Creating Habits of Effective Classroom Practice
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Monday Motivator #21 2025-26
5 Things I’ll Remember When I Feel Unmotivated
By Sarah Cooper
At the beginning of last school year I found myself in a bit of a funk. Usually teaching is a high point in the thick of the administrative work I do, and the 8th graders’ energy buoys me. But for whatever reason – the pressure of other responsibilities, coming into our first “normal” year for a while, or not spending enough time prepping – I felt I was seeing students through a fog.
For me to keep my sanity as a teacher, this could not continue. If I lost my zest for teaching, I would be reckoning with losing a big part of my sense of self.
Slowly, over December and into January, with deliberate steps each day, I recovered my joy. I remembered that lesson planning didn’t have to feel like a slog and that the minutes could fly by in class if I got swept into the flow with my students.
So how did I wrench myself through this transition? Gradually, sometimes haltingly, remembering some of these mantras – which I hadn’t forgotten but found hard to implement that first semester.
1. Connect individually each day with each kid, even briefly.
After doing a survey where I realized a handful of kids weren’t feeling my commitment to knowing who they were and how they were learning, I turned up the volume on my connection.
Generally I say hi by name to each 8th grader as they come in, and often goodbye as they leave, but I added more smiles and checked in with individual kids about how they were doing – even about something silly like what they were looking forward to eating at lunch.
I also remembered to share what was happening with me, just a little bit – what was giving me energy or what was on my mind.
2. Laugh together.
The one element I’ve kept from Zoom teaching is a daily pair-and-share chat. This usually takes the form of a simple question, such as what students are excited or not excited about for the weekend.
As I was trying to come back to myself, I spiced up these prompts, even when I didn’t feel like being lighthearted, and the answers ended up boosting my mood.
Some questions that ignited students’ brains in a different way included: “What temperature would you be today if you were an oven, 0 to 500 degrees, and why?” and “Which animal do you feel like today?” and “What has gone better than expected for you this week, even something super small?”
3. Embrace the mess.
Recently I’ve been teaching in a new room that has nice light and space but doesn’t always feel the coziest. Last year I started with two-person tables in rows because this seemed the most logical way to arrange the furniture. One day in December, though, we moved the tables into a big rectangle for current events discussions. The kids loved it because they could look at each other more, and a quick survey said they felt more of a sense of connection. I never moved the desks back.
Was it noisier? Yes. Did we lose a couple minutes of “productive” class time each day because of this new configuration? Likely yes. Did I feel more connected because I could walk around the outside or the inside of the square? Absolutely.
And, when we were working on a project, I encouraged the kids to sprawl around the room. This is what I missed during Covid – that middle school sprawl that still facilitates learning and creates a buzz.
4. Never underestimate middle schoolers.
This principle is so basic for me. I’ve spent my whole career, it feels, telling people how much these tweens and young adolescents are capable of. So what happened? Did I forget? Did post-pandemic gaps in writing and reading skills trip me up?
I don’t know. But as students worked on projects during second semester, I remembered how much they understand, how many strengths they have, and how much they can teach me (even something small like clicking at the top right of my browser to find which tab is playing video or audio).
For one research project I gave a slew of written directions – on finding and taking notes on reputable sources – that I thought would overwhelm the kids. The research was hard work, especially for some of the students who approach learning in unconventional ways. But I was so overcome by their dedication at the end of one class that I said, “I’m so proud of you.”
5. Find a way to love your students.
Two years ago I wrote a piece for EdWeek about advice I would give to new middle school teachers. But last year, I almost forgot it myself.
I had more students than usual who came into class a little off the wall – quirky, unusual, figuring out the world in their own distinctive and wonderful ways. And yet I realized as I worked to connect more: I wasn’t seeing them. I wasn’t looking enough for all the ways to love each one of them. To appreciate how one kid doodled video game characters every day while still paying total attention to what’s going on – and another raised their hand anytime they perceived an injustice, whether current or historical – and another approached every history research topic as if it were a Big Data analysis.
And the things I love about all of them: how they cluster before the bell, and spread out during class, and lean into and out of each other as they talk and wonder and grapple. Ultimately, really, how I was lucky enough to be in the room with them as they’re growing up.
