Diane Ankenmann's List: classroom management

• <div id="center-well"><br/><br/> &lt;!-- .center-well-content begin: actual article/story contents --><br/> <div id="center-well-content"><br/> <br/>&lt;!--<br/><br/>on_before_center_column - start<br/><br/>--><br/><br/><br/>&lt;!--<br/><br/>on_before_center_column - end<br/><br/>--><br/><br/><br/>&lt;!-- Start Content for Search --><br/> <div class="coverdate"><br/> <div class="gray-label-plain">Published Online: June 27, 2012</div><br/> <br/><br/><br/> <br/><br/><br/> </div><br/> <br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/> <ul class="collection-header"><li class="collection-logo"><a rel="nofollow" href="/tm/collections/teacher-leaders-network/index.html"><img width="385" height="20" src="/media/2010/12/21/tln-long.gif" alt="collection logo"></a> </li><li><a rel="nofollow" href="/tm/collections/teacher-leaders-network/index.html">Complete Coverage <img width="5" height="8" src="/images/more-left-arrow.gif" alt="More"></a></li></ul> <br/><br/><br/> <h1>Teaching Secrets: Get to Know Students Through Seating Challenges</h1><br/><br/><br/><br/> <br/> <br/> <div class="byline"><br/> By<br/><br/> <br/><br/> Sandy Merz<br/><br/> </div><br/><br/> &lt;!-- user toolbox (story_toolbox_rev2.html) --><br/><br/>&lt;script type="text/javascript"><br/> &lt;!--<br/><br/> function Story() <br/> {<br/> this.title = this.getValue('Title');<br/> this.description = this.getValue('Description');<br/> this.author = this.getValue('Author'); <br/> this.cover_date = this.getValue('Cover_date');<br/><br/> this.uri = "http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/06/27/tln_merz.html?tkn=YZCFajk5r%2Fb92%2Fo9bUnosmyT2Dx54mVPd4Ke&amp;cmp=clp-sb-mw";<br/> this.uri_encrypt = "http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/06/27/tln_merz.html?tkn=VWXD6rZWIt4Q6W9qpDJqv0ncCh372ouwJ6C9";<br/><br/><br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getValue = function (key) <br/> {<br/> var metatags = document.getElementsByTagName("meta");<br/> if (!metatags)<br/> return null;<br/> for (i = 0; i &lt; metatags.length; i++)<br/> {<br/> var name = metatags[i].getAttribute("name");<br/> if (name && name.indexOf(key) == 0)<br/> {<br/> return metatags[i].getAttribute("content");<br/> <br/> }<br/> }<br/> return null;<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getINTC = function (f, g) <br/> {<br/> var result = f;<br/> if (("" != g) && (null != g)) {<br/> if (result.indexOf("intc") &lt; 0) {<br/> result = result + ((result.indexOf('?') &lt; 0) ? '?' : '&') + 'intc=' + g;<br/> } else {<br/> var arr = result.split("?");<br/> for ( idx = 0; idx &lt; arr.length; idx++) {<br/> if (arr[idx].indexOf("intc=") >= 0) {<br/> arr[idx] = "intc=" + g;<br/> }<br/> }<br/> result = arr.join("?");<br/> }<br/> }<br/> return result;<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getCMP = function (f, g) <br/> {<br/> var result = f;<br/> if (("" != g) && (null != g)) {<br/> if (result.indexOf("cmp") &lt; 0) {<br/> result = result + ((result.indexOf('?') &lt; 0) ? '?' : '&') + 'cmp=' + g;<br/> } else {<br/> var arr = result.split("?");<br/> for ( idx = 0; idx &lt; arr.length; idx++) {<br/> if (arr[idx].indexOf("cmp=") >= 0) {<br/> arr[idx] = "cmp=" + g;<br/> }<br/> }<br/> result = arr.join("?");<br/> }<br/> }<br/> return result;<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getURI = function (f, intc, cmp) <br/> {<br/> var result = "";<br/> if (intc) result = this.getINTC(this.uri, intc);<br/> if (cmp) result = (result == "") ? this.getCMP(this.uri, cmp) : this.getCMP(result, cmp);<br/> return (f?encodeURIComponent(result):result);<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getEncryptedURI = function (f, intc, cmp) <br/> {<br/> var result = "";<br/> if (intc) result = this.getINTC(this.uri_encrypt, intc);<br/> if (cmp) result = (result == "") ? this.getCMP(this.uri_encrypt, cmp) : this.getCMP(result, cmp); <br/> var encodedurl = (f?encodeURIComponent(result):result);<br/> return encodedurl;<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getTitle = function (f) <br/> {<br/> return (f?escape(this.title):this.title);<br/> }<br/><br/> Story.prototype.getDescription = function (f) <br/> {<br/> return (f?escape(this.description):this.description);<br/> }<br/><br/> Story.prototype.getAuthor = function (f) <br/> {<br/> return (f?escape(this.author):this.author);<br/> }<br/><br/> Story.prototype.getCoverDate = function (f) <br/> {<br/> return (f?escape(this.cover_date):this.cover_date);<br/> }<br/><br/> Story.prototype._WA = function (f, g)<br/> {<br/> if ((null != g) && ("" != g) && (0 != g)) {<br/> s.linkTrackVars = 'events,prop15,eVar15'; <br/> s.linkTrackEvents = 'event' + g.toString();<br/> s.events = 'event' + g.toString();<br/> var link_name = f;<br/> s.prop15 = s.eVar15 = link_name + ':' + s.pageName;<br/> s.tl(this, 'o', link_name);<br/> }<br/><br/> var ev = new _hbEvent("toolbox");<br/> ev.tool = f;<br/> _hbSend();<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.printIt = function () <br/> {<br/> this._WA('print it', "");<br/> window.location = this.getEncryptedURI()+((this.getEncryptedURI().indexOf('?') &lt; 0)?'?':'&')+'print=1';<br/> }<br/><br/> Story.prototype.emailIt = function () <br/> {<br/> this._WA('email it', 13);<br/> this.openPopup('/email_article.html?url='+this.getEncryptedURI(true, "es")<br/> +'&hdline='+this.getTitle(true)<br/> +'&date='+this.getCoverDate(true)<br/> +'&author='+this.getAuthor(true)<br/> +'&desc='+this.getDescription(true));<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.reprintIt = function ()<br/> {<br/> this._WA('reprint it', 14);<br/> setTimeout(function(){window.location = 'http://www.edweek.org/info/about/reprints.html';}, 10);<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.tagIt = function () <br/> {<br/> this._WA('tag it'); <br/> this.openPopup('http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+this.getURI(true)+'&title='+this.getTitle(true));<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.addIt = function () <br/> {<br/> this._WA('add it', 17); <br/> this.openPopup('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=edweek&url='+this.getEncryptedURI(true, "bs", "SOC-SHR-GEN") + '&title='+this.getTitle(true), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100');<br/> } <br/> <br/> Story.prototype.goBack = function () <br/> {<br/> window.location.replace(this.getURI(true));<br/> } <br/><br/> Story.prototype.openPopup = function (_url, _wn, _wa) <br/> {<br/> if (!_wa)<br/> {<br/> _wa = 'menubar=no,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100,width=700,height=550';<br/> _wn = 'wa';<br/> }<br/> window.open(_url, _wn, _wa);<br/> } <br/><br/> var story = new Story();<br/> --> <br/>&lt;/script><br/><br/><div class="usertoolbox-top"><br/><br/> <div class="welcome-box" id="divWelcomeBox"><br/> <div>Premium article access courtesy of TeacherMagazine.org.</div><br/> <div class="free-link">Read more <a rel="nofollow" href="/ew/section/free-content">FREE content</a>!</div><br/> </div><br/> <br/> <div class="usertoolbox-container"><br/> <div class="usertoolbox-title"><img class="article-tools" src="/images/spacer.gif" alt="Article Tools"></div><br/> <ul><br/> <li><a><img width="21" height="16" src="/images/tool-print.gif" alt="Print">Printer-Friendly</a></li><br/> <li><a><img width="21" height="16" src="/images/tool-email.gif" alt="Email">Email Article</a></li><br/> <li><a><img width="21" height="16" src="/images/tool-reprint.gif" alt="Reprint">Reprints</a></li><br/> &lt;!-- &lt;li>&lt;a href="javascript:{story.tagIt();}">&lt;img src="/images/tool-tag.gif" width="21" height="16" alt="Tag" />Tag This&lt;/a>&lt;/li> --><br/> &lt;!