How to Trim HOURS Off Your Teacher Workweek NOW!

It's hard to believe that the typical workweek is 40 hours, because a 40-hour workweek seems like an impossible dream to most teachers. When you add up the time spent planning lessons, prepping materials, teaching students, attending meetings, grading papers, and contacting parents, it's easy to understand why most teachers work 50, 60, or even 70 hours a week!

Teachers don't necessarily WANT to work this many hours, but they don't believe it's possible to work less time and still be effective. I used to feel that way, too, but I was wrong. 

My eyes were opened when I watched Angela Watson's online workshop for teachers, Trim Three (or More!) Hours Off Your Workweek NOW. Every time she introduced a new productivity strategy, I thought, "Wow! Why didn't I think of that?!  I was amazed at the number of productivity tips and simple strategies she was sharing that could easily trim HOURS off a teacher's workweek!

When Angela said that making a few small changes can make a big difference in your workload, it was like a light bulb went off in my head! I realized that the most important thing we have to change is our mindsets. When we adopt a growth mindset and open ourselves to new possibilities, we start to see dozens of ways to save time and be more productive!

Watch Angela's free online workshop to see what I mean. This training will only be free until January 9th, so take time to watch it now while it's free.

Supercharge Your Results with the  40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club!

If you like the strategies Angela shares in the webinar,  take it a step farther by joining her 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club. If you do, I guarantee that you'll get even more drastic results!

According to a recent survey, club members who completed the course cut an average of 11 hours from their workweeks! Holy cow! That's over 500 hours a year!

I've written several posts about the 40 HTW Club because it's an amazing resource for teachers. I truly believe that if you can achieve work/life balance, you'll be a happier and more effective teacher, and this club will give you the tools to do that.

If you'd like to learn more about why the club is so amazing, read New Year's Resolutions that Will Help You Keep the Joy in Teaching and How to Get Organized and Keep the Joy in Teaching.

If you'd like to spend less time working, but you just don't think it's possible, you NEED to watch Angela Watson's free online training, Trim Three (or More!) Hours Off Your Workweek Now. If you implement just a few of the tips you learn, you'll be able to cut hours from your workweek with very little effort, and you'll be that much closer to achieving work/life balance!

Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate of Angela's 40 HTW Club which means I earn a commission each time someone purchases the course after clicking on my affiliate link. However, I would never recommend a course to you unless I was convinced it was absolutely amazing! I can assure you that if you're willing to do the work, your results will be amazing, even life-changing!

6 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Teaching Before You Burn Out

No matter how much you love teaching, it's easy to get to the point of burnout before you realize it. One minute you love your job, and the next you're feeling so overwhelmed that you wonder if you can make it to the end of the day, let alone the end of the school year. Everyone feels this way from time to time, but if you continue to feel discouraged day after day, it's time for a change. Ignore these signs, and you could become another teacher burnout statistic.

The key to overcoming teacher burnout is to dig into your feelings and figure out what's wrong so you can do something about it. If you recognize the signs of burnout early, you can rekindle your passion for teaching before it's too late. I speak from personal experience, because during my 30 years of teaching, there were times when I wondered how much longer I could keep going. But each time this happened, I was able to figure out the source of my stress and overcome it. As a result, my passion for teaching would flare up again and burn stronger than ever!

Recognizing the signs of burnout isn't difficult if you take a moment to slow down and you look inside. If you struggle to find any joy in teaching because you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and overworked, you're on the edge of burnout. If you feel irritable and grumpy all the time, and you can't seem to focus your energy on anything positive, it's time for a change.

Studies point to a number of factors that can lead to teacher burnout, including lack of support, student behavior problems, lack of adequate training for the demands of the job, and plain old boredom. I would also add the inability to find work/life balance. When you consistently put everyone else's needs before your own, you end up feeling resentful and even angry because there's never any time left over for you.

Fortunately, there are many ways to combat teacher burnout before you become a statistic. Here are 6 strategies that kept me from burning out and enabled me to love teaching until my last day. You'll probably realize that you're already doing many of these things, but you if you even discover one new strategy that resonates with you, you may find that it makes a huge difference in your outlook.

1. Start taking care of YOU. 

The most important thing you can do is to make yourself a priority, and decide you'll do whatever it takes to start taking care of you! It's easy to feel burned out if you never have time to exercise, cook a healthy meal, read a book for pleasure, or spend time doing activities that you enjoy.

If you're wondering how to accomplish this when your day is already jam-packed, I have some good news. Have you ever heard the saying, "There's no tired like teacher tired?" If you've ever spend a day on your feet in the classroom, you'll know exactly what this means! My friend Angela Watson of the Cornerstone for Teachers has developed a free email mini course that will help you prioritize your daily tasks so you can make time to take care of yourself. Sign up for Good-bye Teacher Tired: 5 Days to Doing Fewer Things, Better to get started.

2. Connect and collaborate with others who love teaching.

If you feel isolated and unsupported, actively seek out your "tribe," a place where you can connect with like-minded teachers who want to share ideas. Facebook makes this incredibly easy because there are dozens of teacher Facebook groups where you can collaborate, get advice, and offer support to others. Be sure to join groups that have a positive vibe, where teachers are sharing ideas and supporting each other rather than venting about their problems. If you end up in a group where the majority of the posts have a negative tone, leave the group before you get sucked into those discussions!

I loved collaborating with other educators, and I was inspired by many fabulous teachers during my teaching career. After Facebook rolled out groups,  I created several groups for teachers, including the Upper Elementary Teacher Connection. This group is a place where teachers in grades 2 through 6 can connect and with each other to share their passion for teaching. Group members discuss active engagement teaching strategies, share innovative instructional approaches, help each other find curriculum resources, ask advice about situations they're facing at school, and so on. If you're interested in joining, click over to the Upper Elementary Teacher Connection page on my site to read the guidelines and apply for membership. It's free, but you do have to fill out a Google Doc form before you can be added to the group.

