Engaging New Year's Activities for Classrooms

 

Here are some engaging and versatile New Year activities suitable for all grade levels that can be adapted to fit your classroom needs.

 Goal Setting and Vision Boards

- Activity: Have students reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year.

  - Younger students: Draw or cut out pictures from magazines to represent their goals.

  - Older students: Write SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals.

- Materials: Paper, magazines, glue, markers, or digital tools for creating online vision boards.

- Variation: Create a class goal together to encourage teamwork.

 "Year in Review" Time Capsule

- Activity: Students reflect on their favorite memories, achievements, and lessons learned from the past year.

  - Younger students: Fill out a simple worksheet with prompts like “My favorite thing I learned this year” or “I loved when we…”

  - Older students: Write reflective journal entries or letters to their future selves.

- Follow-up: Collect the reflections and seal them in a class time capsule to be opened at the end of the school year or the next New Year.

 "My Word for the Year"

- Activity: Encourage students to pick one word that represents their focus or intention for the new year.

  - Discuss examples like "Kindness," "Growth," or "Curiosity."

  - Students can decorate their word on a card or poster.

- Variation: Create a collaborative word cloud for the class by compiling all the students' words.

 New Year STEM Challenge

- Activity: Challenge students to design and build something related to New Year’s traditions.

  - Example: Create a party popper, design a clock that shows midnight, or build a “firework” using simple engineering materials.

- Materials: Paper, craft sticks, rubber bands, balloons, or LEGOs.

- Variation: Include a “resolution machine” where students invent something to help achieve goals.

 Cultural New Year Celebrations

- Activity: Explore how different cultures celebrate the New Year.

  - Younger students: Create crafts like Chinese paper lanterns or write resolutions on "wish leaves."

  - Older students: Research and present unique New Year traditions from around the world.

- Discussion: Compare these traditions to how they celebrate New Year’s at home.

 Gratitude Garland or Tree

- Activity: Reflect on the positive aspects of the past year by writing what students are grateful for on strips of paper or leaves.

  - Display them as a garland, tree, or bulletin board.

- Variation: Create a classroom gratitude jar and revisit it at the end of the year.

 New Year’s Escape Room

- Activity: Create a fun escape room or scavenger hunt with New Year-related puzzles.

  - Younger students: Use simple riddles or matching games.

  - Older students: Include more complex math problems, word games, or team challenges.

- Themes: Midnight countdown, finding a missing resolution, or unlocking the "new year treasure."

 Class Countdown

- Activity: Create a countdown to the "Class New Year."

  - Each student contributes an idea or activity for each "hour" (e.g., 10:00 = trivia, 11:00 = craft, 12:00 = celebratory cheer).

- Celebration: Have a mock New Year countdown at the end of the activity with a small celebration like confetti, music, or a mini dance party.

 Creative Writing Prompts

- Activity: Encourage students to write a story, poem, or essay about the New Year.

  - Prompts: “What if you could time travel to next year?” or “Describe your dream New Year celebration.”

  - Younger students: Provide sentence starters like “This year, I want to…”

  - Older students: Explore reflective or futuristic themes.

 New Year Math or Art Integration

- Math Activity: Solve New Year-themed problems like calculating the time difference between cities celebrating midnight or graphing students’ resolutions.

- Art Activity: Create a class “fireworks” display by painting or crafting vibrant designs.

 Tips for Adapting Activities

- For younger grades: Use visuals, hands-on crafts, and simple prompts.

- For older grades: Focus on deeper reflections, research, and critical thinking.

Top Women in Math History

 

Girls in STEM: Throughout history, women have played a major role in the science of mathematics.

Sadly, not many are remembered in this way. These woman can be an inspiration to girls and young women to go into the sciences. Woman have been involved with math and science for thousands of years. But it still is basically a man's world. These woman of the past can be used to encourage more girls to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and math. Perhaps by knowing some of the accomplishents of women in the past, they too can strive to make history.

Of course they can inspire boys too!

Here are our picks for

The Top 10 Women in Mathematics History

#10 Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia (1646-1684). First woman in the world to receive a PhD.

#9 Hypatia (lived around 400 ad) The first woman to have an impact on the science of math. She was ruthlessly murdered in her hometown of Alexandria.

#8 Winifred Edgerton (1862-1951) First American woman to recieve a PhD in mathematics. Born in Wisconsin, she received her PhD from Columbia. After completing all the requirements, she was turned down the first time.

#7 Florence Nightingale ( 1820-1910) What did she have to do with mathematics? She revolutionized how statistics are gathered and displayed.

#6 Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) She discovered a comet, but apparently never learned her times tables!

#5 Mary Everest Boole (1832-1916) Became most interested in teaching math and science to children. Used "string geometry" to help depict shapes.  Yes, she was a bit odd in her "other" beliefs, but aren't we all?

#4 Sophie Germain (1776-1831) She developed a theorem that is a basis for proving Fermat's Last Theorem. Certain prime numbers are called "Sophie Germain Primes."

#3 Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718 - 1799 ) Wrote a book on calculus and an equation that when graphed became known as "The Witch of Agnesi."

#2 Ada Lovelace Daughter of Lord Byron (1815-1852) Worked with Charles Babbage and his counting machines. Could she possibly be the first person to think about programming computers?

#1 Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992) THE first lady of computers. Had major impact on the first computers. Supposedly came up with the computer slang word "bug." Was member of the US Navy and reached the rank of Rear Admiral. Without her, you probably wouldn't be seeing this!

Sunday School Behavior Charts

Sunday School Behavior Chart

Free Printable Behavior Charts

The following charts are for individual students. They are in pdf form that you can download and print.

Directions for using the behavior charts.

Each one has 10 places to either place a sticker over or color in. This is done each time a student completes a task. You can let them get credit for attendance, good behavior, memory verse, or even bringing an offering. When they fill all 10 places, they get whatever prize you reward them with. Tips for Sunday School behavior are below the charts.

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Jesus and Children Behavior Chart
Circle, color, or place sticker over numbers.
Sunday School Behavior Chart #1

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Shepherd and Sheep Behavior Chart
Color sheep or place sticker.
Sunday School Behavior Chart #2

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Jonah and the Whale Behavior Chart
Color the fish or place sticker.
Sunday School Behavior Chart #3

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Jacob's Ladder Behavior Chart
Color each step or place sticker.
Sunday School Behavior Chart #4

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The Widow's Mite Behavior or Offering Chart
Color in the coins each time child brings offering, or use as regular chart as the ones above.
Sunday School Behavior Chart #5

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Tips for Sunday School Behavior

Children are all different and you find this evident in a Sunday School setting.

During Sunday School, you may find that most of your children behave with little to no difficulty, but there are always a couple that will have behavior issues. Getting children to behave during Sunday School is important for several reasons.

You need order in the classroom to teach your lesson, the other kids need it for their own learning needs, and you need to provide a safe environment for all the children. Here are some ideas for helping children behave during this time.

