4 for Friday: Positive Classroom Environment

After a long and arduous school year, I am thrilled to be on summer vacation...even though I've taught a week of Camp Invention and I'm currently teaching summer school. I'm excited to have time to get back to blogging and I'm super excited about this new blog series, so let's jump right into it!
Positive Classroom Enviornment
1. The main component of creating a positive classroom environment starts with you. I know... I know... easier said than done. But when I start to get ready in the morning and can't find the energy to have a positive attitude, when my stomach starts to hurt the moment I get in the car, and those times, though rare, when I actually cry all the way to school...I walk into my classroom and I'm immediately uplifted. I've tried my best to make my classroom a welcoming, motivating environment. It doesn't take much, there are many resources out there for you and some great printable posters on Teachers Pay Teachers. I especially like these Positive Posters and posters from Digital Divide and Conquer. So with the bright and inspirational decor {and the smell of my essential oils} I can usually turn my frown, upside down.

2. I implemented the Super Improver Wall from Whole Brain Teaching years ago. My student teacher this past year loved it so much that she's implementing it with her first graders next year. With the SIW, students can earn stickers to level up the wall for anything you want. So pass out those stickers, the students love them! If you want to read more about it, check out my blog post here. 

3. I implemented Brag Tags {SMART Tags} in my classroom two years ago. Students can earn them for a variety of reasons but I especially like to give out the tags that relate to positive choices and character traits. Search the Teaching Oasis for Brag Tags you can use!

4. I bought this Positive Notes bundle last summer and I LOVED writing my students notes daily to encourage and celebrate them. I got great feedback from the parents of students who were absolutely excited to receive these notes. I used the square size and just purchased the clear sticker pocket sleeves from Target to put on students desks so I can slide the notes in them at the end of the day for students to read in the morning. You can download a free set of Fun Pun Notes here. Are you and your student's into Emoji's... she's got a set for that too!

Do you think you could implement any of these ideas in your classroom? Have an idea to create a positive learning environment? Leave a comment here or hop on over to our Facebook page and leave a comment. 

Super Improver Wall {Whole Brain Teaching}

Current Super Improver Wall

Super Improver Wall in August

Let's just say this is the best thing I've ever implemented in my classroom! It comes from the Whole Brain Teaching book.

I run the template above on the correlating color copy/construction paper. All my students started off with a white sheet of paper and they have to earn 10 stickers (the mini chart stickers you can find at the teacher store) to level up to the next color. So they've gone from white to green to blue and so on. They absolutely love it, who knew a sticker and sheet of paper would be so motivating!?

Ways students earn stickers:

1 sticker a week for having appropriate behavior
1 sticker if you're my helper for the week
1 sticker for every five AR points they earn
1 sticker for reaching the highest level on our classroom clip chart that day
1 sticker if they can reflect on their week and tell me how they've used one of the 7 Habits of Happy Kids
1 sticker if I see them demonstrating our Life Skill of the Month
1 sticker for homework, I may do this once a month with one particular homework assignment, anyone who turns that one in gets a sticker

Basically they can earn stickers for anything I want them to earn stickers for. I have contracts with certain students. With one if she finishes all her literacy tasks that day she can earn a sticker. With another if he gets less than 3 redirections a day he can earn an additional sticker.

As you can see I have three students at the Pro (brown) level. From time to time I ask certain levels to complete certain responsibilities. For example I may tell all the Team Captains (yellow) to clean the floor. Or ask the Specialists (pink) to run errands for me. Or have the Whiz Kids (purple) be the monitors in the bathroom.

Super Improver Wall Levels from Tonya's Treats for Teachers,
click picture for link