I asked a few of my blogging friends to share some of the changes they implement over the New Year, so that hopefully you can find some inspiration to try something new!
It is also time for our weekly Teachers pay Teachers gift card giveaway - so make sure you enter at the end of the post!
Classroom Set-Up
Brenda from The Transforming Adventures of Room 201 has already headed back into her classroom to rearrange her seating. Don't you just LOVE those tables?
Classroom Behavior Management
Melissa from Peas in a Pod Lessons said, "I find that 2 things need either changed or jazzed up mid year: 1. The morning routine & 2. The behavior management system. I usually add a team points system or whole class system to the basic clip chart I started using in the beginning of the year."
You might also think about implementing some Whole Brain Teaching techniques such as the Scoreboard.
Kelsey from Kelsey N Hayes A Blog for Middle School Teachers said" Even if things "run smoothly" in a classroom, I think every teacher should review their procedures and routines! It is always helpful to review"
She has some suggestions for reviewing your procedures here.
Goal Setting
Nicole from The Teachers Caravan said "When returning back from break it's always a good idea to review the routines and procedures with students. But it's also a good time for students to reflect on the 1st and 2nd quarters or the 1st semester. Students GOAL SETTING for the 2nd Semester (3rd and 4th quarters) can be a good way to motivate those students who didn't perform to their potential the first time around. It's a great opportunity for a new start!"
I am a big believer in setting goals in the classroom. We set goals for both academic and behavior improvement.
New Supplies
Are your old notebooks and markers looking a bit beat up and worn out? Now is the time to replace them with some shiny new supplies. I put away 1/2 of my supplies from the beginning of the year for just this purpose.
Reorganize and Clean Out Your Supplies.
I will visit my classroom during one of my break days to clean, purge, and reorganize my supplies and library. This time of year, they often look like a tornado hit them, and it is great to return from break to a clean, well-organized classroom.
New Seating Chart
I change up my seating chart once a quarter to give my students a chance to interact with different people than they might ordinarily inter act with, and to prevent discipline issues.
I have used a variety of methods from letting students choose, alphabetical, random, and carefully selected by me. This year, we have made things a bit more interesting using a sorting ceremony since our class theme is Harry Potter.
The beginning of the year was completely random. Students chose play dough balls and rubbed them together until they changed color revealing their "house". I let them choose their seat at their table.
During the second quarter I carefully selected the tables and seats and had one of the moms bake cupcakes with colored filling for the students to see where they were "sorted".
This quarter will be random again using sorting cups.
What Changes Do You Make For the New Year?
Leave a comment below or join our conversation on Facebook.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher), Mrs Hansens Helpfuls, Samson's Shoppe, The Corriganite Nation, kelseynhayes, A Place of Story, HappyEdugator, and Brandi Caldwell of My Teacher Friend.
Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 1/9/17 and is open worldwide.
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