Establish Rules

No matter what age of children you teach, you need to establish rules within the classroom. These rules should always been simple and pertinent. Do not have so many rules that children feel trapped in them. For example, simple rules such as "Listen at all times," applies to not only listening to you, but the other children as well. Think about what you expect out of the children and start from there. It is a good idea to explain all of the rules to the class, so there are no ways for them to misconstrue their meanings.

Get to Know Your Children

One important step in establishing order in your classroom is getting to know the kids on a personal level. Talk to the parents and find out if there are behavior issues in the home or if the child has been diagnosed with a medical condition that may cause behavior issues. Find out what works best for your children and what kind of classroom setting they respond to the best.

Have a Reward System

A reward system works out very well for children of all ages, especially children in preschool. It could be something as simple as earning star stickers each week for outstanding behavior, and letting the children place their own star on their Sunday School attendance chart. At the end of so many weeks, children can earn a prize from a prize box. Other ideas include earning plastic coins, "Bible bucks" or anything small that the children can trade in for larger rewards. It is always a good idea to keep the reward system in a place where they can see it each week. This gives them a visual reminder of what is expected out of them.

Plan Plenty of Activities

Children often misbehave or become restless when they become bored. You can prevent this by keeping your children busy during the time they are in your classroom. Have plenty of short and easy activities that last no more than a few minutes.

Remember that small children have a short attention span and need several small activities to keep their interest. Sculpting clay, puzzles, blocks, easy games and even a quick walk around the church are all quick activities that will direct their attention.

There will always be the child who doesn't behave during Sunday School. Learning how to distract that child's behavior is your best bet. Keep open communication with the parents of your students, use the tips suggested above, and you should be able to run a tight ship in your classroom every week.

How to Motivate Students

Classroom Teaching Methods to Increase Student Motivation

Students who are motivated put a greater effort into learning and have higher acheivement. Most students are not motivated by normal classroom environments. How do you engage and motivate students? Teachers must instill an interest in the subject and make it relevant.

Even good lesson plans will not motivate students. Motivating students is a tough task for teachers. Once students reach a certain age, they no longer feel the need to attend school, let alone enjoy it.

It is up to teachers to motivate their students. Without at least minimal motivation, your teaching will fall flat and there will be little or no real learning in your classroom. How do you currently try and motivate students?

First rule of student motivation

Your classroom must be an enjoyable experience. Student motivation will be next to impossible if your classroom does not have an inviting atmosphere.

What is your demeanor? Are you excited about teaching? Glad that you're there? Happy to see the students?

Excited about your subject or grade? You must be warm, inviting, and enthusiastic about your job.

You must show up everyday well prepared.

What does your classroom look like? Sterile? Prison? Blank walls? Your classroom needs color and excitement..

Put up posters. Put up students' work. You need to hook the students as soon as they set foot in your classroom.

Making your classroom an enjoyable place to learn is actually half the battle.

Students are motivated with rewards

Students need a reward for learning. No, this is not prizes or candy.

That may work to get a task completed, but not motivate for real learning. Remember, we are looking to motivate students into learning, not necessarily completing a task.

The reward for learning that you strive for is a students satisfaction for learning. That's it. For example, you are teaching the Civil War. You want a student to sit back and say, "Man, that Abe Lincoln was one cool dude."

Okay, a little corny, but it makes the point. If that goes on in your classroom, you are virtually there! But it's not easy. It's not easy because teachers are taught to dish out a task, test, boom, done. Not very motivating, is it?

Tips for motivating students

Students need a reason for doing the assignment. Give them one. Each teacher will have to come up with this on their own. No help here is given because if you can't think of a reason for teaching something, you can't motivate students.

Here are some hints. How does it affect them? Does it make them a better citizen? Learner? Relate it to their life. Relate it to their future. Relate it to their ego.

Relate it to current events. You cannot just say, "Because."

Praise goes a long way. This is the reward you can give out frequently and it's free. Write notes on their papers. Say things to them as you walk around the room. Call everybody by name and encourage them. Put student work on the walls. Put a piece of work from ALL students at various times. Call home and praise your students to their parents.

If your students have a reason to learn the material and get praise from you, that's really all motivation they need. It sounds simple, but remember it is hard. Over the course of the school year, you will get better.

Choose your opening to the lesson in such a way that it makes the students want to know more. It may sound silly, but a story can be a very effective way.

Using the Lincoln example, "Let me tell you about a guy whose mother died when he was nine. His first girlfriend got sick and she died. Eventually he became president."

Once your students want to know more, you have them hooked. They are motivated! You want your students to go home everyday and say, "Guess what I learned?"

Recapping student motivation, first is you and your classroom. Next comes a reason for learning. You then create a curiosity about what is to come. You do all those, your students can't help but be motivated in your classroom. And the best thing about this, is it make your discipline problems be few and far between.

Confrontational Students and Classroom Discruptions

Teacher Tips for Classroom Disruptions

If not dealt with properly, defiant student behavior will lead to more disturbances. De-escalation is the key to confrontational students. The majority of teachers will never have any problems with one. Teaching is a relatively safe profession. But for upper grades, there is always the risk. The students are bigger and have different wants and needs. Teachers should be prepared to confront a student who is raising the stakes in the classroom.

Dealing with disruptive students should actually start before the disruption. A teacher needs to be well organized and efficient in running a classroom. Above all, have your classroom discipline and classroom management down. You also need to create a positive classroom. If these three are in pace, the chances of you having a confrontation with a student are greatly reduced.

One of the best things you can do with a confrontational student is nothing. At least for a few seconds. Give the student a chance to back away. Above all, do not get angry. Do not lose your cool. You have a classroom of other students who are watching you, and are also relying on you to maintain order and peace. If you get angry, you will be seen as someone who is not in charge anymore. You don't want that. You need to maintain professionalism. Do not get lowered to the student's level.

19 Top De-Escalation Strategies:

1. Always stay calm, cool, and collected.

2. Make a joke, use some humor!

3. Ignore the outburst, ask them a question on the lesson.

4. Encourage them and point out a positive side of the student.

5. Be willing to change your teaching approach.

6. Validate the student in any way you can.

7. Don't over-react and always listen.

8. Apologize for any wrong they perceive.

9. Don't give commands, like: sit down, calm down, be quiet, shut up, knock it off, etc.

10. Be empathetic. Choose to put yourself in the student's place.

Read: Lower the Stress of Teaching

11. Don't take anything personally. Very important!

12. Always give positive remarks.

13. Remind the student they are not in trouble and you do not want them to be.

14. Never, ever, blow up!

15. Explain how you are there for them and want them to succeed.

16. Always be respectful. Do not end up on YouTube!

17. Do what works for this moment, move on.

18. After class or school, reflect on what went wrong, what went right.

19. Ask other teachers for advice. Each teacher has one good idea. You cannot implement all their ideas because you are NOT them.

Remember, tomorrow is another day!

