My Favorite End of the Year Tips and Tricks 17 comments End of Year, Popular Posts, Tips and Tricks The end of the year is rapidly approaching. The kids are buzzing with excitement. YOU are buzzing with excitement. But, not only is it an exciting time, it is a crazy time. So, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite tips and tricks for the end of the year. What follows is simply what works for me, and I truly hope you are able to take an idea or two away with you. I've got a few tips for surviving the last few weeks of school, as well as some tips to use now that will help you transition into a new school year with a bit less stress on your plate! One of my favorite things to do during the last 20 some days of school are projects. This might look like different things to different people, but to me, I love to do my annual American symbols research project. We started our symbols project last week and will continue to work on it until the last full week of school. The content is always fun and exciting for the kids and they love making all the fun art projects to go with their writing. You can read more about this project here, and you can check it out on TPT here. Another project that my students work on is an end of the year book. It's perfect to use when our curriculum starts to phase out (meaning we run out of lessons). I use various components of my End of the Year pack and turn them into a book (I bind them after they are finished). We will start this project next week. We work on these projects daily and the kids look forward to them every.single.day. They offer consistency, but also variety, and the students are always excited to share their finished projects with their families. This time of year often leads to behavior challenges. It can feel like the kids are teetering over that line that leads to chaos. But, if you really sit back and think about it, you will always be able to find several students who can always be counted on to set a good example for others. These students tend to be quiet, and are often overlooked when you're dealing with redirecting the teeter totters. One way that I let these students know I care, and that I see how hard they are working to set a good example for others is by writing them special notes. They always get excited when they walk into the classroom and find a card on their desk. They also love to take them home and share them with their families. It's such a quick and easy way to let those students know that you are aware of their wonderful efforts. While I'm all about keeping my kiddos engaged in learning up until the last minute possible, I'm not a total meanie. After all, summer IS right around the corner...you can't deny it, so you might as well embrace it. This year, I am using a countdown chain. At the end of each day we will remove the bottom link. As an added bonus, some of the chains have fun events written on them. Yes, I wrote them by hand. Sometimes I like to do things "old school." Hehe. Anyway, when a chain link with an activity written on it is cut off, the students will get to do that special thing the following day. You can grab this FREE countdown sign {here}. :) Here is a breakdown of the fun activities they will encounter over the next 20 days: Mustache Day (students will be given a fake mustache to wear) Sidewalk Chalk Art Fest (15 minutes outside decorating the blacktop with sidewalk chalk) Bubble Fun (students will get a mini container of bubbles and about 10 minutes to play with them outside) 10 minutes of extra recess (who doesn't love more play time??) 30 minutes of flashlight reading (a class favorite) Choose a new brag tag Watercolor Fun (let your students get creative and paint a fun picture) Movie Party (I like to save this one for last) At the end of the year, we are required to take everything off our walls and pack it up. Rather than save this job for the work day after the last day of school, I start removing stuff a few weeks in front of the last day. Once or twice a week, I simply remove one or two things from the walls, starting with things that the students don't need (think decor). This saves me lots of time so that when that work day rolls around, I can work on organizing my storage closets, or cleaning out my desk. At the end of the year, I like to start thinking about the year ahead. I know it seems crazy, but I am a planner to a fault. I typically prep as much as I can this time of year knowing that when I return in the fall, I have a few less things to worry about. So, what exactly do I prep? I prep the materials that I know I will need for the first week of school. Don't worry, I won't show you everything I've prepped, but here's a looksie. This is from my new Return of the Nerds back to school pack. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to use it next year! I prep letters and forms that I know I will set out at our Meet and Greet the Friday before school starts. You can find these (and many more) forms in my Back to School Forms pack. I also prep things the students will use all year long, like these amazing spelling dictionaries from Lucky to Be in First. I also laminate my name plates for the next year. I know that some people prefer to write the names and then laminate, but I've always laminated and then written their names with permanent marker. It works for me and saves me a ton of time in the fall. How do I accomplish this while still planning and prepping for the end of the year? I commit to coming in a little bit earlier a few days a week. This way, I can stake my claim on a copier (they are a hot commodity) and make a few copies here and there. Write down your ideas! I don't know why, but I always get ideas for the following year toward the end of the current school year and I don't want to forget them. So, I write them down. I just use a boring old spiral notebook and write down things that I might want to do next year. I bring the notebook home and add to it during the summer. Another way I save myself some time in the fall is by keeping my cubby drawer labels in tact. That is, I keep them attached to the cubby drawers. Rather than type students names on these, I write them with Sharpie. Since the label is laminated, I simply wipe the names off and leave them in place for next year. It saves ink, lamination pouches, and time (because I don't have to entirely remake the labels in the fall). To remove Sharpie from a laminated surface, simply use some hand sanitizer, a bit of elbow grease, and a tissue. Easy peasy! I do hope you were able to take an idea or two away today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and may the rest of your year be a breeze! Toodles! DON'T FORGET IT: PIN IT! Share It:
Inspirational quotes for the aspiring writers.
