teacher
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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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It’s that time…
Summer is as much a mindset as it is an actual period of time. It’s always about this time of year that the mindset starts to shift away from carefree sunny days and towards preparing for the next school year. While I may not always be excited to see summer go, Making the most of this opportunity to set myself up for success in the coming year is also something that I enjoy (that’s how you know you’re a teacher). If you’re considering making some changes, updating your classroom procedures, or introducing new methods, then here are some of my past posts that might offer some inspiration. Happy back to…
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Can’t go outside? No problem!
We’ve been dealing with a lot of haze from Canadian wildfires this summer, which has meant spending more time inside than we might like. I thought it might be helpful to share a trick that has worked so well for me on those days that you just can’t go outside. This is a post that was originally written in 2015, and it was intended for rainy day ideas – but it could definitely work for any long stretch of days where you’re stuck inside! You can read the original post here. One of the best things that I’ve done for my classroom is to put together a rainy day box.…
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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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Building a Positive Mindset
I consider myself a naturally positive person, but the classroom can be a hard place to keep that going. Someone is always upset with someone else, there is always a mess somewhere, and I’m constantly having to change my plans. It takes a toll! When positivity doesn’t come naturally, there are some things that help me keep that positive mindset in the classroom. First and foremost, when I recognize that I’m struggling I make a conscious effort to find something (anything) positive that I can acknowledge. Sometimes this is as small as a child nicely walking across the classroom, or offering to share with another child. I’ll spend the next…
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Topics to Explore in Spring
Spring offers so many relevant topics to explore, so I wanted to put together a list with some old favorites and some new ideas – we all need to shake things up every now and then. Doesn’t looking at this graphic just give you ALL the spring feels?! This also gave me a ton of new ideas, I’ve got some work to do! Here’s the full list of 30 different themes, the ones that I currently have resources available for are linked. 1. Rain 2. Gardening 3. Seeds 4. Flowers 5. St. Patricks day 6. Easter 7. Weather gear 8. Bugs 9. Wind 10. Plants 11. Water cycle 12. Recycling…
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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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Dealing with Hard Days in the Classroom
We all have tough days in the classroom – but what about when those hard days start happening regularly, or even every day? How can you turn things around and get more of the days that you really enjoy? Let’s talk about this, what can help when you’re dealing with never-ending classroom challenges? I’m big on reflection, taking time to dig deep and think through what’s really behind what’s happening in the classroom. This can be hard when you’re right in the middle of it. If you’re in a place where it feels like nothing is going right and there’s nothing you can do about it, then we need to…
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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…
