Classroom Management

Classroom Management

Classroom management can be looked at in different categories such as space, time, routines, attention, momentum and discipline. There are several different applications out there that are helpful with classroom management such as:

Class Dojo                                            Bloomz                                   ClassKick


                                                     



ClassMax                                             Nearpod                               StickPick


                                                  




I walked around my school and asked some teachers what applications they use for their classroom. One teacher said she uses Dojo. When I asked if she used it for discipline she responded, “no”. Every teacher I spoke to said they don’t use any kind of technology or application for discipline. I also asked if any teachers used applications for noise control such as Bouncy Balls. The responses that I received was, “we tried some of those applications but we felt they were more of a distraction.”


I decided to try Bouncy Balls in my Kindergarten classroom. You don’t know if something works unless you try it yourself. Bouncy Ball is a free application that is used to control the noise level in the classroom. The Bouncy Balls react to sounds from the microphone. Below is an example:

Unfortunately, this did not work for my class since they would purposely make noises to see the balls bounce faster.


I decided to look into something else for my Kindergarten students. In the morning we have our morning circle and do our morning meeting which takes approximately twenty minutes. After sitting for so long my students are tired and sluggish. I decided to do some Brain Breaks after my morning meeting. Brain Breaks are short 2-3 minute videos that get students to move around and get their blood to flow and also send oxygen to their brain. It also helps students to retain information better. My students enjoy doing Brain Breaks after sitting for a long period of time. It’s basically a simple technique were students are given a short mental break. We do our Brain Breaks by watching videos on YouTube. Students are able to sing, dance and move around. Below are some videos from my classroom. 

  

Above is a GoNoodle video and it's called Milkshake-Koo-Koo/GoNoodle



GoNoodle

YouTube Video: Tooty Ta: A Dance for All ages - Tooty Ta

Brain Breaks: (SEA)

• Stimulates the brain
• Energizes the brain
• Activated the brain

Brain Breaks is known to:

• Reduce stress
• Reduce frustration
• Increase attention
• Increase productivity

Something else that we have available for our students is a TLC room which stands for Therapeutic Learning Center.  This room is used for students that need a break from the classroom for different reasons.  It helps students with space, time, attention, momentum and discipline which all falls under classroom management.

The picture above is called the Chill Out Zone for students that need a break due to behavior issues.

Reflection:

There are many different resources for using technology in the classroom for classroom management.  Each classroom is different and every teacher is different.  You need to use what works best for you and your students.  What works for me, may not work for you.  You don't know unless you try.  I'm fortunate to be in a school district that has many different resources for students.  Sometimes it could be a minor change in your classroom that can make a difference for many students.  For example, create a quiet area for students to sit in when they are having a difficult day.