A read-aloud book such as Our Class is a family is an amazing way to build a positive, safe, and supportive community in your classroom!
A blog about the 4th grade classroom of Mrs. Skowronski
Having students color in posters with their names is a great first day activity that provides yearlong decoration for the classroom!
Need a fun getting-to know-you activity for the beginning of school? This name tag glyph has easy to follow directions and is a lot of fun for kids. Students answer the questions about themselves and then decorate their name tag according to their answers. Follow up the activity by having students introduce a partner to the class. Make sure to display them for all to see. Find it here. Enjoy! Christina
How many days do you have left of summer break? Let me check the calendar...40 days until I'm officially back to school! But I really don'...
I am all done with parent conferences and it feels great! I had the most terrific year and I’m so happy to share my students’ progress with their parents. During parent conference time, I always love to have lots of student work to display. I absolutely love to incorporate student pictures into student work. This ... Read More about Silhouette Autobiographies and Read Across America
Math About Me, Back to School, Freebie
Get 10 free back to school resources for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade here. Free printable + digital back to school resources!
Is it too soon to be talking about ‘Back to School ideas’ already?
This Editable Back to School Goal Setting Backpack Craft is a super cute and fun goal setting activity. It is absolutely perfect for the first day of school and to display inside or outside of your classroom for the beginning of school and open house. It so easy to prep and your students will have so much fun finishing this activity. What's Included: -directions -example picture -multiple printing options with editable name patch letters **Please know that by purchasing this resource you are purchasing the rights to use these activities in a single classroom. If you plan to share this resource with other teachers, please send them to my store to purchase individually or you may purchase additional license(s). THIS RESOURCE WAS NOT CREATED TO USE WITH ANY DIGITAL PLATFORM OR EASEL**
This hilarious little gem is the perfect first day of school book! See how I use it in my classroom to create the most fun and full first week of school ever! I even build anticipation before the first day of school by displaying this on meet the teacher night.
Discover eight beginning of the year math activities that you can use on the first day of school to engage your new students.
This back to school social emotional learning resource is the perfect companion to your start of school lesson plans. It includes PRINTABLE & DIGITAL mini-lesson ideas and engaging activities that build connections in the classroom and teach important social and emotional skills to children during the most important time of year! The mind+heart SEL back to school resource and activities will support kids as they learn to be positive members of the classroom community, develop self-awareness, build new relationships, and act with kindness and empathy. Why start the year with social-emotional learningThe beginning of the school year is such an important time to start teaching social and emotional skills. Teaching these early will help set a positive tone in your classroom for the rest of the year. Kids will begin to feel a part of the classroom community, have a stronger sense of self, and be better prepared to handle the challenges that they face throughout the year. What is the scope and sequence?It includes 4 weeks of SEL lessons and activities in 4 themes for the start of school. There are 5+ lessons and activities for each theme.Week 1: community buildingWeek 2: all about me (building confidence & self-esteem)Week 3: relationshipsWeek 4: kindness & empathy I suggest teaching one lesson/activity per day. They can be easily integrated into your morning meeting, read aloud time, writing block, or during brain breaks and transitions. This resource was made with the K-2 classroom teacher in mind, but would work well with any childhood educator or school counselors working with groups of children. What does the mind+heart Back to School SEL resource include?Look at the PREVIEW for a look at this SEL resource up close and the variety of lessons and activities included! The mind+heart SEL back to school resource includes a variety of thought provoking discussion topics, community building ideas, and engaging activities to help build and maintain important social and emotional skills. Children will have many opportunities to learn, practice, and develop through a variety of activities as they start the school year. Theme #1: Community BuildingStart building classroom community on day one with these lessons and activities. They encourage respect for one another, forming connections, and appreciation for others and their differences. Lessons & Activities:Quote poster to hang and/or colorClassroom contractIce breaker gamesRole play scenario task cards'All Are Welcome' book & writing activityClass book Theme #2: All About MeGet to know each other better and help children feel more comfortable in the classroom with these lessons, activities, and routines that encourage understanding, confidence to grow, and identities to form. Lessons & Activities:Quote poster to hang and/or colorStar of the Week writing and hat'This School Year Will be the Best' book & goal writing activitySelf-portrait photograph with writing art activity'Get to Know Me' discussion cardsWelcome banner and pennant Theme #3: RelationshipsBegin to build friendships and relationships in the classroom through lessons and activities that permit children to focus on learning and getting to know one another and the teachers, while thriving in the new classroom environment. Lessons & Activities:Quote poster to hang and/or color'A Good Friend' anchor chart & writingFriendship wreath'How to Get Your Teacher Ready' book & how-to writing activityInterview