by Jena Simms | Apr 18, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas After moving students have them choose a new team name and handshakes. Building our classroom community with...
by Jena Simms | Apr 13, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Students answer questions using prior knowledge. Teachers should give WAIT TIME then allow students to confer about their answer. A scribe writes the answers on a whiteboard. Students get to answer collectively...
by Jena Simms | Apr 2, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Use whole body chants to get your students attention. Read transcript I find that I have to get my students’ attention hundreds of times a week. Using the same quiet signal sometimes gets a little old. So...
by Jena Simms | Apr 2, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Use different chants and activities when lining up students. Stay calm and focused and model appropriate behaviors for your students. Read transcript Every teacher lines their students up multiple times a day. ...
by Teach for Life | Feb 27, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Build community in your classroom with classroom cheers, such as the 10 Finger Woooo! in this example. Read transcript Using cheers in a classroom is one way to build community between students, and the teacher and...
by Jena Simms | Feb 27, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Send home positive messages to build a positive relationship between teacher and parents. Teach for Life is a global movement of people sharing knowledge to better educate our children and create hope for the world....
by Jena Simms | Feb 27, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Give students the opportunity to interact with their peers in a positive way with team building exercises. Read transcript So in my classroom, I like to change the student seating arrangement about once a month....
by Jena Simms | Feb 26, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Pass along your passion for reading through a Dr. Seuss week. Read transcript Dr. Seuss: what an amazing author and illustrator. This week is Dr. Seuss week, and what that means is I’m placing all my Dr. Seuss...
by Heidi Gallagher | Feb 21, 2018
Heidi Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas In a classroom management scenario, I like to switch how I pronounce my students names by using letter or sound substitution with the weekly letter of focus and the initial sound of their name. Read...
by Jena Simms | Feb 21, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Use words throughout the day to build understanding of new words. Read transcript In my classroom, every single Monday, I introduce a new vocabulary word. Now that vocabulary word is different each week, and we talk...
by Heidi Gallagher | Feb 21, 2018
Heidi Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Using a technique I like to call the Silent Blast-off, I help my students focus while lining up, then go out the classroom door to the next adventure. Read transcript Sometimes when we have to go from one...
by Jena Simms | Feb 19, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Daily 5 in my...
by Jena Simms | Feb 19, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Play music in the classroom that is calming to help students focus or upbeat music to help students know that it is time to pick up or transition to something new. Read transcript In my classroom music is a big deal....
by Jena Simms | Feb 19, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Students are rewarded for following classroom rules in a Beat the Teacher game where good behavior awards points and, eventually, a classroom reward. Read transcript In my classroom, we play a game called Beat the...
by Chenyu Yi | Feb 4, 2018
Ashlyn | The Independent School | Wichita, Kansas This is a fun classroom game that can apply to any situation. It is a really good way to get students involved from making the game to playing together with their peers. Read transcript This game is Spin the Wheel. The...
by Chenyu Yi | Feb 4, 2018
Sydney Hicks | The Independent School | Wichita, Kansas This is a fun classroom game that can apply to any situation. It is an excellent way to get students involved from making the game to playing together with their peers. Read transcript This game is called Plinko....
by Chenyu Yi | Feb 4, 2018
Shirley Xia | The Independent School | Wichita, Kansas This is a game that can apply to any situation. It teaches children about trust and following directions from their peers or teachers. Read transcript We have this game called Pin the Cherry on the Ice Cream Cone....
by Jena Simms | Jan 23, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Students can refer to a math strategy wall to help them complete math problems. Read transcript Let’s talk about a math strategy wall. What I mean by a math strategy wall is putting up bulletin board or...
by Jena Simms | Jan 12, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas To celebrate a student’s birthday in the classroom, try making a booklet of cards for the birthday boy or...
by Jena Simms | Jan 12, 2018
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas One method of running Guided Math within a classroom, allowing students to work independently while also having one-on-one time with each student. Read transcript I’d like to talk about how I run my math...
by Colby Patton | Dec 18, 2017
Abby Davis | Oxford Junior/Senior High School | Oxford, Kansas When reading and learning about new topics, especially abstract ones, there are many different strategies you can incorporate to help special ed students learn. Read transcript Hi, I’m Abby Davis,...