Do not raise your voice. A yelling and screaming teacher is seen as an out of control teacher. Again, if you seem out of control, the whole class can dip into chaos. You speaking in a calm, but firm voice, can do wonders at least to diffuse the situation. Yelling will never solve anything. Maintain your cool at all cost.

Read: How to Motivate Your Students.

Other students in your classroom may feel emboldened to get in on the action. They may want to be on either side. They see the teacher as someone who may need protecting. Do not allow any student to get involved. You will only escalate the situation. Now instead of just one student, you may have several to deal with. You cannot do this.

Your goal as a teacher with a confrontational student is to lower the steam. Even if it is just until the bell rings. Most of the time a few stern, calm words can lessen the tension for at least the last minutes of class. That's your goal. To make it to the end, then contact the principal about what happened.

Some students are defiant or clowning as a way of getting attention. The less they get, the better.

Or....give them what they want! Keep them active and engaged. Ask them questions. Get them to do chores for you, like pass out papers, collect, erase the board. etc.

Form a relationship with them. It takes time, but each day maybe get's a little better.

Talk to other students outside of class. Get them onboard not egging the situation on.

Try and avoid a punishment for most times. Sending a student out of the room does nothing for the student. Or you, for that matter. Keeping students in your classroom is a goal. After all, what will they learn going to the office? That they get a break from boring classwork?

If you have a chance, you may wish to talk to the student alone, after class. Not alone in the classroom, but in full view in the hall or school yard. Talk like two adults. This can actually work very well.

There are many other articles here to help in this situation. It is all related. Having a positive classroom, welcoming students, be cheerful, don't assign lame homework, keep the students active and engaged, etc.

Think about what triggers the student(s). Keep pencils, paper, supplies, and other things available to all students.

If the student cannot stay in a seat, think outside the box. Can you teach standing right next to them as a block? Did you assign something that the student can complete at a desk?

Many times we, as teachers, do not realize that the very work we ask them to do is part of the problem. A hard assignment, completing alone at a desk, might not be beneficial to anyone. let alone the problem student.

Many students act up because they feel they cannot accomplish the work, so why bother? Why not upset the class! Think about that.

Writing a detention or office referral does not really work. Most of the time, the kids just get lip service and are right back. In fact, I believe this is counterproductive. It becomes a game. You kick the student out, they come back, repeat. They will wear you down before they wear you down.

A call home may not help either if you have never called home before. Calling home the first time for a behavior problem is crazy. The parent has every right to wonder where you have been. Telephoning home can be a powerful tool. But you need to call home to every parent at least once or twice the first week of school. This alone will put parents and students on notice that you are going to have them be an active party. Make it an ongoing effort.

One caution. Teachers are not police. If a student is really getting out of hand, you need to make the judgment that you need help. Call the office immediately.

Easy Lesson Planning

Classroom Teaching Tips to Create Easy and Effective Lesson Plans

Lesson planning allows a teacher to prepare proper questions and objectives ahead of time. Lesson planning should be quick and effective. How do you write a lesson plan? A lesson plan has a few key elements. Included with a general summary, are goals, materials, samples, steps to completion, and review. Lesson plans do not have to be elaborate. The internet can be a valuable resource for lesson plans.

You can find lesson plans on almost any subject for any grade level. The problem is actually using them in a real classroom. When most teachers think lesson plans on the internet, they really are thinking lesson resources as opposed to actual plans. Since every teacher has a different slant to what a lesson plan should be, take the resources and adapt it to your classroom situation. There are many types of lesson planning guides, but we'll go over one that is typical.

Three things that should be included in every lesson you plan are: What am I going to teach? How am I going to teach it? What will I do for the students who don't get it?

How do I do go about creating a lesson plan?

Sample Lesson Plan Template

This sample has 4 parts:
1) Grab the studens attention.
2) Introduce and model the material in an engaging way.
3) Guided practice.
4) Assess.

First, you need to introduce the topic in a way that gets students interested. Asking a question about the subject, what they know, etc. Anything that you can do to at least get students ready to learn. Next, introduce the material. This can you or them reading, discussing, or leading the class doing the activity as a group. Eventually your students need to do something on their own. They can work alone, you can assign partners, or even groups. But you must walk around the room to facilitate.

To finish, you need some type of assessment. You can do this orally by asking questions, or writing a couple of problems/questions on the board to be done individually alone. Assigning homework is now an option.

Keep the learning process flowing and consistent. Every lesson you do must be engaging. Students must be involved. Even if it's just explaining something. Get animated. Ask for questions. Look around the room. Get students to guess what comes next. Can you get the students moving? Get them out of their seats? Even you know when it will be boring. Lighten it up!

Are you doing lesson plans daily, weekly, or even monthly? Think about long term lesson planning. Teachers should do at least a weekly plan. Doing lesson plans daily is not a good way of teaching. Depending on how things go, you may have to change the plans to fit how your students are doing.

There are many places on the internet that provide lesson plans. You can even submit your own. Teachers should have a lesson plan filing system. Keep a file cabinet or box with your lesson plans in them, filed in subjects and categories. Yes, you should print out each lesson and make your own notes. If you just bookmark or save the websites to your favorites, the websites may not be there next time you look. The internet does not stand still and many sites change or go offline.

Don't think that you must do the lesson plans exactly how you find them. Many lesson plans will need to be modified by the teacher for his or her own class. It may take time for you to become an expert on creating, modifying, and implementing good lesson plans. But without them, teaching is less effective.

You probably teach the same idea over multiple days. When doing lesson planning, you may wish to make one lesson plan that will last two or more days. Teachers, especially new teachers, sometimes think they spend a lot of time doing lesson plans. The more you can plan in advance, the better.

How Teachers Should Assign Homework

Best Teacher Practices for Assigning Homework for Educational Purposes

Homework should be purposeful to learning outside of school and leave time for other activities. Are your homework assignments meaningful? Homework should reinforce concepts, prepare for future learning, and engage family members in education. Homework conjures up images of piles of work that a student is required to complete outside of class. Is this beneficial? Does it actually increase learning, or is it just time wasted on useless assignments? Teachers should take a long, hard look at their homework practices. It seems since the beginning of time, homework has been gleefully given by teachers, and sadly accepted by students.

Society almost seems to demand it. Principals cannot seem to get enough of it. Some teachers pride themselves on loading students up with hours of homework. We need to take a second look at the value of homework. It should be useful! Don't assign homework just because. It must add something to the learning.

If students see homework as some sort of punishment, a drudgery task, it will be despised and rarely seen as having worth. We cannot as teachers, make any schoolwork of any type, seen as a punishment. We want students to learn and love doing it! But then we turn around and shove more work at them as some sort of punishment? This sends mixed signals as to what school actually is. So, how should we teachers implement homework and extra assignments? Think enrichment. Think if not loving, at least enjoying learning.

Make homework a task that has some worth. Some value to a student's life. Never, ever should it be busy work. Assigning 50 problems to complete at home is worthless. The best time to do 50 problems is in class where they can get help from the resident expert--the teacher. A few problems, perhaps, as reinforcement, but if it takes longer than 15 minutes for a poor student to complete, it is way too much.

