By the time kids start 3rd grade they are pros at primary school. After a couple of years at their school, they have established friends and know the basics and structure of education. This is a year to inspire with a classroom that fosters creativity, learning, friendship, and kindness. Here are 20 ideas to get your classroom ready for a year of adventures and development!
1. Switch Up The Seats
You can ditch the traditional format for classroom seating and encourage student collaboration and unity by reorganizing the classroom layout. Whether you choose circles, blocks, or a frame design, these flexible seating spaces can help your students engage with each other and complete challenging group tasks.
Learn more: booky4first.blogspot.com
2. Pocket Pals
One useful 3rd grade classroom management strategy is making organization fun. Remembering assignments will be easy and fun with cute paper pockets you can hang on the wall for students to put their work in as they come into the classroom each day.
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3. Morning Meetings
Start each day off with a quick meeting to check in on your students. Each day you can go over the plan for the class, give updates, and check in on how your students are feeling about the content and activities.
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4. Class Jobs
By the time students are in 3rd grade, they are old enough for a little responsibility. Create a cute chart giving students class jobs for each day. These can be as simple as cleaning their desk, washing their hands, being a bathroom monitor, or being an attendance helper.
Learn more: teachingmadepractical.com
5. Growth Mindset
Foster a classroom where students grow like plants! Bring in some fast-growing seeds at the beginning of the school year and have the kids plant them in their own self-decorated pots. Make them responsible for taking care of their own plant and watch them enjoy the growing process as the year progresses.
Learn more: howwelearn.com
6. Cubby Corner
At this age, students have lots of school supplies, snacks, and fidget toys to account for. Dedicate some extra cubby space for kids to leave the things they don't need so they aren't distracted during class time.
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7. Amazing Animal Alliteration
In 3rd grade, students are learning new words daily. Make new vocabulary fun and engaging with animal riddle games, alliteration activities, and tongue twisters to get the giggles out and talk about animal habitats and characteristics.
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8. Daily Challenge
Create a daily routine for your students to accomplish a small challenge task when they come into class. It can be individual, in groups, or with the whole class.
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9. Class Couch
What is more inviting than a big comfy couch! You can use it at a library corner, a reward for when students finish their work or just a flexible space where kids can feel relaxed and at home.
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10. Class Rules
Every class has rules students must learn and follow for classroom management to be successful. Make your rules stand out by presenting them in a colorful and bold way.
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11. Math Games
In 3rd grade, students are learning different formulas and equations in math class that can be hard to remember and difficult to use. Make math fun and easy with math-related posters, accessible math supplies, and DIY decorations around the classroom.
Learn more: scaffoldedmath.com
12. Classroom Economy
Money is an important thing to understand and be educated on as we grow up. Create an awareness in your students regarding the value of money and what it can be used for with games, posters, and activities.
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13. Science Scenery
Get your students excited about the scientific method, the elements, and what makes up our amazing world with useful equation posters, experimental activities, and 3rd grade science projects.
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14. Progress Board
A progress board is a helpful and handy tool for you and your students to track their progress over the school year. You can capture student fluency, their grasp of 3rd grade math concepts, or even their classroom behavior. Great for fostering self-accountability.
Learn more: teacherspayteachers.com
15. Brochure For Parents
Here is a cute idea that is sure to make you a hit at the next parent-teacher night! Parents want to know how their kids are doing in school. A fun way to give them updates is to send home a classroom brochure to update each child's parents on what they will be covering for the month and how their individual student is progressing.
Learn more: thehappyteacher.co
16. Brag Board
Students' achievements should always be acknowledged, and what better way than to display them on a brag board!
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17. Musical Madness
Incorporating music in the classroom can be tricky (disclaimer* may lead to dancing!). While you might not want to play music in each class, you can incorporate musical themes into your classroom with a microphone tool or toy, a piano rug, or cute musical stickers/window cling-on.
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18. Painted Hands
At the beginning of the school year have a painting party where students can paint their hands and place them on a big contact paper. They can write their names inside their hands and this poster can be used for accountability checks, rewards, or other classroom functions.
Learn more: kinderart.com
19. Times Around the World
3rd grade students are beginning to get interested in the larger world around them. Make a clock wall showing what time it is in different places in the world so your students can begin to understand how time and travel work.
Learn more: aplusteachingresources.com.au
20. Daily Writing Prompts
Here is a creative writing approach that is sure to get your students' pencils moving. Post a writing prompt on the board each day and give your students 5 minutes to write their answers. At the end of the year, they can try to combine their short stories to create a larger one and share it with the class.
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