February 14, 2025

From Time-Outs to Think Sheets: How Social-Emotional Learning is Transforming Our Classrooms

 


Remember the days when classroom management mostly revolved around raised voices, time-outs, and a general emphasis on compliance? Thankfully, within the last decade or so (or since I began in this profession), education has evolved. We've come to understand that student behavior isn't just about following rules; it's deeply intertwined with their social and emotional well-being. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has taken center stage, and it's changing the way we approach student behavior in profound and positive ways.


It wasn't that long ago that "bad behavior" was often seen as a character flaw. Students who acted out were labeled as troublemakers, and the focus was on punishment rather than understanding the root cause of their actions. Now, we recognize that challenging behaviors are often a signal - often of things that lie beneath the surface. They might indicate a student is struggling with anxiety, frustration, or difficulty regulating their emotions. My son, who is autistic, faces challenges with emotional regulation. This, too, can be true for the many neurodivergent students we receive in our classrooms. This shift in perspective is crucial because it allows us to move away from punitive measures and towards support and intervention.


Reshaping Our Classrooms

Calm Corner at the beginning of the year.

So, how has SEL reshaped our classrooms? It's not just a curriculum or a set of lessons; it's a fundamental change in our approach. We're now prioritizing creating a safe and supportive learning environment where students feel seen, heard, and understood. We're teaching them explicitly about emotions, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. We're fostering empathy and encouraging them to develop a growth mindset. And most importantly, we're building strong relationships with our students, creating a foundation of trust that allows for open communication and effective support.


So, how does this look in my classroom?


My 2nd graders have benefited tremendously from our "Calm Corner."  It's a designated space where they can take a break, regulate their emotions, and then rejoin the class ready to learn. I've been so pleased to see how readily and effectively most of my students have used it. At the beginning of the year it starts pretty minimally - just a few physical and visual tools. Throughout the year, we collaboratively build and refine the space, adding additional tools and visuals as specific needs arise. Each addition is introduced and discussed beforehand, ensuring the students understand not only how to use the individual tools but understand the overall purpose of this special space.


In this space there is one tool, in particular, that is so helpful for students to not only express their feelings, but be able to communicate effectively about them.


The Think Sheet: Reimagined

One of the most powerful tools that has emerged in this SEL-focused landscape is the "Think Sheet." While the concept might seem simple, its impact can be transformative. Think Sheets provide a structured way for students to reflect on their behavior, identify their feelings, and understand the connection between the two. Instead of simply reacting to a situation, students are guided through a process of self-discovery.


The Think Sheets I've created include prompts that encourage students to:

  • Describe what happened: This helps them objectively recount the situation without assigning blame.
  • Identify how they were feeling: This is crucial for building emotional awareness. Often, students act out without fully understanding what's driving their behavior.
  • Consider what they could have done differently: This encourages problem-solving and the development of alternative strategies.
  • Think about how their actions affected others: This fosters empathy and perspective-taking.

By working through a Think Sheet, students begin to understand that their feelings influence their choices. They learn that they have the power to manage their emotions and make different decisions in the future. This is a powerful realization that empowers them to take ownership of their behavior and develop valuable self-regulation skills.


Think Sheets aren't a magic wand and won't solve every single circumstance, but they are a valuable tool in our classroom. They provide a framework for meaningful conversations with students and offer a tangible way for them to develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence. When used consistently and with empathy, these Think Sheets can be a catalyst for positive change, helping students learn and grow both academically and emotionally. 


As educators, we are constantly learning and evolving, and the integration of SEL and tools like Think Sheets represent a significant step forward in creating classrooms where all students can thrive and belong.

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July 30, 2024

Boho Minimalist Reading Rotation Cards

 


I can't believe I've been on TpT since I started teaching back in 2011! OMG. I have loved seeing how this community of teachers has grown over that time - and some of it I miss....like, the pre-teacher influencer phase....but that's another post for another day...

...this summer I've been taking a peek around my shop and noticed that I haven't updated quite a bit of resources. I love a good purge and refresh and that's what I'm doing as I prep my store for TpTs upcoming Back to School Sale!

So, what's getting a refresh?? Let's take a peek!

Literacy Center Rotation Cards 


NEW! These literacy station rotation cards have a brand new look and are just $1! I took a peek at my old set and they were just so representative of the time I made them, lol. Now, they've got a new look and keeps literacy station rotations simple.