3. Transform your classroom into a place you love to be!  

One of the most stressful aspects of being a teacher is the sheer number of hours spent in a classroom with 25 or 30 children who seem to test your limits constantly. I used to feel like I was constantly battling my students to assert myself and gain control in the classroom. I left school every day exhausted, and I had to take a nap before I could do anything else!

Honestly, I was starting to wonder how much longer I could stay in the classroom. The turning point came when my district started providing great professional development, and I spent a week in a Kagan cooperative learning workshop. I was trained in the structural approach to cooperative learning, and I also learned classroom management strategies that helped me implement the techniques effectively. What a game changer! My classroom was never the same!

I began using cooperative learning strategies in every subject area, and I taught social skill lessons to help my students learn to get along with others. Instead of working in isolation, struggling with the content on their own, they worked with partners or in teams, talking about what they were learning and engaging with the content in meaningful ways.

What a different this made, not only to my students who were happier and learning more, but also to me personally. Instead of dragging myself to school in the morning, I was excited and full of energy, ready to try new strategies with my students. My classroom became a place I loved to be, and my students loved to be there with me!

This experience taught me about the importance of creating a caring classroom environment and using active engagement strategies. When you make learning both challenging and fun, kids don't have time to think about misbehaving.

4. Learn to work smarter, not harder.

We've all heard this advice, but what does it really mean? Until a few years ago, I had never heard anyone explain exactly HOW teachers are supposed to work smarter and not harder. Anyone who lives with a teacher knows that they work insane numbers of hours each week, and they never get everything done! The "normal" 40 hour work week sounds like an impossible dream to a teacher who's working 60 or 70 hours a week.

I loved teaching, but I will be the first to admit that I worked far too many hours. It's a wonder that I didn't burn out because I never could figure out how to "work smarter" and not harder. But a few years ago, I found out that it's possible to work less and still be a great teacher. I learned that Angela Watson, who will be presenting the webinar I mentioned earlier, taught 3rd grade for many years, and she was able to work a 40 hour teacher workweek. You can tell from Angela's blog that she was a great teacher, so I was a bit skeptical about her claim that she only worked 40 hours a week.

Then I became a member of her 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club and started learning all of her secrets! Each week Angela sends an email to club members that's packed with productivity strategies, and she also has a Facebook group where members can get support with implementing the strategies. Angela doesn't promise that everyone will be able to reduce their workweek to 40 hours, but data she's collected shows that club members are able to shave an average of 1 hours off every week. That's over 40 hours a month saved just by learning to be more productive!

The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club is only open twice a year to new members. Click here to find out when the next open enrollment period starts and join the waitlist!

5. Never stop learning, growing, and trying new strategies.
One reason I loved teaching was that I was always learning and growing. I loved figuring out new ways to teach a concept more effectively and creating new resources to help my kids become self-motivated learners. Every school year was different, bringing new challenges and new opportunities for growth. I couldn't imagine pulling out the same set of lesson plans and teaching from them every year... how boring! Students come to us with different needs each year, technology is always changing, and brain research continues to provide us with more evidence about how we learn best. How could I possibly teach from last year's lesson plans?

If you realize you're bored because you've been teaching the same thing, year after year, it's time for a change. Why not request a move to a different grade level or teach a different subject? Try a new program with your students, like reading workshop, literature circles, or math stations. Explore a new online tool like Plickers or Kahoot, and make a plan for implementing it in your classroom. Join teacher Facebook groups where you can ask for ideas and advice about new strategies and technologies. How about signing up to watch some of my webinars for teachers? You'll soon feel rejuvenated and ready for a new year!

6. Remember why you became a teacher, and stay true to your purpose. 

If you're like most elementary teachers, you became a teacher because you wanted to work with children and make a difference. But in today's current educational climate, it's easy to lose sight of your purpose when it feels like teaching is more about following district mandates than meeting student needs.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to shut your door and do what you do best... teach! Figure out exactly what you are required to do, and do what's absolutely necessary, but don't be afraid to change things up a bit as long if you truly believe you're doing what's best for your kids. Carve out time for passion projects, reading aloud, class meetings, and learning games. Don't do anything that will get you fired, of course, but you'll find that there are many ways to stay true to your purpose and do what's right for your students.

If you encounter resistance from your administration, even when your students are happy and achieving at high levels, it might be time to seek out a new school family. I remember two times when I felt unappreciated and unsupported by the administration, and it seemed like every idea was met with resistance. I was miserable, and it had nothing to do with my students and their behaviors. In both situations, I decided at the end of the year that it was time to move on. I was so much happier in my new schools that I never regretted those decisions.

Being a teacher isn't the easiest profession, but it's definitely one of the most rewarding. If you recognize the signs of burnout in yourself and take action NOW, you can rekindle your passion for teaching and find joy again in the profession you chose!

Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate of Angela's 40 HTW Club which means I earn a commission each time someone purchases the course after clicking on my affiliate link. However, I would never put this much effort into recommending a course unless I was convinced it was absolutely amazing! I can assure you that if you're willing to do the work, your results will be amazing, even life-changing!

Grab Your Free School Year Calendar!

When I was teaching, I searched everywhere to find the perfect calendar for my students, but I just couldn't find one that worked. I wanted 8 1/2 x 11 monthly portrait-style pages that would fit in a 3-ring binder, and I also wanted large blocks for writing in the dates and events.

Eventually I gave up the search and decided to make my own. To create more space for writing on the weekdays, I made skinny blocks on the weekends. It turned out to be exactly what I needed! When I started my Teaching Resources website, I decided to share it with other teachers and it was a hit with them, too!

