Looking for an easy to implement classroom management strategy to make daily routines and transitions run smoothly? Sometimes a teddy bear can save the day from chaos in the classroom! This has been one of the BEST strategies I have EVER used because it has also improved student behavior! You can get some helpful ideas for using a Teddy in your room to make other routines run more smoothly too!
A Cute Classroom Management Strategy
I’m excited to share a cute strategy that has completely changed my classroom management and helped to improve student behavior!
Teachers are definitely experts at turn-taking techniques and managing the movement of little ones through the classroom! It’s pretty amazing when we stop to think about how many times during the day we transition students to a new spot in the room or switch activities, especially in the primary grades! Successful transitions require careful planning, so we have procedures galore and great routines in place.
I have happily handed some of the management responsibility over to my students with a little help from a special friend!
Do you have some stuffed animals at home or at school?
Try putting them to work for you!
How Teddy Helps with Classroom Management
I count on Teddy for lots of things! Here is just one example of how a stuffed friend helps in our room:
My 28 students each need a turn on the computer for a variety of activities. One of them is Accelerated Reader. Before AR testing, I like the kiddos to be settled for silent reading/testing time with their book on top of their desk. I don’t create a schedule or pick sticks. I just do one simple thing and then the activity runs by itself.
Use Teddy for Rotation Stations!
To get my rotations started, I simply call out “READY, TEDDY?” and plop him on the desk of a student who is organized and quiet. (I try to choose a different child every time). With Teddy in hand, that student looks for someone near them who is also ‘ready’ and hands him off. We talk about being fair, so they don’t always pass him to a friend.
After passing off Teddy, the student gets to go to an available computer or choose their cozy spot for silent reading time.
Once Teddy is on the move, I am free to go to the reading table and get ready for the students that I will be working with. The last person to get Teddy puts him back on the table where he stays when not being used.
Once Teddy has gotten us started, test-takers, who are finished, TAP another student who is reading quietly for their turn at the computer, then they go to browse for a new book. We have one silent reading area reserved for those waiting to test and another location (on the opposite side of the room) for cozy up time for those that do not need to test. It works like a charm and there is never a need to talk and interrupt our quiet time!
Other uses for a turn-taking friend:
inside recess choices
daily five rotations
line-up time
dismissal routines
handing in work
returning materials
selecting task cards/center materials
getting stored supplies such as clipboards
drinking fountain turns
gathering for carpet time
**any time there may be many students trying to squeeze into a small area
How Teddy Helps with Behavior
Because Teddy takes his time (usually about 2 minutes) making his way from desk to desk, this eliminates the stampede of children trying to be first to get to wherever they want to go. Waiting for Teddy keeps the students from running, pushing, shoving, bickering, sliding into their spot and all of that poor behavior that often happens in the race to be first!
My students used to rush to sit spots and try to be the first to plop down in one of our bean bag chairs, but Teddy helped with that! They no longer need to hurry for the first turn on the computer or their favorite spot for silent reading.
Thanks, Teddy, for saving me some time and for helping the children to learn to be fair and patient!
I hope you will try using a turn-taking teddy bear (or some other stuffed friend).
You may NEVER go back to any other way!
I’m pretty sure your kiddos will LOVE it!
How do you think a Teddy might help in your classroom?
🙂