by Chastalyn Williams | Dec 14, 2017
Katlyn Avritt | Oxford Senior High | Oxford, Kansas Giving a speech is a vital part of being a teacher and student. Knowing how to give a proper presentation is key. Read Transcript The idea of giving a public speech is something that makes a lot of people nervous....
by Jena Simms | Nov 27, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate | Wichita, Kansas Organize the books in your classroom so that your classroom library is easily accessible to students. You can use designated containers and labels. Read Transcript So, let’s talk about a classroom library. What a...
by Jena Simms | Nov 27, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas One tip for organizing papers is to use mailboxes to file graded papers. Students can easily find their mailbox and take home papers every Friday. Read Transcript As every teacher knows we deal with a lot of...
by Jena Simms | Nov 16, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The Kindness Crew are students who intentionally treat others the way they want to be treated. The students collaborate to learn how to be kind to others. Read Transcript Welcome to the kindness crew. In our...
by Jena Simms | Nov 16, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas How do early finishers know what to do? Use a board with “If your work is finished, then…” and leave room to let them know. Read Transcript Do you have students who finish early? I think every teacher has...
by Jena Simms | Nov 14, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Use posters to manage voice levels in your classroom. This is a great way to cue students as to what their voice levels should be at any given time. Read Transcript In an elementary classroom it’s important that...
by Jena Simms | Nov 14, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Reading stamina is a child’s ability to focus and read independently for a certain period of time. A reading stamina chart can challenge students to improve as a class. Read Transcript Reading Stamina is an...
by Jena Simms | Nov 8, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Provide students with comfy spots around your room. This helps keep them focused and gives them a comfortable space to work on an activity. Read Transcript Students’ love quiet cozy spots to sit while...
by Jena Simms | Nov 7, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Use hand gestures to reinforce classroom rules starting on day one. Continue to revisit your classroom rules repeatedly on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Read Transcript In my classroom I find that...
by Jena Simms | Nov 7, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Students greet their teacher, sign in, and get started with their day in a positive way. This helps cultivate a positive classroom community and teaches good manners. Read Transcript Good morning. How are you...
by Jena Simms | Nov 6, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Alternative seating isn’t just for students on learning plans; every student learns in a different way. Provide different options and find what works best for each student. Read Transcript So, today I’d...
by Jena Simms | Nov 2, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita , Kansas Students receive brag tags for positive behavior. This helps reinforce that behavior and gives students an extra goal to work toward. Read Transcript So, in first grade one thing that we use to reinforce...
by Jena Simms | Nov 2, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The classroom management strategy, Classroom Job Center, allows students to have a job in the classroom each week. Students learn responsibility and also engage in classroom activity. Read Transcript This is my...
by Jena Simms | Nov 2, 2017
Jena Simms | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita , Kansas Students can keep themselves organized with this two folder system. Each folder stores information and also separates student work to help them stay better organized in the classroom. Read Transcript During our...
by Renee Shofner | Nov 2, 2017
Renee Shofner | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This lesson gives a simple and effective activity to help build an atmosphere of trust in your classroom. Use this activity for team building, and also a fun indoor recess game! Read Transcript When working...
by Teach for Life | Aug 29, 2017
Todd Flory | Wheatland Elementary School | Wichita, KS During class meetings, the teacher and students use a talking piece. Only the person holding the object can talk, which gives all students a chance to share and practice their listening skills. Read Transcript My...
by Educator Partner | Jun 26, 2017
Early Literacy Quick Clip: Designing your program or home has a major impact on your children. Here are some helpful tips to build a space that promotes early...
by Amanda Leger | May 16, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas As the school year draws to a close, younger students can get excited about the summer break. During this time, the teacher will need to remind the students that the routines, behaviors, and rules still need...
by Amanda Leger | May 16, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas When the teacher and students work together to create rules for classroom behavior, students have more ownership in how they should act during their school day. Read Transcript Rules and procedures are key to...
