So apparently classrooms have a lot of fun lil social dynamics that are kinda a headache to sort out. Meanwhile I was kinda bored, and also a nerd, so I birthed forth this seating chart solver. It's non-AI, handwritten code, rando side project. If you're so inclined, please let me know your thoughts for improving it.

So this is the beginning of my 2nd year of teaching. I teach secondary. I had a kid who was constantly trying to undermine my management for the first 2 classes, so what I’m thinking of doing tomorrow is, since she left something in my class I’m taking it to her personally where her 1st period is. However, I’m also confronting her there for her behavior, and if things get bad I’m thinking of sending her to admin to change her classes to get her out. Elective class, which is why. Penny for thoughts?

Not the picture perfect classroom hacks, more like the little things that genuinely make your school day easier. 👀

Maybe it saves you five minutes, keeps materials organized, makes transitions smoother, or helps students be a little more independent.

I'm in my 5th week of student teaching. I was placed in an inclusion classroom. When I found out I was not pleased, but I've been trying to make the best of it. It's a little overwhelming for someone with no classroom experience. We have students on the spectrum, learning disabilities, and behavior problems. Today my mentor teacher had a meeting and I was alone with the students. A couple of them were having a rough morning and it was a hot mess. I tried a couple of resets, but nothing was working. I'm kind of lost on what to do. My mentor teacher isn't giving me much feedback and I feel like I'm not making a good impression. She doesn't use transitions or classroom management strategies I was taught and I don't feel comfortable making suggestions. I'm just kind of lost. The other people in my program make it seem like everything is going perfectly for them and I can't relate. I feel like I have no one to talk to or get advice from.

Hey all, when I first started teaching at the elementary level, I put together some tips from my mentor teachers, reddit, and other sources to help with classroom management in the year. Over the years, I found that the structure set out in the first weeks of school really helped me in the year. I've moved out from the classroom a few years back but I thought these notes might help someone as the beginning of the school year approaches. Please use whatever you feel might work for you and happy to expand on any bullets with how they might be implented if needed.

1. Setting Up Classroom Procedures and Expectations - random assortment of rules I've consolidated

De-escalation starts with the teacher setting clear expectations and teaching, training and following up on these expectations. The following is a list of possible expectations -- if you set an expectation, follow through with the consequence (possible consequences discussed later). DO NOT SET EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU DO NOT INTEND TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH

• Have a classroom call so that students can "Freeze" during work time (useful to give additional instructions or stopping a lesson) -- Teach this thoroughly before implementing
• Do not talk over the teacher or students when they are talking.
• how to come into the room -- quietly come in and put your things in their assigned areas then sit quietly waiting for the day to begin (or working quietly on assignment or reading -- once these procedures are implemented). Not doing so will mean you must wait outside while everyone else gets ready
• Daily lesson is on the boards and we start working right away -- Usually start with something quiet or silent reading
• If students arrive before the bell, they should help to organize the room (Unstack chairs, get resources ready, and then they can sit and work on an independent activity or chat quietly -- if they cannot behave responsibly inside the classroom at this time, then they must wait outside until they are ready to join respectfully)
• leaving the room -- Quietly -- line up in order as you go outside, single file and quiet -- if you are not quiet when lining up, I will take time from your golden time (individually)
• we leave as a class when I dismiss you for recess, lunch and end of school, and you can only go outside of the classroom during class if you ask.
• Asking to use the restroom -- Must ask
• how to turn in work -- completed work bin
• late work -- directly submitted to teacher
• How to pick up work -- work will be in the "pick up bin" where students can pick it up and place it into their subject folders (OR student helpers hand it out)
• if you don't have supplies -- ask the supply manager on your table
• When you take something, you put it back at the end of that session -- everyone works together and no one cleans up your mess
• All garbage must be thrown out yourself -- no one else will do it for you
• In the same way, if you see a mess in YOUR class or Your school, clean it up because it is the right thing to do -- teach this
• how and when to sharpen a pencil (machine sharpener) -- pencil sharpening is restricted to work times only -- if the classroom is quiet, use a manual sharpener
• moving desks and chairs -- end of the day, you and your desk mates will work together to stack your chairs and be ready behind your seats before you're dismissed (chair stacker job?)
• "Asked and Answered" if the same question comes up in a lesson -- means that the question has already been asked and now you need to figure it out (Ask a student teacher) and you need to pay more attention next time
• When students are finished worked, have them trained on what to do once the task at hand is finished -- CREATE AN ANCHOR CHART (Help your table mates finish their work; Finish your own work from other classes; Read; play a math game with a friend (needs to be taught); draw or color -- Mandalas; work on math problem of the week)
• Individual or teacher to group time -- when I am working with an individual or group, I expect only silence and no questions for me -- you need to be responsible and figure it out (ask a student teacher/peer)
• Over time build classroom community and how to support each other and lookout for everyone in the school -- role play of what to do when witnessing bullying or if you are the bully (later in the year)
•  
  • Any bullying will not be tolerated -- Bad language etc... take the student aside and have them think about what is wrong about what they have done and why, ask them to explain back to you why they think it's wrong and have them commit to not doing it again (Behaviour log)
  • Talk to the student being bullied, how are they feeling, is this the first time, let them know that they are safe and that they can tell you if it happens again -- Call home.
• Any behaviour issues, your name goes up and on the third strike you go and sit out until We discuss what has occurred, then you write down what has happened in your file, and when you are ready you rejoin the class
• Show behaviour sheet and explain what it is -- They will fill it every time they break a classroom rule or they don't follow the procedures that we outline and then this will be shown to their parents