a FriendScavenger HuntFriendship BINGO Theme #4: Kindness & EmpathyEmpathy and kindness are particularly significant topics to start teaching children about at the start of school. These lessons and activities will guide kids to act with kindness and compassion when interacting throughout the day. Lessons & Activities:Quote poster to hang and/or color'The Day You Begin' book & writing lessonBoard gameRole-play scenario task cardsKindness Challenge - calendar & awardsWrinkled heart lesson DIGITAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: Many of the activities from the printable version have been created in a digital version. These are ready in Google Slides for use in Google Classroom. The digital pages are great for use during remote teaching, distance learning, and in a one-to-one classroom! Notes for Teachers:Teachers are provided with a scope and sequence, topic layout, photos in action, and detailed instructions for teaching and using the activities and materials. FAQ:Is this resource included in the mind+heart K-2 curriculum?This resource is NOT included in the curriculum. This resource takes a different structure and is meant to start your class off on the right path with SEL. I highly recommend going further and continuing to teach social and emotional skills through the year after this resource has been taught with the mind+heart K-2 curriculum. ♥♥The mind+heart Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for K-2 is an SEL curriculum for the whole year and is available for a SPECIAL DISCOUNT. Get your entire year’s worth of lessons (40 included) and activities to help young children to develop emotional literacy, self-control, and social competence TODAY! ♥♥ Is this resource different from the mind+heart K-2 curriculum?While this resource touches on similar topics (kindness, relationships, and empathy), the mini-lessons and activities are BRAND NEW! These lessons are geared specifically for starting the year, getting to know one another, and developing classroom community. I highly recommend starting to teach the year with this resource and then implementing the curriculum afterwards. Check out the other SEL units for K-2:Emotions & FeelingsSelf-Regulation & Self-ControlGrowth MindsetRelationships & FriendshipEmpathy & Social AwarenessKindness & Bucket FillingRespect & GratitudeResponsibility, Goal Setting, & Conflict Resolution Related ProductsKindness Classroom Challenge Pack with Calendars Stay connected with Proud to be Primary♥Join our email list and get weekly teacher tip emails and access to our FREE resource library. ♥Visit our website at Proud to be Primary for tons of engaging ideas for teaching kids in the classroom!♥Join our Facebook group and connect with thousands of PROUD primary teachers like yourself. Please read the description, review the preview file, and read the FAQ in our Help Center carefully before purchasing. Question not answered? Reach out to support at [email protected]. All digital sales on Proud to be Primary of resources are considered final and non-refundable. © Copyright 2013 to Present, Proud to be Primary, Elyse Rycroft. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. This product is licensed for personal classroom use ONLY unless multiple licenses are purchased. The reproduction, alteration, adaptation, copying, or sale of any part of this product is strictly prohibited. Read the full Terms and Conditions HERE.
Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.
Using positive classroom management is important in establishing a safe environment in which students can learn, collaborate, and create.
One idea that I found during my observation was the Me Bag. As each student filed into the room that morning for the first time, they were greeted with a white paper bag closed with a clothespin. I loved that it looked like each student was receiving their own special gift!
Are you like me and busy checking Instagram and Pinterest for Back to School ideas? Even though I have been teaching for many years, I get bored doing the same thing year after year. Pl…
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break! I hate being the bearer of bad news, but Back to School is quickly approaching…Yikes!! I’m sure many of you are clinging on to those last few days of vacation. If you are having trouble setting down the margarita and jumping back into school mode, I totally
Kevin Henkes' book has been a back to school fave in our classroom for years, but these Chrysanthemum activities work long past the first day!
Get ready for the new school year with these retro meet-the-teacher templates! Perfect for adding a touch of vintage charm to your classroom, these editable templates are designed with a fun, colorful aesthetic that will help you make a great first impression on your students and their families. This set includes multiple templates that can be easily customized to suit your needs. Whether you want to introduce yourself, share important class information, or highlight your classroom policies and procedures, these templates have got you covered. And with their easy-to-use PowerPoint format, you can quickly and easily edit them to make them your own. These retro meet-the-teacher templates are a great way to stand out and make a lasting impression. So why wait? Download them today and get ready to wow your students and their families with your unique and stylish classroom decor. ***2 font options are included. ***Headers can be edited to meet your needs! (change language/font choice.) ***This product will be downloaded as a PowerPoint file. You must have PowerPoint to use and edit this file. Custom orders I am not currently taking custom orders. Copyright© Stephanie Nash All rights reserved by the author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution is limited to single classroom use only. *****This is a digital file. You will NOT receive anything in the mail. You will download this file and print it on your own. *****
The first day of school is always chaotic! Follow this simple trick and use playdough on the first day! Learn how and why it works here!
