While those can be fun, the truth is: you don’t need a fancy system to make rewards work. In fact, you can keep it simple, low-prep, and still see amazing results in student behavior and motivation.

The best part? When you shift your focus away from spending hours managing a reward store or cutting out tiny paper tokens, you free up time and energy to focus on what really matters: building a positive learning environment where students feel valued, supported, and excited to learn.

Let’s break down why complicated reward systems aren’t necessary — and what you can do instead to encourage good behavior, build intrinsic motivation, and make your classroom feel like a community.

Ready to hear the best classroom reward ideas that will actually work? Let's do it!

Looking for classroom rewards that actually work? This bundle has everything you need!

Click to jump to:

• Classroom Rewards That Actually Work
  • Do This First
  • Positive Reinforcement
  • Whole Class Rewards
  • Random Rewards
  • Just For Fun Rewards
• Classroom Rewards Ideas FAQ
• Classroom Rewards Tips
• Why You DON'T Need A Fancy Classroom Rewards System
• Classroom Rewards That Work For You

Why You DON'T Need A Fancy Classroom Rewards System

Look, I get it. The idea of a colorful prize cart or a shiny classroom store is tempting. You roll it out on Fridays, students get wide-eyed, and you feel like you’re in a commercial for the “world’s best teacher.”

But here’s the thing:

1. It’s exhausting to maintain. Keeping your store stocked, tracking points, and managing the “but I forgot my tickets!” drama can eat up hours. Not to mention the cost–who has the extra cash for all those stickers, prize boxes, and cute eraser toys?
2. It can overshadow intrinsic motivation. When rewards become the only reason kids behave, you’ll hear, “What do I get if I do this?” instead of “I want to do this because it’s the right thing.” That's not going to help you in the long run, and it's certainly not going to help your students.
3. Chart systems are shaming and do more harm than help. The same students will perpetually be in trouble on the clip chart. Chart or individual point systems do nothing to help break the cycle for those students who are often pushing the boundaries.

The truth is, you don’t need stickers, charts, or a store to build a positive behavior culture in your room. You can still make rewards exciting without the weekly trip to the dollar aisle.

The truth is, you don’t need stickers, charts, or a store to build a positive behavior culture in your room.

Let me show you exactly what you can do instead that will give you real results for your classroom. This is going to be so much more sustainable than some crazy individual rewards points or sticker system that you have to manage all year long.

Classroom Rewards Ideas That Actually Work

Instead of focusing on elaborate systems, keep your rewards flexible, fun, and meaningful. Here’s a simple classroom rewards idea where your rewards are helping alongside the rules and routines you've put in place, rather than being the centerstage attraction.

1. Get Super Clear on Your Rules

Before we talk about rewards, we have to lay a foundation. Rewards only work when students understand exactly what behavior earns them. Spend time teaching and practicing your rules and routines, especially at the beginning of the year or after long breaks. If you can read more about establishing classroom rules in this blog post here.

My favorite way to do this is:

• First create a classroom promise to establish your classroom values: Keep these simple and clear. Have your students sign the promise with a signature or a handprint to show they agree to follow these values.

You can get a free template to create your classroom promise right here.

• Next, focus on making your expectations during lessons crystal clear: You can invite students to help think of what these expectations should be. And don't forget that it may look different for different students.

You can get this inclusive listening body activity in my TPT store right here.

• Finally, use anchor charts and crafts to master classroom routines and procedures: Caring for classroom materials, the procedure to line up and come in every morning, transitioning from one thing to another throughout your classroom schedule… all these things need to be established and practiced!

You can find these anchor charts and craft activities in the Rules & Routines bundle on my TPT store.

As you're establishing these rules and routines, make sure to give lots of positive reinforcement to your students. There are lots of fun classroom reward ideas to do this – let's dive into that next!

2. Positive Reinforcement Ideas

Positive reinforcement is the biggest key to incorporating classroom reward ideas that rely on intrinsic motivation rather than rewards.

This means pointing out students who are following expectations, praising students who go above and beyond, and most of all showing students that your energy and attention are triggered by great behavior, not rule-breaking.

Pointing out the good things you see individual students and the entire class doing is also going to make you feel way more positive about your day–so that's a bonus too! You can do this at any time of day, but when you're first getting started, it's helpful to have some specific times when you are intentional about doing this. Some great times of day to point out positive things you are:

• When students come to the rug for a lesson: call out any students you see coming quickly and quietly, getting out the necessary materials, etc.
• Lining up for recess: notice students who are lining up appropriately, showing self control, and having safe bodies
• Transitions: mention students who are cleaning up right away, following the directions you gave to start the next thing, and being respectful to others
• Group or partner work: call out the groups or partners who are being kind, supportive, and on task

There are so many fun and easy positive reinforcement ideas, but here are a few of my favorites:

• Positive note home or email to parents (students love to show these off).
• Picking a stuffed animal “class mascot” to sit at their desk for the day.
• A time of day to give “teacher shout-outs” (or “student shout-outs” if you want to invite your students to start noticing great things too.)

These classroom reward ideas are simple, yet effective. And they put the emphasis on good behavior in action, rather than on earning rewards as a separate system.

3. Whole Class Rewards Ideas

When you want to encourage teamwork and build a sense of common goal, whole class rewards are your friend. These can be a powerful tool to motivate the whole class to work toward a behavior goal that will benefit the class as a whole.

These are also great because classmates are in it together–so it removes any kind of jealousy or competition that you can get when individual rewards are being handed out.

This is one of my favorite classroom reward ideas you can implement with the whole class:

• Group Incentive Charts: These are a great visual for students to see their progress as they work towards a goal. You can use a new one every month, or bring these out for particularly tough times (you know–like that last week before winter break!) Here's how it works….
  • Set a specific behavior goal with your students (not calling out, speaking respectfully, taking care of materials, etc.)
  • Every day that your class meets the goal to your satisfaction, you fill in one piece of the chart.
  • When the chart is all filled up, they've earned a reward!

You can get themed monthly incentive charts right here in my TPT store.

Wondering what to give your students as a reward when they complete their classroom goal? These are some classroom reward ideas to celebrate with your whole class:

• Dance party — play a couple of upbeat songs and let them move.
• Board games afternoon (bring in your own or borrow from the library).
• Pajama day with read-alouds and cozy activities.
• Extra recess or free time outside.
• Virtual field trips (these virtual field trips are my favorite to use).

4. Random Rewards for Students Doing Great Things

Sometimes the most effective rewards are unexpected. I highly recommend a stash of simple prizes or privileges for those “caught being awesome” moments.

These don't have to be fancy. Here are some classroom reward ideas that work great for random rewards:

• Brag bracelets: These are so fun to have on hand! Pass them out whenever you need to reel the class back in – once students see you giving them to others, they'll quickly get on board with what they should be doing!

You can get these brag bracelets here in my TPT store.

• Stickers: A random sticker here or there can be a great motivator. This is very different than a sticker store or anything that becomes collected or counted up.
• Something special to hold: You might have a special wand or little gem that you give to the student who transitions the most quickly, or the student who is participating the most – not a system you have to keep track of, just when you think of it!

These rewards also don't have to be tangible! It can be as simple as saying “Wow, I saw Kai clean up so quickly and come right to the rug–he's going to pick our brain break video for today!” Some other non-tangible reward ideas might be:

• Letting a student sit at the teacher’s desk for a lesson.
• Being first to choose their work during choice time.
• Giving them the job of line leader all day.

Random rewards are a powerful tool because they keep students on their toes — they never know when their good behavior will be noticed. I do recommend that you make sure every students gets a random reward now and then–this will keep everyone motivated to keep doing their best.

5. Just for Fun Rewards

Not all rewards have to be tied to behavior. Sometimes you just do something fun because you can.

A few ideas:

• Bring in your pet (with admin approval) for a visit.
• Surprise them with a midweek dance party.
• Let them bring a stuffed animal for the day.
• Organize a silly “teacher versus students” game.
• Give them special privileges like eating lunch in the classroom with friends.

These moments build relationships, which often leads to better behavior naturally.

Classroom Rewards FAQ

Q: How do I make sure rewards don’t become bribery?
A: The key is to focus on positive behavior rather than pointing out negative behavior. This will help build intrinsic motivation. Talk often about why behaviors matter, and what the expectations are.

Q: What if a student never earns a reward?
A: Make sure they do. Look for small wins. Recognize even tiny steps toward good behavior so no one feels left out.

Q: Do I have to spend money?
A: Nope! Some of the most effective rewards are special privileges or experiences that cost nothing.

Q: What if students only behave when rewards are on the line?
A: Gradually shift from frequent tangible rewards to more praise, positive notes, and privileges. Over time, they’ll start acting for the positive learning environment itself.