by Teach for Life | May 1, 2017
P.J. Auchterlonie | Caldwell Elementary | Wichita, Kansas Making it clear when one lesson ends and a new one begins helps students focus, stay engaged, and prepare to learn. Reviewing rules and expectations with the class encourages good habits for transitioning...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 17, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Teachers can use countdowns to encourage students to finish one task and prepare to move to the next one. Countdowns can be long or short, slow or fast, or even in different languages. Using them regularly...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 17, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas There are many benefits to assigning each student to a specific seat in the classroom. Here, the teacher tries to seat them in boy-girl order and makes sure to change the assignments at the beginning of each...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 17, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas To create an atmosphere of caring, the teacher lets students know that she is both in charge of the classroom and their friend. Time is set aside each day for students to share stories about things they are...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 12, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher uses end of day routines to end the school day positively. She has the students do two exercises: in the first exercise, students talk about one great and one not so great thing that happened to...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 12, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher provides the students opportunities to make their own choices when presented with options. This gives students ownership for their decisions and make them responsible for their actions. In some...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 12, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Every student has a job in the classroom because they thrive on having responsibility. The teacher changes their jobs weekly during the school year. Read Transcript I feel that jobs are a mandatory...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 11, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Students are inspired to have a positive attitude and perseverance through difficult situations. When they are struggling and want to quit, the teacher encourages them to ask for help, take more time to think,...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 11, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher shares how important it is to build trust with the students by making an effort to connect with them one-on-one. Read Transcript Every day I welcome my kiddos to school as our school family. So...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 6, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher recognizes the students’ hard work and she coaches them to be proud of their own success. Sometimes she will have all the students celebrate the hard work of a classmate. This builds their...
by Heidi Gallagher | Apr 5, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This song helps the teacher and students learn and remember each other’s names. It can be used at the beginning of the school year and repeated until all the names have been learned. Read...
by Heidi Gallagher | Apr 4, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This video shares 4 steps that can be used in setting a routine for cleaning up the classroom. The teacher gives students three “warnings;” about how much time is left before they need to...
by Heidi Gallagher | Apr 4, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher describes how she builds positive relationships with parents by sharing expectations and guidelines at the beginning of the year. For example, she clearly defines a procedure for drop off...
by Amanda Leger | Apr 4, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher talks about the importance of learning students’ names early in the year so they feel valued and secure. The students practice greeting and learning each other’s names. Read Transcript...
by Educator Partner | Mar 30, 2017
When several children are speaking at once, it can be tempting for teachers to raise their voices in order to be heard. In this video, preschool teacher Yotisse Williams describes an alternative strategy he uses to improve children’s listening skills and focus...
by Amanda Leger | Mar 27, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher explains how establishing routines and procedures at the beginning of the year is critical for effective learning. For example, lining up is a procedure that is practiced many times until it...
by Amanda Leger | Mar 27, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher explains how she creates a safe environment for students to ask questions and make mistakes. She uses the letter “L” to remind the students that they can turn their mistakes into...
by Heidi Gallagher | Mar 27, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher coaches the students to practice their manners before receiving their snack. She encourages them to use “please” and “thank you”, and address her by her formal name....
by Heidi Gallagher | Mar 27, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher provides stations for the students to play independently while she takes attendance and prepares. The students immediately begin learning after they enter the classroom. This also provides an...
by Amanda Leger | Mar 24, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher describes how she organizes academically focused activity centers. She designates areas for activities like math, reading, writing, science, engineering, and technology. Read Transcript A center is...
by Heidi Gallagher | Mar 23, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas At the end of the day, the teacher leads students in a goodbye song. This routine indicates that the day is over. It also helps students learn and remember the names of their classmates. Read Transcript...
by Heidi Gallagher | Mar 23, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas The teacher gathers all the materials before the lesson begins so she doesn’t have to leave the students and they stay focused. Read Transcript Before you start your lesson, it’s important to have...
by Heidi Gallagher | Mar 3, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas When a teacher presents a concept or idea to students, she teaches it many times using different techniques and activities. Students like to learn in different ways and repetition helps reinforce the...
by Amanda Leger | Feb 24, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas When getting students’ attention, the teacher announces, “hands up,” to the class. Students learn to stop what they are doing, put their hands in the air, and focus on what the teacher asks...
by Teach for Life | Feb 24, 2017
Cindy Johnson | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This activity helps students release their extra energy so they can calm down and focus on the lesson. The teacher and students stand, stretch, and move around before sitting down again for the lesson. Read...
by Amanda Leger | Feb 24, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Sometimes students need a safe place to calm down and process their emotions. Creating an area in the classroom gives students a spot, away from the class, to think. The teacher can direct a student to sit...