Well, I'm back in 2nd grade...and it feels so good!! I'm not going to lie, I have missed it so. This year, we only had 2 days for back to school type of stuff. I wish we would have had at least 3, but I still got some fun stuff in there! Here are some of the books I read this week... I'll show you some of the activities I did for these books. We started our first day with a SUPER cute book You're Finally Here. (this book is SUPER expensive on Amazon right now, but try Amazon Canada!) I love doing this activity from Linda Kamp's pack - it was so cute! Bucket Filler for Kids I found this poster on Pinterest, but there was no source, so I don't know whose idea this was originally, but it's super cute. I just remade it on chart paper and laminated it for future use. Then we did the Bucket Filler from Amy Lemons and Erica Boher. (the strips come from Erica) We also read The Invisible Boy (this book is SO CUTE) and David Goes to School. This is one of my favorite activities to do for David Goes to School. We did a few activities from Rooted in Reading for The Invisible Boy, but the only one I took a picture of was our Class Pledge...which is actually different from what is in the packet, but instead we just used it for our "Rules for the Class." We read Listen, Buddy and did this anchor chart together. Then we did some fun activities from Angela (freebie in her TPT store). Also, within the first week, I like to take their pictures. I do a few different pictures... one with a first week sign, one with just a regular smile, and one with them doing whatever pose -this goes on the wall around our welcome board outside our room. (I always do a first week one, instead of a first day one... because, like this year, I didn't take the pictures on the first day. lol) I take these pictures and I put them in their Memory Books. I forgot to take pictures of them working on them this week, but I'll be sure to show you how we're storing them for the year next week. With only 2 days, we didn't get to do a lot, more will come next week! You can see what I've also done in my first few days of 1st Grade HERE.
The beginning of the year is always a whirlwind with the first few days of school and Open House/Visitation. Whether you have your Open House/Visitation before school starts, or once the year is already in full swing, it’s still a huge undertaking! Today I’m sharing with you my 5 favorite tips for your Open House ... Read More about Kindergarten Visitation!
Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.
This hilarious little gem is the perfect first day of school book! See how I use it in my classroom to create the most fun and full first week of school ever! I even build anticipation before the first day of school by displaying this on meet the teacher night.
My favorite part about getting ready for back to school is getting all of the bulletin boards set up around my classroom. Here are some of my favorite ideas.
This is A Letter To My Teacher Writing Activity that pairs well with the book A Letter From Your Teacher. All you have to do is print and go. After reading the book to your new students at the beginning of the year, students will love the chance to write a letter to you - their new teacher. These activities are a great way to begin to build classroom community and to get to know your students. A Letter To My Teacher Writing Activity
Can you believe that the back to school season is already upon us?! While you are decorating your classroom and printing math centers, I think it is very important that you take some time and think about how you will go about teaching and practicing classroom procedures. The number one thing you can do to
Find activities and tips on how to build a classroom community, so each student feels welcomed, loved, and comfortable coming to school.
Have you struggled with guided reading in your classroom? Do you teach whole group, small group, or a combination of both? I have been teaching for 20 years and I finally feel comfortable with all forms of guided reading. Believe me, I have been around the block with too many programs to name them all. For 2 years I have been working on building the perfect whole group guided reading curriculum for first grade. The success I felt this past year with my students was undeniable and I'm so excited to share it with you. Here is what Guided Reading with a Purpose looks like. This is picture of SOME of the books included. Guided Reading with a Purpose is REAL LITERATURE. Each day a new book is shared with your class. My students love picture books and they love hearing a new story everyday. The books that are shared are based on the weekly theme. After sharing the story with your class, you work on the focus. If the focus is main idea and details, then all week you will work on that skill. Your students will have loads of practice and a full understanding of it all while enjoying a new shared reading each day. When picking the books for the units, I made sure they were still in print and readily available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Scholastic. Guided Reading with a Purpose is STANDARDS BASED INSTRUCTION. Each week the focus is based on a standard. It is all mapped out with the focus standard stated on the chart. Keep in mind many more standards are integrated in daily lessons but I thought it was important to state the KEY focus for the entire unit. Guided Reading with a Purpose provides a weekly LESSON PLAN GUIDE for instruction. We as teachers all know what is best for our students so a framework is provided for you on how I teach each unit with suggestions for extensions throughout the week. Guided Reading with a Purpose is filled with anchor charts and posters. This is by far one of the most beneficial pieces to use each day. I'm not going to lie, the prep work of copying and laminating can be time consuming but it is well worth it. Everyday after school, I would set up my posters and charts to prepare for the next day's lesson. It really helped guide my discussion after the shared story. I also used it to review after they completed their independent work and as a reference for many writing activities. It was almost like a teacher's helper throughout