Below are some areas that can help create the conditions for students to feel comfortable and ready to start their work of learning and building a positive classroom community. Assessing your classroom organization will help create the optimal learning environment, where all students feel invited to challenge themselves academically and be contributing members of the Read More »
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SEP
17
2019
Creating a Place for Learning
We all can think of stores that felt inviting and organized, places that created the optimal shopping experience. Classrooms, like stores, can be places where we frequently want to spend our time,…
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MAR
07
2019
Clearing the Way for New Growth
Recently I was in a school conducting observations, and I noticed that all of the classrooms were picture-perfect. The decorations on the walls looked like an advertisement for a teacher store, and…
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JUN
20
2018
This Room Was Made for You and Me
Children need a classroom environment they can understand and trust. They need to understand the routines and to know where to find things, they need uncluttered spaces to do their work, and…
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JUN
15
2016
Is Your Classroom Organized for Learning?
School’s over! As you clean table tops, take down anchor charts, and sort supplies, pause and take a look around your classroom. Will you be leaving a space that worked well for…
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NOV
03
2015
Our Classroom Walls
During the school day we spend most of our time in our classroom and so do twenty to thirty students (give or take a few!). Many of us feel that our classroom…
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NOV
15
2013
Our Classroom Library: Reflections
I'm definitely doing this each year from now on! As the end of the first quarter of the school year rolled around, I reflected on the benefits I'd seen from involving students…
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OCT
16
2013
Building Our Classroom Library
When my new third grade students saw our classroom library for the first time this year, all of the book baskets on the shelves were empty, and although the baskets were labeled…
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OCT
08
2013
Whose Classroom Is It?
One way the Responsive Classroom approach has changed my teaching is that I have learned to think of the classroom as a space that belongs to all of us, rather than as…
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AUG
06
2013
Ask Yourself Why
What's your vision for your classroom community this year? How do you want the room to look, sound, and feel once the first weeks of school are over? In my last post,…
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AUG
05
2013
Envisioning Your Classroom
I started setting up my classroom a few days ago, and of course I was thinking about the first days of school, but what really guided my decisions was a vision of…
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AUG
29
2012
Classroom Display Ideas
Last spring, I encouraged you to take a good, hard look at your classroom displays and think about how, in the future, you might increase the emphasis on displaying student work and…
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JUL
26
2012
Time to Change the Routine?
Which parts of your school day just don't seem to work as well as you'd like? Now's a great time to do some problem-solving, imagine new possibilities, and plan to make changes…
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MAY
24
2012
If Classroom Walls Could Talk
Take a look at your classroom walls and displays. What do they say about you, your relationship with your class, and your view of teaching? Are your students guests in your room,…
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JAN
24
2012
Asking the Right Questions
Three years ago, I noticed my first grade class having real difficulty putting away the materials for one of our workstations. Although these students usually followed the cleanup routines we'd developed and…
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JUN
15
2011
Decluttering Starts Now!
How much of the stuff that’s cluttering your classroom could be gone before school starts up again? Teachers keep all kinds of stuff we never use. Why do we keep these things?…
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AUG
18
2010
Displaying Student Work
In any classroom, displays should consist primarily of the children’s work, rather than teacher-made or store-bought pieces, no matter how beautiful those pieces might be. Displaying student work sends several important messages:…
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AUG
01
2010
Classroom Connections
In my first couple of years teaching fourth grade, I was surprised by how much my students argued about who owned which supplies. "Nicole, can I borrow your black marker?" Carradine would…
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JUL
12
2010
Furniture for the Classroom
Furniture takes up lots of room, so if you’re lucky enough to have some choice about how you furnish your classroom, you’ll want to choose carefully. Look for pieces that will be…
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JUL
06
2010
Community Supplies
Just like adults, children of all ages need sufficient quantities of good-quality supplies if they're going to do their best work.
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AUG
01
2008
Solving the Space Crunch
What’s something you’ve done to make better use of space in your classroom? A: I let go of my teacher desk. It was hard to do. Even though I rarely sat there,…
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JUL
31
2004
Opening Soon!
An exciting way to introduce classroom materials and learning areas slowly, safely, and with a sense of ownership and fun As eager kindergarten students enter the classroom on the first day of…
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NOV
01
2002
Displaying Student Work
A classroom filled with the work of children is a delight to be in and sends a message to students that their work and their learning are important. Although early in the…
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APR
01
2001
Classroom Spaces That Work
Imagine spending every day in a physical space designed for people much bigger than you. To wash your hands or get a drink of water, you’d have to drag a chair over…
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AUG
31
2000
Getting the Most Value Out of Displays
Effective classroom displays are one of the most powerful—and overlooked—tools for teaching. They can generate excitement about the curriculum, increase children’s investment in learning, help children appreciate their own work and the…
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