This is the second post in the new series I’m introducing on The Cornerstone called Real Teachers, Real Tips.
Each month, I’ll invite one educator to share a few classroom management tips that have worked in his or her classroom. I’m hoping to feature a wide cross-section of teachers from all different parts of the world, at all different grade levels, in all different teaching scenarios. Want to be featured here? Just fill out the guest blog form! August’s featured teacher is Tammi Pittaro, a super talented educator who’s been in the field for 35 years!!
Hello! I live and teach in southeastern New Jersey, not far from the bright lights of Atlantic City and the Pine Barrens forest. Classroom gestures insert. Tips for Creating Wow-Worthy Learning Spaces. "Look at your learning space with 21st-century eyes: Does it work for what we know about learning today, or just for what we knew about learning in the past?”
-The Third Teacher Does your classroom mirror the rectilinear seating arrangement popular in Sumerian classrooms, circa 2000 BCE? Or is your classroom seating flexible and tricked out with the IDEO designed Node Chair by Steelcase? What classroom design changes can you do on a budget that supports learning? Those questions and more are answered below. The Basics To rethink your student seating arrangement, use Kaplan's floorplanner and try out with names like lasso, the robot, and the big x. New Teachers: Lesson and Curriculum Planning. More Than a Worksheet. I tried many different systems for implementing behavior, but the system that worked the best for me was behavior blocks.
I can’t claim that I came up with this great idea though. One of my husband’s friends came to visit during spring break. He is now a special education teacher in New Jersey. So of course, being teachers, we can’t help but talk shop, and he explained how he uses Unifix cubes as his behavior system. And I thought, “what a genius idea!
I use 5 colors for my behavior blocks: green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. If they have a great day, they are on green. If they have to refocus and fill out a think sheet, they give up their blue block, so they are on yellow. 36 Clever DIY Ways To Decorate Your Classroom. All Students Can Shine: Ideas For A Calm And Happy Classroom. Teachers are always looking for new classroom management strategies.
It doesn't matter how long we've been teaching. We're always looking to improve our classroom "vibe" and we work hard to try different strategies in order to find the ones that work best for us and our students. For a long time, I believed that a noisy class meant that kids are "actively involved in their learning". After many struggles, I have learned that this is not always the case.
Yes, kids need to move around and they need the opportunity to discuss with their peers. Here are some strategies that I have found to be very effective, no matter what grade you are teaching: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I hope some of these tips stood out for you. New Teachers: Designing Learning Environments. The Importance of Classroom Design Why does the physical design of classrooms matter?
Mark Phillips discusses this question in "A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms" and offers examples of and resources for turning impersonal spaces into student-friendly havens of learning. For further inspiration, VideoAmy has compiled some videos to help you begin to conceptualize your classroom vision in "Five-Minute Film Festival: Classroom Makeovers. " Be sure to take a look at the resource list at the end of her post. Learning Zones, Seating, and More For advice about seating arrangements, bulletin boards, and other considerations, Todd Finley has written a helpful overview of some factors to consider related to your classroom design, including information about the research, and links to video tours of exemplary elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. 8 Tips and Tricks to Redesign Your Classroom. Editor's Note: Author David Bill is a designer and educator who consulted with The Third Teacher+ on the Remake Your Class project highlighted in the videos below.
The tips in this post go along with the companion video. We are excited by the simplicity (and low price tag!) Of this great redesign. Hope you'll share any of your own tips in the comments area below. If you're thinking of completing your own classroom remake project, good for you. The tips below can be used for smaller scale remakes right way. Whether you are looking to reorganize one corner or redesign the entire room, here are eight tips that may help you throughout the process. 1.
Students are your primary users and should be at the center of such a remake process. Create Visual Inspiration Ask parents, colleagues or friends to donate a variety of appropriate magazines. Digitally, you can utilize Pinterest as a way for to create a "board" of inspiration. Students Define Pain Points 10x10x10 Student Helpers. 8 Tips and Tricks to Redesign Your Classroom.