Happy Birthday to YOU!

Birthdays are always something VERY exciting as a kid...and who are we kidding they can be pretty great as an adult, too! It never fails, on the first day students are looking for some sort of birthday chart, bulletin board, poster, or display with their birthday on it!

I really liked my simple idea of using a cupcake display from the teacher's store, and then adding my own flare to the wall. Students each get to take their cupcake home at the end of the year, while I can keep the rest of the display up for the following year.

Below, on the shelf, is a little blue bucket that has these great glittery/bendable sticks that can be used for crafts, put on bikes, decor, etc. that has a balloon on top [not shown in picture].

Along with the balloon treat, students get a piece of candy, and a Free Homework Pass. You can always give out other coupons, too.

As many of you know, it is extremely difficult for me to keep track of the birthdays. They are up on the wall, but since my desk is no where near this area, I don't look up at it every day. Because of that, I created a document that I keep right next to my desk that has each of my students' birthdays in order by month. This has been wonderful to keep track, and check off their name once they received their treat. In years past, I got the "Did you know it was my birthday today?" because I didn't look at the wall or the other method of birthday organization. Now, I can quickly look near my desk to put those special dates in my lesson plans/planner. There are two different versions you can choose from based on your own organization methods.

Check them out!

Happy {Early} Birthday to you all!

An Organized First Day of School

I know the feeling of working hard all summer long preparing for the first day of school.  All your hard work and preparations don't seem to ever seem to live up to what happens when the students arrive in your classroom. No matter what grade you teach, students come in your room thinking:

• Where do my supplies go?
• What do I do with my bookbag?
• Where do I put these books? 
• And the list goes on...

And you end up answering the same questions 25+ times...so here is how to fix it: 

This past year I dedicated my summer to thinking about a smooth transition on the first day of school for everyone (me included!) Although my method seemed to stress my OCD'ness out, it paid off in the long run for helping the students organize all of those things they bring and wonder about in the first 30 minutes of school. 

I laugh thinking about my first year in the classroom. Students came in with all their supplies, and I had no idea what to tell them to do. No joke: organizing supplies so they didn't have 100 pencils in their desk took 2 hours. I thought to myself...never again. As the years went on, I perfected this organization, but last year really went well and we wasted no time at all.

When students arrived, the following was on their desks:

• Books to put in their desks
• Gallon-sized baggie with their class # (you could do name)
• Small sheet of paper with their class # on it
• Foldable cardboard box (See class philanthropic project for more information)

Books were already set up for each student, so I was able to eliminate time during the school day for passing them out.  Thanks to a wonderful former mentor, she gave me the idea to use gallon-sized baggies to help organize. They are for students to put extra supplies in their bags. In younger grades, I have went through each step to put in their art box. I would tell students exactly what could/couldn't be in their art box. This eliminates having 25 pencils in their box or items that would sneak in and become toys during learning time. In the bag is all of the extra things for them to use when they run out of things in their art box. Students keep these under their cubbies in large totes. They must ask to get something extra out. For older grades, I put a list of items up on the projector or board for them to put in their art box and baggie. It works out nicely as they are able to follow those directions.

Visit my TPT Store or {Freebie} for the supply bin tags

The small sheet of paper with their class number on it is for them to know which cubby and mailbox belongs to them. With them knowing from Day #1, it allows them to put all of their items away and have a cleared off desk by the time the final bell rings.

Overall, these small little organizational tips help the start of the First Day of School go fairly smooth. We have all learned from our mistakes and you have a routine that works for you as well. Hopefully you'll find something new that will help you perfect it even more. First time teachers, this is a great start in helping your nerves and help eliminate unnecessary stress. Now onto the activities you can do on the first day!

If you're looking for some new ways to decorate for this upcoming year, check out:

 

Polka Dot Table Numbers (Multi-colored)

Polka Dot Table Numbers (Gray version)

Schedule Cards

Schedule Cards (With clocks)

Word Wall Letters (Multi-colored)

Have a great first day back & good luck!

