School can be stressful. Especially now that there are so many uncertainties. Many kids can be overwhelmed with returning to in-person classes. You must create a positive learning environment that helps kids feel safe. There are many ways that you can achieve this. To start, communicate with your students to see how they’re doing emotionally, create a routine they can get used to, and find classroom supplies that encourage kids’ creativity, learning, and a sense of connection with their peers.
As a teacher, you know that learning is an involved process, and you’ve got to engage your students by considering their varying personalities and learning styles. This article provides suggestions for classroom supplies that will get kids involved and excited to be in your class.
Find Classroom Supplies that Encourage Collaboration
Since you’ve been back in school, you might have noticed that some children are more withdrawn or shy. After so much time spent isolating, it can be difficult for kids to feel social again. So how do you get students involved with each other and in classes?
To begin with, before selecting the supplies, look around your classroom to determine if it feels inviting or not. If it doesn’t, try arranging student desks so they’re not in boring rows. Seating kids in groups creates a much more exciting and collaborative environment; students can talk with their peers and still see you and the chalkboard. After that, you can begin considering what supplies would be ideal for your class and your students.
You want a bright, colorful classroom that feels like fun to the kids in your class. To do this:
Start by adding posters to the walls. When you do this, try to consider the interests that your students have displayed and add your interests too; if you can find posters that are interactive, even better.
Make Your Classroom Your Students’ Classroom
If you want your classroom to feel like it’s your students’ classroom, too, you might consider a fun activity, having students create their own posters to put on the walls. When they get bored of those posters, let them create different posters. That keeps your students interested in and invested in what happens in class.
After you’ve got some posters up and your classroom feels a bit more friendly, why not find some items that help your students feel more friendly with each other? These conversation cards are perfect for getting shy students into the conversation, while these “I Can Cards” provide encouragement for students and teachers. When kids talk about their feelings, they realize that their experiences aren’t so different from their classmates’, which can help them feel less shy and more engaged. Whenever you want to get a conversation going, try these supplies, we think they are perfect additions to any classroom.
Provide Books that Start Conversations
When you inspire a passion for reading in your students, it encourages them to use their imagination and helps them learn. Moreover, books are great ways to start dialogues among your students, which is why they should be included in your teacher supplies. Of course, you will have assigned reading in your classes, but it might be a good idea to have a bookshelf in your classroom filled with their favorite kids’ books. This way, your students can read these books during classroom quiet time or recess or take them home to read.
Books become more exciting when kids begin reading because they want to, not because of an assignment. What’s more, when you ask children their opinion about a book, just because and not for grading purposes, it makes them feel that their thoughts and ideas are essential.
When kids share their reading interpretation, some students might have a different opinion which could begin a debate about the topic. That is a wonderful way for students to get to know each other and feel more confident in sharing their opinions.
So add some history, science, and social studies books to your collection of fantasy, adventure, and funny classroom stories, and find out what your students are thinking and their interests. Remember to keep a selection of classics and modern books, so kids get a sense of history and learn about other eras and cultures.
Reinforce Good Behavior with Certificates
It isn’t just classroom supplies that help your students feel involved in the class. Instead, find ways to reward your students when they do well. These certificates make students feel good about themselves, encouraging them to achieve more. Moreover, these certificates are great because they provide encouraging messages, so they’re perfect for students who’ve shown improvement or to give a boost to kids who seem harder to engage.
It’s important to remember that your classroom should be a positive, upbeat place. Making children feel good about themselves increases their confidence, which makes them feel good about their work, and they become excited about what else they can achieve. There are so many more stressors for these children than that of kids of other eras; it’s your responsibility to provide a classroom that eases some of that stress.
Manage Your Stress Levels For Your Well-Being and Your Students
We didn’t say that this would be easy. Teaching is a high-stress profession. While you’re trying to ensure your students are doing well, don’t forget to manage your own well-being. Your students will notice if you’re stressed out or depressed, though they might not say anything. However, they will react to that, possibly becoming anxious or sad themselves.
So be good to yourself and your students, and you will create a fun, positive classroom which makes your students excited to come to school. When you’re ready to find some supplies, visit Canadian Museum & Library Supply. We are your resource when you need teacher supplies, posters, bookshelves and other classroom supplies to create a positive learning environment.