Q: What if I have one student who really needs more support to meet behavior goals?
A: Some students do need more support. I recommend using personal goal charts for these students. You can work them on specific behavior goals and set a separate reward for them when they meet it. Not all our students are in the same place–we need to meet each student where they're at to help them feel successful at school.

This sticker chart bundle has over 30 designs to pick from (because every student and situation is different!) You can get it right here in my TPT store.

Classroom Rewards Tips

1. Mix it up. Use a blend of individual student rewards and whole class rewards to keep things fresh.
2. Keep it visible. If you have a class goal (like filling a jar with pom-poms), put it somewhere students can see progress.
3. Don’t forget fun. Sometimes the best part of rewards is just laughing together during a dance party or board games session.
4. Make it meaningful. Kids know when a reward is just filler. Give them something they genuinely enjoy.
5. Set boundaries. If you promise a reward for the end of the day, stick to it — even if the day’s been chaotic.
6. Adapt for younger children. They respond best to quick, frequent rewards rather than long-term goals.

Classroom Rewards That Work For You

At the end of the day, classroom reward ideas work best when they’re simple, fun, and tied to building a strong, respectful classroom culture. You don’t need a Pinterest-perfect school store or a complicated chart system to make a big impact.

By focusing on positive reinforcement, mixing in whole class rewards, throwing in a few surprises, and making room for just-for-fun moments, you’ll create a classroom where students are motivated, supported, and excited to learn.

And honestly? That’s the best part of teaching.

Looking for classroom rewards that actually work? This bundle has everything you need!

Which of these tips are you most excited to try in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo Laura

Resources For You:

Articles For You:

How To Teach Classroom Rules Students Will Actually Follow

Classroom Rules and Routines: The Ultimate List of Children’s Books

5 Must-Try Classroom Routine and Procedures Ideas

21 Amazing Ideas For Activities On The First Day Of School

The post Classroom Reward Ideas For Elementary (That Actually Work!) appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Whether you're setting up your first classroom or you're a seasoned teacher, clear rules make your job easier and the students' experience better. This blog post will walk you through the importance of creating rules, how to teach them, and practical tips to make sure they actually stick.

Ready to dive into the must-teach classroom rules for elementary school? Let's do it!

Looking for lessons and activities for teaching rules and routines? These are ready to print and go!

Click to jump to:

• The Importance of Establishing Clear Classroom Rules
• The Top 3 Classroom Rules For Elementary School and How to Teach Them
  • Classroom Values
  • Lesson Expectations
  • Routines & Procedures
• Tips for Classroom Rules for Elementary School
• More Ideas to Reinforce Effective Classroom Rules
• Classroom Rules for Elementary School Are Crucial

The Importance of Establishing Clear Classroom Rules

The beginning of the school year is prime time to build the foundation for a positive learning environment. When you take time to establish clear guidelines and routines, you eliminate guesswork and reduce behavior issues before they start. That doesn’t just help with classroom management—it helps get your students ready to learn.

Effective classroom rules and routines…

• Help students feel safe and confident in your classroom.
• Support academic performance by reducing distractions and disruptive behaviors.
• Gives students structure, which lowers anxiety and boosts focus. (Kids, especially younger students, thrive on consistency.)
• Keep your classroom running smoothly during transitions.

When students walk into your classroom for the first time, they look for guidance. From the first day of school, they need to know where to sit, when to raise their hand, and what to do if they finish early. These small but essential routines help guide student learning and minimize confusion. Establishing classroom expectations early creates a strong rhythm that lasts the entire class period.

No matter your grade level, from younger classrooms to older students, setting clear expectations from day one is the foundation of effective teaching.

Elementary school students thrive when they understand the classroom procedures and what's expected of them. Without effective classroom rules, you're likely to spend more time managing behavior issues than delivering engaging lesson plans. And nobody wants that.

The Top 3 Classroom Rules For Elementary School and How to Teach Them

So what kind of classroom rules for elementary school work best? Here’s an in-depth look at the top three rules every elementary classroom needs. These aren’t just specific rules—they’re categories that guide student learning all year long. They serve as the pillars of good behavior, effective classroom management, and a positive classroom community:

• Classroom Values
• Lesson Expectations
• Routines & Procedures

Now let's dive into the best way to go about teaching theses crucial classroom rules for elementary school!

1. Classroom Values: Be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn

These values are the backbone of your classroom rules. You'll teach these first, and you'll keep returning to them throughout the school year.

• Respect means listening when others are talking, using kind words, and taking care of classroom materials.
• Responsibility includes coming to class prepared, owning up to mistakes, and doing your part in group work.
• Being ready to learn means bringing a positive attitude and staying engaged.

How to Teach It: Creating a classroom promise is my favorite way to teach these core classroom values. Here's how to do it:

1. Have students brainstorm what respect, responsibility, and readiness look like in action.
2. Reveal your classroom promise and read through each value, relating them to what students had suggested in their responses.
3. Have each student sign or decorate a handprint to go around the class promise, representing their agreement to follow those values in the classroom.

You can click here to get this classroom promise template for free – it's completely editable, so you can fill in the classroom values that you'd like to use for your classroom.

2. Lesson Expectations: Follow Directions the First Time

One of the most important classroom rules for elementary school is your rules for students while teaching is happening. Clear expectations around lessons make for effective teaching. Whether it’s during math, reading, or a science experiment, students need to understand that instructions matter. These expectations need to be reviewed frequently, especially at the beginning of the year.

How to Teach It: I love using this inclusive whole body listening chart for helping students understand their job during lessons. The visual makes it super clear what the expectations are, but there is enough flexibility to make it inclusive for student with different learning needs. Here's how to use it:

1. Ask students what they think their bodies should be doing while you're teaching. What should their eyes be doing? Their ears? Their hands?
2. Then show the anchor chart, and go through each body part and what the expectations are.
3. Explain that our bodies might need different things. One person might learn best criss-cross applesauce, and another person might learn best in a chair at their table.
4. Invite students to think about what they need in order to do their best learning. Then have them draw it out using the craft template.

You can get this anchor chart template and companion craft right here in my TPT store.

3. Routines: Know What to Do and When to Do It

Routines are the backbone of classroom rules for elementary school. Think lining up for recess, turning in homework, or putting away art materials. When kids know what’s expected, transitions become smooth and drama-free. But it takes plenty of practice and review.

How to Teach It: Teach each routine like it’s a lesson plan. Break it down into steps. Practice it with small groups or the entire class.

1. Make a list of all your routines and transitions throughout the day. It will be a loooong list. (Morning entry, turning in work, transitioning from lessons to independent work, using to the bathroom, cleaning up for recess, lining up after recess, storing materials, walking to and from specials…. you get the idea!)
2. Really think through each routine and how you want it to look in your classroom.
3. Choose a handful of routines to teach each day during the first two weeks of school, and plan to review them many times.

Here are some tips for teaching routines:

• Be sure to explain the purpose behind each routine—students are more likely to follow them when they understand the why.
• Model what following directions looks like. Role-play both correct and incorrect behavior.
• Use positive reinforcement when students follow directions right away. This helps prevent behavioral issues before they escalate and keeps lessons on track.
• Use hand signals or call-and-response cues to maintain student attention throughout the class period.
• Anchor charts work well here too. Create a visual checklist of what to do when given instructions.

These anchor charts make great visuals for your classroom routines. You can get these templates and companion crafts right here in my TPT store.

Tips for Classroom Rules for Elementary School

Here are some effective methods to make your classroom rules for elementary school work like a charm:

• Keep It Short: Your list of rules should be 3–5 max. More than that, and students (especially younger classrooms) will forget them. This also makes the rules easier to review and memorize.
• Use Visuals: Anchor charts, hand signals, and posters help reinforce the rules for visual learners. Display them on your bulletin board and refer back often.
• Make It a Class Project: Let students help create the rules. This rule-making process gives them a sense of ownership, which boosts buy-in. It also supports classroom discussions and encourages a positive classroom community.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: Just like multiplication tables, class rules need repetition. Go over them every day during the first week of school and revisit regularly. Use class meetings to review what’s working and what needs adjusting.
• Use Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate good behavior with praise, stickers, or class points. It’s an effective classroom management tool, and it encourages students to keep it up. Reinforcement doesn’t always have to be physical rewards—public praise or a quick call home goes a long way too.
• Adapt to Your Grade Level: Effective rules for first graders look different from those for older students or middle school. Tailor your set of rules to fit your group. For instance, high school students might handle more abstract guidelines, but elementary students need specific rules like “Raise your hand before speaking.”
• Stay Consistent: Consistency is everything. If a rule exists, it needs to be enforced every class period, for every student. Inconsistent enforcement undermines your credibility and opens the door to behavior issues.
• Update as Needed: Sometimes the best classroom rules need a refresh. Mid-year is a good time to check in with your class and tweak rules if needed. Classroom behavior can change over time, especially after winter break.
• Tie Rules to a Bigger Purpose: Explain how rules help create a positive learning environment where everyone can succeed. When students see rules as tools for success rather than punishment, their attitude changes.
• Display Rules Clearly: Post your classroom rules somewhere highly visible. Your bulletin board, whiteboard, or near the door are all great options. Use large, bold fonts and kid-friendly language.
• Connect Rules to Real-Life Skills: Explain how being respectful and responsible now helps them become trustworthy friends, leaders, and citizens later. Even elementary students appreciate being treated like future grown-ups.

