How to Take Control of Your Classroom On Day 1 (EP1)

How to Take Control of Your Classroom on Day 1

Hey there, and welcome to the very first episode of Elementary Math Chat!

I am so excited to begin this new adventure, especially because I get to discuss one of my favorite topics, which is math. In case this is the first time you are seeing me or hearing about me, let me just do a quick introduction and share a little bit about myself and about my teaching story.

Let’s go ahead and start with my last name. I get a lot of questions about my last name. It is spelled K-R-E-J-C-I, and it’s pronounced Krejci. I realized not a lot of people know how to say that. But, it rhymes with Betsy, and that’s always helpful to tell people.

I am a former elementary math teacher. My first 10 years I taught fifth grade math, and the last 10 years I taught fourth grade math. I am also the face behind the TPT store Krejci Creations which just turned 10 this June. That’s very exciting, and it was back in 2022 that I decided to leave the classroom. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. But, I was really struggling to balance being a full time teacher and a TPT seller. I knew in time I was going to have to choose one over the other.

There was a little teacher guilt that I dealt with, but I want to tell you this quick story because it was actually my students who taught me that I had nothing to feel guilty about. This is the story of how I finally shared the news with my students that I wouldn’t be coming back the next year.

So, one morning, I sat them down and I told them that I wanted to read them a story. I think some of them were suspicious from the beginning because we really didn’t ever have story time in my class. But I wanted it to be special. So, I told them a little story.

This story was a once-upon-a-time story about a teacher, and I didn’t say it was about me. It was just about a teacher. But, the story really was about how I became a teacher and later a TPT seller, which my students did not know, by the way. The story then goes into how this teacher was really struggling to balance both, and she knew she needed to make a choice.

So, we weighed the pros and cons of both the teacher side and the business side, and then I asked them to give this teacher advice. You know, what would you tell her? What would you do in her case? I kind of knew at this point they had caught on that the story was about me. I had one sweet boy who then said, “Well, if I were her, I would definitely do the business full time because she can reach so many more students this way than if she were in the classroom.” That story still makes me emotional thinking about it because it was at that moment that I realized my students understood. They were going to support me no matter what.

Some of them were upset, but they were just upset that they weren’t going to be able to see me next year, but they were still happy for me. I actually got to see a lot of them again because I decided last year I was going to substitute teach a couple times a week. So, I ended up seeing them a lot more as a sub than I would have had I stayed in the classroom. So, it all worked out for the best.

The final thing I think that’s important to share with you is why I created this podcast. I have always been someone who enjoyed collaborating and sharing with other teachers. That’s why I started a TPT store in the first place. So, podcasting will hopefully be a way for me to reach even more teachers., because teaching is tough. We cannot do this alone. So, whether you are brand new just starting out, or you’re in your 20th year, I really hope that you will tune in each week and stick around for the long haul.

Before we get to today’s topic, I do want to let you know that at the end of each episode, I will have a teaching tip of the week. These are quick tips you can put into action right away, so make sure you listen until the very end.

All right, let’s get started with our first episode in our back-to-school series, and this one’s going to help you take control of your classroom on day one. We all know how important classroom management is, and so I’m going to share a lesson I did with my students the first week of school. This lesson was the most important lesson of the year, and it had nothing to do with place value or any math concept for that matter. This lesson is called Classroom A versus Classroom B.

I first want to take you back to the reason why I created this lesson. When I first began teaching, I struggled a little bit with classroom management. A lot of it was due to the fact that my class sizes were huge. I think at my highest I had 33 students in my class, and that was pretty normal for that time.

Since I was also departmentalized, I was teaching four, sometimes five classes a day. So, I had a lot going on. It wasn’t that my students were bad. I mean, they were pretty good kids, there were just a lot of them. And they were also fifth graders, and they did things that fifth graders do. So, I definitely struggled with when to put my foot down and when to let things go. I think when you’re a new teacher, those lines can be blurred.

Now, like I said, the majority of my students were pretty compliant and respectful. But the problem was, I was just not feeling like they appreciated what I was doing for them, and it was important for me to feel appreciated. Now, I realized my students had no idea how much time I was putting into my lessons. But regardless, I wanted them to understand that I was no longer going to put in all of this time if they were going to act this way. So, I did some research, I sought some advice from others, and Classroom A versus Classroom B was born.