Assigning a couple of hours of reading is also fairly worthless. Do you really want to make reading seem like a long and arduous task? Let's hope not. Not only should homework be a worthwhile task, if it is assigned on a daily basis, it needs to be done in a short time. Think about it. Students are at school for six to 8 hours a day. The same as someone with a job. They travel to and from school to home. Again, the same as someone with a job. Read: How to Motivate Your Students

In fact, students have jobs: Going to school. How would you like it if your boss gave you three hours of work to complete when you got home? Not much fun is it? In fact, you would complain. Loud and clear. If teachers give homework on a nightly basis, it needs to be short. Students and society benefit when students have a life. Family time, chores, dinner, homework. There needs to be a balance.

If not, a students family life will suffer. How much more quality family time do you wish you had? I don't think we as teaches have ever thought much about our students home lives. Once you have made the commitment to quality and time appropriate homework, we can now talk about what makes a good homework assignment.

Enrichment. First and foremost. It must enrich and enhance the learning process. It does not, I repeat, it does not need to be on the very subject or topic you are currently teaching. But it can and should be related. That way a student sees right away why they are doing it. Okay, now for some examples. The following are for math, but can readily be altered for any topic and subject.

Homework Examples That are Worth Doing

• Let's say you just did an assignment on fractions. (Again, you can adapt these to any subject)
• Write about 5 examples of where you or someone you do anything that involved fractions. That is, portions, pieces, percentages, cutting, slicing, measuring, etc.
• Give a 10 minute presentation on performing (doing fractions) to your family.
• Help prepare dinner and explain how fractions may be used.
• Ask an older sibling or parent to explain what they thought of doing fractions in school. Explain how it is the same or different. Add any other comments they come up with.
• Write a review of your teacher presenting the topic. (These can be really good for feedback)
• Write about an occupation that uses fractions on a daily basis. Include examples of when, where, why, and how.
• Suppose you are planning a pizza party for 50 people. Contact and research a local pizza maker to see how various pizzas come. Explore how each pizza is cut up. Explain how many slices of pizza each person will get. You will also need the total number of pizzas, the cost, including tax and tip.

From those seven examples above, did you notice how many involve the student's family? A terrific way of making homework meaningful is to include family members.

Did you also notice how there was no repetition of doing problems? Again, you are the teacher. That needs to come in class.

You should also notice that homework does not need to be assigned on a nightly basis. Many of the homework examples listed above could be assigned over a week's time. Also, notice how the homework example was geared toward the real world? This will stop the "When are we ever going to use this" questions that bother so many of us! Read: Create High Impact Lesson Plans

Please also note that the homework cited above using reading, writing, and research skills. This aligns perfectly with a curriculum that is supposed to include all of these concepts.

One major benefit from doing long-term homework assignments is it will free up more time for teachers. Not having to grade or collect homework on a daily basis is just one more boring, time-wasting chore eliminated.

The hope is that you, as a teacher, have now taken a different look at homework. No matter what the subject, you should be able to quickly come up with ideas to make your homework a meaningful exercise.

Teacher Stress

Effective Ways to Lower the Stress of Classroom Teaching

Stress affects teacher motivation and the quality of instruction. Teacher stress is mostly caused by work demands and student behavior. Teacher burnout is a problem for many new teachers. All teachers know it is a stressful job. Stress and being overworked lead to teacher burnout.

The key is to get organized and make time for yourself. Lower your stress level, and you will improve as a teacher as well. Don't cut your career short. Always remember that teaching will never be totally stress-free.

However, the job can be made easier over time with a little work on your part. Below are a few tips to make your teaching job less stressful. You will have a very stressful career if your classroom discipline and management system is a shambles. Conquering these is the first step to being a stress-free teacher. Read those articles: Classroom Discipline | Classroom Management

Get Organized. You cannot teach effectively unless you are organized anyway. Your daily lessons plans should be done and all materials gathered before the school day. Preferably the night before. Yes this is a lot of work. But having a smooth teaching day is worth it. Teachers need to grade papers as soon as possible. Don't let them pile up. Teachers who let papers to grade pile up are asking for trouble.

Grading a pile of papers will look like an arduous task that will take it's toll on your body. And it will. When teachers give a quiz or exam, they should start grading them as soon as one student turns it in. Even if you only grade the first page of each paper. This will give you a good head start. Here's a no-brainer but often over looked teaching tip: Make your quizzes, exams, and projects as easy to grade as possible. This could include more multiple choice.

Teachers should collect longer assignments when longer breaks occur. That is, do not collect a 10 page report on Monday. Try not to give assessments on Fridays. Teachers who grade only on school days will be much better rested. If your grading is taking its toll on you, you seriously need to change the way you assess. Teachers should over-work the students. Students should never over-work the teacher. Your job is to make this happen. Read: Should Teachers Assign Homework?

Teachers need school-free days! In conjunction with the above, you need to keep your weekends as school-free as possible. You need at least one of those days to do absolutely nothing as far as school work. Your brain needs a rest. You need to recharge. Avoid leaving your grading for the weekend. Teachers who do grading over the weekend are really working 7 days a week. You will burn out. Teachers should never bring home enough work to last the weekend.

Make every school day break count! Secondary teachers have nutrition breaks, lunch breaks, and normally planning periods. Elementary teachers have recess and lunch. There is even the short time after school that you are required to be on campus. Make these precious minutes count. Plan. Organize. Grade. Make phone calls. Yes, you will have the urge to relax and do nothing.

The problem is, school is the best place to work. Teachers who get stuff done at school are freer at home. If you don't feel like grading at school, how do you feel when you see all the things you need to do and you are home? DO NOT use these breaks to prepare for the next class. That should have already been done. Scrambling around at the last minute to figure out what you are teaching brings on a bundle of stress. Running to the copy machine is not good exercise. And it may not be working when you get there!

Teachers need sleep. And you are probably not getting enough. This is why you need to be organized and grade ASAP. The later it is, the worse your brain functions. If you are planning or grading at midnight, how long do you think you will last?

Get to school early. You need to be fully prepared as soon as the bell rings. I have seen teachers standing in line at the copier when the bell rings. And continue to copy. I have seen teachers drive up to campus as the bell rings. How effective of a teacher can you be? Not only is this bad teaching, it is bad for your nerves as well. Unless you are a do-nothing teacher. I urge you to read the articles here on engaging students and being a great teacher.

Every day is a new day! Teachers should try and forget the small things that happen each day. Start each day renewed. Your classroom discipline should be a system that is as stress-free for you as possible.

Teachers, not all is possible. No matter how organized you are there just things about teaching that are stressful. The key is to have as much time away from school to do other things. Make your time away from school count as much as your days in school. Your job as a teacher needs to be left outside your front door as much as possible.

