Self-Regulation with G Suite: Tools to Create Daily Check-Ins

With so much emphasis on self-regulation and understanding emotions in today's classrooms, it can be difficult to find a system that works best for you. Self-regulation involves understanding, managing, and acting or not acting upon one's emotions.

Having your students "check-in" and share how they are feeling is a great way of developing important socio-emotional learning skills. There are a variety of tools and strategies to use, but here is a quick way to use Google Forms to gauge the emotional temperature in your room.

Check out my video on how to do this:

How Do I Do This? 


Step 1: Create a Google Form

First, create a Google Form with questions aimed at helping students check-in. You might want to think about:

• How are you feeling today? 
• Why do you feel this way?
• What is a goal you have for today? 

To make things simple, I created the following Google Form with an emoji check-in.


Step 2: Add Emojis for Flair

Want to add an additional flair for your questions? You might want to consider using the Emoji Keyboard Chrome Extensions.

Here's a quick tip! Add emojis BEFORE your text, which serves as a placeholder. If you try ending your emoji after your text, it sometimes disappears.

Step 3: Gather Your Data!

I love adding emojis because they download to the spreadsheet, which collects your data. This makes data collection more visual!

Paper Cubes, FlipGrid and Amazing Discussion!

If you are looking to create an engaging way to facilitate small group discussion, while still keeping students accountable. You might want to consider using Flipgrid, QR Codes, and a paper cube.  Check out my video at the bottom of this post on how to do this!

Step 1: FlipGrid

First, you will want to create a grid in FlipGrid. This is where all of your topics or discussion questions will be housed.

Step 2: Create Your Topics on FlipGrid and Google Drawings Template

Next, you will want to create six different topics in FlipGrid. You may find it helpful to record a video of yourself giving instructions. Once it is published, you will want to copy and paste the QR Code into the following template. I created this template using Google Drawings!

Step 3: Create Your Cube

Then you will want to print out your cube, cut out, and assemble with tape. NOTE: If you want to use a low-tech version of this activity, you can use text boxes to type in questions instead.

Step 4: Discussion Time!

Finally, have your students roll the cubes and scan the QR codes with FlipGrid. When they scan the QR Code, they will see your video and then have the opportunity to respond.

Learn how to do this in the video below:

21 Things 4 Students By REMC Association of Michigan

I'm always looking for tools and resources to keep students safe online. I recently came across  21 Things 4 Students by REMC. This is a great resource for students in upper elementary and middle school on various topics like digital citizenship, safe searching, STEM, and even career choices!

2 Tips to Make Your Gmail Use Efficient: Create Templates (or Canned Responses) and Schedule Send

Are you a Gmail user? I am always looking for quick ways to make my life easier and more efficient. Here are two tips for Gmail users!

Check out my video or read below:

1. Create Templates


Do you have frequently used canned responses?  Creating a template in Gmail is an easy way to create canned responses for frequently used responses. How does it work?

1. Compose your message in Gmail

2. Choose the three dots in the bottom-right corner of your message.

3. Choose Templates and save your template!


When you are ready to use your response, follow steps 1 - 2, choose Templates and select the name of your template.


2. Schedule Sending a Message

Do you want to schedule sending out a message at a specific time or day? You can do this in Gmail too!

1. Compose your message and choose whom you will send your message to

2. Choose the drop-down arrow next to the Send button in Gmail

3. Choose Schedule Send and select the date / time you would like to send your message

Classroom Management Checklists with Google Sheets and Checkboxes

The sheer number of things that most teachers have to manage on a daily basis is insane!

Did you get that permission slip? Did you follow your principal's new initiative to call each student's parents before Thanksgiving? Did each of your students get a book for their upcoming book report?

Google Sheets and checkboxes are a great way to keep everyone informed and organized! Learn how to create a simple spreadsheet with checkboxes below:

Do you like this resource? Click here for your own copy!

Take Your FlipGrid Use to a New Level with the Whiteboard Feature

If you are a fan of FlipGrid, then you might have heard about its recent addition of a built-in whiteboard, which makes it perfect for math, drawing, and problem-solving. We know that students need different ways to show what they know and this is a great way to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities!

How does it work? Check out my helpful video tutorial below:

Book Creator's Auto Pen Feature is Great for ALL Abilities

Are you a Book Creator user on iOS?

If you are, then you know that you can add a variety of media to your books, such as images, videos, audio, drawings, and text.

However, what if you are not the best artist? Now there is a built-in Book Creator tool called the Auto Pen. It helps struggling artists or someone who wants things to look a little more professional. Check out how to use it below.