My Favorite Classroom Management Tool

There is one easy to implement tool that has helped make my students time in specials meaningful, productive, and reduce behavior problems so that the maximum amount of learning happens in the short time they are in specials.

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WHAT ARE SPECIALS? 

When I first started teaching, I had NO CLUE what other teachers were talking about when they kept referring to "specials." Come to find out, it is any class your students go to when you are not the direct teacher. At my school, that would be PE time, library time, music, art, dance class etc. Every school has a different way of referring to these classes, but "specials" seems to be the most common term when referring to them as a whole. 

BEST MANAGEMENT TOOL

Hands down the best way for your students and their "specials" teacher to get the most out of their short time together is to reduce behavior problems by helping them make a personal connection with one another. What better way to do this but with a NAME! Yes, that is correct! Other teachers need to know my students by name, so that personal connection can start immediately. Think about how many students are rotating through that teacher's classroom and in a very short period of time. They can't remember everyone's name without a little bit of help. 

The most effective tool I have found to work immediately is the gift of a NAME TAG. Yep! Simple as that. A name tag. My students know when it is time to go to "specials" they must have a name tag. I have monitors that pass them out to each of the students. They get in line and off we go.

I have tried many different types of name tags. Sticky tags/labels are too expensive and time consuming to make and pass out. I have used clip on tags, but my little second graders always need help putting them on or getting them clipped so their name actually shows. 

The easiest, cheapest, and most effective name tags I have found are these lanyard name tags. They are AMAZING! They come in a pack of 50 so you can split the cost with a colleague. The plastic holder can be used horizontally or vertically. It is incredibly thick and durable, so you will be able to use them year after year. You can find the ones I purchased by clicking HERE or HERE. 

The only thing I suggest is washing the lanyards at the end of the year so your next group of kiddos get a fresh start.

If you would like to make these for your students, you can download the name tag template for FREE here or click on the picture above. 

***As a reminder, this file is editable. Therefore, you MUST have PowerPoint in order to open and edit the file.

I hope you find these to be an effective tool in your classroom too. Let me know your favorite management tool in the comments. I'm always looking for new ways to make specials effective.

{DON'T FORGET! PIN IT FOR LATER!}