How do you know if setting an engagement goal is right?

Lori Sabo shares a strategy that helped eliminate the last vestiges of bumpiness at the start of her Daily 5 rounds. 

We know from experience that making a goal visible helps us stay motivated to achieve it. Here is a way to see engagement grow.

Difficult students are a fact of life for a teacher. But we can make tremendous strides with them.  

Trish shares a touching article about how she stays in touch with former students after they move to the next grade.

This amazing tip makes it easy for students to monitor the volume of their voices. 

Watch this brief video of Mrs. Baker conferring with her kindergarten student about his behavior. 

Brain Breaks are important! Here is one of our favorites!

Download a variety of certificates to use as a fun and effective way to celebrate your students' positive behaviors.

Increasing students' self-efficacy in the classroom involves implementing strategies that build their confidence in their abilities to succeed and overcome challenges.

Use this printable conferring form to jot down snippets of information from students to build strong relationships!

The difference between a learning sheet and a worksheet may seem subtle, but it is a fundamentally different approach. Take a look.

Try this idea to add more kindness to your classrooms!

What are you assuming students know?

Let's consider two main things that help us answer this question.

Gain instruction time by reducing the length of transitions throughout the day.

The 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence come in handy all year long when we are teaching and refining procedures and routines.

A few ideas to consider as you return to learn after a break.

How many times a day do we hear the sentence "Awww, that's what I was going to say!" Here is a respectful and clever management idea. 

Watch how a calm, respectful, focused conversation like this one can lead to accountability and growth.

Are all the steps really necessary? Read on to see what we believe and why.

Before students can be independent with Daily 5, they must be able to stay in one spot. Here are some suggestions for success. 

Brain breaks provide a physical, emotional, or cognitive shift for learners. Take a look at 12 simple brain breaks.

Are you ready to add a little mystery and excitement to your classroom? Try out the Secret Student strategy and watch your students rise to the challenge!

Consider three factors. 

Try this fun idea to build engagement and incorporate musical brain and body breaks. 

Kristin shares four practical ways to get a plan ahead for what this time of year can bring. 

Add this to your list of ways to create the classroom culture you want!

One of the best things I add to our I-charts when we are building behaviors for any independent work is . . .

This idea might be one you could use. Take a look!

It's one of the most important behaviors on the I-chart, but how do we do it? 

Enjoy this interivew with author of Help for Billy, Heather Forbes. 

It is important to use brain breaks and hooks when applicable throughout the school day. Do you know when to use which? Read on.

Explicitly teaching students school behaviors is a key to a well-managed classroom. Curious how we teach students to gather together? Download the lesson plan. Then, try it yourself!

A peaceful signal is one of the most effective ways to ensure calm transitions throughout the day.

This video is an example of brain research playing out in our classroom and how important it is to keep our lessons limited to a length that matches student attention. 

Check out this fun new idea for a brain break they are sure to love! 

This video is an example of brain research playing out in in a Kindergarten classroom and how important it is to keep lessons limited to a length that matches student attention. 

Watch how this one-on-one behavior conference focuses on what this student needs to progress.

Watch Rhonda take a quick break with her Kindergarteners to get their wiggles out!

Watch the way this teacher calms her class. 

These four suggestions can help broaden our perspective to better support everyone.

Five environmental things can be tweaked to ensure students thrive in our classrooms.

Helping students develop intrinsic satisfaction for a job well done will benefit them long after they leave us.  

Get the wiggles out with free research-based brain break activities. 

This website contains a lot of Brain Break ideas, many of which have videos. Check it out.

This one simple motion helps everyone feel seen and heard. 

Help your students understand the meaning of fairness with this simple activity.

Here is a positive way to help students get back on track when their behavior gets a little bumpy.  

This idea is easy to set up and will help promote positivity and continued learning when you are absent.