction efficiently.

By rethinking the role of instructional coaches as practitioners who can include classroom instruction in their role descriptions, schools can provide high-quality instruction and ensure that coaches' jobs remain informed by relevant, engaging practice.

In our current educational system, coaches are often viewed as middle management. And this middle management spot is not always an effective place from which to lead or connect with classroom teachers.

To earn the credibility and respect of the teachers with whom they work, coaches must fully understand the challenges teachers face, and that is very hard to do when not living those challenges day-to-day.

As an instructional coach who is also in the classroom, I've found that holding both roles helps me build mutual respect and trust with teachers. When I am transparent about my own challenges, I can genuinely model what it means to be a reflective practitioner, requesting feedback and ideas from my colleagues. Sharing stories about a lesson that did not go as planned or a student behavior I'm having a hard time managing shows that we are all on the same team. No one is pretending to be perfect or to have all the answers, but by reaching out and engaging in collaboration, we all become more effective educators.

The Power of Lab Classrooms

Teachers consistently report that observing other teachers in action is among the most beneficial methods for improving their practice. While traditional instructional coaches can facilitate these observations, coaches who teach can provide daily opportunities for teacher observation. Not only does this maintain transparency; it builds professionalism, increases teacher capacity, and fosters "collective teacher efficacy," or the belief that in working together, we have the ability to positively impact student learning-a belief that researcher John Hattie revealed has sizable, measurable benefits for student achievement.

In action, this means that when I can say this to another teacher, "I'm dealing with that very issue as well; could you observe my classroom this week and then offer me some observations and feedback?" it communicates that their professional input is valued and that they play an important role as a professional colleague in our building.

When teachers are empowered to give and receive ideas and feedback, we build a culture of professional learning and increase teachers' confidence. Having a coach-facilitated "lab classroom" where this type of reciprocal mentoring takes place can level the playing field while routinizing observation for all.

How to Address Logistics

Creating room for instructional coaches to teach requires collaboration among coaches and administrators and the support of district leadership. It requires creative thinking and strategizing to move around full-time equivalents (FTEs) to create the best situation for a given school. FTEs measure employment in a way that makes employees comparable even when they work a different number of hours per week.

Schools might find that they do not need any additional FTEs-rather, they can split them up among two or more current staff members who have instructional expertise and leadership potential. In this instance, coaches can then collaborate with each other-say, working 0.5 FTE as a classroom teacher and 0.5 FTE as a coach-further increasing their efficacy.

In my role, I teach at least two sections of language arts each year. I might teach sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, depending on what grade level has the highest student population. In this way, instructional coach-teachers can mitigate large class sizes. I consider myself a classroom teacher first and foremost, but I also collaborate with another instructional coach in the building to develop and implement embedded professional development and provide instructional coaching throughout the building. This other teacher-coach has a position similar to mine-he teaches a few sections (of science, in his case) and is also an instructional coach.

The New Approach

This proposed role delineation is a far cry from the traditional "teacher mentor" model that persists in many schools, which typically assumes that wisdom and influence flows mainly from the more experienced teacher. But creating a truly collaborative culture, one that strives to improve instruction at every level, calls for a new approach that builds teacher capacity throughout an entire building.

Thinking more fluidly about a school building's schedule and FTEs to allow room for instructional coaches to teach establishes flexibility to designate teachers as coaches when needed, too. For instance, when two coaching hours opened up at my school, the administrators selected two newer teachers to share those coaching hours. These young educators proved to be highly effective instructional coaches for many reasons, including the fact that they were closer to the new-teacher experience, having just navigated that path of learning themselves, and therefore able to guide others entering the profession.

If increasing teacher capacity is a priority in your school setting, creating or adapting instructional coach positions to include classroom teaching can be an effective approach to that goal, introducing a level of role fluidity that supports collaborative professional learning pedagogies and facilitates mutual inquiry among school staff.

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Rethinking the Role of the Instructional Coach

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When instructional coaches also teach in the classroom, they can build mutual trust and respect with teachers.