More Ideas to Reinforce Effective Classroom Rules

1. Daily Rule Reminders: Use morning meetings to highlight one rule per day. Relate it to the day's lesson plans or upcoming events.
2. Weekly Celebrations: Choose a student who modeled the class rules and celebrate them with a small certificate or extra privilege.
3. Storytime Tie-ins: Use books and stories that reinforce themes of good behavior and clear expectations. Discuss how characters follow or break rules.
4. Interactive Games: Play rule-themed games during the first week of school to build engagement. Think Simon Says with class rules or matching activities.
5. Rule Review Videos: Record your class acting out the rules and play it back. Let students become the role models for each other.
6. Parent Involvement: Share your rules and classroom procedures with parents during open house or through a newsletter. Encourage them to reinforce expectations at home.

Classroom Rules for Elementary School Are Crucial

Classroom rules for elementary school aren’t just about control—they’re about creating a safe, supportive, and positive classroom community. With clear rules, strong routines, and a dash of creativity, you’re setting your students up for a successful school year.

From the first day of school to the last bell rings, rules and routines shape your classroom behavior and guide student learning. Whether you’re in your first classroom or your fifteenth, using effective classroom rules for elementary school is always a good idea.

Effective rules do more than keep the peace—they make room for learning, laughter, and community. So tape those rules to your bulletin board, practice them every morning, and enjoy the magic that happens when your students know exactly what to do and how to do it.

Here’s to a productive learning environment, a positive classroom community, and your best school year yet. With a thoughtful list of rules, consistent classroom procedures, and creative strategies to boost student behavior, you're building something amazing.

Whether you're a new teacher figuring out your classroom management style or a veteran looking to improve your ground rules, this blog post should be your go-to guide. From the first week of school to the end of the year, the rules you set today will shape the learning that happens tomorrow.

Classroom rules for elementary school aren’t just a checklist—they’re your roadmap to an effective, joyful, and well-run classroom. So go ahead: write those rules, model them proudly, and let your students thrive!

Which of these tips are you most excited to try in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo Laura

Resources For You:

Articles For You:

How To Teach Classroom Rules Students Will Actually Follow

Classroom Rules and Routines: The Ultimate List of Children’s Books

5 Must-Try Classroom Routine and Procedures Ideas

21 Amazing Ideas For Activities On The First Day Of School

The post The Only 3 Classroom Rules For Elementary School You Need appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

This guide is here to help you turn those rules into something exciting that your students will not only remember but actually want to follow. From using creative visuals to positive reinforcement, we’re going to explore a variety of ideas for how to teach classroom rules and make them an integral and enjoyable part of your teaching strategy.

I've created a guide for how to teach classroom rules to set you and your students up for success! Read on to get started!

Looking for lessons and activities for teaching rules and routines? These are ready to print and go!

Click to jump to:

• Your Guide To Classroom Rules
• How To Teach Classroom Rules
  • Introducing Core Rules
  • Getting To Know Your Classroom
  • Introducing Classroom Materials
  • Procedures and Routines
  • Practicing A Listening Body
• Build a Strong Classroom Community
• Teaching Classroom Rules

Your Guide to Classroom Rules

Teaching classroom rules isn’t just about keeping things in order. It's about creating a safe space where kids feel confident, supported, and ready to learn. Done well, it sets the foundation for your classroom culture, your teaching style, and your students' ability to thrive.

So, how do you actually do it?

Let’s break it down.

Before diving into how to teach classroom rules, you need a plan. Think of this as your personal guidebook to kicking off your classroom procedures with clarity and confidence.

Start by deciding on a reasonable number of core classroom rules. For younger students, keep it simple—three to five specific rules is usually just right. You want your entire class to understand them, remember them, and use them. For example:

• Be kind.
• Listen when others are speaking.
• Take care of our things.
• Try your best.

Next, think through your procedures and routines. Each of these have lots of mini expectations that you will have to teach and practice when you think about how to teach classroom rules. For example:

• Walk, don't run to get in line.
• Keep your hands to yourself in line.
• No talking when we walk through the hall in our line.

Once you have your rules decided on and your routines thought through, then you're ready to teach them! Let's walk through the best way to break it down for students in a fun and engaging way that they won't forget!

How to Teach Classroom Rules

Teaching class rules isn’t just reading a list aloud and hoping it sticks. It takes planning, modeling, and practice. When we're thinking about how to teach classroom rules, we have to remember that it's not a “one and done” process. It takes consistent review and practice, especially at the beginning of the year for students to learn all their classroom rules, and then be able to follow them.

It's a good idea to break up your rules and procedures over the first couple of weeks of school, in order to help students absorb it all. Here is how I recommend you go about teaching your rules and routines:

1. Introducing Your Core Rules

When thinking of how to teach classroom rules, it's best to start by introducing your main set of rules. These are core values that apply no matter what time of day it is.

You can do this with an anchor chart (which doubles as a great visual to leave in the classroom all year round). This anchor chart template is available here.

Another great way to introduce these classroom rules is with a classroom promise. In this activity, students brainstorm what they think the rules should be. Then you reveal your rules, connecting them to the ideas that they shared. Finally, each student decorates a handprint or makes a signature to add around the rules, showing that they promise to try their best to follow the rules of the classroom.

Class promises are a great way to start a conversation about what the classroom should look like and feel like, and to help students feel like they are part of their new classroom. You can get this class promise template right here for free.

You can then use a fun craft to review these rules after you've taught them. Remember – it's all about repetition, repetition, repetition! This craft template is available here.

2. Getting to Know the Classroom

The first week of school is a great time for a classroom tour. Students need to feel comfortable and welcome in their new classroom before we can start teaching them a bunch of new expectations. We want to help them learn where everything lives: pencils, tissues, turn-in bins, classroom library. They also need to learn which parts of the classroom are used for daily classroom routines.

A fun way to do this is to create a large map of the classroom. After giving students a tour, invite them to label the map with sticky notes to show where different items are stored and what different parts of the room are used for. You can get this anchor chart template right here.

Another fun activity to learn the classroom layout is to do a scavenger hunt. Give students a list of items to check off as they find. This is an interactive and engaging way to review after a classroom tour. You can get this editable scavenger hunt template right here.

3. Introducing Classroom Materials

Introducing classroom materials is an important part of how to teach classroom rules. Start right away, and don't be afraid to take time with this. Teaching students how to care for classroom materials is a worthwhile investment of your time at the beginning of the school year. You'll want to make expectations clear and review them often.

Here's how you can teach these expectations: Every time you give students a new classroom item, give them a chance to explore it and talk together about how it should be used.

Create a visual and have students help fill in the correct way to use an item. Add each new item to the chart as more are introduced. Make sure to give lots of reminders every time a material is used during these first few weeks. Students won't remember it all the first time! You can get these anchor chart templates right here.

A great way to review these expectations for caring for materials is to create a flipbook. This is a fun craft that helps students take ownership for the correct way to handle their classroom materials. You can get this flipbook template right here!

4. Procedures and Routines

Procedures and routines account for most of our rules, so they are an important part of how to teach classroom rules. You'll also want to start teaching a few procedures and routines each day. Make a schedule so you know which routines you're going to teach on each day. Go over all the steps of the routine, and then have your students practice. Some other fun ways to practice are:

• Demonstrate the routine, but do some things incorrectly. Invite your students to correct you.
• After you explain the steps, ask for a few volunteers to demonstrate for the class – students love getting up and being the example!
• Have the whole class practice and then rate themselves, giving feedback on how they could improve the routine.
• If it's a transitioning routine, you can time the class. Challenge them to beat their time and get faster and smoother at transitioning (Just make sure they know not to run!)

For a routine or procedure that is especially tricky or that students need to do independently, consider creating a visual for them to refer to in the classroom. This anchor chart is a great example of a helpful chart that students can use during the school day. You can get this anchor chart template right here!

To help students get used to their new routines, you can have them create a daily schedule. This is a fun way for them to remember the parts of the day and feel more comfortable with their new daily rhythm. You can get the template for this schedule booklet right here!

5. Practicing A Listening Body

Let's talk about how to teach classroom rules for when you're teaching and students are learning. You will want to spend extra time going over expectations during lessons. A great way to do this is to talk about using our “listening body”.

