5 Things To Do Before Summer Break

Now that we’re nearing the end of the school year, are visions ofbeach chairs and margaritas dancing in your head? 

Ok, so that's not really me. But yes, summer is just around the corner and I know we're all thinking about days at the pool. Even so, it’s never too early to start thinking about next school year. I know, I know... who wants to think about next year when this one isn’t even over?

Teachers love to enjoy their summer break, right? Come August, however, stress and panic set in. How will I get my classroom ready in time? Where are those posters I put away? Why am I not better organized? Help!

Wouldn’t it be nice to put some of those worries to rest even before your summer starts? Well, you can. I have created a list of things you can do NOW to make the start of the next school year stress-free. Even better, your students can help with some of these!

Think about all of the supplies you’ve used this year. Are you running short on any items? Do you wish you had more of something? Have your students create an inventory of items in your classroom, such as: markers, crayons, construction paper, glue, scissors, etc. Go ahead and order your supplies ahead of time so you’re not waiting for them in August or September. You can even get them organized into basket or bins. (Students LOVE to help with that!) 

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that sets me back at school more than not having the copies I need. If I had the space and any sort of organizational system that worked, I'd make the entire year's worth of copies ahead of time. But alas, the best I can do is get the first few weeks ready ahead of time. This can be done at school (if you’re lucky) and it will save you a ton of time in the fall. 

Think about the handouts and worksheets you need for at least the first month of school. What papers get sent home during the first few days? What will you use for morning work and homework? What about things like reading logs or behavior notes that you need all the time? Beat the lines at the copier in the fall and get it done now! With all your copies ready to go, just file them neatly in a “beginning of the year” drawer and they’ll be right at your fingertips when needed. {If you're super crazy organized, unlike me, you could even have labeled files for each stack of papers!}

How many times did an illness pop up and you were left unprepared this year? Save yourself a lot of stress and create next year’s sub folder now. While you can’t make your class list or seating chart just yet, you can add things like updated class rules, emergency procedures, and so forth. Put in extra worksheets and time fillers that can be used anytime of year.

Don't have a sub folder? Want something already put together? Here's one you might like...

Speaking of folders. here's one that should be at the top of your to-do list... student folders. You know, the ones they take home every day. Buy your folders and binders now. Get them all ready to go, so all you have to do in August is write your students' names on them. Don't forget to make a few extras for those late enrollments. While you're at it, make extra sets of the papers you put inside for new kids that arrive later in the year. 

What goes in my folders? A zipper pouch (pencil case) to hold money and notes, the student agenda, important papers (like their math facts to study) and a plastic pocket page for homework like this...

You can have this year's students help assemble the folders for next year's group. By now they know what goes inside and in what order.

Last but not least... During the last few weeks of school, as you take down your classroom, why not just put up your Back to School board and new decorations? This task is a huge time-taker during pre-planning when you have so many other things to think about. Wouldn't it be nice to walk into an already decorated room when you return? 

Not all schools will allow you to leave things on the walls over summer, but if yours does, take advantage! Get your students in on the fun too. They can help decorate, hang posters, and think of cool new ideas.

It is always best to be prepared for anything in life. As teachers, anything we can do to get ahead is so important. Rather than spend the last month of our summer vacations stressing, prepare NOW and enjoy that last month of freedom! 

Saving Your Sanity With a Difficult Class

Without mentioning any names, I will say I have one of the most exhausting classes ever this year. Not only do they talk a lot, they blurt out, get up and wander around, announce loudly how bored they are, refuse to work with others in a nice way, and pretty much complain all day long. Now this isn't my entire class, of course. It's a small handful that makes it feel like the whole class is out to get me. I know you've had years like this too. We all do.

So what's a worn out teacher to do when spring break is still a few weeks away but your sanity ran out a few weeks ago? Let's look at a few of the problems going on in my class right now and some tips that are actually helping me make it through the days, the long long long days...

You know the one. Mine comes in the door talking... to everyone, to no one, to himself, to the walls. It doesn't matter if anyone is listening or not. It doesn't matter if I'm already talking or not. His mouth runs... all... day... long. No amount of discipline stops it because his mouth actually has a will of its own and that will is VERY strong. This type of child will drive an introverted teacher like me (yes, we exist) absolutely crazy. Temporary solutions...

Music, Gum, and Headphones

First put on some appealing music. I like the kids radio station on Pandora. This will divert the talker's attention from his own never-ending dialogue to some other sound. If he talks, he hears himself instead of the music. If he talks, the rest of the class hears him instead of the music. Peer pressure is very powerful.

Next, pass out some gum. It's harder to talk with gum in your mouth. Then, you can institute the "Loose Lips" rule...  If you talk with gum in your mouth, I take it away. If I see any evidence of gum sticking out of your lips, I take it away. Believe me, losing your gum is so so sad to a third grader. Sometimes I do the gum at the same time as the music. But don't use it too often or your class becomes way too fun.