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152K views · 1.3K reactions | My favorite teacher tip for when you're out with a sub! I do this every time I have a sub and check the responses when I have time. It's so cute 🥰😂🎥Credit : alldayapril ❤️‍🔥 Like our page Teachers Nowadays for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest aspects of teaching! #teacherhumor #primaryteacher #targetteachers #teacheroutfit #iteachmiddleschool #teacherlife #firstgradeteacher #teachersbelike #weareteachers #teachershare #teacherstuff #teacherinspiration #teacherootd #teachergoals #teacherstyle #teacherpaysteacher #teacherhack #teachertip #kindergarten #firstgrade #secondgrade #teacher #teacherspayteachers | Teachers Nowadays | Teachers Nowadays · Original audio

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My favorite teacher tip for when you're out with a sub! I do this every time I have a sub and check the responses when I have time. It's so cute 🥰😂🎥Credit : alldayapril ❤️‍🔥 Like our page Teachers...

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335K views · 10K reactions | It broke my heart to see kids left out of partner work. Everyone deserves to feel included! I created these so that the stress of picking a partner could be gone and the kids can learn to work with everyone in our class. It's been amazing!🍔🌭🌮🍕 Comment "138" to get the link! #classroom #classroomdecor #classroompinspirations #classroomorganization #classroommanagement #classroomlibrary #classroomdisplay #classroomcommunity #classroomoftheelite #classroomdoor #classroomfun #classroomreveal #classroomactivities #googleclassroom #classroomtoclassroom #classroomofelite #classroomsupplies #kindergartenclassroom #classroommanagementstrategies | Aimee Jensen

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It broke my heart to see kids left out of partner work. Everyone deserves to feel included! I created these so that the stress of picking a partner could be gone and the kids can learn to work with...

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As teachers, we all want to build connections with our students and make them feel welcome in our classrooms. What if we had routines to do these things that were easy to implement and easy to remember? These Day-of-the-Week routines require very little prep, are customizable for teachers in any subject area, and are a fabulous "soft launch" to get students engaged in what's happening in class. They can take as little as 5 or 10 minutes. I like to change mine up weekly and have had students suggest questions as well.

Getting started is easy. First, decide on what you want your students to be doing for each of the five days. Reading? Writing? Discussing? Solving a problem or riddle? See our list below to get some inspiration (You don't have to use alliteration, but it does make them easier to remember 🙂

Next, figure out a reliable place and way you'll notify students of what their task is. Teachers can devote a section of their board, say prompts verbally, or create Google Slides for each day. If one of your routines requires sticky notes or another item to share their responses, you'll want to have those ready for students to pick up too.

Here are some ideas for Day-of-the-Week routines to get you started.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
These Day-of-the-Week routines are a great way to make students feel welcome in class and learn more about one another. In my classroom, it has helped students, and they learn more about me as I participate too. My students enjoy seeing what question is posted each day-they have even come up with their own ideas for questions.

What other ideas do you have for Day-of-the-Week routines? Let us know in the comments.

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50 Creative Ideas for Elementary Day-of-the-Week Routines

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From Make-a-Change Monday to Fun Fact Friday, you'll have an easy to remember, engaging routine for every day of the week.

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questionwell.org AI test, quiz, and review generator

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Input a reading into our AI question generator and get multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and essential questions aligned to learning outcomes. Then export to Kahoot, Quizizz, Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, Gimkit, Moodle, Canvas, Blooket, and Quizlet.

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How do you know if your students are thinking critically in the classroom? Here are examples that might be good indicators.

by Terry Heick

The premise here is straightforward: clarifying what critical thinking might 'look like' in the classroom. Put another way, what are some indicators that rational thought and careful, critical thinking is not just 'visible,' but a part of the culture of a classroom.

In Critical Thinking Is A Mindset, I offered that, "Just as math can be said to be a kind of language and science is a way of thinking, critical thinking (while also being a 'way' of thinking) is first a state of mind-a willingness to do so both preceded and proceeded by a motley collection of presuppositions and premises and tendencies and cognitive defaults and even eventually personality traits that manifest when you read a book or have a discussion or skim a news headline or research an idea."

