Emily 0:35

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's episode, we're deep diving into classroom carpet procedures and sharing a teacher approved tip for managing behavior at the carpet.

Heidi 0:48

We start our episodes with a morning message, just like we used to do at morning meeting in our classrooms. This week's morning message is, what is something you do that non teachers wouldn't understand? Emily, why don't you kick us off?

Emily 1:01

Well, they probably wouldn't understand being extremely loyal to a brand of pencils.

Heidi 1:06

That's true.

Emily 1:08

What about you, Heidi?

Heidi 1:09

I was just suddenly imagining like I could see a teacher getting like Ticonderoga for life tattoo or something, because we feel strongly about this. It's true, but I think sending someone to blow their nose would be weird to a non teacher or reminding people to wash their hands.

Emily 1:27

Yep. We had some fun responses from our community. Colleen said, writing step by step instructions for someone to do your job when you're out sick.

Heidi 1:37

Oh gosh, I just had okay. I haven't had to write sub plans in a long time, and I just had a nightmare the other night. I was trying to raise some plans when I couldn't get all the information. It's traumatizing.

Emily 1:48

I had a teaching dream last night that I was teaching my class and suddenly they didn't remember any of my attention signals. And it was so stressful, like 123, eyes on me and then silence. I'm like, what is happening? Not silence. They were all talking. Still. They just they were not responding. It was so stressful.

Emily 2:07

Anyways, Laura said telling people to put a bubble in it. Erica said informing people that pants must be pulled up before they walk out of the restroom.

Heidi 2:18

That is important for everyone.

Emily 2:20

Tracy said telling people that they have to walk with their hands behind them or down by their side. And Dale said stealing supplies from home to bring into work.

Heidi 2:29

Oh my gosh, yes.

Emily 2:31

I think in other jobs it probably goes the other way. We'd love to have you join the conversation over in our teacher approved Facebook group.

Emily 2:40

Today we are talking about one of your most important classroom spaces, your classroom carpet.

Heidi 2:45

If you teach a younger grade, it's probably just a given that you have a rug or carpet in your classroom for gathering your students. However, if you teach an older grade, that might not be the case.

Emily 2:55

I think some teachers of older elementary students worry that sitting on the floor might feel too juvenile, but we would argue that every classroom, the classrooms of six year olds and sixth graders, all need a gathering place.

Heidi 3:09

Your gathering space is like a kitchen table. It's the heart of the classroom. It's where we can all sit together and really see each other and share what's important.

Emily 3:19

If you have a lot of students and a small room, you might have to get creative to find space to gather. If you teach older kids, you can teach them to scoot desks or tables out of the way at meeting time and put them back when they're done. This is probably too much chaos for the little ones, though.

Heidi 3:35

Yeah, I don't think I would try that with first graders. I think end of year second graders could probably handle it, but that would definitely be my last option. Before it got to that point, I would try to, you know, adapt a random corner of the room or something. I know I volunteered in a class where the only space together was right under the whiteboard. It looked pretty crowded, but the teacher made it work, and really, the kids didn't seem bothered by it.

Emily 4:00

It's so nice to have an actual rug with clearly marked spots for sitting, like the one with the big dots on it or grid, but it's not essential to gathering your class.

Heidi 4:10

Yeah, I didn't have a carpet for the first several years I taught. Now I definitely prefer having one, but my kids and I managed just fine without it. It meant that, you know, they weren't really sitting in perfect rows at all, maybe the front row, but after that, it was chaos. But you know, that's not actually vital to the experience of gathering.

Emily 4:31

Right. The point of gathering is to be together for a shared experience. Think about story time. It's such a different experience to have your students around you as you read them a book than it is to have them at their desks while you hold the book under a document camera or play a video of the book.

Heidi 4:46

Now there are, of course, positives to projecting a book. If you want the kids to be able to focus on the text or see details in the illustrations, being able to make the pages larger is very helpful, but that comes at the cost of connection. It's so much more personal to be sharing that experience together than it is to be watching it from a desk or on a screen.

Emily 5:08

As we've mentioned before, good classroom management is dependent on positive relationships. Students who feel seen, valued and connected are engaged. They're willing to try and want to do their best.

Heidi 5:20

Anything we can do to foster connection is actually supporting our behavior management and connection is made by gathering as a class. When we're all sitting together, we become a cohesive unit instead of just a group of students.

