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building relationships with students

9 Things To Do During the First Month of School

by BrainNinjasWP

Getting back into the school year is an exciting time, but there is can be so much to do that it can be difficult to prioritize what needs to be done first. Come read through our must-do list during the first month of school in your upper elementary classroom and we'll help you out.

As a student, I never appreciated the first month of school. It always seemed like we didn’t get too deep into the content and spent a lot of time playing games and doing art projects. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I recognized how much work teachers do during the first month of school. While we created a list with nine of the most important, there really are so many more that could be added.

[Read more…] about 9 Things To Do During the First Month of School

Filed Under: Classroom Tips Tagged With: Back to School, building relationships with students, Classroom Community, Classroom Organization, Classroom Set Up, communicate, communicating, communicating with parents, communication, communication with parents, First Year Teachers, first-year teachers, Holidays and Seasonal, Math Worksheets, new teacher, new teachers, Professional Learning, Teacher Mental Health, Teacher Organization, Teacher Wellness, Teacher Workload, Worksheets

7 Fantastic Ways to Create Classroom Community

by BrainNinjasWP

Building a caring classroom community doesn't happen by chance. It takes skills to create a classroom community where students take care of each other. Come learn some of the ways to build classroom community in your upper elementary classroom.

Have you ever seen those students that just work together in a classroom like a well-oiled machine? Have you ever dreamt of a classroom community full of harmony where students are on track and work together to learn in the best possible environment? It can happen, but building a caring classroom community doesn’t happen by chance.

We work hard teaching our students how to work together, how to care about each other and how to create a strong community of learners. Come read some of the ways we do this in our classroom.

[Read more…] about 7 Fantastic Ways to Create Classroom Community

Filed Under: Classroom Tips Tagged With: building relationships with students, Classroom Community, Classroom Management, Classroom Management Strategies, classroom tips, Health, Professional Learning, relationships with students

3 Ways to Support Introverts in the Classroom

by BrainNinjasWP

What are you doing in your upper elementary classroom to support your introvert learners? We have some practical suggestions that will benefit all the students in your classroom, while giving your introverts a chance to recharge. Come read and get some tools you can use right away.

Despite what some people might know about me, I’m an introvert and as a student, being painfully shy made learning difficult. As a teacher, it’s made me acutely aware that it’s important to support introverts in the classroom. We need to advocate for their needs. Check out some of the ways we support introverts in the classroom.

[Read more…] about 3 Ways to Support Introverts in the Classroom

Filed Under: Classroom Tips Tagged With: building relationships with students, Classroom Community, Classroom Management, classroom tips, Health, introverts, learner profiles, Mental Health, relationships with students, student mental health

How to Teach Students to Work in Groups

by BrainNinjasWP

Do your students struggle when working together in groups? Do you avoid group work because of it? Have you ever tried teaching students how to work in groups? Look no further. This post is full of ways to teach students to get along and work on projects together in groups. These are tried and true ways we've accomplished productive group work in our upper elementary classroom.

Some students love working in groups, while others prefer to work independently. There are many reasons students should learn to work in groups, but often we find teachers forget to teach the students what that looks like. Students need explicit teaching to understand the different group roles and processes. Here are some activities you can try to help your students get the most out of their group work.

[Read more…] about How to Teach Students to Work in Groups

Filed Under: Teaching Strategies Tagged With: building relationships with students, Classroom Community, Classroom Management, Classroom Management Strategies, group work, Health, Project Based Learning, relationships with students, student feedback, Student Teachers

Your Must-Do Back to School Survival Checklist

by BrainNinjasWP

This year is different than any other back to school seasons, so what are some of the things you can do to get yourself prepared regardless of whether you're teaching in person or online. Come take care of your own mental health before your students return!

We created a back to school checklist to think about what might happen this year. It’s not possible to predict exactly what will happen. Things tend to be getting back to normal, but it the past few years have tuaght us anything, don’t get complacent. You might be teaching in person, online or some sort of combination of these things.

You might be teaching a new subject or a new grade level. You might not know anything about what you’ll be doing.

None of it is within your control. So, let’s talk about the things you can control and get ready before you have to go back to school no matter how it looks.

[Read more…] about Your Must-Do Back to School Survival Checklist

Filed Under: Classroom Tips Tagged With: Back to School, building rapport, building relationships with students, Emergency Sub Plans, Survival Kit

How to Prank Your Students

by BrainNinjasWP

Are you looking for a fun but harmless prank for April Fool's Day? Pranks are great any time of year and they are a great way to bond with your students. Check out these free and easy to use pranks for your upper elementary classroom.

Do you like a lighthearted and fun prank? Do you have students that enjoy a good laugh? Are you looking for a way to celebrate April Fools’ Day? We were always struggling with ways to prank our students in a fun and caring way, and we’ve come up with a few great ones over the past few years.

If you have the kind of relationship with your students where everyone can enjoy a lighthearted, silly prank, then you’re doing something right. We are very clear with our students about what does or does not make for a good prank.

[Read more…] about How to Prank Your Students

Filed Under: Classroom Tips Tagged With: April Fool's Day, building rapport, building relationships with students, Classroom Community, classroom fun, Classroom Pranks, Holidays, Holidays and Seasonal, Just for Fun

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