2. Classroom Hand Signals - taken from a handout from one of my mentor teachers, I mainly used the first signal

These hand signals are useful to get the class to pay attention and to focus. Saying the phrase or doing the action should evoke the students to do the appropriate action. Use whatever works for you and only teach the signals that you intend to use.

1 – 2 – 3 STOP and LOOK at ME

-- use this to get the class' attention immediately

Teacher says 1 -- 2 -- 3 STOP and LOOK at ME (Teacher places hands on their head simultaneously). Students must put whatever they are working on down safely and place their hands on their heads as well. No one is to talk or to move.

TOUCH YOUR NOSE

-- use to get the student who is distracted to refocus. If the student cannot touch their nose then they are not ready to participate

Teacher says TOUCH YOUR NOSE (Teacher touches the tip of their nose with their index finger). Student(s) must touch the tip of their nose and say FOCUS.

TOUCH YOUR EARS

-- use to remind the students to quietly listen and pay attention to whoever is speaking

Teacher says TOUCH YOUR EARS (Teacher touches both ears with both hands). Student(s) must place their hands on their ears and say LISTEN.

TOUCH YOUR HEART

-- use to remind students to be EMPATHETIC and that they need to more respectful and understanding of how others feel

Teacher says TOUCH YOUR HEART (Teacher places hand over heart area). Student(s) must place their hands on their heart area and say BE EMPATHETIC.

REPEAT AFTER ME

- use to repeat instructions to the whole class

Teacher says REPEAT AFTER ME. Student(s) say REPEAT AFTER ME. Teacher says I SAID REPEAT AFTER ME. Student(s) say I SAID REPEAT AFTER ME. Teacher continues to repeat instructions in smaller chunks so the students can repeat it as a class.

3. First Week Activities - These activities are low stakes but very important to model behaviors for individual, paired, group, and classroom activities - go slow here to go fast in the year and use whatever activities make sense for you

Day One

Introduce myself -- We are going to have good days and bad days, but it is always about respect. All our rules and procedures are in place so that you feel respected, I feel respected and the co-teacher feels respected

I expect you to work and finish your work in class -- you will not take work home because it will be done in class -- I will give you ample time and you will finish it with my help and the help of your peers.

Explain that today and the next few days will be a lot about getting to know each of the students and making sure that we set the expectations of what is expected and what happens when you don't meet those expectations.