The School Year Calendar starts with July of the current year and ends with June of the following year. Each year I update the calendar with the correct dates as well as new clipart and fonts to give it a fresh look. The calendar pages are in color, but if you prefer black and white copies, just change your printer settings to the B&W mode.

Sign up here to download your free copy of my 2017-2018 School Year Calendar!

20 Terrific Quiet Signals That Work!

Advice from Real Teachers Series

When you teach hands-on lessons and use active engagement strategies, it goes without saying that you MUST have an effective quiet signal! You'll use it over and over again, so it can't be too annoying, and it needs to be something that will get your class quiet in less than 5 seconds.

I shared my favorite quiet signal on my Teaching Resources Facebook page and asked the followers to share their favorites with me. I loved the quiet signals that were shared so much that I decided to compile the responses as a post in my Advice from Real Teachers series. If you want to read my original question on Facebook and see the responses for yourself, click here.

20 Terrific Quiet Signals That Work! 
My favorite quiet signal is the set of chimes below, and I shared this image when I posted my question. Several teachers agreed with me and explained how they use chimes in their classrooms. Other favorite quiet signals included a mixture of "call and response" strategies as well as a variety of fun noise-making objects like a train whistle, a concierge bell, and a Tibetan singing bowl! I've included Amazon links* for those items so you can learn more about them if you're interested.

1. Carol Hunt - Chimes...works like a dream! I use it to transition center activities. 
2. Karen Swales - I had a set of these chimes in my classroom. They were especially effective with students with sensory processing issues and children on the autism spectrum.
3. Reuben Hks - I raise my hand, and then students raise their hands and stop talking. This gives students a chance to finish their conversation if they are talking with a partner or working in a group.
4. Pepper Sullivan - I use non-verbal signals.  I hold up 5 fingers and move about the room.  As students notice and start to pay attention, I drop to 4, then 3, then 2, then 1 as they all get quiet.
5. Linda Legman - I say , "1, 2, 3,  look at me!" They respond, "1, 2,  look at you!"
6. Sam Shaw - I've got a plastic dog toy duck that I squeeze.......it quacks.....I've also got a silly bike horn....
7. Deborah Brooks - I have verbal cues as I am all over the room and won't readily have something nearby to chime and such. I usually say " Awesome!" And they reply "POSSUM"!
8. Kelli Jo Wusterhausen  - One I learned from a colleague was "and a hush falls over the crowd" and they say "hushhhh" and the listen. 
9. Jillian Bishop – A Tibetan singing bowl works well  
10. Rosemary Montenegro - I flicker the light and say, in a very upbeat voice, "Show me your listening wings!" The kids stop what they're doing and stretch their arms out to let me know that they are listening!
11. Matt Hill - I say "Sharkbait" and they say "Ooh ha ha" and freeze.
12. Mindy Halverson - My favorite is a throw back to Vanilla Ice. I say "Stop" and the kids respond with "Collaborate and listen." I teach them how the song does it. We also talk about what collaborate means. I have had some groups that really got into it which made it more fun.
13. Jaqui OShaughnessy - A wind chime. SO gentle and always gets the kids' attention.
14. Casey McAdam - I say, "Hands on top, that means stop."  The kids stop playing because their hands must touch the tops of their heads.
15. Karen Swales - For something more hands on, a Kalimba is a very soothing (and quiet) instrument. It's very calming when the student holds it with both hands to play. I found one similar to this at a local craft fair. 
16.  Phillip Gumery - I use the simple ringtone on my mobile. It’s loud enough to get attention and works as a quiet time signal as well.
17. Peter Jarvis - One classroom I saw had a remote doorbell. The button was on the teacher’s desk and the chime part somewhere in the classroom.
18. Alicia Figluizzi - I use this bell and teach my high school students two signals. One ding means simmer down, be aware of noise/transition, and two quick dings means I need the whole class's attention or a transition is about to occur.
19. Amanda Becker - I have 7 things. Haha - variety!  1. Concierge bell  2. Train whistle - mostly for clean up  3. Rainstick  4. Peace sign with my fingers 5. Coconut piano chime (it's awesome!) 6. Rhythm clap  7. Call and respond techniques
20. Shawn Collins - I teach my students to respond to my verbal call in the same way. .. For example, If  say,  "Claaaaaaaassss." They respond "yeeesssssss?" I switch it up using a southern drawl, a British accent, and so on.  (This strategy was originally developed by Chris Biffle, founder of Whole Brain Teaching, and you can read more about it here.) 

How to Teach Your Quiet Signal

After you choose a quiet signal, it's important to teach it to your students so they know exactly what to do when they see or hear your signal. After you explain the procedure, have them practice it right away. Ask your students to pair up and discuss a topic of interest. After they've been chatting for 15 or 20 seconds, use the quiet signal. Then time your class to see how long it takes them to get quiet. Write the time on the board and challenge them to get quiet in under 5 seconds. Continue practicing until the class is able to accomplish this. It won't take as long as you might think! 

Having an effective quiet signal is one of the best ways to maximize instructional time. Instead of wasting precious minutes trying to get your class quiet so you can give the next set of directions, you'll have them quiet and ready to listen in 5 seconds! To learn more strategies for using quiet signals, click over to my Teaching Resources website.

Which of the 20 quiet signals shared here do you already use? Which new ones would you like to try? If you have your own favorites, I hope you'll share them with us in a comment on this post! 

*The links to products on Amazon are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, you will not pay anything extra. However, I will earn a small commission on those sales which helps to support my work creating resources for teachers. Thanks!

Easy Classroom Management System that Works!

When it comes to classroom management, actions speak louder than words. If you have an effective management system in place, you don't have to raise your voice or waste class time lecturing students about their behavior. You simply take action!

