Idea by Farrah, Kindergarten Teacher, Nanuet, NY I organize my folders according to alphabet letters, numbers or themes. I also color-code my entire collection of folders (one color for each category).

The Problem:  Papers that go back and forth from home to school have really taken a beating this year.  It is not that students are being careless, the problem seems to be that the folders are not quite fitting in those backpacks – especially those smaller backpacks in the lower grades.  No matter how you
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The Problem:  Your hall and bathroom passes have become germ central.  Between the colds and sicknesses that have been running rampant in the classroom and the less-than-stellar hygiene of some students, those passes are a mess.  No matter what you try – laminated cards, sticks, or bracelets – keeping them clean and stopping the spread
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Teacher Question:   “How can I support my classroom aides so they feel like valued team members?”

Idea by Kim, 6th Grade Teacher, Round Lake, IL One of the best ways to build students’ trust when using the Daily 5 is to spend about a week on each category, modeling, practicing, and troubleshooting.  

Idea by Autumn, 3rd Grade Teacher, Pinetown, NC I use all parts of the Daily 5 method, but, due to time constraints, we only include three parts per day. As far as working with students who are off-task, I rely on repositioning them in the classroom. For example, sometimes, I have these students work in
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Idea by Emily, 2nd Grade Teacher, L’Anse, MI I follow the Daily 5 book pretty closely. To build students’ trust, we spend a lot of carpet time together making “I” charts, as well as discussing and practicing expectations.

Idea by Dawn, 2nd Grade Teacher, Manchester, IA When implementing the Daily 5—especially when working with those students who need help staying on-task— I religiously follow the procedures recommended in the book, including taking plenty of time to teach and model the approach.

Idea by Donna, Teacher, Greenbrier, AR The best tip I have regarding the Daily 5 is to stick with it. If you are persistent and consistent in your efforts, just when you least expect it, it will all click into place.

The Problem:  Some days the classroom noise level goes from sounds of productive learning to cacophony in no time flat.  Getting students to focus, grabbing their attention, and creating that atmosphere of learning is essential.  You do not want to raise your voice or compete with the noise, students are not looking at you long
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