Giving yourself love and grace
In Gholdy Muhammad’s soul-affirming book Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Teaching and Learning (Scholastic, 2023), she emphasizes a similar message: “This work starts with love – loving yourself, being yourself, being kind and gentle with yourself, and showing yourself grace as you carry out this work.”
What was missing for me at the beginning of last year was not just demonstrating love toward my students but accepting my missteps as I tried to do so. What’s different now is that I’m trying to show myself more grace in the trying.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Monday Motivator #19 2025-26
8 Small But Impactful Classroom Management Shifts
How using subtle gestures, spatial awareness, and tone of voice can nudge your classroom towards smoother operations.
Learning how to manage a classroom full of kids takes time and patience.
Novice teachers, understandably, “tend to focus on behavioral management (e.g., controlling student behavior and establishing rules),” while expert teachers have developed a “more comprehensive understanding of classroom management and its complexity,” researchers explain in a 2021 study. By the time they’ve reached the middle of their teaching careers, educators tend to think about discipline holistically—how it’s intimately connected to the clarity of their lessons, the effects of peer dynamics, or even the organization of their physical classroom spaces.
Misbehavior in the classroom, meanwhile, is not always what it seems. As students navigate the social terrain of the classroom, it’s normal to expect occasional moments of defiance, says Stephanie Jones, a developmental psychologist at Harvard. Acting out is “not always a sign of intentional disregard or disrespect of others or of the rules” and can be a healthy part of a child’s social and emotional development as they test boundaries, learn what consequences are, and assert their independence.
There’s no silver bullet to keeping students on track and disruptions at bay—a 2021 study notes that being an effective teacher “requires the adaptive application of a repertoire of different classroom management strategies.” Here are eight portable, easy-to-deploy strategies that can make a big impact as you attempt to keep the class focused on the vital academic work at hand.
1. ‘The Look’
“Sometimes situations don’t warrant words—mere eye contact or going to stand next to where a student is seated will do,” writes Rebecca Alber, a teacher trainer at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education. “Nonverbal classroom management tactics like these help keep everyone’s dignity intact in the room.” It’s important to use “the look”—an arched eyebrow or a stern glare directed at misbehavior—moderately, both to maximize its effectiveness and limit its (modest) potential to stigmatize students if overused, says Alber.
Drawing on Jacob Kounin’s concept of “overlapping,” the researchers in a 2025 study suggest that experienced teachers often choose to respond quickly and unobtrusively, “without interrupting the intellectual flow of the instruction.” By shooting a quick look, moving closer to the problem area, or deftly inserting the student’s name into the lesson—“We’re focused on the slope of this line, right, John?”—the teacher “conveys several messages the student and the classmates immediately understand (e.g., ‘I saw that,’ ‘Stop it,’ ‘First warning’) while still carrying on with instruction.”
It can feel awkward, but younger teachers can practice techniques like “the look” at home and then try them out in the classroom before refining their techniques. Other educators we’ve interviewed discuss their preferred nonverbal cues directly with students, describing the intended effect of hand signals and glances to model expected behaviors.
2. Tone of Voice
What may sound authoritative to you may come off as authoritarian to your students.
In a 2022 study, researchers studied how elementary students reacted to typical classroom instructions—“It’s time to start the lesson” or “Listen carefully,” for example—delivered in tones ranging from demanding to neutral to supportive. While neutral and positive tones led to a warmer, more supportive classroom culture, stricter tones undermined trust and discouraged kids when it came time “to share secrets with their teachers,” who subsequently missed out on important information related to bullying, hardships, and even the work students were proudest of.
Finding your voice will take time and practice, but “developing a calm, neutral, assertive voice is part of the teacher’s own self-regulation,” which in turn allows students to be “self-regulated and secure in the knowledge that the teacher will be receptive to them, but also in control,” explains Linda Darling-Hammond, former professor at Stanford and current president of the Learning Policy Institute.