Last, pull out the headphones for the Super Talker. For some strange reason, if he can't hear other people talking, he somehow thinks they can't hear him either. The headphones only work for short periods though. They are especially good during a test because they also help Super Talker focus on what's in front of him.

If all of the above fails, pull out "The Note" and send your little talker on a very important errand:

Don't all teachers need a Big Red Eraser And Keys sometimes? If the other teacher is a good friend, she'll take a long time finding what you need {wink wink}.

This student is particularly aggravating. She's the one who refuses to work with anyone. When forced to, the sabotage begins... and it's always someone else's fault. As a result, none of the other students want to work with her either. Every group or partner activity turns into an unproductive complain-fest. This is a tough problem to solve because it involves negative attention-seeking behavior... the worst kind in my opinion. So, what to do?

The Bigger, Better Deal

Here's how it works: Announce to the class that today you will be picking partners. Then write two things on the board...

Fill in the blank with something the Lone Wolf really likes. In my case, it's the computer. So I would fill in "10 minutes of technology". This solution works because it gives everyone an incentive to work cooperatively. They ALL want to pick their own partners and the Lone Wolf really wants that computer time. (If that's not enough for your little loner, pull her aside and let her know that if she does well this time, next time she can choose to work alone.) The beauty of the bigger, better deal is that it's self-perpetuating. Every time they do partner work, the deal is still the same and they are in charge of the outcome.

I actually have three Wendy Whiners this year. No matter what we're doing, it's boring, stupid, or too much work and they feel entitled to announce these feelings to the whole class. I also have one who lets his mouth hang open in utter shock whenever a test is announced. So for these students, I have instituted what I like to call...

Bonus Questions

Now "bonus questions" sounds like a good thing, but it's definitely not. It goes like this... If you smile and accept your assignment without complaining, you get the short version. If you whine or complain about your assignment, you get the "bonus questions" (i.e. the long version). This is an all-or-nothing incentive. One person whining means the whole class gets the bonus questions. There are two reasons for this: 1) peer pressure and 2) there really is no long version of the assignment.

I wouldn't normally encourage tricking small children like this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. No matter what they do, they're going to get the same assignment... but they don't know that. The affect is that the whiners do NOT, under any circumstance, want more work. So they will bite their tongues and keep their complaining to themselves just to keep the assignment as short as possible. What they don't know won't hurt them and they'll think they are being rewarded for a positive attitude. In return, you get students who accept the assignment without a battle.

Now, if spring break would just hurry up and get here....

Looking for behavior management resources? Try these:

      

Pencil Problem Solved!

So I've had this issue with pencils for the last year or so. You see, I bought a really great electric sharpener from a catalog. It had awesome reviews and was supposed to stand up to really heavy use. Supposed to... key words there. The problem is that a classroom full of students who will stick anything (such as crayons, paper clips, and even scissors) into the sharpener is a different level of "heavy use" than these manufacturers are referring to.

Within about 3 months, it was groaning and grinding and sounding like it was ready to die. Every time I sharpened one of the cheap pencils (You know the ones I'm talking about), the leads would just fall out. The thing was so noisy, I banned the students from using it at all during the school day. My dreams of a constant supply of sharp pencils at the ready were over and I gave up trying to find the perfect pencil sharpener. I even started this school year out with nothing. For the first two weeks, I relied on the supply of pre-sharpened pencils some of the kids had brought in.

Then, this came in the mail....

Now, I am not one to write product reviews (unless I really HATE something and feel that the world needs to know). But this sharpener has changed my life! Yeah, really... at least my life between the hours of 7:30 am and 2:30 pm.

First off, yes it is a manual sharpener. Let's get that out of the way. But don't worry... this is not like the manual sharpeners you're accustomed to. 

The first thing I thought when I opened the box was, "Hmm, nice color." (It actually comes in a lot of colors - take your pick!) Blue matches my classroom. The next thing I thought was, "No way this is going to be better than an electric." I mean who wants a line of kids standing and waiting to sharpen their pencils, right? Boy, was I wrong.

1. This sharpener is FAST. A couple of turns (as in 2 or 3) and you're done.
2. This sharpener is QUIET. Barely any sound at all.

Using this sharpener is a little bit different than any other kind. You don't just stick the pencil in and start turning. Here's a quick video from Classroom Friendly Supplies that shows how it works...

Looks easy, right? It is! My third graders have no problem using it at all. Now the video shows the pencil being sharpened until the guide plate goes all the way in but this really isn't necessary. Just a couple of turns produces perfectly sharpened points...

I am able to sharpen a full pack of pencils in the same amount of time that it took me with my electric sharpener with none of the problems (like loose lead and gnawed up looking wood).

So where can you get one of these lovelies for yourself? Go to ClassroomFriendlySupplies.com or click the image below:

They are super affordable (way less than a "good" electric one) and you get to choose your color. I highly recommend this company!

Organizing Task Cards

I use a lot of task cards in my classroom and I've tried many ways to organize them. I found that manila envelopes are cheap but get ruined very quickly. Rubber bands keep them together but aren't something I want the kids to have and they never get put back correctly. Last year I found several plastic organizer boxes that were the right size. I got index card dividers to put between them...

