This popular guide offers a wealth of innovative, research-based strategies for making K-12 classrooms the best learning environments they can be. Easy-to-implement best practices are presented for establishing a classroom management plan, organizing procedures and materials, building a respectful community, fostering peer collaboration, and…

Well-informed teachers of young children recognize the importance of children's social development. The development of social skills lays a critical foundation for later academic achievement as well as work-related skills. Social development is such a key issue with young children that a number of methods to address social skills have been…

This article offers some organizational solutions to help teachers better manage their classrooms and their time. To assist with the room arrangement, notebooks, and file cabinets, teachers may find it helpful to use color coding. Most teachers will have more than one class to teach during the course of a day, and, perhaps, more than one course to…

Various methods of meeting and classroom techniques are presented in this booklet. It is aimed at teachers and advisors seeking innovative ideas to encourage student interest and participation in the classroom. The methods examined include the lecture or speech, group discussion, panel discussion, colloquy, role playing, buzz session, forum,…

Over 30 activities for elementary school classes during the first week of school are described. Ideas are included for a first day checklist, correct pronunciation of names, getting acquainted games, and classroom organization hints. (CJ)

This pamphlet describes "learning challenges," a method of classroom organization designed to meet the needs, strengths, and interest of children at all levels of development. These challenges are a means by which teachers can individualize their programs and invite their students to explore, think, create, and respond. The pamphlet…

This guide for primary school teachers presents commonly asked questions and answers. Chapter 1, "How Do I Set Up My Classroom?" discusses desk and furniture arrangement. Chapter 2, "How Do I Survive the First Days of School?" offers tips for meeting and greeting students, establishing routines, and presenting activities.…

A literate classroom environment immerses a student in a rich, stimulating, interactive, and purposeful print and language environment which is designed to provide for success in reading, writing, listening, and speaking and the needs of individuals responsible for their own learning in a natural, non-competitive, non-threatening, risk-taking…

This practicum report describes an intervention during the 1990-1991 school year that involved restructuring a kindergarten classroom to include more developmentally appropriate activities. Expected outcomes were stated in the following terms: (1) the arrangement of the classroom will allow free, orderly movement; (2) the county's kindergarten…

A program was devised to provide 12 educable primary grade children with meaningful independent work experiences during the morning period while the teacher was engaged in reading instruction. (DB)

A learning center is a defined space where materials are organized in such a way that children learn without the teacher's constant direction. This book offers guidelines that will help preprimary and primary school teachers organize and manage learning centers in the classroom. Chapter 1 describes the advantages of using learning centers and…

AN OUTLINE WITH SUGGESTED TEACHING PRACTICES FOR THE INSERVICE TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM IS PRESENTED. A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM INCLUDES INFORMATION ON THE STAFF OF THE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL, THE CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PERFORMED, AND THE CONFERENCES HELD WHICH RELATE DIRECTLY TO INSTRUCTION. THE MATERIAL USED IN…

This article describes student teachers' strategies for creating communities in special education classrooms that can produce class unity and pride, respect for each other, increased self-esteem, and the learning of life skills. Ways of developing communities while still addressing individual student goals are discussed. (CR)

This workshop module focuses on how teachers can structure situations and activities in their classrooms to encourage or require a much broader range of behaviors and skills than are usually called for. It is designed to increase teachers' awareness of the various structural elements that can be manipulated in a classroom, and the way in which…

An outline is presented of organizational procedures that teachers can use to maximize the use of classroom time. Specific guidelines are given on how to give homework assignments, how to communicate expectations regarding student work, how to distribute instructional materials, and how to allocate time among various classroom activities. Brief…