I also discussed this idea in Teaching Disruptively, when I said, "inquiry-based learning (or critical thinking) that doesn't just encourage students to 'discover' some preselected poet you had in mind, but find their own reasons for reading poetry-then finding their own poets.And perhaps most of all, by creating self-directed learners that can ask the right question at the right time within the right community to affect the kind of change that lasts."

This concept also surfaced in dozens of other things I've written over the years, from Characteristics Of High-Performing Classrooms to Are You Teaching Content Or Are You Teaching Thought? to Correcting The Deficit In Critical Thinking when I wondered if maybe we should, create "learning models that require critical thinking-learning models that cannot function if students (all students) don't think critically. This would be much like a rowboat where everyone has to row and stops if someone stops rowing; alternatively, break apart the boats completely so every student must row themselves.)someone stops rowing; alternatively, break apart the boats completely so every student must row themselves."

Which brings us to this post. How do you know if your students are 'thinking critically'? Of course, the answer depends on a scores and scores of factors, from the grade level and content area you teach to your relationships with students and the nature of your curriculum, units, lessons, and activities. But below are some examples that, if witnessed with any consistency at all, might be a good sign that your students are thinking.

What Are Indicators Of Critical Thinking?

Beliefs and 'stances' change if/when new data emerges.

The quality of knowledge and data is more important than an intellectual 'stance' of personal opinion.

Claims made-by anyone from the teacher and students to the authors and experts they study-are required to withstand clinical, good faith intellectual scrutiny.

Emotions are separated from reason. That is, they are seen as effects of thoughts rather than equal to thoughts or worthy of similar scrutiny, application, validation, acclaim, etc.

Unpredictability and 'disruption' (of ideas, some planning, assessment forms, traditional thinking patterns, etc.)

'Intellectual divergence' where thinkers seek to be in the company of evidence, truth, data, and perspective and are 'diverge' from one another/you/authors, etc. not emotionally (though that's okay at times) but conceptually and intellectually.

'Truth' is based in reason and affection rather than opinion and belief.

Learning is inquiry-driven (through curiosity and knowledge demands), not curriculum-driven.

Students ask-then improve-questions to drive lessons, projects, discussions, etc.

The language of reason is used: words and phrases that clarify and endorse uncertainty and the need for more knowledge/data, sentence stems that clarifying positions or seek to clarify others, neutral transitional statements, etc.

Literacy in fallacies and biases. That is, heuristics, cognitive biases, and logical fallacies are discussed frequently and without 'great prompting' and effort.

The legacy of ideas and their origin/momentum/endorsement/change over time in response to data and new thinking, etc.

Humility. (This is at the core of rational, critical thought. Humility says, 'I'm not sure' or 'I don't know enough to have an informed opinion' or 'Let's gain knowledge so that we can reduce uncertainty.')

Students ask more questions than the teacher.

Questions are valued over answers.

Questions are revisited, updated, and revised.

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16 Characteristics Of A Critical Thinking Classroom

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How do you know if your students are thinking critically in the classroom? Here are examples that might be good indicators.

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I have lots of favorites! 😁🤪✨🎥Credit : themailboxisfull 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest aspects of teaching! . #teacherhumor #primaryteacher #targetteachers #teacheroutfit #iteachmiddleschool #teacherlife #firstgradeteacher #teachersbelike #weareteachers #teachershare #teacherstuff #teacherinspiration #teacherootd #teachergoals #teacherstyle #teacherpaysteacher #teacherhack #teachertip #kindergarten #firstgrade #secondgrade #teacher #teacherspayteachers | Rockstar Teachers

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1.7M views, 44K likes, 954 comments, 10K shares, Facebook Reels from Rockstar Teachers: I have lots of favorites! 😁🤪✨🎥Credit : themailboxisfull 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching...

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3 Ways Schools Are Missing the Mark on Discipline

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We’re doing a disservice to students’ development by acting like kids are too fragile for discipline or struggle of any kind.

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720K views · 15K reactions | how to record student discipline! #teachers #freeteacherresources | Tyler Tarver

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how to record student discipline! #teachers #freeteacherresources.

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Classroom Management: Jobs, Allowance, and Auction

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Classroom Management: Jobs, Allowance, and Auction

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Students earn class currency and can purchase prizes with the "money" they have earned.