Not bad, right? It worked fairly well but I still had a few problems. One was flipping through the box to find the set I wanted. Even more importantly, I still didn't have anything to keep the cards in when in use, like at centers. 

So I've been on the lookout for something better and I think I may have hit the jackpot...

I found these thick poly-something envelopes on Amazon. They are the perfect size and are gusseted so they expand if you have a really large set of cards. I really love how they are transparent enough to see what's inside. They also have a string closure - the kind where you wind the string around a little round doo-hicky - so they won't be falling out all over the place. 

 

They are kind of pricy (6 assorted colors for $7.98) but plastic poly stuff that they're made of is nice and sturdy. They should stand up to a lot of use and abuse. I think I'll use my handy-dandy label maker and put a label in the top corner of each one. That way I can stand them up in a basket and be able to quickly find the set I need. I think these will work out nicely! 

How do you store and organize your task cards? Leave a comment and let me know!

Why Your Students Don't Follow Directions

Do you ever feel like this?

New and old teachers alike sometimes struggle to get their students to follow directions. It happens to the best of us! Sometimes they really aren't paying attention. But more often than not, the problem lies with YOU. Gasp! Did I just blame the teacher? Umm, yeah. But hey, I'm guilty of these mistakes too!

1. You start talking before they are listening. - It's REALLY hard to not do this. Maybe they aren't all talking. Maybe they just aren't listening yet. Are some of the kids still moving around? Is Johnny still writing? Is Sally looking for a pencil? It's really important (like super duper important) to have everyone's attention before you utter even one word of the directions. Starting on the very first day of school, train your students to make eye contact with you to show they are listening. When all eyes are on you, then you at least know they aren't distracted doing something else.


2. You give them too much at once. - The younger your students are, the more important this one is. But even older kids can get overwhelmed (or tune out) when you give them a bunch of things to do at once. Try giving them instructions about materials or procedures before telling them what to do to complete an assignment.
   
   For example, don't say, "Take out your pencil, highlighter, and post its. As you read the passage, highlight important vocabulary and use the post-its to do your text marking and ask questions."
   
   Whoa! That's just too much. Instead, give them the directions about materials first: "Take out your pencil, highlighter, and post-its." Then wait. Let them dig through their desks and get them out because the second you say, "Take out...", they'll stop listening and start digging around anyway. Once everyone has their materials and is settled, move on to what you want them to do. That's leads me to mistake #3...


3. You only give directions verbally. - Using the same example, I wouldn't just tell my students to highlight important vocabulary, I would have them write this on the top of their papers: important words. It's pretty clear that I want them to highlight important words, right? Now they SEE the directions in addition to hearing them. What about the post-its? I would have them take one and do this:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   They can stick it right on their desk in case they forget what text marking to do. When students hear AND see the directions, they are much more likely to follow them!

I hope you've enjoyed these little tips. If you have one that works for your class, leave me a comment below. I love hearing new ideas! 

Do you teach younger students? Check out this set of Following Directions Cue Cards:

The Magic Pen Pot

It's no secret that I became a teacher because of my school supply fetish. Every year I spend hours organizing my supply closet, putting everything in pretty little baskets with matching labels to show what's inside. Then, I round up all my teaching buddies and force them into the closet to view my masterpiece. Really, the supply closet is probably my favorite place on earth, next to Office Depot. Oh, how I love to shop for office supplies!

Now, what's the point in admitting this crazy obsession? Well, I discovered something that might help some of you other teachers out there. You know those days when you come to school and realize 1) there's a full moon or 2) tomorrow is Halloween, Christmas, spring break, or something other craziness-inducing holiday, or 3) your class has just gone off the deep end for no good reason at all? Well, there's a remedy and it's called...  special pens.

Normally, I hoard my special pens, hide them in my desk where no one else can get to them... especially my colorful gel pens. But then I realized that my student love them almost as much as I do. Whenever I bring them out to grade papers or write notes, I see their longing gazes and envious glances. One day it dawned on me to use these magical pens to my advantage... as a bribe, if you will.

Now, whenever one of the above mentioned days casts its evil spell on my little lovelies, I just pull out "The Magic Pen Pot"... a fancy ceramic pot full of the most glorious, colorful, and smelly gel pens. Some of them smell like cherry, some like grape, others like lemon. It's like a smorgasbord! The children's eyes pop out, their mouths immediately begin to water, and I nonchalantly announce, "I think I'll let the hardest working student use my magic pens today."

TA-DAH!! That's it! That's the solution to all of your teacher woes. As soon as the class realizes they might get to touch those special pens, they sit up straighter, start writing neater, and work like the rest of their lives depend on this one assignment. It's a miraculous transformation! And you know what, usually a lot of them earn the right to use those deliciously smelly, colorful pens. So I pass them around, giving each kid a certain amount of time with them. It makes their day, it improves mine, and somehow those magic pens make their work a lot better too.

Do you have a special way of motivating your students to work better or harder? I'd love to hear your ideas!