products for teachers

  • Friday Freebie – New Year Organization

    Happy Friday! Happy New Year! I hope that you’ve got big plans for your last weekend before you head back to reality.  I’ve had a fun, relaxing little break, but I’ve also done some planning ahead for the coming year. It’s inevitable that I will spend part of any vacation I take planning for what’s coming next, it’s just what I do.  I also created some planning pages to help me out a little, so I’m sharing them with you as today’s Friday Freebie! If your resolution is to be more organized next year, then I’ve got you covered.  Download these free planning pages from my TPT store,  These pages…

  • Holiday Apparel for School

    Do you wear holiday clothing to school? I generally try to keep at least one Christmas shirt on hand just to wear on party day.  The last few years we’ve had a holiday pj party, so I’ve been able to use my Christmas pajama, but this year I have multiple holiday events and my old Christmas tee doesn’t fit anymore.  One of my coworkers had on the cutest holiday sweatshirt last week, and I loved the idea of a Christmas sweatshirt.  It can be festive without being too dressy.  I’m not an ugly sweater kind of person, I try to avoid looking ridiculous or calling attention to myself in any…

  • Favorite Things: Teacher Edition

    If you’re a parent then somewhere on that shopping list of yours is probably a teacher or two to buy a holiday gift for.  Sometimes it’s easy to pick out a great gift for your child’s teacher, other times, it can be really hard.  Last year I started a new tradition, to help you out in the teacher gift department I share my favorite products to use in the classroom – along with a few of my personal favorite items too.  Here’s my list for this year! (Amazon links are affiliates) A great travel mug is part of my daily life! This year’s selection from Starbucks is ah-mazing and the…

  • Systems for tracking anecdotal notes

    Anecdotal notes are incredibly helpful, they provide evidence that shows which skills children have mastered, and which skills need additional practice.  They also give teachers the opportunity to write down direct quotes from children, which can be insightful, hilarious, and adorable.  Being able to access all of this information when it comes times for conferences is invaluable, and parents love to hear what their children have been up to. The main issues with anecdotal notes are; storing and organizing all of those random little notes remembering to write them in the first place When it comes to remembering to write them down, I’ve found that it works best if you…

  • Back to School Products for the Preschool Classroom

    It’s the end of July, I know, how did that happen?! I swear summer gets shorter every year! Many of you are preparing to head back to school (and if you haven’t started prepping, you’ve probably started thinking about it) so I thought I would share some of the things that I’ve created that might help you out this year – make sure to read the entire post because there are freebies throughout! Inspire Emergent Curriculum:  This standards-based curriculum is perfect for programs that implement the Reggio Philosophy or the Project Approach.   Circle Time Mega Pack: Start the year off right by implementing successful, developmentally appropriate circle time from…

  • Making Circle Time Easier (and Developmentally Appropriate!)

     I am all about setting up systems to make everyday classroom activities easier – especially when it means that I won’t have to spend as much time planning! I wanted to share my circle time system with you.  It is designed to make sure that circle time is enjoyable for everyone, which means that I am able to get through the content I want to get through, the children are able to move around a little, and the whole thing is over in ten minutes or less so we can dig into our centers. The first set of printables are for calendar.  I don’t spend a ton of time focused…

  • Friday Freebie – Classroom Planning

    Happy Friday! Whether you like it or not, many of you are probably realizing that summer has flown by – we’re halfway through July people!  According to my teacher friends and all of the photos on my Instagram feed, many of you are thinking about back to school already, so I thought I’d share a freebie that might help get you back in the game. This classroom planning set is from Teacher Treasure Hunter, who clearly speaks my language (checklists and to-do lists of course).  It’s geared towards elementary teachers, but seeing as it’s a freebie preschool teachers won’t mind if they don’t need all of the components – because…

  • What’s in my bag?

    Yesterday I shared my favorite teacher bags, today I thought I’d give you a peek inside my school bag. I always find a few random things in there, it’s kind of a bottomless pit. Here’s a picture; Right now my bag holds My water bottle My iPad The latest issue of the Young Child Two empty zipper pouches  My planner A picture that one of my students drew for me A picture that I drew  An umbrella My school keys An old Michaels gift card A crumpled receipt My bag only gets cleaned out when I switch to a new one. I’ve been using this one since before Christmas, which…

  • 6 Great Teacher Bags

    I have this problem, I love bags (way too much…).  Over the years I’ve fallen in love with a number of bags that I’ve used to drag all of my stuff to school.  Since it’s Teacher Appreciation week, and my favorite gift would be a new school bag, I thought I’d share my favorites with you. Vera Bradley Tic Tac ToteThis bag was my original teacher tote. It’s huge and can fit all kinds of things, plus it’s structured, so when I set it down on the floor it keeps it’s shape.  Vera Bradley recently released a newer version, which has 6 interior pockets and a zip top. 31 Organizing…

  • Friday Freebie – Classroom Labels

    Happy Friday! When I looked at the calendar at the beginning of the week, I was in shock. The middle of February already?! I’m itching for spring, and it’s coming quickly (thank goodness).  If you’re anything like me, you’re ready to freshen things up a bit, so I’ve got the perfect freebie for you. I recently revamped my classroom label freebie. It was one of the first sets that I ever added to my Teachers Pay Teachers Store, and it needed an upgrade.  I’m planning on re-labeling my whole classroom (there’s just something about new labels that gets me excited, and I know I’m not the only one!), so go…