Calming Corner

Hello everyone. It's been a while since I have shared a post. I have a few things that I want to share and I will do very soon. This is part one of two blog posts that I am going to share about a space that I have created in my classroom. It is a combined area for my students to use. It is a reading area and also a calming corner. It is a space designated for students to go where they can calm themselves when they are stressed, angry etc before they resume and rejoin the class. It is not a big area but large enough for up to four students to use.

I used an Ikea hack as part of my design plan. For any Australian teachers reading my post, the cubes are from Target. They come is sets of two which gives you flexibility in moving them around the room or to another classroom should I change rooms next year. The cushions and the rug are from Kmart. I wanted a homey feel and soft furnishings create that.

The first cube is designated as the calming cube. Inside are the strategies and tools the children can access. The other three are designated for books.

Each time a student uses the calming corner, they record their name and the date inside this book. This is inside the cube. It helps me keep track of the students who use it and also for me to collect data that may assist me in  planning any social skills that the children may need.

Inside the cube I have an egg timer to time the amount of time they should stay in the calming corner, laminated social stories on a ring and also some calming strategies also laminated and on a ring. I also have two kaleidoscopes as well.

I have had these books for a very long time. These books are also available in the cube for the children to read while they are calming down. Sometimes I read them to the whole class.

As the term has progressed and the students have used this space, I have updated and changed how the space is used. I will share this in my next blog post very soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Spelling City Overview

I have a short video that outlines a program that I have found useful in my class for assisting students with spelling. Spelling City is a program that enables teachers to personalise spelling lists for students as well as group students and track their progress. This program is available on a few platforms including PC, Mac, iphone, iPad and andriod. My next post will have more details in how to set up students and create groups.

My apologies for the sound quality. This is the first time that I have filmed a screen recording and I will need to purchase a more suitable microphone!

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Classroom Management Strategies in a Primary Classroom part three

Hello everyone! Today I am sharing with you my final strategy that deals with consequences. It is the third installment of my classroom management approach and it works well with the reward ladders. The children have lots of opportunities for rewards, but I also feel that they need to know there will be consequences for 'bad choices.'

(sorry about the photo..its laminated and not good with a flash...when school resumes I will take another photo!)

The children really respond to earning tokens and this system incorporates this in terms of a fine. If a student demonstrates poor behaviour, they will receive a warning (name on the board). Should this continue they then place their peg onto the chart onto the warning card. If the behaviour improves, they can take their peg off or if the poor choices continue, a 5 token fine is given. The children really dislike this and usually if this happens, the negative behaviour ceases. Using this system, it has been extremely rare for me to write a note in a child's diary to communicate any poor behaviour with their parents.

The top section again rewards good behaviour. If a child is exceptional, they can also receive rewards from this system. If they manage to make it to the top of the chart, they receive a huge reward...20 tokens and sometimes a prize from the prize box!

This is an easy system to set up. All you need to do is select what your rewards and consequences will be, purchase some pegs and write the students' name on them. Its easy and is a good visual for the students.

Thanks for stopping by!

Classroom Management Strategies in a Primary Classroom part two

Hello everyone. Today I am sharing part two of my classroom management strategy. It too works in the same way as what has been shared in my part one post. This post will look at group rewards.

Group

The system is also based upon the idea of progressing up a ladder where the most desirable reward is at the top. In order to obtain points, the class must earn compliments. A compliment is a verbal reward/praise which can be given by any teacher. One compliment is the same as one point. In order to redeem a reward, the class must agree upon a reward through a vote.

There is no time limit to redeem rewards from both systems.

Rewards

Both the individual and group rewards are negotiated by the class. The children suggest rewards that they would like to have. The rewards duration is for a semester.

 

The presentation of the rewards ladder is the same as the individual ladder.

Some years, the top reward has changed to a movie. The suitability is always based upon G Rated movies that have been negotiated by the class. This system has been quite successful in focusing the students to work toward achieving some together as a group.

I hope that this might give you some ideas. It can easily be adapted to suit the interests of any class. Student voice is a powerful tool that can help motivate students.

Thanks for stopping by!

Classroom Management Strategies in a Primary Classroom part one

Hello everyone. It's been a while since I've posted anything. I have been busy working over on my craft blog Sew Creative. Recently I have been accepted onto the Kaisercraft Design Team and have had project deadlines, thus have been busy creating. It's been busy, but it's ok! Something I have been wanting to share is my classroom management system. I am very systematic and have a number of routines in place that the children follow and I feel have been successful with. These structures I feel make my classroom a good place to be in.

Some background info:

I had been teaching infants classes for a while and was moved to a primary grade. I needed to devise a reward system suitable for Year 4 students that would motivate them. My school was undergoing ‘The Practitioner Inquiry’ approach. My investigation was:

“How can I empower students to interact positively with their peers in social and academic situations?”

 

‘The Practitioner Inquiry’ model provided me with a scaffold to reflect on my own teaching practice within the classroom.Through collaboration and dialogue with the students, we designed a reward system based on students’ interests.

Consequently students are:

• Motivated to earn rewards 
• Enjoying their rewards 
• Able to share their success with their family
• Becoming more skilled in working within a group
• More settled as a class 
• Setting personal goals and targets

Reward System
Individual

The system is based upon the idea of progressing up a ladder where the most desirable reward is at the top. The children earn tokens and are able to cash them in order to redeem a reward. These rewards are recorded in the children’s learning journals which then provides a record of their achievement as well as a document that the children can share/celebrate with their families.

I found some great tokens from the Ed Helper site. They come in different quantities, one, five, ten and twenty.I have photocopied a number on them onto coloured paper. The children are rewarded frequently and respond positively to them.

I have supplied a blank reward ladder below. You can modify it to suit your grade. I currently am teaching Year Three, and this system is just as positive as it was when I started it a few years ago.

Thanks for stopping by!