Bucket Filling Activities for the Primary Classroom: Lessons and Management Tips

Have you ever tried something in your classroom that you wanted to be amazing, but it just… wasn’t? That was me the first time I introduced bucket filling to my first graders.

I loved the idea of encouraging kindness and helping students recognize the good in others, but actually putting it into practice was rough. My students struggled with the writing, the buckets were underused, and the whole idea fizzled out within a few weeks.

The following year, I simplified the routine and explicitly taught students how it worked. That made all the difference. In this post, I’ll share the bucket filling activities, four introductory lessons and classroom management tips that helped turn bucket filling into a meaningful, year-long part of our classroom community.

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No More Busy Work: Why Math Tubs Make the Best Early Finisher Activities

Every teacher knows this feeling. Your students finish early and look up at you, asking, “I’m done, what do I do now?” Early finisher activities can be tricky to manage, especially when the rest of the class is still working.

Too often, the quick fix is a coloring page, puzzle, or “read a book.” While these options keep students busy, they don’t actually build skills. That’s why Math Tubs are my favorite solution. They’re hands-on, skill-based, and engaging, turning early finisher time into meaningful learning.

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3 Simple Classroom Management Tips You Can Try Tomorrow

Are you looking for tips to classroom management tips?  I have 3 simple tips for you that you can implement in your classroom tomorrow.  Read on to find out how to simplify your line ups, move more quietly through the halls and get your class to work as a team.  I am linking up with Mrs. McClain over at Buzzing with Mrs. McClain for her monthly You Oughta Know blog hop. Other bloggers and I will be sharing things that you “oughta know” for your classroom.

I don't know about you but some years my first graders return and they seem to have grown up so much over the two weeks. Some years however, I feel like I am back at square 1.  I want to share with you some of my management tricks to help them get back on track.

First off we often struggle at line up time - too many kids, too small an area (although I have a huge area this year, go figure!).  There is always arguing about who lines up where as well.  This year I whipped out my silhouette cutting machine and some vinyl and created girl/boy line up spots.  They work like a dream!  The kids just find a girl or boy circle to stand or, if they have the job of line leader, caboose, or door holders, they go to those special circles.  NO more fighting about spots in the line.  I have heard a lot about Sit Spots and I expect that they would work too. 

We struggle with moving through the hall quietly too.  This year I rarely have to take them to other places in the school but our French teacher takes them to her French room or the gym every day.  She loves this program.

Each time we line up to head into the hall I pick 1 boy and 1 girl popsicle stick and put them in my pocket.  I announce to the line that I have my two “hall stars” and will be watching to see if they are behaving as a Hall star should.   We do a quick review of our “Hall Stars” expectation poster before leaving.  On the way to our destination and back I keep my eye on my “hall stars”.  If they were successful I make a big deal about announcing their names and then write their name on the chart.  If a student wasn’t behaving properly then their name is returned to the “pick me” pocket and nothing more is said.  This really seems to encourage the kids to behave respectfully in the halls.  In my room if you are a Hall Star you get to clip up on our clip chart. 

This is available as a FREEBIE in my TPT store.  You can find it by clicking {HERE}.

My final tip today is all about getting the kids working together for a common reward.  I use Behavior Bingo in my room.  I use a clip chart for individual students but wanted a system to reward the whole class for appropriate behaviour. 

 

 

The month of December is so crazy that this little program takes  a back seat, so I pull it out fresh in January.  We review the ways we can work together to earn BINGO numbers.  The idea is that when the students are all following our classroom rules or expectations the class would earn a bingo number. 

Some ways they earn numbers are making their way to the carpet quickly and quietly, getting started quickly on a task or getting a class compliment, to name a few.  On a good day we may earn 2 or 3 BINGO numbers.  We are now entering Week 3 post holidays and our BINGO board is filling up more slowly than I would like it.  If you would like to give this a try it is available in my TPT store, you can find it {HERE}.

What are your favourite management tips for getting kids back into routine after the holidays.  I would love to hear from you with a comment below.  Now take a moment and hop to another blog to learn about something that you "oughta know"

Thanks for stopping by

An InLinkz Link-up

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A Management Strategy for Improving Hallway Behavior

Classroom management when you are not in your classroom can be tricky. Do your students struggle to stay quiet when moving through the halls? Are your old tricks just not cutting it anymore? Perhaps it is time to change it up and try something new.

We are all about routines right now and I am pulling out all the stops to try to get my active, boy-filled class on board.  One area that is always a struggle each year is moving through the halls.  Last year I moved into a new classroom and it is the farthest away from EVERYTHING.  All I can say is I am beyond thankful that I have my own bathroom in my classroom.  On our way to the Gym, French or the Library we pass all of the other primary classrooms.  I needed something new to really encourage them to be quiet and respectful when in the hall. 

This is why I came up with “Hall Stars”.  Each time we line up to head into the hall I pick 2 popsicle sticks or stars with students names on them and put them in my pocket.  I announce to the line that I have my two “Hall Stars” and will be watching to see if they are behaving as a Hall Star should.  We do a quick review of our “Hall Stars” expectation poster before leaving. On the way to our destination and back I keep my eye on my “Hall Stars”. If they were successful I make a big deal about announcing their names and then put their star on the chart. If a student wasn’t behaving properly then their name is returned to the “pick me” pocket and nothing more is said.  

You can find this FREEBIE in my store!  Click on any of the images to find it or click {HERE}.

This has been working really well for my class.  I hope that you find it will help your students with their hallway behavior.

Until next time, 

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