Should kindergarten students have individual school supplies or community supplies? It's one of the biggest classroom setup decisions kindergarten teachers make before the school year begins. In this episode, we're breaking down the pros and cons of both systems and why the "right" answer depends more on your classroom management than the supplies themselves. I'll share why I chose individual toolboxes in my kindergarten classroom, how I used numbered supplies to teach responsibility and acco...
Jul 1
11 min
If you're planning for the first week of kindergarten and feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to teach, this episode is for you. One of the biggest mistakes kindergarten teachers make is trying to jump straight into academics before teaching students how to be students. Before children can successfully learn letters, numbers, and all the other skills on your curriculum map, they need to learn how to walk in line, use classroom materials, follow routines, and understand expectations. In...
Jun 24
14 min
Are you a new kindergarten teacher preparing for your first year in the classroom? Or maybe you're switching grade levels and wondering what makes kindergarten so different from every other grade? In this episode, I'm sharing my biggest piece of advice for new kindergarten teachers: assume they don't know how to do anything. From lining up and walking in the hallway to using the bathroom, sitting at the carpet, and using school supplies, kindergarten students need explicit instruction for rou...
Jun 17
9 min
23. The 5 Classroom Management Decisions Every Kindergarten Teacher Should Make Before School Starts
Before school starts, there are five classroom management decisions every kindergarten teacher should make. Too often, we spend our back-to-school time organizing supplies, decorating bulletin boards, and planning lessons while putting off the classroom management planning that actually helps our year run smoothly. But students don't struggle because your classroom isn't decorated. They struggle when expectations aren't clear. I walk you through the five key pieces of a kindergarten classroom...
Jun 10
11 min
Do calm kindergarten classrooms have better-behaved students? Not always. In this episode, we're talking about the real secret to successful classroom management in kindergarten. It isn't a complicated behavior system or the latest classroom management trend. It's simple, predictable systems that help students know what to expect. We'll discuss why consistency matters so much in kindergarten, how routines create student independence, and why classroom management becomes exhausting when everyt...
Jun 3
8 min
When classroom management feels exhausting, the problem may not be your students or your behavior strategies. It may be that too much of your classroom depends on you constantly reminding, redirecting, and holding everything together all day long. In this episode, we’re talking about one of the most powerful kindergarten classroom management tools teachers often overlook: simple visual systems. From visual schedules and classroom routines to behavior supports and transition expectations, visu...
May 27
8 min
Getting kindergarten students to stop talking can feel impossible sometimes. The blurting, interruptions, constant calling out, and nonstop classroom chatter can quickly make your classroom feel chaotic and exhausting. And after a while, it starts to feel like you’re spending your entire day repeating: “Raise your hand.” “Stop talking.” “Voice level zero.” In this episode of The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, we’re chatting about a simple classroom management strategy for reducing calling out ...
May 20
12 min
If your kindergarten classroom feels louder, messier, and harder to manage right now, you are not alone. End-of-year behavior in kindergarten is real, and May can start to feel like pure survival mode for teachers. In this episode, we’re talking about the “May-cember” effect, why classroom behavior gets harder at the end of the school year, and realistic ways to make these last few weeks feel more manageable for both you and your students. We’ll chat about why it’s easy to focus only on negat...
May 13
11 min
Kindergarten classroom management shouldn’t feel this hard, but if you’re constantly repeating directions, managing every transition, and ending the day exhausted, you’re not alone. In this episode, we’re breaking down why classroom management still feels overwhelming even when you’re using routines, behavior strategies, and clear expectations. Here’s what’s actually happening: It’s not that you need more strategies. It’s that your classroom systems aren’t working together. When routine...
May 6
10 min
In this episode of The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, Amy Murray breaks down the three essential components of effective kindergarten classroom management: clear expectations, visual supports, and consistent routines. If your classroom feels unpredictable, if you are constantly repeating directions, or if your behavior strategies are not sticking, this episode will help you understand what is missing and how to fix it with simple systems that actually work in a real kindergarten classroom. You...
Apr 29
9 min
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