The most effective system that I ever used was called the "stoplight" management system. To implement this system, I first created a "Go for Green" bulletin board in my classroom. I posted a large illustration of a stoplight, but mine had a slight modification. It had four colors: green, yellow, orange, and red. I arranged a set of library pockets around the stoplight, and each numbered pocket represented a student in the class. Here's a picture that was taken in my classroom over 10 years ago, and you can tell it was something I used again and again!

Here's how it worked. Everyone started off each day on green. The first time a student engaged in an off-task behaviors, I pulled a yellow "tag," or paper slip from the pocket at the base of the stoplight and inserted in the student's pocket on top of the green tag. This was simply a warning. If the off-task behavior continued, I added an orange tag to the student's pocket and they had to complete a Time Out form. Red was reserved for severe infractions and resulted in a trip to the office and/or an immediate call to parents.

If you like this system, you can download a free set of directions and a picture of the stoplight bulletin board to help you remember what to do.

One reason I like this method so much is that it's an easy way to manage the learning environment without constant nagging and angry outbursts. Students can be reminded without a lot of fuss that they are off-task and easily redirected to the assignment at hand.

I kept a poster like this one on the wall at the front of my room that proclaimed my right to teach and my students' right to learn. I promised to do everything in my power to ensure that these rights were respected. This system helped me keep that promise and ensure that our time together wasn't wasted. If you like this poster and would like a copy, read below to find out how to get it.

Go For Green Stoplight System
A few years ago, I wanted to share the entire system with other teachers and make it easy to implement, so I began to write out step-by-step directions. The next thing I knew, I was creating a pattern for the stoplight because I didn't want anyone to have to draw one by hand. Then I decided to add a helpful class chart for recording the stoplight colors at the end of the day and and two Time Out forms! What started out as a simple one-page description morphed into an entire product! The Go for Green Stoplight Management packet also includes a copy of the teaching and learning poster above. You can preview the whole thing online here or on TeachersPayTeachers to see if it meets your needs.

I recently updated this product, so if you have already purchased it and your version doesn't look like the one shown here, you can go to TpT and download the new version for free.

 If you would like to purchase the complete packet shown here, you'll find it in my TeachersPayTeachers store. I think you'll discovered that it's easy to implement and it really works!  

How to Create a Class Handbook that Rocks!

The Teacher's Back to School Survival Guide

I'm excited to be joining some of my favorite upper elementary teacher bloggers who have put together a Teacher's Back to School Survival Guide with some of our best tips!

Most schools have a handbook of guidelines and district policies, but have you ever thought of creating a handbook just for YOUR classroom?

My back to school survival tip is to take a little time now to create a class handbook that rocks! It's easier than you think, especially with the tips and samples I'm including in this post. A class handbook is a fantastic way to communicate your classroom policies right from the beginning of the year. It also sends a message to parents that you care enough to keep parent informed. When you make it attractive and thorough, it shows that take pride in your role as an educator.

Why You Need a Class Handbook 
Have you ever had parents tell you during a conference that they didn't know their child would lose credit on late assignments or that they needed to sign their child's daily reading log? If you sent home a handbook during the first week of school with information about that policy, you can politely direct the parent to that handbook.

Creating a handbook also forces you to think through ALL of your classroom policies in a logical way. There's something about explaining your policies in writing that makes you examine them more closely. Finally, a class handbook is a real time-saver when you get a new student. It's a nice way to welcome the child and to help him or her feel more comfortable about your expectations.

What to Include in Your Handbook
You might want to include the items below in your handbook. If the list seems overwhelming, include only the most essential information now and update your handbook next year.

• Welcome letter
• Best way to contact you
• Class website or blog info
• Homework and grading policies
• Snack guidelines
• Birthday party policies
• List of classmates's names
• Classroom lunch schedule
• Supply list or materials requested
• Brief descriptions of your instructional methods (i.e., cooperative learning, literature circles, reading workshop, etc.)

Click to download a PDF sample of my class handbook pages. You can't edit it, but it will give you some ideas for what to include. You can also download two free printable handbook covers.

Class Handbook Tips
Consider these tips in mind if you're just getting started:

• Ask a colleague to review it for both clarity and grammatical errors. You don't want your first communication with parents to be confusing and filled with errors!
• If you're worried about the amount of paper needed to print copies for all students, you can create a digital version and it email it to parents or upload it to your class webpage. 
• Before you print copies of your handbooks or send it out digitally, ask your principal to review it to be sure all of your policies are approved by your administration. Also, if a parent disagrees with one of your policies and takes your handbook to the principal, you'll be glad that it's not the first time your principal is seeing it! 
• Print at least 5 extra copies to have on hand for new students, and be sure to keep a copy for yourself. Staple and punch three holes along the left edge of each print copy to make it easy to store in a binder.
• Give each student a handbook on the first day of school, but DON'T spend the entire first day going over it! Instead, only cover the very most important information on the first day, and space out those discussion with other first day activities. It might take you a week to go through the whole handbook, but at least they will remember the information! 
• Allow a few days for parents to read your handbook and provide a deadline for it to be signed and returned. Ask that it be stored in their child's binder for future reference. If you email a digital copy or post it on a class website, send home a paper permission form to be signed by students and their parents. 

I hope you found these class handbook tips to be helpful. Creating a handbook that rocks will save you time later in the year and will pave the way for student success in your classroom. What do you plan to include in YOUR handbook?

If you're short on time, check out my newest teaching resource, a collection of editable files that make it easy to create your own class handbook. Click the image on the right or this link to take a closer look at Create Your Own Class Handbook. You'll be able to preview all the handbook pages and cover designs from that page.

By the way, I added it to my Back to School Super Start Combo, so if you've already purchased that item, you can download Create Your Own Class Handbook for free. Go to your My Purchases page on Tpt, locate the Back to School Super Start Combo and download the zip file again.