Emily 5:34

But that doesn't mean gathering to the rug doesn't come with its own problems. Of course, it does. We're dealing with children, for some reason, they insist on making everything difficult.

Heidi 5:44

Yes, why do they do that? When it comes to gathering your class, the positives in most cases, outweigh the negatives, and the good news is that by planning ahead and making a few tweaks, we can minimize a lot of the negatives.

Emily 5:59

We have a resource full of guiding questions to help you plan your procedures and routines. That includes 20 questions to help you figure out your procedures for the carpet. As we go through some of the questions, consider your own responses. Our goal for this exercise is to get the wheels turning so you can identify ways to streamline what's happening in your own class.

Heidi 6:18

If you want the full set of questions, you can find the guiding questions resource in our store, or you can just check the link in the show notes.

Emily 6:26

So let's dive into some of these questions and consider ways they could help us troubleshoot the headaches that come with having kids sit so close together.

Emily 6:35

The first question is, where will you put your carpet? Obviously, that's the first thing you have to figure out. Then the next question to consider is, how are students arranged on the carpet?

Heidi 6:44

I had my class in rows at the carpet most of the time. I wanted them as close to me as possible for lessons or while I read to them, but we were always in a circle for morning meeting, and then any other time, I wanted the students to be able to share with each other. So that meant I had to teach my procedure for coming to the rug and sitting in rows, and my procedure for coming to the rug and sitting in a circle.

Heidi 7:07

I taught, tell, try, tally, talk, lessons for both of those procedures on the very first day, because we were coming and going from the rug all day long. I also had to teach my students how to move from a circle into rows at the carpet and vice versa. Although that particular skill doesn't require, like a whole procedure to teach, because it's basically just the one step of scoot so you're sitting in rows, or scoot out so that we're in a circle.

Emily 7:36

Transitions between activities are minor transitions, but calling kids to the carpet is a major transition, because it involves a change of place, not just a change of activity. That means you're going to want a consistent prompt before you start that transition. If you want some support for creating a consistent prompt, check out episode 48 where we discuss how to give your transitions a clear beginning and ending.

Heidi 7:59

And after episode 48 you may as well just check out episodes 49 and 50, where we continue our discussions on transitions. You know how we roll here. We love nothing more than deep diving into the nitty gritty details. And if you had any doubt of that, three episodes on transitions should clear that right up.

Emily 8:19

Once your class has transitioned to the carpet, what are they doing when they get there? Are you assigning spots or letting students choose where to sit?

Heidi 8:26

I prefer to let students choose. I was even okay with kids wanting to sit with their friends unless someone else wanted to sit in that spot. So if Nick is trying to save a space for Tyson, but LJ wants to sit there, Nick can't tell LJ no, because it's my rug, and I make the rules. And my rule is that everyone gets to choose their own spot, so you can't tell anyone else where they can or can't sit.

Heidi 8:50

Now, depending on the nature of my class, I might need a rule that once you pick a spot, that's where you're sitting, but usually I was pretty chill about it. I was okay if Tyson wanted to get up and move to a spot where he could sit next to Nick.

Emily 9:01

Assuming, of course, that Tyson and Nick, can handle sitting together without being distracted. Sometimes sitting by friends is just too much novelty for students to handle, so we have to increase the structure in order to keep students engaged.

Heidi 9:14

Yeah, when students showed me that they couldn't focus if they were next to friends, I might have to make a rule that those kids couldn't sit together, and sometimes I had kids who needed a designated spot. Every time we came to the rug, maybe one kid had to be right in front of me so I could help them focus.

Heidi 9:30

Or I had kids who needed a spot in the back corner, or needed to sit on a chair, because being up close and personal with so many people was just too overstimulating. We have to adapt our expectations to our kids' needs.

Emily 9:42

And sometimes the whole class needs the added structure of an assigned spot on the carpet. Choosing where to sit is an easy way to add a little novelty and boost student engagement, but it only works if that novelty doesn't become overwhelming. If students can't handle choosing where to sit and still focus, then they're telling you they need you to add more structure.

At the carpet, that likely means you need to assign spots. This isn't a punishment, it is just a way of meeting your kids where they're at.

If your kids are okay with choosing their spots right now, just be on the lookout that that may change at any point. One of our pillars of classroom management is to predict when your regular management plan will need a boost.