It's Saturday, so it's time to link up with my BBB Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation! The weeks leading up to spring break were absolutely horrible with chattiness -- talk, talk, talk. I'm talking about the kind of talk when there shouldn't be talk. I know the kids were excited -- I was excited -- be we still had some learning to do! So I came up with this very simple, yet powerful, way to control all of the talking. I call it Beat the Teacher. It basically is a game of you versus the students, and who doesn't love a little friendly competition? The way it works is that when I need the class to quiet down, I start counting backwards from five: 5-4-3-2-1. Sometimes the count is quiet, sometimes loud. Sometimes it's fast, sometimes very slow. Either way, the students have to be listening... If I get to "1" and there is even one student talking, I get the tally point. If the entire class is quiet, they get the point. It is awesome to watch the students try to quiet each other down. Points accumulate through the day (or week) As you can see from our score above, I lost this day. :) (But did I really???) The prize is simply bragging rights....Or it could be a simple class incentive (brain break? extra 5 minutes of recess?) Either way, we are all winners! Before I go, I wanted to make sure that you knew about a wonderful fundraiser going on over at Tori's Teacher Tips. The blogger community has an amazing way of supporting one another, and Tori could definitely use our help right now. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the motivational ideas over at Joanne's blog. I hope to see you there! I also hope to see you back here tomorrow for my Sunday linky party, A Peek at My Week, and/or onThursday for Positive Thinking Thursday. Happy Saturday!!
An integral part of having the perfect wedding is getting that wedding-ready body. Your fiance loves you just the way you are, but when you look back on your special…
I began 2018 with one word...
No matter what your age, you may, without realizing it, be enjoying the very last chapter of the relationships that matter most to you. Make it count.
What started with a summer challenge became a way of life. I am happy to share my experience, ideas, and thoughts with you on this simple life change.
If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you’ve probably noticed that I love Evernote. I’ve been using Evernote for at least five years now.
Your quick and dirty plan for getting more done.
Any time of change is part of life but it's not always a welcome part. It can spike your stress level and leave you sleepless. Let's pray about it...
As a birth number, three is one of the quickest to disclose its traits. It shows a keen, intuitive mind, with the ability to learn things rapidly, often at an early age. Many persons with this birth vibration are highly talented, but fail to use their ability to advantage. Being adaptable and capable in many […]
You are going to love these adorable Free Tree Play Dough Number Mats Counting 1 to 10! I love using play dough number mats to practice counting skills. Counting mats for preschoolers are incredibly versatile and are a great way to introduce the skill of counting or to reinforce counting skills with older children. Your child will love practicing counting and decorating the tree with play dough apples, lemons, flowers, leaves, or whatever else their imagination can dream up!
Type: Warm-Up, Focus Purpose: A simple game that requires focus and teamwork. Procedure: 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Count off around the circle “1, 2, 3”. (“1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc.”) 3. Do it again, but this time all the 1’s will be replaced by a snap of the fingers. (“snap, 2, 3, snap,...
