5 Tips for Effective Classroom Management

I recently visited an after school program and was reminded of how difficult classroom management can be if you don’t have a handle on it. When I stepped in to help, someone made a comment about me being a “natural.” I reflected on this comment a bit, and although classroom management does come fairly easy for me, I’m not convinced that it has come naturally to me. Yes, I have been able to put some pieces together to come up with a formula that works, and also being a mother has helped, but really I think anyone can have good classroom management.

My recent experience made me decide to put together a packet of 5 helpful classroom management tips. These are simple tips that have worked for me over the years. They are easy to use, and if done correctly, can be effective immediately. The packet that I have created lists the 5 tips and instructions for implementing these tips. There is also an "At a Glance" page that serves as a quick reference guide.

This packet can be purchased at my TpT Store if you are interested. Here is the link and a preview of the "At a Glance" page that kind of gives you an idea of where I am going with the 5 tips. 

5 Tips for Effective Classroom Management

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tips-for-Classroom-Management-3573693

Please feel free to visit my TpT Store for other teaching resources.

Mrs. Navarre's TpT Store

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Anna-Navarre

Capitalization and Punctuation Practice Pages

My Capitalization and Punctuation Practice Page packet has become one of my top sellers lately. I am so encouraged by this because I think that providing students with basic foundational writing skills (capitalization and punctuation) is so important. 

In the primary grades, we don't necessarily want to bog students down with the mechanics, we want them writing, but at the same time, we can't ignore them. This is why we often have students go back and edit their drafts. The problem in the primary grades is that students don't necessarily have the foundational skills to do this. This is why I think that providing them practice in isolation is so important. It allows them to build skills that I hope will carry over to their writing. 

Anyways, I just wanted to share this packet with you. It is an 8 page packet that can be purchased from my TpT Store if you are interested. 

Capitalization and Punctuation Practice Pages

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Capitalization-and-Punctuation-Practice-Pages-2230603

Here are some sample pages: 

Please feel free to visit my TpT Store to view my other products. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Anna-Navarre

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Have you ever made coffee filter snowflakes in the classroom, or even at home? So fun! Yes, it is a bit messy with all the paper pieces, but it is worth it. I love to see the creative display as my students, and even my grandkids, work to make their beautiful and unique snowflakes. 

Coffee filters are really not expensive at all, especially if you buy them at the Dollar Store, or 99 Cent Store. You get about 100 - 150 in a pack. This is good because students can make as many as they want without it costing a fortune. Also, if they don't like the one they made, it doesn't matter because they can make another one.

Coffee filter snowflakes are easy to make. It is really just about folding and cutting them. Each fold and cut produces a completely different looking snowflake.

Here is a video that shows how to make the coffee filter snowflakes. 

Making snowflakes is a great addition as you teach about winter. I like to display them around the classroom for everyone to enjoy. As you teach about winter you might be interested in a couple of other resources. You can click on the links to learn more. 

Winter Work Packet

Winter PowerPoint

Also, please feel free to visit Mrs. Navarre's TpT Store for 

other teaching resources. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Anna-Navarre

Educational Videos on My YouTube Channel

I have been keeping very busy lately. Along with creating products for my teachers store I have also been busy creating videos for my YouTube Channel. Many of my videos mirror a product that can be purchased from my Teachers Pay Teachers store, but they can also stand alone. Sometimes my videos are just videos that I have created for my grandson and the kids in my daughters daycare. They like watching learning videos on YouTube, so this is a fun way for me to help them learn.

Creating videos is a hobby that I am enjoying and working to get better at. I admire people who have this natural gift. I like to teach, and this is an avenue that I have found in doing this. 

Here is a sample of some of my videos. Please feel free to check them out. You can also visit my YouTube Channel. I have a variety of videos for both kids and adults. 

Click the link to view my YouTube Channel

Anna Navarre's YouTube Channel

The Little Red Hen 

Shape Attributes

Defining and Non-Defining Attributes

Life of King Tut

Addition with Regrouping

Can You Name the Vehicles?

You can also click the link if you would like to visit my 

Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Anna Navarre's TpT Store

Flower Design Art

I was going through my files and found a picture of this art project that I did with my class. I believe we did it last Mother's Day. This project makes for a beautiful gift idea. 

The art project might look a little bit complicated, but I did it with first graders and they were able to do it, so it isn't that difficult. 

I provided each student with an 7 1/2 x 9 1/2" piece of cardstock and a black sharpie. For my first graders, we did this first part as a directed drawing, but older students could do this part on their own. I showed students how to draw the flowers and then made a line to divide the grass and the sky. Then I broke those sections up into smaller sections. 

For the next step, I had students set their black sharpies aside and use colored markers. I modeled different designs that they could choose from and encouraged them to use their imagination to come up with new designs. Then I let students complete their work on their own. The only thing I did discourage was simply coloring in the whole section rather than using a design. 

After the art work was complete I mounted it on a separate 8 x 10" piece of construction paper and then framed it. 


*Note: The size of cardstock doesn't really matter. You just want to think about the size of frame that you are going to use and then cut the cardstock down enough to have the construction paper as a border.

   Anna Navarre’s TpT Store

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Anna-Navarre

Having Fun with Science Experiments

I love doing science experiments. They are so fun and so engaging. I don't think that I have ever had a class of students that didn't feel the same way. I like to have a Science Experiment Day where I spend the whole day doing different experiments in the classroom. It is a bit crazy, but super fun. Anyways, because of my love for this I decided to start sharing science experiments on my YouTube channel. I thought this would be a good way to show how to do the experiments. I also thought it could be a tool for teachers to use in the classroom in case they would rather show how to do the experiment rather than actually do it in the classroom. 

I've attached a few of my video to this post, but another way to access the videos is by visiting my YouTube Channel. I actually have 6 Mad Science Videos at the time of this posting with more on the way. You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified when I have new videos available. 

Click to View: Volcano Experiment

Click to View: Lava Lamp Experiment

Click to View: Oil and Water Experiment

Visit my YouTube Channel to see more

Anna Navarre's YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/Sylaina1

My Western Banded Gecko Lizard Experience

It was kind of funny to enter our garage the other day and find this little lizard just sitting there. That is the one thing about having a home in the desert, you never know what you are going to encounter. Apparently this little guy thought he had a good camouflage going on, but it didn't work, and as cute as he was, he had to go back outside to his natural habitat. 

My husband scooped him up with a dust pan and took him outside. Our curiosity got the best of us, so we tried to look online to see if we could figure out what kind of lizard this was. It had a rather strange look, at least one that we had never seen, so we were determined to figure it out. The best that we could come up with is the Western Banded Gecko Lizard. The description and the area in which these lizards are found seemed to fit, so that is what we are going with. 

I thought our "Lizard Experience" was over, but the next day we found this cute little guy right back in the same spot. Obviously, he found our garage to be the perfect home, but we had a better plan. We decided to take him back outside, a little further this time, to a spot better suited for him. He hasn't been back yet, so hopefully that is the end of it, but some how I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up again. 

Please feel free to visit my TpT Store for K-3 teaching resources. 

Mrs. Navarre's TpT Store
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Anna-Navarre

Desert Themed Activities
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Desert-Themed-Activities-1622748