To visit all the blogs participating in this event, click on the logos in the link up at the bottom of this page to visit each blog. By the way, I'd like give a big shout out to Kristen of Ladybug's Teacher Files who designed the awesome logos for our blog hop! She is so talented!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Magic Solution to Missing Assignments

Fun Friday Works Like Magic!

One my biggest struggles as a 5th grade teacher was getting kids to do their homework. I'm guessing you can relate! I was never a fan of loading kids up with homework, but I did expect them to complete whatever was assigned. Most of my homework was finishing classwork, returning a signed paper, or reading for 20 to 30 minutes. Yet precious minutes of class time were wasted every day while kids looked for missing assignments or worse, wasted my time trying to explain why they didn’t have it.

Then I discovered the magic solution to missing homework... Fun Friday! I can’t take credit for the idea, but I can tell you that it works! It was definitely the most effective system I've ever used for dealing with the problem of missing assignments.

How Fun Friday Works

Fun Friday is a weekly event that 3 or 4 teachers organize and implement together. On Friday afternoon, each teacher hosts one activity in his or her classroom for 30 minutes. One or two teachers take a group of students out to play or organize indoor recess activities. Another teacher hosts a free time in the classroom where students play board games, draw on the Smartboard, use iPads or play with a class pet. Sometimes a teacher will offer a special arts and crafts activity.

At least one teacher supervises a “study hall.”Students who have not completed all homework for the week attend the Study Hall and use that time to make up missing work. Each week teachers rotate activities so that all share the responsibilities equally.

If there aren't 3 or 4 teachers at your school who want to participate in Fun Friday, you can implement the program with just two teachers. One will take students outside or provide indoor recess, and the other will split his or her room between a study hall and a quiet reading or game room.

Why Fun Friday Works
My students loved Fun Friday and looked forward to the chance to get together with friends in other classrooms. It was one of the few rewards that actually motivated them to complete every single assignment all week. I kept a homework chart where I checked off those who completed all assignments for the week, and I was pretty strict with my requirements for Fun Friday. If a student even had one missing or late assignment during the week, they went to Study Hall. If you think this is a bit extreme, let me say that after just a few weeks of implementing Fun Friday, most kids would earn it every week. I was amazed at the difference this program made and how much time it saved me from dealing with late and missing assignments.

Fun Friday Sign-up Freebie
One thing that helped make Fun Friday easy to implement was a sign up chart. Right after lunch on Friday, I allowed those who had completed all assignments to sign up for their preference of activities. I’ve created several variations for you to try that you can download for free from the Odds 'N Ends page on my Teaching Resources website.

Convincing Administrators
Over the years I did have a few principals who needed to be convinced that the 30 minutes we devoted to Fun Friday were not wasted. My rationale was that we easily made up this time by not having to deal with missing and late assignments all week. Also, everyone, teachers and students alike, are downright brain-dead by the time Friday afternoon rolls around! Have you ever seriously tried to teach a lesson on a Friday afternoon? Trust me, it’s a wasted effort. You’ll just have to reteach it on Monday!

Do you implement a similar program in your classroom? Have you found it to be effective? If you haven't tried it, I hope you'll test it out. I believe you'll discover the magic of Fun Friday, too!

20 Creative Ways to Encourage Good Behavior at the End of the Year

Advice from Real Teachers Series

Do you dread the last few weeks of school because your students are full of energy and unable to focus? Administrators might say to stick to your routines and keep your kids busy with regular assignments, but that didn't work for me. Making my students do seatwork at the end of the year was like putting a lid on a pressure cooker, turning up the heat, and wondering when it was going to blow sky high!

For me, it was far more effective to do something different at the end of the year, something meaningful but exciting enough to keep my kids interested and on task. I described 12 of my favorite ideas in an article called, A Dozen Fun Ways to Wrap Up the School Year. But before you head over to that page, take a look at the awesome responses below to a teacher question that was posted on my Teaching Resources Facebook page on this very topic.

Featured Teacher Question
Last week Michelle asked, “I'd love to hear creative approaches to what other teachers are doing to keep negative behaviors at bay in the last 20 days of school. I'm a second grade teacher, and my kiddos are convinced it's already summer break! We still have standardized tests and many other things to accomplish this year and I'd like to get through it all without constantly feeling like I'm threatening to remove privileges. Ideas?”

Top 20 Creative Ways to Encourage Good Behavior

There were so many terrific ideas that I decided to compile them into a new article in my Advice from Real Teachers Series. Here are 20 of the most creative suggestions; if would like to read them all, click over to my Facebook page where you'll find them. The first idea on the list was by far the most popular, so I listed it at the top. The rest of the suggestions are not in any particular order.

