Check out this Brown Bear Game. Start the year strong with color word fun using the classic book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You Hear? This book is likely a favorite of some of your students, to begin with. It also is an easy repeated reader that students can memorize and builds their confidence. Plus, this book is a great way to teach and reinforce color words. You can grab a copy here on … [Read more...]
First Day of School Funnies
First Day of School: Teacher DREAM about the first day of school for years. The first day of school is this huge goal we all work towards. And we plan for it all summer long, each and every summer. And the week before school starts. Those dreams turn into nightmares. It gets real. It gets scary. And it gets funny. So, in the season of back to school. Let's share our first day of school … [Read more...]
Gingerbread Man on the Loose in School
Each year, we start the year off with the Gingerbread Man on the Loose in School. {I know many of you do this unit for Christmas, so read this post now and get ideas for later.} I love to use the book, The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School. It is a seriously CUTE book all about a gingerbread man who is made by students and then ESCAPES in the school. He visits all those important places in the … [Read more...]
First-Day-of-School Freebie Sign for Kindergarten
Check out this first-day-of-school freebie sign. Today was the first day of school. I am BEYOND tired! But, you know how it is... the first day of school tired is the best kind of tired, besides rocking your baby yawning, I know. If you are tired like me and just trying to get all the things cross off your to-do list that you MUST get done, let me help you a little bit. Check out my first … [Read more...]
Classroom Setup Ideas
Classroom Setup Ideas: I am back at work and working HARD to get my room ready. Isn't it funny how hard we work to prepare our rooms for new students? I mean, we just took care of how many students last year, and yet we have this need to make the room better, cleaner, more organized... and we spend our own money. Let's break down some basic classroom setup ideas you … [Read more...]
A Few Small Tips for Room Prep
Small Tips for Room Prep: Today was my first day back in my classroom for the new year. My classroom is my home away from home... my happy place. Room Prep with Pocket Charts Apparently this summer I got a little pocket chart happy. I accumulated (aka purchased) 2 clear/see thru pocket charts. black pocket charts, and a set of colorful, small pocket charts that I grabbed at Walmart. I have no … [Read more...]
If You Take a Mouse to School
If You Take a Mouse to School Welcome, fellow teachers, to a delightful adventure in the land of imagination! Today, we embark on a whimsical journey through the pages of the beloved children's book, "If You Take a Mouse to School." But hold on tight! We're not just going to read it; we're going to put our reading comprehension skills to the test, wield our writing prowess, and conquer the art … [Read more...]
School Prep is NO Monkey Business
School is out for Summer and I can't wait to show you exactly how I leave my classroom each and every year to help with School Prep for the start of the year. First I should say that we do have carpet, so I do not have to push everything off to the side of the room, we don't have to strip and wax floors! School Prep Ideas I stack my beloved, old fashion COLOR CODED chairs. Here is my room … [Read more...]
Dr. Jean’s Cheer Cards {freebie}
Do you love Cheer Cards? Who doesn't love Dr. Jean?! I mean, seriously... The first time I attended one of her conferences, she WALKED by me and I was in SHOCK. Celebrity in the house. And the entire conference was amazing and inspiring. I left wanting to do an EVEN better job. Dr. Jean's Cheer Cards And now, a few years later, and several collaborative projects … [Read more...]
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books: My students LOVE the Old Lady books by Lucille Colandro. I love to use these books to work on sequencing right away since it can take a while to master this skill. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books I also use sequencing to talk about words like before, after, next... etc. We also use ordinal numbers like 1st, 2nd, 3rd... etc. I also … [Read more...]
Back to School Book Freebie
Back to School Book Freebie: Today is the start of new Scholastic Book Orders! You can't order books during the month of July. Each year I buy a cheap book from Scholastic to give to my students for Meet the Teacher. Back to School I put each book on each student's desk along with a little note asking them to read the book as "homework" for the night before school starts. I wasn't able to … [Read more...]
Write Me Three Fall Writing Pack with a FREEBIE
I am working away on the to-do list you guys have given me this summer. This item is something I have been looking forward to for a while because my students and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I finished the newest Write Me Three pack! This one is perfect for the fall these you teach. It has themed word walls for back to school, lunch room, recess, bats, spiders, nocturnal animals, community helpers, … [Read more...]