At Van Ness Elementary School, teachers actively work on tone of voice and then model self-regulation through its strategic use. “If we’re talking in a voice that is too aggressive, we might accidentally be using fear to manipulate children’s behavior,” says Cynthia Robinson-Rivers. “Instead of helping them to gain that intrinsic motivation to do the right thing for the right reasons.”
3. Getting to Clarity
Preparing a well-thought-out lesson with very clear instructions doesn’t just grease the academic wheels, it also helps to minimize student disruptions. In a 2018 study, researchers discovered that 15 percent of misbehavior was attributed to instructional factors such as “an instructor’s failure to provide clear expectations or command of the classroom.”
Christopher Pagan, a high school physics teacher, regularly surveys his students to gain a clearer sense of the clarity of his lessons. “The purpose of the survey is to give my students a voice to tell me what changes I can make and what practices I can implement to help them perform better in class,” he says. The survey “has nothing to do with content. There are no questions about physics.” A 2019 study backs his approach, revealing that highly effective teachers audit their materials regularly “to identify what was working or not.” For academic work that involves complex instructions, ask students to talk you through what they think the steps are, and take notes on the whiteboard while offering clarifications.
Classroom transitions are another source of classroom calamity; clear routines are an effective way to minimize these disruptions. “Difficulties with transitioning may manifest in… avoidance, decreased attention, resistance, or fight-or-flight,” writes occupational therapist Lauren Brukner. Consider displaying visual scaffolds like anchor charts to remind students of your expectations, spend some time recording yourself to spot areas for improvement, or visit the classrooms of mentor teachers to draw lessons from their experience.
4. Greeting Students at the Door
Spending a few moments at the beginning of class welcoming students—by greeting them as they enter the class or scheduling a morning meeting, for example—not only sets a positive tone, but also can boost engagement and reduce disruptive behavior. In a 2018 study (replicated with older students in another 2018 study), positive greetings at the door increased academic engagement by 20 percentage points while decreasing disruptive behavior by 9 percentage points, effectively adding “an additional hour of engagement over the course of a five-hour instructional day,” according to the researchers.
More recently, researchers in a 2024 study explain that low-intensity classroom management strategies such as positive greetings at the door are effective at “defusing problems rather than exacerbating them” and allow students to see teachers less as arbiters of discipline and more as mentors and guides. When students feel welcome in the classroom, they’re more likely to put genuine effort into their learning, the research shows.
5. Keeping Distractions In Check
In the battle for student attention, you’re not going to beat the lure of electronic devices and whirring, flashing fidget toys. In a 2020 study, students who were seated by a classmate browsing the internet on a laptop scored 9 percentage points lower on retention tests than their distraction-free peers. Even those who couldn’t glimpse the laptop screen were distracted, suggesting that they picked up on the subtle cues—a stifled chuckle or slouched posture—that signaled a lack of academic focus, the researchers found.
At the beginning of class, math teacher Rebecka Peterson asks her students to deposit their devices in a cell phone holder. “Don’t make phones a big deal; it’s just another procedure,” she writes. If keeping devices out of reach isn’t an option, you can create firm boundaries: “I have a doorbell in my classroom… and students know it means to put phones away and take AirPods out of their ears,” writes educator Sarah Said.
Finally, be wary of fidgets that make noise, light up, or can be thrown. “There is not sufficient support for the implementation of fidget toys in the classroom,” researchers explain in a 2023 study. That’s because students who fiddle with fidget spinners, poppers, and balls—the most distracting of the bunch—tend to score significantly worse on academic tests and often affect the performance of nearby students, a 2019 study reveals.
6. Warming Up Your Cold calls
Many students are wary of participating in class discussions, often because they’re shy, afraid to be seen as incompetent, or simply not interested in the topic. It’s not uncommon to ask a question and hear crickets in response. Yet not all teachers approach cold calling the same way—a 2022 study found that the practice generally fell into one of two categories: “Encouraging and engaging on the one hand” or “confrontational and intimidating” on the other.
If you want to keep class participation on track, try warming up your cold calls. In the study, middle school teachers who couched their cold calls in an inviting, respectful manner—using language like “I’d like to hear some ideas,” for example—were able to assuage their students’ fears and anxieties about being put on the spot, leading to more fruitful conversations in which students felt “safe to take risks.”
