Is noisy bad?

Well, school started, life got busy, Aggie football season is upon us, and I have not blogged in quite a while :)

While discussing the learning environment with my colleagues, the topic of compliant students arose.  Is it a misconception that compliant = engaged?  Are we as educators (specifically secondary) able to distinguish between strong classroom management skills and a compliant unengaged classroom?  How can we work to help others recognize this?  What level of comfort do we have with multiple activities, conversations, etc taking place at the same time?  Is noisy bad?

I have many elementary educator friends who are brilliant at managing centers, guided reading, and computers in one short segment.  Students are self directed, there are multiple things happening at once.  How can we bring this idea to the secondary environment?  Help!

Whew, its been a whirlwind and PLCs

This week marked my first week back at school and my transition to a new role on campus.  It has been a whirlwind so far!  I have been working with an incredible team to plan our campus week long staff development.  I am learning quite a bit in the planning process and look forward to refining all our ideas. 

In the midst of this all, we have been discussing teamwork and PLCs (professional learning communities).  Group dynamics are fascinating to me!  I love that each member has something to contribute, whether that be positive or not.  Each member is valuable and brings a different perspective to be shared.  

What types of PLCs have you been a part of?  Were they positive experiences?  What could have made them more successful? 

One point that I would like you to consider is this...What skill/quality do you bring to the team?  This is a question that I look forward to asking teachers.  I like the fact that in order to answer it you have to be reflective, you have to evaluate what your strengths are, and that strength needs to be an asset to the team.  

As a team member I enjoy hearing others' responses.  It gives me insight as to how people view themselves, what they feel confident in, and potentially an area of growth.  

After reflecting, I feel as though I bring a strategic and focused mindset.  I often think to myself "how can this be better?" or "what is the best way to get this done?".  I like to remain focused on one topic and am often the person who brings back off task conversation.  Of course, we bring more than one quality to the group, but there is most likely a dominant quality. 

What quality do you bring to a team?  What makes you think that? 

  

6 Steps to a More Peaceful Classroom (Part 2)

This week we are discussing how to be best prepared for a calm and collected classroom environment.  If you missed Part 1 be sure to check it out here.    

 Next on the list are two more successful methods for strong classroom management skills:    

 3.  Be consistent  

Being consistent is by far my greatest struggle.  Consistency is all encompassing in the classroom and most difficult to implement when you are tired or the class is hectic.  Consistency is also deceiving because it can quickly irrupt into chaos in a mere couple of days.    I made a list of areas where is it easy to slip up and be inconsistent:

•  bathroom passes - I gave students two passes per six weeks for the restroom or to go to their locker.  Instead of saying no, "I would say, do you have a pass?".  This put the ball in their court and they could decide it it was worth it.
•  tardy students - Is the student tardy when the bell rings?  What if they are in the door but not in their seat?  Do they need to be completing the warm up to be on time?  Decide what works best for you, what you can reasonably manage and provide consequences for, and then communicate that over and over and over again.  
• the last 2-3 minutes of class - As class is wrapping up and students are beginning to pack up their belongings, what is the expectation for their movement and talking?  I would highly suggest that you communicate that you dismiss not the bell.  Now to be consistent in this is more difficult.  I found it to be extremely successful to begin by giving them more than ample time to pack up.  Then, I would say that IF everyone was packed up, quiet, and in their seats, ONCE the bell rang I would dismiss them.  If not, we would wait until those three things were accomplished.  After a week or two of them having plenty of time, they will get in the routine and when a time crunch occurs, they will be quick and ready to go.  
•  responding to the teacher - Will you call on specific students?  Will you say a specific phrase if you want them to call out the answer?  Will you acknowledge an answer that is shouted out?  As teachers we want to encourage class participation and are excited that students know the answer, sometimes we struggle to teach the practice of raising their hand.

4.  Issue a Consequence   

As new teachers it is difficult to have a consistent :) consequence.  We want to offer grace, we are busy, we can't find the detention slip, we have four other students asking questions after class, or we are not aware of what the appropriate consequence is.  

First, I would suggest thoroughly understanding the school policy on consequences.  Some schools have a behavior pyramid that needs to be followed.  If your school does not, I would highly suggest creating one for your classroom.  Decide how many warnings a student will receive before there is a consequence, then communicate that to the students.

I would also highly encourage you to contact parents as soon as you notice a pattern of behavior.  It is much better to be proactive in parent communication than reactive.  I would often say something like, "I have noticed this is becoming a pattern and wanted to address it with you while the consequences are still small".  Typically parents are grateful and appreciate you going out of your way.  

Whew, we will finish up this series tomorrow with Part 3...