A “listening body” is a visual and physical cue for what active listening looks like, and it covers most of the rules you would need to teach for lesson times:

• Eyes on the lesson
• Ears listening
• Mouth quiet
• Hands to yourself
• Body quiet and comfortable

Now, I like to make this more inclusive by teaching multiple choices for what this might look like. You can talk about how some students may need a fidget to keep their hands to themselves. Some students might sit criss-cross, others might need a chair, or to sit on their knees.

You can decide what options work for your classroom, but it's important to emphasize that not everyone's listening body will look the same.

This anchor chart visual is a great way to teach what a listening body should look like. Show the image to your students and then label each part with them to get them thinking about what their bodies need to do their best listening. You can get this anchor chart template right here!

Then you can have students reflect on what their bodies need with this independent craft. This activity encourages students to take ownership of being able to pay attention during lesson times. You can get this craft template right here!

Build a Strong Classroom Community

Teaching rules isn’t just about avoiding disruptive behaviors. It’s about building a classroom where students feel like they belong.

We do this by making our rules clear and consistent, with plenty of opportunities for practice and review.

You can use children’s books to emphasize many of your classroom rules, or to help review them for students. I've compiled a complete list in this blog post: Classroom Rules and Routines: The Ultimate List of Children’s Books.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of positive reinforcement. Notice and name the good behavior you see: “You lined up so quietly, good job following our hallway rule!” The more students see that you will give your energy and attention to following the rules, the less likely they'll be tempted to act out.

Emphasizing teamwork can also go a long way in helping students follow rules consistently. When students feel like they’re part of a team, it motivates them to do their personal best.

If you want more ideas on building classroom community, you can read my blog post on The Best Activities To Build Classroom Community To Try Now.

Teaching Classroom Rules

How to teach classroom rules isn’t just a box to check off during your first day of school lesson plans. It’s an ongoing, evolving part of the school year.

When you take time to set clear guidelines, model effective classroom rules, and build in lots of practice, you create a productive learning environment where classroom behavior improves and disruptive behaviors fade.

And the best part? Your classroom becomes a place where students know what to expect, how to succeed, and how to support each other. You build not just rule-followers, but community members.

So whether you're teaching your first grade level or you're a seasoned pro, remember this: clear, consistent, and kind wins every time.

How to teach classroom rules doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be intentional. Start strong, revisit often, and make it a fun way to grow together.

Here’s to fewer interruptions, more smiles, and a classroom that runs like a dream.

Which rules ideas are you going excited try this year? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

Resources For You:

Articles For You:

The Best Ways To Review Classroom Daily Routines After A Break

Classroom Rules and Routines: The Ultimate List of Children’s Books

5 Must-Try Classroom Routine and Procedures Ideas

21 Amazing Ideas For Activities On The First Day Of School

The post How To Teach Classroom Rules Students Will Actually Follow appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Read on for how to choose the best social emotional curriculum for elementary school!

Looking for an easy to use SEL curriculum? These lessons and activities are for you:

Click to jump to…

• The Importance Of Social Emotional Learning
• Picking The Right Social Emotional Curriculum For Elementary School
• Necessary Units to Include in Your SEL Curriculum
• Incorporating SEL Into Your Day
• Social Emotional Learning Curriculum For Elementary

The Importance of Social Emotional Learning

Social-emotional learning is the heart of education. It equips elementary students with essential life skills like responsible decision-making, interpersonal skills, and self-awareness. SEL fosters supportive relationships, encourages positive behaviors, and promotes educational equity by addressing the whole child.

SEL isn’t just an add-on; it’s an integral part of education that supports academic performance, emotional development, and student success. From early childhood to high school students, SEL programs make a lasting positive impact, creating a foundation for life success. By helping students understand their emotions, develop healthy identities, and set collective goals, SEL empowers them to navigate challenges with confidence and resilience.

In addition to improving emotional well-being, SEL lays the groundwork for academic achievement. When students feel supported and secure, they’re better able to focus on learning. This approach also cultivates a sense of belonging, which is crucial for nurturing a positive school culture and climate.

What Studies Have Shown About Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Elementary School

Research proves that SEL is a game-changer. Evidence-based programs, like those outlined in the CASEL framework, improve academic achievement, emotional competencies, and social skills. Studies show that SEL skills directly boost academic success by creating safe spaces and supportive environments where students feel valued.

One comprehensive study revealed that students who participated in research-based SEL programs showed an 11% improvement in academic performance compared to their peers. Additionally, SEL instruction leads to long-term benefits, such as reduced rates of mental health challenges, improved interpersonal skills, and stronger emotional resilience.

School districts that implement a social emotional curriculum for elementary school see a significant uptick in positive behaviors and academic performance. These programs encourage students to take ownership of their actions, make responsible decisions, and build meaningful relationships. For elementary students, the early development of these skills sets the stage for lifelong success.

Picking the Right Social Emotional Curriculum for Elementary School

Finding the right SEL curriculum for your classroom is like choosing a favorite dessert—it depends on what works best for your students! Look for a social emotional curriculum for elementary school with clear goals, research-based activities, and age-appropriate lessons. It's also helpful to have a program that meets the needs of your classroom schedule – you don't want something that you don't ever use because you can't find the time.

When evaluating SEL programs, consider the following criteria:

• Alignment with the CASEL framework: It's helpful to keep in mind the five key SEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
• Grade-Level Appropriateness: The content should be engaging and developmentally suitable for the students in the grade you teach.
• Inclusivity: A good curriculum celebrates diversity and promotes educational equity by addressing the unique needs of all learners.
• Flexibility: Look for programs that can be seamlessly integrated into your daily routine. Activities you can pick and choose from based on how much time you have are better than strict, rigid lesson structures.
• Evidence-Based Results: You want to find programs that are built on research and that other teachers have found will yield positive outcomes in emotional development, social skills, and academic performance.

Choosing the right curriculum may take some time, but the payoff is immense. With the right tools, you’ll empower your students to build emotional resilience, form supportive relationships, and thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Necessary Units to Include in Your SEL Curriculum

Having units to move through during the school year is a helpful way to organize your social emotional curriculum for elementary school. These units are a must when thinking about a social emotional curriculum for elementary school:

• Friendship: Teach students how to form and maintain positive relationships. Activities like role-playing and collaborative games can help build these critical relationship skills.

• Mindfulness: Help students stay present and manage stress. Simple mindfulness exercises like deep breathing or body scans can work wonders for focus and emotional regulation.

• Growth Mindset: Encourage perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. Lessons on embracing mistakes as learning opportunities help students build confidence and grit.

• Gratitude: Foster a sense of appreciation and positive behaviors. Gratitude journals and thank-you notes can help students reflect on the good in their lives.

• Self-Love: Build healthy identities and boost confidence. Encourage students to celebrate their unique strengths and talents.

• Celebrating Diversity: Promote inclusivity and social awareness. Lessons on cultural traditions, stories about diverse heroes, and activities that highlight different perspectives can broaden students' horizons.

• Social Skills: Strengthen communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Teaching students to express themselves clearly and listen actively can enhance classroom harmony and cooperation.

Each of these units helps students develop the emotional competencies they need to navigate the complexities of life and relationships.

Incorporating SEL Into Your Day

Integrating SEL doesn’t have to disrupt your daily routine. Simple practices, like morning check-ins, mindfulness exercises, or guided discussions, weave SEL seamlessly into your schedule. Create a safe space where students feel heard, supported, and encouraged to grow emotionally and academically.

One effective approach is to tie SEL instruction into existing subjects. For example:

• Incorporate discussions about emotions and character development into literature lessons.
• Use math problems to teach persistence and problem-solving.
• Highlight teamwork and collective goals during group science projects.

Building SEL into your daily routine not only enhances emotional support but also reinforces the importance of social-emotional learning as an integral part of education.

Social Emotional Learning Activities to Include

Here are some specific activities to look for in the social emotional curriculum for elementary school that you pick:

• Journals: Giving students a daily or weekly journal check in can be great SEL activity to include.

• Classroom Visuals: Classroom bulletin boards can make a wonderful display and visual tool to keep social emotional learning strategies top of mind for students.

• Songs: Incorporate short songs and movements during transitions or morning meeting – these are a fun way to help students reset and refocus.

• Crafts: Crafts are a wonderful social emotional learning activity that is highly engaging for students and can be done as independent work.

• Group Activities: Use group activities like anchor charts to build collaboration and collective problem-solving.

These activities create engaging opportunities for students to practice and apply SEL strategies in a supportive environment.

