Ninja Notes

Let us help you teach like a ninja!

Classroom Tips

30 Free Ways to Reward Students

by

If you are looking for some free classroom rewards that you can use for extrinsic motiviation, this is the list for you. Come check out these classroom rewards that you can use without it costing any money.

While not all students are motivated by rewards, many are. But, either way, rewarding students shouldn’t cost you a fortune. In fact, we’ve found that students will often perform better and feel more rewarded with simple and free rewards. Are you looking for ways to reward your students without breaking the bank? Here are 30 free ideas to motivate and reward your students.

[Read more…] about 30 Free Ways to Reward Students

Five Easy Christmas Tree Projects for Leftover Bits and Pieces

by

Do you have lots of odds and ends leftover from various Christmas art porjects and crafts over the years? Here are five projects to help use them up. Come find the free art project instructions and get some new ideas for your upper elementary students. These make great gifts or decorations during the festive season.
Rolled Christmas Wrapping Paper

If you’re like us (and most teachers), you likely have lots of bits and pieces left over from previous projects. We often have to buy a class set of things and always have one or two left over. The good news is that we have some projects that can use some of that up and still create awesome Christmas tree projects for your art class. Have your students gift them to their families. Come check out these Christmas tree projects.

[Read more…] about Five Easy Christmas Tree Projects for Leftover Bits and Pieces

40 Great Books for Inspiring a Growth Mindset

by

Add these books with characters who are overcoming challenges to your classroom library. Having a growth mindset is important for learning and these books are a great way to show students how to work through learning challenges. Come check out our list and tell us which ones we've missed.

Having a growth mindset means knowing how to rebound after a failure or not giving up when learning something new. Children are incredibly resilient, but developing a growth mindset needs to be taught. Many students have a fear of failure, and many parents today prevent their children from experiencing it. Learning to fail is a healthy skill that will serve a child throughout their life. Come learn some of the activities and books we use to help students learn to have a growth mindset.

[Read more…] about 40 Great Books for Inspiring a Growth Mindset

Scary Halloween Books for Your Classroom Library

by

Are you looking for some scary Halloween books for your upper elementary classroom library? We've collected titles of great Halloween books from our students and update our list all the time. Come have a read!

Whether you’re creating a Halloween-themed classroom library or planning some eerie read-alouds, these titles deliver thrills, chills, and laughs. Many are proudly written or illustrated by Canadian talent. We love to share scary books all year. Our students ask for them. Many of them want to read a haunted story or something that is a little creepy. You don’t have to read scary Halloween books at Halloween, but that is part of the fun.

[Read more…] about Scary Halloween Books for Your Classroom Library

Are You Still Wasting Time With Brain Breaks?

by

Are brain breaks taking up too much time in your lessons and interrupting learning? You're probably using them incorrectly. Come read this post to help put the best practices for brain breaks into your classroom.

Do you find that brain breaks are disrupting your learning and working time? Do students seem more stimulated after a brain break? Is it difficult to get them calmed back down? Maybe you’ve been using brain breaks wrong? Stop wasting your learning time with brain breaks by managing them differently.

[Read more…] about Are You Still Wasting Time With Brain Breaks?

Easy Ways to Show Appreciation to Your School Support Staff

by

There are so many people in schools that work hard to make it a special place. Find ways to thank volunteers, bus drivers, support staff, custodians, educational assistants or anyone else who makes your school a special place in this blog post chock full of of easy and inexpesive ways to show your appreciation.

Hey, fellow teachers! We all know our schools wouldn’t run nearly as smoothly without the incredible support staff who keep everything ticking. Educational assistants, custodians, office staff, librarians, volunteers – they’re the unsung heroes who make our jobs easier and our schools brighter. Let’s show them some love! Meaningful appreciation doesn’t have to break the bank or eat up all your prep time. Come check out some of the ways we’re saying thank you to the people who help make our jobs easier.

[Read more…] about Easy Ways to Show Appreciation to Your School Support Staff