I love the Daily 5 and I love seeing that it's still being utilized - even after all of these years. My new cards continue to represent the various stations included with Daily 5. These stations include:

  • Work on Writing
  • Library Station
  • Word Work
  • Write the Room
  • Technology Station (great for learning apps)
  • Meet with Teacher
  • Guided Reading
  • Read to Self
  • Buddy Reading
  • Listen to Reading (can be a listening station or reading apps like Epic Books)
  • Book Club (can be for upper grades)
  • Creation Station (a craft/art station related to earlier read aloud, seasonal, etc.)

As always, if there are any stations not included, be sure to email me: littlefoxteaching@gmail.com and I'll be sure to add it!

Be sure to grab your copy today!




Happy teaching!





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July 29, 2024

Classroom Setup '24

 


Welcome to my classroom!


This upcoming year I am inheriting a brand new classroom at a new campus, in a new city, and a new (somewhat) grade level. There have been a lot of transitions this last month, but ones that are exciting. After our move from Texas this summer back to San Diego, California, I was excited to be able to get into my classroom early and begin unpacking and setting up.


We all know that inservice week brings time in classrooms, but most of that week is prep, planning, and meetings. So, to have this extra time to build my classroom is a gift.


Arranging Furniture

First things first: gotta sort through what the previous teacher left behind - or in my case the long-term sub - and begin arranging the learning spaces.

This is often the most overwhelming compared to entering into an empty room. However, I am grateful that certain pieces of furniture have been left behind. After some time, I was able to sort of organize the big pieces of furniture into spaces I imagine will get the most use. I did peek into my teammate's classroom just to get an idea of how she uses her space - which was helpful.

The main areas I want to focus on are: 
  • meeting area near TV (which is where I plan to have us spend the most time together)
  • teacher desk with access to small group table
  • student desk arrangement (18 students)
  • classroom library
  • writing materials area





I am in need of a few more student desks (so, nevermind the random desk and chairs in the middle). I will have a total of 18 students this year, which is so manageable! But, when arranging the classroom the big thing to keep in mind is how much space these 2nd graders need and how they'll use the classroom throughout the day.

I want to keep table groups to 3, so that means 6 students at each table group. We'll see how that works out once students arrive. A lot of this year will be a test-run of a lot of things! Thankfully, the room arrangement can always be adjusted once the school year starts and I get a feel for how we need to change and adapt things!

Small Groups

Here is my planned small group table where I will meet with students throughout the day. I wanted this space to be easily accessed from my desk area and give me the best view to monitor my class. I will also have a homeroom teacher that comes in and assists with students (how amazing is that?!) and this will also be a great space for her to use when working with the kiddos.

In this space I plan to use the bookshelf behind the table for my small group reading and math materials. I love the plant that was left behind, so I have that right there, too. To the right of my small group table I plan to have writing materials and a kind of writing area. That's the goal, at least.


Future Sound Wall

Coming into this classroom I quickly noticed this massive word wall. This wall is the only real wall space I have in my room (mostly due to the large windows I get!) and it will become my sound wall. I do plan to incorporate words from this list onto the sound wall, but it will be generated by the class as we unlock sounds and introduce words.



I loved getting to use my sound wall at my previous campus in kindergarten and I can't wait to incorporate one in 2nd grade. My plan is to condense the sound wall into just a few panels, so I can utilize the rest of the wall space to other things. My new campus uses the UFLI curriculum, which has a lot of the same components to what I've been trained in previously. 

Here's my new wall!




I used butcher paper and picked up these cute "Everyone is Welcome" border from Lakeshore Learning. My sound wall is from Natalie Lynn and can be found here.

As far as these amazing counter tops over the cubbies, I plan to have various bins for student work and materials. But, for now I'll keep them bare and utilize them as we unlock certain learning spaces when students come.

Classroom Library

I am so grateful that my new campus provides so many amazing book choices for our classroom library. However, with how I want to arrange my room I need more shelving to house those books. At first, I made this space a little small only because I'd want my students to be able to read wherever makes them comfortable. Then, I quickly realized just how many books I have to organize....and not to mention, 2nd graders are bigger than kinders...so there's that.




I am planning to expand my library space and add more shelves thanks to Facebook Marketplace. I want to make this reading space a welcoming environment and open for students to be comfortable while reading.

