Keeping all your kiddos on point is no small feat.  Wandering minds and fidgety bodies can interfere with even the best laid instructional plans. Here are 10 classroom management strategies to promote full-class participation at multiple grade levels.

Classroom Management Strategies that Get Every Student Participating

Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down

This is a great group response strategy for true / false and yes / no questions. It’s simple, usable from K – 12 and requires absolutely no special equipment or prep.

Laminated Index Cards

A favorite filler activity of mine to integrate basic math skills for younger grades is to create response cards using large blank index cards with the less than (<) symbol on one side and the greater than (>) symbol on the other.  I laminate them for stability from year to year, and write basic math equations on the board with the appropriate symbol missing.  I then ask the class to respond as a group with their individual cards. It’s a quick way to assess which students are still having trouble identifying the proper symbol to use. You could also use this technique to create true / false or yes / no answer cards. It would be a great sight word builder for ESL classrooms.

Individual Response Boards

You can use individual-sized chalkboards, white boards cut from large pieces of shower stall board, or make bargain white boards with copy paper and sheet protectors. Use appropriate writing utensils and make sure students each have an old sock to erase their boards with in between questions. Use this technique with brief math problems, multiple choice questions delivered orally and much, much more.

Choral Reading

This can be used at any grade, whether it’s in a primary grade classroom reading the assigned poem for the week, or in a high school classroom working on a readers’ theater play with portions designed to be read chorally in group presentations.  Not every reading assignment will be perfectly suited to this, but those that are provide a great opportunity to keep students on task and involved.

Oral Cloze Technique

This is similar to choral reading in that all students respond at once. However, the response is limited to a word you have left out as they follow along during a teacher read aloud of a certain passage or paragraph. Basically, it’s like a cloze worksheet without the worksheet. This works great when you need to review something quickly like directions, or introduce a key word such as a vocabulary term.  I particularly like to use this technique when I want to make sure the students are involved, but find myself in a situation where it’s more appropriate for me to do the oral reading. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does I feel like I’m covering all of my bases.

Delayed Student Selection

Basically, I’m speaking of asking the entire group a particular question so they all become engaged with figuring out a way to answer appropriately. Then I call on an individual student after everyone’s had a chance to figure out how they would reply. A great way to keep this fair is to select a learner from a mug full of wooden craft sticks with all student names written on them. It keeps things random and fair, without letting the students know in advance who will be called on.

Call to Action

Require all students to locate a word on a reading handout and perform a certain action on that word (circle it, underline, draw a box around it, etc.) before calling on the group or an individual to say what that word is.  It’s a good idea to make the word critical to the lesson you are about to begin, such as if that word is related to a lab experiment, writing assignment parameters or a math concept review.

Team Reviews

Students love to review for tests in game format. Break them up into small groups to compete tournament style, or have two main groups competing. Try having learners play content review games one on one with a buddy, or against a few people at once in a learning center. Here are several more ideas for test reviews that rock, including a couple of my favorites: chalkboard relay races and a review technique that uses little more than a paper bag.

Put Them in the Hot Seat

Assign study groups and have students prepare for a round table discussion where their fellow students and possibly some guest teachers ask them any number of questions related to the content material. Film it like a reality TV show and make sure everybody gets grilled.

Line Up Question and Answer

Make answering a content question a prerequisite for lining up at the door for recess, lunch, catching the bus home, etc.  Do this orally or have some questions prepared ahead of time on folded papers placed in an empty bucket or bowl.  Call on students randomly from your popsicle stick coffee mug management system and then choose their review question manually as well. If a student answers a question wrong they need to sit back down. Personally, I don’t like to have this be miserable for the kiddos, so if they answer the second one wrong as well, I let them get help from a friend already in line and encourage them to review more at home on their own. Math and geography flash cards are great for this activity as well, as they require absolutely no prep time and don’t cut into other lesson time when you know your students really could use the extra review time on the material in question.

What are your favorite tips for full-group participation or keeping all of the students on their toes?

Photo Credit: Rubens LP

Here’s a link to google photos of the Island of Trash found in our oceans.

Children are interested, open and willing to learn. If your example is one of recycling, turning down the hot water heater, buying in bulk or biking rather than driving around the block your kids and students will notice and begin to absorb this information. The more they see your example the more they will begin to emulate you and  practice their own greener living measures. Possibly you and your family or your students can volunteer for oil spill clean up,  or volunteer in your city or town for a clean up day. Every action is one step toward protecting our natural resources and our planet.