-- &lt;li>&lt;a href="javascript:{story.addIt();}" lid="Add It">&lt;img src="http://s3.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" width="125" height="16" border="0" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" />&lt;/a>&lt;/li> --><br/> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="#comments"><img width="21" height="16" src="/images/tool-comments.gif" alt="Comments">Comments <span id="articleCommentCount"></span></a></li><br/> <br/> <li><span class="share-twitter"><iframe frameborder="0" style="width: 107px; 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top: -10000px; height: 0pt; width: 0pt;"><div><iframe name="fb_xdm_frame_http" src="http://static.ak.facebook.com/connect/xd_arbiter.php?version=9#channel=f39ba12f06d1452&amp;origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org&amp;channel_path=%2Ftm%2Farticles%2F2012%2F06%2F27%2Ftln_merz.html%3Ftkn%3DYZCFajk5r%252Fb92%252Fo9bUnosmyT2Dx54mVPd4Ke%26cmp%3Dclp-sb-mw%26fb_xd_fragment%23xd_sig%3Dfdc358a78b07ce%26" id="fb_xdm_frame_http"></iframe><iframe name="fb_xdm_frame_https" src="https://s-static.ak.facebook.com/connect/xd_arbiter.php?version=9#channel=f39ba12f06d1452&amp;origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org&amp;channel_path=%2Ftm%2Farticles%2F2012%2F06%2F27%2Ftln_merz.html%3Ftkn%3DYZCFajk5r%252Fb92%252Fo9bUnosmyT2Dx54mVPd4Ke%26cmp%3Dclp-sb-mw%26fb_xd_fragment%23xd_sig%3Dfdc358a78b07ce%26" id="fb_xdm_frame_https"></iframe></div><div></div></div></div><br/>&lt;script><br/><br/>window.fbAsyncInit = function() {<br/> FB.init({<br/> appId : '114729431453',<br/> status : true, // check login status<br/> cookie : true, // enable cookies to allow the server to access the session<br/> xfbml : true, // parse XFBML<br/> oauth : true // enable OAuth 2.0<br/> });<br/> <br/> FB.Event.subscribe('edge.create', function(href, widget) {<br/> story._WA("Facebook", 17);<br/> story._WA("Facebook", 18);<br/> });<br/>};<br/> (function() {<br/> var e = document.createElement('script'); e.async = true;<br/> e.src = document.location.protocol +<br/> '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js';<br/> document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e);<br/> }());<br/><br/>&lt;/script><br/><br/>&lt;script><br/><br/>twttr.events.bind('click', function(event) {<br/> story._WA("Twitter", 17);<br/>});<br/><br/>&lt;/script><br/>&lt;!-- END Facebook and Twitter Event Binding --><br/>&lt;!-- end of user toolbox (story_toolbox_rev2.html) --><br/><br/><br/> <p><em>Where do I sit?</em> It's the universal first question, at the top of students' minds as they cross the threshold of my room on the first day of class. </p><br/> <p>Many teachers start the semester with students seated alphabetically: It's easy and aids in learning names. Others may wait to make a seating chart until they get to know their students. </p><br/> <p>I've tried both of these approaches with my 8th graders. Until recently, I usually seated students alphabetically while paying attention to gender. I'd also get feedback from previous teachers on whether I should watch out for any "bad combinations." </p><br/> <p>However, these practices don't demand anything from students. Nor do they provide immediate data about the nature of the class. </p><br/> <p>I've found that by engaging students in seating challenges, I set a positive collaborative tone from the first day. I a</p></div></div>
• gain information about how each class will function—information that might otherwise take weeks to learn.
• Day 1: Greet each student at the door
• "Sit in birthday order so that the person with the birthday closest to January 1 sits in Seat 1.
• Day 2: Ask the students to follow these instructions: "Line up in alphabetical order by the name you like to be called.
• Day 3 is
• Do not talk or whisper after you enter the room.
  
