Classroom Management Archives - Page 3 of 3

December 30, 2013

Brush It Off – Making & Learning from Mistakes

Classroom Ideas

Making music is so much about trial and error: making mistakes that inform how you try again the next time. Shoot, any good learning is going to involve doing it the wrong way, figuring out what to change, trying again, and hopefully getting it better and better each time. […]

Here are some of my favorite little tricks to smooth transitions and get kids learning more quickly.

November 20, 2013

2/4 Tiny Tricks to Make Life Easier

Classroom Ideas

You can never have enough tricks up your sleeve when you work with kids. It’s bad enough for classroom teachers who see the same 20-30 kids day in and day out. At least they have time to teach kids procedures that help to alleviate some of the crazy behaviors. They […]

Children standing on a stage for a school performance

November 14, 2013

Preparing for A Concert or School Performance

Classroom Ideas

I’m always looking for new tips and tricks to make concert preparation easier. I feel like I perpetually get burned out and stressed out when planning for a school performance because there are so many details to work out. Anything that I can do to alleviate some of the stress […]

The words you say have so much power! Kids remember even the littlest things. Here are some ideas on what to say and what not to stay to students.

November 9, 2013

Listen to Yourself – What you Should Always/Never Say to Students

Classroom Ideas

I love reading about teaching practices and ideas and recently I found this great article by BusyTeacher.org about the “5 Things You Should Say to Your Class Every Day.” It got me thinking about what I’m saying to my students, what I’ve had to teach myself NOT to say, and […]

Use the instruments families to provide groups for your class. It's great for classroom management!

November 1, 2013

Instrument Families for Classroom Management

Classroom Ideas

My first few years of teaching I really struggled with certain aspects of classroom management. I was forever losing instruction time as I spent precious minutes trying to put kids into groups and organize teams for games or small group work. And then one day I stumbled onto this idea and […]

October 7, 2013

Just a Little Letter… Writing to students!

Classroom Ideas

At my student teaching placement, my cooperating teacher (Debbie Gray) showed me how she would write little notes to all of her students. She would try and get a letter to each one in a semester so that every student got about two notes a year. It’s hard to keep […]

October 2, 2013

Awesome Socks Rocks – Cheap and Easy Positive Reinforcement

Classroom Ideas

If you’re looking for a cheap and effective way to reinforce good behavior with kids then look no further than Awesome Socks Rocks! I use this little trick as a form positive reinforcement with my younger students and it really helps with classroom management. Awesome Socks Rocks are another fabulous […]

September 11, 2013

Awesome Autographs – A Simple Positive Reinforcement Trick

Classroom Ideas

I’m always looking for new and fun ways to encourage kids in my classroom. If you’ve worked with kids long enough you know that stickers or candy treats only work so long to reinforce positive behavior. You really need several different tricks up your sleeve because not every reward works […]

September 10, 2013

Cool Kid Spray – Free and Simple Positive Reinforcement

Classroom Ideas

A little spritz of water can be one of the most powerful behavior management tools when you call it Cool Kid Spray! So funny how something as simple as water in a little spray bottle can get kids excited and motivated to do what’s right. This super simple and effective […]