Google Forms: Work Smarter, Not Harder

I love easy.

Especially when it comes to my classroom. Who doesn't?!

When I first started teaching years and years ago, technology was not a big part of the classroom. All of my data and meticulous notes were kept in a giant 5 inch binder.

Seriously.

It had all kinds of papers for each student: reading conference forms, writing forms, math data forms, anecdotal notes, behavioral notes, parent contact, and more I'm sure I'm forgetting. It was giant but it was necessary. My favorite part was getting to lug it around to all my meetings...

Luckily, technology is our friend (most days) and I have been able to replace all that paper with a simple, useful, personal system.

GOOGLE FORMS!

Whistle While You Work: Let Music Run Your Classroom

Music is one of the best tools I have in my classroom management tool belt. It is great not only for work time but transitions, brain breaks, class building, and learning new content. Sometimes I stream straight from YouTube, but mostly I use files on my computer that is connected to my Smartboard.

Think about it... how often do we have music going in our lives? In the car, working out, grading papers {ok so that's typically Netflix, but you get the idea}. It can change our mood, help our focus, relieve anxiety, and boost productivity. Here are some ways I use music in my classroom.