by Ryan Rivera, Guest Author Childhood anxiety is becoming more and more of a problem. It was once believed that children with anxiety would simply grow out of it, but as many as 50% of children with some evidence of an anxiety disorder grow up to be anxious adults. In addition, children that suffer from
continue reading

Shannon, a Kindergarten Teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina, loves to get her students movin’ and groovin’.  Read below to find out how she incorporates music into her daily classroom routine. When my students get antsy throughout the day, we perform music and movements that never fail to boost their attention levels and make transitions to
continue reading

The Problem:  The revolving door of bathroom breaks has become overwhelming.  Your students always “need to go”!  Between managing those who are in the room and keeping track of those who leave it has become too frustrating.  You need a way to make students accountable, limit their bathroom visits, and keep track of who is
continue reading

by Steve Reifman, Monthly Columnist It was Thursday afternoon, and 24 of my 26 third graders were on pace to meet tomorrow’s writing deadline and have the drafts of their “All About” books on their desks the following morning. Two of my kids, however, didn’t appear to be heeding the friendly daily reminders I had
continue reading

by Steve Reifman, Monthly Columnist It is critical for teachers to have a consistent, effective silent signal to use on those occasions when students are working at their desks and we need their attention. I have tried several signals during my career, and my current favorite is clapping three times and then having the kids
continue reading

Showing students how thankful you are for them and how proud of them you are is an important part of teaching.  While none of the 20 ways to praise your students below are new, sometimes seeing them again helps renew your enthusiasm for finding reasons to show students how much you care.  Remember, your kind
continue reading

by Lori Wolfe, Monthly Columnist “If only I had more time in a school day…” Have you ever caught yourself uttering this phrase? You can easily add those instructional minutes to your day by explicitly planning for your transition times. Carefully considered transition times offer the key to maintaining an optimal learning environment, minimizes disruptions
continue reading

by Hadar Maor, Monthly Columnist As the school year goes on, and breaks approach, you may notice your students having a tough time staying focused and following classroom rules. It’s not just me, right?! So I wanted to share a fun management idea that I introduced to my class last year before summer vacation because
continue reading

by Patty Held, Guest Blogger The first half of my almost thirty years of teaching was in a primary regular education classroom. The second half has been in special education. My thoughts on behavior management have evolved with my journey through the system. Let me tell you my story.

  By Barbara Gruener, Monthly Columnist   Let’s face it; with increasingly difficult academic challenges and seemingly less time to fit it all in, there are fewer if any moments left over for meaningful movement. Some schools have even done away with recess (gasp!) and/or physical education classes (yikes!). And then students go home to
continue reading