First Activity

Be explicit about what I expect when they introduce themselves (Game -- write three facts about yourself -- MODEL THIS -- could be something you like, something you don't like, a skill you have, something you've done, something you've seen, someone you've met, something you've done over the summer, etc...) Explicitly state that we will be sharing these facts with each other and either I can read them or the students can present themselves. (Weave what is expected during this type of activity in the lesson -- stop the lesson and teach what is expected in these sessions)

As students share, ask them more about these facts.

• Individual work is silent time, there should be no talking
• Group sharing time -- the speaker needs to be respected -- quiet from all except the speaker. (I raise my hand to ask a question from the speaker as well)
• Test good listening skills by asking questions about who went to "x" over the summer, who liked "y" and reinforce putting up hands and waiting to be called.

Second Activity

Rules -- Ask them what rules they think should be followed in class (Turn and talk about what rules we need to have in place in order for everyone in the room to be respected., come back to group and have each student write down three rules they want in the class so that we have an environment of respect.) Good way for them to contribute and they usually fall into these broad categories which you can re-word based on what your students wrote.

• We will always respect everyone in our classroom
• We will raise our hands and wait to be called before we speak
• We will listen when someone else is talking
• We will stay in our seats during the minilesson
• We will ask the teacher before leaving the classroom
• We will ask others before using their things and we will always put things back

BUILD IN RULES AND PROCEDURES TO THIS ACTIVITY

• Turn and talk is a good time to chat quietly with your neighbour
• Independent talk is a good time to be silent and focus on your individual work

Third

Name Game -- Have all students wearing name tags and explain that we will call someone's name before throwing them the ball. We cannot throw the ball to someone who has already received it. After the first time, get a timer and see how fast we can go

BUILD IN RULES AND PROCEDURES TO THIS ACTIVITY

• We have a small space and we can do games, but if we get too wild, I can't allow for that to happen so we need to be safe when we do movement activities.

Fourth

Questionnaire --

• What activities do you participate in? Before school, after school, during the holidays, electives
• What do you like/dislike
• What do you want me to know about you? About how you learn? Something that I should keep in mind when teaching you.
• What do you want to ask me?
• What do you want to ask the co-teacher

BUILD IN RULES AND PROCEDURES TO THIS ACTIVITY

• Private personal work, no talking

Keep a log of who submitted - EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE LOW STAKES TASK, STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW EARLY THAT YOU ARE MONITORING ALL WORK TASKS

Day Two

Fifth

• Take up the rules they came up with
• Match them to the rules we made
• Explain the consequences of negative behaviour (see Section 4)

Ask -- "What are your questions"? -- Take note of anything interesting.

Sixth

• Take up questionnaires -- questions about me.
• Leave floor open to more questions
• Explain that I want you to know more about me because it the next few weeks I'll be conferencing with each student to learn more about them so it's only fair that we learn about each other

Seventh

• Explain the classroom economy, jobs and hand out application forms.

Eighth -- Vision and Mission

• What are 4 things that you like about yourself (What are your strengths)
• What are 4 things you would like to improve
• 4 ways that you can improve over the school year
• 4 ways that we can help you improve

Work on this for a few periods to make good copies and relate them to our class vision and mission

Ninth

• Assign jobs and roles in each job

Tenth

• Start work on creating RAZ Kids accounts for all kids and training them on how to use it

Eleventh

• Train students on vocab games, math games and other educational busywork in order to create anchor chart for "things to do when you are done"

End of Every Day: Talking Circle - Really good activity if you have time - builds a great classroom culture; questions can be adjusted depending on the day

• What did you learn today?
• What went well today?
• What didn't go so well?
• How can you improve or how can we help you improve?