Earth

With movies like, Inconvenient Truth, Earth and Planet Earth children develop a deeper understanding of our planet and protecting our natural resources. Earth Day celebrations are another resource. They offer a multitude of ideas to support Greener Living. In fact on this Earth Day site you can find Earth Day projects, activities, crafts and lessons to use with students to raise awareness of Greener Living. Here’s the perfect way to begin building student awareness  Using Mad Green Skills to Generate Less Cafeteria Trash and 8 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic in the Classroom. Every baby step we take toward protecting the earth is one step forward toward greener living and deepening environmental education. Here is a  Lesson Machine link to teacher tips for recycling and reusing classroom craft supplies. What steps can you take today?

Photo Credit Aussie Gall

Survival

This is part two in a series Survival Science

Day 7  Students choose a partner to work with on a Survivor experience.  Students discuss and compare their survival lists and combine lists and create a final list of fifty items that they will take to the island. They may choose six luxury items for this list, three for each student.

Day 8  Discuss survival items students could make while on the island using basic items found on the island combined with selected items from their list, such as  string, net, wire, or duct tape .  Each student is then instructed to create an invention item. They are instructed to complete the project in one week and required to demonstrate it’s purpose in class. Students are to include a list of items used to determine that each item was actually on the final list.

Day 9-10 Class time on projects. (Another three school days were given to complete the project at home as homework.)

Upon completion of projects students demonstrate them in front of the class. I also recommend allowing time for other students to view them and explore how they work after the presentations. We then displayed them in a  display case in the school lobby. Students included a description of each item and what it would be used for.

I’ve discovered options to expand the unit. Reality shows like Survivor certainly have expanded older students knowledge of survival in extreme conditions so in appropriate grade level settings such as high school an episode (that has been pre-viewed) could be used to discuss  shelter building, protecting food from the elements, fire starting with flint and fishing techniques. Another resource would be Boy Scouts. These students would be an additional resource for the unit as they often learn survival and camping skills.

Students could make videos of the building process as they create their survival item. Here you can read about other Lesson Machine Teaching in the Trenches tips including video projects and web projects to use for special school events as well as other helpful advice.

Students could pack and prepare a backpack with their listed items (provided their family owns these items already.) If they don’t then you could bring in the items as a class and have the students pack them in class to see just how such a task would be completed and the skill necessary to make such a pack hold what you need while being light enough to handle.

Photo Credit Edyta Materka

Saving Teachers Money

South Florida Museum is also offering teachers free admission to the Museum, Planetarium and Aquarium with ID.

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center offers discounted tickets to county employees from all counties. Two tickets to select shows.

Mote Aquarium offers teachers one free admission with a pay stub.

The Limited offers 20% discounts  on all purchases to teachers with ID.

Jo Anne Fabrics offers an annual discount card, show your teacher ID to receive one and you will receive a one time discount of 20% and the annual discount card which gives you 15% off the rest of the time.

Sonnys BBQ offers a $5.00 off coupon on orders of $25 dollars when you join their online club.

*These are Teacher Deals I discovered through Florida Department of Education’s Just For Teachers as well as through online searches. Check with your School District website for special deals in your area.  Have a great summer!

Other Freebie Resources

FreeForTeachers

Mouse Savers (This one shows deals for Free Passes to Sea World for Teachers with a valid Florida Teaching certificate and a full time teaching job.)

Free Busch Gardens Pre School Passes.These are children’s passes which are  part of a promotion for Sesame Street Safari of Fun. The passes are good for any children 5 and under until Dec 31, 2010. Children must be five or under when you register.

Photo Credit: Tony Crider

This review is for the title Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea, by Alice Waters.

This book tells the story of how a garden transformed a middle school in crisis.

What started as a simple project blossomed into an elaborate legacy that has lasted for years. Through intense community, teacher and student involvement, along with Alice Waters’ commitment and vision, a middle school now has a food program that embraces students holistically throughout their entire careers at the school.

Others are taking this schoolyard’s lead and starting their own unique school gardens. I see this program as one that could also be used for therapeutic recreation purposes, or at the community level.

Check out Alice Waters’ book and be inspired.

Photo Credit: Chronicle Books.

Cast Away

This is part one of a two part series on Science Survivor Style

As a teacher it’s important to find projects and units of study that keep students interested and motivated. One unit of study I used with Science students in sixth grade was a Survivor Unit. This unit can easily be adapted to upper level students.

Day 1-3. I began the unit by showing the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks. We then had class discussions about the experiences and situations that Tom Hanks character faced.

Day 4 I assigned the students to make a list of 1oo items that they would want to take with them to an uninhabited island. I instructed them to think carefully about what they would need to survive and thrive in such a difficult environment. I allowed them to talk in groups of four about their ideas for fifteen minutes before making their list. I also suggested to them that they should include at least a few luxury items such as as sport gear, books, a journal, a camera etc. It would be their choice which  luxury items were included, but they were limited to ten.

