Classroom Management

One thing I think I know...and I'm not sure I know much...but your classroom climate will reflect your personality, classroom rules, and priorities. Don't be afraid to spend time with your class at the beginning of the year talking about what they feel is important in a classroom and what you feel is important. Form rules together. Model, model, model what you WANT to see in your room... not what you don't. Let kids see you make mistakes. Have routines in place that save you time. SMILE! Positive attitudes are infectious!

Some ideas (and I'll type more as I remember them) I've gathered over the years to aid in classroom management:

• 3-2-1: Have a call and response or something where kids know when it's your turn to speak. I don't want to talk over my kids. If they're discussing something and I'd like to give further directions, I say 3-2-1 and by the time I get to 1 I start to talk. That gives students the 3 count to finish a thought and they don't miss the beginning of what I say.
• Clap if you can hear my voice: I saw this in one of our kindergarten classrooms, but it works at all levels. You say "clap if you can hear my voice" in a quiet tone and then clap twice. Repeat until you have everyone doing the two claps with you. As students hear you, the two claps will start to spread through the room and you'll get everyone to stop what they're doing and be ready. Another benefit of the claps: students hands will be busy doing your series of 2 claps so they can't keep writing or typing which will help them focus on what you'll say next. To mix it up, you could do snaps. Sometimes I'll say touch your head, your ear, your knee, and keep picking spots until everyone is following along with me.
• Two words: Choose a two word saying (our Art teacher picked Mona Lisa). You say the first word and students say the second. After the second, they know you will be giving further instructions. 
• Placement: Think about where you are in the room (do you walk around? stay in one place?) and what desk arrangement works for you (small groups, a circle, pairs, individual desks?). Experiment with different things that help you access everyone and help students feel safe and comfortable to learn.
• Responsive Classroom/Developmental Design: Several years ago, I went to some trainings in RC and DD. Some of the key things I took from the trainings: get to know your students (they'll respond better to you if they know you care about who they really are), model everything, have students help solve issues in the classroom (they'll be more likely to fix things with solutions they've come up with on their own). I also really like their Look, Sound, Feel charts. Before we start something new - maybe before our first guided reading time - we talk about what they want it to look, sound and feel like during that part of their day. You can post these charts and go back to them if students need reminders during the year.
• Don't be afraid to take some brain breaks. When kids have been so focused or need to refocus, they may need a chance to reset! I bought the book Energizing Brain Breaks by David U. Sladkey but also use these websites:

• Brain break dance
• Brain break claps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Def617lc0
• What's that you say? clip 
• Koo Koo Kangaroo: Dinosaur stomp
• Despicable Me 2 Dance
• The Sid Shuffle: The Continental Drift http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMuJxd2Gpxo
• Brain Breaks in the Classroom

          You can also have kids switch how/where they're sitting (i.e. turn their chairs around and sit in them backwards) to mix things up.

I know there are other tips I've heard/seen from other teachers, but my mind needs a break!