New School Year Behavior: 5 Classroom Management Tips

Most teachers are gearing up for a new school year. I go back on Monday and my kids will be there Wednesday...I can't believe I just typed that. Like, that set it in stone. I go back to work on Monday. Anyway, I wanted to share some tried and true classroom management tips as we embark on another school year. Later on I will share more in depth information about my classroom management style and the success I have had with it. One thing I've learned is that if you can manage your classroom, it makes teaching and learning a lot easier...and enjoyable.

You know I love a good disclaimer, so here it goes: All students, classrooms, schools, and teachers are different. Adjust accordingly. My kids are not perfect. Everyday No day goes perfectly. If at first you don't succeed,try it again. If another time you don't succeed, TRY DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.  So, we're ready now.

1.  Set the tone. For example, if you come into the classroom flustered, then expect for your children to  come in and ruffle every other feather you left unruffled. If you are speaking loudly to your children, then you can expect for them to do the same. The tone is set way before you enter the classroom because it is contingent upon your mood. You either have to learn how to fake it or get yourself together. If you want a peaceful classroom--pray, have some quiet time, prepare your mind for the day, set the tone.

2.  Have an attention signal. This thing will save your life, your voice, your nerves...EVERYTHING. There has to be an attention signal that communicates to students that you want their undivided attention. A lot of Montessori teachers, including myself, use a bell. Whenever students hear the bell, they stop what they are doing, look at me, put their hands on their shoulders, and don't talk. I do not ring it 250 times or dangle it back and forth to get on their nerves. I simply to a little "ding, ding, ding", and that's it. Do they ignore it? Never. Are some of them slow to respond? Sometimes. Do we practice it until we get it right? You bet! 

Funny story: My friend came to visit my classroom one day and she didn't know what the bell was for, so she was playing with it and my students heard it ring. Just a "DING!" All of them immediately did what they were supposed to do and I informed them that it was an accident. Meanwhile, my beloved best friend was amazed at how quickly they responded and decided to do it again. And they responded accordingly, except this time they were grinning because they knew she was playing around. 

3.  Put them to work. This works exceptionally well with students who constantly exhibit misbehavior. Recruit them to do certain things around the classroom. You will either become allies or enemies...choose wisely. It's easy to sit them down at a table and leave them there, but it's not beneficial. Let them "help" you. I had a student who would make it their mission to annoy someone first thing in the morning, so I put him to work. "I need you to help me make sure that everyone puts their folder in the basket when they get here. Gently remind them if you see that they have forgotten". BOOM! His energy is channeled elsewhere and everyone is satisfied. OR I had a student that began every single day with a tantrum. Now of course you need to get to the root of the problem, but once he knew that he would get to spend a little time helping me if he had a good morning...changed our LIVES. Give all of them jobs or rotate the jobs you have. I'm just trying to help you.

4.  Build relationships. I'm thinking about doing a separate post on relationship building because I believe that it is one of the essentials to good classroom management. Your students are not your worst enemies. They are not out to get on every nerve you have all of the time. Love on them a little. Get to know them. Their favorite color, what they like to watch on tv, who their parents are...anything! Be silly with them. They love it. It builds trust. When they're parents come to pick them up early and they beg to stay!? Melts my heart! If they trust you, they listen to you. You'll have to wait for the in depth post to find out what I do specifically. 

5.  Be consistent. It sounds simple, but this is profound. If you say you're going to do something, do it. When there is consistency it creates a sense of security. They know that if Ms. Hector says she is going to call home, it's going to happen. If I say that I'm going to let them sit beside me at lunch and tell me about their weekend, it's going to happen. If your students can't tell you the rules and consequences, you may not be consistent.

Now, please scroll back up to the top and read the disclaimer. God bless!

First Year Teaching 101: 10 Things They Forgot to Tell You In Undergrad

I remember quite vividly...sitting in TED 250, feeling empowered to conquer the world of education (don't ask me what TED stands for).  We pinpointed what was wrong in education and how we should fix it...simple, right? Then, when I took methods courses I was sure that I could fix it all.  Then, I stepped into my own classroom...(yeah, because student teaching isn't comparable) and I was in for a rude some sort of awakening.  All of a sudden I realized that they left off a few important disclaimers when I signed up for this thing. (This is real life with a bit of humor thrown into the mix, take it for what it's worth.) 

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/venosdale/6109506769

 1.  You need to have some money saved for your classroom.  Start saving now, especially if you want your classroom to look like those Pinterest-inspired wonderlands.  Those can get pretty pricey! Also, you will feel obligated to buy something every time you walk by the dollar section at Target.  I will not disclose the amount of money I have spent on my students and classroom these past couple of years, but it's alot.

 http://www.whatidos.com/image/222/Public-School-Teacher

2.  Paperwork.  Paperwork.  Paperwork.  You will not understand until you experience it, but there is a TON of paperwork involved.  PEPs, PDPs, IEPs, data notebooks, report cards, progress reports, assessments, portfolios, work plans (if you're Montessori), lesson plans, anecdotal notes, newsletters, parent letters, letters to explain the parent letters.  It never ends.  Embrace it.

