planning
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One Little Word for 2023
The holidays have been a whirlwind this year – we started our break a little early after getting the flu, and once we recovered it was full steam ahead for the last week of the year. Right now I’m exhausted, but also ready to take a deep breath and embrace the opportunity for a fresh start that comes with the beginning of a new year. One of my favorite ways to set a focus for the year is to identify one little word to keep me grounded. My one little word for 2023 is BELIEVE. This year will be a big leap for me – the first year that I’m…
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Preparing for Snow Days
Now that my daughter is in elementary school snow days have a totally different meaning! Last week her school had 2 (TWO!) fog days in a row after an already scheduled two-hour delay day. I’m not complaining about the fog days, I fully support the school in keeping children safe, I am however realizing that I need to be a little more prepared in order to keep her busy, and myself sane, on these days! Fog days were easy, once the fog lifted we were able to go do things, like visit the library. Snow days in our area are a different beast – I don’t want to…
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Something new and fun!
If you’ve read any of my previous posts you probably have an idea of my love for organization – it’s not a secret! One way that I’ve really been leaning into this is through my planner. I’m a hardcore fan of an old-fashioned paper calendar, and mine have become beautiful scrapbooks over the years. To say that I’m obsessed with planner stickers is an understatement. Over the last few months I’ve been designing my own clipart and using it to create planner stickers. Not only do I get to release some creative energy, but I get the satisfaction of having exactly the kind of stickers that I want to use…
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Making the most of planning time
Has it hit you yet? You know, the end-of-the-school-year-don’t-want-to-do-anything mood? Planning is always the hardest for me at the end of the year, my mind wanders, there are about a million things to do, and I really just want to spend the entire day outside. This is the point in the year where I lean heavily on my planning systems to use my time as effectively as possible. Here are some of the things that always help: Recipes for the Classroom – All kinds of dough, sand, bubble, and paint recipes! Seasonal Party Sign-ups and Reminders – to help get me through the final events of the year A Year…
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All of My Calendars
I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I’m a planner – this might be a bit of an understatement. I’m very type A – I enjoy planning and I am meticulous about recording my plans. This means that I spend a lot of time on my calendars, yes calendars plural. I thought I would share my systems with you just in case any of you were striving to be more organized in the new year. I completely understand that my way is not going to work for everyone, but if something sounds helpful feel free to use it as inspiration! Unfortunately I can’t give close up photos of my calendars because…
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Using assessment results for planning
Preschool assessments are becoming the new norm, and there are a couple of reasons for this; Quality rating systems require programs to use them. Parents want to see that their children are learning and that they will be prepared for kindergarten. Beyond these main reasons, assessments can also be valuable tools for teachers to use when planning learning experiences for the children in their classes. Assessments tell you which areas children are excelling in, and where they need continued improvement. You can use this information to select and develop activities that allow children to be successful while still working on necessary skills. For example, if your assessment results indicate…
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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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Re-establishing Classroom Routines after the Holidays
I may have gone back to work last week, but last week was all about survival. This week, on the other hand, is about getting back into routine and evaluating those routines as I think about the rest of the year. That means making sure that I’m planning ahead, following the schedule, and setting up systems that are helpful – not ones that create more work for myself! If you’re thinking about some of those same goals, here are some of my favorite tools for re-establishing routines and organizing all of my plans: Picture schedule cards are perfect for this time of year. They help the entire class get back…
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Assessment strategies for preschool
My first “real” job was teaching toddlers at a NAEYC accredited child care center, so I jumped right into a position that required teachers to complete assessments for every child, I’ve never NOT done assessment. So over the years I’ve come up with some strategies that have helped me keep track of all of the evidence and data. Within the last couple of years I’ve turned some of those strategies into really great products that you can get from my TPT store, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, or use your valuable time developing these things on your own! Here are my favorites: If you’re looking for a complete…
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Friday Freebie – Planning Pages
Happy Friday! This week flew by, and I’m not complaining about that but I would definitely love for summer to slow down just a little! Of course, this next freebie is sure to get you in back-to-school planning mode, so I suggest downloading these free Preschool Teacher Planning pages, storing them somewhere safe, and walking away from the computer before they suck you in. Enjoy your summer weekend and come back to them another day, like maybe when it’s raining!