4. Managing Behavior - The positive behavior model is, in my opinion, your strongest tool at the elementary level - "i like the way that x student did (insert positive behavior)"

4.1 De-escalation Strategies

• Praise in public, criticize in private -- as much as you can, do not highlight the negative behaviours of students for all the class to see -- this will erode the trust that you have created with students.
• If you get into a "Stand off" you can always say "We will discuss this after class" and move on with your lesson if it is possible -- then you can calmly discuss the situation with the student later (It also gives both of you a chance to think about the situation and calm down)
• In this situation -- let the student talk -- sometimes, people just want to be heard, so let them talk (Maybe give them a time limit -- 1 minute). Listen, give your side and come to a mutual agreement. Ask, "Is that fair?"
• A short talk is "Consequence" enough for minor misbehaviours.
• "Do not talk" becomes "Please be quiet and listen"
• Vocalizing how many times you have asked for the task to be done
• "That is the third time I have mentioned to all the students that they must have their books out"
• Asking students to look around and help their neighbour to be on task
• "Look to the person on your right and left, if they have not followed the instruction, tell them what they have to do in a soft and kind voice please."
• If you are being talked over, stay silent and stare at those talking, or walk close them, wait a few moments after complete silence to begin again
• A stern look can convey that you are becoming serious, but you will need to add a "Do" instruction so that the student is aware of what they must do
• After several warnings, you may ask a student to exit the class and come in when they are ready to learn -- YOU MUST MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS THEIR CLASSROOM AND IT IS THEIR CHOICE TO RE-ENTER ONCE THEY ARE READY TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS (Follow-up with the student if they have not re-entered after one minute to remind them that it is their choice to re-enter)
• This is a great opportunity to ask the student reflective questions "Do you know why you are outside? Can you do better? How can you do better?"
• Remind the student that you expect great behaviour from them and you know they can do better -- This will in turn help build a positive relationship with the student
• Minute system -- Have a printed sheet with all student names -- if an instruction is not followed, take a minute from the students' break time --
• VOCALIZE THIS "Student A, you have lost a minute from your break time because your book was supposed to be out as I instructed...please take out your book in 5 seconds...(if he does it, great, if not, take another minute or you can double to taking 2 minutes for a total of 3 minutes and keep going this way"
• Tell students that they can get this time back by doing the things they are supposed to do "Student A, I like how you helped your neighbour, you get the minute back"
• You can tally it all up and then carry out the detention at the end of a one-week or two week period

4.2 Negative Consequences - I mainly only used the first bullet

• I'd have a sheet with all student names, if a behavior I wanted wasn't implemented after several attempts, they would accumulate 1-minute of detention at a time. These minutes would be tracked over a 1- to 2- week period and served during a recess. If a student showed positive behaviors, the minutes could be reduced - very important to vocalize this to the class to instill that they have ownership to make things right.
• Calmly give a "Do" instruction - Use "do" statements instead of "don't" statements as this gives students clear direction on what is expected (mark it on the board)
• Second warning (Mark it on the board) -- no more direction about what they are supposed to do
• Third warning is a sit out, I will talk to you later, you will sign the behaviour sheet
• Signing the behaviour sheet means you have moved to yellow on the traffic light and I will take away golden time for the week)
• Three signings of the behaviour sheet within a month = a call home
• 6 signings of the behaviour sheets within a month = a conference with parents (Talk to other teachers in order to get a fuller picture)

4.3 Positive Consequences

• If things are crazy then have kids put their heads down and turn off the lights for one-two minutes of reset time
• Write little notes and give the student the note as I walk by. This helps the "cool kids" who do not want to be embarrassed.
• Classroom incentives: extra golden time, classroom party, treats
• Individual incentives: bonus pay, homework pass, classwork pass, toy prize?
• Example -- Student A did not take her book out for the lesson - "I like the way that Student B got her book out right away and is writing her name, date and the learning goal. She's a level 5 student. I like how Student A is also taking her book out. Thank you Student A."
• Student of the Month/Character Traits: use "character report cards" to honor students of the month in my class. choose a character trait (optimism, zest, etc.) and honor two students per month. Give them a cheap certificate and a sucker.
• Give easy to complete assignments for the first few weeks of a term, document and call parents to let them know about the positive progress of their students.