Classroom Discipline Strategies

Easy Ways for Teachers to Maintain Classroom Discipline

Classroom discipline maintains order and improves student focus. Classroom discipline is a teacher's plan to control student behaviors. How do you maintain discipline in the classroom? Good classroom discipline can be achieved through a variety of ways. There are many misconceptions about this topic. First, let's talk about what classroom discipline is not. Classroom discipline is not: Classroom management. Read the article on classroom management. It is not Strictly a punishment system

Nor is it strictly a reward system. No screaming, yelling, or any other confrontational behavior. It's not a list of don'ts, a cure-all for teaching woes, or to eat up valuable class time. Classroom discipline is: One companion to classroom management, part of a routine class session, and a system to maintain desired behaviors.

Never scream, yell, or be in a student's face. You will not maintain classroom discipline this way. You will only wear out your jaw muscles, get headaches, and be a bundle of nerves at the end of the day. And then, you will dread tomorrow. In fact, a teacher should practice actively relaxing his or her jaw muscles, and avoid teeth clenching. If you make a note of this throughout the day, you will realize just how much you have a tendency to do these things.

Do not make a list of rules. Students already know them. The school has rules. Rules are a dime a dozen. In fact, if you do not have a list of rules, you will never be held accountable to keep or enforce them yourself! And what if you miss one? Students will bend rules and dare you to enforce them. Or worse yet. They will break a rule not on your list and then laugh as you cannot enforce a rule that you forgot to write down. So please, just forget a list. If you insist on a list, you can refer to the section just after this one. But please, read the rest of this and think twice.

Classroom discipline starts on the first day, and continues each and every day. The first day of school, begin each class by simply saying that you expect each and every student to be in class, on time, ready to work, and that you expect the utmost respect from them and how they treat each other. Nuff said. That's it. Each and every little rule cannot be written. But all desired behaviors are in that previous statement. Make that statement part of your opening class routine.

But I really like and want a list! Okay. You just heard them!

1) Be in class on time and fully prepared to work.

2) Respect will be given to all parties at all times in this classroom

Your classroom management must be mastered before you can begin to have discipline This needs to be stressed again.

So, what do I do for classroom discipline?
Sorry, there is no one-size-fits-all for classroom discipline. There is no cure-all for classroom discipline. There are no magic words that will solve classroom discipline. No other teacher has the answers for your classroom discipline either. Classroom discipline cannot be taught in your teacher education classes. No matter what you have been told. It is a lie. Nobody is going to give you the skills for classroom discipline except......yourself! This is not a revelation for most of you. If you are reading this article, you have probably read and heard countless cures for classroom discipline. Here you will hear the truth.

But there is hope! Meet teachers. Ask questions. Sit in on successful teacher's classrooms. Watch and learn. Realize, however, that every classroom teacher has their own way for classroom discipline. It is only to be used a guide for you. Too many teachers accept what other teachers are doing, implement it, and then wonder why it fails. It fails because each and every teacher, classroom, setting, etc., are different! Glean ideas and try them. You will find ones that work, and ones that don't. Over time, you will develop classroom discipline skills that will transfer your classroom into a fantastic learning environment.

That said, we will not leave it there for classroom discipline. We will try and come up with a few ideas that should be incorporated into every classroom discipline plan.

First, you must realize that real classrooms are not like the movies. You will not change the world. You will not make students behave by just a few tricks. Your students will not all become lifelong learners. The quicker you get this out of your mind, the better. Yes, they are worth striving for. But reality must set in.

Your goal should be for your students to be engaged in the classroom at all times. If your students are all engaged, then you have mastered discipline. Classroom management will help you.

This also means accepting certain behaviors sometimes. Not all students need to be quiet at all times. Not all disturbances need to be addressed with punishment. A sharp look, a short comment, a small pause, is really all that is needed. This may be the first time you have heard this. This will lower your stress level. You cannot stop teaching for each and every classroom disturbance.

Your students MUST realize that you acknowledge an undesirable behavior, but will treat it depending on severity. So we are not really talking about major disturbances, but common annoyances-talking, gum chewing, laughing, etc. Read: Dealing with Confrontational Students

Did you know that 99% of the classroom discipline problems you will have involve these minor annoyances? Pick your battles wisely. If you fight, scream, yell, and confront each and every minor classroom discipline annoyance, you will not last a year. You will not be able to teach anything.

Please reread the part of this article on making classroom rules. If you have not made a list, then you can deal with these minor occurrences in a minor way. This is the main reason why you do not want a list with all rules you can think of. With rules you must have consequences. No rule, there is no consequence that you need to do other than acknowledge the disturbance, and move on. So please, again, please forget a list of rules.

What is the best way to deal with these minor classroom disturbances?

Call home. This is by far the most time-tested reliable way to deal with minor classroom problems. But here is a HUGE word of caution. This phone call should not be the first time this parent has heard from you. You must make some sort of contact with parents first. This can be emails or phone calls.

At the beginning of the school year, take 30 minutes each night and make phone calls. It is not a big of deal as it seems. Each phone call is short and to the point. You are just calling to introduce yourself and say what you hope to accomplish in the upcoming year. Even a word how you are glad to have their child.

Each phone call lasts maybe 2 minutes. In 30 minutes, you can do 15 calls. In 5 days, you can do 60 home calls. If you have an hour each night, do more! In two weeks you should have made a first phone call home. On the first day of school, you are on the look out for problem students. Single these out first to make phone calls. But again, these are a friendly introduction phone calls. I repeat. You cannot make a first call about a discipline problem. The parent will wonder who you are and where you have been!

This first phone call also will make the student aware that you have contacted parents. That's a major plus for you! Also, do not call home for the first minor occurrence. You don't need to. And you do not need to call home each and every time.

How do you get phone and email information? You have two options. One is the hard way. Looking up the students records. The problem is, records are not updated until after school starts. Plus, you have do dig. The easy way is to pass out a student survey on the first day of school. This survey is a way to get phone and email info but disguised as a survey. This survey basically asks for students name, age, interests, etc. Anything you can think of from favorite food to favorite music. Mixed in with these questions are places to put phone numbers and email addresses. Include the name of the parent contact. Make sure students have your email address as well. Some schools make it very easy to get this info with just a few computer key strokes. But passing out a survey is a part of classroom discipline as well. It makes the students think that you are interested in them! Getting to know your students on a personal basis can many times ward off classroom disturbances.

Classroom discipline is also a triage system. Deal with the major problems first. A good teacher will know on the first two days of school which students will be disruptive to your classroom discipline plan.

Deal with them quickly. But here's where it gets tricky. Not everything will work. Do not be combative. Maintain your composure. Call home. Never single this student out in class overtly. They are probably looking for attention. Meet with the student after class. Talk to them. Negotiate with them. That's right! Most students will actually respond to this type of response.

Here's more truth as far as classroom discipline goes. There are students who you will just have to live with. Make the best of it. You are the professional. It will be up to you to solve problems. As time goes on, your experience will multiply exponentially and you will succeed!

Remember: Engaged students is successful classroom discipline!

