tips for teachers
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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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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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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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Conversations with Preschoolers about Current Events
We know that kids are sponges – they’re ALWAYS listening! Because of this, they catch onto things that we don’t always realize they’re hearing, and without context and all of the information their minds make the most interesting connections. It’s fascinating to get their take on the things that are happening in their world because they look at them with such a unique filter! When it comes to discussing current events, it can be a bit of a minefield, we never know what might come up, and we definitely can’t predict what a child will say. There are some ways to navigate these conversations without prompting those comments. Here are…
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Teacher and Mom Approved Lunch Packing Tips!
Before I dive into all things lunches, I have to take a minute to say THANK YOU! You’re all loving my Month of Preschool sets and I’m so excited that I’m able to make your life easier with these – I know how precious your time is and I hope that these are saving you time and energy that you’re able to re-focus on your students. If I could put a great big heart emoji here I totally would! I’m working on April as we speak, so it’s coming I promise! Let’s talk lunch packing… As a teacher, lunchtime was the bane of my existence. Here’s the thing, having families…
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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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A Blog Post about Blog Posts
I know that’s quite the title for a post, but it’s the best way I can think to describe what I want to share here! I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can use this space to support those of you are serving so many different roles in the early care and education field – especially those of you who are childcare professionals. I love sharing fun posts about activities, projects, and printables – but these are the easy things. There are so many great ideas already available, and to be honest I know that coming up with things to do with children isn’t the hardest part of the…
