As a middle school teacher, the battle to gain and then hold the attention of students in the classroom is hard won. According to Christensen, Fulmer, Kackar-Cam, Trucano, and Turner (2014), middle school is when lack of engagement increases for many students. As a consequence for this disengagement, students will begin to exhibit disruptive behaviors, […]
classroom management
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
Classroom Thief: How to Find Peace When Things Go Missing
So you have a “classroom thief.” Things come up missing–both classroom items and those belonging to other students. You believe you’ve found the culprit, but he or she will not admit to stealing anything. Before you pull your hair out, try out these strategies for finding peace when things go missing in your classroom. Create […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
Classroom Battle Tips: You Can Win the War
We all struggle with classroom management at some point in our careers. Some years are better than others for me. These are common problems I have gone through and these are the comebacks I use that seem to work for me. I cannot promise they will work every time, but I can promise that if […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Classroom Management, From the Front Lines, High School
Advice from Adventures in Seating Plans
The seating plan is often thought of as an important element for student success. From the first day of school, the seating plan is a teacher’s strategy for learning student names, and student names can be the most important piece of information a teacher can gather the first day of school. For that reason most teachers choose to use […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Current Events in Education, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Stolen Pens and Broken Tape: How to Create Boundaries in Classrooms
One day, I walked into my classroom to discover I had less pencils than the day before. I hadn’t given any out, so this made no sense. Then I found a broken white-out tape dispenser hidden among my things. I sighed and put things in my desk that I didn’t want taken. A few days […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured
Making a Good First Impression on the First Day of School
The excitement, and exhaustion, of the first day of school cannot be matched by anything else. It’s the first opportunity to meet your students and set the tone for your year. When my students walk through my door I want them to know they are loved. This is a space for learning which is messy […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, High School, Literacy
Creating Safe Spaces Within Our Classrooms
This year I will begin my “lucky” thirteenth year in the classroom in my current district, and my second year teaching junior high. One of my strengths as a teacher is my classroom management. It’s been something that has come naturally to me ever since my days of student teaching and I credit it all to […]
Posted inAdult Learning, Classroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, High School
First Day of School Tips from a Teacher
After nine years of teaching and eighteen “first days” due to semester schedules, I still get butterflies. Weeks before school I wake up with nightmares and think of scenarios that will never happen. One of the many joys of teaching. There are different ways to handle the first day of school, in fact Harry Wong […]