Social Emotional Learning Tips for Teachers

1. Start Small: Incorporate SEL into one part of your routine, like morning meetings or closing circle time.
2. Model Positive Behaviors: Show empathy, gratitude, and responsible decision-making in your interactions. Students learn by example!
3. Make It Fun: Games, stories, and creative activities engage elementary students and make learning enjoyable.
4. Lean on Evidence-Based Programs: Use trusted tools like the CASEL guide to find best practices and reliable programs.
5. Be Consistent: Reinforce SEL skills throughout the school year to make them stick.
6. Focus on Educational Equity: Adapt your approach to meet the diverse needs of your classroom. Every child’s voice matters.
7. Collaborate: Work with fellow teachers, school counselors, and parents to create a consistent SEL experience for students.

Social Emotional Learning Curriculum For Elementary

Choosing the right social emotional curriculum for elementary school students can feel overwhelming, but it’s worth it. By focusing on SEL skills, teachers can foster emotional development, academic success, and supportive relationships that leave a lasting impression on young people.

With the right tools and strategies, you can create a positive impact that extends far beyond the classroom. SEL isn’t just about teaching soft skills; it’s about preparing students for life. And that, dear teachers, is the best gift you can give.

Ready to light the SEL fire in your classroom? Let’s make this school year the best one yet!

If you're ready to dive into SEL right now, this social emotional curriculum for elementary school ticks all the boxes. It's research-based, highly engaging, and easy to implement so you can do this important SEL work without adding more prep and planning to your plate.

Which social emotional learning activities are you going to try out? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

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The post The Best Social Emotional Curriculum for Elementary School appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Read on for the best ways to start things off on the right track by reviewing those classroom daily routines and rules!

Click to jump to…

• Why Review Our Classroom Daily Routines?
• Reviewing Classroom Rules and Routines
  • Classroom Rules
  • Daily Routines and Procedures
  • Rug and Lesson Expectations
  • Classroom Materials
• Reviewing Daily Classroom Routines

Why Review Our Classroom Daily Routines?

Think of classroom daily routines as the heartbeat of your learning environment. Consistent routines bring stability to our classrooms – they help our students feel grounded, secure, and ready to learn.

A post-break classroom can sometimes feel like the first day all over again – brimming with energy and anticipation. Reinforcing classroom daily routines serves as a rest, reminding students of the expectations and reestablishing structure and stability.

If you've been struggling with your classroom management, I also find that this is the perfect time to get things back on track. It's never too late to create clarity in your classroom expectations, and a return from a break is the perfect opportunity to have a fresh start with a challenging class.

This is actually a golden opportunity to hit the "reset" button and reestablish those essential classroom expectations.

Reviewing Classroom Rules and Routines

Okay, let's get into the details of the best ways to reestablish our classroom expectations!

I find that these are the most important parts of your daily classroom routines to review after a long break:

1. Classroom Rules
2. Daily Routines and Procedures
3. Classroom Materials
4. Lesson or Rug Expectations

I've got some activities to share for each of these that will make reviewing those classroom daily routines not only easy, but even dare I say… fun!

Classroom Rules Review

Teachers should be reviewing their classroom rules all the time, but it's especially important to do it clearly and explicitly after a long break. This is the most important place to start if you are trying to get a challenging class off on the right foot.

It might feel a little bit like you're doing back to school stuff all over again, and that's okay! Coming back from a break does require some of the same community building and expectation setting that happens at the beginning of the year. Students benefit from repetition, so it's totally okay to bring things back from the beginning of the year.

Here are two fun ways to review your classroom rules with your students:

Classroom Promise

Doing a classroom promise is a typical back to school activity, but pulling it out to review is a great strategy when behaviors are getting tough or if you're coming back from a long break.

Remind the students of each item on the promise, ask them for examples of what those look like in action, and then do some sort of “re-signing” activity – signatures, or decorating handprints, or some other craft are all fun options.

You can grab this Classroom Promise template for free right here!

Classroom Rules Craft

I'm a huge fan of using crafts for reinforcing learning. And this rules craft is about as cute as they come! Each petal is one of your core classroom rules. Students can draw a picture on each petal, and paste it together.

You can get this craft template in my TPT store right here!

Daily Classroom Routines and Procedures

It's so easy to let our routines slide as the year goes on. Lining up gets noisy, materials get sloppy, and transitions get chaotic. After a break is the perfect time to get back on track with these classroom daily routines!

I think going over each routine of the day in a methodic way is the way to go. Remind students of the expectations for each procedure, have them practice it, and then praise them every time they get it right!

Routines Review Checklist

I made this free routines review checklist for you to use as you go through and practice all of your classroom daily routines. Check the box off once students show mastery. And don't worry – take as much time as you need to move through the list!

Grab this free editable anchor chart template right here!

Classroom Schedule

Another great review to do is a reminder of your classroom daily schedule. This is especially helpful for younger students, who need visual reminders and who appreciate the structure of a daily routine.

This classroom schedule booklet lets students cut and paste, draw, or write in each part of their daily schedule as a reminder of what to expect in their day to day school life. You can get this template in my TPT store right here.

Rug and Lesson Expectations

The goal of all of this is for students to be ready and able to learn. So reviewing our expectations for our teaching times is a must-do after a long break. Students may have forgotten how to participate appropriately in a lesson, and luckily there are a few fun ways we can help them remember how!

Listening Body

Help students think of ways their bodies can support them while they learn – what should their ears, eyes, hands, brains, and bodies be doing? Now of course, this is going to look different for each student. Encourage students to really think about what would help them most to listen and learn.

This anchor chart helps students think about each part of their body and what they need to help them focus. This anchor chart activity is available in my TPT store right here!

Classroom Materials

Reviewing how classroom materials should be treated can be very helpful after a long break. By this time of the year, it's pretty typical for our pencils and crayons to look a little worse for wear.

Whether or not you're restocking with new materials, reviewing with students the proper way to care for their materials is helpful part of reviewing classroom daily routines.

Classroom Materials Anchor Chart

Making an anchor chart with your different classroom materials and asking students to remember how they should be treated is a great way to review classroom materials procedures with your class. Ask students the correct way to handle each item and add it to the anchor chart.

This anchor chart activity is available in my TPT store right here!

Reviewing Classroom Daily Routines

I know it's hard to come back from a break, but these ideas will definitely help the transition go a whole lot smoother! Don't be afraid to take some time to do this important review work. Learning can't happen until your classroom daily routines are running smoothly, so this will be time well spent.

Which review activity are you going to try first? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

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The post The Best Ways To Review Classroom Daily Routines After A Break appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Our education system continues to go on and on about test scores and academic benchmarks, the truth is many students are falling behind because they lack the social skills for school success. And as resources for students in this area are just never enough, it often falls to us teachers to fill in the gaps.

But here's the good news… there are plenty of ways we can teach socials skills for students that can be easy, fun, and effective.

Read on for the most important social skills for school and some quick ideas of how to get started teaching them to your students.

Click to jump to…

• 5 Important Social Skills For School
• Social Skills #1: Expressing Feelings
• Social Skills #2: Self-Regulation
• Social Skills #3: Setting Boundaries
• Social Skills #4: Respectful Disagreement
• Social Skills #5: Conflict Resolution
• Social Skills For Students

5 Important Social Skills For School

Some people might think teaching social skills in the classroom is an extra that we just don't have time for. But the truth is, we can't afford to not teach social skills.

So why are social skills important in school? They are crucial in helping students to…

• Focus and engage during lessons
• Interact positively with classmates
• Handle challenges and disappointments

How many times have we had a student miss part of a lesson because they are de-escalating from an episode, recovering from recess drama, or unable to focus?

How many times have we been pulled away from what we're trying to teach to help them?

If we spent just a little bit of time every week teaching and reinforcing some basic social skills, there is no doubt that everyone would benefit.

So what social skills do students need? These are the top 5 that made my list of social skills for students:

1. Expressing Feelings: We all get big feelings sometimes. The more students practice identifying them and communicating them in positive ways, the more they can effectively handle emotions when they come up.
2. Self-Regulation: This is a huge one for the classroom. Students need examples of strategies they can use to help them calm down and re-focus when their bodies or minds are getting in the way of their learning.
3. Setting Boundaries: While this one goes far beyond the bounds of the classroom and into overall child safety, there are important foundations we can lay for students to start standing up and advocating for themselves.
4. Respectful Disagreement: If students could learn to discuss and disagree kindly and respectfully, think of all the fires we wouldn't have to put out!
5. Conflict Resolution: Even the best of friends have fights now and then. Students can become more independent in handling these friendship bumps, apologizing and forgiving, and moving on.

Now that we have a list of 5 important social skills for students to be learning practicing at school, let's dive into each one in more detail. Teaching these explicitly is so important for students to be able to start using these skills independently. (That's why I created the Social Skills curriculum!)