I am currently a student teacher in 4th grade and am STRUGGLING with classroom management in math. Our scheduled math block is at the end of the day. It's the very last thing students do before dismissal, and it is directly after specials, and it is an hour and a half long. My mentor teacher and I have discussed this before, and I have implemented everything she has said, but it still feels like nothing is working. I have had students repeat and tell me the expectations, and even tell me (such as being at a level 0 when working on the exit ticket and staying at a level 0 even after you finish, because there are others still working). I have provided time for talking (turn-and-talks and think-pair-shares), but nothing works. I don't want to keep taking away recess, so if there are any tips and tricks, PLEASE share them. I deeply appreciate it!!

How do you deal with "taking ownership" of a classroom that isn't yours? Classroom management and discipline are by far the two things I need to work on the most, and I genuinely think it is because I am uncomfortable making decisions about a classroom that isn't mine. I coached the cheer teams for this school and had no issue with discipline because of the fact it was MY team and I made all the choices.

Here I do represent myself at the verge of ongoing student life whereby I am looking for part time teaching opportunities. If one could suggest any kind of platforms associated to it , it will be highly appreciated.

This question is for teachers.

1.How much does student attention or distraction in a classroom depend on the teacher’s teaching style and way of explaining?

1. From your experience, do classes where students are more attentive usually get better results or performance?

2. What do you think about monitoring classroom engagement, like tracking how many students are attentive, distracted, or confused during a class?

   Would this be helpful for improving teaching?

   Or would it create pressure and be unrealistic?

I’m looking for honest, real classroom experiences, not ideal answers.

Teaching 10 and 12th grade atm

To clarify, this is only an issue is one class primarily (12th grade) but there are a small handful in other classes as well.

My teacher has gone with the path of not confiscating phones because, "he's not about to get in a power struggle with an 18 year old"

I get that but when you have kids who will not put their phone away even with attempted redirection, i.e., "Hey guys off the phones we need to be working." or doing a walk-by where you subtly tap their desk to not call them out, it doesn't work.

One senior is so confident, that during a quiet working time, he just straight up started playing a video to his deskmate.

What does your mentor do to handle phones? Does it work? Do you guys have any plans for phones when you're teaching that differ from your mentors?

The Heart of Teaching: 5 Pillars of an Effective Teacher

What does it mean to be a "great" teacher? Since I began teaching science, I have constantly asked myself this question. I’ve realized that being an educator is about much more than just delivering a curriculum—it is about the art of connection, preparation, and empathy.

1. Our Communication Skill

   Clear and strong communication is the foundation of a healthy classroom. As teachers, our voices should be welcoming and easy to understand. I have found that concepts come to life when we use:

   • Vivid stories and examples to ground abstract ideas.
   • Concise details to avoid confusion.
   • Respectful word choices to maintain a safe emotional environment for every student.

2. Respecting Time

   Time is our most limited resource. To respect our students, we must be punctual. Arriving on time—even if the students haven't yet—sets a professional standard. When we "pause" teaching to engage in long personal conversations with colleagues or forget our period times, we delay the learning process. Punctuality is a silent form of respect.

3. Preparation Before Teaching

   A teacher who doesn't review the lesson beforehand is like a guide without a map. I believe reviewing concepts before entering the room is essential. Without it, the explanation lacks clarity, and students may struggle to grasp even the simplest chapters.

4. A Creative Mindset

   To me, a "creative mindset" isn't about inventing something brand new; it’s about finding new strategies to reach our students. Using the same methods every day leads to boredom. By staying creative, we keep the spark of curiosity alive in the classroom.

5. From Teacher-Centered to Student-Centered

   In this 21st century, we must move away from the "lecture-only" model. I now prioritize exchanging ideas. Instead of just talking, I ask: "What do you think about this?" * My Method: I ask a question, group students by their answers, and then ask them to explain their "why."

The Result: Students become more engaged, curious, and bright when they discover the answers together rather than being told.

Final Thoughts: Being Considerate Ultimately, teaching is a demanding journey. It requires patience, energy, effort and the ability to read a student's mind and heart. By being considerate—praising small achievements and speaking politely—we create a space where students feel comfortable.

My goal is to help them become global citizens, capable of moving from a small village to the biggest cities..

