Back to School

School Supply Storage

Posted by on August 13, 2011 Leave a Comment
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WOW!  I can’t believe it is that time of year again!  We went back to school for our professional development and teacher workdays this week.   I still have several things to do in my classroom before the big day on Monday! I know it will all get done, but the process can be so stressful!  This weekend I will be labeling folders, making BEE Binders, and sorting school supplies.  I thought I would share with you my favorite way to store all of those extra school supplies that will be used throughout the year.  A few years ago I was on a teacher site (I can’t remember which one), and I saw a picture of  how she stored her materials.  I thought this would be great for storing my students’ supplies, and it turned out to be perfect.  I found these 3-drawer containers at Walmart, and I still see them all of the time.  I used apple nametags from our local school supply store and wrote numbers on each drawer.  After I get my roll, I assign a number to every student.  All of their extra supplies go in their numbered drawer.  I love this system because I can quickly check to see what students need extra supplies when I send a supplies reminder home. 

 

Filed Under: Back to School, Classroom Management, Uncategorized | Tagged:

Table Captains

Posted by on August 10, 2011 Leave a Comment
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One of the ways I keep my classroom running smoothly is by the help of my “Table Captains.”  I have 4 tables in my classroom, and they are organized by color; red, green, blue, and yellow.  Each table has 4 or 5 students.  At the beginning of every week, one student is named the “Table Captain” for the entire week.  This picture shows how I organize the rotation of the students.  I turn the top of the star to the child who comes next.  I will describe below how I made the Star Spinners.  The Table Captain is the student at each table who is in charge of getting and putting away any materials or manipulatives that are needed for their table during a lesson. 

 

Here is a close-up of the Star Spinner for the blue table.  I cut out a white circle and laminated it before writing on it.  I wrote Table Captain on the blue star before I laminated it.  I used a brad to attach the star to the white circle, and this allows the star to spin.  I wrote the names of the students who sit at the blue table.  Willie would be the Table Captain for this week, Ian would be the Table Captain the following week, and so on… 

After I choose the student to be the Table Captain, he/she will put this Star Cone at his/her desk as a fun reminder that they are the Table Captain for the week.  This also helps to remind the other students that want to take over the job! I found these cute cones at Party City in the circus section.  The stars are out of a pack of cut-outs.  I hot-glued the stars to a popsicle stick, and I punched a hole in the top of the cone to poke the popsicle stick through.

 

 

Filed Under: Back to School, Classroom Management | Tagged:

Back-to-School Hershey Wrapper

Posted by on August 8, 2011 2 Comments
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 Are you looking for a little something to give to your students on Move-In Day or the First Day of School?  This Hershey Wrapper Template is an easy way to turn a simple treat into a personal gift! As I was printing labels for my folders tonight, I started thinking of what I could put in my students’ back-to-school bags I give out at Move-In Day.  All I have so far is a pencil!  Well today I bought my girls’ teachers a Hershey Bar for their Back-to-School Pails, so I thought it would be a great idea to wrap a Hershey Bar like they do at weddings and showers.  I “Googled” but could not find a template I liked without paying up to 20 dollars, so I decided to create my own and share it with you!  I did not add a colored background or lots of clipart like some I’ve seen on the web, because I have to print out 20 of these and that is alot of ink!   After you download the file, change the text to make it your own!  You can also change the clipart if you have a certain theme you use in your classroom.  Don’t change the ”blue” shape box, because that is the size the shape needs to be to wrap around the Hershey Bar.  Have fun making your students a fun back-to-school treat that they will remember!  

If you create a Hershey wrapper that you would like to share with others, join our “Teaching with Passion Community” by clicking on the tab above.  Sign-in and after you are approved, you can create your own personal profile and start uploading your great ideas to share with us! 

 

 

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Start Your Day the SMART Way!

Posted by on August 6, 2011 Leave a Comment
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Last year I decided to try something a little different.  I wanted to make my calendar more interactive, but my bulletin board with my calendar just wasn’t cutting it!  What better way to make it more interactive than with the SMARTBoard.  I looked on SMART Exchange and found an adorable notebook that a teacher had created with a calendar and many other activities.  I downloaded it and edited the notebook by adding my own personal touches.  I added my own pages as well to incorporate things I was already doing during my Morning Meeting/ Calendar Math.  This 36 page SMART Notebook Activity will engage your students as you start your day with the following activities:  Attendance/Calendar/Days/Months/How Many Days in School-Place Value/Weather Tally/Lost Tooth Graph/Venn Diagrams/Survey Question/Counting Money and Coin Review/Addition and Subtraction/Number Line/Numbers and Number Words/Fact Families/Shapes

