Category: Routine

Distance Learning Parent Tips - Finding the New Normal

4/3/2020

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DISTANCE LEARNING IS NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON - HERE ARE SIX TIPS TO HELP YOU CREATE A "NEW NORMAL" FOR YOUR FAMILY:

#1 - Communication

Staying connected with your child's teacher is necessary to keep your child's learning on track. Use the phone, email, text, Zoom and any other communication tools the teacher provided. Be sure to keep Live Chat appointments and be on time for them. Be considerate of the teacher's time and remember he/she is also juggling their family and trying to find their own "new normal".

#2 - Get Organized

You are going to wade through a lot of unknowns during this time and that is to be expected, so be flexible and patient as new routines take shape. Checklists are your friend. Writing down what need to be done each day will help you figure out how best to manage your time as you begin to prioritize your daily activities. Using Chore Charts and creating schedules will also help manage day to day operations for your "new normal".

#3 - gO Outside

Make enjoying the outdoors part of your day. Most of us don't go outside enough so enjoy and do some exploring with your kiddos while soaking up some Vitamin D. Outside activities will also get you and your family moving. Playgrounds, gardening, Frisbee, bike riding, and so many more outdoor activities keep you and your family healthy.

#4 - get to know your child

Our days are often filled with work, school, activities, devices, etc, etc, etc. - leaving little time for family quality time. Use this time to talk and play. Before you know it, they'll be all grown up. Now is the perfect time to make lasting memories and build bonds with your family.

#5 - Goals

Sit down with your family and create some goals to accomplish when this crazy situation subsides. Maybe its to be more intentional about spending quality time together... Listen to the input from each family member and put a plan in place to meet these goals. Children appreciate being heard and will know that you value their input. Be sure to follow through.

#6 - SElf Care

Self Care is different for everyone. Do what self care means for you - whatever that may be. We all need to "take a moment". You deserve it. You are persevering through this unpredictable life which is not easy. You have to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. I know it's easier said than done but intentional about it. We often get lost in all of the things we try to fit in during the day. Sometime enough, just needs to be enough.
Check out this Self Care Mini Bundle.

You will get through this season of uncertainty. And while it is difficult, there are silver linings if you choose to look for them.

Happy Teaching
Happy Learning
Happy Living

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Three TIPS to Improve Classroom Management

7/1/2019

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Before I began teaching 14 years ago I imagined sweet little boys and girls who would hang onto my every word and do everything I asked…was I ever wrong! Student behavior challenges are happening in classrooms across the country. Learning what I like to call the “Three Rs” changed me, my students and the classroom atmosphere.

Number One - Routine
Classroom management begins with routines and procedures. You must have a routine in place from the moment your students walk through the door. But it only works with consistency, consistency, consistency. Just as GPS helps navigate us to our destination, routines help you maintain order and help students navigate through their day. Disruptions are minimized when there is an activity in place for every part of the day. Down-time is wasted learning time and an opportunity for kids to “be kids”.

Number Two - Relationship
Get to know your students. Ask them questions and show interest. Knowing what they care about, what their hobbies are, etc will reveal valuable information that you can use to inspire their learning. It lets your students know that they matter to you. I remember having 60-second conferences with each student, every day. It usually took no more than 20minutes and I allowed the student to share whatever they liked with me. We made a rule that no one could interrupt a conference. The students loved it and will love having you all to themselves. That little bit of undivided attention made all the difference. Students work hard for teachers they love and building a positive teacher-student relationship will make classroom management that much easier.

Number Three - Reward
Recognize and acknowledge good behavior. Praise and rewards keep students alert and looking for your “shout out”. Give it to them and acknowledge positive behavior when it happens. High fives, class chants, and SMILING… yes smiling, make all the difference. I frequently keep a bag of mini marshmallows with me in the classroom. You’d be amazed at how hard a student will work for a marshmallow, seriously. Whenever I pulled the bag out and set it on the front table, chairs pulled up to the desks and backs became a little straighter, and their eyes followed me like a hawk. The delivery of the lesson flowed because I had their undivided attention. The power of a marshmallow, who knew?

The goal is to instill positive behavior and so the reward should not always be tangible. We want students to behave because they are supposed to and not just because they may receive a material (or edible) reward. There are plenty of Non-Tangible rewards to provide students to inspire their best self… extra tablet time for example, eating lunch with the teacher, a homework pass, and more. You'll find twenty-five of my favorite non-tangible rewards to pull from that you can Download Now for your reference. Need a personal behavior chart to help your student set goals and track their progress? Check out these Individual Behavior Charts.

Please comment below to share what has worked for you! I’m always looking for new and fresh ideas to put in my bag of classroom management tricks.

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