Teacher’s Brain

5 Classroom Management Tips for Back To School Time

It’s that exciting time of the year again – back to school! 

Are you ready? 

I know we’re all eager to create a warm and productive classroom environment where our young learners can thrive, and one way to make that happen is with an effective classroom management system. 

classroom management

What is a classroom management system? 

A classroom management system is a set of strategies and techniques that we can  use to create a positive and organized learning environment. It encompasses a range of practices, from setting clear behavioral expectations and routines to fostering strong teacher-student relationships. 

This system empowers us teachers to effectively manage student behavior, encourage active engagement, and promote a conducive atmosphere for learning and growth.

If you’re looking for some rockin’ classroom management system tips for elementary, you’re in the right place! 

So, let’s dive into some tips and ideas for effective classroom management that have worked wonders for me over the years.

Tip 1: Set Clear Expectations

Start the school year by discussing and establishing clear expectations with your students. Let them know what behaviors are acceptable in the classroom and what the consequences might be for breaking those rules. Keep these expectations simple, age-appropriate, and positively framed. It’s like setting the compass for your class journey!

Tip 2: Create a Fun and Organized Physical Environment

A classroom that’s inviting and organized can do wonders for managing behavior. Use colorful decorations, student artwork, and interactive displays to make the space engaging. Arrange desks and seating to minimize distractions and encourage interaction. Don’t forget to designate specific areas for materials and supplies – it helps keep chaos at bay.

Tip 3: Use Positive Reinforcement

Celebrate your students’ achievements and good behavior with praise, rewards, or simple gestures like stickers or high-fives. Positive reinforcement can go a long way in motivating them to follow your classroom rules. It’s like sprinkling a bit of magic encouragement to keep their spirits high!

Tip 4: Implement Routines and Procedures

Kids thrive on routine, so establish consistent daily routines and procedures. From entering the classroom to transitioning between subjects, having predictable steps can help minimize disruptions. Remember, routines aren’t about rigidity; they’re like the rhythm that keeps your classroom orchestra in tune!

Tip 5: Foster a Strong Teacher-Student Relationship

Building a positive rapport with your students can make a world of difference in classroom management. Get to know them, show genuine interest in their lives, and listen actively when they talk. When students feel valued and understood, they’re more likely to respect and cooperate with you. Think of it as nurturing a garden of trust and connection.

Looking for the perfect classroom management system? I have you covered with this free Desk Pet Starter Pack Resource!

Need a great way to help your class improve daily behavior? Desk Pets are great for helping with classroom management! Try these FREE printables to help you begin your Desk Pet Pal Positive Behavior System Journey!

classroom management system

What is in this download?

Pg. 1 Cover

Pg. 2 Link Page to Full Resource

Pg. 3 What is a desk pet?

Pg. 4 Adoption Application EDITABLE PowerPoint

Pg. 5 Labels (Adoption Center and Hotel)

Pg. 6 Editable Page to create Writing Prompt or other Idea

Pg. 7 Zoo Habitat for a Pet

Pg. 8 How to Fold the Habitat

Pg. 9 Other Resources

Pg. 10 Credits

Get it for free here!

Looking for more classroom management tips? Check out my post here!

Top 3 Tips For An Amazing Year in Kindergarten


Are you getting prepped for a brand new year of teaching kindergarten? You’re in the right place! Kindergarten is such a magical time. Students are truly so excited to be coming to school and their little minds are so ready to learn! It’s one of my favorite age groups! If you’re looking for kindergarten activities or even some fun kindergarten worksheets, I have you covered. 

kindergarten activities

But first, you may be wondering, how do you entertain a kindergarten class? 

The key with entertaining your kindergarten students is to make learning fun! Don’t know where to start? Here are three tips for making it happen. 

1. Engaging STEAM Activities:

Incorporate trending STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities in your lesson plans. Kids love hands-on experiences, so try out simple science experiments, building challenges, or creative art projects that stimulate their curiosity and imagination. It’s a fantastic way to foster a love for learning and critical thinking skills! 

2. Interactive Learning with EdTech:

Embrace educational technology to make learning interactive and exciting. Use educational apps and interactive whiteboards to engage the little ones and reinforce concepts through gamified learning. Don’t worry; there are plenty of kid-friendly apps and online resources that are both safe and educational! 

3. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Focus:

A trending approach that has shown fantastic results is focusing on Social-Emotional Learning. Create a warm and caring classroom environment, encourage kindness, empathy, and emotional awareness. Teach mindfulness techniques and help children develop essential social skills. A positive and supportive classroom atmosphere will work wonders for their overall development.

Remember, patience and flexibility are key! Kindergarteners are a bundle of energy and curiosity, so embrace the journey and celebrate their small wins. 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one kindergarten mega resource full of teaching activities for kindergarten that will give you everything you need to start the year off on an amazing foot, you’ll love this Kindergarten Survival Pack bundle! 

I picked 10 of my best resources for getting started back to school in Kindergarten! Some of these I swear, I could not survive without the past couple of years. This will save you time and money!! 

What will YOU get in this Download?

541 PAGES OF MUST HAVES…

YEARLONG Morning Work for Kindergarten with Sight Word Practice

Vocabulary Kindergarten – 3rd YEAR LONG Reading Blocks Program

Kindergarten HOMEWORK for the YEAR

Mini Me OPEN HOUSE CRAFTivity for BOYS and GIRLS

TOOL KIT for the Beginning of the YEAR (name tags, sign in sheets, passes and more)

Word Wall Printables – Laminate and use with Dry Erase Markers

Numbers and Cardinality with Numbers 1-10

Campus SCAVENGER HUNT

The Kissing Hand HOME CONNECTION Project

Rules for the CLASSROOM Posters and Behavior Contract

This bundle really does have it all. Make sure to check it out! 

kindergarten

I hope you have an amazing year with your little learners, and together, let’s make their kindergarten experience a magical one! 😊🌟

Looking for more kindergarten activity ideas, check out my letter work post here! 

