Use this template to remember what students looked like at the start and end of the school year! A great activity to do for back to school. Choose from one of five templates options with varying line widths and image spaces. The text is completely editable, so you can alter the year and […]
The ultimate list of activities on the first day of school to make students feel welcome, excited, and ready to learn! Crafts, games...
It’s August! When I was teaching I was already starting to feel beginning of the year pressure and stress! Maybe only an early childhood teacher can understand that, but the beginning of th…
August Quotes feature some interesting perspectives on the eighth month of the year. I think you will enjoy these quotes about August.
Get free printable coloring pages for kids to use at school or home. These coloring sheets are super cute and easy to download and print for a quick and fun activity for kids.
Transition from summer to back-to-school.
This all about me poster is great for back to school and learning about classmates!
Color with our months of the year coloring pages, featuring fun illustrations for kids to enjoy! From January snowflakes to December cheer!
The back to school dreams have started, my room is almost ready, and summer has come to an end, which can only mean the first day of school is upon us! I wanted to spend some time today talking about all things Kindergarten, especially the first few weeks of school… The Good, The Bad, and...
We are 17 days into school and I finally feel as if I can catch my breath! There are so many procedures to teach, model, practice, give feedback, re-teach, model, practice . . . WHEW! I feel like we are finally getting it. Start of the Day Procedures -How to enter the school ... Read More about The First Weeks of School – Procedures and a Freebie
Are you ready for back to school? I am! Actually, we already had our first day of school and we are just about in full swing. It was a great first 3 days of school and I know next week will be even better as we begin to build some routines. Here are a few of my favorite things from the first day. You are "of-fish-ally" in kindergarten! I had a spot ready for every student with a water bottle (super important!), gold fish, coloring page, and this year I added a little pencil box with manipulatives inside. It went great! I was able to answer parent questions, calm nervous kiddos, and keep everyone in their seat while we got our bearings in the first 15 minutes. Everyone enjoyed coloring this page from Creative Lesson Cafe and I am keeping it for their portfolios. Oh, they enjoyed the snack too! You can get the labels for free HERE! Morning Meeting I wanted to start the first day off right with a morning meeting so I could get that routine rolling. I liked adding this question to the end of our morning message. We read First Day Jitters first to show that even teachers can feel nervous on the first day. Most of my kiddos said they were happy or excited but a few were honest and said they were sad or nervous. We only had 2 cryer's this year, so most of them really were just happy or excited! First Day Name Project This is my FAVORITE back to school project! My mentor teacher showed me this about 12 years ago when I first started kindergarten and I still love it every year! This was the first year I got to actually take part because (long story) I've shared 2 half day classes with another teacher and she always did this with them but I got to enjoy the fruits of her labor. We went full day this year (no more sharing two groups) so I got to do it this year! It wasn't as easy as I remember! I blame it on a clogged glue bottle but the instructions are pretty simple: Trace each child's name on black or white paper in pencil. Prepare small pieces of rainbow construction paper. Trace the first letter of each child's name with glue and give them a red piece of construction paper. Students tear tiny pieces to cover the glue. When students finish their letter I have them raise their hand (good teaching moment on the first day) and I come by and trace the next letter with glue and give them the next color (orange, yellow, green, blue...) Have some bins with manipulatives ready for them to use if they finish fast! I love the result! We hang these in the hallway and they stay there all year. We usually do white paper but went with black this year. I love how they turned out! I have this activity and so many more all wrapped up in one happy package HERE in this Surviving Kindergarten post. Ok, last but certainly not least...I got this cute "Happy First Day" treat from one of my sweeties. It was SO GOOD at about 3:30 after the first day of school when I was totally exhausted and totally forgot I was on a diet. Oh well....every delicious calorie was worth it! What are your favorite activities to do on the first day? There are so many options! Our first day went great, I hope yours does too! Here are all of our favorite Back to School Rules and Procedures to introduce in the first few days! And some FREEBIE labels too! Save this post for later!
August reading list for kids: back-to-school, social-emotional learning & end-of-summer themes. Great read aloud books for kids to read in August!
The first few weeks of kindergarten are crucial for teaching behavior expectations and setting the stage for a structured, positive classroom all year long. Young learners thrive when they know what’s expected of them. That’s why it’s so important to explicitly teach, model, and reinforce classroom behaviors through hands-on activities, discussions, and visual supports. One of my favorite ways to do this? Good and bad choices activities, behavior sorts, and reflection sheets! How to Set Up Behavior Expectations in KindergartenDuring the first weeks of school, I spend a lot of time teaching classroom expectations. Here’s what works best: ✅ Whole-group behavior sorts – Students decide whether actions are good or bad choices. ✅ Classroom discussions – We talk about why certain behaviors are helpful or disruptive. ✅ Visual supports & hands-on activities – These make behavior expectations clear and engaging! 💡 Pro Tip: These activities aren’t just for the start of the year—they work great as a mid-year refresher when students need a reminder! Good and Bad Choices Activities One effective activity that we do is are behavior sort where students: 🟢 Identify if an action is a good or bad choice 🟢 Sort good and bad choices independently (Grab the freebie at the end of this post!) 🟢 Illustrate or write about positive behavior 🟢 Color an emergent reader that reinforces classroom expectations These emergent readers also double as coloring pages—a fun, low-prep way to reinforce classroom rules! Encouraging Positive Behavior with Visual Supports To help students stay focused and motivated, I use visual posters in my classroom. 🎯 Ways to Use Them: ✔ Choose one expectation per week and display it as a focus point ✔ Turn it into a game – Reward students for meeting expectations a certain number of times- I have included little certificates that can be given out to reinforce the behavior when you see it in student. ✔ Pair with behavior reflection sheets to reinforce accountability Holding Students Accountable: Visual Think Sheets Teaching expectations is only the first step—holding students accountable helps them truly internalize positive behavior. That’s why I use visual think sheets that are: ✔ Perfect for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Special Ed students ✔ Designed to encourage self-reflection ✔ Great for parent communication and documentation These picture-supported think sheets make it easy for early learners to process their choices. Students simply color what they did and a better choice they can make next time. Cool Down Strategies for Self-Regulation Some students need extra support to manage their emotions and behaviors. Posting cool-down strategies in your classroom gives students healthy ways to calm down before acting out. Ideas include: 🌀 Deep breathing exercises 🎵 Listening to soft music 🖍️ Drawing or coloring 🪑 Sitting in a quiet space Grab These Behavior Management Resources! 🚀 Want to make behavior management easier? Get these resources today! 📌 Find the full Behavior Think Sheets and Activities in my TPT store: 👉 Visual Think Sheets and Behavior Sorts 🎉 Get your FREE Good and Bad Choices Student Sort here: 👉 Download the Freebie By consistently teaching, modeling, and reinforcing kindergarten behavior expectations, you can create a structured, positive, and engaged classroom all year long! 💬 What’s your favorite way to teach behavior expectations? Drop a comment below!
Fun summer coloring pages for kids and adults to color in. Including beach coloring pages, camping, picnics, swimming, Independence day and more!