    2) In the room, line up in order by height.
• 4: The instructions read: "Sort yourselves into two groups: sneaker wearers and non-sneaker wearers
• Day 5: The instructions read: "Form two groups—students who prefer to spend free time indoors and those who prefer to spend it outdoors.

7 more annotations...

• I think middle grades students know what is expected RULE-wise, and I enforce the basics: self-respect, respect for others and for property. Where I am really “strict” is on procedures – how we do things, when we do things, and where things belong. As our classroom procedures begin to become second nature to my students, the positive learning environment emerges.
• I build a structured routine of how I envision our classroom looking and functioning, and I model that over and over, helping students create their own method for fitting into the picture. I explain to them why I want things the way I want them and help them see how working together can create a more comfortable place for all of us to be.
• One of the most important things a teacher can do is to meet and greet students at the door every day, every hour, by name
• post pictures of students from the local newspaper, along with comics, sports news, and other interesting information on the door

• Give us the essential strategies you use to create an “organized” classroom.

   

  A place for everything – a place to turn in work, a place for supplies, a teacher-only space, a place for today’s handouts, a place for attendance, a place for EVERYTHING.
• My best organizer is the bell-ringer assignment students find on the board when they walk in. It gets the kids engaged right away,
• questions that tie yesterday’s lesson to what we’ll do today,
• supply locations
• Organize so that it is easy for you to scan at the end of the hour to make sure things are taken care of.
• different colored Expo markers for different classes
• Seating charts

9 more annotations...

• Have specific places for students to turn in work. I use plastic stackable baskets with bold clear labels for each class period.
• Have a designated place for absent students to collect their work when they return to school.
• I put exactly what we did that day—with any homework and handouts— in a basket marked both with ABSENT WORK and the particular class period.
• Have a NO NAME folder.
• Use an online grading program.
• Parents and students appreciate having instant access to what is missing and what is due. But do not get behind on grading. You expect students to turn work in on time; have the courtesy to assess and return that work promptly.
• Have a board in the hall outside your classroom where you write what students need for class each period.
• . A quick glance tells them whether they need their book, reminds them what homework is due
• Write the day's lesson for each class period on the board. This solves the perpetual “What are we doing today?” question as well as focuses you and your students on the task at hand. I can take a quick look at the list to know what is next in my lesson plan.
• Expect students to come to class prepared. I do not allow them to leave the room to get calculators, pencils, etc. I loan pencils, paper, textbooks, etc., and they are all in a designated area of the classroom.
• Keep seating charts handy.
• Use email for parent contacts whenever possible.
• Talk to parents early on—establish a positive relationship before there are problems. Send them a positive email about something you notice about their student.

11 more annotations...

• Power Seats, by merit of their location, magnify a student's presence in the class. Safe Zones, on the other hand, downplay the effects of a student's actions on the class dynamics—without compromising his or her access to content.

• t of Power Seats was midway up the U's right arm (as viewed from the back of class), opposite from where I tend to stand. The four seats on the base of the U gained power by having the best view of the entire room. The last set of Power Seats was near the end of the left arm of the U. These seats were on the sight line to the most frequently used whiteboard.

   

  Safe Zones were on the arms near the base of the U. Students in these seats have a good view of instruction, but aren't in the view of other students. Another smaller Safe Zone was at the front end of the right arm, near my personal area.

• look over last year’s yearbook.
• Create a birthday list for each class (celebrate half-birthdays for summer birthdays, six months from the actual date). Decide what small thing you might do to honor each child.
• group birthdays by month
• Develop some sort of impartial method for calling on students during class. Assigning student numbers and then randomly picking a number works well. You can put the numbers on craft sticks
• how you will capture students on the first day of schoo
• some easy-to-implement, highly engaging activity to snag their interests and build a bridge
• give them a sense of who I am, my sense of humor, and what I love about my job and them
• method to manage and keep track of daily paperwork, especially for absent students.
• a hanging folder for each student in every class.

