Back to School: Classroom Management!

Back to School is here! As teachers, we all know the first few days and weeks of school are the most important times of the year. They will be jam-packed with classroom management, routines, and procedures as we set the foundation for our classrooms. By doing that, students will understand your expectations, develop a sense of independence, and you’ll be able to maximize your teaching and learning time effectively throughout the year. Today I am going to talk about 5 classroom tools that you can implement in your classroom for a smooth and easy school year.

1) Positive Behavior Clip Chart

Use a Positive Behavior Clip Chart in your classroom to promote intrinsic motivation and good self-reflection for your students. Instead of just focusing on the students who are making good choices, let's turn our focus on the students who are having a hard time in class as well. The "bad colors" as students like to refer to aren't actually bad colors with the Positive Behavior Clip Chart. Instead of saying "warning", "time out", or "parent phone call", I turned those into positive words. Yellow is quoted as "I will make better choices." Orange is quoted as "I know I can improve my behavior." Red is quoted as "I will talk about my behavior and try again!". These positive words are meant to encourage students to think about their choices, take responsibility for their own actions, and make better choices throughout the day. The Positive Behavior Clip Chart was designed so students have many opportunities to clip up throughout the day and build a sense of responsibility for their own character and choices.

Click HERE to purchase the Positive Behavior Clip Chart from my TPT shop.

The full kit comes with the behavior clip chart, parent letter, and monthly calendars.

2) Golden Sub Tickets

If you plan to be out this year, utilize these FREE Golden Sub Tickets to help with your classroom management on day(s) you are absent. Print, cut, and place them inside your sub folder. Inform the sub to pass out these Golden Sub Tickets to students who are demonstrating role model traits without your presence. When you return, have the students turn in those Golden Sub Tickets to you for a prize!!

3) Star of the Week

I learned about Star of the Week and how to implement it in my classroom from my student teaching practicum ages ago! Yesss, I have taught for almost that long so please don’t judge. ;) Star of the Week is one week in the school year where a student from your class is celebrated. The student gets to share interesting and new things about himself/herself to the class. On Friday, each student writes a letter to the Star Student and those letters turn into a book so the Star Student can have it as a keepsake. At the end of every week, the class will feel more connected and appreciated about one another.

Click HERE to purchase the Star of the Week Kit from my TPT shop.

The full kit comes with various letter-writing templates, student award, All About Me Poster, parent letter, and picture sign.

4) Good Morning Slides

Greet your students every morning in style with my monthly editable “Good Morning” slides. Use the “Good Morning” slides daily to provide quick reminders and updates as your students unpack for the day. It's a great way to start every morning with your class! Included are 11 monthly templates compatible with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint. To use with Microsoft PowerPoint, simply download the Google Slides as PowerPoint. :)

*To get these "Good Morning" Slides, you will need to be a Classroom Shenanigans Member and have access to our CS Community Library.

5) Role Model Punch Cards

These Role Model punch cards were created to make our students see their own growth and full potential as a positive individual/role model. It is a great way to promote positivity, instill values, and create a positive classroom environment where students can learn and flourish. These punch cards will help minimize behavioral issues and promote more positive behaviors with rewards.

Click HERE to grab the FREE Role Model Punch Cards and read more about it from this blog post.

I hope you take one of these classroom management tools to help with your classroom. Wishing you the best school year!