Over time, well-executed cold calling can decrease anxiety levels and increase class participation, since “once a student has participated a few times, it becomes easier to participate,” according to a 2013 study. In fact, when teachers regularly integrate cold calling, participation increases from about 50 percent to slightly above 90 percent, the researchers found, and the approach can be especially helpful for typically quieter students, such as girls, according to a 2019 study.
7. Break Time!
A short break after a long lesson can keep students more engaged throughout the day, while reducing classroom disruptions. Brain breaks aren’t a fad—they’re backed by science and trusted by experienced teachers. A 2024 study, for example, found that 91 percent of K–2 teachers rely on intermittent breaks to refresh student attention spans and improve information processing.
In a 2021 study, scientists used brain imaging to analyze cognitive activity after elementary students engaged in short brain breaks—tossing balls, pretending to be cars and zooming around the classroom, or playing Simon Says, for example. They discovered that short brain breaks improved “children’s neural activity efficiency,” leading to “significantly higher odds of being observed on-task” during later instructional periods.
Even older students benefit from brain breaks. In a 2020 study, a brief exercise break reduced off-task behaviors among high school students—gazing off, staring into space, or putting their head down on the desk, for example—by nearly half, making it “a feasible and practical approach” for older adolescents.
8. Let the Small Stuff Go
Trying to catch and fix every minor disruption might seem like a good classroom approach, but it often leads to more misbehavior in the long run. A 2016 study shows that calling students out for minor issues like daydreaming or brief chatter can erode their feelings of connection to the classroom, leading to even more misbehavior down the road. For some students, this negative attention can actually lead to a “negative reinforcement pattern” that “actually amplifies students’ inappropriate behavior” over the long haul.
While a stern approach to classroom management may be necessary to combat severe or repeated infractions, it’s better to start small and focus on de-escalating or defusing the situation.
When teachers react defensively to student behaviors, they “may become locked in a power struggle or an ineffective pattern of communication,” writes special education teacher Nina Parrish. Remain calm and avoid using statements that begin with “You”—for example, “You never listen and follow directions. Don’t get out of your seat again!”—which typically triggers defiant behavior. Instead, rephrase it to an “I statement”: “I would like for all of my students to sit down, listen, and follow directions so that they know what to do next.”
When kids inevitably push your buttons, take things slowly and approach each situation with calm and compassion. Educator Emily Terwilliger suggests playing out tense moments ahead of time: “Think through scenarios that might happen in your classroom and how you want to respond before the start of the year,” she writes. “It will make those first redirects and interventions less intimidating.”
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Monday Motivator #18 2025-26
Looking Back to Move Forward
Bitsy Parks
It was the first day back after winter vacation, and I looked at the plans that I had penciled in the week before break. “Review reading workshop expectations: independent reading, reading habits, tricky word strategies, and text connections.” Later in the week my plans were a little more exciting, such as introducing new books, including Caldecott contenders, and starting a new reading unit on characters and questioning. After the long break it’s hard to know just where to start back in, so I didn’t question my plan, and sat down with my students.
During our community circle earlier that morning, I had heard about their vacation adventures and their favorite holiday treats. Many students looked excited to be back, a few were a little unsure, and all of them looked a little tired, as did I. It’s always hard to transition back to alarm clocks and cold, wet mornings. As I gathered my students on the rug to teach my reading lesson, reviewing workshop expectations, I looked out at their expectant faces and knew my penciled-in plans weren’t going to work. In that split second I knew I didn’t have the desire to routinely review anchor charts and learning from the fall as I had written in my plans. I knew I needed and wanted something more: a less boring lesson and, more importantly, a lesson that engaged my students, letting them actively participate and practice the learning we had done all fall.
Right then I revised my lesson plan. Instead of following the typical minilesson structure, I simply told my students to think of all they had learned in the fall and turn to share with a partner. I told them to think about how I taught reading lessons and about the charts we had made to record our thinking. Then I told them that today they would be the teachers. Using what they knew about my teaching, especially the anchor charts that we had created, today they would teach their classmates. With their reading partner, they would talk and remember all they could about our learning before vacation. And then the two of them would create an anchor chart of the most important learning to reteach their classmates. Once I gave them these instructions, I quickly reviewed aspects that made a good anchor chart, and off they went.