The main goal of this lesson is for students to understand that it is their actions that determine what kind of year they will have. It’s not up to me, it’s up to them. They are really confused when I first say that, but by the end, they will understand what I mean.

So, we start with Classroom A. I tell students to imagine a classroom where all students are engaged in the lesson. They’re on task during independent work. They’re respectful to their peers and teachers. Think about a class where everything was going well. That was classroom A. Imagine how proud your principal would be if they walked into this room. What do you think they would say to this class?

So of course, they’re going to say things like, wow, they’re going to be so amazed and excited, and the teacher is going to get a raise! It is really funny what they will say, and you just kind of roll with it and let them share their ideas. You probably want to add your own as well to keep the conversation rolling. But in this classroom, I mean, everyone is doing their part.

Think about all the things that a teacher could do with students in Classroom A. If all students are participating and raising their hand. They’re responsible, productive, and trustworthy. They’re focused. They’re kind. What a year that could be!

Classroom A stands for Classroom Amazing. But of course, this activity is not called Classroom A, it’s called Classroom A versus Classroom B. So, there is another side to the story. Let’s move on to Classroom B.

Imagine we have a classroom where students are shouting out and interrupting the teacher. They’re not paying attention to the lesson. They’re bothering each other during work time. Maybe they’re messing around with materials or throwing dice across the room or playing around on their computers. What would your principal say if they walked into this room?

Of course, some students are humiliated even thinking about this. They’re like, wow, I think the students would get in trouble and probably the teacher would get fired. Someone’s always gonna say that one.

Well, Classroom B stands for Classroom Bad, and no, we would never want our principal or anyone to walk into a room when it’s like this. So. let’s imagine we had a classroom full of students who were off task and playing around, not following directions, or shouting out. My goodness, imagine what kind of things a teacher could do with that behavior. Or more importantly, what they couldn’t do.

This gets them thinking about the difference between Classroom A and what they could do versus Classroom B and what they could do.

Now let’s imagine we have all of those behaviors of Classroom B. What would that look like? More importantly, what would that feel like to be a part of that classroom? You’ll have students say things like, well, this would be really frustrating. I wouldn’t want to be in this classroom, or I would be really distracted. It would be hard to learn in this environment.

You will probably have a student say that they would have detention or extra homework. I always made a point to say that homework is never a penalty. It’s never a punishment. But you may not be able to focus and finish your work during class. So, you may have extra work to take home.

At this point, I like to add my own thoughts and say, well, yeah, I mean, if I had a classroom full of these behaviors, then I probably wouldn’t trust you to sit around the room. So, you’d spend most of the day at your seat. Or if you’re going to be playing around with materials or drawing on my materials, you probably won’t play games that have dice or chips. If I can’t trust you on the computer. If you’re going to be going to YouTube or messing with each other’s computers, then we probably won’t do computer work. If I can’t trust you to work with a partner without getting off task or goofing off, then we probably won’t work with partners.

They’ll begin to understand that if they choose these behaviors, they’re not going to have a lot of choices. They’re not going to have a lot of freedom. It’s going to be a lot of seatwork, and nobody wants to be in a classroom like this. Of course, they’re also going to add that they would get in trouble, and probably so. I do get really serious when I’m talking about Classroom B. I don’t want to be a Classroom B teacher. But if I have all of these behaviors, then we’re going to do Classroom B activities. So, stand your ground and be really serious during this time.

Let’s go back to Classroom A because this is where it gets fun. Remember, Classroom A is Classroom Amazing. They’re focused, kind, productive, responsible. They complete their work. They participate in class. Imagine if I had a classroom full of all Classroom A behaviors. What would it feel like to be a part of this classroom? And what kinds of things do you think the teacher could do with this classroom?

So, at this point, I let them turn and talk to their neighbor and I walk around and listen in. I hear them say things like, well, we could play games and work with partners around the room. We can do activities on our computer and do group projects. One thing I remember vividly is how excited they were to have this conversation. It’s like they have so much hope and potential for the upcoming year, and they were not alone. I had the same hope for myself.

