Teachers everywhere hunt for tips on pencil organization in the classroom! This post shares my specific steps for how I manage pencils in my elementary classroom. This is the best pencil system ever that I've used for years! PLUS you can grab a FREE Pencil System Planning Guide below! *This post contains affiliate links to
Use these memoir ideas and topics for middle school and high school in your classroom to help your students learn how to start a memoir!
A back to school cone (German schultute) is a great way to make the first day of school fun and exciting and get your kids those school supplies they'll need for the school year. I love to make a back-to-school schultute for my daughter every year because they are so easy, fun, and it's a great way to get the first week of school off to a good start!
Math About Me, Back to School, Freebie
Our Wrist Wraps will make acknowledging positive student behavior and achievement fun, engaging and easy-to-prep! We have carefully illustrated 10 gorgeous bands and provided them in color and blackline versions for you to simply print and cut. Wrap them around the wrists of your students and apply a piece of tape or dab of glue to secure. Included in this file so far are the following brag bands: Great work Well done I am wonderful I am a super star I am kind I am an awesome helper I worked hard today I do not give up I am amazing I did excellent work Little learners would love to color a blackline version using crayons or bright pencils before you wrap it on their wrist! In each of the 10 designs, we've provided 5 different color choices. Hop over to TpT to find this new printable in our collection!
I have a super fun way to display your excitement for school being back in session! WOOT! It comes with free printables for these pencils- I also made a sheet of little ones to
Try these middle school drama lessons and ideas.
I recently just finished my first set of Middle School Mentor Sentences to teach grammar. As I’ve started talking about and posting about Mentor Sentences, I’ve realized that most teachers fall into the following categories when it comes to implementing mentor sentences: I have no idea what mentor sentences are, but I am intrigued now. I ... Read more
Inside you'll find an easy step-by-step how to draw a Minecraft Self Portrait & Minecraft Coloring Page. Stop by and grab yours for free.
Don't you love simple crafts!? These pipe cleaner butterfly rings are so pretty and they're really easy to make. Pipe cleaner crafts are so much fun, especially when you can make something really awesome in less than 5 minutes using nothing but 2 and a half pipe cleaners! You don't need any glue, and you don't need any fancy supplies. Just pipe cleaners and a pair of scissors. This is such an awesome low mess craft for kids... and tweens, and teens, and adults... it's pretty great for all ages! These pipe cleaner butterflies are Part 2 in our pipe
Sharing activity inspired by Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems! Perfect for homeschool, classrooms, or family fun. Includes a free printable!
This blog is dedicated to making lesson planning a little bit easier for teachers who seek to teach with excellence (while still having a life outside of the classroom). This blog is primarily 1st grade focused.
I've got a Spaceman Freebie but first, I have some new products added to my Teachers Pay Teachers store: ⤤ SUPER EAS...
These 12 Sunday School Games are easy-prep, super fun Bible lesson games your kids will LOVE! These active classroom games and Bible lesson review games will have your kids laughing and learning in no time!
I have a super fun way to display your excitement for school being back in session! WOOT! It comes with free printables for these pencils- I also made a sheet of little ones to
Promoting engagement is a key factor in creating an effective classroom environment. In my classroom, I use drama in a variety of ways and have always found it to be a wonderfully engaging motivator for my students. These Task Cards are a fantastic resource to help you bring drama and enhance engage...
Start your year on the right note by having students create their own Doodle Tent! Build relationships & connect with your students in a meaningful way!
Celebrate the First Day of Kindergarten with one of these adorable, FREE printable hats perfect for back to school!
Planning last day of school activities that engage students and don't stress you out shouldn't be difficult! These 7 low prep ideas are...
Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.
