Classroom Tips

Sage Advice from a Newbie Teacher

• Tables/Groups: Working with tables - each table is assigned an artist's name-4 tables, 4 artists (Van Gogh, da Vinci, Warhol, Murakaami) Referring to the table as that artist helps with dismissal, gathering supplies, cleanup, etc.
• Pencil Sharpener- Your head will be pounding by 10am if you allow students to sharpen whenever they want, so here is my rule: You may sharpen pencils for the first 5 min. and then I have a plastic bag that goes over it and says "I am sleeping.” Once it goes to sleep, you may not use it.
• Altered Books: My librarian gave me over 200 hardcover books that she was just going to throw away so my students now use them as their sketchbooks (plus, parents didn’t have to provide/buy a sketchbook) Every morning, the warm-up activity goes into the Altered Book. So far, my warm-ups have been warm/cool colors, types of lines, geometric/organic shapes and I have my students fill up the entire page with the exercise. Once many pages are messed up/distorted, we can draw over or use other techniques. This is a great way to introduce many techniques and also utilize what the school can provide you!
• Warm-up: Everyday the warm-up is on the board so that as soon as students get to class, they have something QUIET to work on while I take attendance and take care of certain issues.
• Restroom: you will spend most of the day signing agendas and hall passes. There are 3 bathroom passes for the room. On my desk, I have a plastic index card filing box. Each students’ name is on a card in alphabetical order (get the alphabet tabs) so if they have to go, they don’t even have to ask me, they just go find their card, the teacher signs it, they put it back, and once they have 3 initials on the card, they have no more BR breaks. Be strict otherwise they will abuse!
• Music cures everything. It calms students down, makes them focus, and keeps them motivated while working. USE IT.
• Always have the standards, objective, and focus question written on the board everyday. You NEVER know who will come visit your room, especially for new teachers.
• Letters: At the start of school, write your students a letter starting with “dear students” and ending with “sincerely Ms. Newbie” telling them about yourself, what you like to do, what you are passionate about, your hobbies, your summer, and how you define the subject that you teach. Then, have your students write you a letter back, in the same format starting with “Dear Ms. Newbie”…and keep these letters in a discipline file. This helps you remember students faster, it is a file to refer to if you are not connecting with that student, and it allows the student to open up to you. They are more inclined to write personal information down than to share it verbally with the entire class. These letters have proven to be very helpful. They are also handy for parent conferences.