Classroom Behavior Management Archives - Page 4 of 5

Tips For Implementing Classroom Jobs In Your Class

February 25, 2022 teachersbrain Classroom Behavior Management, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

Let’s talk about classroom jobs!

If you aren’t familiar with the term, classroom jobs are simple and meaningful tasks that you assign each student in your class that will be their responsibility. Tasks like line leader, trash cleaner, cubby inspector, attendance taker, book monitor, etc. You can think of small tasks that they can complete independently that will also take a load off of your plate.

At first, it may seem to you that students wouldn’t enjoy being given jobs in class and it would be one more thing to make sure they are getting done. On the contrary, historically classroom jobs are a huge hit among students of any elementary grade!

Classroom jobs give students a sense of responsibility and importance. It also builds a strong sense of community and belonging. It’s so fun to see how proud they get of their work and the relationships they build with each other by working towards a common purpose.

Here are some tips for implementing classroom jobs in your class

Assign classroom jobs in rotation. Inevitably, there will be jobs that are more popular than others. There will be jobs that are coveted and some that don’t get quite as much enthusiasm. To make it easier, rotate out your jobs once a week. This will keep students from getting too jealous or bummed out that they didn’t get the job they wanted. Plus: students will actually look forward to class on Monday because they will find out what their new job is. Score!
Explain why each job is important. To help build the sense of responsibility, make sure students know why their job is so important to the classroom as a whole. No one wants to be stuck doing a job that isn’t meaningful. You can do this by explaining it all at the beginning of the year, or you can hand out notes explaining the importance each week when students are assigned their jobs.
Reward them for a job well done. Remember, we all appreciate being recognized for the hard work we do. When you notice that your student is doing a great job with their classroom job, reward them! You can do this with your normal classroom rewards (like this one) system or you can create a reward system exclusively for your classroom jobs.
Make sure the schedule is visible for students to reference. When you are rotating out weekly, it can be easy for students to forget what their job is. Creating a display will help them keep track of their job. For younger students who aren’t strong readers yet, include pictures in your schedule so that they can figure out what their job is.

Ready to get started implementing jobs with your students? I have you covered!

This classroom jobs chart is completely editable so you can customize it to fit your needs. These cards can easily be used on a pocket chart, wall, or on a magnetic board to make displaying and rotating them easy.

You’ll get 52 editable PowerPoint slides. They include premade classroom job cards as well as some blank cards so that you can create your own. Make it your own by choosing between cursive or print and black and white or color with pictures.

The editability of these cards makes it easy to match them to your classroom theme or decor!

Pictures included for Line Leader, Greeter, Caboose, Folders, Lunch, Teacher’s Aide, Pet Care, Book Monitor, Sweeper, Kindness Keeper, Door Holder, Schedule Helper, Attendance, Lights, Cubby Inspector, Hand Sanitizer, Backpacks, Music, Meteorologist, Computers, Pencils, Bell Ringer, Recycling, and Absent Keeper.

Do you use classroom jobs? Let me know in the comments below!

Why You Should Be Using Classroom Jobs For Your Students

December 17, 2021 teachersbrain Classroom Behavior Management, Teaching Tips

In all of my years of teaching, one of my favorite classroom management strategies is assigning classroom jobs. While it’s not a method of tracking behavior directly, it does improve it and generally, the operations of the class run smoother as well.

What are classroom jobs?

Classroom jobs include things like “line leader”, “cubby inspector”, “attendance”, “caboose”, etc. These are simple jobs that students of any age can complete with little guidance or assistance from the teacher.

So why give students classroom jobs?

There are so many reasons! Classroom jobs are an amazing way to grow a classroom community. It gives students a sense of belonging and importance as they are contributing members of the classroom.

Having assigned duties helps students make new friends and develop those valuable social-emotional skills that are so important in early elementary. It also builds leadership skills because they are taking responsibility for their own job and leading their classmates in the process.

Another huge benefit is that it takes some tasks off your plate! I always loved seeing how proud my students became of the work they do. They felt important and valued, and when students feel valued, they perform better in the classroom.

If you can’t tell, I love classroom jobs. That’s why I created these editable classroom jobs chart cards.

These classroom job cards are made with PowerPoint which makes them easy to edit to fit the needs of your class. You can use them on a pocket chart, wall, or magnetic board to easily edit and rotate your students to new jobs.

Here’s everything included in this resource

52 Editable PowerPoint slides
Black and white slides with or without images
Cursive and print for intermediate or primary classrooms
Blank cards for editing as needed
Directions with suggested fonts
Picture Cards include Line Leader, Greeter, Caboose, Folders, Lunch, Teacher’s Aide, Pet Care, Book Monitor, Sweeper, Kindness Keeper (Make a list of who has been kind), Door Holder, Schedule Helper, Attendance, Lights, Cubby Inspector, Hand Sanitizer, Backpacks, Music, Meteorologist, Computers, Pencils, Bell Ringer, Recycling, Absent Keeper (write a note to those absent).

