Back to School Gift Idea

With everyone in back to school mode my teacher heart is missing the classroom HARD!  I can't tell you how much I miss setting up a classroom and all the excitement of what is back to school.  This year with my move back stateside I had originally planned to go back into the classroom, but after much thought and consideration, I have decided to stay home another year with my little girl.  And although I am OH SO GRATEFUL for this opportunity there is a part of me that knows I'm really going to miss not actually being in the classroom again for another year.  I am a teacher.  I miss not being in the classroom.  But I know the years go fast and I LOVE my job at home. :)

With that being said, I am always thinking TEACHER-LIKE and I was browsing the Target Dollar Spot when I came across some adorable reward bracelets.  The ones that caught my eye had motivational quotes on them like "dream big," "never give up," and "yes you can."  This stuck out to me because although these would make great reward bracelets I thought they'd make even better back to school gifts.

It's so important for our students to know that we believe in them and that together we will make the year great.  We are the ones who will be pushing them to succeed and cheering them on the entire way so why not let them know that from the get go.  You can download the gift tag by clicking HERE or on the picture above.  Wishing you all a wonderful back to school! 

And hey if you teach in San Diego I'd be happy to come help you set up your classroom or just chat about school things.... I'm serious.  Ha-Ha

Can I have your ATTENTION, please?

How do you quiet that noisy class and get them back on track?  Do you sing, chant, countdown, ring a bell or be still and quiet?   Do you have just one single attention grabber or a collection of many?  Whatever your style is the end goal is the same, you want to grab students attention, settle them down, and get them back on track to learn!  I've always used a variety of attention grabbers and enjoy learning new ones to try out.  Some might be considered a little boring, while others are a little more quirky and fun, but either way they work as long as I have clearly taught and practiced my expectations for each.  Here are a few of my go to attention grabbers to calm that noisy class...

1. Calling all my Vanilla Ice fans... this next attention getter is fun and you better believe I say it in the same tone/manner as the song.  You say "Alright Stop" and students respond "Collaborate and Listen."  This one always has me smiling.

2. The one and only "Class... Yes!"  Yep, that's right I'm a whole brainer.  Not a rigid whole brainer but one that believes in this management style and has used a variety of whole brain teaching strategies in my own classroom.  Simply say "Class" and have students respond with "Yes."  You can change up the tone and intensity and students must respond in the same manner.  Here is a link to the whole brain teaching website where you can learn more about this attention grabber and check out MORE awesome classroom management strategies. 

3. The traditional old school BELL!  I have used a bell in the past and it always works great.  It is loud and definitely stops students.  In my classroom when students hear the bell they most stop and freeze with their hands on their heads.  I have also heard of teachers using doorbells which I think is a really good idea!

4. A calm modified version of simon says.  "If you can hear my voice touch your nose.  If you can hear my voice touch your shoulder.  If you can hear my voice hop."  This attention getter always works but sometimes takes a minute for students to catch on.  I like it because it asks them to stop and really pay attention and follow what you are saying.  Plus it's done in such a calm tone that it helps you relax too!

5. This one I learned from my mom and use it frequently... "Ready Set... You bet!"

6. When I taught kinder I had the opportunity to see my first grade teacher friend in action and I totally "stole" one of her attention grabbers which became one of my forever go-to's.  When her class was a bit noisy she simply started making a "ch" sound in a tune/pattern in which the students then had to respond with the same tune/pattern.  It could be as simple as "ch -ch" or more complicated like saying "ch" to the tune of your favorite rhyme.  It always seemed to work for me!

7. How about using "Quiet Spray!"  This is such a fun idea and a great way to quiet the kiddos down.  I found this idea on Pinterest and the label can be found HERE for FREE by the awesome Tiffany Gannon.

Click here for Original Pin

These are just a few of my favorites.  What do you do to get your classes attention?

August Pick 3

A-U-G-U-S-T!?  Oh my word, I can't believe August is here.  This has to be one of my favorite months!!!! Back to school is in full swing and PINTEREST is just filled with awesome ideas for the classroom!  So I am here today to link up with Inspired Owl's Corner and Pawsitively Teaching for their PICK 3 Linky!

One of my all time favorite things to look at when it comes to thinking about back to school is classroom decor.  With so many fabulous classroom photos out there it is no wonder my idea of what I'd love my classroom to look like changes EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR!  Do ya feel me?  I came across this pin and every time I browse this folder I still stop and smile.  I am loving the black and bright at the moment and the hanging lanterns are just so adorable.  Schoolgirl Style I love this look!

