By the time March comes around, students are anticipating spring break and warmer weather--not to mention the rapidly approaching end of the school year. To keep teachers sane during this March Madness, the author provides tips on how they can cope with the bad behaviors of their students. She also suggests that a school-wide behavior policy, such…

The authors describe their experiences job-sharing, and offer suggestions about making the decision to job-share, finding a partner, organizing teaching responsibilities and discipline, and presenting a united front to children and parents. (MT)

Presents six strategies for positively promoting good behavior among elementary students, including: surprise rewards for quiet classroom behavior; a compliment chain made of paper clips; behavior self-evaluation forms; consistent routines; a list of five things students must do in order for the teacher to be able to give out directions; and…

Presents a checklist of actions teachers can take to alleviate many problems common to the first day of school. For example, before students arrive, teachers can decorate the room, meet other teachers, mail students postcards, and post class rules. On opening day, teachers can greet students at the door, review rules, find someone to lean on, and…

Health authorities believe that formal instruction about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is crucial by grades 6 to 8. Teachers of primary children, however, need to be prepared to answer questions in a knowledgeable, reassuring way. Resources are listed. (MT)

Secretary of Education William Bennett discusses the importance of elementary education and elementary school teachers and what he hopes "First Lessons: A Report on Elementary Education in America" will accomplish. (MT)

Strategies are outlined for reinforcing and assessing what students have learned without producing a lot of paperwork to correct. Techniques include paper-free strategies and enriched worksheets that accomplish more with less paper. (IAH)

Presents strategies to help elementary teachers win grants for the classroom. The article includes information on grant sources, where to find out more about grants, and how to write winning grants. Examples of successful grant projects are provided, and announcement of a $500 Instructor grant competition is included. (SM)

Presents tips to help teachers best use their preparation time before school opens. Suggestions include making multiple student lists; designing classroom desk arrangements; reviewing cumulative records; adding desktop names and numbers; checking texts; posting correctable schedules; decorating only one bulletin board; creating box-trays for…

Presents a list of affordable decorating suggestions for elementary classrooms, including: a reading tepee where students can read quietly; bouquets of construction paper flowers with students' pictures in them; an art center that displays posters of paintings by famous artists; colorful curtains created with bulletin board paper; and a secret…

Describes how teachers can set up high-quality classroom libraries that motivate students to read. Suggestions include assessing student needs; acquiring reading materials (through book clubs and donations from students and families); and being actively innovative so the library remains fresh and dynamic (e.g., by adding shelves, offering a wide…

Spreadsheets can help teachers manage a variety of routine tasks with ease. From creating class lists to taking surveys and graphing results, spreadsheet programs have limitless classroom potential. This article offers six ways to put spreadsheets to work, including class lists, all-about-me surveys, name tags, calendars, skill-building games, and…

Professional and personal systems to help keep teachers organized and at ease with the many tasks of teaching are described, including tracking supplies, preparing for substitute teachers, using technology, setting up for volunteers, providing stress relief, and knowing personal and professional limits. (CB)

This paper presents a guide to help teachers learn to use the Internet, describing what the Internet is, what they will need to access the Internet, how to speak Internet, and how to connect with online services. A final section presents eight recommended Internet resources for teachers. (SM)

Three elementary educators present computer tools to help teachers get the school year off to a good start. They include Quick Study Reference Charts, which are laminated cards that describe useful features of over 100 computer tools; user-friendly software for designing badges on the computer; and an affordable plug-and-play scanner. (SM)