Looking for easy Ocean Crafts? This printable Easy Octopus Craft is perfect! Preschoolers can practice their scissor skills with this fun idea
Do you belong to a book club? I never understood the true value of a lively book discussion until I joined a book club as an adult. I am an avid reader, so when I was invited to join a book club, I jumped in with both feet! I gained so much knowledge by debating and discussing the merits of a book and wanted to share this experience with my students. There are a couple of key points I try to remember when I organize literature circles. Mix up your students, personalities and interests will make for livelier discussions. Talk to your students about how to object or give a dissenting opinion in a respectful manner. Although everyone has genres that we naturally gravitate towards, it's important for readers to stretch themselves. One of the book clubs I belonged to, read a book from a different genre each month. I don't necessarily enjoy every genre, but because of this experience, I discovered a couple of new ones to love. Sometimes it's a matter of reading the right book! Focus on two genres when you organize literature circles. Organized this way, you can let students meet with groups of the same book and groups of the same genre. For a whole group lesson, compare and contrast the two genres with a venn diagram. The great thing about Literature Circles is that it can be used with such a wide range of age levels. When I taught first grade, two of my reading groups were reading G.E. 2.5 or higher. I still met with these groups for skill work, plus I gave them time to meet as a Literature Circle for enrichment. This is also a good way to differentiate if you teach older students. I've been helping my daughter's 6th grade teacher, Sandy, set up Literature Circles for her classroom. (the pictures are from her classroom) When you have 30 students for half a day, time is a valuable commodity. Differentiating with young students is hard, but half a day with 30 students is a greater challenge. It took the two or us working together three days to put 60 kids in 22 groups! Yes, you heard me right . . . 22 groups. Putting a 1st grade class in literature circles and a 6th grade class in literature circles has similarities, but also some differences. In 6th grade you see a greater difference with fluency rates. Sandy's wanted her students to finish their book in 6 weeks. Fluency rate and ability level were the first two things we considered when putting them in groups. Then we looked at personalities. Some students work well in large group, others do better in small groups. Our largest group has 4 students and our smallest has 2. I will never complain about meeting with 4 or 5 reading groups again. Here are the tubs, ready to begin the first rotation on Monday. Each folder has a blue note attached with the students' names and title of book they will read. Behind the folder are their books. Inside the folders I attached page protectors to the prongs to hold the necessary assignments. In the past, I had a tub of files folders that held the assignments. But, I hated the long lines. Although this took more time to put together, I believe in the "pay it forward" philosophy. The student who is the C.E.O. of the group will be in charge of getting their group's folder from the tub. Since each folder has assignments for 5 jobs and only one student will get it, that means 4 students or 80% less students standing in line. Here is the bulletin board where the students find out their job assignment. The orange and yellow wheels are the job wheels. The green notes are the charts showing the groups. To save time and space, you can put two groups on one wheel. I typed up even numbered groups in red and odd numbered groups in blue. I can use the same wheel each year. Just put a new label over the top! There are many wonderful literature circle printables on the internet. There were a couple of specific things I was looking for, so I tweaked the forms and made my own. My jobs are: C.E.O.: This is the boss of the group. The C.E.O. is in charge of getting the folder, handing out assignments, and leading the discussion. The C.E.O. also has an assignment to do. The C.E.O. will complete a connection assignment. It can be connection to self, world, or text. He or she will draw a picture with at least 5 different colors and write at least 3 sentences. The Dictionary Director will find 3 words from the reading assignment. The words will be whatever our current grammar/writing focus is during our lessons. I.E. If we are studying adjectives, the D.D. will find 3 interesting adjectives from the reading assignments. The D.D. can look up the words in a dictionary or can use the computers or iPads. The Map maker has a choice of 3 assignments. He or she may complete a character map, venn diagram, or story element chart. The Newscaster is looking for the main ideas in the reading assignment. He or she will take notes of important characters and events and give a "newscast" when the group meets. The Quiz Whiz is in charge of testing the group's knowledge. No basic knowledge questions are allowed! Questions should either be predictions, explain: how/why's, connections/comparisons, or opinion questions. Literature Circles Looking for more ideas? An InLinkz Link-up
These 8 free printable Super Mario bookmarks to color are fantastic ways to boost reading fun and creativity.
If I Were a Superhero Identify a few well-known superheroes with your students and brainstorm adjectives that describe these superheroes and their actions. After reviewing the list, ask students to identify people in their real lives that possess these characteristics. Ask students to complete this thinksheet and describe what kind…
Are you looking for some fun STEM activities for 3rd graders? You've come to the right place!
These following directions drawing activity ideas will teach kids to listen carefully to instructions and interpret them.
With this Google Sheets Gradebook, you'll finally stay on top of grading. You'll have access to your digital gradebook through Google Drive and can easily print the gradebook template, too. You'll find automatic averages, options for assignment weighting, and built-in student reports. There are two gradebooks available to you with purchase. ⭐ GRADEBOOK ONE ⭐ This gradebook is super simple to use. This is perfect for someone new to Google Sheets who just wants an easy digital gradebook to keep track of student results on assignments, projects, tests, etc. It works as a printable & digital gradebook so you can print a quick one-pager to add to your teacher binder to help you stay organized. This Google Sheets gradebook is 100% editable and customizable. It's appropriate for any grade level because the editable gradebook template allows you to record grades however you want: percentages, 4-point scale, fractions, etc. Gradebook one does not automatically calculate averages, offer assignment weighting, or generate student reports. But gradebook two does... ⬇ ⭐ GRADEBOOK TWO ⭐ This digital gradebook has ten subject pages (subject names and icons can be changed) that calculate student averages. It generates four different student reports and grades can be displayed by percentages, letter grades, descriptors, 4-point scale, or 5-point scale. Reports can be easily printed off or downloaded as PDFs. In this Google Sheets gradebook, there are three ways to adjust assignment weighting. You can do this by individually weighting assignments, adjusting term weighting, or assigning assessment category weighting (assignments, quizzes, projects, etc). You can also turn weighting options off so that all assignments, categories, and terms are weighted evenly. ⭐ TUTORIAL VIDEOS ⭐ Setup videos are included for both of the Google Sheets Gradebook templates to get you started to finally stay on top of grading! In summary, both GRADEBOOK ONE and GRADEBOOK TWO are included in the purchase of this resource. Which digital gradebook you choose to use, is up to you! GRADEBOOK ONE ⭐ Easy to use ⭐ 100% editable ⭐ As many subjects Sheets are you want ⭐ Perfect for keeping a simple record of grades ⭐ Flexibility in how you enter grades (percentages, fractions, letters, numbers, etc.) ⭐ No averaging, assignment weighting, or reports GRADEBOOK TWO ⭐ Best suited for those comfortable in Google Sheets ⭐ Ten subject gradebook Google Sheets ⭐ Automatically calculates averages ⭐ Options for weighting by term, assignment category, and individual assignments ⭐ Option to turn weighting off ⭐ Four different student reports are automatically generated ⭐ View grades on reports in percentages, letter grades, descriptors, 4-point or 5-point scales What Teachers Have Said ✿ Joy said, "Two words: lifesaver! I am thrilled I purchased this. Thank you for the video that explained how to use this. Thank you for making record-keeping so much easier!" ✿ Aisha said, "This is one of the most needed resources I purchased this year. I used this to organize my grades and complete checklists for my students. I enjoyed the premade templates. I copied the templates for every 9 weeks, saved them, and printed them. I am glad I stumbled across this resource." ✿ Karen said, "This resource has allowed me to put grades in as you would in a hard copy gradebook. It can be used over and over which I like (no need to purchase one each year) and you don't have to carry it around. Having it all digital has been a nice treat!"