7 more annotations...

• <div id="center-well"><br/><br/> &lt;!-- .center-well-content begin: actual article/story contents --><br/> <div id="center-well-content"><br/> <br/>&lt;!--<br/><br/>on_before_center_column - start<br/><br/>--><br/><br/><br/>&lt;!--<br/><br/>on_before_center_column - end<br/><br/>--><br/><br/><br/>&lt;!-- Start Content for Search --><br/> <div class="coverdate"><br/> <div class="gray-label-plain">Published Online: September 15, 2010</div><br/> <br/><br/><br/> <br/><br/><br/> </div><br/> <br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/> <ul class="collection-header"><li class="collection-logo"><a rel="nofollow" href="/tm/collections/teacher-leaders-network/index.html"><img width="385" height="20" src="/media/2010/12/21/tln-long.gif" alt="collection logo"></a> </li><li><a rel="nofollow" href="/tm/collections/teacher-leaders-network/index.html">Complete Coverage <img width="5" height="8" src="/images/more-left-arrow.gif" alt="More"></a></li></ul> <br/><br/><br/> <h1>Teaching Secrets: Taking My Students on a Classroom Tour</h1><br/><br/><br/><br/> <br/> <br/> <div class="byline"><br/> By<br/><br/> <br/><br/> Marsha Ratzel<br/><br/> </div><br/><br/> &lt;!-- user toolbox (story_toolbox_rev2.html) --><br/><br/>&lt;script type="text/javascript"><br/> &lt;!--<br/><br/> function Story() <br/> {<br/> this.title = this.getValue('Title');<br/> this.description = this.getValue('Description');<br/> this.author = this.getValue('Author'); <br/> this.cover_date = this.getValue('Cover_date');<br/><br/> this.uri = "http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2010/09/15/tln_ratzel.html?tkn=ZRZF%2FCsty6RQ0ltMWceCfc%2B5%2FYBAcGhCp00l&amp;cmp=clp-edweek";<br/> this.uri_encrypt = "http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2010/09/15/tln_ratzel.html?tkn=XRODvYVvToT%2FwfD6Efy3gieBZALTlO%2BRAcpM";<br/><br/><br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getValue = function (key) <br/> {<br/> var metatags = document.getElementsByTagName("meta");<br/> if (!metatags)<br/> return null;<br/> for (i = 0; i &lt; metatags.length; i++)<br/> {<br/> var name = metatags[i].getAttribute("name");<br/> if (name && name.indexOf(key) == 0)<br/> {<br/> return metatags[i].getAttribute("content");<br/> <br/> }<br/> }<br/> return null;<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getINTC = function (f, g) <br/> {<br/> var result = f;<br/> if (("" != g) && (null != g)) {<br/> if (result.indexOf("intc") &lt; 0) {<br/> result = result + ((result.indexOf('?') &lt; 0) ? '?' : '&') + 'intc=' + g;<br/> } else {<br/> var arr = result.split("?");<br/> for ( idx = 0; idx &lt; arr.length; idx++) {<br/> if (arr[idx].indexOf("intc=") >= 0) {<br/> arr[idx] = "intc=" + g;<br/> }<br/> }<br/> result = arr.join("?");<br/> }<br/> }<br/> return result;<br/> }<br/> <br/> Story.prototype.getCMP = function (f, g) <br/> {<br/> var result = f;<br/> if (("" != g) && (null != g)) {<br/> if (result.indexOf("cmp") &lt; 0) {<br/> result = result + ((result.indexOf('?') &lt; 0) ? 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e.async = true;<br/> e.src = document.location.protocol +<br/> '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js';<br/> document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e);<br/> }());<br/><br/>&lt;/script><br/><br/>&lt;script><br/><br/>twttr.events.bind('click', function(event) {<br/> story._WA("Twitter", 17);<br/>});<br/><br/>&lt;/script><br/>&lt;!-- END Facebook and Twitter Event Binding --><br/>&lt;!-- end of user toolbox (story_toolbox_rev2.html) --><br/><br/><br/> <p>Hitting the second week of school means getting down some of the routines and procedures that make your classes run more like a well-oiled machine than a smoking jalopy. This can also create a surprising amount of extra time for teaching and learning. Here’s how I do it in my middle grades' classroom. </p><br/> <p>Midway through the first month of school, I offer my tween students a tour of the user-friendly features of my room. And I try to work in bits of humor because, by the second week, they have been talked “at” so much, I think their eyes are permanently rolled up into their heads.</p><br/> <p><strong>The first tour stop is the “Start of Class Procedure and Class Agenda,”</strong> projected on my interactive whiteboa</p></div></div>
• I use the SmartNotebook software
• three or four step routine that helps the students get everything ready to go
• Step 1 is always checking to see if the desks have to be re-configured
• I have the most common configurations saved as .jpeg pictures and project them
• Step 2 is to check the Homework Board and write down what they see.
• Step 3 requires them to get out the standard materials (spiral, book, and pencil), plus anything extra that I’ve listed in the agenda
• send them to “my table” to pick up handouts
• Step 4 sends them to the Homework Center where they put their homework into the proper basket
• Supply Center. This is where I keep everything to which students have immediate access all the time.
• two trays that store all the extra copies of handouts that I provide. I teach students to use several strategies if they lose a handout (which almost 10 percent of them do at one time or another). First check the Lost and Found box. If it’s not there, try the Extra Handouts Box in the Supply Center.
• If there aren’t any extra copies, students can go to the library, download and print another copy from our class webpage. This is huge timesaver because it puts the burden on them to take care of lost papers, and I think it empowers them to realize they can solve their own problems.
• supplies, we move onto the Homework Board
• how long my Homework Board will continue? This year, I’ve added a subscribe button to my class homework webpage.
• my own work area. I use a desk and a table. My desk is mine and I don’t share with anyone. I explain that anything on my desk is off-limits. Next to my desk is my table─and that is communal property.
• I store two stools under the table
• I conduct all class business
• word walls. This is where students find the words we’ve determined are key to understanding the “technical” jargon of a particular unit.
• My latest goal is to video students explaining each stop on the tour. I’d like to splice the clips together and upload the video on our class page. The next time I have new classes, I’ll show the video several times and add in any extras that aren’t covered.

