Students should know your classroom rules as soon as the semester begins. You should display 3-5 classroom rules in your room, for which there are clear consequences for violating. Students should be taught the consequences when they’re taught the rules.  In most cases, the consequences are not listed directly on the classroom expectations poster that you put on your classroom wall, but they are part of the classroom culture. Your rules might include "Always be respectful of yourself and others," "Listen while the teacher is speaking," "Stay on task," "Keep your hands to yourself," and "Be prepared." It’s a good idea to have the students sign a classroom contract agreeing to the rules. You should also send the rules home and ask the parents to sign them, though keep in mind that some may opt not to. Greet the students by name. Try to acknowledge something about the students as they walk in, such as the print on their shirt, a new hairstyle, or a new pair of glasses. This helps the students feel acknowledged, which gets them on your side. They’re less likely to seek attention by talking or acting out if you’ve already acknowledged them as they came in. Students need to talk, and it also helps them learn. However, you need their talking to be strategic for what they’re learning. Build talk time into your day so that students can talk about what they’re learning. It’s also good to have time for chitchat, such as right before the bell, just before lunch, or just after lunch.  For example, you could use “think-pair-share” to let them talk to a partner about what they’re learning. Make group activities part of your lessons. This is a common way for teachers to get the class' attention. The students are taught a phrase to listen for. When they hear it, they call out the response and quiet down. Common examples include:  Teacher: “1, 2, 3, all eyes on me.” Students: “4, 5, 6, our eyes are fixed.” Teacher: “Red Robin.” Students: “Yum.” Teacher: “Marco!” Students: “Polo!” Teacher: “Hocus Pocus!” Students: “Everyone Focus!” This works better for younger children. Teach them that when they hear the sound, they should get quiet. You will need to practice this for a few weeks before the students fully learn the desired behavior. Dole out plenty of praise, and, when appropriate, actual rewards like bonus points or classroom store points. This encourages the students to comply with your expectations so that everyone is able to learn. When offering actual rewards, your school culture and policies will determine when they're appropriate. For example, some schools require all teachers in a particular grade level to have the same policies regarding bonus points, while other schools prohibit teachers from offering prizes to students. Check with your school administration before giving rewards.
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One-sentence summary -- Set clear classroom expectations. Meet your students at the door every day before class. Set aside time to allow students to talk. Use call and response to get students’ attention. Use a sound signal, such as a bell or rainstick. Reward students for meeting expectations.

Q: . Studies have shown that students that work in groups of 3-4 (no more) get better test results than those who study alone or in large groups. So grab 2-3 friends and make plans for studying. It'll be more fun than studying alone, anyway!  Make sure the people you're studying with are good students that care. You don't want to be working with a few people who just want to mess around during your "study group" time. Have everyone bring snacks and think of a few things to talk about. Make a rough schedule of what you're going to cover and delegate a person as that week's group leader, so they can help keep everyone on track. If it's a Friday night and you have a test in a class on the following Monday, gather up 2-3 of your friends that are in your class and quiz each other. If a person gets a correct answer, then they get 2 points, if they get a wrong answer, they get 1 point taken away. Whoever gets the most points at the end of the study session get to pick a movie to watch! Whether it's a big test or project, the last thing you want is to have to do it all in the 1 or 2 days before its due. Start on it a week or two beforehand to make sure you have plenty of time in case things were to go wrong. Better safe than sorry! When it comes to tests, you should be studying a little bit every day about a week or so beforehand. The more days you spend studying, the more times your brain has to recall it, making the connections in your brain stronger and more reliable. Some teachers have great extra credit policies, where you can do a little extra work that can get tacked onto your test or project score. If you're looking for a little extra nudge in the right direction, talk to your teacher about doing extra credit. It can't hurt! And other times this extra credit will just be tacked onto your year-end score. That's good, too! With extra-credit, you really can't go wrong. The verdict is in: cramming for tests makes your scores worse. Why? Your brain can't function on little to no sleep, making it impossible to remember what you've studied all night for. So don't do it! You can study a bit in the morning if you absolutely have to. Your body needs sleep (7-9 hours, depending on your specific preferences). A lot of being a good student is about taking care of yourself, too! So skip the cramming, go to sleep, and eat a healthy breakfast. Studies show eating a good breakfast can power your brain and get you better grades, too! If you want to learn something, it makes sense to think, "study, study, and study some more until you have it down." In actuality, that's not how it works – our brains literally fry. If you take breaks (10 minutes every hour), your attention and memory is improved. So when you're studying for that big exam, take breaks! You'll actually be doing your grades a favor! During your break, grab a handful of blueberries, nuts, broccoli, or even dark chocolate for a brain boost. Snacking can give you more energy if you're feeling a little fatigued, too. You know those 10 minutes you spent today waiting for the bus? The few minutes you had before each class yesterday? Those are all little opportunities you could be using to study. And it all adds up! So keep materials like flashcards with you that you can bust out at any given time. This is especially good if you have a friend with you during this time you can study with. You can each give each other a few flash cards and quiz each other. When you're reading and talking about the information, it becomes more solidified in your mind.
A: Work in a study group Start studying or working well beforehand. Ask about extra credit. Don't bother cramming! Take breaks more often than you think. Keep your materials with you wherever you go.

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