Social Skills #1: Expressing Feelings

Expressing feelings is a great place to start if you're new to teaching social skills in the classroom. There are lots of fun ways to teach students to identify their emotions and express them in appropriate ways:

• Try creating a chart that shows different emotions. You can have student volunteers act out the different emotions, or even turn it into a game where the other students have to guess which emotion is being acted out. Post the chart somewhere in the classroom and ask students at different times to identify how they are feeling.
• A great book to read with your class for this classroom social skill is Big Feelings.
• You can also create a feelings form and have it available for students to fill out at different times. The feelings form should let them easily identify their current emotion. This is great social skills practice for students who need support with communicating big feelings.

Social Skills #2: Self-Regulation

Self-regulation would make the top of any child social skills checklist. This skill is so necessary for success in the classroom, it definitely deserves our attention when we set out to teach social skills.

So how can we help students with self-regulation?

• Teach explicit strategies: You can decide which strategies are workable for your classroom, but some great options are things like using a fidget, drawing a picture, doing ten jumping jacks, talking with a friend, taking deep breaths, visiting a calm corner, etc.
• Practice these strategies: Without repetition and reminders, students will never learn to actually use the strategies you've taught. Model them, suggest them, and post them in a visible place in the classroom for students to refer to.
• Create a calm down space: Many teachers choose to create a “calm corner” in their classroom, full of the materials that students might need to self-regulate or de-escalate. Your calm corner might have a comfy chair, some books to look at, charts with breathing exercises, fidgets, or drawing materials. You can direct a student to the calm corner, or students can ask if they can go spend time there.
• Set clear boundaries: You might worry that your students will take advantage of these tools, and that's valid. There should be clear rules around when these strategies can be used or when the calm corner can be used. If a student doesn't respect those rules, then you'll need to provide a consequence – this might look like limiting the available options, or you deciding when they can be used.

Social Skills #3: Setting Boundaries

Setting boundaries goes beyond learning social skills and has everything to do with child safety. Teaching our students how to set boundaries helps empower them to stand up for themselves and handle tricky situations with confidence. But it can also help us a whole lot too – empowered students need less help from their teacher to solve every little problem!

I like to break down setting boundaries into four main strategies:

1. Speak Up: students talk to the person when they think something isn't right
2. Walk Away: students can walk away and go do something else
3. Get Help: students can get the help of an adult if something isn't safe
4. Self Affirm: students can say kind words to themselves if their feelings were hurt

Practicing these strategies with scenarios in class together is a great way to help students understand when to use each strategy. And of course, I love a good craft for reinforcing these social skills for school.

Social Skills #4: Respectful Disagreement

Can we just take a moment to think about how many adults don't know how to respectfully disagree?? I mean, if there was ever a skill that needs to be taught young…

Helping students learn to respectfully disagree can be simple! Try these ideas:

• Give sentence frames to work from that use the positive language you want students to practice.
• Model this for students throughout the day.
• Provide opportunities for students to share differing points of view so they can practice.

Social Skills #5: Conflict Resolution

As teachers, we spend a lot of our time putting out fires and trying to help students through conflicts. But our students can and should learn be learning these skill too! Conflict resolution is an important social skill for students to start practicing early on.

One pet peeve I have as a teacher is insincere apologies. But students need support with how to make their apologies more meaningful. One great way to do this is to break it down into clear steps for them:

1. Say sorry for what you did
2. Say why it was wrong
3. Say what you'll do differently next time
4. Ask what you can do to make them feel better right now

These four steps help students really understand why they were at fault, and it helps the other student feel like they are being heard and taken care of.

Social Skills For Students

I hope these social skills for school have given you some inspiration to try out some social skills activities with your students.

I know it can feel like you don't have time to fit one more thing in, teaching these skills will pay off big time in the long run. Your students will be more independent, your classroom will run more smoothly, and ultimately students will be more able to focus on learning.

If you want more activity ideas, check out my blog post 9 Amazing Ideas to Teach the Importance of Social Emotional Learning in Your Classroom.

What social skills for school are you going to try out? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

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The post 5 Important Social Skills For School To Teach Your Students appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

The importance of how we set up the culture in classroom community cannot be overstated. As teachers, it’s our job to create a classroom culture where students feel welcomed, safe, and recognized. We can’t begin to teach them academics without addressing these important classroom community topics first.

Read on for practical ideas you can start today to create a supportive culture in classroom environments!

Want ready-made materials to help build a positive classroom community? Check out my Classroom Community MegaBundle resource.

What Is Classroom Culture?

Our classroom culture is the environment we create for students. This means how we treat them as people, not just as learners. But what goes into creating a positive classroom community? 

• First and foremost, you want your students to feel safe. Students should feel like school is a place where they will be respected and treated with kindness.
• You also want your students to feel seen. Your students come from different backgrounds, and it’s important that the books, images, and activities you choose reflect those backgrounds.
• Students need to practice social skills. The more you explicitly teach social emotional learning in your day, the more students will pick up on these important skills. 
• It’s so important for your students to feel like they can succeed. You can teach your students to handle challenges, build up resilience, and practice patience while they learn.

SAFE: How Students Treat Each Other

How students treat one another says a lot about your classroom culture. To create a kindness culture in classroom environments, kindness must be talked about and modeled on a daily basis.

There are lots of ways to talk about kindness, including children’s books, classroom activities, and daily conversations. Here are a few of my favorite ways to do that. (For even more ideas, check out my blog post on doing a Week of Kindness.) 

WOW Word Wall

We love our WOW Word Wall! Every day after recess, I spend 5-10 minutes acknowledging students who showed any of our WOW words that day. I also let students acknowledge each other. Students get to put a butterfly up under the word they were acknowledged for. This practice helps so much in building a classroom culture of kindness and inclusion. (Grab this resource here!)

Be A Bucket Filler

I absolutely LOVE the Bucket Filling books for talking about kindness and empathy. How To Be A Bucket Filler and How Full Is Your Bucket are both wonderful books to have for your classroom. They teach children about empathy and kindness in such a relatable and clear way! (This anchor chart is part of this resource!)

Notes to Each Other

This is such a fun way to encourage students to create an environment of support and positivity. Hand out cute notes that children can write to each other to share something great about that classmate. This spreads such goodwill among students. Note, I definitely recommend screening all the notes before giving them to the recipient!  (These notes are included in this resource!)

SEEN: Inclusivity and Diversity 

Celebrating student identities and culture in the classroom is so important to helping them feel valued. I love making diversity and inclusivity a part of my classroom community each year. Here are some ways you can start to do that.

Windows and Mirrors Through Read Alouds

When I heard the “Windows and Mirrors” idea from Emily Styles, I instantly resonated with it. This is the idea that students need to hear stories and see examples of “mirrors” – characters that look like them and relate to their experiences. But they also need to be exposed to “windows” – a glimpse into the experience and world of those who are different from them. As we select read alouds and classroom library books for our students, we want to make sure we’re providing all students with a mix of both kinds of stories.

Celebrating Holidays Around the World

I absolutely love getting students involved in sharing about the different holidays they celebrate with their families. At the beginning of the year, I send a questionnaire home to families to get to know them and their child. Part of it includes questions about what holidays they celebrate and if they would be interested in sharing about those holidays with the class. 

I also created materials for students to learn about Winter Holidays celebrated around the world and New Year’s celebrations around the world. Kids love holidays, and so learning about these was extra fun for them! (Check out these resources here.)

Plus, Ihave a whole blog post on more fun winter holiday activities to do with your students.

Celebrating Names

Celebrating students' names at the beginning of the year is a great way to set the tone for inclusivity. There are so many great read aloud books about children with unique and beautiful names (see some of my favorites here). This anchor chart is a fun activity you can do after reading a few of those books to help children love their own name, and to make sure that everyone's name is accepted and celebrated in your classroom. (Snag this anchor chart here.)

SOCIAL SKILLS: Weaving in Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning is a core part of our classroom community. Especially in primary grades, teaching students basic social skills is so important to weave into every day learning. In fact, students need explicit teaching of skills like self-regulation, communication, and setting boundaries. It’s important to provide times to talk about these skills and ways to practice them. 

(For more ideas about social skills in the classroom, read the full blog post here.)

Puppets and Role Playing

I love using puppets to showcase social emotional skills that we are practicing. Here are a couple ways I like to use them to help us build community in classroom relations:

• Have a designated puppet who comes to talk to the class about these issues. Maybe, they read them special books about friendships, rules, etc. Or, they ask the class for advice about relatable social situations you create for the puppet.
• Have a couple puppets act out social scenarios that you see happen in your classroom. Then, ask the class for their ideas of what the puppets should do to fix the situation. 

Self-Regulation Practice

Teaching students to self-regulate is a hugely important skill. Not only will this help children throughout their lives, but it will help your classroom culture to run smoothly. Creating and teaching specific techniques that students can use in the classroom to calm themselves down can help create good habits for students in the long run. (Get this activity here!)