You may get through three fourths of the school year with no problems at the carpet, and then spring hits, and suddenly it's like you're teaching a pack of puppies. They're rolling around and climbing on each other and letting them choose spots on the carpet just isn't going to cut it anymore.

When that moment arrives, or if you are already there, make sure to check the show notes to this episode for a link to our interactive seating chart planning tool. It includes templates for arranging tables and desks, but there is also a whole section for classroom carpets.

We included 25 different carpet arrangements, so there should be something there that will work for you. Plus we explain our step by step system for creating a strategic seating arrangement.

To do that, you start by labeling each spot on the carpet as a one, two or three. This will help you identify which students will thrive in which spot. One spots are for kids that need a lot of support. Two spots are for kids that occasionally need support, and three spots are for kids that need minimal support.

The spots closest to you are one spots. Proximity to the teacher is the number one way to keep kids on task, so we want to reserve those spots for kids that need the most support. Normally, we wouldn't want a bunch of ones seated next to each other, and depending on the nature of your class, that still might be the case. But it's likely that because the kids are sitting right at your feet, you can put two one students next to each other without their behaviors escalating too much.

You know but your mileage may vary with that. If you need to spread out your one spots, try putting them where they can have a good buffer of threes around them.

So besides knowing where to sit students also need to know how to sit.

I was someone that insisted my second grader sit crisscross applesauce unless there was a reason that they couldn't sit that way. And I wouldn't do that now. I would let them choose how to sit, as long as they are sitting comfortably without distracting anyone else it really doesn't matter to me how they're sitting.

At the time I don't think there was really any resource we could have referenced for ideas. Now, if you're looking for options for how to sit at the rug, you can find not only suggestions, but photos you can show your class so you could create a whole seating menu.

Yeah teaching has definitely changed since we started out. If you are interested in giving your students a choice in how they sit, discuss appropriate options with your class, and then you can have them try out a few different positions.

Once you know how you want your students to sit, you need to figure out your behavior expectations. What should they do with their hands? If your rug has marked lines, do they have to stay inside their lines? What happens if someone crosses into another spot?

How should a student leave from the carpet without stepping on people? What materials do students need to bring to the carpet? What should they do with their materials so they don't become distractions? And do these expectations change based on whether students are seated in rows or a circle?

Because there's so little space when your classes gather together, it takes some thought to consider all of the what ifs. But your class will be much more engaged if you plan in advance how to minimize distractions.

An important aspect of minimizing distractions is minimizing downtime. Depending on what else is happening during your transition to the carpet, it can take several minutes before the whole crew is seated. It's important that you have something to engage the kids that are waiting, or they will come up with something, and then you have the hassle of getting their focus back. It's much more productive if you get them involved in an activity right away.

I kept a basket of time fillers by my chair near the carpet, just for the situation. I had lyrics to action songs that I could teach them. I had a brain teaser question book and a joke book. Sometimes we did, you know, clapping a rhythm, and then I'd have the students repeat it. I might give them mental math problems. Or we would do flashcards.

Now, if I was doing this now, I would print off our monthly brain breaks and keep them in my basket. It would be fun to switch things out seasonally. I could even get a seasonal joke book.

Oh yes we love a seasonal theme. Of course, these types of sponge activities only work if you are present to manage them. A lot of times when students are in the middle of a transition, the teacher is also in the middle of a transition and trying to get everything ready for the next activity. So you need some backup time fillers.

The quiet game is great for this. Choose a student who's already sitting at the rug to look over the class and choose someone who is sitting quietly. The student then gets to choose the next student and so on. You can also have students lead each other in action songs, or anything else that they can do independently.

As 80% of your class is settled at the rug, you probably have those 20% of the kids who are taking their sweet time. Those kids need a little nudge to get some hustle in their bustles. When you're ready to start count down from five or 10. This will move the stragglers along. When you get to zero there really isn't a consequence if they're not at the rug, you just start your lesson, even if not everyone is there yet. Or instead of counting, a song could be useful, and by the time the song is over, kids know that they need to be on the carpet.

You could use a poem the same way, or even use a timer. But for some kids, the more you nudge, the slower they move. For those kids, trying to hurry them along, will likely turn into a power struggle.

So as clinical psychologist David Anderson suggests ignore it as long as they're at least making an effort to make the transition. If they're really egregiously misbehaving, then use an appropriate consequence for that behavior. But otherwise, it's probably better to pay less attention to the dawdling rather than escalating the situation.