3.  Rules are meant to be...um. I will keep this brief.  Always, Always, Always do what is best for your students.  There are some things you will be asked to do that don't exactly line up with your vision.  We have been entrusted which such a heavy responsibility.  You can't do everything.  Do what is profitable for your students.

4.  Start training your body.  It's normal to not visit the restroom during the day.  It's normal to forget to eat lunch (unless you are blessed with duty-free lunch).

5.  Your work is never done.  I don't care if you planned the units for every subject for the rest of the school year.  You still won't be done.  PEPs will be due the next day and your PDP will need to be updated at that time as well.  

6.  It's okay not to know everything.  It's inevitable.  Some things you just won't know until you get in the thick of things and you learn through experience.

 

http://www.zazzle.com/im+just+saying+gifts

7.  This may seem contradictory to #6, just stick with me.  You know a lot.  Here's the thing.  You have all of these great ideas and creative strategies to teach your kids how to read, but then you realize that you only have a 45 minutes block to teach guided reading to 22 students.  Here's where #3 comes into play.  You know what's best for your students.  Just make sure it's research based and effective.

8.  There's a Freshman 15 and there's a FYT 15 (First Year Teacher 15).  Be intentional about eating right and exercising.  There's something about that first year, it just creeps up on you!

9.  You should consider First Aid/CPR Certification and be prepared to handle various bodily fluids.  This is especially true for K-2.  When you have a student sitting on your carpet and they accidentally relieve themselves while sitting there.  OR you start to smell something and you can't figure out where it's coming from.  OR when someone unexpectedly projectile vomits and it gets on you.  Just be prepared.  Oh, and the First Aid/CPR stuff is just an extra security net.  It's not required in my county, but it is necessary.    

10.  You will contemplate quitting at least once a month.  It is impossible for me to do this for another day, you will say to yourself.  This is completely normal.  At this point, you will ask the Lord if He really wants you to do this (or if you are completely sure, you'll just sigh and ask for strength to go another day). 

Teaching is both the most rewarding thing I have ever done.  Teachers will probably laugh while reading this because it is true, but we LOVE it sometimes.  But seriously, the impressions you make on students, the relationships built, and the progress made make all of it worth it.   


          

What Every Kindergarten Teacher Wishes You Knew

Kindergarten is not what it used to be. There is no housekeeping, blocks center, water play, etc. We don't play all day or take naps anymore (yeah, no naps). How do you make sure that your child is ready for kindergarten!? I'm about to tell you. But first, a disclaimer. If your child will be attending a public school there are some important things you need to know:

1. Some of the goals your child is expected to reach are developmentally inappropriate.

2. No child is perfect and all children learn at their own paces.

3. Your child is not perfect and each child learns at their own pace.

4. NOT ONE CHILD IS PERFECT AND EVERY CHILD LEARNS AT THEIR OWN PACE!!

• With that being said, I am going to offer some developmentally appropriate strategies to help make sure your child will be ready for kindergarten.

Preparation for kindergarten doesn't begin when you're buying a new wardrobe and school supplies. It begins long before you get those new shoes, bookbag, and school supplies. You should begin preparing for kindergarten the moment your child is born. No, seriously. Here's how...

• Talk to them. For real! That's it. Communicate with them from the time they are born. If your are fixing their bottle, tell them what you are doing. If you are dressing them, communicate that to them. Ask them questions and wait for a response. In order for them to develop their vocabulary, you have to talk to them.
• Call them by their name.  I'm not being facetious here. Teach your child their full name! If I meet them at open house and ask them their name, they shouldn't say "baby girl" or "tink tink". Those names are fine, but they need to know their real names for school. Just practice, say "What's your name?" 
• Colors and shapes. They can learn colors at age 2. At the grocery store, in the car, at home, in a restaurant. You don't even need flash cards. Just point to a color, identify it, let them repeat, ask them again and again. Same with shapes. They learn 3D shapes in kindergarten, so knowing basic shapes is a must.
• Counting. By the end of kindergarten, they have to count 1-100 and write 1-30. Just practice counting! Count the cars on the road, count buttons, count steps, count anything. Also, it would be helpful if they at least recognize numbers 1-30 out of order.
• Writing. This is one of my favorite things to teach. Teach them how to hold a pencil. A kindergartener should know how to write their names with the first letter capitalized and the other letters lowercase. If they are using all capital letters, we can help, but start working on it now. 
• Reading. Letters. Identifying uppercase and lowercase letters. I suggest starting with lowercase. If they are singing the ABC song, that's great, but for Kindergarten they will need to know how to identify the letters out of order and say their sounds. Practice this by pointing to letters (on signs, in the store, in books, etc). Identify the letter, say what sound it makes, ask them to repeat, practice again and again and again. Point out words around them and read to them. Even if it's just in passing at the grocery store..."what are these? Bananas, this says /b/, bananas". If they already know their letter sounds, begin practicing simple words...cat, dog, mom, dad. We call them consonant vowel consonant (CVC) words. We read a lot in kindergarten and not just simple books, either! Get ready! 
• Put some learning apps and games on your phone/ iPad/ tablet. Let them play!