Keep problem students engaged. Ask for their opinions, help, answers, etc. Get them to help you in class. That's right! Keep em busy! I used to ask these students to pass out and collect papers. Read about how to lower Teacher Stress

Administrators do not want to hear about your discipline problems.

Period. That's more truth. Sad, but true. You are the teacher and are expected to handle classroom discipline situations. Yes, for major disruptions they will help. But their help is only a band-aid. That's why putting out fires in classroom behavior is of utmost importance.

Never give out school work as a punishment.

You want school work to be thought of as fun and enlightening. If you make it a part of punishment, students will think of any school work as punishment. Many already do!

The thought on punishments for minor problems is to forget them altogether. The best punishment is a call home. Deal with the problem, stop it, and move on. You will waste valuable class time by writing detentions, referrals, screaming, yelling, etc. Just don't do it.

Remember: 99% of all classroom problems are minor!

Do not elevate them to a new level!

If you do not follow this recommendation, your classroom discipline will be rough on you and very difficult to maintain.

Yelling and screaming will only put fuel on a fire. A non-defiant student will suddenly become defiant. A mild-mannered student will feel threatened. Now you have a huge discipline problem! You now have a disrespectful and defiant student looking for action. Please, please, please avoid this at all times! You will never be able to get past this. Your students now know you can be baited to go off. Never let them see you lose your cool. You will lose your students respect in a way you will never regain.

Each and every teacher wants to scream and yell. It goes with the territory. But knowing it solves nothing and knowing it creates more problems will enable you to avoid it.

And avoid it you must! Use a little humor. Lighten up! It will go a long way.

Okay. But what about major classroom discipline problems?

These are few and far between. The best way is to prevent them from happening. Get to know your students. Have your students get to know you. Maintain a good classroom management program. Maintain respect. Maintain student engagement. Student engagement is another topic. Learn all you can about it. As stated early in this article, if your students are engaged in learning, you have mastered classroom discipline.

However, there are times when classroom discipline calls for outside help. Drugs, fights, and other forms of student harassment are major problems. A good, prepared teacher will already know the steps the school has for dealing with these. Find out before the first day of school who to call, who to contact, what forms to fill out, etc. You cannot solve these problems yourself. Do not try. Make the phone call for security, and let the process go.

But remember, 99% of all classroom discipline problems are minor and can be dealt with in a minor way. The faster you return to the teaching and learning process, the better!

Classroom Management

Effective Teacher Techniques for Good Classroom Management

Good Classroom management increases the time for teaching and learning. Classroom management is an assortment of approaches to run a trouble-free classroom. If you are a teacher having classroom management problems, you probably are having discipline problems as well. Improve your classroom management, and you decrease your behavior problems.

Discipline and classroom management go hand in hand, but they are not the same. Classroom management helps you be an effective teacher. Classroom management is how you run your classroom on a day to day basis, while discipline is your punishment/reward system for wanted/unwanted behaviors.

The following will give you a general idea on classroom management. It is not a cure-all. It is a starting point to good classroom management. Only with teaching experience, over several school terms, can you begin to be an expert on classroom management. There is really only one main point to great classroom management. That is getting, setting, and keeping a routine. Especially how your class starts and ends Your students should know exactly what to expect as soon as they enter your classroom.

Classroom management starts before the first day of school. You MUST come up with an effective game-plan as to how each class should start. It must be an easy routine to start, follow, and maintain. What you do the first ten minutes of class is of utmost importance. Ask other experienced teachers. They are by far the best resource for a starting point. However, do not take what they say as gospel.

Only you know what your personality and experience can do. Your teaching skills will improve over time. With that said, now you can plan your class. Basically, for good classroom management, there are four basic parts. These are only my ideas. Most books and classes have different ways. But classroom management is related to lesson planning.

Let's go over how to start a class session. This is one important first step of classroom management.

Four Basic Parts of a Class Session

1) Start time-what do the students do when they first come in?

2) Review-You must review the previous lesson.

3) Introduce new material-This is where the new lesson is.

4) Review and end class-This is almost a reverse of the start.

Obviously, #2 and #3 are flexible depending on the day. The transition between sections of your class is the art of classroom management.

The First Ten Minutes of Class

Teachers must have something for students to do immediately after the students come into the classroom.

If you do not follow this, your classroom management is doomed to fail. Your class must be under control as soon as the bell rings. This can be a question, assignment, etc. that is written on the board. If your class starts with this each and every day, your students will expect it. It must be a solo assignment.

It must be an assignment that takes at least eight of the ten minutes. Sometimes students straggling into class is a disruption. That is, students sitting in your class, talking, goofing off, until the bell rings. You have two choices to maintain order. Tell students that if they are in the classroom, they are here to work. They must be working on the assignment given. If not, they need to be outside, but still are required to be in their seat when the bell rings. Read how to Motivate Your Students

The other option involves locking the door until there are two minutes left before the bell rings. I have even seen effective teachers not opening the door until after the bell rings. Your classroom must be looked upon as a place of work, not fun. No, this does not mean you cannot have fun teaching and learning.

What Does the Teacher do During This Time?

Anything and everything that has to do with normal classroom housekeeping. Passing back papers, taking roll, etc. You MUST do these things during this time. You must do them efficiently. You must do them swiftly. Any other time during class is upsetting your classroom management. Using seating charts is a plus. I would actually almost insist on it. You decide where students sit. Passing back papers can be a time wasting activity. Learn to do this in a couple of minutes. I did mention in the previous section that students in class before the bell rings can be a pain. But, allowing students in early can facilitate passing back papers. The early arrivals should immediately be met with their previous papers. When passing back papers, you do not need to walk around to each student. Give the first student in each row any paper for any student in that row and have them pass it back. Here's a trick I learned. If you have a set seating chart, (and again this is almost a must), when collecting papers keep the entire row's papers together. Then to pass them back, simply give each row's pile to the first student in that row to pass back. Simple!

What do I do After the Ten Minutes is Up?

You discuss the answers or responses. But only shortly. You need to get on with the rest of the class. Then you collect them. Yes, you must collect them and score them somehow. This is your choice. It could be worth 1 daily point. Okay. You are asking, what am I doing while I am collecting these? Downtime is a killer to classroom management! You are correct! However, an experienced teacher would have review problems on the board or overhead, just waiting to be done. Students are working on these review problems as you are collecting. These review problems are to be done in the time it takes for you to collect the starting assignment. You do not have to wait for students to finish it. In fact, you really do not want students to have time to finish it. It is a bridge. It is a review which they are doing in their notes. As soon as you collect their starting assignment, start going over the review work. This is not collected. It just reinforces the previous lesson.

And now you start the new lesson! But wait! Isn't there a little dead time between the review and the new stuff? Not really. You are not collecting the review, so you can smoothly go to the new material. However, experienced teachers will actually use the review as a really smooth transition. How? They will write one more review problem to be done as the teacher writes new material on the board. That way, you have a good start on the new material written on the board. You, as a good teacher practicing great classroom management, will always have your students on task. No down time.