Having a productive time at the carpet does take some thought, but the benefits of gathering far outweigh the cost. Take some time with our guiding questions to troubleshoot your procedure for sitting at the carpet and then watch how that time gathered as a class helps boost connections and student engagement.

We'd love to hear your tips for making carpet time a success. Come join the conversation in our teacher approved Facebook group.

Now let's talk about this week's teacher approved tip. Each week we leave you with a small actionable tip that you can apply in your classroom today. This week's teacher approved tip is set up a VIP section. Tell us about this. Heidi.

Well, this tip comes to us by way of the Beacon school support in the UK. I don't know what that is, but I will put a link to it in the show notes. But as they point out, even if you are doing all the right things by having a quick transition and clear expectations and strategically assigning student spots, there are still some kids that just can't focus when you're at the carpet.

They suggest setting up five or six chairs for a VIP section. You can have a row at the back of the carpet, or if you really need to spread kids out, and some classes are like that, you can have a single file column along the side of the carpet. Explain to your students what a VIP section is, because they probably don't know.

And you will be looking for kids who are showing you that they deserve to be seated as a VIP and notice I didn't say they had to earn it. I said that they deserve it. So the way that I'm choosing who sits there is totally up to me. We want this to feel like a privilege and not a punishment. So make sure that every student is included in the rotation of who gets to sit in one of the special chairs over the course of a few days.

But here's the trick, if you've got a couple darlings who find it especially challenging to sit on the carpet without disturbing others, make sure to choose them more frequently for the VIP section, where they will be more likely to focus or, you know, at least, their potential for causing problems is going to be minimized.

And this is especially handy if you have kids who need to be as far apart from each other as possible. You can seat them on either end of the VIP row, or have one on a chair and the other on the carpet, and then you never have to worry about them clashing.

This idea is brilliant. I love this because you're solving a problem in a way that avoids singling anyone out for unhelpful behavior, plus the kids who are already meeting expectations get a moment to shine. And it's really sounds simple to manage.

You can even make it a class job and have a couple kids set up the VIP section whenever the class transitions to the carpet. Then you don't even have to worry about having a row of chairs taking up room all day long. So that's a win, win. I think this is a great idea. If anyone tries this out, I want to hear how it goes for you.

Yeah, I thought that was such a clever idea. And do check out that link. Their blog explains it in good detail. Plus they have a video that kind of goes through all of it. If you have any other questions. Oh, cool.

To wrap up the show we are sharing what we're giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

I'm giving extra credit to the new Netflix rom com show, Nobody Wants This. It stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an agnostic podcaster and a rabbi who meet at a dinner party and fall hard for each other. But nobody in their lives is a fan of this relationship, most especially their families.

So I'll be honest, I am absolutely the target audience of this show. As a former viewer of both Veronica Mars and my most beloved teen show of all time, the OC, Seth Cohen forever, I was going to love this show, pretty much for sure, even if it wasn't good. But the great news is it's delightful. It's witty and fast paced, and the rom-com vibes are excellent. I only wish I had 24 episodes like the OC used to have, instead of 10. But I'll take a really good set of 10 episodes over 24 mediocre episodes, I suppose.

I'm so glad that's good. It looks really cute. So I'm excited to try this out.

I love it so good. I can't wait for you to see it. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

Well this is, this is gonna be a letdown after that, but I'm giving extra credit to the Instagram account, trick ghastly. The premise, I don't even know how to explain it. They have like these, like pumpkin Halloween decoration of lightable.

I know what you're talking about, on the mouth. Move on them.

Yeah. So like they're lit up, so it looks like they're talking. And they have, like, pumpkins and a spider and mummies and stuff and anyway, but they program them to say lines from TV shows like, like, Nick gave you, gave a cookie, got a cookie speech from New Girl.

Which I just watched, like, on Saturday.

And the sweater weather. So it's just a funny little bit of Halloween humor. If you need to laugh. I think the best one is folding the cheese.

Yes, I've seen that video. That one's good. Okay, I'll have to check out the other ones. And that's a really excellent account name too. Trick Ghastly. I appreciate that.

That's it for today's episode. Deep dive your carpet procedures to minimize hassles and remember this week's tip to set up a VIP seating area.