Common Core Checklists

As promised, I have created Common Core Checklists for English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades K-6.

I have created individualized checklists for each of the sections of the ELA and Math Common Core.  I used these this past school year in my classroom. I won't lie, it took me a while to get in the habit of having them out as I grade and assess. Within time, I got the hang of it and had GREAT data for each of my students. The checklists allowed me to show my principal, parents, and myself which students were mastering the standards and which ones needed more assistance/reteaching.  I found the checklists especially helpful when trying to get students tested. I had the data right in front of me to show the testing team what his/her strengths and weaknesses were...it really helped me stay focused on what the problem(s) were.

Visit my TPT Store or click on the links below to take you directly to the product you want. 

As the year winds down, this is a great time to download, print, and organize this product. I printed one for each student, and put them in a binder. Each student had a tab, so I could focus just on that individual student. You could also organize your binder by Common Core section. For example, label each paper with student name from the section of writing. This would show how your class is doing in that particular section of Common Core. I just personally liked organizing them by student rather than by standard section. I could just put all my focus on that student's complete performance of the Common Core Standards.

English Language Arts Common Core Checklists (K-6)
Kindergarten Common Core Checklist
1st Grade Common Core Checklist
2nd Grade Common Core Checklist 
3rd Grade Common Core Checklist
4th Grade Common Core Checklist
5th Grade Common Core Checklist
6th Grade Common Core Checklist


Mathematics Common Core Checklists (K-6)
Kindergarten Common Core Checklist
1st Grade Common Core Checklist
2nd Grade Common Core Checklist
3rd Grade Common Core Checklist
4th Grade Common Core Checklist
5th Grade Common Core Checklist
6th Grade Common Core Checklist

Summer Success

Learning all year-round is very important for all students. If your school does not have something already in place for this (book club, activities, calendar, etc), I have created a calendar for grades 2 & 3 to complete over the summer break.  In the past when I have created the calendar, I have given an activity for each weekday, journal writing, and even just reading each day of the week.  My calendars vary considering the needs of the class that year.

Now, the returning the calendar part...

This has always been an issue, and I haven't figured out the best way to implement this, unless it is required by the school. Although, you can always give out rewards. As students bring the calendar back with parent signatures on each day of the completed task, I give students some sort of treat. I have given out snacks, drinks, pick from the Treasure Box, etc. I like to reward those students for going above and beyond.

If your school does a "Meet the Teacher" on the last day of school, this is a perfect time to hand this out for your upcoming class. What a great way to already challenge them and get them thinking before you even have time to teach them anything.  Also, students are going to be more likely to turn it in as they want to make a good impression with you to start the year off.  I was amazed with the results!  With this, you are able to give even better rewards like "No Homework Passes" and things that will benefit them during that school year in your class. But I know this is not an option for many schools.

I created a reusable calendar and checklist you can use with your current students or the ones for the upcoming year. I created a calendar (with no dates) so you are able to customize and use it from year to year! This product includes both a second grade version and a third grade version.

The Calendar Version: Includes activities 7-days a week. Monday-Friday are activities for reading, math, and writing. Saturday-Sunday are social activities in which students are creating, building relationships, or enjoying nature. A parent signature is required each day an activity is completed.

The Checklist Version: Includes activities 7-days a week. There is no specific order students have to complete the activities in, but they are both academic and social activities. A weekly parent signature is only required once the student has completed everything on the checklist.

I created both students, because as we know..you know your students better than anyone! Both versions are available in one product in my TPT store.

Sale. Sale. Sale.

On May 6th AND 7th, Teachers Pay Teachers will be throwing a site-wide sale. Along with their sale, please enjoy an EXTRA 15% sale from my store as well. What a better way to load up for the end of of the school year or even look into next year's organization!?!

Just a FEW of the products that will be on sale for the 2-day sale.