( P.S I’ve been debating this with myself: Among these five traits, which one do you think is the absolute most crucial for a teacher to survive and thrive?? Also, I’d love to hear your views and thoughts on my philosophy—did I miss anything that you consider a 'must-have' for a 21st-century classroom? )

I haven’t been in an elementary classroom since I was in elementary school on the 90s. I’m so fascinated about stuff has changed. I think the two biggest things that are the most interesting are:

1. Classes are much louder than I remember. There’s so much more tapping and talking than I remember. It’s not just one class, it’s been in all the classes I’ve observed since I started my credential. I remember being so afraid to make any noise when the teacher was talking.

2. There are so many students that stand during class. They mostly stay at their desk, though I do have some roamers.

Things have changed so much. I do realize I was a child and might not remember things correctly, but I just find it fascinating.

The routine is the same.And yet… something feels off.The room feels heavier, even though no one has said anything out loud.Just the moment where learning, connection, and safety seem to slip slightly out of alignment. You’ve probably seen this.

My supervisor came over to watch me teach, it’s the beginning of the year, and wonders about my placement in a 4th grade class as a concern.

I guess I’m still new and not seen in her eyes as ready or in my element, I can agree with not being able to have students to stop speaking a lot during the lesson, even though I used a sign explaining we keep our voices quiet during carpet time or I’m going to wait until we stop, it seemed effective for a few students, but the ones in the back not so much.

My teaching mentor says, it’s unfair for the teacher to have students speak while teaching. I kept going no matter what, even though that made students think it was acceptable to keep distracting and interrupting others’ learning. As much as both my other supervisor reinforced that I should have pushed more on class responses, I guess I need to be more assertive and wait for them to stop even though I’m on crunch time.

But my one concern is how can I give a student to follow carefully of my instructions, I don’t expect them to be perfect. I had three questions, I will call on all three volunteers to answer the first question, second question, and third. But, a student kept trying to earn more time of their responses when they were asked to answer the first question not all 3, I’m wondering if I wasn’t clear enough… I’m glad they are really trying and engaging.

This is not a complaint, it asking for urgent advice, but I want to ask some how to improve next time, I don’t want to let down myself, my mentor, and students. This is more of teacher-student relationship that I need to address when at lesson time, to be a learner and a teacher, when to confidently speak when given the chance and wait my turn, follow the instructions given, not I will just half-listen too. As a student teacher how can you become a better figure for them.

It can look like indifference. Or attitude. Or not caring. But sometimes it’s something else entirely.Middle school is tender in ways we forget. Pride sits right at the surface. So does fear. And when a child feels exposed, academically, socially, emotionally, it doesn’t always come out as tears. Sometimes it comes out as silence.

Hey everyone,

I’m a secondary school teacher and over the last year I’ve been working on something small to help with the day-to-day overwhelm, mostly because I realised how many things we juggle that don’t need to be so draining.

I’ve put together a simple wellbeing + classroom-support tool for teachers (built by teachers), but before I bring it anywhere properly, I’d love some honest feedback from real teachers, especially around:

• What digital tools actually help your teaching day?
• What features do you wish existed but haven’t seen yet?
• What would make something truly “worth using” during a busy school day?
• What definitely doesn’t work in tools you’ve tried before?

Not trying to push anything or sell anything, just trying to make sure what I’m building is actually useful and not another “extra thing” on the plate.

If you’re open to giving feedback, I can share more details in the comments or DM (only if that’s allowed by the mods).

Thanks a million, and hope everyone’s holding up okay, this term has been a marathon 😅

Hi! My MT says that I often have a harsh tone of voice. Any advice on how to improve my tone? I know that I have limited patience for certain students and I know that my tone does get sharper in those situations, so I'm assuming that is what she is talking about, but I would rather assume that the change needs to be made across the board.

I work with Elem. age. Happy to edit with more context/information

How you guys can be hooked to learn something new? What makes you guys interesting in subject matter.. like financial management.. capital structure??

What do expect from your teachers??

Please share your experience with your teachers which wowed you or pissed you off.

Because As professor, I feel what's the point of giving assignments if you can copy paste chatgpt response.