Day 5 We discussed and shared our lists ( I made one as well.) We noted items that we felt were essential and we discussed how people have different ideas about what might be essential and why.

Day 6  Narrow the  list to the top 30 items that will go to the island with you. The luxury items are now narrowed to three. ( I chose one tenth of the list.)  Finish with a class discussion about what makes the final list and why.

Science is a subject where scientific information and resources are always expanding and changing. One great option to expand your science content and knowledge is to use these online Science  News Services.

See part two of the series for the remaining unit and project plans.

Photo Credit Shayan USA Flickr

Classroom

Finding funding for educational projects and professional projects can be challenging so these two websites and the resources within them should give educators interested in finding grants something to cheer about.  The first website for those wanting to find a grant is Grants Alert.  I actually found this one through the Florida Department of Education. This one is a great resource for finding grants; as well as finding grant writers through their directory or just educating yourself about how to find grants. This website has a help section, which contains useful articles including, ”Tips and Ways to Raise Funds, ” “Developing Successful Corporate Partnerships,” and a very useful article called “Two Most Important Words.” They are all worth a read and will further your knowledge about grants and grant writing.

The second website, www.grants.gov offers a way to search for grants by category or agency or by more specific information such as funding type or eligibility. It also has very useful tools including, tracking your grant application and applicant resources. The site also links to the 26 federal grant making agencies through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Both of these websites should be instrumental in assisting people in finding grants, the grant application process and where to apply for grants. They each offer readers useful information that is well presented.

Photo Credit Allio

The Importance of Recycling

As concerns mount regarding the state of our gulf coast and the oil spill, it’s a perfect opportunity to increase our children’s environmental awareness and educate them further about  the ways our planet is being damaged. There are many great programs for recycling but there are many people who don’t participate.  A great student project to demonstrate the importance of recycling is to have the students collect various types of trash from the classroom and home and dig a classroom landfill in a school approved area. If your school doesn’t have an area where you can dig there’s another excellent options in this article to achieve similar educational awareness about trash and recycling.

Project 1 Take student collected trash (food trash, plastic trash, paper trash.) It works best to include all types of trash for this project.

Phase One: As a class dig the landfill hole and place your trash items in the landfill. Have students map the landfill area, so that you know where each type of trash is located, for the second phase of this project. Take photos of the trash items before covering your landfill with soil. Cover the landfill area and then have a classroom discussion about how long the trash items will take to decompose in the landfill. Discuss recycling options in your individual area. Field trip option; visit a local landfill in your area for students to see the reality of what our garbage actually does to the planet.

This is part one of a two part series on Recycling and Trash.

Recycling Photo Credit By: Bucklava

Cultural and Musical Diversity

Living and working overseas taught me the importance and joy of celebrating the cultural diversity of my students. Celebrating cultural events raises awareness among students and staff. Exploring the varied ethnic cultural diversity of students through cultural celebrations gives children a taste of ethnic customs,  food, dance, language and dress. It’s an  exciting way to involve everyone in a no pressure environment where learning  takes place naturally.

In Germany I included local celebrations in my plans.  Students enjoy sharing little gifts on December 6th, which is the European St. Nicholas Day. In German custom bad children receive a lump of coal and good children receive small gifts. Another special celebration that all small school children in Germany celebrate is the receiving of  their  Schultute , a giant cone filled with sweets and treats to take away the bitterness of school starting. Directions to make your own Schultute.

When I taught on the island of Guam we celebrated United Nations Day with  a day long celebration of costumes from cultures around the world and  a musical program where students and staff shared songs and instruments around the world. Through our experiences we learned about new foods, ways of life and activities that raised awareness of cultures different than our own. In each of these very different cultures teachers brought the culture of our “second home” to life through customs and experiences that drew children closer to each other, while teaching them more about their second home culture.

Photo Credit Secret Tenerife’s

Are you an instructor with no space of your own? Stuck floating from room to room, finding an available corner to offer your support services from? If you’re finding it difficult to function on the fly, here are several teaching tools to get you on the right professional track.

TEACHING TOOLS ON WHEELS

Wheeled Metro Shelves

While I’ve previously touted the benefits of using metro shelving in the classroom, the taller five-shelf variety likely won’t be suitable for moving between classrooms. However, both Lowe’s and Sam’s here in the United States sell waist-high sets of metro shelves suitable for adding heavy-duty castor wheels. This shelving, at least at Lowe’s, has available add-ons such as extra individual shelves and attachable sliding drawers, enabling you to seriously “pimp” your rolling resource cart. Use s-hooks to hang difficult-to-stack items via handles or drawstring mesh bags. Your rolling classroom can be stocked at the dollar store for very little money. Use a tackle box for small supplies.