What you do with the lesson from here on is your call! However, to maintain good classroom management, you MUST have activities for students who finish early. A good trick is to assign more problems than they can finish. The rest they do as homework. But not too many. Be sure and read the article titled Using Homework Effectively. Here is a little tip to help not only with classroom management, but discipline as well. When you assign problems or questions to complete, tell the students that you will shorten the assignment as to how well you think they are working until the class ends. How much you shorten it is up to you.

The Last Five Minutes of Class

The last five minutes of class is almost as important as the first ten minutes. Put one last problem or assignment on the board when there are five or so minutes left in class. Since you have given an assignment that will take longer than class time, pick one of the problems down the list. A more advanced problem or question perhaps. This way the students will have another look at you doing a problem. The class gives you the attention as you do the problem, question, etc. You can elicit prompts from the students. The goal is to actually have students attention focused on you just before the bell rings. Knowing that you are answering a homework question is also an incentive to listen up. Call it a freebie. Remember how discipline and classroom management go together? This will lead to an orderly exit of your classroom. You do not want any class time to be thought of as free time or dead time.

But I Want to Give Free Time and Fun Time! Forget it. You will never master classroom management if you are thinking this way. You are not the students' friend, you are their teacher. No, this does not mean you cannot be friendly. Your students must realize that your classroom is a work environment. It is not a place to fool around.

It is not a place for students to play games and socialize. The sooner you, as a teacher, realize this, the sooner you will master classroom management. It will lower your stress. Your school day will flow smoothly. I know that you as a teacher know may fun activities and assignments. Feel free to give those out! But your students must be engaged at all times.

You must start and maintain your routine from the first day of school. You must train your students. If you start on the first day of school, you will find this task easier. If you are well into the school year, start now! If you are starting this in the middle of the school year, DO NOT tell your students you are doing or trying something new. Just do it as if it is a natural progression. Yes, you could wait until the new quarter or semester.

Good classroom management involves having a time to do housekeeping chores and keeping students on task at all times. These are part of your daily classroom routine. Implementing these will only improve your classroom teaching and stress level!

Classroom Games

6 Fun Games for Teachers to use in the Classroom

Games in the classroom use the potential of play to supplement learning. They can enhance learning, be a reward, and break up tedious learning tasks. They can be a fun and valuable activity to encourage good classroom behavior. Sometimes there is extra time in class, especially at the end of the day or assignment. Nothing wrong with letting students have a little fun. These games have been modified to get the whole class involved. One of the worst things you can hear is, "I never get picked." The popular kids claim they don't get picked enough, the unpopular kids complain they never get picked. These games solve the problem.

(If you need ideas specifically for Brain Breaks, visit: Brain Break Ideas)

Silent Ball

Always a classroom favorite. You need a nerf ball or very soft ball.

Students sit on desks and toss the ball around. If they talk, they are "out" and must sit down. If they drop the ball, throw it so it is uncatchable, or interfere with a throw or a catch, they are out and must sit own. If they drop a catchable ball, they are also out. Soon, hopefully, all but 1 student is left as the winner. You can modify this if you wish. One problem is students sitting down get bored.

Bored student=loud student. You can have it so nobody gets out, just needs to be quiet. Tossing a ball around in the classroom is its own reward! You need more rules, however to make it safe:

-If you drop the ball, then you ARE THE ONLY student to go and get the ball and give it to a random player, then sit down.

-No standing, waving hands, calling out, or other unsafe practices.

-You need to keep a handle on this game as it can do some harm to the classroom.

- cannot toss the ball back to the same person that tossed it to them

Modifications to Silent Ball Rules

Use a stuffed animal instead of a ball.

Boy must toss to girl, girl must toss to a boy.

If the ball is small enough, and soft enough, have kids put one hand behind their backs.

You can make teams and have students stand in two groups facing each other. A student dropping the ball sits down. Then roots for their team.

Have shorter games by not having all students play. You can say something like, "All students wearing red will play this round." You can also eliminate a bunch of students at one time by calling the same thing during the game, having them sit down.

Pass out a worksheet to all students before the game with basic math facts. Maybe twenty problems grade appropriate, like times tables. When a student gets out, they sit and complete the problems to get back in. They only get back once.

To get all students involved, keep an eye out for those not getting enough chances. Let's say Amanda is being shut out. At a random time, after a student catches the ball, say something like, "Toss the ball to Amanda."

You can come up with any ideas on your own!

The Drawing Game

If you have a whiteboard, you can use 3 markers, if not use a chalkboard and 3 pieces of chalk. On the board you write the numbers 1, 2, and 3 near the top. Basically as high as an average child in the classroom can reach while straining.

Don't write it at normal writing height. Space the numbers about 2-3 feet apart. Enough room so 1 kid can stand under a number and have elbow room. You also set up a chair at the opposite end of the room from the boards.

Pick a student and sit them in the chair. Turn the chair so the person sitting in the chair looks away from the board. You don't want them to see the ones who you will pick now.

Pick 3 kids now. Being silent as to not give away who the child is. (You'll see why) The first kid picked goes to 1, second to 2, third to 3. If you need to point and remind, go ahead. If you use 3 different colored markers, you can write the numbers using a different color. That way, it is obvious who goes where. Okay.

So now you have 3 kids up at the board and 1 at the back. You instruct the ones at the board to "Draw a ____." Fill in the blank with your choice! Cat, dog, tree, mouse, etc. Something fast and simple. Give them 30 seconds to draw. When they are finished, they sit down quietly.

The person at the back turns around and picks their "favorite." It will not always be the best! Whoever has drawn that picture is the new "judge." From the other two, choose 1 to erase the board (leaving the numbers) and choose the other to pick the 3 next players, waiting of course until the "judge" turns the other way.

And you pick something else to draw, and continue on as long as you like! *Note: You can use the ticket system that is described for Heads Up 7-Up below. Since 3 kids are "used up" each each time, you can quickly go through the whole class.

Heads Up 7 Up

You know the game. Pick 7 students. 1 is the leader. They come to the front. The leader says, "Heads down, thumbs up." The 7 go around and touch 1 thumb each. Then when all are back to the front, leader calls, "heads up, 7 up." The 7 chosen students stand and one by one are asked to guess who picked them. If they are right, they switch places with 1 being part of the picking students.

If they guess wrong, they sit down. After all guess, students reveal who picked who. And it starts again. *Ticket system: Cut out colored pieces of construction paper, about the size of a raffle ticket. Pass 1 to all students who are not part of the first 7 chosen. Instead of touching a thumb, the 7 students take a ticket. Collect them in a pile or can each round.

So, for each round, instruct the group of 7 that they need to pick ones with tickets. They don't need to pick all tickets all the time. Just some tickets all the time. When all tickets are used, each student has had a chance. Pass out the tickets again, and do the same thing. That way, all students get picked, multiple times, no matter what! You can even do 1 extra round after all tickets are gone to give students a free choice if you wish.