Feelings

Helping students identify their feelings can be so helpful to deescalate melt-downs and prevent outbursts. This fun craft is perfect for helping students practice this skill. (Grab this resources here!)

SUCCESS: Growth Mindset For Success

When I discovered growth mindset, I knew I wanted to weave it into our culture of classroom learning. Growth mindset helps students develop resilience, patience, and grit as they tackle new learning and challenges. It teaches them that we can all get better with practice and perseverance. (For more ideas about growth mindset, you can read a full blog post here.)

Fixed Vs. Growth Mindset

This activity helps students understand the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. First, talk about how a fixed mindset believes you are born good or bad at certain things, while a growth mindset believes you can make progress with hard work. Then read phrases and have your students sort them to the different sides of the brain. (Get this resource here.)

YET

I love using the word “YET” to help motivate students. In fact, this can become a sort of motto around your classroom. Whenever someone starts to say “I can’t do this! It’s too hard!”, the whole class can remind them: “You mean you can’t do it yet!” (Get this resource here.)

Goal-Setting

Having a classroom culture of goal-setters and goal-getters may sound nice, but how do we achieve that? This flipbook activity helps students practice setting goals and thinking about the work it may take to actually achieve them. Talking about how different goals take different amounts of work to achieve helps students not get frustrated when challenges arise. (Get this resource here.)

Culture In Classroom

When thinking about the culture of classroom community you want to create, think about the four S’s and you will be on your way! Just remember: safe, seen, social skills, success. If you’re helping your students with those four things, your classroom culture is doing great!

Resources For You:

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10 Growth Mindset For Kids Activities Your Students Will Love

The post How To Create A Positive And Supportive Culture In Classroom Communities appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

These are such important questions to ask at the beginning of the year. And luckily, there are lots of children’s books to help us teachers out! Reading books aloud to your new class is one of the best ways to start setting expectations and reinforcing classroom rules.

Read on for 15 amazing read alouds to teacher classroom rules and routines!

Want some resources that are planned and ready to go? Check out my Rules and Routines Activity Bundle!

Classroom Rules and Routines

Establishing our rules and routines is extremely important at the beginning of the school year. Not only does it help our classroom run smoother in the months to come, but structure and rules actually help students feel safe and secure.

A piece of advice I always give to new teachers is to write out a list of all their routines and procedures and rules. A lot of times, you don’t realize until you start writing just how long that list can be! There are materials to take care of and store properly, transitions to organize and manage, rules about talking, sitting, bathroom-going… it’s a lot to think about! Making a list ahead of time will help you to plan out just how you’re going to teach all those things to your new students.

Now, there are lots of ways to establish our rules and routines, and I have a whole blog post with ideas right here. But children’s books are such a valuable tool, they deserved their own special list on the blog.

Children’s Books About Rules and Routines

These are some of my favorite books to use to teach about our classroom rules and routines. Not only can you use these books in the first weeks of school, but they are great for using to review your classroom routines and rules throughout the schoolyear. (Because let’s be honest… we will constantly be reviewing those routines and procedures!)

I’ve divided these into sections to help you choose which books will be best for you: Your New Classroom, Classroom Materials, Classroom Rules, A Listening Body, and Classroom Routines.

Your New Classroom

School’s First Day of School: The school is nervous about all the children coming for the first day! The day starts out difficult for school, but everyone is having a great day by the end. This is a fun book to talk about the different spaces at school and what they are used for.

A Letter From Your Teacher: A wonderful book where a teacher shares her hopes and dreams for the year. This book is great to introduce the classroom as a space for learning and sharing.

All Are Welcome Here: This book celebrates classroom community. You can use this to start setting expectations of inclusion and equality.

Classroom Materials

The Day the Crayons Quit: The crayons are tired of being treated poorly, and they decide to quit! A great book for talking about the correct way to use materials.

Too Much Glue: A little boy doesn’t know how to use the glue properly and ends up with a great big mess! Such a good way to talk about classroom routines for using glue and other art supplies.

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!: A little boy makes a big, big mess with his paints. A cute story you can use when talking about the classroom rules for using paint.

Classroom Rules

Don’t Eat Your Classmates: Penelope the dinosaur keeps accidentally eating her classmates…until she has an experience that teaches her how it feels to be eaten! This book is all about the importance of self-control and treating others with respect.

What If Everybody Did That?: This book gets students thinking about the effect their choices can have. It helps them see that every action adds up and what they do in their new classroom matters!

What Should Darla Do?: A book that lets students decide what choice Dara should make to decide the outcome of the story. This is a great book for talking about making good choices.

A Listening Body

My Mouth Is a Volcano: A very relatable book about a little boy who can’t help but call what he wants to say! A great book for talking about classroom rules during group lessons.

Personal Space Camp: Louis learns about the importance of respecting personal space. This is a helpful book to talk about personal boundaries and what we mean when we say “hands to yourself”.

Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker: Lacey Walker loves to talk and chat and visit. But when she loses her voice, she learns some important lessons about great value of listening. A great book if you have an extra chatty class.

Classroom Routines

Germs Vs. Soap: A funny and playful book about germs trying to avoid getting washed off of dirty hands! A great book to explain the importance of good hand-washing to students.

Just a Mess: Little Critter likes to leave everything in a big mess. In this book, he learns the importance of picking up after himself and keeping things tidy.

Miss Mingo and the Fire Drill: A great book for teaching about the rules of safety and reinforcing your school’s fire drill procedure.

Routines and Procedures

It’s important to take time at the beginning of the year to teach your rules and procedures thoroughly. While it might seem like it’s taking a lot of time, it will ultimately save you so much time in the future.

But the most important thing to remember about teaching your classroom rules and procedures is that it’s not one and done. Students will need practice and review throughout the whole year – so hold onto these book ideas for when you feel like your class could use a little refresher on the classroom rules!

Want more rules and routines resources? Check out my Classroom Rules and Routines Activity Bundle!

Which book are you going to try with your students this year? Let me know in the comments! 
xoxo
Laura

Resources For You:

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5 Must-Try Classroom Routine and Procedures Ideas

21 Amazing Ideas for Activities on the First Day of School

The Best Activities To Build Classroom Community To Try Now

The post Classroom Rules and Routines: The Ultimate List of Children’s Books appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

And unfortunately, trying to ignore these important behavior skills will just make your classroom life more challenging. Instead, it’s better to make social emotional learning an integrated part of what you teach – find books, crafts, and activities that you can weave into your school day to help support your students with their self regulation in learning.

(Looking for fun and engaging social emotional learning activities for your classroom that are planned, low-prep, and ready to go? Click here to check out the bundle!)

Read on for 9 must-read books that teach self regulation for the classroom.

Children’s Books For Self Regulation

One of the best ways to teach these important self regulation skills is through children’s books! No matter the subject, picture books seem to always hold the attention of my little learners and get the point across with clarity. And good news – there are lots of wonderful books out there to help students understand self regulation of emotions and ways to do it.

There are a couple of ways that I use these books for self regulation in learning environments. Sometimes, I plan to teach a certain social emotional learning topic each month. This helps me focus on materials for that topic and helps the students really absorb the strategies and information for that topic without getting confused. Other times, I will dive into a social emotional learning topic that I feel my class is really needing. If I’m seeing lots of behaviors that would benefit from a certain book, I’ll pull it out in the moment.

How and when you read these books isn’t the most important thing – just make sure you’re jumping in and getting started!

Self Regulation Tools

These first three books are helpful because they provide tools and strategies in the context of an engaging story for children to read. Students can identify with the characters of the book and relate the story back to their own experiences. 

Reading children’s books also creates a shared memory that you can refer back to when talking about the topic in the future. Connecting things back to previous stories we read is always fun and helpful. For example, you might say in the future, “Wow, I see you’re having trouble with ___. Remember when Piggie and Gerald were having this same problem? What did they do?”

Here are some great books that include strategies and tools for self-regulation:

When I Feel Worried

This book teaches children there are ways to calm and soothe themselves when big feelings come up. It follows the worries of a cute hamster and what she learns to help with her upset emotions. This book is actually part of series called “The Way I Feel Books” that go into different kinds of emotions. The book is simple and easy to understand for young students.

When I Feel Angry

In this story, a bunny rabbit learns to identify her feelings of anger. Her family helps her come up with ways to manage them and feel better. This is another book in the very sweet “The Way I Feel Books” series. The strategies introduced to manage anger are simple and very child-friendly. They are perfect to try with your class and practice as a group.

I Choose To Calm My Anger

Many students will be able relate to the main character, Jackson, in this story. After one upsetting incident, Jackson’s angry feelings start to ruin his whole day. Eventually, he learns some coping mechanisms for dealing with his anger. This books is part of another helpful series – Teacher and Therapist Toolbox: I Choose. This series could be helpful to explore any time you have a specific behavior or issue you’re looking to address.