by Amanda Leger | Feb 24, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas Including quiet time in the class-day gives students a chance to rest, relax, and recharge. Each student chooses an activity to do by themselves at an individual station. Read Transcript In my classroom, we...
by Amanda Leger | Feb 24, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas In this video, a teacher discusses the morning routine she uses in her classroom. Each day, students find the rock with their name on it, wash their hands, and choose whether to greet their teacher with a hug,...
by Amanda Leger | Feb 23, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This technique encourages students to pay attention using their whole body. Students know that they listen with their ears, but learn that other parts of their body are just as important when listening. Read...
by Amanda Leger | Feb 23, 2017
Amanda Leger | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This technique helps a teacher communicate to students how loud or quiet their voices should be throughout the day. The numbers zero through 3 are used to indicate voice levels from total silence to loud. Read...
by Heidi Gallagher | Feb 22, 2017
Heidi Jo Gallagher | Wichita Collegiate School | Wichita, Kansas This fun song with hand motions is used to teach students how to follow instructions. It can also be used to prepare the students to transition from one activity to another. Read Transcript I like, in...
by Educator Partner | Jan 20, 2017
Involving preschool-aged children in creating classroom rules can be a powerful way to help children understand why rules are needed, and to support the development of their self-regulation skills. In this video, public preschool teacher Jennifer Wolff describes how...
by Educator Partner | Jul 6, 2016
This video features some simple techniques that teachers can use to help build strong and positive relationships with their...
by Educator Partner | Jul 16, 2015
This in-service suite shows how to create expectations for classroom behavior that preschool children can learn. It is part of a series of 15-minute in-service suites on Engaging Interactions and Environments. More information is available at...
by Educator Partner | Jul 16, 2015
This video describes five steps teachers can follow to generate meaningful classroom rules and teach them to children. Read Transcript Narrator: Welcome, in this short video, we will highlight the importance of creating and using classroom rules. We will also provide...
by Educator Partner | Jul 12, 2014
A song for kids about the 6 rules of the classroom: 1. Raise your hand and wait to speak. 2. Walk in school. 3. Be nice. 4. Keep your hands and feet to yourself. 5. Clean up. 6. Look at the speaker. Read Transcript Hey boys and girls, do you remember the six rules of...
by Teach for Life | May 12, 2014
One of the most important things about discipline is that it has to be consistent. Read Transcript Hello, my name is Tiffany Overton, and I am the founding partner of Eldridge-Overton Educational Programs. Toda I’m going to talk about various methods you can use to...
by Educator Partner | May 2, 2014
SDE presenter and teacher-favorite, Dr. Jean Feldman shares some of her time-tested favorite activities and songs to help jump-start the fun and learning of your early elementary classroom. Watch to discover practical and easy tips to help get your students...
by Educator Partner | Mar 27, 2014
This video features a song that reviews good classroom behavior. To get the teacher’s attention, participate in positive conduct and productive activities. Read Transript If you want the teacher’s attention, let them catch you being good. If you want to get the...
by Educator Partner | Feb 21, 2014
Dr. Kathryn Castle explains how engaging children in thinking and talking about rules make them more likely to understand and follow rules, and learn self-regulation. This interview appears in Guiding Young Children’s Behavior, which can be viewed at...
by Educator Partner | Aug 29, 2013
Understand the Basic School Rules with this WonderGrove Kids animation with sign language by Signing Savvy. WonderGrove Kids animations are for Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade and offers classroom lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards. The...
by Educator Partner | Jan 7, 2013
Getting to know every student in your class can be difficult, especially if that class is large. Learn how to know each individual child in a preschool classroom with help from Tressa Giordano, longtime director of a successful nationally accredited early childhood...
by Educator Partner | Oct 16, 2012
Discussing concerns about a child’s development or behavior can be difficult. This video will present tips for communicating with families. Read Transcript Hello, and Welcome to Included Together Instructional Video Series. I’m your host, Rebecca Tolan. In this...
by Jeffrey Faus | Feb 4, 2008
Watch veteran Whole Brain Teacher Andrea Schindler demonstrate a variety of lively teaching techniques while reviewing classroom rules. For 100s of pages of free downloads, go to WholeBrainTeaching.com Read Transcript Teacher: “Class.” Class: “Yes.” Teacher: “Hands in...