Classroom Management Ideas

I have 12 ideas about how you can manage and control your classroom a little easier. I have used every tip below and I'm sharing my ideas that I've used for years. Hopefully you'll pick up a few new ideas or tricks. Many of these ideas are FREE and some of them are paid products. 

Behavior management seems to change every year depending on your mob of students. Some years run smoother than other years. It all depends on who you get in your classroom and how everyone gets along. I am describing the tips below and when you click on the picture, it will take you to the product or the blog post and you'll be able to download it from there. If you click the Classroom Management picture above, it will take you to my Pinterest board already full of classroom management ideas that I've found from other teachers around the web! 

Do you have your students sit in teams or do you do anything in teams? These cards might stop the fighting and arguing. Students are assigned a job in the team. This will make sure everyone does their part in helping the team achieve their goal. This is FREE. Just click the picture on the left to read more about it and download it from there.

Do you highlight a student each week? These Star Student Posters will let each student share a little bit about themselves. These posters will help get to know their classmates. To build a classroom community, students need to get to know each other. These posters are a great start to get to know them. This is also FREE. Click the picture to download it from TPT. 

Here is a FREE self-assessment idea. When you're teaching a concept, these cards come in handy to see how your students are understanding curriculum. I give my students a set of these cards. I have my students lay on their desk the card they feel suits them best when they are learning. A student may have a 1 on their desk. This lets me know he/she needs help. If a student has a 4 on their desk, this lets me know they don't need help and might be able to help others. These are great for class management because you don't have hands raised or students shouting out they need help. These cards will let you know what's happening with students without a word spoken.

Do you need a lesson plan template? This lesson plan sheet might help you to stay organized. I color code my lesson plan sheets; blue for math, pink for language arts, etc... This lesson plan sheet is attached to everything I need for the lesson. It's used year after year and I have less planning to do each year. This will help you stay organized and your time can be used somewhere else.  

Who loves praise? I do! These are great little awards to boost some spark and get your students on their best behavior. I hand these awards out when I see someone doing something great or doing really well in a subject area. 

These awards are personal. I have to add their name and I sign it too. These take a few more extra minutes to fill out, but making them personal is rewarding in itself. Sometimes I have them collect 10 awards and they can turn them in for a prize. Sometimes I use them all year and sometimes I use them at the end of each quarter. Either way, you will build a strong classroom community when you let your students know how they are doing. Everyone likes recognition and these will let your students know you are aware of their efforts and you're proud of them!  

What are your strategies to grab your student's attention? I love these posters. They help me grab my student's attention when I need to make an announcement. These grabbers are so much fun too! Your students will get a kick out of them. Click the picture to read more about them. 

You will need a timer to set limits on activities and keep you on schedule. This timer is in PowerPoint! It's here to get you started. You can make any changes you like to the slides or the timer. This Timer is FREE! Click the picture on the left to download it and read more about it.

Do you have students that do not complete their work on time? Or do you have students that are absent and need to complete their work?  This little missing assignment note is perfect to staple to a pack of missing work. Parents will need to sign it. This will help you stay organized with missing assignments and stay in touch with parents about missing work. This is FREE! Click the picture to read more about it and download it from there.

At the beginning of the year and throughout, I brainstorm with students about behavior and rules. On a large chart paper, I draw a 4 square box with a circle in the middle. In the middle circle I put a rule or a behavior I want to address or talk about. Then, I label each box with IS - Does - Says - Is NOT.  For example: In the middle circle I put a behavior like "Good Classmate". I brainstorm with students what makes a good classmate. Each box is labeled: A Good Classmate is.... A Good Classmate does...., A Good Classmate says.... A Good Classmate Is Not... Then I make a list in each box what the students brainstormed. This is a good visual for students to see, hear, and understand what a good classmate might look like. Use rules or other behaviors you would like students to be aware of when in the classroom. You can click the picture to see the FREE chart.

Here is a fun class management idea! Punch cards are easy to set up. Copy a class set of punch cards. Give each student a card and have them tape it to their desk. When I see a student following a rule or doing something good, I punch a hole on their card. When a student gets 20 punches they get a small prize. Prizes might include an eraser, a piece of candy, or even lunch in the classroom with me. If you don't want to punch a hole you can stamp a space on their card or add a tiny sticker. Then, give them another punch card to get another 20 punches. These punch cards will get your students to behave all year long! 