Time is a precious commodity. And, regardless of your life station, time is the great equalizer. Whether you’re a billionaire or a college kid scraping to get by, we all have the same number of hours, minutes, and seconds of a day. When we waste time, we can never ge
Want to do an end of the year countdown to summer, but are limited on time! This 10-day countdown includes themed days and activities that correlate to the countdown number, but can easily be sprinkled throughout your last days of school. For each day, you'll prepare a countdown bag that will include themed activities that connect to the countdown number for the day. See this resource in action by reading Kindergarten End of Year Countdown: Flexible Fun for Those Last Days of School. THIS IS AN EDITABLE PRODUCT! Includes EDITABLE Powerpoint slides so you can customize the countdown calendar and activity circles to meet your own needs! Create a Countdown to Summer Bulletin Board by tacking up the bags and adding a balloon pop for each day of the countdown fun! ✅ Countdown to Summer Themed Days Include: 10 - Favorite Color Day 9 - Exercise Day 8 - Joke Day 7 - Song Day 6 - Game Day 5 - Favorite Book Day 4 - Dance Day 3 - Bright Future Day 2 - Book Buddy Day 1 - Special Treat Day Printables also included for many of the themed days! What Teachers Say About This Resource ❤️ “Perfect for our end of the year celebration! I loved that I could edit and change things around to best suit the needs of my class! I’ll be using it again and again! !” Beverly Stapler ❤️ “I have created the bags and have them all ready for the end of the year. The student are so excited to use them and I was able to add some books/other goodies to supplement each day.” Karen MK. ❤️ “It is the perfect resource to use at the end of the year! My students loved it!” Bethany J. You might also like: We Are (Almost) in First Grade! Transition Activities and Journal Kindergarten Send-off: End-of-Year Bundle! Blast-Off to Summer: 10-Day Countdown Activities with Google Slides Blast-Off to Summer Countdown Chain I so appreciate your feedback and take time to read every comment! Click on the star under my store name to find out about new products, sales, freebies! NEW PRODUCTS ARE NOW LISTED AT 50% OFF FOR THE FIRST 48 HOURS. FOLLOW AND SAVE!
It's that time of year again – we're counting down your favourite pieces of classical music in the world's biggest poll of classical tastes. But the big question is, can we guess what YOU would vote as your number one?
WHAT IS SUBITIZING? Subitizing is not a term that we use often, but it is an important mathematical concept that can greatly benefit student
Howdy! I am Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard. My real name is Greg Smedley-Warren. I have been teaching for 11 years. I spent a year teaching fifth grade, two years in second grade and am now in my 9th year in Kindergarten. Kindergarten is my passion and my calling but honestly, that wasn’t how it started. When I was moved to Kindergarten (not voluntarily!) I called my mommy and cried. But on the first day, I fell in love and knew that Kindergarten is where I belonged. I have remained in Kindergarten ever since. I plan to never leave the classroom as the kids are what drive me to continue my growth as a teacher and person.