Who is Missing?

You pick one student to be "it." They sit in a chair and face away from the class, closing their eyes. You need a closet or cabinet or wall that a student can "hide" behind and not be seen by the person in the chair. You quietly point to a student to "hide." While they are hiding, you count to 10. The rest of the students change desks. At 10, all must sit down. You can speed up the count if you need to maintain the chaos. You then ask the person who is "it" to turn around and guess who is missing. It is actually harder than it seems. Sometimes I found myself forgetting who was hidden. What makes it hard is that all students are mixed up now. If they guess right, they get to stay. The person who was hidden picks the next hider. If they guess wrong, they pick the next student to hide then sit down. You can make a max number of right guesses allowed so a good guesser does not hog it all. I like 3. If they guess 2 in a row, they get to play just one more no matter what. That way, you use up a lot of students and keeps it moving. Again, you can use a modified ticket system to keep track of who has been chosen. This used to be called Kid in the Closet, but I would refrain from putting a kid in the closet.

Four Corners

Put the numbers 1 to 4, fairly large on pieces of paper. That is, one number per paper. Tape one paper in each corner of the classroom. Sometimes a cupboard will block the corner, so tape it accordingly. You then have 4 corners, each numbered from 1 to 4. Cut a paper into 4 equal pieces. Put the numbees 1 to 4, one on each piece. Fold them up and put these 4 papers in a box, bag, can, or similar. Now, you tell all students in the class to go to a corner. You pick a number from the bag and read it. All students in that corner must sit down. You tell the class to switch corners. The rule is they cannot stay at the same corner. You count to 10 (or less) and pick another number. Remember to put chosen numbers back in the container. Again, all students at that corner sit down. You keep repeating this until you have 4 or less. When there are 4 or less, on each draw they must switch their corners and they cannot be at the same corner as someone else. Sometimes at the end, you will need to draw a few times as some corners will be empty. Eventually, you will call the last corner with a student in it and the other student will be the only one left--the winner! You can then play again, with the winner picking numbers.

Top 5 Problems in Kindergarten

Best Strategies for the Top Common Problems in Kindergarten

Kindergarten teachers should be aware of the most common problems in a kindergarten classroom. What are some issues in kindergarten? Those cute little kindergarteners present a unique set of problems. For many, it's their first real school experience. They are just past the toddler stage, and kindergarten teachers will need a variety of ways to solve these problems.

Your kindergarteners will want to move. They cannot sit still for very long. Perhaps even five minutes is too long for a kindergarten teacher to allow them to sit still. Try breaking lessons into short sessions and get them moving. Any movement will do, actually.

They can count snapping their fingers. Learn colors by pointing to objects. Even walking around the room playing follow the teacher. A kindergarten teacher should be very good at incorporating movement and interaction all during the school day. Did you know that experts say this will actually improve concentration? You don't even need to make the movement or activity noisy. It can be quiet. Point to the nose. Shake your right hand. Even wiggle your fingers. By allowing your kindergarteners the chance to move, they will be less likely to have mood swings and be ready to listen.

The potty problem might be the biggest kindergarten one out there. And every teacher who has taught kindergarten knows this already. So, what can you do? Children this age are not used to going it alone. That could be part of the problem. The simple solution to that, is to tell parents to start doing that at home. Let the child go and use the bathroom without help.

That way, they get used to it. You should make your restrooms as private as you can. Some children have trouble with this and try and hold it. That only leads to accidents. The best way to prevent potty problems at school, is to make the child comfortable going at school. Schedule adequate potty breaks, and most important, let children go when needed and watch for the squirm. Good kindergarten teachers know the potty signal.

Eating can also be a problem at kindergarten. If you have a lunch or scheduled snack time, you probably know now that children can have eating problems at school. They don't have time. They play around or talk instead of eating. Opening cartons and packages can be a problem for a kindergartener to do by themselves. Concentrate on motor skills and allow them to experiment with packages and cartons. Make sure the food brought or served is in small pieces that a kindergartener can actually handle. Something like a whole sandwich would be a problem. As always, a good kindergarten teacher watches the students and makes adjustments as needed. Hungry kids at school or after school is not good.

Kindergarteners are germ factories. It might seem like every child in your classroom gets sick many times a year. Well, it is not just your imagination. Many kids in school now have not been around groups of kids for much time. They have not built up an immune system. There's not much you can do except some prevention. Always (teach) use warm water and soap after bathroom and before eating. Hand sanitizer is not perfect, but it's easy and gets most of the job done. We have known kindergarten teachers who spray the desks, chairs, and counters down with things like lysol after school. A good kindergarten teacher will teach hygiene. Don't share cups, combs, food, etc.

The crying game. Kindergarteners have many versions of this. From simple whimpers, to all out major meltdowns. No matter how sweet and kind you think you are, some kids just panic or have bad days. It happens. These kids are under pressure for the first time in their short lives. They have never been awake this long, much less been trapped in a classroom. They miss mommy. They miss home. They don't know better. Will mommy really come back and pick me up? Think like a child and be empathetic. Understand what is going on.

No, that in itself does not make it better, but it gives you information to lean on. Be sure parents know that the child now needs a full night's sleep. That they should be allowed to relax after school. Kind of wind down. Preschool is not the same as kindergarten. Kindergarten taxes a child in new ways. Many parents come to the false conclusion that their child hates school and hates the teacher, when in reality they are just worn out and exhausted. Mention this to your parents. And smile! Veteran kindergarten teachers know that by December or January, the children get much better at this!

Use language that a kindergartener can readily understand. This does not mean dumbing it down. It means your commands and directions should be easily understood by every child in the classroom.

You want to model good behavior, and this includes directions and commands. "Please" is a good word, even for teachers. If you, the teacher, want them to do something, using "I want" can be effective as well. "I want you all to please...."

As a kindergartener you are teaching them a little reading. So, writing some instructions on the board for all to see and say can help. For example, short commands like "clean up," "chairs up," "pencils down," "walk," "eyes up here," are just a few.

Please don't yell. With a room full of noisy kindergarteners, you may feel the need to raise your voice. Don't do it. Instead of yelling, have an attention cue that you use that will always signal that everyone is to be quite and look at you. Holding your finger to your mouth, ringing a bell, are just two examples. Normally counting does not work for children. They will hold out for the last number. What is the last number? A better idea with kindergarteners is to start saying a rhyme or singing a song that all the children know. They will actually eagerly chime in and follow along. End the song, you are ready for the next task. You will actually train them over time, so don't expect it to go perfectly on day one.

Kindergarteners are people too. So, they like to be told or forewarned of what is to come next. So let them know what's coming. Something like, "A few more minutes and clean up is coming." You will need to decide what "time" intervals they comprehend.

Praise them. Always and often. Praise them for good jobs and following directions. Praise them for trying. Kindergarteners do not need to be punished (mostly) in school. They need to be encouraged, nurtured, and loved. They will perform better when they know you like what they are doing.