1. Heather Collingwood - Have you tried the idea of a Secret Agent? You make secret agent cards for each of the students' names, select one at the beginning of the lesson/day and out it in the secret agent envelope. At the end of the lesson/day, if the child has behaved/had a good lesson/day, the whole class is rewarded (with a raffle ticket in their prize box, with a 2 minute game at the end of the day or whatever reward you choose). The secret agent is never revealed whether they win the reward or not so there is never any negativity towards them. All children will want to behave because it may just be their name that is in the envelope. It then becomes the collective responsibility of the class to ensure they get their reward. This way, you are not taking anything away from the class if a certain person doesn't behave appropriately. They only have something to gain and no one can be blamed if the reward isn't received.
2. Joan Wilson - We are doing a living biography project. After reading & researching, they have to cut out a head/arm holes in a poster board and decorate it to look like their person. Then they will "talk" as that person all about their life & accomplishments. It always keeps them engaged and on task in a fun and creative way!
3. Joline Keeler - I like to use centers that are hands-on and engaging for math and science. I also bring back some of their favorite games and activities from throughout the year. For language arts, I have the kids work on reader's theater plays.
4. Linda Young - I'm having mine make maps of their choice- showing longitude, latitude, and scale. I've also had them do a mini research project using online resources, a book source, and an interview for added information. They are making visuals of their material to share at the end of the week. We are just finishing our whole class novel study of Charlotte's Web (with comprehension questions too). I've also introduced more STEM activities since the state testing finally ended. I've found it best to keep them busy!
5. Joy Jefferies - We do a pickle party every two weeks for the last six weeks. If the class earns enough behavior points by the Friday of week two they get pickles and an hour of game time for prizes. A good time to rid my room of extra pens, pencils, anything I don't plan to keep for the next year.
6. Lisa Marie - I'm using a lot of games built around what we are working on. Scoot, Team Question answering, trivia contests for vocalizing open response questions and deeper thinking, knowledge bowl type games, "spelling bee" games for any info....
7. Ally Alexsonshk - Writing a letter to the next class or reflecting on memories is always a fun thing to do. Create instructions for the next class to create a time capsule or take some time to focus on their interests.....if you don't have much curriculum to finish ask then what they're doing over the Summer, maybe they're traveling so show the class the area they are going to or maybe they're going to visit a museum do some research on it look at the website.
8. Pe Howell - We are doing an ABC countdown calendar, and last year it was great! Each day, here was a little activity to look forward to, and it helps get through the DRA testing, fact fluency assessment, end-of-year math assessment, and all of the other assessments that are done at the end of the school year. I am even looking foward to it because it starts this Thursday, with stuffed "animal" day! I'm going to have my class make trading cards, and I'm going to take pictures of each student in my class with their stuffed animal.  This activity is a wonderful way to start the countdown to the last 26 days of school.
9. Katie Eskridge - We make a book hall of fame- they write up reports on the best novel they read this year and give them an award. I save them and it's my first bulletin board for next years fifth graders. Kid made recommendations!
10. Karen  Martz - Maybe some collaborative learning projects which can be used as a culminating activity opposed to traditional assessments outside of standardized testing. Also, instead of threatening, do what you say will happen. After a few times some will understand privileges are earned, not given. They will also help to remind others who aren't willing to grasp that concept to catch on much quicker.
11. Adajean Rothberg - We have 3 days left.  I pulled out the money unit, not common core but needed for the last 2 weeks and they've been earning money for everything.  They are really enjoying it and behaving since this best behaved and hard-working get more money.  As I'm packing up the room, the things I would usually send home I've been pricing and we're having a "yard sale"  It's working wonders for.my kids.
12. Yvette Shadrick - Gonoodle.com!! It helps them release energy and calm down!  Have them earn points with Class Dojo for a prize instead of taking things always! Have them create new class rules now that they are "older and wiser" they will come Up with some great ones...no more than five! Catch them being good! Give them attention when: on task, being respectful, being kind, participating etc.
13. Dawn-Marie Jackson - I've been doing a science experiment each day if they keep the behavior on track. We never had time all year for experiments so I'm throwing them in now. I also do a tally reward. Every time I hear another teacher compliment my students or class or if they are exceptionally on task, I put a tally on the board. At 10 tallies they earn a tally party. I give them a choice between 3-4 things: Popsicles, eat in the classroom, bring a board game to school, etc. They love it!
14. Angela Lawler - Try to out-energize them! Or do some of those awesome Science demos you've been wanting to do - clouds with water, shaving cream, and food coloring, or make OOBLECK with cornstarch and water, read the Dr. Seuss book and then debate if oobleck is a solid or liquid, eat some fractions (Skittles, M&Ms, graham crackers and icing, ...).
15. Sandy Kalson - Promise fun rewards instead. They will monitor each other. Let them offer suggestions for one a week. Write each one on a piece of paper and draw one at random or let them vote each week.
16. Sara Quinn - Bubbles! Get each kid a small bottle of bubbles and put their names on them. The bubbles sit on their desks and you take them away as needed. At the end of the day those with bubbles left get to blow them outside while the others sit and watch. Refill bottles as needed. All bubble bottles are returned each morning.  Good luck!
17. Colleen Beecher - Give them a "Free Recess", but they have to earn it. Tell them they will have an extra recess at the end of the day. Write FREE RECESS on the board. Every time they act up, erase a letter. Be very strict about it. If there are still letters on the board, they earned it! I usually am very strict about erasing, but when they are on target and working hard, I will usually add a letter back. Just make sure you don't give them the recess if they don't earn it!
18. Jennifer Neuhof - Revamp your incentives. Change seats. Alter routines to make the 'same boring thing' seem fresh. Stay a step ahead of them. Know when to cut a lesson short. Create lessons to incorporate movement and finally include many wiggle breaks into your day.
19. Millie Ervin - Don't let the tail wag the dog. Think 'camp director' and make sure you fill up their agenda with interesting activities each day. I used to be able to find a bubble gum contest kit at store. So much fun!!  So many other fun things to do!! Now's your chance!!
20. Kelly Raney - At the beginning of each day, give each child 3 tickets. Have them write their name/number on the back. As the day progresses, those students who do not make good choices, lose a ticket. At the end of the day, collect all the tickets, put them in a container, and draw for small treats, prizes or special privileges. The next day, everyone starts with 3 new tickets. Works like a charm!

Do you have any of your own end-of-the-year activities to share? If so, please post them in a comment below. If you would like to submit a teacher question of your own, be sure to watch for the Question Connection announcement every Wednesday at 8:30 pm EST on the Teaching Resources Facebook page. Even if you don't have a question, please follow me on Facebook and offer your advice when you see the questions come through! Working together, we can accomplish more!