How is your seating chart working in your secondary classroom? Avoid these mistakes and make your seating chart more powerful.
A game-changing, relevant writing lesson for all middle and high school students. Teaching email etiquette helps students with real-world communication.
Your early learners are absolutely going to LOVE this school clip cards printable! Perfect for quiet time or free time in your early childhood classroom.
Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten is dedicated to fresh, engaging, and fun teaching ideas for toddlers, preschoolers, and the K-2 grade classroom.
Start your year off right by decorating your STEM classroom to inspire your students to have fun, take risks, and have a growth mindset.
Special Education teachers are the masters of data collection! At times, collecting data can be overwhelming, especially when you sometimes have to outsource the collecting to other teachers, specialists, or teaching assistants. Tracking accommodations is necessary to make sure an IEP is being followed and can be helpful in determining which accommodations should be added to or removed from the IEP. Believe it or not, collecting data on accommodations and modifications does not have to consume your life! Share Information Be sure to share vital information with all teachers and assistants that work with your students. I have an accommodations organizer that I organize all of the information of my class. The information is in one place which is helpful for sharing information with assistants, special area teachers, and substitutes. When I first began teaching, I did not bother sharing such information with special area teachers until it was brought to my attention that a student of mine did not complete a test in physical education class. That student had trouble reading and was supposed to have his tests read. The PE teacher was unaware of his accommodations and therefore did not deliver them. I use a special form that reminds me of who needs to be informed of accommodations and modifications at the beginning of the school year and after an IEP annual review. Train Your Team If you have paraprofessionals in your classroom working with students, it is important to train them in how to deliver and how to track accommodations and modifications. Some interventions are more detailed than others. Observe your team while they are working with students and provide feedback as needed. The time you put in to properly train your team to record data the same way you would is so well spent! Use Checklists When I first started teaching, I used to write notes on a post-it that included which accommodations and modifications were used on assignments along with their effectiveness. It was very time consuming and often times, I forgot to add some things. Finally, I came up with a few checklists and forms to help the process. Level of Support One of the forms I use tracks the level of support a student needs from an adult. I use this one to determine the need for a 1:1 teaching assistant. It is useful before adding a TA and to collect data to see if continuing the intervention is a necessity. The adult that works with the student at that time fills it out while working with the student. Accommodations and Modifications Tracker I use this form two ways, depending on what I am collecting data for. As an IEP meeting approaches, I like to review the need for the interventions on the IEP. I can track the types of interventions are needed for different types of assignments and activities. More importantly, I can track the effectiveness of such interventions. I can also cut this tracker apart to staple it onto work samples. The work samples can be to show the Committee on Special Education the student's growth or regression. I also like to send work home with students with the form filled out from time to time so parents can see what kind of help the student needs in order to complete assignments at school. Frequency Tracker Another way I like to track the use of accommodations and modifications needed in school is with a frequency tracker I created. This gives me a quick visual of which interventions are being used and which are not. I focus on this during the weeks before a meeting so I can determine which accommodations and modifications need to remain, be added, or be removed from an IEP. Data collection is so important but it doesn't have to take over your entire life. Once you create a few checklists that fit your classroom or purchase one of the many checklists and charts from my TpT store, you will save yourself a ton of time and will have more data than you've ever had before!
One of our activities this week included talking about some of our favorite things. We then made these super, cute people to go with our wri...
I love using QR codes to make my task cards more exciting and interesting. They are so easy to make and even easier to use.
Use this collection of Vincent Van Gogh teaching resources and complete Famous Artist Unit lesson plans for elementary art classes.
Looking to grab students' attention during the first week of school with fun and easy science experiments? These super fun back to school science experiments are perfect for your first week of school science activities.
FUN End of the Year Art Projects- It's the end of the year-go out having FUN! I know how it goes at the end of the year-your tired, the kids are tired...EVERYONE is ready for summer break! Go out with a bang with these super fun end of the year art projects!