Click picture to see original pin.

During those first weeks back do you post a classroom wish-list for supplies?  If so, here is a really cute idea by The Pinspired Teacher for how to do so.  I like that it's cute, functional and is a way to ask with no pressure.  It's so perfect for back to school night or meet the teacher.

Click picture to see original pin.

On the first day back to school I always like to give the students a little gift to welcome them to my class.  I saw this bubble idea and like that it is inexpensive and can be prepped super early which makes it a great choice for me.

Click picture to see original pin.

Thanks so much for checking out my August favorites.  Now I'm off to check out the other great finds for August Pick 3!  I hope you all have a fantastic start to the new school year.

XOXOXO

An InLinkz Link-up

Back to School To Do List!

I am a total list person.  I have a shopping list, a TPT project list, a blog list, a dinner list etc.  You name it and I probably have a list for it.  I tend to get a little overwhelmed when I feel like I have a lot do do and this can lead me to forget things, so making a list is my way of calming myself.  I LOVE looking at a list, completing a task and then crossing it off!  There is just something about seeing that BIG SCRATCH through a task that makes me smile.  And don't even get me started on how happy it makes me to throw away a completed list!  Uh... insert crazy happy dance here.

With back to school quickly creeping up on us all, I decided that I'd whip up a little set of back to school to do list printables.   The first of which is general list of things I'd have on my to do list.  I like to start big and then create smaller lists as I go.  

 I also made a blank sheet to create additional lists and another version that includes to do, to buy and a notes section.  

Lists really help me feel organized and accomplished so I know these printables would be perfect to keep me on track!  Do you have a back to school list started?  What are some are some other general must do things for back to school that I left off?  

If you like these printables click on the image cover below to grab them for FREE in my store.  They come in color and B&W.  Talk to you soon!

XOXOXO

Building Teacher - Parent Relationships

With August approaching quicker than most teachers would like, it’s time to start thinking about that back to school to-do list.  And although your list is probably a mile long, I’m urging you to double check if you’ve added ways to build teacher-parent relationships.  Building a positive teacher-parent relationship from the get go is HUGE and IMPORTANT!  It can make a real difference not only for the student, but for the teacher too.  Here are a few things that I’ve done in the past to help build these relationships from the very start of the school year. 

Early Conferences:  Key word here is EARLY!  I know that the start of the school year can be crazy, but taking time to set up individual teacher-parent conferences can go a LONG way in building that connection fast.  It’s a great opportunity to learn about your new students, discuss expectations and WELCOME parents as partners in their child’s education.  This could even be done in the few days leading up to the start of  the school year so that the first weeks aren’t as overwhelming.

Student Inventory:  Want to learn more about your students?  Send home a student inventory asking parents to fill out information about their child.  Ask about their child’s strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and have them share their goals with you about what they hope their child achieves this year. 

In this Freebie is an example of an inventory I've used to help me get to better know my students.  Grab it HERE for FREE!

Parent Meet & Greet:  Host a parent meet and greet.  Set up an evening and invite parents to come and here all about you and your class.  Take this time to introduce yourself, share your classroom expectations, answer questions and again WELCOME families.  This is also a great opportunity for parents to build relationships with other parents in the class. 

Class Information: Parents like to know what’s going on and should be informed.  Prepare a packet that LISTS ALL important information about your class and be ready to share it on the very first day of school.  Think about including your daily schedule, homework policy, behavior policy, birthday information, contact information and anything else relevant that parents should know about your class.  I always like to have parents sign and return a sheet saying that they’ve received and read the information just to be sure it was given to all. 

Have you seen this class information flip book by Chalk and Apples?  I LOVE IT!  Not only does it do the job, but it's small!  She also suggests adding a magnet to the back so parents can put it on their fridge which I think is brilliant!  Go HERE to check it out.

Be Proactive: If you start to notice student behavior or academic problems be sure to communicate these concerns with parents early.  It’s better to inform them and have them go away, then not and watch them become BIG problems later on.

Daily Interactions:  Think about how you interact with parents on a daily basis.  Are you friendly when you see them at drop off and pick up?  If they drop by your class  to chat how do you respond?  Do you smile at them?  Your daily interactions with parents make a big impact so try to remember that kindness goes a long way.

Pinterest Pin Here

Communicate Often and in Various Forms: Send notes, make phone calls, write a weekly newsletter, update your website etc.  Use these various forms to communicate student accomplishments and progress, class happenings and things you are excited about.