Tips for Classroom Goal Setting

Goal setting is a powerful process for bringing about change. Identifying what you want and mapping out a plan of action helps you achieve your dreams, both personally and professionally. The same is true for students. Since the goal-setting process can be unfamiliar and challenging, I'd like to offer a few tips, a freebie, and some additional resources for teaching these skills to students. You can find even more strategies in my ebook, Classroom Goal Setting.

Now's the Time to Review and Set Goals
Sometime in January many of you may be ending one grading period and starting another. This is a perfect time for students to reflect on the goals they set earlier and to set goals for the new grading period. When I was teaching, this was the time of year that students reviewed their grades and quarterly test results, they identified which goals they had met. Next, they wrote goals and action plans for the upcoming grading period.

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as simple as it sounds! The process may seem easy, but it's a concept that takes time to develop. I explained the process in great deal in my ebook for teachers, Classroom Goal Setting, but I want to share a few more tips and tricks to help make things even easier.

Tips for Teaching Goal Setting 

• Record Goals and Action Plans - After explaining the difference between a goal and an action plan, guide your students through the process of writing their own goals and plans. Use this one-page printable as a place for them to record their ideas. You can download and print My Goals and Action Plans for free from the sidebar of the Classroom Goal Setting page on Teaching Resources. 
• Academic & Personal Goals - Along with goals for grades and attendance, students can set goals for things they want to achieve or accomplish at home. Ask students to set at one personal goal and three academic goals for themselves.
• Baby Steps - Don't expect students to complete the entire form at one time. Break the lesson up into 4 small chunks. Have them write one goal and a set of action plans each day. Or write all 4 goals one day and all 4 action plans the next.
• Conferring - Allow time to confer individually with students who are struggling to write goals and action plans. After students write one goal and action plan, collect their papers or journals to review. Many students will need additional guidance and it's best to identify those students early in the process. The single page form makes it easy for you as the teacher to review your students' goals and discuss them during individual conferences. 
• Track Progress in a Journal - If you are interested in a more elaborate method of tracking goals and assessing progress each week, you'll want to check out Tracking My Goals, my new kid-friendly journal for elementary students. You can use this journal after students complete the one page form with their goals and action plans. I recently created an extensive set of journal pages that you can mix and match to create your own custom journal for your students. See below for details.
• Review Goals and Check Progress Frequently - After they transfer their goals to a journal, set aside a few minutes each week for them to review their goals and track their progress.
• Grading Tips - It's not necessary to grade this activity, but there's nothing wrong with considering this to be a writing lesson and grading their work accordingly. I didn't grade what my students choose as goals, but I did grade them on how well they followed directions and the amount of detail in their action plans. They seem to put more thought and effort into the activity if I made my expectations clear and if I treated this as a regular assignment.

More About Tracking Goals in Journals
Student journals are extremely effective for recording goals and reflecting on progress. Even elementary school students can set goals and track their progress when given the right tools and guidance.

I recently created a small half-page journal called Tracking My Goals as a companion to my Classroom Goal Setting book. This mini pack includes directions for assembling the journal and 20 different options for journal covers and pages. You can mix and match to create a journal that meets the needs of your students. To preview all the page options, click here. I also have a version for older students called My Goal Tracker that's available on TpT.

When I first created this item, it was just for upper elementary students. Then 1st and 2nd grade teachers asked for a primary variation, and I worked with them to create a variety of additional pages. Now you can choose between two different cover styles and over a dozen inside pages to create your own customized journal!

If you want specific, step-by-step directions for teaching students to set goals and create action plans, check out my Classroom Goal Setting ebook. Because the ebook and the student journal work so well together, I have packaged them together in a cost-saving bundle. You can preview those items in full by following the links in the Goal Setting and Data Tracking Combo description in my TpT store.

What if all teachers at your school taught their students about goal setting and helped them track their progress? What an amazing difference that could make! My Goals and Data Tracking School Site License will make it easy for all teachers in one school to have access to these resources. In case you didn't know, TpT does accept purchase orders from schools.

Goal setting is a powerful process. What greater gift can we give our students than to share this process with them? I hope these resources will help!

Easy Differentiation with Colored Folders

Guest post by Kelly Witt

Differentiation is the buzzword that just keeps on buzzing! Teachers, administrators, and evaluation
systems are placing more and more emphasis on differentiation in the classroom. Sometimes, the thought of organizing lessons to meet the individual needs of all of your students can feel like an overwhelming challenge. One of the best and simplest ways I have found to do this is with colored pocket folders.

Most teachers have folders everywhere, so the set up is pretty easy. I use center boxes in my room to free up space & assist in clean up. Each center box is labeled with a number and has 4 colored folders inside – one for each learning group in my classroom. You could use center buckets, baskets, tubs, or anything that makes it easy for you!

Students simply go to their centers and retrieve the colored folders that represent their learning groups, i.e. the “red group” or the “blue group”. In each folder, students will find the specific assignment for that particular center.

Three Ways to Differentiate Instruction
Differentiation can be accomplished in three ways: through product, content or process. Differentiating product is probably the simplest method, especially in the primary grades. For example, students in all groups can listen to or read the same text; however, you may require each group to recall a varying number of facts from the text.

For example, all of these students were reading or listening to our latest Weekly Reader. I asked each group to identify facts learned about turkeys, but the expectation varied depending on the level of the group.

To differentiate the process for each group, you may have one listening to the text, one partner reading, and one group reading independently. The text or the content may remain the same, but each group is assigned a different process for learning the information. You can easily do this with colored folders by putting direction sheets inside folders, or by placing the needed materials (iPods, tablets, books, etc...) inside each folder.

Differentiating content is another way to address the varying needs within your classroom. In my room, I have different spelling lists for my students. The lists are posted using their group colors, and can be found in their colored folders at the Word Work center.