Suunto 5 GPS Sport Watch This lightweight but durable GPS sports watch is perfect for anyone with a healthy and active lifestyle. Suunto 5 offers long battery life in a compact GPS watch, packed with multiple sport features making it easy for you to track all your workouts and follow your progress. Suunto 5’s intelligent battery modes and long battery life up to 40 hours mean you don’t have to worry about cutting your hikes and workouts short to recharge. Suunto 5 automatically counts your daily steps and calories, as well as tracking sleep quality, stress and recovery throughout the day. The stainless steel bezel, mineral crystal face, and glass fibre reinforced polycarbonate case mean this watch will survive even the toughest of conditions. The Adaptive Training Guidance features allows you to choose a regimen that best suits your fitness goals. The planned exercises are easy to activate, and once started, the watch guides you to stay at the right intensity. Suunto 5 Features Intelligent Battery Modes Fitness Level Tracking Wrist Heart Rate Over 80 Sport Modes 24/7 Activity Tracking Stress and Recovery Adaptive Training Guidance Water Resistance 50M Suunto 5 Specifications Measurements: 46 x 46 x 14.6 mm / 1.81 x 1.81 x 0.57 " Weight: 66 g / 2.33 oz Bezel material: Stainless steel Glass material: Mineral crystal Case material: Glass fibre reinforced polycarbonate Strap material: Silicone What's Included with the Suunto 5 Suunto 5 Charging Cable Quick Guide International limited warranty leaflet Safety and regulatory leaflet Suunto sticker Your Satisfaction with the Suunto 5 is Guaranteed 2 Year Limited Warranty Lowest Price Guarantee Free Shipping
Hey gang! Pardon the late post. I went with the sci-fi lovin’ hubster to see Prometheus. Not the best movie around, but not the worst either. (I’ll take it over Event Horizon any day!) The cool thing was that it was my first 3D movie. I kept wanting to grab the “stars,” but I somehow
Wow... I always forget how young the students are when they first enter our class. Since my "things" are coming in so young, they don't yet have a full aspect of 4th grade & expectations. I had to adjust some things because the students are still at a point where they won't admit if they understand something or need help. We are also working on self-assessment for the students. The students have to analyze themselves by a 1-4 scale. One being a -"Help me! I don't understand". A two- is "I need some help, but it can wait a few minutes." A three is "I am good to go!" A four is "I can teach someone!" Some of my munchkins though are putting up 4's (as a perfect score) when they don't know anything. So I decided to go to my helping hand to guide me as to what to do with my students. Pinterest. Pinterest had amazing things but then I modified it. I created an awesome document that contains two different things. 1. Is the scale on one side. 2. The other side is to show me if they need help after learning something new. I used the same paper and flipped it in the printer. Now, I can have the students mark if they are stuck, or good to go. They get to keep this on their desk and on the corner so it can indicate if they need assistance. This last picture was shown because I have about 35 students (between two classes). I punched a hole into each of the circles. I then took a paper clip and pushed it through the hole. I used some cool duct tape (zebra) and sealed it shut so it didn't poke the kids or separate. I am so excited to start this tomorrow. I know the kids will love it!! If you would like the document, you can go to my TN store or my TpT store. I hope you enjoy it. Happy shopping & Happy Pinning!
15 Sets of cards comparing values of coins and center instructions for six coin card games! Any set of cards can be used for any of the games. Change the sets of cards as your students increase in their money skills. Materials needed for the Coin Card Games: Scrapbook paper Laminating Pouches Laminator I recommend printing on scrapbook paper so the students are not able to see through the cards. Coin Card Games: Compares up to two coin values Set 1: Pennies Set 2: Nickels Set 3: Dimes Set 4: Quarters Set 5: Pennies and Nickels Set 6: Pennies and Dimes Set 7: Pennies and Quarters Set 8: Quarters and Nickels Set 9: Quarters and Dimes Set 10: Dimes and Nickels Set 11: Dimes and Nickels (interchanged for tens, example: $0.20=one dime and two nickels) Set 12: Nickels and Pennies (interchanged for $0.05, example: $0.10=one nickel and five pennies) Set 13: Nickels and Quarters (interchanged for $0.25, example: $0.50=one quarter and five nickels Set 14: Dimes and Pennies (using pennies for $0.05 or more) example: $0.15=one dime and five pennies) Set 15: Quarters and Pennies (using pennies for $0.05 or more) example: $0.35=one quarter and ten pennies Center instructions are included for the following coin card games: Slap-It! War Addition War Subtraction War Memory Go Fish! Instructions are also included on how to make a deck of cards for each game. Lots of differentiation possibilities! Teacher Instructions: Print on card stock and/or laminate the cards. (Card stock is recommended because some children will try to see through the cards.) Laminating might be prohibitive due to the number of cards needed to create multiple decks/multiple games, but it is highly recommended to make the cards last many years. If you cannot laminate, card stock is a MUST! Each set of cards is marked and has a different style for easy sorting. **Here is an example of the Slap-It! Directions: Instructions: Needs one set of cards for CENTER pile Use 2-4 copies of one set of cards for PLAYING cards or 2-4 sets of different cards for PLAYING cards To play: 2-4 players Place the CENTER cards face down in a pile. Deal the PLAYING cards equally among players. Place them face down in a pile in front of each player. Decide the first player. Flip over one of the CENTER cards. In clockwise order players flip one card at a time. When a PLAYING card is flipped that matches the CENTER card: SLAP-IT! The first player to slap the card takes the center pile of cards that have been played and adds them to the bottom of their own pile. Flip another CENTER card and continue playing. Game is finished when time is up or one player has all the PLAYING cards. This is a digital file. You will receive the PDF or .zip file for you to download and print.
