Magic Boards

I love, love, love these magic boards from Lakeshore Learning. I use them for so many things. When I'm doing a lesson on the smartboard, they are way to keep all the kids involved and not just the one student coming up to the board. I did a lesson on noting details today, and after the students listened to a story on the smartboard, I had them write down one detail that they remembered from the story. We then shared them, and then revealed the details on the smartboard. I use them for all kinds of responding activities. When we did fact and opinion, I would reveal an example on the smartboard and then they would write fact or opinion on their boards. What I like best is that they are always ready to use. The kids keep them in their seat sacks, and the stylus is attached so there is no searching for a pencil, and we don't waste paper either! Way better than dry erase boards because you never have to worry about someone complaining that their marker ran dry in the middle of your lesson! I wrote a grant to a local business so that I could purchase these boards. Here is a link to check them out.

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CsearchResults~~p%7C2534374302107666~~.jsp

You can also purchase math and language arts activity cards to use with them.

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CsearchResults~~p%7C2534374302105762~~.jsp

Time Out Corner

Mrs. Randall is having a classroom management linky party...check it out here:http://randalllearninglibrary.blogspot.com/2011/04/classroom-management-linky-party.html

Last summer I read the book Magic 1-2-3 and it has transformed my classroom. It's a very simple concept where you count children for behaviors you want to stop. If they get to a count of 3, you need to have a time out place for them to go to. I have time-out nook where they go for 7 or 8 minutes (1 minute for every year of their age), and in that nook is an ABC's of good citizenship poster for them to read. Rarely do students go beyond the count of 2!!!

Tattle Tale Book

Tattling was driving me crazy, so I created the Tattle Tale Book. It saves so much time, and it encourages the kids to express themselves in writing. Plus, they love to have a personal written response from me. I have saved all my Tattle Tale Books over the past ten years, and some of the entries are so funny I wonder if they wouldn't be fun to publish.

Download cover and inside page here (created in Word so just change my name to yours):

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Behavior-Management-Tattling

My Space!

Do your kids ever complain that their neighbor is copying from them. Mine do, so I came up with my "My Space" idea. All I did was get two manila folders, taped them together in the middle, put a design on them @@@@My Space@@@@@@, and then laminated them so that I could use them again and again. Every student has one in their seat sack so if they ever feel the need for a little private time they are allowed to get them out. Of course, I also use them when they are doing a test to keep them honest.

Beat the Clock

My kids love these Beat the Clock books from Lakeshore Learning Materials.  I got them with a grant and have one for every student.  For math, I teach a math lesson using my Smartboard, and then the students have some sort of practice and/or assessment afterwards.  Early finishers are allowed to get a Beat the Clock book which have either addition or subtraction facts.  The students start the timer and then solve away.  After they establish the first time, then the challenge is to beat the clock.

Love Those Pocket Charts!

Let lunch count take care of itself with this 2-column pocket chart.  It can accommodate 30 students.  I put a "hot" lunch icon at the top of one column and a "cold" lunch icon on top of the other column.  When the students come in the morning, they put their id cards either on the hot lunch side or cold lunch.  I can easily see who's having what without having to the poll the kids.

Carpet Time!

Every summer I try to work on one pet peeve that I have in my classroom.  So, last summer I decided to work on creating a more productive carpet time in my room.  Carpet time is that time when I bring my students up to do their jobs.  My kids are not really aware, but while they are doing their jobs they are learning graphing, place value, problem solving, vocabulary, time, money, patterns, etc.  My problem, however, was how do I make everyone accountable for that learning and not just the student with the job.  The kids that didn't have jobs were fussing about who was touching who or who was not in the right spot.  I started searching online for a carpet that had grids or circles or some way that the students could have their own real estate, but these carpets were out of sight especially since the money would come out of my pocket!  Then I found this blue carpet at Walmart, which measures 9 x 12 ft.  To make the grid, I got two 2 x 4's  (to make straight lines) and red craft paint and just painted the lines after I measured and marked them with a little masking tape.  I also used a little carpet tape to hold it down securely on the open end opposite the wall.  So far it has worked beautifully.

Classroom Rules

Whenever I visit another teacher's classroom, I always check out their classroom rules.  This year I found this cute video on youtube and adapted them as my classroom rules.  Occasionally I play the video for the kids to remind them of our rules.  What are your rules for the classroom? 
Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV-OZc9jcWc

Classroom Management

Over the past ten years of teaching second grade, I have learned some tricks for keeping harmony in my classroom.  One of the best ideas I have implemented is called "mystery student."  Whenever we have to go to a special or take a bathroom break, I pick a mystery student.  All of the students have a number on a Popsicle stick (according to their ABC order).  Before we leave the room I pick one of the sticks.  Since they don't know whose number I picked, they all have to behave.  When we return to to the room, I share with the students whether the student was successful or not. This would mean that the student followed all the rules for passing in the hall.  If he or she was successful, they would get to pick out of my prize box.  If not successful, then I simply say that our mystery student was not successful, and I don't reveal who it was.   What ideas do you have for keeping a harmonious classroom?