Self Regulation Of Big Emotions

Often, identifying emotions is the first step to being able to regulate them. As students get better at noticing how they are feeling and why, they will be more able to apply different strategies and tactics to get back on track.

Today I Feel Silly And Other Moods That Make My Day

The main character in this book explores, identifies, and accepts all of the feelings she has throughout her day. This book promotes the acceptance of emotions, rather than the rejection of them, which can be important in helping young students with their self regulation in learning environments.

Big Feelings

This book acknowledges the hard feelings that can come up during our day and offers some ways to identify them and move on. The fun illustrations in this book are highly engaging, and the situations are very relatable for children.

The Boy With Big, Big Feelings

A story of a boy with extreme emotions. He learns to accept and celebrate his ability to feel things deeply. You may have a child like this in your classroom. This story emphasizes that all of our feelings can be recognized and welcomed, but that it's also important to have strategies to cope with them.

Self Compassion

It’s surprising how many self regulation issues and behavioral problems can have their roots in self esteem. When children don’t feel comfortable in their own skin or they don’t feel confident in their skills, this can lead to emotional unbalances that are hard to deal with. Celebrating differences and encouraging children to embrace their uniqueness can start the journey of self love for students. The view children have of themselves will make a big difference in their life as a student.

I Am Enough

This book emphasizes the importance of accepting ourselves and the people around us, regardless of differences in appearances or abilities. I love that it celebrates individuality, while also encouraging acceptance.

I’m Gonna Like Me

A guide to self-esteem for children, this book shows us how important it is to appreciate your unique you-ness! A fun introduction to self-compassion for young children.

Listening With My Heart

A lesson about how important it is to speak kindly to ourselves. So often, we emphasize kindness to others but then forget to use those practices with ourselves! This book teaches students that they can send themselves positive messages throughout the day to help regulate their emotions.

Further Learning For Self Regulation In Learning Environments

I hope this list is useful for you and your students as you explore self regulation in learning and beyond! Social emotional and self regulation skills are so important for students to be successful in their classroom.

If you're struggling with teaching social emotional learning topics with your students, check out my Social Emotional Learning Activity bundle, which includes lesson plans, crafts, anchor charts, and activities.

Which book are you going to try first with your students? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

Resources For You:

Articles For You:

The Philosophy For Classroom Management That Changed My Life

The Best Activities To Build Classroom Community To Try Now

The Only Classroom Management Technique You Should Be Worrying About

How Can We Help Kids With Emotional Self-Regulation?

The post 9 Amazing Children’s Books For Self Regulation In Learning Environments appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

But don't worry, I want to help you sort through all the noise of classroom management tips out there. So today, I’m sharing my best classroom management tip ideas and tricks for when you need a quick fix to help bring some order back to your classroom.

Read on if your classroom is need of some quick fixes to get back on track!

(Want even more classroom management support? Access this free training video where I share my favorite classroom management secrets!)

Classroom Management Tip #1-2: Class Challenge

Sharing a challenge with your class can be a great way to jumpstart better behavior in a fun way. Challenges are also a highly motivating and engaging classroom management strategy. But don’t overuse them. They’ll be way more effective if you save them for when you really need them! 

Here are some examples of challenges you can use to target certain behaviors that you might be struggling with:

1. Pencil Challenge

If your students are losing, breaking, or mismanaging their pencils, then it’s time for a pencil challenge! Give each student a brand new pencil and mark it in some way so you can keep track of it. Maybe you write their name on it in Sharpie, or put a sticker on it, or give each pencil a number.

Explain to your students that you’re going to see who can keep their pencil for the next two weeks. Any student who hasn’t lost or broken their pencil by the end of the two weeks gets a special treat. And the good news? Usually by the end of those two weeks, bad habits have been replaced by good habits, and students won’t be abusing their pencils anymore.

2. Kindness Challenge

This is one of my all-time favorite tactics for a class where mean behavior is starting to happen frequently. Sometimes I’ll even do a whole Week of Kindness. But a kindness challenge can be much simpler. 

• Kindness bingo challenge: See how many bingos your class can get. Every time you see a student doing something on the bingo board, color in a square. The bingo board gives students explicit examples and ideas for how they can spread kindness. And getting bingos is highly motivating for them to try to carry out those actions more often!

• Kindness chain: Add a link to a paper chain for every kind action that you see or that a student reports. You can also let students share acts of kindness that they saw to help make the chain longer. Challenge your class to see how long your paper chain can become!

• Kindness calendar: Put together a calendar with a simple act of kindness for each day. Challenge your students to do their act of kindness every day as part of their homework. Soon kindness will be spreading around your classroom like wildfire!

Classroom Management Tip #3-4: Set a Goal

Setting a goal as a class can be a great classroom management tool for when behaviors need a reset. First, decide on what the goal will be – target the specific behaviors that are driving your wild. For example, you might set a goal to go without blurting out for a whole lesson. Then decide on what you’ll get to do if you reach your goal. Maybe if they can go 10 lessons during the week with no blurting, they’ll get to watch a movie on Friday.

Here are some fun ways you can record the progress of your goal:

3. Anchor Charts

Anchor charts are a great classroom management visual for students as they’re working toward a goal. There are many choices that have a place to color in each time achieve one piece of their goal – then they can easily keep track of their progress. I love making them season-themed to add a little fun in the mix. This Lucky Charms one is totally free on my TPT!

4. Build a Word

You can also have students try to build a word or a phrase to reach their goal. Each time they succeed with the desired behavior, add a letter.  This can be simply written on the board, or done with fancier Velcro letters.

Classroom Management Tip #5-6: Rewards

There are probably an endless number of classroom management rewards systems out there. Honestly, I usually find them too much of a hassle to keep up with, so the ones I’m sharing here are very simplistic and easy to start any time. (However, if you want to go all out with sticker stores or raffle tickets, there are plenty of great ideas you can find around Pinterest and Instagram.)

5. Team Stars

This is the reward system I use in my classroom throughout the whole year. Students can earn team stars for all kinds of things – lining up quietly, focusing during class, being awesome during a specials class. Or sometimes, I’ll give them a specific opportunity to earn extra stars. I might say “If everyone remembers to put their name on this paper, we’ll get a team star!” or “If everyone listens carefully so I don’t have to repeat these directions, we’ll get 2 team stars!” 

We count up the team stars every Friday, and we put that number of gems in their gem jar. When the gem jar is full, we get a class party! This reward system is full-class and easy to manage.

If you have an extra tricky class…

There have been a couple years when I have gone the route of giving individual stars rather than team stars. It’s not my favorite thing to do, as I prefer to encourage good behavior using positive recognition and hyping my students up all day long. BUT… sometimes you just have a class that needs something extra. 

If you’re in this position, you can create a star chart. I keep the star chart totally secret, so students can’t see how many stars other students are getting. But at the end of the week, they get to put their own gems into the jar, depending on how many stars they earned (again, I pull them over one by one while we’re doing an assignment – it’s not a public affair). It’s highly motivating to earn stars during the week for good behavior when they know they’re going to get to put them in the jar later. 

During these years, I would often refer to the stars throughout the day to motivate good choices. I would pull out the clipboard with my star chart and say “I’m going to watch and give stars to students who get started right away.” Or “I’m giving stars out right now to people who aren’t chatting at their table.” It immediately got the message across.

6. Secret Student

This is a fun one. Tell your class that you’ve chosen one student to watch. But you’re not going to tell them who it is! (Hence the name – Secret Student.) If the Secret Student succeeds in having awesome behavior during the time they’re being watched, there’s a reward! 

You have a couple of choices with how to organize this:

• You can watch students for one lesson or for the whole day. I liked choosing a new student for each lesson because then more students get a chance to do it and they were more likely to be able to succeed.
• You can give a reward just to the secret student or do a small whole class reward for each successful secret student. I usually keep the reward small – like a sticker or a team star.

More on Classroom Management

I hope these ideas will be helpful the next time you need a quick classroom management tip to fix things in your classroom. Try out one or two tips and see how they go! I like to switch up my classroom management techniques throughout the year so that things stay fresh and new for students.

Don't forget to watch your free 10-minute video! If you're feeling burnt out from student behaviors or sick of your students not listening, then these classroom management strategies will help you bring harmony to the chaos and get back to those positive vibes.

Which classroom management tip are you going to try out first? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

More Articles For You:

The Philosophy For Classroom Management That Changed My Life

The Only Classroom Management Technique You Should Be Worrying About

Why Classroom Management Is Important and What You Need to Know

5 Classroom Management Tips That Can Help All Teachers

Resources For You:

The post 6 Easy and Effective Classroom Management Tip Ideas For When Your Class Is Out of Control appeared first on Love Grows Learning.