 There are 12 calendars included with interactive number cards and holiday cards to label your calendar.  The kids love to manipulate the pictures on the calendar!  The other activities can be used on different days of the week to introduce, review, or reinforce the skills you are teaching in math. Throughout the notebook you will see empty boxes with a music note.  This is where I inserted my songs that I use during my calendar time.  The songs are not included due to copyright, but most of my music came from my trusty Dr. Jean and Mr. AL CDs.  I start off on the first day of school with this notebook by teaching the students how to move their name on the attendance chart and completing the calendar activities.  I always do the daily routines like calendar, weather, counting how many days in school, and tooth tally every day.  I don’t do all of the other activities every day.  I pick one or two extra each day and change it up throughout the week.  Directions are included in a pull down tab on each page, but if you have any questions let me know.  The original version of this can be found on SMART Exchange under Calendar.

 

 

Filed Under: Attendance, Back to School, Calendar/ Morning Meeting, Math | Tagged:

Poetry Journal Labels

Posted by on August 4, 2011 Leave a Comment
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My students love their poetry journals!  Each student in my class has a regular 3-prong folder in a designated color.  We don’t ask for these on our supply list, so I just watch the sales to see when I can get them cheap! I don’t like the 3-prong plastic folders because they are extremely hard for my first graders to open by themselves.  (I even have trouble.) I use these labels so when I tell my students to take out their poetry journal with the crayons, it helps them distinguish between all of the other folders. Every time I introduce a new poem, we add the poem to their poetry journal sometime during the week.  The copy of the poem that I give them has no pictures, so that my students can  illustrate the poem with their own meaning and creativity.  We use highlighters to find our word wall words.  Their poetry journal stays in their book browsing box to read when all of their other work is finished.  This also makes a great literacy center activity or independent learning activity!   Use Avery template 8163 or Office Max OM99062 White Shipping Labels.

 Labels- Poetry Journal

 

Filed Under: Back to School, Classroom Labels | Tagged:

Label Mania!

Posted by on August 3, 2011 Leave a Comment
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I LOVE LABELS!  Are you as crazy for them as I am?  Ok, I will admit that I am a little OCD when it comes to my students’ folders.  I like for all of their folders to be the same color with the same labels and their names all in the same place.  It just makes it easier for my first graders to transition from each activity, which in turn makes my job easier!  If you look under the Resources tab above, I have added a new page called Classroom Labels.  These are the labels that I use in my classrooom.  I would love to hear about what you label in your classroom, so please comment and share what works for you!  Check back often, as I will always find more things to label!  (I know, it is an addiction!)

 

Filed Under: Back to School, Classroom Labels | Tagged:

Happy Birthday To You!

Posted by on July 16, 2011 Leave a Comment
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This SMART Notebook activity is a great way to help your students learn their birthdays.  I use this notebook in my All About Me unit that I teach during the first couple of weeks of school.  This Notebook could be easily adapted for use in your early childhood classroom.  It includes a birthday chant, a birthday graph, making patterns with balloons, age graph, counting and matching numbers, and a writing prompt.

 

Filed Under: All About Me, Back to School, Birthdays | Tagged: Tagged With: , ,

The Kissing Hand- First Day of School Activities

Posted by on July 15, 2011 Leave a Comment
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Kissing Hand pic What a great way to start your first day of school by reading The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.  This story is perfect for every child whether they are excited or scared when they enter your classroom.  I created this SMART Notebook activity to enhance the story by using poems, songs, patterns, and art activities.  I have included links to great websites and activities found on the internet.  There is so much more you could do, and I am sure that I will add more later.  Use this template to start, and add to it those wonderful activities you already use in your classroom!  I would love to hear your ideas with what you do with The Kissing Hand in your classroom! I hope you have a great First Day of School with your students! 

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Classroom Rules and Procedures the SMART Way!

Posted by on July 15, 2011 Leave a Comment
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Rules and Procedures Pic

Start your school year off right by having your rules and procedures ready on the first day of school!  Along with my rules and procedures that are posted on the wall, I use this notebook activity to help my first graders have fun and stay focused!  This Smart Notebook activity is easily adaptable for any classroom. Feel free to change anything to make it appropriate for your behavior theme! I use apples as the behavior theme for the display in my classroom.  In the Notebook activity I have included a picture of my display along with my classroom discipline plan, behavior calendar, and behavior report.  I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!

 

Filed Under: Back to School, Classroom Management | Tagged:

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