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Classroom Management Ideas

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This is the time of year when you start to think about classroom management.  Organizing for instruction takes some time and thought.  However, setting yourself up for successful next year is worth the effort!
Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

Classroom Management: Focus Wall

When my administration first brought up the subject of a focus wall, I had to work REALLY hard to not roll my eyes in the back of my head.  I mean…REALLY?!  However, after the first week of using it, I knew they were right… dagnabbit!  It really DID help me keep my teaching objectives clear.

After the first month or so, my students noticed it AND read it.  “What are we working on this week, Mrs. Wills?”

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

The “I Can” cards stayed constant throughout the year, but objective cards took only a few minutes to update each week.  I sure like easy!  (NOTE:  The “I Can” card are editable, so you can add your own district objectives)

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

Classroom Management: Anchor Charts

If you find that you repeat yourself about routines, then it is worthy of an anchor chart.  Some charts stay up all. year. long.  Here are a few that never come down.

ALL STAR WORK

This is especially helpful at the beginning of the year.  Those first few weeks, there seems to be some sort of student-led contest.  They call it, “I am the first one finished, but I did not put any thought into my work.”  The goal of this chart is to slow them down and have them make choices in the work they are completing.  Since meaning is conveyed through illustrations in kindergarten (especially at the beginning of the year), I want my students to be thoughtful illustrators.

This thoughtfulness carries over to their writing in writer’s workshop.  As you know, they don’t all come in with the same set of skills. What is considered “All Star Work” for one student, may not be the same for another.  You are the teacher.  You know when you can nudge a student to improve and when to applaud their attempts. BONUS:  Small motor skills improve as their hand strength and coordination improves.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

MORNING ROUTINES AND PACKING UP ROUTINES

This chart SAVED my life!   I used to feel like the end of the day procedure was like film clip of an ER.  I was barking orders like a triage nurse in a trauma center.  I sincerely HATE to repeat myself… so why was I?  Why does it have to be stressful?  It doesn’t.  Have a concrete routine planned out.  Practice it over and over.  I have a similar chart for our morning routine.  BONUS:  If you are out for a day, the substitute knows EXACTLY what it should look like.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

LINING UP

OY!  That is all I am going to say about this routine. Tired of repeating yourself… then don’t!

Station Management ~ Center Management

This is what my station management work board looks like.  One side is for literacy stations and one side is for math stations.  You can find a similar pocket chart HERE.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

We do 2 literacy station rotations a day and 2 math station rotations a day.  Students are at each station for 15-20 minutes.  This allows me to pull small groups and to do intervention work.
At the end of the day, the activity cards move down one.  The students stay the same.
Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

Grouping

Literacy:  homogeneously  Math: heterogeneously   I try to put a boy with a girl… less drama that way.

If I have an odd number of students, I will either put 3 in a group (IF they work REALLY well together). But usually, I have a student who does his/her best work alone, so have them partner with my dog, Dexter (insert image of a stuffed animal here).  As long as this child does not view this as a punishment, that usually works just fine.  As teachers, we have to look closely, don’t we.  Their hearts are fragile and we have to take care of them.

Task Cards

The work board above tells the students were to go for their activity.  The station activity bin is labeled with a matching label.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

The task card shows them what to do.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

The paperclip allows me to attach the “I Can” Card to the station sign if I want to.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

 Deal of the Day

These items have been discounted!  Click on the images below.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.
I hope that gives you a few ideas for classroom management.
Classroom Management IDEAS, Kindergarten classroom management ideas to keep your classroom learning organized. Independent students makes a happy teacher.

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Comments

  1. Sara Quinn says

    August 24 at 8:22 pm

    Thank you so much for your all star work rubric. I adapted it for myself and did it on the Promethean board today with my kinders. It was perfect for the first day of school and I was SO impressed with how hard they worked!!!!

    Reply
    • Deedee says

      August 26 at 7:04 pm

      Yay! That is great!!!! My class always loved those punch cards!

      Reply
  2. Michelle says

    June 24 at 3:23 pm

    Hello, I’ve enjoyed all your online webinars. I’m excited for the new center webinar tomorrow. I’m busy setting up my literacy and math stations for next year seeing what I have and what I need to buy . I want to label my tables next year with 2D and 3D shape signs and also to label the center finish bin with the same labels as the tables (like in your Centers like a Boss web.) Do you offer your 2D and 3D signs in any of your organization packs? I looked briefly and didn’t see them mentioned in any of the packs but could have missed them?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Deedee says

      July 5 at 12:35 pm

      Thank you so much!

      You can find them in this link:

      Reply

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  1. The BEST Kindergarten Schedule ~ Fitting it all in! - Mrs. Wills Kindergarten says:
    July 23 at 8:46 pm

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