Scholarship Goals Folder

Friends, wow it has been a week!  This is my last week of summer before I head back to work on Monday!  I am feeling excited and a little overwhelmed with all I would like to accomplish.  How are you all feeling?  Is that to-do list growing quickly?

I promise I am going to complete my classroom management series this weekend...

BUT, since you all have been so patient with me, I am going to offer a {fab TpT freebie}!  It even coincides perfectly! 

Here is my Scholarship Goals Folder that I am linking up with Teaching Blog Addict!
no one (because I can't figure out the button image).  Ha! 

As always, thanks to Kevin and Amanda for those super cute fonts!!! 

Tell me more, tell me more ... linking up

Considering my blog is all of three days old, I thought Amy Lemon's  linky party would be a great way to introduce myself to fellow educators.  Here are some fun facts about me: 

I love redecorating!  

Two of my great friends and I trained and completed our first Marathon in January of 2012.  

I am a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2006!  

I am a huge fan of the new Starbucks Berry Refresher.  


God changed my world radically when I traveled overseas on mission trips to Cambodia and Trinidad.  

My husband, Michael, and I moved to Fort Worth one year ago today, for him to attend Seminary.  

These burlap stockings are my fall sewing project with Amanda!  

I cut my husbands hair :)

My teaching career has been eventful, as I have taught four grade levels in five years.  

I openly admit that I have an obsession with window shopping J.Crew and Anthropologie. 

Classroom Mangement on One Page

After thinking through all of things classroom management, I remembered one of the simplest procedures I implemented a few years ago.  

I used to call it the Panther Express Card, because we were Panthers :)  

I made a few modifications and now call it an Express Card.  I love using it in class!  Basically every student receives one each grading period.  I copy it onto colored card stock and they glue it into their journal.  It keeps track of bathroom passes, minor behavior incidents, tardies, and positives.  

At the end of the grading period, I collect them and reward students accordingly.  Sometimes I have offered a homework pass or a free test questions.  When the class is successful, I provide a class incentive, like holding class outside on a nice day.  

My favorite part is the "positives" section.  I keep a stamp with me during class and students receive stamps for working on their warm up when the bell rings, answering questions, and working well in a group.  It's amazing how motivating a stamp can be!!!

This is FREE to you in my new TpT store, so please check it out!  

Also, thanks so much to kevinandamanda.com for these awesome fonts!

6 Steps to a More Peaceful Classroom (Part 1)

As a teacher it is common to hear phrases like, "this has been the most difficult year" or "I am counting down until May".  In fact, I have said those same things multiple times.  

Putting paper to pencil, I came up with a list of six key steps to a more peaceful classroom.  Over the next three days week I will be sharing these steps, so that we can start the year off right with a strong classroom management plan.  Obviously, this is not all encompassing, but I hope to have us all thinking, so that we can be calm and collected come August. 

1.  Set Clear and Concise Expectations

Students, especially middle school aged, need to be given clear and concise expectations.   In my opinion, you cannot set enough expectations.  Here are a few things to think through:

·         how they talk to you

·         how they talk to each other

·         how they move in the classroom

·         how they get your attention

·         when is an appropriate time to ask a question

·         how to work in groups 

My second year of teaching, I taught sixth grade.  Their age and size helped me to realize that when I gave a direction, I needed to be very specific.  "Put away your materials" is a direction, but "I would like to see only a pencil on each person's desk" is a more specific and clear expectation.   The next year, I moved up to eighth grade.  They seemed so much more capable.  I assumed they knew how to behave in the classroom.  That was a lesson learned.  I spent a tremendous amount of time back pedaling as I reinstated basic classroom expectations.   

2.  Have a Plan

Many people might consider setting expectations and having a plan to be very similar things.  I would venture to say that they are quite different.  

I can set the expectation that we are going to work in groups and each person will be responsible for a different role.  However, unless I have communicated what the roles are or have given a specific task to each person, there will likely be one or two people in the group working, and a few others acting ridiculous goofing off. 

If the expectation is that everyone is in their seat when the bell rings, how will you handle a student who is tardy or another who needs to sharpen their pencil?  Think through the different movement, tasks, and communication that take place in the classroom.  Create a plan to ensure success, rather than giving an off the cuff response.

...Stop by tomorrow for part 2.

It's almost August

Ready or not, here they come.  

As the school supply displays go up and the back-to-school sales begin, I find myself evaluating my past years in the classroom and anticipating the one to come.  This year also marks my sisters first year of teaching!  Over the past few weeks we have had many conversations on the struggles of a first year teacher, different strategies or ideas to implement, and overall organizational systems she can put in place.  

All of these conversations had me thinking...what are the most important things or topics to have nailed down for your first day of school.  

This week I will be sharing my thoughts on what is necessary to start your school year on the right foot!  I am excited to share with you all and hope that you will also join in by sharing your ideas and solutions.