Last week I had the privilege of teaching two online workshops for teachers about getting ready for the upcoming school year. They were both so much fun! We played games that teachers can use with their students (either in person
We want students to be more than compliant, don’t we? In addition to doing the right things, we want them to do so for the right reasons. We want students to pick up trash to keep the room clean, to be
Consequences are complicated. You can’t have an effective approach to discipline without them, yet they can’t be the focus of discipline either. In schools, there are often many different opinions about what appropriate consequences are and how they should be
This article appeared in the Responsive Classroom Newsletter: November 2015 (https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/our-classroom-walls)
During the school day we spend most of our time in our classroom and so do twenty to thirty students (give or take a few!). Many of us feel
Original post: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/whats-name
How do you refer to the students in your class when addressing them? At first glance, this may seem like a trivial issue; but consider how many times throughout the day we speak to students to get
December 16, 2012, Responsive Classroom Blog, Original Link: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/no-ordinary-monday
Teachers, principals, and other school staff nationwide are thinking about what to do and what to say tomorrow when they and their students return to school in
Original Article: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/setting-stage-successful-assemblies
From the Whole School series
by Mike Anderson
Responsive Classroom Newsletter:
August 2011
School assemblies, including those involving families, are an important
Do you work with 4th graders? If so, I’d love to know what you think of “The Leap into 4th Grade,” my article in the new issue of Educational Leadership.
The theme of the
Original Article: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr11/vol68/num07/The-Leap-into-4th-Grade.aspx
Amazing energy and enthusiasm, increased anxiety, and tougher academic demands—all these make 4th grade a pivotal year.
“Yes!” cries Danny, pumping his fist as he looks at the schedule for the day. “We have P.E.
Original Article: http://inservice.ascd.org/the-power-of-positive-routines/
Think about the amount of time that you spend on autopilot each day. Do you drive to work along the same route? Do you tend to park in the same spot when you get there? Once you enter
Original Article: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/608-anderson.aspx?utm_source=ascdexpress&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=express608
A professor once told a colleague of mine that he could tell which teachers were good classroom managers. He’d just watch to see who could quickly get students’ quiet attention. Those teachers, he said, would have more time
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/comfortable-way-work
I remember one third grader who really struggled with sitting still. If I’d required him to sit while he worked, it would have been really hard for him to get anything done. This child needed to move to
What are strategies for helping students be more physically active during the day, and how do we keep control of the group if they’re sitting less and moving more?
Try having lessons take place in one area of the room,
“My students have such a hard time sitting still! They call out all the time! They’re constantly out of their seats!” After hearing this refrain over and over again from teachers, I decided to do a
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/classroom-connections
In my first couple of years teaching fourth grade, I was surprised by how much my students argued about who owned which supplies. “Nicole, can I borrow your black marker?” Carradine would ask. “No. My mom bought these
With new technologies arriving on the scene constantly, it can be hard for teachers to keep up. Which devices will improve the learning environment in your classroom? Which will gather dust? Here are some basic guidelines to help you decide
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/every-teacher-tips-parents-and-other-volunteers-classroom
Inviting parents and other adult family members into the classroom gives them a chance to experience some of their child’s school life. It can also be a way for you to get some help with clerical work (photocopying,
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/every-teacher-tips-community-supplies
Just like adults, children of all ages need sufficient quantities of good-quality supplies if they’re going to do their best work.
At the start of the year, teachers (or schools) often give out lists of supplies for each
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/behavior-challenges-homestretch
It’s April. It’s tempting to think that by now students understand our expectations and know how to behave, so we can all just coast to the end of the year. But, in most classrooms, that’s probably not true.
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/do-you-have-chatty-class
I hear a lot from teachers who are feeling frustrated by students’ “chattiness.” They say things like “Mike, they’re not bad kids, they just won’t stop talking to each other. As soon as I stop talking, they start,”
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/introducing-time-out-older-students
A few weeks ago, on the RC discussion board on Facebook, Aimee Casale asked for suggestions for introducing Take a Break (also called Positive Time-Out) to students in the upper elementary grades. I answered her there, and I
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/how-do-you-manage-have-private-conversations-students
A: When I needed to chat privately with a child or help a few students work out a problem together, I often did it during lunch or recess. Meeting outside of class time gave us more time to
Original Article: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/working-families
Question: In my classroom this year, I am implementing two teaching strategies, Morning Meeting and Rules and Logical Consequences, but I’m concerned about parents’ reactions. I can imagine that they will worry that we’re “wasting time” with play or