While students took time to talk with their partner, I scrambled to gather supplies for chart making. After pairs told me they had a plan, I gave them a chart-size sticky note. Students drew and wrote, and when they were finished, we hung our charts around the room and studied each other’s words. We shared what we noticed about the charts and what good learning we were reminded of.
For example, this chart explained what students had learned about independent and partner reading in words and pictures:
Independent Reading:
Find your space to read.
Be quiet.
Partner Reading:
Pick a book and
Share it with your partner.
Students were thoughtful and respectful while studying their peers’ work:
Although this chart isn’t specific to reading workshop, I found it sweet to see what this partner team thought was important to remember about our class.
Try your best in school.
Try to be kind.
Try your best on reading.
Write as much as you can.
Don’t talk when the teacher is talking.
This lesson was a spur-of-the-moment decision but got the kids engaged, working together, and reviewing our fall lessons. And the review didn’t just involve my students; it let them lead it! We wrapped up the day energized and confident that we were ready to jump back into our workshop routines.
This year as I prepare for break and our return in January, I will definitely revisit this lesson. With a little more thought, planning, and preparation, such as having the materials ready to make the posters and giving students an anchor chart format, I look forward to seeing what my students will come up with to review and to teach each other!
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/first-grade-reflections-looking-back-to-move-forward/
Sunday, December 14, 2025
Monday Motivator #17 2025-26
How to Start the Second Semester Strong: Accept It, Change It, or Leave It
As one semester comes to a close and the second semester looms on the horizon, it can be helpful to acknowledge your power during this transition. The halfway point of any great challenge is a time to pause and take stock. Dr. Camilla McComb, Associate Professor of Visual Art Education for Eastern Michigan University, suggests an “accept it, change it, or leave it” mentality. By approaching the new semester with this mantra, you can focus on being the teacher your students need while prioritizing your own mental and physical health.
Accept it.
The new semester is going to begin. You have to accept this truth whether you are ready or not. However, you can choose to welcome this second half of the year with peace, joy, and attention to your own regulation.
Start slowly.
The second semester follows winter break, a time of inconsistent schedules, added family pressures, and emotional rollercoasters for both students and teachers alike. Instead of striving to change the unchangeable, accept that this is true and adjust plans for starting the new semester slowly. Dr. Cam McComb suggests, “Consider starting with meditative practices or work to reinforce skills that students already know. Once everyone has two or three days to ease back into school routines, start amping up the pace.” Dawn Norris, an elementary art educator in Sunbury, Ohio, begins the second semester by having her young students create drawings of people following classroom rules and procedures. This assignment prompts reflection. It also assists students to see concrete examples of being a constructive citizen in the art room.
Take a breath.
Self-regulation strategies can help you take a moment before reacting in a way that negatively impacts yourself and your students. Begin the second semester with a rededication to your own self-regulation with one of these strategies. Dawn Norris uses a “Press Pause” technique to stop and think. When elevated, she counts down from five while taking a deep breath. These five seconds go a long way in helping her accept, then support her students’ needs and behaviors. Kimberly Waters-Burghy, a middle school art teacher in Newark, Ohio, reminds herself daily what it was like to be the age of her middle school artists. This helps her accept and support her students in the art room with a personal reminder to “have fun!”
Celebrate!
They may be hard to see, but there are things that are going well! Identify your students’ successes and the new management protocols you enacted that are going smoothly. Accept these accomplishments and share them with your creative community as you continue these practices in the new semester. Caitlyn Thompson, an elementary art educator in Natick, Massachusetts, accepts and celebrates the joy she gets from working with her students. “I remind myself that my kiddos love art, and I love them. It’s a beautiful mutual love and excitement. We’re there to lift each other up.”
Change it.
There are many things outside of your control—district policies, choices made by your students’ families, or perhaps your colleagues’ attitudes. But take a look around. Do you have control over something that needs altering? Would this result in success for you and your students? If so, make a plan to implement that change.