So what do you think?  I know there are so many ideas and tips out there for how to build teacher-parent relationships and I'd love to hear what you do!   All I know is that  just like I reflect and plan my teaching, I need to take time to reflect and plan how to build teacher-parent relationships each year.  And, I think big part of that is to remember to NOT give up! 

Happy Friday all! Now I'm off to go walking to encourage this baby to stay head down.  Ha-Ha

XOXOXO

TPT Seller Challenge Week 3: Make your Masterpiece

This week the TPT Seller Challenge is encouraging the sellers to make a NEW masterpiece!  I had just started working on this little idea so I thought I'd finish it up for the challenge.  

When I was in the classroom I always liked to collect a monthly writing sample from students.  After grading the sample, I'd store it in a large file box and then send home the samples at the end of the school year, almost as a keepsake of the progress each student had made.  I always remember scrambling at the end of the year to put together some type of folder so that the papers weren't just astray so I wanted to create something that would help organize this process from the start.

This here is a monthly writing portfolio.  It can be pre-made at the beginning of the year and then is set to go for each month.  Wahoo!  The folder includes a cover page, writing rubric, school to home sheet (I thought it'd be a nice way to communicate with parents monthly), a student self check strip, a teacher rubric/comment strip and monthly writing pages.  Here are a few photos to show you what I'm talking about.

I really like things that can be organized from the start of the school year and this is just one other thing that could be prepped now and ready to go!  It's posted in my store HERE and will be 50% for the next 24 hours!

Hooray for the hosts of the TPT Seller Challenge for pushing me to get er' done!

Fun with Names

Today I finally completed and uploaded my Fun with Names product!  I had started it awhile back and then got side tracked doing other things, but it's now DONE!  Hooray!  

I know a lot of kindergarten teachers incorporate name activities into their beginning of the year plans and I created this resource to help with just that.  It's full of printables, whole class activities, centers, crafts and more!  I tried to include activities that could be used during different subject areas and I wanted a mix of styles.  Also, some of the activities might be better saved to use until later on in the year depending on student ability levels but I figure kids always love some name fun!

Here's a quick look at the printables included in this set.  For these pages you could either hand write in student names, let them write in their own names or type in student names if you decide to use the included editable pages.  The printables are great for morning work, homework, independent time, centers or mini-lessons.  

I also included a few whole group activities and center activities for a little more hands on fun.  The whole group activities are perfect to complete as a class then display.  I really like the little class book "My name is _____ and I like ____."  And I'd use the class charts as questions of the day where students would complete and then we'd talk about the data together.  

For the centers I included student direction pages and a recoding sheet if I felt it needed one.  

*Please don't mind my ALL capital letters in the pictures I didn't have any magnetic lowercase letters at home. 

Lastly, I included a book list, printable name tags and a craft and display activity.  The apple name craft is super simple and you can choose what art material you want students to use to decorate their names with.  And the Our Ten Frame Names would make a cute math display!  

This product can be found in my store HERE and will be 50% off for the next 24 hours so grab it while you can!

Birthdays!!!

Hi Everyone!  Guess what?!  Today I am officially 28!  A few weeks back I wrote a post saying I was 28 and didn't even blink an eye until my husband read it and said you're not 28 yet.  Well, now I really am.  Ha-Ha

I woke up this morning to a donut candle cake and tickets to the Country 2 Country music festival which will take place here in London in March.  I am so excited!  I love country music and have been itching to go to another country concert so this was a great surprise!

I know you all are halfway through the school year so I'm sure your class b-day displays and student gifts are all set but today I wanted to share some of my favorite Pinterest b-day finds for the classroom.  I figure you can always re-pin the ideas for another year.  

Here are a few different b-day displays I like.  Click the picture to be taken to the pin. :)

This idea comes from Erica Bohrer of Erica's Ed-Ventures.  I love how she took photos of her actual kiddos to put on display.  Be sure to check out her blog for more fantastic ideas!

This birthday display is by 2nd Grade Shenanigans and I LOVE IT.  The fun month displays and ribbon make it super cute!  

This one I found on myclassroomideas.com and just really like that the birthdays are displayed like a bar graph.  Super cool!

And here are a few gift ideas for the kiddos...

Aren't these adorable?  This fun silly straw idea can be found on the blog Fifth Grade Frenzy.

This little gift idea can be found at babble.com and I think any kid would like it.

And these birthday certificates by True Life I'm a Teacher would make the perfect addition to any treat. :)

Happy Monday!