back to school
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Family Photo Albums for the Classroom
An easy way to help welcome families at the beginning of the year is to encourage them to share a little information about themselves. Using photo albums is popular because the albums also serve to help children separate from their parents a little easier in the morning. I’ve heard many teachers say that they’ve tried to create albums for the children but they haven’t been successful because families will not provide the photos that they need. This easy printable activity is something that you can send home with each student that might help combat this issue. I created this easy little paper bag album that you can send home for families to…
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Tips for welcoming new families
Whether you work for a year-round program or a program that follows a traditional school calendar there is a good chance that you will be welcoming some families that are new to your program in the fall. I am a huge believer in the importance of building relationships with parents, and those relationships start with first impressions. There are a few simple things that you can do to welcome families and make a positive impression that will lead to stronger relationships. Share information about yourself. It is common practice to share info about your program and classroom practices, but parents really want to know who you are. Consider sending home…
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Friday Freebie – Teacher Planning Pages
Happy Friday! This summer has flown by! This week is a double freebie week. On Tuesday I shared an awesome list of ideas for your monthly newsletters (download that here) and today I have a freebie for those of you who have started thinking about next year – or for those of you who know you probably should, and will eventually! I love, love, love these teacher planning pages. They have helped me stay organized for years and include 6 different idea trackers and lists to keep you on your toes. Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!
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Skills to practice before kindergarten
The most popular question that I used to get asked as a preschool teacher was “How can I make sure that my child is ready for kindergarten?” Of course there is not one thing that parents can work on with their preschooler, but they usually ask me this question when they don’t actually have time for a long conversation. So I created this workbook to share with parents. It includes simple activities that are easy for families to do and don’t require a ton of materials. This set includes 10 weeks worth of daily activities, one activity for each week day, which can be completed during the weeks between the…
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New Stuff!
I just finished putting together two new resources for the classroom and I LOVE them! I’ve been working on these for a while and I am so excited to share them with you because they are going to add value to your classroom centers! One thing that I’ve always struggled with are the wanderers – those children who have a really hard time choosing an activity, so they just kind of wander around. I also have a hard time helping children who don’t understand how to play all by themselves, you know, the kids who need to be told what to do and when to do it. I designed these…
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Friday Freebie – Open House Signs
Happy Friday! I’m all about natural decor for the classroom, I’ve shared this preference often! There’s one popular material that has made it’s way into my room in more ways that I ever could’ve imagined is burlap. It’s versatile, it’s pretty cheap (especially if you can find it at the home improvement store), and it holds up really well to children who are not always gentle. If you love burlap, and general rustic loveliness, this freebie is for you! These beautiful Open House Signs are from Allyson Sutton. It looks like she’s given you everything you need to organize your welcome back night. Even if you’ve already started school, make…
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Psst!
Did you hear?! Teachers Pay Teachers is doing it again – they’re having a second back to school sale! Today you can get special discounts on any of those items that you need to start the school year (or those things that you wish you’d had when you started a couple of weeks ago). Make sure to head over to TPT and make some of those purchases that have been sitting in your wishlist – if you are in need of inspiration, here are some of the posts that I’ve done about items on my own wishlist: Back to School Wish List 2016Back to School Wish List 2015Back to School Wish…
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Friday Freebie – Back to School Teacher Gift
Happy Friday! The week really flies by when I’m as busy as I have been lately, if this whole back to school season has snuck up on you just a little too quickly I have the perfect freebie for you today. The very first product that I ever purchased on Teachers Pay Teachers was an editable planner from A Modern Teacher (it was completely worth it, and if you’re in the market hers are beautiful!), and to this day I still turn to her when I really want to up my game. This gift tag freebie is beautiful, and comes with an easy idea for a teacher gift that is…
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Sanity Savers
This time of year is stressful, so I wanted to take a minute to share a tip that has saved my sanity time after time. It’s really simple, I keep a list on my phone of all of the things that I love to do when I need some “me time.” Things are all things that help me unwind and relax a little. I pull out the list on tough days and pick one of those activities to help myself unwind. The key to this particular list is that I’m very specific about including activities that help me unwind that my budget can handle. I also make sure to include…
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Tips for the first day of Preschool
Whether you’ve already started the school year, or you’re still gearing up to it here are some tips for helping your first few days go a little more smoothly; Stick to your regular schedule: Following your regular schedule right from the start will help the children get used to it more quickly. It will also help them begin to feel a little more comfortable because they will always know what is coming next. For help planning your daily schedule take a look at these posts on the topic. Make time for each child: Build those relationships now. Take time out of your day to talk to each child on-on-one. This…
