Classroom Management

Not sure about anyone else out there, but nothing seems to get my class motivated like Skittles. I'm not sure what it is about the little bits of chewy goodness but it can do wonders for a kid's motivation. Now I know we don't always want to reward kids with something sugary, but sometimes you just need something to chew. A student can earn one Skittle at the end of small reading groups when they are working extra hard. It's just something small to reward them for a job well done.

 

 

I've done this in years past, but this school year I wanted to make the idea something special. Hence the name...Power Pellets. The kids need to know that working hard in class is something for which to be proud. 

Classroom Decor

Alright...so this is going to be my first blog post. I thought I would talk about a project I completed in my classroom today. I decided to cover the countertops in my room with contact paper. (I have to admit this wasn't my idea...I stole borrowed the idea from my new neighbor ;) Let me first say that the countertops in my room were UGLY. The school was built in the 1960's and I think the last time the counters were painted was in the 1990's. Needless to say, they needed a serious makeover.

The before pictures

 

 

See what I mean! You can't really tell in the pictures, but the counters were really scratched and marred from years of use.

Now for the after pictures...

 

It looks soooo much better don't you think :)