Modern Cross Stitch Pattern Jurassic Theme Park Characters, designed by Geo Creations UK Welcome to the Jurassic age. 65 million years of evolution and cross stitch finds a way! Collection of 10 Characters and 1 T-rex! What is cross stitch? Cross stitch is one of the easiest forms of embroidery using a simple X shaped stitch repeated numerous times to create a design From focus to stress reduction, cross stitch is great for mindfulness and well-being. It will keep you entertained for hours and you will reap the rewards as you watch your design come to life stitch by stitch! This is a PDF counted cross stitch pattern for instant download Included in the PDF download: • Counted cross stitch pattern • Colour image of final design • Thread guide: A full list of all DMC threads required for this pattern. This pattern requires 23 colours • Aida Fabric guide This design can be made using any Aida Fabric Count (14ct, 16ct or 18ct is recommended) The image will differ in size depending on the Aida fabric used. See below fabric size required for each Aida count (Plus extra for edging): 6ct: 35.4” x 35.4” , 90 x 90cm 11ct: 19.3” x 19.3” , 49 x 49cm 14ct: 15.2” x 15.2” , 40 x 40cm 16ct: 13.3” x 13.3” , 34 x 34cm 18ct: 11.8” x 11.8” , 30 x 30cm 22ct: 9.7” x 9.7” , 25 x 25cm Total Stitches: 211 x 211 Individual character size: 50 x 35 stitches approx, except the T-rex they are much bigger! This pattern is made using full squares and a small amount of fractional stitching and back stitching Difficulty level: Medium This pattern is also available as a kit! Check out our store for the kit version plus many more designs Instructions have been primarily written in English, but have been translated into Español, Français, Deutsche, Italiano, Polskie, Português, русский & Nederlands We care about the environment which is why our products are made from 100% recyclable, environmentally friendly materials and we obtain our materials from as many locally sourced suppliers as possible. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions Happy Stitching! This pattern is for personal use only and not for resale © all rights reserved GEO CREATIONS UK, 2020 Colours may vary This is an unofficial fan art design
I began 2018 with one word...
Help kids practice adding to 10 with this fun, hands on cool...
How to transform your classroom calendar into a functional and attractive learning space using coordinating calendar decor from Kinder Craze.
Simply display this on your SmartBoard every morning. When students enter the room, they find their name and drag it to the appropriate lunch choice. Not only will this take care of your lunch choice, but you will be able to quickly view attendance too. Plus...we all know the students love to use t...
eastling: samflower: Touchpoint math. It was the big new trend with teachers when I was in elementary school, and pretty much messed me up for life I think. I still have to touch the dots when I do...
These FREE Penguin Life Cycle Worksheets are a great way for kids to not only learn about life cycles but also practice math and literacy too.
I began 2018 with one word...
Dream Year DREAM YEAR How To Achieve An Extraordinary Goal and feel good along the way Hi there! Do any of these resonate with you... 1. You set goals but don't follow through You have
How to transform your classroom calendar into a functional and attractive learning space using coordinating calendar decor from Kinder Craze.