the lesson. Guided Reading with a Purpose provides lots of PRACTICE. I always tell my students that if they want to be better readers, they need to read. This is true for writing and anything in life.. Practice makes progress. For each shared story there are different opportunities to practice the focus skill. I tried to give differentiated version so there was choice. Ultimately, you will know what is best for each student or class. In this picture, my students are comparing polar bears to penguins. When they finished, they shared their posters with their classmates and we hung them up in the classroom. Guided Reading with a Purpose has GROUP WORK. My students LOVE to work together. Throughout the year we did more and more group work. Nobody wants to sit at their seat and do paper work all day long. There are ample opportunities to work together and learn from one another. During the week that we were learning about text to text connections, students were encouraged to bring in two books and share the text connection. Guided Reading with a Purpose has SHARING & PRESENTING. Some students love to share and some are very reluctant. I will be honest, I'm not a huge fan of homework or big projects. I tried to make things that came from home simple or something my students could do independently. I think sharing and presenting is an amazing skill to develop and work on (plus it is also a standard). My kiddos loved the opportunity to share and were always so proud. (So was their teacher) Guided Reading with a Purpose is WRITING. Do you struggle with teaching writing? I'm here to tell you that children's literature is a great way to generate ideas for writing. Each story, I provide a connection to use in writing with either informative, opinion, or narrative writing. My first graders are super writers by the end of the year. Guided Reading with a Purpose includes RESEARCHING. Another one of our standards is research. The last few units are filled with research based learning. It is such a fun way to spend the last month of school. They are more independent, they get to collaborate and they share all that they have learned throughout the year. Guided Reading with a Purpose included CRAFTS. Tons and tons of crafts for the entire year. I personally like to change things up a bit from year to year. This allows me the opportunity to pick and choose what I want to do with my kiddos and work on their fine motor skills at the same time. I had an INCREDIBLE year last year using my Guided Reading with a Purpose. My kids grew so much and really LEARNED the different reading strategies. There were numerous times I laughed inside when they would say "Mrs. Mitchell, I can make a text to self connection". or "Mrs. Mitchell I know this is non-fiction because it has a table of contents and real photos". I can't wait to teach all of these units again this year and see the same growth. Here is what people have said about this unit... "WOWZA ... This is one of my favorite TPT purchases. It has it all. Thanks for all your hard work." "What an amazing and comprehensive bundle! This has helped me organize my guided reading time and meet the needs of all of my students. Thank you for an amazing resource!" "Wow! I have never spent this much on a TPT resource at once but after watching your FB videos about this product, I was HOOKED! I am so excited to use this in my classroom and appreciate all of the hard work and time you put into making this! Thank you!" "Love the craftivities and how you organize your product! Your booklist is also practically the same as the ones I had in mind for this year!"
Start building community from the beginning of the school year with this fun and engaging back to school activity, Friend Wanted Ads.
I am hearing from so many teacher friends who are hard at work preparing for the start of the 2013-2014 school year. I must admit I a...
2nd Grade All About Me 2nd Grade Poster! Discover our Fun Beginning of Year Activities and Coloring Pages! This engaging activity makes a fantastic Getting to Know You Worksheet and is perfect for a Back to School Craft. Ideal for creating a Welcome Back to School Bulletin Board, this product includes 8 Back to School Writing Prompts with Journal Pages, helping you learn more about your students. Looking for a Different Grade? 1st Grade All About Me Back to School Activities 2nd grade All About Me Back to School Activities 3rd Grade All About Me Back to School Activities 4th Grade All About Me Back to School Activities 5th Grade All About Me Back to School Activities 6th Grade All About Me Back to School Activities 7th Grade All About Me Back to School Activities 8th Grade All About Me Back to School Activities Generic All About Me Back to School Activities Looking for More "Get to Know You" Activities? Cute All About Me BTS Products Purpose of this Product: Our Back to School Activity Pack is designed to help teachers keep students engaged and busy while teaching procedures. This product also solves the issue of planning for the beginning of school because there are almost two weeks of mix and match activities to choose from. It is a very low prep, easy print-and-go product. This Back to School packet solves some of the first of the year challenges and helps to kick off a successful school year! Ways to Use this Product: Mix and match printouts which can be used independently Make an All About Me Book Use the Doodle Reflection Page as a Back to School Bulletin Board Display First week of School Writing Station Art integration with writing Writing assessment tool Included in this Product: Back to School All About Me Printable 8 Writing Prompts and Journal Pages with Choice Board “Dear Future Me” Letter A to Z About Me Reflection Sheet Get to Know Each Other Printout Make Your Own Doodles Sheet Blank Grade Specific Page Australian spelling version has been added. Enjoy! Hubbard’s Cupboard
You MUST READ these 10 Time Saving Tips for Teachers! They will help you save time, be a master at classroom organization, and rock your class management! You won't want to miss the FREE resources.
Are you looking for tips and tricks for working with partners in the classroom classroom? Read on to learn all the hacks!
