Brain Breaks

Everyone needs brain breaks throughout their day to be at their most efficient and productive. We know from research that brain breaks reduce stress and increase retention of learning. What’s not to like about that?!

Go Noodle Anyone?

Taking brain breaks works with our students and for us as well. What did we ever do before GoNoodle?! But GoNoodle takes time, something that we don’t always have a lot of.

There are those days (ok, a lot of days) we only have a minute or two for a much needed brain break in the midst of a busy day. Sound familiar? Then there are days we simply don’t have an extra second, much less minutes. Here’s how squeeze those brain breaks in on the fly.

Simon Says Lightening Round

Play Simon Says as fast as you can talk without anyone ever “getting out”. Stop briefly when you get kids to mess up and say “Gotcha”. Then, keep going.

Clap Snap Patterns

These first two are best used for waiting times,...

There are certain steps to training students well, so our classrooms almost run themselves. 

Whether you are at the beginning of the year or are completely changing your routines because they simply aren't working (it happens to all of us), there are a lot of systems to learn. Start by prioritizing the systems you need in place immediately. Teach the most important ones the first day.

On the second day, review all of the systems learned on Day 1 and practice again. Add in anything you really need in place as long as your students are doing well with the first set of systems taught. Take a break from new learning on the third and fourth days. Just review. On the fifth day, you can add in a couple of new systems as long as your students are doing well with the others. Continue until everything is in place. Review regularly throughout the year. 

If your students are not doing well with your systems: reteach and practice. Have the students that are sabotaging your systems...

Do you have a few students that are on your last nerve? Are you feeling like nothing you do is working to keep your class on task? 

You are not alone. We’ve all been there at one time or another. 

Here's the gig. It's NEVER too late to start fresh. 

When I first started teaching I had the great grace of team teaching with a master teacher. What a blessing! I was the blind leading the blind after all. Fresh from college, no kids of my own and only my year of student teaching under my belt. HELP! The best advice Jan gave me? Velvet over steel. 

Velvet over Steel

Have a backbone of steel and a velvet touch. Know your boundaries and don't compromise while always treating your students with dignity.

Here's what you need to do.

Answer these questions as fully as you can.

1. What are your non-negotiables? What are you not willing to compromise on EVER?

2. What behaviors or interruptions drive you crazy?

3. How do you want students to treat each other?

4. How do you...

Student Responsibility

When Fisher and Frey wrote about the gradual release of responsibility in 2008, I remember thinking, "It's about time someone talked about it." Every day, I encounter great teachers who intentionally do this. It's part of the craft of teaching.

Parenting and Teaching

As parents, our job is to teach our children to become independent. We teach and train our children to become happy, healthy, independent adults. We teach, model, assist and then support our children as they try, fail, adjust and try again.  This is why I am always surprised when the gradual release of responsibility is even a question in education. It works. Why would we do anything different in education?

"I won't do anything for you that you can do for yourselves."

A fellow educator tells his students, "I won't do anything for you that you can do for yourselves." That includes trying something new. As a parent, I know my children will only do what is expected of them. If I pick up after...

Welcome to Week 4!

Creating a Classroom Culture: Wrapping It Up

Micro-management will kill any culture faster than you can blink.

This is it! You've planned, trained your students and now it's time to trust them. No micro-managing allowed.  Once you have done your job and trained you students, they should be ready to take it on. Will there be problems? Yes! Expect it. Accept it. Be prepared to re-train or use your phrase and curiosity, as needed. If you expect there to be problems, then the problems won't upset you. You'll be able to be calm and work your plan.

As you train your class, gradually release responsibility to them in each area. Before you know it, your class will be self-monitoring and running smoothly. The only way to do this is to dive in. Stay on top of your game and stay involved.

Build trust every day by being trustworthy. Staying involved tells students you care and are invested in them personally. Monitor learning constantly. Be available, ask questions,...

Welcome to Week 3!

Creating a Strong Classroom Culture

What is our identity?

Here's where we get down to brass tacks. Words have meaning and power. We have to use them intentionally as we work to create a class culture. Decide on what the identity you want your want your class to have. Who are you as a class? Or who do you want to be? Saying things like: "Caring about each other is important here."  "As learners, we are inquisitive and hard working." These statements make important assumptions.  We are committed to being learners, and we are all caring people here. These are powerful ideas. We want our students to be learners, to be helpful and to participate. So, how do we promote the ideas about the culture we want to create and get students on board?

The Power of Words

Your words have power. Use them carefully and intentionally. I suggest coming up with some key phrases for how you will speak to students when they are: struggling, annoying, mean, joyful, successful,...

Welcome to Week 2!

Using the power of observation, curiosity and a simple saying to create positive change in class culture.

Observation Day: Get ready by reviewing the lists you created last week.

Step 1: Key Phrase

As we work on creating a class culture, remember the power of words. Jim Faye in Love and Logic parenting talks about having a saying to use at home with your kids. This works just as well in the classroom. Have a phrase ready to say when students misbehave or fail to meet expectations. ”That was an unfortunate choice.” “Hmmm. Not a good decision.” Come up with something that fits you and your personality and fits most situations. Practice saying it in a calm, even tone until it comes out easily.  Also, you’ll want to be able to remember and have it place the responsibility firmly on the student without any emotion getting in the way. Just state the facts. Think about and practice how you will look at the student sadly as you...

Welcome to Week 1!

Class Management vs. Creating a Culture

As educators, we talk about classroom management constantly. We all have been there at some point in our career - the class that wears us to the bone.

Why is it that some years we, and our students, thrive and other years we struggle and stress? It’s easy to blame the class makeup, the students, their parents, the class size, the length of the school day…

What would happen if we changed our mindsets and looked to ourselves to intentinally create a class culture?

Take the time to focus on and work to change the classroom culture instead or “managing” your students. The difference is in our attitudes toward students. When we expect our students to misbehave, they need managing and rules. Creating culture is what we do when we are intentional in how our classroom is run and all we do and say to our students. We respect our students and expect them to rise to the occasion. We have expectations, not...