I have a tin can with Popsicle sticks in them. Each popsicle stick is numbered. I assign my students a number each year. When I'm teaching, I'll pull a stick out of the tin can and the number I pull out has to answer the question. This will keep your students on their toes and listening just in case their stick gets pulled from the tin can. All students get a chance to answer a question. This is also fair for them knowing everyone has an equal chance of being called on to answer. These sticks come in handy! You never know when you need to call on someone or get their attention when you shake the tin can. 

Whole class rewards are a great management tool to build a classroom community. It's simple and easy too. I draw a jar on my white board. When the entire class is being quiet, or walking correctly in line, I draw a star in the jar. When the jar has 10 stars, the class gets something. They might get an extra 5 minutes of recess or we might play a class game. We usually brainstorm what they want as a prize. One time I brought oreo cookies in and the class reward was cookies. You can use a real jar and fill it with marbles too. Think about how you can reward the class for good behavior. This may get them working together as a team.

Hopefully, you have picked up a new trick or two for classroom management. I will keep adding ideas to this post as I find new helpful hints. Stay tuned.
See you soon,

10 Ways to Improve Writing Skills for Elementary Students

Here are 10 ways to improve students' writing skills and increase their overall writing scores too. 

First of all, your students will be doing a lot of writing. They will need somewhere to write it. A notebook or journal is a great place to start. Everyone needs their own writing journal. A notebook or a bunch of paper stapled together, anything works. I've also seen other teachers use 3-ring notebooks that are dedicated to writing only.

I have my students write everything in their journal. By the end of the year, their journals are filled with first drafts, final presentations, notes, lists, sentences, editing marks, anything and everything we did that year. These journals are great to show at conference time too because you can see growth from the first page to the last. Try to make the journals fun by adding color and/or glueing in pictures. The journals are a great place to let students become creative by writing their thoughts or telling a funny story in their own words.  

Here are 10 ideas of what you can do to improve any student's overall writing skill:

1. Write everyday. Rain or shine the writing will be done. It really doesn't matter what they write as long as they are writing. Writing improves sight words which improves reading and comprehension. Don't just save writing for writing time. Write across the curriculum. Writing can include thoughts, lists, or even just a feeling they have about a subject. At the end of the day, have students write three things they learned or have them write something good that happened to them that day. I also start a lot of morning work with writing. Think about how you can incorporate more writing in the day.

2. Write with the students or model writing. If you assign a writing assignment, then you need to do it too. Students need to see what you want. If they see you're doing it and how they are supposed to do it, then they will be eager to get started. When I write in front of students, I make sure I talk to myself out loud for all students to hear. It's almost like using "think aloud" when reading. We ask ourselves questions about the book we are reading. I do the same with writing. I ask myself questions about the topic and tell myself not to forget to indent or begin with a topic sentence. I make sure I reread my sentences to make sure it sounds good and make corrections or add details as I go.  Students will learn when they observe from someone who is knowledgeable about writing, you.   

 3. Share writing with each other. Let students read their writing to the class or you choose a few to share. I also place a basket in my classroom library filled with writings from their classmates. When a student finishes a piece of writing, it is placed in the basket for all to read or they get to read it to the class for all to hear. This makes them feel proud of their work and they do their best work when everyone is reading it. Once I figured out that students liked to read each other's work, I started putting a ton of their writing work in the basket. It seemed to spark some interest in reading, and wanting to finish their writing to get it in the basket. I also display their paragraphs or stories in the hallway for everyone to read. If it's on display, it's ready for all eyes to read like parents, other teachers, and principals!

4. Model how to edit and revise. It's funny when students write a personal narrative or a story and they think they're done. Many students do not think they have to reread their sentences or make any changes to their writing. They have a hard time self-editing. These writing pieces take time to complete and needs to be written a few times to be presentable which they do not like to do. They really struggle fixing their own work or rewriting it to make it presentable. This needs to be practiced and modeled how to do it. At the beginning of the year, I do a ton of editing practice worksheets. By the middle of the year, they do much better at it. The more you practice, the better they get at it. If they practice enough, it will just become automatic and something that's expected of them. 

5. Use technology. A great way to have students shine with writing is to incorporate technology. Students can type their final report so that it looks clean and presentable. These typed reports look great in the basket or up in the hallways too. The computer is also a great place to research information for a report. Taking notes from an encyclopedia online helps with writing. Also If they do not like to write, typing might work. Some students have trouble holding a pencil or their spelling is bad. Typing the words instead of writing might help those students write more and not be intimidated by writing. 

