3 Management Tools to End the Year Strong

We are in the final weeks before the end of the year! Is anyone seeing some spring fever in their students’ behavior? This time of year brings so many schedule disruptions and fun days. It’s a great time to celebrate how far you’ve come as a class. And none of us want to spend a day on discipline in the midst of the fun. Today, I have 3 management tools to help you finish your year strong with your students!

May Mindset Anchor Chart

Sometimes we all just need to take a minute to say exactly what needs to be done. The May Mindset anchor chart is similar to the classroom contract you may have made back in August. But now, we’re focusing on the things that need to be done for the last weeks of school. Make a list of behavior and academic expectations that apply to your *almost* first graders. Review it together, and hang it up for all to see! Anytime your class needs a reset through the month of May, take some time to come together and reread the chart. Your kiddos have come so far, and no one wants to spend May nagging about behaviors that they know not to do!

Hallway Expert

This is such a simple, but effective, way to clean up hallway behavior. As students get antsy, the hallway lines can get sloppy. Hands and feet are no longer being kept to themselves, and voices can get loud. Choosing a hallway expert is the perfect fix! Put your students’ numbers in a jar on popsicle sticks. Before you leave the room, draw a number, but keep it a secret. The only way you can be called the Hallway Expert is if your number was chosen AND you were meeting all expectations. Tell students you will be silently watching to see if our hallway expert today really knows their stuff. When you reach your destination, reveal your number. If that student was meeting all expectations, they get to be the hallway expert of the day.

Whole-Class Incentives

A marble jar, or another token, is a great way to let students see exactly how well they are meeting expectations. If a related arts teacher compliments your class, give them some marbles. If they transition from the carpet beautifully, they get marbles. When the jar is full, they earn a prize and the marbles get emptied. The great thing about a system like this is that you can reuse it all year long! But, it is especially helpful in May.

I recommend letting students know what the reward will be if they fill the jar. If they know what they are working towards, they will feel more motivated! I also recommend giving reminders before big transitions to give students every opportunity to be successful. Say things like ‘I’m dismissing table 3 to come to the carpet and I’m watching to see if we can earn a marble or two this morning”.

These management tools are sure to calm the chaos in your kindergarten classroom this May! If you want more ideas like this, check out THIS POST. And, be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with all of my teaching tips as we head into summer break!