So, our county just had their last teacher workday and I am officially on summer break!
I have neglected the blog for some time but as it was my first year in second grade I found myself becoming overwhelmed with all the happenings! Teachers should always try to set goals for themselves and it just so happens that mine, once again, has been to be better about blogging and sharing the exciting things going on in my classroom. I enjoy hopping over to various teacher blogs and it's exciting to see all the different ways teachers have come up with teaching the curriculum. These same blogs have inspired me in so many ways and I am happy to begin sharing my experiences yet again. :)
So, as I finish up this year, and begin thinking about next year, I am already revamping some of the odds and ends that go into organizing myself for the beginning of the year. I've been busy looking through old papers and files and reflecting on the systems I had in place and how I could improve them going into next year.
Clip Slips and the Clip Chart System
One thing that I knew I wanted to improve was my behavior management system.
I currently use the Clip Chart system and I have seen that this little chart really does work! My kiddos are all about moving their clips up and even some who have gotten into the "Clip Hall of Fame". It was just exciting for me to see how invested these guys got into just some clothespins!
Think Sheets
Think Sheets are pretty great because I can use them as a means to
distract the kiddo from derailing the rest of the class. In previous
years I've had students resume whatever activities I had planned, then
I'd pull the student(s) to have a little conversation about their
behavior. After talking with them about what happened, I have them
complete a little Think Sheet, which is mainly used as a tool for them
to communicate their behavior at home.
Of course there are those few kiddos who tended to move down the chart then up again and I wanted to find a way to connect home to school a little more. I wanted my students to be supported at home in regards to their behavior and the strategies they could come up with to 'do better next time'. I have just found that when the expectation is the same at home as it is in school, student's behavior does a 180.
So, with that said, this year I am going to implement this Think Sheet whenever students land themselves on Parent Contact, which is the lowest level on the chart. Luckily not too many of my students have been here but those that may next year, I want a quick way for students to take accountability but also relay the message to mom and dad effectively.
So, with that said, this year I am going to implement this Think Sheet whenever students land themselves on Parent Contact, which is the lowest level on the chart. Luckily not too many of my students have been here but those that may next year, I want a quick way for students to take accountability but also relay the message to mom and dad effectively.
If you're interested in more than just this one template, I've created a bundle of Think Sheets that are differentiated for a variety of grade levels! You can read all about those here!
Back to School: Ultimate Bundle!
As we begin to plan to head back to school in the fall, I created this bundle full of new products! Grab all of these behavior management tools as well as a few other goodies to ensure you launch your year on the right foot!
This bundle includes:
- Literacy Center Rotation Cards: Get your ELA block organized and ready!
- Guided Reading Bundle: Everything you need from posters to lesson plan templates!
- Behavior Management Bundle: A comprehensive bundle of resources including an entire first weeks worth of lesson plans for launching rules/procedures, clip slips, think sheets, and awesome behavior notes!