6. Assign a writing assignment each week for homework. If you send homework home, there should always be a writing assignment in it. Choose different writing themes to send home. Do not send the same writing assignment home each week. Mix it up. Write a personal narrative one week, an opinion paragraph the next, and respond to a prompt the following week. Homework will also let parents see what you're working on in class and how their child is writing. Students need to practice writing and writing takes up so much time. Homework is a good place to get more practice in. 

7. Encourage inventive spelling. I have a few students every year that don't want to write because they can't spell. Who cares. Just write. If I encourage inventive spelling, they seem to write more even if they make many mistakes. Mistakes help us learn. For these students, I try to keep my comments to myself if they have misspellings. What I do encourage is the punctuation marks and if it makes sense. That's all I really care about. Spelling will come. The more they write, the more their spelling improves. Keep your spelling lists and lessons focused on high frequency words or word families.   

8. Use writing centers. Writing centers will help bring the creativity to the table and incorporate a variety of writing genres. Writing centers can let students move at their own pace and become creative. Sometimes students need something to do while they are waiting for others to finish. Having some fun writing centers on hand will help keep your early finishers busy. Make writing centers quick and fun. These centers are usually the ones that will go in the basket or hung on the wall. They are also the ones that students seem to be eager to get started on and write like crazy. 

9. Have extra writing paper on hand. Not only do you need a journal to write in but you'll need other paper on hand. For example when we were practicing to write friendly letters, I put premade letter writing paper at a center. Students were encouraged to write friendly letters to their classmates. There were several students who wanted to take some letter writing paper home to write. I said, "What? You want to take this home and write letters?" Hot diggity dog! They wanted to write at home too! Score! Other paper on hand includes graphic organizers or final draft papers. I will also have students glue other papers into their notebooks. They will have to trim their writing paper to fit in the notebook but the extra writing paper adds character and creativity to their journals This will make them eager to work in their writing journal and maybe spark some interest in making a journal at home too!  

10. Let students choose topics to write about. There is nothing worse than having to write about something they don't know about or haven't experienced themselves. When students choose what to write about, they will have more details because they probably know about the subject matter. Yes, sometimes they will need to respond to a prompt that they don't like but at centers or homework can be choices the students pick. You may just get more out of them when they can write what they want. 

These 10 tips will help students improve their writing skills and overall writing scores. You will see a huge difference by the end of the year when you incorporate more writing. Let me know how it goes.

Click the picture on the left to see all my writing resources. I have you covered for homework and writing centers.

Here are some other helpful writing blog posts that I wrote:

Build Better Sentences with Details

6-Traits Writing Posters

Writing Process

Word Choice Posters

Opinion Starters 
Transition Words
Friendly Letters Idea

Thanks for stopping by!
See you soon,

Building Better Sentences by Adding Details and a FREEBIE

Do you need some writing lessons that encourage your students to move beyond the simple sentence phase and into building better sentences by adding details? When details are clear and specific it paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind. 

Details in writing will help it be more Interesting, Important, and Informative. This pack that I created has many ideas that will help and show students how to include effective details in their writing by using sensory words, colors, emotions, descriptions, and answering questions like who, what, when, where, and why.  I always tell students it's not how many details you have, it's the quality of your details that makes your writing stand out. You can find this poster in my Writing Details pack posted below. 

Here is a FREE lesson/example of how to build better sentences from the Writing Details Pack. This lesson is for 2nd and 3rd graders. Start by writing down a noun. Then, answer questions about the noun. Finally, write your sentence. Here is an example of how it works:

Noun: dog
Does What: sits
What Kind: brown
How does it do it? quietly
Where does it do it? on his bed

Now write your sentence:
The brown dog sits quietly on his bed.

Students can also turn this sentence into other sentences. For example: Does the brown dog sit quietly on his bed? or That brown dog is sitting quietly on his bed. 
Download this FREE example and writing paper to try this lesson today. 

Here is the pack of Writing Details with more build a sentence and so much more. It is loaded with over 50 pages of worksheets, ideas, and writing centers to get your students writing more details in their sentences. They can do this by building better sentences, using their sensory feelings to write details, or describe people, places, and events using a checklist. This pack has so much in it. Your students will have plenty to work on all year long. There are many writing centers, lessons, and worksheets to improve in detail writing. Check out the PREVIEW to see this pack up close. Click the picture on the left to read more about it. This pack is perfect for 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms. 

l also have a pack for beginner or younger students just learning about adding details. This is a pack of 20 repetitive worksheets that students change one sentence into a better sentence by building onto it. 

