Twin Tuesday: Classroom Management at the Beginning of the Year

Twin Tuesday ya'll!! And even though my twin wasn't at school today (don't worry, she kept me sane through phone conversations!!) we are ready to post!!

This week we decided that we would talk about classroom management at the BEGINNING of the year. Read below to find out what classroom management in my kinder room looks like! Then stop by my BFF's blog to see how she rocks it in first!!

So this year one of my goals and focuses was on classroom management. I came into the year a few weeks late last year so I missed the most CRUCIAL time to teach my students classroom management! This year was not about to be the same! When I sat down and planned my year, I made sure to dedicate the first few weeks (especially week one and two) to PBIS bootcamp!! I wanted to drill the classroom/school expectations and positive behavior into my adorable little rays routine!

To say I am happy with the turnout is an understatement!!!!!! Let me explain how I taught my students the expectations and my kids made classroom management seem like such an easy task!! The first two days of school, the only items on my agenda were practicing reciting names and transitions (well, and surviving!). We practiced standing up, pushing in our chairs, and going to the carpet (vice-versa) over and over. We walked the halls of the schools in a quiet line. To teach my students how to line up and walk in the halls, I first gave them their line order. It is SO much easier to have the students line up order and saves so many headaches from hearing "I was first!" Not to mention it reduces the pushing/shoving that can happen. My kids feel so mature and responsible knowing their spots in line. We put a bubble in our mouth to keep our voices from escaping us, put our hands at our sides/in our pockets/behind our backs, and my favorite part: we get our MARSHMALLOW toes ready!! Yes, you read right!! I told my kiddos that it is so important to have marshmallow toes because it means that we are so quiet, we will bring smiles to everyone's faces! My kid's LOVE it! My kids know how our classroom works. They understand when to be silly, when to focus, how to behave when other people enter our room, and most importantly, they know how AMAZING they can be.

My students practiced sharing, working together, and transitioning on repeat for the first few weeks. I do not regret a second I spent practicing this with my little rays because they work SO well together. We started practicing and rotating some reading workshops and my kids blew me away! They worked diligently on their stations, transitioned exceptionally well, and impressed me with their ability to work so well together! I have watched them work really hard to help each other and I truly think it is because we worked our little tails off to be respectful, responsible, and safe in our daily routine. We use blue tickets as a reward system at our school. Students who are working hard, showing classroom expectations, and being a friend receive a blue ticket. Once they earn 25 tickets, they get a necklace and a foot charm. Each 25 they get, they earn more feet. Last year it took months for my kids to get necklaces. This year, I had about 12 kids get necklaces the first time they were given out. I promise positive reinforcement is key in classroom management. As soon as I saw a student who was not doing what they should, I would praise a student I saw doing the right thing. The other student immediately corrected their behavior. Since the third week of school, I rarely have to redirect my kids. If I do, once is enough!!

The differences I see in my class this year compared to last differ IMMENSELY, especially when looking at classroom management. Last year, my students had a hard time during specials classes and with transitions. This year, my students have been able to transition so well that they tied for having the best behavior during their prep classes (which earned us a trophy!) AND they won the shelf elf from the library for being the QUIETEST CLASS IN THE WHOLE SCHOOL. Yep, reread that. The WHOLE school. Did I mention I teach kindergarten??? They also have earned almost 30 compasses, a reward given from another teacher for seeing them show expectations in the hallway! My kids impress me on a daily basis. I credit all of our success on the PBIS bootcamp and their desire to learn and grow. I think my students were able to fully grasp what they are expected to do and more importantly, know that I believe that they are capable of it.

Thanks for reading!! What do you do for classroom management in the beginning of the year?? Leave a comment below!! AND Make sure to check out what classroom management in the beginning of the year looks like in first grade with Beginnings With Baer!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, GO, she is AH-MAZING!