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• Don't try to teach too much in one day
• Don't teach a lesson without a student activity
• Don't allow students to shout out answers.
• Don't make tests too hard

• Don't be indecisive.

   

  Although this could certainly be phrased more positively ("be decisive"), I phrased it this way to emphasize that teachers must actively avoid indecisive behavior. When a student asks a question like, "Can I do my test in red ink?" you have three seconds to pause, consider the question, and answer yes or no. There is no wrong answer, only a wrong way of saying it.

   

  If you conclude you've made a bad decision, it's possible to reverse it the next day. Even your reversal, however, must be done decisively: "I thought that, but now I think this. Let's move on."
• Don't babble.

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• Emotionally charged events persist much longer in our memories and are recalled with greater accuracy than neutral memories.
• The brain remembers the emotional components of an experience better than any other aspect.
• The more attention the brain pays to a given stimulus, the more elaborately the information will be encoded—and retained.
• Our brains seek out the connections between concepts, or the meaning, and by doing so, increase the likelihood that we will remember the details. Creating associations between concepts can increase our ability to remember details by as much as 40%. One of the most common mistakes teachers make is relating too much information without connecting the dots, thereby sacrificing learning for the sake of expediency.
• To keep students engaged, you must win the battle for their attention every 10 minutes.
• I also organize my material in a hierarchical fashion, because that is how the brain processes information. In addition, it is important to map out the lecture/lesson plan for them and repeat it with each new concept so that they are not struggling to make those connections while you are teaching a particular concept.

