Ok, I found this great management idea via Pinterest, which is originally from The Lesson Plan Diva.
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| This picture is from The Lesson Plan Diva's blog. |
You get one of those cheap push-lights from Wal-Mart, the dollar store, etc. When the light is on, students are not allowed to come up and ask you questions. This way you can devote your time to the kiddos you're with and not have to be interrupted during that precious, minimal time you have in the small group setting. As soon as I saw this idea on Pinterest, I bought a light and used it the very next day. I love it!
Then that got me thinking...I have a classroom that has bathrooms in the room- one for boys and one for girls. It's a one-toilet closet-style restroom. I can't tell you how many times I've had quiet work time interrupted by someone yelling "I'M IN HERE, CLOSE THE DOOR!!" (which is kind of funny, to be honest, but very disruptive!) So I recently thought about purchasing two more push-lights to hang on the wall, one by each door, to use as an "occupied" sign. When they go into the restroom, they push the light to turn it on. When they leave, they turn it off! It's a quiet, easy signal that shows when a restroom is available or not. I can't wait to try it!