I added this wall space for anchor charts and continued organizing the library itself. There were a lot of amazing chapter books and series hiding in one of my closets! I set out to get them organized and I'm happy so far with how the classroom library has come together.





We'll, for now that's what I've been able to do in my classroom over the summer. I look forward to August where we'll be heading back officially and things will really start to come together. I can't wait to get my class list, prep with my team, and get a feel for how the first week of school will feel.

Being new has me with the school-year-scaries...but it's a good feeling. I always say that if you no longer get the butterflies before a new year maybe it's time to transition out of the classroom. But, this year feels really good. I'm feeling confident and I know I have a great team to support me. There's a lot of new things heading my way this year being at a new school...but I can't wait to get started!

A final note...


Feel free to follow along this journey with me here, but also on my Instagram and Facebook. I know a lot of this online/social space has become filled with teacher influencers...and I am definitely not one of those. I love the "old school" way of documenting and sharing my adventures in the classroom in a way that's authentic and helpful to other educators...at least, that's my hope.

So, I hope you'll stick around and I would love to connect with you here or on the socials.

Happy teaching!

Take a sneak peek into my 2nd grade classroom!





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June 7, 2024

Goodbye Kindergarten...


...and hello, SECOND GRADE!


...not only that, but our family will be moving once more. This time, back to the sunny west coast in San Diego. It's a bittersweet moment because the last four years have been filled with so many memories. I was pregnant with Olivia - who happened to bring with her arrival a snowstorm that wiped out Texas for a week (snow like this hadn't happened since the 1980s!). She had so many firsts in our home. And speaking of home, we became first-time homeowners here in San Antonio, too! Just looking back makes me realize how much this place provided for our family when we needed it most.


But, like many other times in our life as a family, things shift and change. With that change comes new opportunities... 


So, here's a bit of a long post that shares what leading us back to San Diego!


Shifting Feelings in 2024

This move back to San Diego didn't fully reveal itself until the 11th hour. It all kind of started with this school year and the shifting of feelings I was having professionally.

If I'm being honest, this was my year where I wanted to leave the classroom.

Why?

Because there's nothing worse than feeling as though day after day my tank becomes empty due to the ever evolving demands of my profession...so much so that I have absolutely nothing left to offer my family...my kids...when I get home. My work life was beginning to dramatically affect my home life and that was something I knew had to change.

I flirted with the idea A LOT and even began making moves towards a career outside of the classroom. There were a multitude of factors that lead to this, but being who I am, I sat with these feelings and reflected a lot throughout the school year.

I absolutely love what I do. I have always felt like being an educator was a calling - something that added a value and purpose greater than me. However, this year in particular, I found myself questioning whether the classroom continued to be the place where I felt the most fulfilled and where I had the most impact. I know other teachers were feeling the same way - not just at my campus, but everywhere.

Yes, teaching is hard work. Yes, you just have to adapt and carry on. 

But, there just seems to be this normalization that happens where we, as teachers, make things okay that aren't okay. These things lead to other things and eventually you find yourself in a space that doesn't bring you the joy you once had. This was where I found myself this year.

So, I did what others in this place would do...and that was to look for my next opportunity outside of the classroom. 

Leaving the classroom...


I began to educate myself on careers that would hire former teachers - careers where my educational experience could be leveraged and utilized...you know, those "transferrable skills." Throughout this process, I kept coming back to curriculum development. I began to feel excited about this switch and felt it was a natural progression in my career - teacher turned curriculum developer. It meant I could stay in education, but give back in a new and impactful way.

However, it would never be.

No matter how many resumes I sent out or interviews I had, no one was hiring. The talent pools were so large and I found myself competing with people who had way more experience in the field than I did. Also, I quickly learned that my years of teaching experience didn't quite transfer the way I would have hoped.

On top of experiencing the feelings I already had, this next career dream of mine was deflating with every copy-and-paste recruiter rejection email that landed in my inbox. I found myself so frustrated with the process and questioned even more why I was experiencing what I was. 

I felt like a mess. 

I was a mess. 

I didn't have direction and every step I took towards something, it didn't come to fruition the way I wanted. 

That's when I sat back with and realized that leaving the classroom wasn't the answer for me...

What's Meant To Be Will Find a Way



Over the last decade or so I have lived with a sort of mantra that says: "what's meant to be will find a way."  This quote is my way of making sense of the things that happen in life...and the things I can't control. It's a mantra that helps me be at peace for the way things work out - even the difficult or disappointing.