By differentiating the spelling words or content, I then have a choice of whether to assign every student the same work, or provide each group with a different opportunity for working with their spelling words.

All teachers manage centers in different ways, and what works for you might not work for your neighbor and vice versa. However, no matter how centers are set up in your classroom, using colored folders is a breeze to implement! The best part about this system is its simplicity and manageability. Students simply grab their colored center folder and begin working on their group’s specific assignment.

My students are grouped in various ways throughout the day. Sometimes, a student might be working at a center with other kids at the same level. Other times, that student might be at a station with someone that is working much higher or much lower than he.

All students turn their work into an envelope that is included in each center box. They just put their work inside the envelope and cross off their name. At the end of the week, I grab all the envelopes and paper clip the check-off sheet to the front of each stack for easy grading.

Differentiation can be a challenge, but often it sounds a lot scarier than it is. Start slow. Try differentiating in just one area or in just one way (content, product, or process) before diving in head first. Believe me, it’s worth it!


Kelly is a first grade teacher and blogger at First Grade Fairytales. She loves sharing ideas with other teachers and providing resources that help make learning fun and engaging.

5 Ways to Engage Parents Using Google Drive

Guest post by April Smith

One of my goals at the beginning of this school year was parent engagement. In the past, our school has sent home between 3-5 flyers every week trying to get parents involved, with little success. I was frustrated with how much work I was putting into communicating with the parents, only to not hear anything back.

I needed something revolutionary to engage the parents. Many of our parents work long hours and often don't even see their kids in the evening to gather all of the flyers we're sending home. I needed a solution that was easier for them to access, and easier for me to prepare.

After attending a workshop on using Google Drive in the classroom, it dawned on me that I could use this completely free service to collaborate with parents in a way that was much more accessible than sending home a ton of paper with a forgetful 4th grader.

Benefits of Google Drive 

• Parents don't have to pay for Microsoft Office in order to read what you send them digitally.
• Parents use the same username and password they use for their Gmail account.
• Google Drive can be downloaded on smart phones and tablets, so parents can access every document without having to own a computer or pay for internet at their house.
• Google saves everything you're working on, so you won't have to start from scratch when your computer restarts for updates half way into creating your monthly newsletter.

5 Ways to Use Google Drive for Parent Engagement 

1. Collecting Contact Data - I used to spend a great deal of time trying to read parent handwriting as I typed up individual contact information into a spreadsheet. From your Google Drive, you can create a Google Form with as many questions as you'd like. I setup a computer station for parents to visit when they come in for Open House before school starts, and I post the form link on my class website for the parents who weren't able to make it. For parents who still haven't filled out the form, I print and send home a paper copy, then input the information it myself.

With a couple of clicks, you can set up your form to organize the data into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is stored in your Google Drive and is completely private unless you change the settings to share it. If you share students with other teachers, this is a great way to share contact information - just be view-able by you and the teacher you send it to! Check out this simple tutorial.

2. Sharing a Presentation - Easily upload your Back to School (or other) PowerPoint to your Google Drive or create one using Google Drive's Presentation app. Next, change the sharing settings so that anyone with a link can view it. You can then copy the link and e-mail it to your list of parent e-mails (that you collected from your Google form I hope), and also post it to your class website. If parents missed your live presentation, or want to refer back to it, they can access it at their convenience.

3. Sending a Class Newsletter - Your class newsletter can be created and sent to parents using Google Docs. Check out this great newsletter template that you can edit for your own class newsletter. Make sure you change it so that parents with the link can only view.

When you create your newsletter, you can add photos from your classroom to it and link to resources you want to share.

4. Communicating About Behavior - Every year I have a couple of students who end up needing parent communication about behavior on a daily basis. Instead of coloring in a smiley face every day or sending home multiple notes, why not share a Google Spreadsheet with their parents? Not only is this a wonderful resource for divorced parents and busy families, but it simplifies the process for you. You can add information to the spreadsheet directly from your own device (I use the Google Drive app on my I-pad). I can immediately add an anecdotal note about the student without having to dash across the classroom looking for a pen, or waiting until the end of the day when I've already forgotten what behaviors happened when.

I personally set up a Google Form that I can fill out quickly, with the particular problem behaviors for that student as check-boxes. I then share the spreadsheet where the data goes with the parents.

*Remember to change the share settings so that only the people you invite can view. This definitely shouldn't be live to the entire internet due to privacy issues. I never include the student's name just to be safe. I save the document and form as the student's class number (i.e. "Student 23") just in case.

5. Conference Sign-ups - This year I sent home paper forms for parents to sign up for a parent-teacher conference slot. They had the option to fill out the paper form with their top 3 choices, or log into the Google Doc to add their name to a guaranteed slot. The parents who turned in the paper form were given one of their appointments depending on the availability, but the parents filling it out online immediately knew when their conference slot was. I only received 4 paper forms, leaving a lot less work for me. I also had 100% attendance this year, which means the parents knew when their time slots were and there was no lost paper between me and their family.

Implementation Tips 

During Open House, Back to School, and even Parent-teacher Conferences, I personally show parents how to create an account and download the Google Drive app to their phone. For parents without e-mail addresses, I also help them sign up for Gmail, and download the app on their phone with notifications turned on. I was surprised to see how many of them were using Gmail and Google Drive for other things once I introduced it to them!

For those parents who do not have smart phones, devices, or computers, all of these files can be easily printed just like any other file on your computer. I've even had parents fill out a Google form using paper and pencil, then I filled it out digitally for them. You can also have a computer available in your classroom where parents can log in and participate.

Get started now at http://drive.google.com!

April is an upper grade teacher that loves creating fun and interesting activities for her students. She shares technology, Math, and Language Arts lessons on her website PerforminginEducation.com.