Welcome!

This is a site that helps guide you to a successful year with your students! Above are tabs that you can select that will start your journey to a better year. Links and ideas will be provided to assist you in behavior and classroom management. As well as strengthening your relationship with your students and helping them strengthen their own among their peers. Together we can come together to create a positive, inclusive environment for our students and foster growth. Whether you're a substitute, first year teacher or veteran, you and your students can benefit from new ideas!

My Classroom Management Philosophy! 

When I look back to my path on becoming a teacher there were some stopping points that I had made along the way. Originally, I was going for early childhood education and abruptly I switched to baking and pastries. At this time, I was not fully sure what I wanted to do, I knew I always loved kids, but I also found a fun hobby that I enjoy doing as well. Afterwards I became and early childhood teacher for daycare, I worked with children ages six weeks too five years old and I did that for several years. Once I had major life event impact me, I decided to go back to school and get my degree in something bigger. While working with kids who have been in foster care, newly adopted and children from various backgrounds I realized that I was their one constant in their life. Knowing this helped me make that push to become an elementary school teacher, I want to make a difference in children's lives. It is more than just a difference; I want to be that person that they know they can feel safe and understand what is always expected of them. I might be the only smile they see that day and if my teaching can make an impact on at least one student's life then it is completely worth it.

The reason I am choosing elementary school versus middle or high school is because we are the foundation of helping young students developed into the person that they are going to be. Even though student may with be with me for a school year, they grow and learn so much within that time I am helping shape their view on the world and their view of themselves. Which I hope that view turns out to be as positive as it can be, because there is good and all students even the ones that some might find difficult to handle. I want to make sure those students especially understand that there is good at them and that they do not give up as they grow.  

Another thing that drives me to doing what I want to do is being able to bring my own personal experiences in background into others’ lives. Some things that I grew up with that made an impact on me I hope to bring to the table and make an impact on them. I love being creative and sharing my stories with others, and I want to be able to influence other students to share theirs as well so we can gain a broader knowledge of the people around us. It is important to me for students to grow and understand that everyone is different, and everyone can be celebrated in their own way. Therefore, I want to be an elementary school teacher so I can help them see that they can make a difference in not only their lives but others around them. Now that I am on my path, I find that I am happier as a person and I look forward to teaching in my own classroom soon.

Class Norms

What are class norms? Think back to when you were in school. You probably had a set of rules to go by in your classroom and even school-wide. RULES.. yuck right? Who wants to sit and listne and be reminded for rules? Not me! Thats why adopting a set of class norms puts a positive spin on things! Here are some tips and tricks to creating your own classroom norms. 

• Keep it simple! (3-5 norms tops)
• Include your class!
• Spend the first 1-2 weeks in class adopting these norms.
• ALWAYS stick to them, students need consistency. Check this out! 

Jordan Smith