1. abcya.com
2. brainpopjr.com
3. pbskids.org

Now, go back to the top and read numbers 1-4. With all of that being said, the goals are attainable, but every child is different. If you start preparing early then it will make it less stressful. I'm a firm believer of letting a kid be a kid. They should enjoy learning! Start now! 

Questions? Leave a comment or ask on Facebook! 

Inquiring Minds Need to Know: The Montessori Way - House Nine Style

The first question people ask after finding out that I'm a teacher is, "What grade do you teach?" After finding out that I teach Kindergarten and 1st grade at a Montessori school, they say, "I've heard that in Montessori schools the kids just run around and do what they want".  EH--WRONG! The Montessori philosophy was developed by an Italian physician and educator named Maria Montessori.  In essence, she decided that children learn best by doing.  They need hands-on materials, real experiences with nature, the power to make choices, and a wholesome curriculum.  The curriculum not only focuses on the academic portion of learning, but also developing social skills, motor skills, self-help skills, and leadership skills.  Also, it's a very natural setting, so it teaches a lot of home making skills (sweeping, folding, washing, pouring, etc).  In this way, the classrooms are called "houses".  That is where "House Nine" comes from, it is my room number.  While students are not allowed to run around the classroom freely, they do have some freedom of choice within limits. (While I will not be sharing the complete history of Montessori on my page, I will provide some links if you are interested in learning more.

The next question I get is, "Why do you teach two grade levels?" Well, it's because I teach Montessori! The idea is that students come into a classroom on various levels with different experiences.  In this way, there is a range of ages and abilities.  Also, the children are with the same teacher for two years, so it creates a stronger relationship with students and the teacher(s).

Lastly, another question everyone asks:  Do you like it?

Yes! I teach at a public Montessori school, so we follow all of the guidelines of a NC public school.  The Kindergarten and 1st grade Common Core curricula are VERY different, so it certainly has some cons.  The students I have had become very independent and I teach them all of my ways so that when new students come in, I will have little helpers! So, the kindergarteners I had last year will be my first graders.  They know all of the rules and how things work, so they will be able to help the new kids on the block (I will share more on classroom management later).  What I enjoy most about the Montessori curriculum is that it affords me the opportunity to really play a role in developing my students' character.  They not only learn from how I behave, but I get to teach them how to have a peaceful conversation, how to help one another, how to love one another, and how to behave in social settings.  The most rewarding experiences for me is 1) When a kid finally accomplishes something they have worked hard at and 2) When I see them doing something right when they don't know I'm looking.  I have a huge responsibility and I count it an honor and privilege that God has entrusted me to teach young children!

Disclaimer:   I am not an expert, in fact, I do not have any formal training in the Montessori curriculum! My knowledge of the curriculum comes from experience, informal training, and observation.

Want to learn more?
 http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori/Montessori-Classrooms

 http://www.montessori.edu/FAQ.html

Welcome to House Nine, Ya'll!

Welcome to House Nine Happenings!

I've always wanted to start a blog, and I've actually had one created since 2011 but I am just now starting.  I'm excited to see what will become of this.

A little about me and the purpose of this blog:

I am a 20-something year old, getting ready to embark on my 3rd year of teaching Kindergarten AND 1st grade (yes, it's a combo class--another post for another day).  I didn't always know that I would be a teacher, but once I learned that it was my calling, I willingly obliged.  Early in my college career I thought I would do a major in Spanish Education and teach ESL, but that did not happen.  At some point I decided that Elementary Education was my field and I never looked back! I graduated from UNC-Greensboro in 2013 and begin my teaching career at a Montessori School in Greensboro, NC.  I student taught at a Montessori School where I had the BEST cooperating teacher that taught me a lot! I will share my perspective of the Montessori approach in a later post.  I am currently a year into a Masters' program at UNC-Greensboro.  Upon completing, I hope to develop a program for underprivileged pre-schoolers to prepare them for Kindergarten.  Eventually, I would like to have my own private school to serve our children as well.   Teaching is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and I am so excited to share about it. This blog will serve as a means for me to express my thoughts on education, share classroom ideas, teaching strategies, and House 9 Funnies.