A Doorbell in a Classroom?

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Yea, I know this sounds crazy. However, I’d seen some teachers posting about having a doorbell in their classroom for noise control or an an attention getter, and I wanted to give it a try. I’m so glad I did.

I bought this doorbell and absolutely love it! It gives you choices as to which doorbell chime you want. There are a lot to pick from and four different volume levels. It was super easy to set up in my classroom. Now, I know you’re asking…does this thing work as you intended. The answer to that question is YES, it does.

When I play the chime in my classroom, I’ve set the expectation for students to be looking at me and for all noise to stop when they hear this sound. Of course it took a couple of times before students accomplished this, but now it works like a charm.

Click HERE to purchase this doorbell for your classroom. Happy chimes and quiet classroom!

Ring this doorbell – All eyes on me and no talking!
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Have You Tried this Game in Your Classroom?

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So, I recently learned about a new game. It’s called Blooket. Wow, it’s a gamechanger! I have my other favorites like GIMKIT and QUIZLET LIVE. This one is right up there, in my opinion. My students love it!

Blooket has various modes to play…some are available in the FREE version and others are available with the PLUS option (meaning you pay). Whether you choose the FREE version or choose to shell out some bucks for the upgraded version, you won’t be disappointed.

You can create your own sets to use for review, discover (and duplicate) ones from other teachers, or quickly import sets from Quizlet. It’s super easy to create review sets. If you do choose to sign up, I’d be honored if you added me as your referrer: Teacher Angie @ Positively Passionate About Teaching.

Here’s a sneak peek of my students playing this game today! Thank you, Blooket, for making learning fun!

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    Fluorescent Lights and I Don’t Get Along

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    Have you ever noticed those annoying fluorescent lights in the classroom? Of course, you have! You may even develop headaches or see words moving around on black and white papers/worksheets like me. Well, if they affect me like that, then they probably also annoy my students (especially those with sensory issues).

    Okay, so how did I solve this dilemma? One way I tried to combat this issue was by putting lamps with soft lighting around the room. This helped some, but those pesky lights above still annoyed us greatly.

    My final solution (thanks to seeing other teachers use these)? I bought these Educational Insights The Original Fluorescent Light Filters in Tranquil Blue 4-Pack, and Abilitations Cozy Shades Softening Light Filters – 54 x 24 inches – Pack of 4 – Purple on Amazon and am happy as can be with them. The colors really spruced up the look of my classroom, but most importantly, I could say “bye-bye” (gladly) to the headaches and moving text on pages.

    These were easy to hang (there are magnets on the corners of each one that quickly attaches to the metal rims around the ceiling tiles). I not only love the look of them but how much better they are on our eyes, how it calmed all of us and enhanced the ambiance of my classroom. My students (and school parents) always comment how “inviting” my classroom looks; I definitely give some credit to these amazing products.

    Lights without covers (and before COVID so I have tables for groups).
    Lights WITH covers (pre-COVID) **We’re happy campers!
    Lights WITH COVERS (in rows now due to COVID).

    I’m also putting a few other options that I’ve seen in some of our teachers’ classrooms. There’s a huge variety of them. These are affiliate links. I hope you’ll give these a try!

    Classroom