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Tips for welcoming new families
Whether you work for a year-round program or a program that follows a traditional school calendar there is a good chance that you will be welcoming some families that are new to your program in the fall. I am a huge believer in the importance of building relationships with parents, and those relationships start with first impressions. There are a few simple things that you can do to welcome families and make a positive impression that will lead to stronger relationships. Share information about yourself. It is common practice to share info about your program and classroom practices, but parents really want to know who you are. Consider sending home…
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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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Ideas for sharing newsletters
It’s a fairly common problem, you print a copy of the classroom newsletter for each child and stick it in their mailbox, and then at the end of the year you clean out their mailboxes only to find all of those newsletters still in there. It’s no wonder the parents had no idea what was happening all year long! This frustrating problem is made even worse by knowing just how much time you spent writing each of those newsletters! I’ve sen this scenario play out time and time again – in my own classroom, and with a number of teachers that I work with, so unfortunately you are not alone.…
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Newsletter ideas!
I spend way too much time putting together monthly newsletters – partly because I enjoy designing something new each month, and partly because I can’t ever think of what I want to say. And it never fails, the day after I send home the newsletter, I think of something that I really should have included. I know there are a ton of newsletter templates available, but that’s not really what I’ve always needed – I need the actual content. So I put together a great big list of potential newsletter topics, this way I can scan my list and choose a few that seem especially relevant and timely. I’ve organized…
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Ways to make lesson planning easier!
I’m one of those weird teachers – you know, the ones who love lesson planning. I love every part of it – analyzing what my student needs, finding new ideas, writing the plans, prepping materials – I love it! I’ve also come up with a number of ways to make lesson planning easier. Since many of you have probably begin to think about your first few weeks of the school year, and the rest of you are probably preparing to do things a little differently in the fall, I want to share some of the things that have been most helpful for me. The one thing that has been the…
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Friday Freebie – Beach Counting
Happy Friday! I hope that you are enjoying these summer weeks, I still haven’t figured out why they seem to fly by so much faster than the rest of the weeks during the year. Today’s freebie is perfect for summer, or for your beach theme. These play dough counting mats from Over the MoonBow encourage children to practice math skills while being creative. Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!
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Books about the Beach
I feel like summer themed books don’t always get the attention that they deserve because there are so many things to do in the summer besides read. There are a ton of beach books that will add new elements to your discussions about the beach. Here are a few of my favorites (all links are Amazon affiliates): At the Beach Good Night Beach Beach House A Day at the Beach Check these out and be sure to take some time examining the pictures, which might help you add to your list of dramatic play props to add to your own beach play!
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Dramatic Play Beach Props
While you may not be able to get to the beach this summer, you can definitely make your classroom feel a little more like the beach. Here are a list of props that you can collect for your dramatic play center to help create imaginative beach days: Beach towels Empty sunscreen bottles Sunglasses Beach umbrellas Sand toys Rafts and inflatable pool toys Beach balls Sun hats Flip flops Snorkel and flippers Your students can help you make a list of all of the things that they would need to take to the beach, they might come up with additional items that you had never even considered!
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Beach-Themed Sand Play
We may have hit the official halfway mark for summer when we celebrated the 4th of July last week, but that just means that we still have half of summer left to enjoy! What better way to enjoy all things summer time than with a trip to the beach?! While I would love to live near the beach – and around here we can make a day trip to Lake Erie happen – it’s not exactly a place that you can take a field trip to. Child care licensing tends to frown on large bodies of water, so we usually have to bring the beach to us. The perfect place…
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Friday Freebie – Number Puzzles
Happy Friday! Aren’t holiday weeks the best?! They go by so fast and then it’s the weekend again. I love these number sequencing puzzles, and this summer set from Klever Kiddos could not be cuter! These are great practice and can be used to focus on the number sequencing, or putting the picture together in the correct order. Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!
