Stress-Free Classroom Management: Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Classroom Culture

classroom management

Before any learning can get done, students need to feel secure and welcome in their classroom culture. This may seem obvious, but it’s so important that it could make or break your classroom management for the year. If you’ve ever felt like a fish out of water, you know that staying positive and focused in that environment can be difficult. In this article, we’ll talk about ways to set up and maintain a welcoming and inclusive classroom culture for all students. We’ll end with some real life examples to help you visualize what the fruits of this labor will be. 

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Stress-Free Classroom Management: Establishing Clear Rules and Expectations

classroom management

The new school year is starting and you’re feeling ready: your pencils are sharpened, kids’ name tags are printed, the floors are freshly waxed. The only thing left to do is welcome your new students into a classroom where they can thrive academically and socially. And while you may feel pressure to jump right into curriculum, the absolute best thing you can and should do in the first few weeks of school is establish the foundation that will make classroom management a breeze the rest of the year.

In this Teacher Tip Tuesday series, we’ll break down everything you need for year-long, stress-free classroom management. You can subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media to never miss a tip!

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Caregiver and Community Engagement #6

By Carissa Lellos

Throughout this series, we’ve talked about ways to build relationships with caregivers by communicating intentionally and effectively, but there’s another way to build relationships with caregivers: invite them into your classroom. By involving caregivers in the classroom and school community, you can create a vibrant and inclusive learning environment that enriches the educational experience for students. It may even lighten your load! Read on for fun ways to invite caregivers into your classroom.

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Caregiver and Community Engagement #5

By Carissa Lellos

So far in this series, we’ve discussed how important it is to communicate with caregivers. Having a healthy relationship with caregivers can help create a supportive learning environment and foster a positive connection between home and school. This week we’ll take a look at the full spectrum of caregiver involvement, from under- to over-involved, and talk strategies for finding a happy middle ground to ensure student success.

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Caregiver and Community Engagement #4

By Carissa Lellos

We’ve all had to face conversations we wish we could avoid. It can be daunting, but the instinct to recoil from these conversations does more harm than good in the long run. No matter what age group you teach, there will be times when you need to have uncomfortable conversations with caregivers about their child’s behavior or academic performance. These conversations can be challenging, but working through them together can strengthen the relationship you have with your students’ caregivers and make a huge difference for your students going forward. Read on for tips to navigate uncomfortable conversations with caregivers.

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Caregiver and Community Engagement #3

By Carissa Lellos

Last week, we talked about using digital communication tools to build relationships with caregivers. This week we’ll expand into “old school” methods of communication. You’ll be surprised – you are communicating with caregivers without even knowing it! Read on to learn more about harnessing all of the communication tools in your toolbox to be an effective communicator with your students’ caregivers.

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Caregiver and Community Engagement #2

By Carissa Lellos

Building strong relationships with caregivers is essential for the success of your students. However, with so many responsibilities for teachers to juggle, it can be challenging to find the time to communicate effectively with caregivers. It takes some work upfront, but finding the balance between digital and analog communication methods that work for you and your schedule will make a big difference in the long run. This week, we’ll do a deep dive on digital communication with tips, links, and templates for you to use in your communication with caregivers. 

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Caregiver and community engagement #1

By Carissa Lellos

Teaching, like many other jobs, relies entirely on the relationships you build. Unlike other jobs, there is regular changeover, and it’s not just your success that depends on your ability to connect. One of the hardest lessons I learned during my years as a teacher was the importance of building mutually beneficial relationships with my students’ caregivers. I was trained during my graduate studies to embrace caregivers and community members and to include them in the goings on of my classroom, but was initially resistant. I worried that by inviting them in, all I was doing was providing fodder for criticism. It took work to put my pride aside and put my students’ needs ahead of my own insecurities; doing so made all the difference. It was not easy work, and amid the thousands of other plates teachers are expected to keep spinning, it may seem like a luxury instead of a must-have. In this article, we will dissect the importance of becoming the Dream Team, and in the coming weeks, we will provide concrete tips and resources for taking this important step.

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