KEEP CALM and LINKY PARTY ON

'Tis the season for linky parties and I would like to join them all, but I can't find the time to do them ALL on the designated day. My girlies, ages 3 and 1, and I are too busy to do ANYTHING but play, play, play. My house looks like a tornado vomited inside it, but hey, we're making memories here. After they go to bed, if I've any energy left, I try to catch up on my blog reading. Tonight I'm keeping my eyes pried open so I can linky party. Some of these are better late than never kinda linkies.

First up, I'm combining two classroom management linkies.  Just Reed's Ten Pin Linky Party - Share your ten fave pins on classroom management. Fun! Fun! And, The Applicious Teacher's Weekly Idea Share: Classroom Management.

Here are my ten fave classroom management pins (in no particular order):

1. There are lots of great books that help with classroom management. Here's one. A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue - this is a great book for teaching children the difference between tattling and telling.

2. Rewards - Students earn a chance to draw a tile and place it wherever they want. When the prize is completely spelled, the class gets that reward. http://educatorslife.blogspot.com/2012/10/rewards-made-easy.html

3. ClassDojo is a classroom tool that helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily. It also captures and generates data on behavior that teachers can share with parents and administrators. http://www.classdojo.com/

4. When the kids take a book from the basket they clip their name clothespin to the basket so they know where to put it away. http://teachingtakesheart.blogspot.com/p/classroom-organization.html

5. http://shop.atozteacherstuff.com/downloads/red-notes-to-parents-for-behavior-management-and-classroom-behavior-agreement-plan.html

6. Partner wheel: Put the kids you don't want together in the smaller circle and match them up to the kids in the larger circle. http://fabulous-fourth.blogspot.com/p/look-around-our-rooms.html

7. Pencil fidgets - They allow the student to have something to move around in their hands. Students that require such fidgets have a need for sensory stimulation, and fidgets provide that within the classroom setting. I know about 50 kids... and myself who would benefit from these. http://www.especialneeds.com/aba-and-autism-pencil-and-grips-pencil-finger-fidgets.html

8. Settle Down Jar: tell a child he/she needs a break and may come back when everything has settled to the bottom. http://www.robynoakenfold.com/the-calming-jar/

9. Each student stands on a number. No more running and pushing in line!

10. Whole Brain Teaching. I found this video on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/user/Freundlichteaching

Next year, in first grade,  I am sooooo doing WBT (#10).  In sixth grade, some classroom management strategies that I utilized were conduct logs/parent communication logs that went home weekly, ticket systems (collect tickets to buy prizes), extra recess, and free computer time. Positive reinforcement still works on kids that are taller than you are, or who have facial hair :-)  I always had success with good phone calls/good notes home. If I had to make a bad phone call home for a student,  then I made a good phone call home for a different student. And, I made it a point to send out a few positive emails and/or notes (old school - in an envelope with a stamp) every grading period. Parents were usually surprised to hear from me when I called home to say something nice or they received a letter in the mail praising their student. I love hearing how happy  parents sound to hear that their child is doing a great job!

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Are you still with me? I know this post is getting lengthy, but, but, but...well... Next up, is The First Grade Parade's Throwback Thursday Linky Party. Don't hate me. I've been blogging for a month. Maybe. If that. I can't throw back, but I just wanna link up with Cara Carrol! The First Grade Parade and The Inspired Apple were the first two edublogs I ever encountered. I was hooked immediately and I didn't even teach first grade!!!!! Hello! I guess I could copy and paste a post from last week, but then I'd just feel silly. Wait, I already feel silly. 

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My last linky party (I'm running outta steam) is from Fun in Room 4B and Ladybug's Teacher Files. I don't know about you, but I'm all about organization on the cheap :-) The following are a few ideas I found online that won't cost you a fortune.

Save up your coffee canisters, ladies! Spray paint them, stick a cute label on there, and you've got custom made center storage that you didn't have to save up to buy. 

Do you have tons of markers, highlighters, grading pens, pencils, etc. taking up space in that shallow, center drawer of your desk? My pens and markers overflow the the desk drawer organizer. Sad :-( But, next year all I need is a shoebox, some decorative paper, and a heap of toilet paper rolls to make this neat-o writing utensil organizer cute enoug to grace the top of my desk. 

If I only had walls, so I could put up these amazing rain gutter book shelves. Two of my four classroom walls are fake accordian style walls, one has floor to ceiling storage, and the other is the white board. No gutters for me, but I love this idea for you!

Much love,

KaSandra