Classroom Quotes

     I use quotes in my classroom. A lot. I use them to teach mini-lessons in my daily Social/Emotional groups at least once a week. We all have a quote that speaks to us, and we all hear quotes that are inspiring but forgotten in even a few minutes. I have some tried and trues that you will even hear my students use among themselves (which always makes me smile), and then some I find and swap in and out of the frames around the room. Adults use them, too. After all, can't we all use a little inspiration every now and then?

     This one I heard from Dr. Phil. Now, I am not a fan of Dr. Phil, but this quote is perfect, really. I mean...if it isn't working, fix it! Do something different! You will hear this all the time in my room from the students. They get it! I printed it on my classroom paper and put it in a cheap, black frame from IKEA.

I heard this line in Bridesmaids a few summers ago when I saw it with my daughter. I laughed out loud. So simple and so true!!

     Here are a few I found on Pinterest and just printed out. When I put a new one up, I have the students try to figure out the meaning, and then we discuss it. Sometimes they see it from a totally different point of view that actually makes perfect sense. Many of them support types of figurative language as well.

 This one is actually a greeting card I found. 

     The picture above is my "Attitude Wall". The anchor charts are used every single day. When you teach students with Emotional/Behavioral deficits, the point is not about you changing their behavior as much as it is teaching them how to change their behaviors. They need options! After all, they leave you in a few years. At that point I cross my fingers, hold my breath, and hope against hope that something stuck. I have high, high aspirations for every single one of them. The good news is, for many it does stick. You just have to give explicit instruction on how to react to certain situations and feelings. I had a student that I taught from K to 4th grade. He left for another school the summer before 5th grade and we were both suffering extreme withdrawal. He cried the last day and said, "How will I do this without you? How will I do this without those charts?" Well, friends, he promptly got his very own charts (and almost me to go along with them!), but we talked about how it was up to him now, and he could totally handle it. It was a rough start. But now friends, he IS handling it. He uses his strategies and he is in control of his behavior. Now....on to middle school. Fingers crossed!!

Here are the anchor charts close up.

     These give them options and ways for them to be in charge of their reactions. I promise, they work! After teaching them and having the students add the options to their Notebooks (I LOVE my Morning Group Notebooks!!), you can refer to the options in a moment's notice. By also giving examples of what they can't do, it gets them to stop and think that maybe their current choice is not such a good one after all. This does not happen overnight. Or over the first months they are with you. But...stay in the fight! We are in this not just to survive our current grade level, but to help them get through life. Suit up! Nothing will make you smile faster than a student in full melt down mode who rushes over to the charts and just starts reading. That shows they are trying to handle it on their own. They are striving to get control. Nicely. Done.
I wish all my teacher friends in GCPS a wonderful Furlough Day tomorrow!
Mrs. Beck