After a few minutes of letting them talk to each other, then we came back together as a group, and I told them, yes, we can do every single thing you mentioned. But only if we have Classroom A behaviors. As you go through this discussion, it is really going to help set the tone for the year. If I have Classroom A student behaviors, we can do Classroom A activities. You’re going to have a lot of freedom, a lot of choices, you’re going to get to do a lot of different activities, and there’s going to be a lot of learning going on.

One of the first things they’re going to ask is well, what happens if just one or two students are being Classroom B? Are you going to punish the whole class? This is a good time for you to talk about how you would handle that situation. Usually, for me, if it were just one or two students, I just dealt with them individually. You know, I always had those dusty textbooks stashed away that I could pull out. So, sometimes it was just a few students I removed from the activity. But sometimes it was the whole class.

There was one year we were doing a science experiment with my classes. It was on friction and speed, and we were using toy race cars and building ramps, so there was a lot involved in this activity. One class was following directions. They were using materials appropriately, and they were really working well together. So, they got to do the experiment with their table group.

Now, my other class did not go so well. I was constantly interrupted when trying to explain the directions. I also noticed that many of them were playing around with materials before we even started. I gave them a couple of reminders, but when things did not improve, I stopped the activity, and they got to watch me do the science experiment.

I think at first they were kind of shocked like, wow, she really meant what she said about Classroom A versus Classroom B. They were especially disappointed when they saw how cool the activity was, and that they couldn’t do it on their own. They just had to watch. But you know what? It didn’t happen again. They learned their lesson.

It really is important, especially at the beginning of the year, to have these Classroom A and Classroom B behaviors posted. In fact, you can download this activity. It is linked in the show notes and it is free and editable. So, you can make it your own and make any changes that you need to. There is even a black-and-white copy that you can print and make into an anchor chart. Make sure to laminate it though so you can reuse it every year and write on it.

So, post these behavior expectations and go over them before an activity that might get a little crazy, like a science experiment. Or maybe you’re doing a math escape game. Remind them that if they choose these behaviors, they’ll get to do this activity. But if not, there’s always a textbook or workbook you could use instead.

Another suggestion is to incorporate these ideas when you begin a reward system. So, let’s say you’re doing Classroom BINGO or earning table points, or maybe you use Class Dojo. I would target two or three behaviors that your students are struggling with. So, if I looked at my Classroom A behaviors I would see, yeah, you know what?  I have a lot of people participating in class, and it looks like you’re all getting your work done. But where we struggle maybe is raising our hand to speak or keeping our voices at an appropriate level.

So, pick two or three that you want to work on, circle them or write them on the board, and that way you can target those behaviors instead of thinking about all of the Classroom A behaviors, which can feel a little bit overwhelming.

Also, remind them to be Classroom A when you have a substitute teacher or when you are on a field trip. And most importantly, do not be afraid to follow through when they choose Classroom B behaviors. They will still love you I promise, but it will send the message loud and clear that their actions have consequences.

So, that is my Classroom A versus Classroom B first day lesson, but don’t go anywhere because I still have one thing left to share with you, and that is today’s teaching tip of the week.

Today’s tip is a place value activity that you can do for fourth or fifth graders, and this is a good one for students who either struggle to place the commas in the correct spot or struggle to read large numbers. It also helps them practice using a calculator, so that’s a bonus.

This one does work best in a group of four to six students just because you’re going to want to hear them read the numbers out loud, and that would be really hard to do in a whole group setting. So, this is meant for a small group activity.

To begin, you’ll want to give each student a calculator and have them create a large number. You could tell them to create a 5-digit number or a 6-digit number or a 7-digit number. Because calculators don’t use commas, they will have to place the commas on their own. So, have them create their number, and then have them write this number down.

Now, because your group is all creating the same length of a number, they should all have the commas in the same spot. So, if they’re creating a 7-digit number, they should have their comma after the millions and after the thousands place. If they’re creating a 6-digit number, it should just be after the thousands place.

Then once they have placed the commas and checked that they are in the right spot, they can practice reading their numbers out loud, and they will need practice with this. If they struggle to place the commas. they probably struggle to read them as well. Make sure you also change the size of the number each round so they really have to think about where the comma goes and how to read the number, and this will be a great way for them to practice both of those skills.

Well, that is a wrap for Episode One. Thank you so much for listening. It means the world to me, but don’t go anywhere because episodes two and three are ready for you to enjoy. I will be back here next week with Episode Four.