Classroom Management

I believe if students are engaged in interactive and fun activities in class there shouldn’t be too many behavioral issues. Positive reinforcement is also very effective in eliminating or reducing unwanted behaviors. Nevertheless, there are times when we have to employ a classroom management system to improve and maintain safe and learning environment for the well-being and academic growth of our students.

The beginning of the year, I teach the classroom rules and expectations. I use curriculum for each grade that informs students and parents of the expectations, skills and concepts to be learned. Classroom rules are displayed in front of the classroom along with the school rules and expectations.

I believe in positive reinforcement and reward students for good behavior, participation and good work. I use the music staff and a note for each class as a behavior tracking tool. As they do well in class, I let them raise their note a space or a line. The better they perform the higher the note goes. When the note reaches the top, students get a free choice day. This means, I let them choose a music game to play which is educational and at the same time fun. Of course, I warn them of the possibility that they may drop a space or a line for bad behavior (which hardly ever happens and I don’t like to take away from them). Usually, I just don’t let them raise the note, it stays on the same spot.

I provide students with clear daily expectations by displaying the bell work, agenda and homework on the white board along with the day of the month and year. This way students know, as soon as they enter the classroom what to anticipate and the order in which activities will take place. Sometimes, I have to change my agenda. This happens when I find out that students had forgotten or don’t know an important concept pre-requisite to learning the new one.

Apple Picking Math Addition and Subtraction

During my student teaching, I had to figure out ways to teach math to first and second grade at the same time in a fun and at the same time effective way. This activity we did during the Fall season. 

I put on the board these sheets with apple trees numbered one through ten. I figured the answers could be the same for both grade/ ability levels as long as the math problems are different in level of difficulty. Again, I had students grouped based on ability or grade level while playing the game. The team with most correct answers turned in wins the game. I used the plastic cups to collect the "picked" apples. 

As you can see, I had four teams with different level math problems. I found the apple sheets and trees on TPT, copied them on different color paper and wrote math problems on them. You can modify the activity in any way you want.

Kids are so competitive, they absolutely loved the activity and tried to get as many apples turned in as possible.

First/ Second Grade Split Class Math

I Have Who Has...

Subtraction for both first and second grade. I made baggies for each kid with 10 pop-sickle sticks and gave it to them based on their grade level and ability. They couldn't tell that I gave the students next to them more difficult math problems to solve.

The same thing with the dinosaur math. I had them grouped in different teams and each team got a set of dinosaurs with different level difficulty.

This game we played again as a class. I had students grouped based on grade level and gave them one math problem at a time. They were supposed to raise the smiley face when ready with the answer. I also showed them three possible answers to chose from. Each group took turns and the rest of the groups had a chance to "steal" the answer/point if the first team got it wrong. It was a lot of fun.

This I found on TPT and used for math centers.

During the Fall season I used the apple subtraction cards and work sheets. Again, I gave certain students particular cards based on grade level and ability.

This was a math journal we started right before Christmas. On the front I had a countdown to Christmas worksheet we did every day. The rest we did word problems. They glued the problem to the bottom part of the page and drew a picture to solve it on the top. Again, I gave different difficulty word problems to each student.

Ice cream count to ten for the first graders.

Fact Families

Classroom Environment and Posters

I got hired for this position two days before the students came back to school in August. I didn't have much time or materials to decorate the room but with the help from the rest of the staff in the school, TPT and Pinterest, I was able to come up with that much.

Bag Toss Music Games

During the music notation unit, one of the activities I use is a bag toss activity. I have the five line staff on the floor and students have to toss a bag on the correct line or space. Students are divided in groups and each group challenges the other group by asking them to toss the bag on a specific note space or line.
I also used the staff on the floor with paper plates and the note letter name on each plate to create different words. Example is the word EGG, you can put the plates on the correct line or space with the correct letter name (you must have at least two sets of plates with the seven letter names).

One of the activities I use during the rhythm unit is a bag toss board game. I use two board with different note values written on them. Next to the note value, I have a whole for the bag to go through. Students try to hit the note with the highest value. Each student gets to toss the bag twice, then she/he adds the value of the notes and that counts for their points. If you want to make it more challenging, you can have them score four beats for a point. This way each player will have to count and figure out how many beats day need. If they score more than four beats, they will have to start over and not earn a point.

Secret Square Rhythm Game

During the rhythm unit, I play a game with my students called “Secret Square”. I use twenty to twenty four cards with different rhythm patterns written on them. I place the rhythm patterns face down so students cannot see them and put a number on top of each piece of paper. I divide the class in groups and each group takes a turn to pick a number/square. Then, they have to, as a group, work on playing the pattern correctly with percussion instruments. Meanwhile the rest of the class is practicing the same pattern because if the first group cannot perform it correctly next group can steal it and get extra points and an extra turn. I select three to four different squares to be the secret squares and if students choose one of them they get an extra turn. I also write on the board a twenty or twenty four squares frame with the numbers corresponding to the rhythm cards. This game resembles the tic-tac-toe game. If students perform the rhythm pattern correctly, they get to put their "logo" on the square. When students claim four squares in a row, they win the game. Other teams can block them just like in tic-tac-toe. 

Fly Swatter Game in Music

My students absolutely love to play the “Fly Swatter” game. I modified the game for music by writing different music notes on the white board. I again, divided the class in groups and have one person from each group come to the board. I would then ask them to find for example treble clef G. The first student to swat the note with the fly swatter wins a point for his/her team. Then, I have a different student from each team come to the board and play. 

I have used the same game with rhythm patterns.

Music From Around The World

Last year my sixth grade classes did a project on a “Music from around the World”. They each got to present a country of their choice, the country’s folk music, instruments, distinguished performers, and traditional celebrations that involves music and dancing. 

First and Second Grade Split Class Math

Again during my student teaching I got the great opportunity to teach first/second grade split class math. I used my niece’s ice-cream birthday party theme to work on fact families with my students. I had some first graders that were way ahead of some second graders and some second grades who were really struggling. So, I had to color code the activities based on my students abilities. It was very time consuming creating the project but it was worth it because the kids had a lot of fun and learned quickly. 

I did some graphing lessons with the first/second graders right around Christmas and this was one of the activities we worked on together. I’ve used a poem about Rudolph’s nose changing colors.

The Thirteen Colonies Project

In Social Studies class, during my student teaching, I developed a unit on the first thirteen colonies that came to the New World. The last couple of weeks of the unit I worked with students on a pop-up book project about the colonies. Students got to choose a colony and write about the different aspects of live the settlers experienced when they first came to America. The last page/room in the book they wrote interesting facts and showed pictures of the state nowadays. The students loved it! They researched the history of the colony and got to use their imagination while recreating life back then in their drawings.