teacher stuff
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Back to school on Amazon
My all-time-favorite thing about prepping for back to school is shopping for supplies! While no one loves spending that money, having new materials to start fresh with is the absolute best. Here are my Amazon back to school must-haves if you’re looking to add to your own cart (all links are affiliates, I receive a portion of sales from these): I cannot get enough of these zip pouches! I use them for everything from travel to organizing paperwork. In the classroom there are so many potential uses – giving each child one to use as a mailboxes, organizing extra clothes, separating seasonal sensory materials, sending home activities or paperwork that…
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Back to school already?!
Now that all of my July materials are officially available, it can only mean one thing – it’s time to think about August, you know… back to school season! I might not be ready, but I will definitely take advantage of Amazon Prime day to help me get in the mood. Prime day is July 11th and 12th, so I’m making my list now, here’s what I’m buying on Prime Day for the classroom (all links are affiliate links and I may receive a portion of the proceeds): First things, first – my Prime membership always renews in August, which seems appropriate as we gear up to head back to…
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Preschool Teacher Wardrobe – Summer Edition
*This post contains affiliate links It can be really hard to find those outfits that are the perfect balance of professional, comfortable, and meet all of the needs of a preschool teacher (getting messy, sitting on the floor, lots of movement – you know what I mean). This is especially true in the summer. Summer means even more time outside, higher temperatures, and often running to other activities at the end of your work day. Every program is different, and that will of course mean you may have restrictions related to things like shorts, sleeveless tops, and dresses – but hopefully the items that I’ve been loving will give you…
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A full month of preschool lesson plans!
Have you grabbed your copy of A Month of Preschool for April yet?! Four weeks of April preschool lesson plans, art ideas, dramatic play plans, and printable activities – and this month has an exclusive social emotional lesson that you can only get in this set: Children will build confidence and understanding of themselves as they put together this flower! The activity comes in two options – a cut and paste, or a color and write: These monthly sets are everything that I’ve used in my own classroom, printable and meant to make your life easier. I hope that you’ll try April’s because I’ve got a ton of new stuff…
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Holidays in the classroom; What to do when you can’t celebrate
I’m the first person to say that I love celebrating holidays – in my personal life that’s definitely something that I’m known for, and it feels natural for me to incorporate that into the classroom. While it is something that I love, there are a variety of reasons that holidays might not be appropriate for the preschool classroom. Some programs don’t allow teachers and students to celebrate in order to create a space where all of the families that they serve feel welcome. Others have specific funding streams that require no holidays be acknowledged, and still others will eliminate these to support specific families and staff. These are all completely…
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Managing Challenging Behaviors
I promised you some real solutions to the tough stuff that you have to deal with everyday, and the number one thing on that list is challenging behaviors. These are the kinds of things that can derail the entire class and make you feel like nothing you do will make a difference – I’ve been there. I’ve put together a resource that will help you understand, manage, and change these difficult preschool behaviors step by step. I’m also giving you a FREEBIE so you can try it out right away! Behaviors are so tough because we aren’t always able to understand exactly where there coming from, and even if we…
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Using Amazon Idea Lists for the Classroom
It’s safe to say that online shopping is one of my favorite past times – I’m sure that says A LOT about me! There’s a tool that I’ve been using recently to help organize my wish lists and favorite purchases and it can be used in so many different ways. I’ve got to share what I’ve been doing with Amazon Idea Lists for the classroom. An idea list is an excellent place to keep all of those items that you’re thinking about, looking for, or really loving. These lists are easy to share with others so that you can collaborate. This makes planning classroom or school events something that can…
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Leaning into what brings me joy
I got a little vulnerable with you on Monday – this time of year is tough. The pressure to jump back into a routine after the holidays, when I’m not really ready for that, causes some friction. Add the dreary weather and joy can be a little hard for me to come by. I’m working through it by leaning into the things that I know bring me joy – a “Joy List” if you will! Whenever I’m feeling a little down – whether it’s because I’m burnt out at work, clouds and cold are impacting my mood, or I’m just in need of a pick me up – I like…
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Finding the Joy
This is the time of the year that’s the most difficult for me – the happiness of the holiday season is over and I feel like I’ve been thrown back into work without actually getting the rest and relaxation that I’d been so looking forward to. It’s burnout at it’s finest. Plus the weather is gray and dreary, which never helps. This is the month when I have to be truly intentional about finding my purpose in the work that I do so that I can enjoy it. The real question is, how do I do that??? There’s not an exact science to it – I’ve tried a variety of…
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Ask for donations – and actually get them!
Let me paint a picture – You have this great activity planned and you can’t wait for the children to get really creative with it, so you make a list of materials that you need and hand it out to all of the parents with a deadline for their classroom donations. That deadline comes and you’ve received 1 or two items off your list. Now you have a choice, do you cross the activity off your list or find another way to secure the materials you need – even if it means buying them yourself? Raise your hand if this has happened to you – is your hand raised? Mine…