Letter Work Activities for Kindergarten

We all know that teaching letters to our little ones can be an exciting and crucial milestone. If you’re looking for a delightful collection of interactive and engaging letter work activities for kindergarten learners, you’re in the right place! From letter hunts to multi-sensory creations, you’ll love these ways to make letter learning a joyous experience for our little learners.

letter work activities

Here are some letter work activities your students will love:

Letter of the Week

Introduce one letter each week, and make it super exciting! Decorate the classroom with pictures of things that start with that letter, read books featuring the letter, and encourage kids to bring in items from home that begin with the letter of the week.

Multi-Sensory Activities

Engage your kiddos in hands-on activities involving different senses. Use materials like sand or shaving cream for letter writing, have them mold letters out of playdough, or use finger paint to create letter art (more exciting alphabet activities here!)

Letter Hunts

Turn letter recognition into an adventure! Organize letter hunts around the classroom or school. Give them a list of letters to find, and when they spot one, they can call it out with excitement.

Letter Sounds Practice

Once they get a good grasp of individual letter names, introduce letter sounds. You can do this through playful activities like “What Sound Does it Make?” where you show them pictures of objects and ask which letter sound they hear at the beginning.

Letter Writing Practice

Provide them with plenty of opportunities to practice writing the letters. Start with large-sized letters on paper or whiteboards, and as they improve, gradually move to smaller ones.

If you’re looking for a resource that has everything you need to make letter work fun and easy and more, I have you covered!

This Kindergarten Everything Mega Bundle will have you set for the year! 

I have you covered with this huge endless curriculum bundle of bundles with a MASSIVE AMOUNT of materials made with kindergarten in mind! Even assessments  are included.

YEAR-LONG SUBJECTS

  • Guided Reading
  • Monthly Writing Themed Journals
  • Morning Work Journals
  • Kindergarten Math Centers
  • Science
  • Social Studies

Check out the YouTube Tutorial!

Reading Curriculum includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

  • Phonics
  • Phonemic awareness
  • Comprehension
  • Vocabulary
  • Fluency

Kindergarten Math Centers includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

SCIENCE includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

Social Studies includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

BONUS – Butterfly Life Cycle Flip Book

Writing Journals Included: (with word banks and rubrics)

BONUS: Silly Story Starters

Kindergarten Morning Work Included: 

August and September Morning Work

October and November Morning Work

December and January Morning Work

February and March Morning Work

April and May Morning Work

When I say this has everything, I mean it! Check it out here! 

I hope you found these tips and resources helpful! Remember to celebrate progress! Be generous with praise and encouragement. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in building kindergarten students confidence and love for learning!

Simple Steps To Beginner Letter Practice

Letter writing is an important skill for early elementary or kindergarten students. They not only have to learn to recognize the letters and the sounds they make, but they also have to learn how to write them. This sounds simple, but to little learners, the fine motor skills needed for writing is something they are still perfecting. 

There is a correlation between letter recognition fluency and successful reading development. As students learn how to write those letters, they learn to recognize them easily!

Here are some simple steps to practice letter writing. 

  1. Teach the proper pencil grip. Many kindergarten-level students don’t yet understand how to properly grasp a pencil so this is the first skill. 
  2. Letter formation. While this part of writing becomes second nature eventually, it takes a lot of practice and patience in the beginning. 
  3. Next, perfect those skills and make them legible! We’ve all seen those sweet sentences before students get their letters figured out. Lots of practice will make handwriting more legible. 

So how do you practice writing letters? 

Perhaps the most straightforward way is with fun kindergarten worksheets like letter tracing worksheets. These are simple but incredibly effective! 

You can add some variety to students’ letter writing practice by trying out using markers and whiteboards, shaving cream on desks, sand, finger paint, and so much more. 

I shared tons of fun ways to practice the alphabet in kindergarten in last week’s blog post. You can check it out here! 

Looking for some letter writing and other kindergarten worksheets and activities? I have you covered! 

This Kindergarten Everything Mega Bundle has everything you need for a fantastic year with your students with minimal prep. 

letter practice activities preview

Not only will you get letter practice sheets, but you’ll also get everything you need to teach kindergarten all year! 

letter practice fluency book preview

You’ll get engaging activities for every subject area in Kindergarten. This endless curriculum bundle has a massive amount of materials made with kindergarten in mind! 

  • Year-Long Subjects
    • Guided Reading
    • Monthly Writing Themed Journals
    • Morning Work Journals
    • Kindergarten Math Centers
    • Science
    • Social Studies

Check out the YouTube tutorial below!

  • Reading Curriculum includes activities, lesson plans, and assessments for:
    • Phonics
    • Phonemic awareness
    • Comprehension
    • Vocabulary
    • Fluency
  • Kindergarten Math Centers include activities, lesson plans, and assessments
math salad bar set up
  • Science includes activities, lesson plans, and assessments
  • Social Studies includes activities, lesson plans, and assessments
  • Bonus – Butterfly Life Cycle Flip Book
  • Writing Journals for every month
  • Bonus – Silly Story Starters and Kindergarten morning work
kindergarten activities and letter practice worksheets preview

What are your favorite letter practice activities for kindergarten? Let me know in the comments!