Plan your lessons.
Maybe the change is in the lessons you are teaching. There are lessons you have taught for years where you can predict student outcomes. Beautiful as they may be, it might be time for some change. “Even the best art lessons get dull over time,” says Dr. Cam McComb. Setting new goals for yourself and your students may awaken the joy of discovery for everyone involved. Be vulnerable with your students and invite them into the secret that you are making this up as you go, just like them.
Change your physical space.
Dawn Norris realized she has to start with her physical environment when she needs to reset personally or professionally. This means taking time to clean, add classroom plants, soft lights, and form a music playlist. “I feel that these changes make an impact on my well-being and ground my students as well.”
Start journaling.
“Comparison is a thief of joy, so don’t look back and compare how things used to be and wish they were different. Make change moving forward,” says Caitlyn Thompson. She takes time to journal every day. This journaling can take multiple forms: a three-sentence recap of the day or possibly a to-do list based on the day’s experiences. This practice centers her, reminds her of what she has learned, and prompts her desire for change. “Everything is temporary” is a mantra that drives her to be realistic, kind to herself, and it challenges her to make things better.
Check out this episode of Art Ed Radio on the benefits of visual journaling.
Try exercise.
Many of us try to set New Year’s resolutions for our health, only for them to quickly fade. Although we have good intentions, life gets in the way. But knowing change is necessary can provide us with the natural endorphins we need for health and mental alertness. Caitlyn Thompson loves weightlifting. Investing time to lift and focus on her own health leaves her energized and refocused for the classroom.
Dr. Cam McComb suggests something a little less, well, heavy and intense. Go for a walk outside to interact with art. Or research outdoor sculptures and go experience them. The fresh air, the slow pace, and the contemplative time can do wonders when you reenter the art room the next day. Make a map of all the outdoor sculptures you have experienced, then set goals to see works further from home.
Dawn Norris writes herself permission slips for those things she is reluctant to accomplish. Examples might be trying something new, making mistakes, or going out on a school night. Are you feeling overwhelmed? She suggests writing yourself a permission slip to rest. Post this permission slip somewhere you will see it. It will remind you that you are allowed this change.
Leave it.
Dr. Cam McComb reminds us that “Leaving is not the same as quitting. Leaving is an act of self-care and self-preservation.” Leaving can be the process of stepping back to see the big picture. You might leave at the end of your contractual day instead of staying late because you need time for yourself and your family. You might leave all of those exciting changes for later in the semester because you know you will have more capacity then. Or you might prioritize preparation so you can leave the room ready for the new semester or the next day.
Pause lesson planning.
Remember those lessons you considered revamping or reinventing with your students? Remember, if you are seeking balance, you might need to leave it alone right now. When teaching, consider subtle shifts in your instruction instead of an overhaul. Make a note on your lesson plan to leave it alone. You can always come back to make those important changes later.
Leave your room ready.
At the close of the first semester, leave the room ready for your classes’ return or your new set of students. Kimberly Waters-Burghy says, “I clean the room. I get out everything I need for the first lessons, so when I leave the classroom, I know I am ready.” There is power and confidence in leaving a room ready and waiting for you. At the end of the first semester, employ the help of your students. Caitlyn Thompson asks her students to help test markers, sort crayons, and clean counters. “I have yet to meet a class who isn’t bubbling with joy to do these tasks. It is bizarre and amazingly helpful.” In the process, students learn responsibility and take ownership of the art room.
Embarking the new semester with the mentality to “accept it, change it, or leave it” can provide perspective and drive purpose. You can find success in the unknown of the second half of this year by establishing self-regulation strategies and taking strides to be prepared. When you are at your best and feeling inspired, those feelings can be contagious for your students. Dr. Cam McComb concludes, “Find your joy this winter, and as you bring it to your students, may you too feel rejuvenated by the creative spirit working through you and within the entire school community.”
- What is one thing about your teaching context that you need to accept?
- What is one situation you have the power to change? Identify steps you are going to take to drive that change.
- What is something you need to step back, study, and leave as it is right now?
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Monday Motivator #22 2025-26
Creating Habits of Effective Classroom Practice Download available here
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