Everything about finding my place at my campus was mean't to be...for that time. Sitting today, I knew I had to make a change. But that change didn't necessarily mean away from the classroom.

As I began to let go...things somehow began to take shape and I found the direction I was so badly seeking.

Back to Cali...

How did San Diego come to be after all?

Well, it took a bit of time and for opportunities to present themselves. Both my husband and I sat down and discussed what our options were and where we both wanted in our careers. My husband's work will always dictate our moves/relocations because of the nature of what he does. We planned for various places like Austin. For a moment it was even North Carolina. In the end, my husband has various opportunities for career advancement in San Diego so that was a natural top choice.

We had just lived there and absolutely loved it. So, when the opportunity came up we immediately jumped on it!


Now that San Diego was in view...

I knew I wanted to try and have a job lined up before we moved. Every single move we've done I've always had to quit, move, then find work. And it's always worked out. However, this move I wanted to be able to have the peace of mind that I'll be able to work right as the new school year was beginning.

I applied to a variety of schools and was able to land a few interviews via Zoom. From there, I took a quick, less-than-24-hours, trip to San Diego to meet and tour these schools in-person (which I absolutely fell in love with). Although exhausting, I'm so glad I took that trip because in the following days I received a call and an offer! 

It was this opportunity that helped me regain the joy and excitement I had for teaching. It was the people I met along the way, the community I would be serving, and the school itself that helped me rediscover the passion and love I have as an educator.

Second Grade

In this new role I will be heading back to 2nd grade - a grade I haven't taught in ages. However, everything about this new opportunity fell into place in exactly the way it needed to. Even though I've been a primary teacher in kindergarten for the majority of my teaching career, there's something I'm so excited for in teaching the bigger kids. The curriculum is fun and the kids are still at the age of curiosity and having fun in their learning. 

A big change is coming for our family this summer - and even for me professionally. I look forward to what this new year will bring for us and I'm excited to share in that journey with you all here!

Happy summer, all!

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May 27, 2024

J is for JEEP Day!

 


In kindergarten, we love to celebrate in style! Each year we countdown to the last day of school along with the alphabet - but, we go backwards! From Z to A we have themed days for the kids planned and so far it's been such a great time and it's something that helps keep the kids engaged right up to the last day.

Today, we're celebrating with the letter J and it's a JEEP drive-in! The idea took a minute to come to fruition, but I'm so glad my teammate suggested JEEPs for this day. Here's what we're up to!

Planning for JEEP Day

A few weeks after sharing the Countdown to Summer calendar with families (it outlines all of the themed days for the final 26 days of school), I sent home a separate flyer that gave student families the directions to creating their cardboard Jeeps along with ideas to get them started. Giving families enough of a heads up is vital and helps with participation.

This is our first year doing this and I have to say how impressed I am with the JEEPs that came in!

JEEP Day

To start, I designated an area of the classroom a "Parking Lot" where the JEEPs can be stored and kept safe. When it was time for our movie, I arranged the JEEPs so the kids could see without being blocked. I decided

JEEP Duckies



The phenomenon that is "getting ducked" by JEEP enthusiasts is something I shared with the class. I wanted to give them some background knowledge about the duckies and where it started. I found this news segment that explains the ducks and keeps the explanation short and sweet for my students.





We chatted a little afterward about the significance of the ducks and how the act of "ducking" is out of kindness to strangers - and how it took off to be a global movement!





Next, I gave students a blank duckie template where they designed their own JEEP duckie. When they finished coloring, they cut them out and glued them to their JEEPs.

It ended up being such an easy way to take part in the fun that is being a JEEP owner!

Fun Jeep Read-Alouds

Of course we can't have JEEP Day without fun read alouds! Here are a few of my favorite titles to read:

Sheep in a Jeep


My Daddy's Jeep

This is a fun story that explores vintage Jeeps all the way to more modern models through storytelling from around the world. The reader gets to see how Jeeps have evolved over time and enjoy seeing them go on different adventures!


The Little Jeep Who Couldn't Beep

This is a special story inspired by real US Army Jeeps that were driven during the war in Vietnam. After the war, and the Jeep's job was done, it was left to rust in a cold, dark shed....that' is until someone rescued him. It's such an endearing story and one I enjoyed sharing with my students.



There are so many cute ways to bring JEEP Day to life and I'm so happy with how it turned out! Here's to just 7 days left of school!



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