• Successful hooks usually have the following three qualities.

   
   
  1. Triggers an emotional response (such as a personal narrative)
   
  2. Relates to the topic
   
  3. Fits between 10-minute modules (summarizes the previous module or teases the next module)

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• Students are also far more likely to follow the rules of the classroom if they have a part in creating those rules.
• Cally Stockton suggests having students create a class constitution.
• The fewer items in the constitution, the more likely students are to remember them and follow them.
• prioritize the list so that the most important items or most basic items appear at the top and reword items that are phrased in a negative way ("do this" rather than "don't do that").
• create a sense of community and positive energy in your classroom is to make decorating the room a collaborative effort at the start of each semester.
• post some positive core messages, quotes from famous people, or song lyrics that are motivating and then have students find or create images that illustrate those messages
• have the students create mobiles with objects to hang around the room.

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• middle grades students should be "known as individuals and feel cared for and valued"
• A Million Words or Less
• assignment is for parents. In the first few weeks of school, when you are sending home all of the usual informational pieces and sign-off slips, include a sheet that says, "In a millions words or less, tell me about your child."
• Some teachers have included a self-introduction, giving parents a short bio about themselves and their goals for their students. Some then follow by explaining the purpose and importance of this "assignment."
• use this activity with your students
• some examples of prompts

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• Leave yourself reminders on your laptop.
• post-it memos stuck to my laptop with reminders
• Never let the other students see you react inappropriately to a student's comment.
• Yes, by looking at the other students with a smirk, a pitiful face, or a confused look, I could have "bonded" with the class. I could have been part of the group that "got it" and knew Andrew's answer was off. Instead, I looked only at Andrew, thanked him for answering, responded quickly, and moved on
• all 26 kids in that class learned three important things: 1) No matter how foolish your answer is, you will not be ridiculed in this class; 2) All of my students are equally important to me; and 3) While I want to have a close relationship with you, it will never be at the expense of another student.
• Actually use the information you receive from a first-day student survey.
• make a list of the hobbies, interests, and extra-curricular activities that they write about on their surveys. I also write down their responses to such questions as, "Do you prefer to work alone or with a partner?" and "Do you like doing math?
• Schedule "bonding" time
• I can get to know students effectively while they are doing problem-solving activities or small-group work
• learn your students' names immediately

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• One factor is classroom management. No matter how adept you are with a teaching technique or tool, your lessons are going to bomb if you're disorganized or don't provide students clear procedures and expectations
• students were more responsive to me only after I became more responsive to them.
• -my classroom became their classroom
• Do you praise students because you're trying to manipulate them or because you appreciate them
• Are students (and you) afraid to make mistakes in your classroom or do you model and reinforce thoughtful risk-taking

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• • Provides students an outlet for verbalizing thoughts and feelings, thus alleviating the need to act them out.
   
  • Resolves student-teacher conflict promptly and peacefully
• Promotes shared accountability and ownership
• Presents opportunities for levity
• Earns teachers their students' respect and, in turn, their cooperation and compassion
• Helps teachers establish control of their classrooms without being controlling.
• This strategy was used in my current graduate course where my professor uses an “Exit Ticket” as a way to end class, receive feedback (from both sides), gauge the feelings and concerns of the students, and improve the course materials, instruction, and relevance of the content.

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• Allow anonymity
• Post completed forms. Establish a board or wall in the back of your classroom so that students can read each other's feedback and your responses.
• Set limits. Whether it relates to language or scope, establish up front what is and isn't acceptable for feedback forms
• Respond honestly but also graciously, open-mindedly, and respectfully. Accept students' feedback rather than refute it, even when it may be inaccurate and insulting
• Respond neutrally.
• Inject humor.
• Stand your ground. Students may see your openness to their feedback as a chance to always get what they want if they put enough pressure on you. So be sure to resist this pressure when what students want is not in their best interest.
• "I like it when you give us a chance to speak for what we want."
• Whether or not I actually gave students what they wanted was irrelevant. What mattered was that I gave them a voice, and dignified what they had to say even when I disagreed with it.

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