Stair-Friendly City Carts

Let’s face it. You can’t always count on a school that schedules all of your classes on the same floor. You could have several flights of stairs to climb with no elevator, or be assigned to outdoor portable classrooms which may not have a ramp. These urban grocery carts designed for apartment dwellers with stairs would come in handy for teachers in such situations.

Wheeled Briefcases

Not only are these great for weekend business trips, they are well-suited to meet the needs of the roaming educator. Granted, it probably won’t work for a floating music, science or art teacher. However, high school math or history teachers should be able to use a rolling briefcase and get by just fine with a laptop, teacher’s edition text book, and minor office and grading supplies.

Lockable Storage Carts

These are particularly useful if you don’t have a secure closet to lock your things in every night, or need to leave your files and test copies in a room full of high school students while you grab your lunch break. You can keep a tight lid on your sensitive documents while maintaining mobility and organization. Two of note include this lime green metal push cart and this lockable rolling cart with a fold-out computer stand.

Personal Luggage Carts

For those dealing with multiple school locations, consider a few clear totes with snap-on lids and a sturdy folding luggage cart. You can easily transport your supplies between locations in the trunk of your car and assemble your rolling classroom on the fly when you arrive.

Tool Cabinets

It’s way less money for a rolling tool cabinet on ‘roids than it is for one of those locking specialty teaching cabinets I’ve seen priced at over three thousand dollars. Try the stackable, multi-drawer variety with different sizes of storage space, similar to the styles professional mechanics use. Use inexpensive rubberized shelf liner on the bottom of the draws to store eye droppers and petri dishes safely if you are a science teacher. Art teachers could use a similar strategy for brushes and paint sets. Stanley also used to make a tiltable, wheeled two-drawer cart with detachable top tool box. This, along with a tote bag, could make a decent floating classroom for a social studies teacher.

Rolling Cart of Opportunity

This is basically the bare bones solution of grabbing whatever extra media cart is left over in the supply closet and snagging extra containers from the thrift store. It might not be the most aesthetic solution, but it will get the job done and you can fine tune it as you go.

LOGISTICAL TEACHING TOOLS

Digital Storage Solutions

In addition to your laptop and thumb drive, consider Google Docs or cloud storage to keep your data safe and mobile. Monthly curriculum subscriptions are another way to keep your hard copies of lesson plans and unit themes to a minimum, keeping you as portable and flexible as possible.

WiFi

If your school doesn’t have it, perhaps your PTA can assist you with purchasing mobile WiFi service from one of the cell phone companies that currently offers it.  Being able to get online at each classroom, and on your free planning periods will be critical to staying up to date and organized.

Electrical Plug Adapter

Hit your local box hardware store and pick one up. They are great for turning one outlet into several if your host teacher has most of the electrical resources in use. The cost is minimal and they also come in handy for the same reason at airports. (Here’s a related article on just such travel items you can buy at the hardware store.)

Dish Tubs

These cost way less money than the “cubbies” of the same size in the teacher supply catalog. Save your classroom supply budget for something jazzier and pinch pennies on storage tubs by picking up the dish washing variety at dollar or department stores.

Accordion Files

These help your documents stay put with a securable top and have enough space to handle assignments from multiple sets of students. Accordion files can also fit easily into a lockable rolling cabinet or the trunk of your vehicle.

Retractable Extension Cord

Even with an adapter, the nearest voltage access may be in a very inconvenient corner of the room. Having a retractable extension cord will keep you prepared without having to untangle a long cord with every classroom relocation.  This retractable cord by Coleman even has three outlets on the receiving end.

Power Strip

If the best you are able to finagle from the supply closet is a basic hand-me-down extension cord with no extra outlets, then you will definitely need a power strip. Here’s one by Belkin that should serve to keep your laptop running, Blackberry charging and have extra slots left over for perhaps a decadent electrical pencil sharpener. (Live large people, live large.)

Evacuation Tote

As a teacher in the Middle East, having a classroom bomb bag was mandatory for me . As a floating teacher, you never know when a fire drill or other evacuation will be launched unexpectedly . Having an evacuation tote with your grade book, parent contact information and room for your laptop, smart phone and other essentials is just a smart idea. Even smarter? Have one of these “grab and go” bags as part of your standard set up, be it a messenger bag or shoulder tote. This way, the routine is streamlined into your daily system and nothing is likely to be forgotten.

There you have it, readers. Teaching tools for educators on the move, as thoroughly as I can explain the concept. Are you the “floater” at your school? If so, how do you handle the logistics, politics and day-to-day issues? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links for products I feel provide solutions to the issues addressed in this article.

Photo Credits: Photo of children by Trek Hound. Product photos courtesy of Amazon.com.