This pack will improve their sentence writing and improve adding details to their writing. This pack is perfect for beginning writers or 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. 

These worksheets can be used for a quick writing lesson, for a warm-up activity, as an exit ticket, or place them at a writing center to keep kids practicing throughout the year. 

Enjoy the free lesson on writing better sentences. 
Thanks for stopping by!
See you soon,

You can also find all my products right here on my blog at a discounted price. Click the picture on the left to see more. 

FREE Valentine's Cards for Kids

Eye have a FREE gift for you! Do you need some Valentine's cards to pass out to your students? Or do you have a student in your classroom that needs something to pass out to other students? These would also be great to use with your entire class to write Valentine's notes to one another. I have created a set of 9 cards to use. Just print, cut, and write your name or a little note on the back. Pass them out to your students or your special Valentine!

This freebie also comes with a black and white copy. I have copied the black and white version on colored paper. I used a thicker piece of paper to make the cards more durable. The students enjoy coloring them or you can also break out the crayons and color them yourself. =)

Just click the picture above to download these cute monster Valentine Cards. I'm hoping these cards will catch your eye and make you giggle! 

Have a great Valentine's Day!
Eye will see you soon,

Do you want to make your own Valentines cards? Here is the clip art I used. ;)

Free Would You Rather Meet Rosa Parks or MLK

Would you rather meet Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr? Personally, I wish I could meet both and it's really hard to choose but it would have to be Rosa Parks for me. Her bravery to not give up her bus seat makes me want to cheer and say, "You go girl!" No offence to Martin Luther King Jr. He truly has stood his own bravery and brought awareness of how people were not being treated fairly according to the color of their skin. I wouldn't miss an opportunity to meet him too. This prompt is too hard! 

If you are studying any famous people, try this writing prompt: Would you rather meet ___ or ___? You could also do this with characters in a story you are reading or with authors. Would you rather meet Dr. Seuss or Beverly Cleary?

I am offering this FREE worksheet: Would you rather meet Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr? This worksheet is ready to go. All you have to do is print! Students state their opinion. Write three reasons why they support this and end with a closing statement. This is a great opportunity to use some persuasive or opinion writing in the classroom. Just click the picture above to download it and begin using it in your classroom today. 

When I was creating the "Would You Rather... Opinion Starters", I thought of using the Rosa and Martin worksheet in the pack but I saved it to use during Black History Month and MLK Day. This writing pack, "Would You Rather..." writing prompts, has a variety of topics that you can use anyday. Click the picture on the left to read more about these opinion worksheets.

Are you working on biographies? I just created this Mini-Biography Report that is ready to go at anytime. The students do all the work. They research and find information on any person they want to study. Students fill in the information on the pages provided and assemble it into a mini-book. Click the picture on the left to read more about it. 

Here's to MLK Day!
Thanks for stopping by today!
See you soon,

Here is another blog post you might like:

Would You Rather - Fractions

Don't miss another post or freebie! 

Super Fractions and a Free Worksheet

I created this pack of Super Fractions which includes 45 worksheets all about fractions! This superhero theme makes these worksheets engaging and super fun! 

If you are a 2nd or 3rd grade teacher, this is a great pack to fit the needs of all your students. Plus this pack is a great supplement to your own fraction unit. 

These handy little worksheets are perfect for beginners and those that need a good review of fractions. You can find pages like comparing, ordering, naming fractions, fraction of a set, and word problems. This pack also uses like and unlike denominators. The worksheets can be used during your fraction unit, sent home for homework, for assessments, or place at your math centers for early finishers. 

To see if this pack is the right fit for your classroom, download the FREE worksheet below. 

Click here to try a FREE worksheet from the Super Fractions pack from above. Click and download this assessment worksheet to see how well your students do with fractions. If your students pass this fraction assessment, then you do not need the pack above. But, if your students cannot pass or have trouble with the fractions in this assessment, you might want to think about getting the Super Fractions Worksheets.

Click the FREE fraction worksheet to download today and use in your classroom.


I love fractions! I've created a few more fraction resources. Click on the picture below to read more about each one. 

Don't miss my next post or Freebie!
Sign up on Bloglovin to stay tuned.

I also offer a discount to all my blog followers. 

Check out my store right here on Teacher's Take-Out!

Here's to super fractions!
See you soon,  

Here are other blog posts about FRACTIONS you might like:

Would You Rather Task Cards - Comparing Fractions

Turkey Pic Fractions

Free Fraction Game- A Jar of Fractions

Mixed Fraction Lesson and Freebie