I love that these are so versatile. If you think of something you really want to include as a classroom job, you can easily add it! They are flexible enough to meet the needs of each individual teacher.

Do you assign classroom jobs to your students? Let me know in the comments!

Why You Need A Visual Schedule In Elementary

December 10, 2021 teachersbrain Back to School, Classroom Behavior Management, Classroom Decor, Teaching Tips

We all know how important it is to get our students in a good routine for a smooth running classroom. Students thrive when they know what to expect for their day.

Studies show that a good routine helps with behavior management issues in the classroom. It also helps your students feel more safe with the consistency that it brings.

When I was in the classroom at the start of the year, I tried to ensure that I go over the schedule and break down the entire day for my students. This included what we do when we come in for the day, what subjects we work on when, when we transition to lunch and specials, how we transition to lunch and specials, and the pickup/ going home procedures.

I found it to be beneficial to have a visual for younger students who may need extra help remembering the daily schedule and procedures.

I created this Classroom Visual Daily Schedule to help smooth out the transitions and give students the peace of mind that comes with knowing what comes next every day.

You can use these cards on a pocket chart, wall, or magnetic board to easily edit and move your schedule around. You can even allow students to take a card to the next task if they have trouble transitioning.

This resource is a digital, editable PowerPoint so you can edit it to fit your needs. You can also personalize it if desired!

Here’s everything I included

42 editable PowerPoint slides (*Make sure you have PowerPoint)
Black and White with Clocks (moveable hands and text boxes provided)
Cursive and print for intermediate or primary classrooms
Blank cards
Directions with suggested fonts
Pictures cards include ( A+, apple, backpack, chalkboard, books, bell, lunch, milk, glue, globe, clock, crayons, owl, grad hat, paint pallet, paintbrush, bookworm, bus, pencil, pen, check, bell, stars, scissors, beaker, music, paper airplane, protractor, data journal, music, magnets, locker, glasses, light bulb, ruler, flask, heart, sun, tent, music notes, tie, flashlight, plant, tie, test tube)

I would put these at the front of the classroom on the board or in our Calendar Time area. I noticed how much of a difference it made in my students when we had a clear, easy-to-understand schedule.

What do you do to teach students your daily schedule? Let me know in the comments!

Desk Pets: A Classroom Management System Students Will Love!

November 5, 2021 teachersbrain Classroom Behavior Management, Teaching Tips

Among the many academic subjects we teach our students, we also teach them so much more that goes beyond that. They learn how to follow rules, make friends, be kind, be responsible, respectful, make good choices, and so much more.

Positive reinforcement is a great way to celebrate this behavior. It will encourage the behavior to continue when students are doing a good job. This can be done in many ways but a good classroom management strategy is a fantastic place to start. You can read about one of my favorite strategies, Blurt Beans, here.

With a good classroom management system, you will not only show students the consequences of their actions when they don’t make the right choice but also encourage and celebrate them when they show that they are responsible, respectful, kind, etc.

If you are looking for the perfect system for your classroom that will get your students excited and motivated to continue to do well, you have to try out Desk Pets.

Desk Pets are a unique classroom management system that will reward students for their good behavior by giving them “desk pets” to keep on their desks and accessories to go along with them.

The desk pet is an animal eraser. You can read with it, write with it, or even play with it at designated times of the day.

Here’s how to implement the Desk Pet system into your classroom

To start, students will earn Desk Pet Dollars from your classroom when they are doing a good job, following the rules, helping others, staying on task, showing respect, being responsible, etc. After they earn their dollars, they then get to spend it to adopt a desk pet of their choosing!

The desk pet gets to hang out with them at their desk. In order to buy habitats, supplies, and other accessories that will keep the desk pet “happy”, students will need to continue to earn more Desk Pet Dollars. This provides the incentive for them to continue making good choices even after they got to pick out a pet.

Later on in the year, students can even have the option to give their desk pets a permanent home by taking them home (if you choose to).

When students are not following rules, they may be charged a Desk Pet fee that they have to pay using their earned dollars or their pet may be taken back to the adoption center.

Students love this system! They can share with their friends what animal they received and what accessories they have to go along with it. This inspires more good behavior because students will want what their friends have.

If you want to get started with Desk Pets, you can do that free with my starter kit here.

It comes with the rules you need to get started. You’ll get an adoption application, a zoo habitat along with instructions on how to set it up, Desk Pet signs, and an editable page for writing prompts.

If you want the full resource, you can check that out here. It comes with all of the printables you need. You’ll get behavior contracts, Venn diagrams, pet store price lists, Desk Pet journals, and more!

This will definitely be a hit for your students, and it will definitely make you a memorable teacher!