Showing posts with label Classroom Organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classroom Organization. Show all posts
Behavior Management,
Classroom Organization,
Responsive Classroom
How to Set up, Introduce, & Implement a Take A Break Station
The week or so before school starts, our school sends a letter home welcoming students back to school, giving room assignments, final supply lists, and a letter from the teacher. Sadly, many of our parents do not use this information to prepare their kids for the first day. So, I take this opportunity to include a little something extra - the first day of school name and info tag.
The parents fill out a bit of information on the back and pin it to their child's shirt on the first day of school. Most of our children arrive on a bus or are dropped off at the front door and have no idea who their teacher is, how they're getting home, or whether they have lunch money.
Since I have been sending these name and info tags home, 99% of my students have come to school with them on! (Probably because I include the pins!) When they enter my room, I know how they came to to school, how they're getting home, whether they have lunch money, emergency numbers, etc. It is so nice to have a little info until I can get accurate paperwork returned!
If you would like an editable copy, click HERE. I just print them front to back on cardstock, cut them into four cards, punch a hole, and add a safety pin. If you download a copy, remember that it is editable and the fonts reverted to a common font on Google docs. Once you download it, give it whatever font you want and add in the info for your school and classroom.
And now for the Giveaway!
I have been so blessed to be able to share with so many of you out there in cyberspace and amazingly 1,000 folks have liked my Facebook page:) Who woulda thought?
So, I decided to host a little giveaway to help you choose a few new things for the new school year.
You have 3 chances to win and here are the amazing folks who have donated an item from their TPT store!
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
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The parents fill out a bit of information on the back and pin it to their child's shirt on the first day of school. Most of our children arrive on a bus or are dropped off at the front door and have no idea who their teacher is, how they're getting home, or whether they have lunch money.
Since I have been sending these name and info tags home, 99% of my students have come to school with them on! (Probably because I include the pins!) When they enter my room, I know how they came to to school, how they're getting home, whether they have lunch money, emergency numbers, etc. It is so nice to have a little info until I can get accurate paperwork returned!
If you would like an editable copy, click HERE. I just print them front to back on cardstock, cut them into four cards, punch a hole, and add a safety pin. If you download a copy, remember that it is editable and the fonts reverted to a common font on Google docs. Once you download it, give it whatever font you want and add in the info for your school and classroom.
And now for the Giveaway!
I have been so blessed to be able to share with so many of you out there in cyberspace and amazingly 1,000 folks have liked my Facebook page:) Who woulda thought?
So, I decided to host a little giveaway to help you choose a few new things for the new school year.
You have 3 chances to win and here are the amazing folks who have donated an item from their TPT store!
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
I love printing cute spinners for classroom games. I do not love the chaos that ensues when the kids use pencils and paper clips for the spinner. Pencils and clips go flying, holes get poked in the spinner, and usually there is an argument about accuracy.
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I tried using a brad, but the paper clip wouldn't spin freely creating even more problems. So I did a little adjusting and now I think I have found something that works!
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| Make a starter hole in the laminated spinner for the brad. |
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| Fold the back of the brad in the middle of the brad, not at the top, so that the brad is sticking up from the paper about half an inch. |
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| Tape the back of the brad to the back of the spinner to secure it. |
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| This is what it should look like once it is secured. |
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| Slip the paper clip over the brad. |
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| Start spinnin'! |
Settling In
The kids are finally settling in and getting the hang of procedures! My most un-favorite thing about starting a new school year is reteaching a new class all the procedures that make our day go smoothly. But, we're getting there!
I've attempted to incorporate some of the componants of Whole Brain Teaching this year and I am AMAZED at the results. I cannot wait to learn more about it. So far I have introduced the rules (slightly modified), Class-Yes, Hands and Eyes, and Mirror. Powerful!
I have been using the "Whole Brain Teaching-ish Rules" from
and 3rd Grade Thoughts.
The design is super cute and I really like the slight modifications to the rules. Go check out all her wonderful posts on Whole Brain Teaching!
I've also started a WBT Pinterest board to collect ideas. There are only a few pins so far, but as I come across great stuff - I'll pin it! Here's the link...
A Birthday
The busiest times of the year for a teacher are September, June, and the holidays. So when were all my kids born? You got it - September, June, and Thanksgiving. Today is my youngest son's 3rd birthday and all the child has wanted for months is a fire engine birthday party. Great! I can swing by the party store, let him pick out some cute fire truck plates and napkins, grab a couple of dozen cupcakes, drag it all into the preschool at the appointed time - and there you have it - birthday party, done!
But, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It seems all the party supply stores have decided that little boys do not want to have fire engine birthday parties anymore and have stopped carrying fire engine birthday party supplies. (Side note- you can buy all kinds of stuff for 247 different tv/movie related characters:(
On to Plan B (there really was no Plan B). The boy insisted that fire engines be involved so I fused together a few Pinterest ideas with a few fire engine birthday parties that I've thrown for the other boys and came up with this.
Here is what I used...
I hope your students are settling into their routines, too! Have a great week!
~Nikki
I did it. I made it through the first week of school. (My 17th one!) I'm tired, but I seem to have a good group of kids and they picked up on most of our procedures really well. I am introducing every aspect of my classroom bit by bit and as slowly as is necessary so I don't have to pick up the pieces later.
I am trying to use more chants and callbacks to help with transitions this year. I hope this will help the kids stay focused on the transition task (like putting away supplies or moving to the carpet) and not get caught up in conversation with a neighbor or tattling on someone.
My favorite one so far is for when we move from a circle on the carpet (or from our seats) into rows on the carpet. We sing, "Row, row, row your self gently into place. Quietly, quickly, we sit down, crisscross applesauce!"
I have a few pictures of my classroom (finally). They may seem a little plain - stations haven't officially opened and they are still a bit sparse. They will look a bit more inviting and 'lived in' after a few more weeks.
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I am trying to use more chants and callbacks to help with transitions this year. I hope this will help the kids stay focused on the transition task (like putting away supplies or moving to the carpet) and not get caught up in conversation with a neighbor or tattling on someone.
My favorite one so far is for when we move from a circle on the carpet (or from our seats) into rows on the carpet. We sing, "Row, row, row your self gently into place. Quietly, quickly, we sit down, crisscross applesauce!"
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