Vision boards are a great tool to keep students motivated and determined to meet their goals. They are also great for promoting growth mindset.
I'm the kind of person that likes to get ready for the next year before the end of this year. I know. You can call me crazy. It's ok. I understand. But it's the way I am. So what am I getting ready? Forms to send home during Meet and Greet: My Parent Survey (it's free!). I keep this in my communication folder. This is what I send home so that I can take pictures for my blog. I know it has my information on it, but if you need it for something else, then maybe you can use it as a template. Click HERE to download it. And I send this home so that I can show some movies that are apparently PG. Click HERE to download it. Click the picture below to get all these forms in my {TPT store} I'm also restocking my calendar bins for next year! Head over to {THIS} post to see how I organize all of my monthly calendar-type activities. I already have my calendar pieces done...but I'm getting ready all the pages that I want to use IN the calendar bundle. Check out my post on the calendar bundle HERE. Our monthly poetry covers are printed up for the year. Find out how I use poetry in the classroom and download the covers for free {HERE} I also have our monthly writing journal covers ready to go... the journals themselves aren't done yet, but hopefully I'll have a wonderful parent volunteer next year to do them for me. See how I use the journals and download the covers for free {HERE}. I've also sent my Spelling Journals to the Print Shop. I'm opting to use these this year instead of doing my phonics notebook, only because it's my first year in First grade AND at my new school, so I want to see what they can handle before I dive in full force! haha. But I used my Phonics Notebook this year and LOVED it...You can check that out HERE. I've also sent my Vocabulary Journals to our print shop (I like send things to the print shop because they copy off a whole class set, with a cover and back cover AND bind them with a spiral thingy.... to me, NOT having to do it is worth me paying for it! lol) Check out my vocabulary Journals HERE. I also have copied off all the writing pages and family notes for our Monthly Family Projects! IF I have enough time, I might even get frisky and run off all the templates for the crafts! I'm also getting ready our Memory Books for next year... as we're finishing up this year's Memory books! lol You can read more about them {HERE} There are "All About Me" pages for the beginning of the year and the end of the year, so you can see the difference between the 2 times of year. It's always so fun to see the changes! Then, there are monthly writing pages, so the students can write about what they learned that month. The kids have really been having fun with this. Check them out in my TpT store {HERE}. You can grab a FREEBIE from these memory books {HERE} I have also printed out and laminated my personal behavior charts that I use from Rachelle. You can read my post on how I use them {HERE}, although, I must say, I am thinking of changing the plan...again! haha! I've also printed up my name tags for next year - I love that I don't have to go on a hunt to buy them every year! They have everything I want on them! You can download them for free on {THIS} post. I've had my wonderful parent volunteer trace and cut out my jerseys for me. In the beginning of the year, the kids decorate their jersey with their number on it and I leave them up all year. Why do they have numbers? FOR SO MANY THINGS! I have a post on what I use numbers for {HERE}. And last but not least, I got all planned out for next year! I came across Traci's curriculum planner, and I knew it would be perfect for me since I don't use the district adopted series. I have my whole year planned out! This is such a beautiful sight. I wish I had this for this year as a first year 1st grade teacher. but now I won't be so "lost" next year - haha! Check it out on Traci's blog {HERE}! WHEW!! That's a lot! And I still have more on my list to do for next year! And, um, this year isn't even over yet - haha! Oh well. I will be thankful next year in the beginning of the year.
Assessing student learning is often boring, but this post describes creative and fun ways to assess student learning - especially for formative assessment!
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
Say thank you to those who have demonstrated their kindness with these thank you for your generosity messages
When you walk into an interview for a teaching job, you want to feel confident in your skills but also your ability to show them off! In some careers, a resume’ listing experience might be enough, but in teaching, I think it’s a huge boon to go into an interview with a portfolio that really shows the details of that “elementary teacher” position you’ve had (or student teaching). It’s been awhile since I added my On The Hunt for a Teaching Job series, but I know seeing others’ portfolios really helped me (especially as a new teacher!) so I want to share mine. For my portfolio, I picked up a professional binder. Yes, it’s expensive, but you want the cover to say, “I’m credible and you need to look at me!” I used a pre-made Word template to make a cover page and added a photo of me with my class as well as my contact information. In the pocket, I include a resume, and the inside has a matching cover page that works sort of like an informal cover letter. I started with my favorite teaching quote, and used it as a springboard to describe my passion for teaching. I didn’t rehash my resume’ here- but instead wanted to get them interested in me. (Note: Please feel free to use something similar, but please DON’T copy exactly what I wrote. You want it to be unique to YOU!) Another option is to make a brochure. This is really great to leave after an interview, especially if it has a picture so they remember which face goes with which name! Inside, I use dividers to make it clear where I can find certain things. Notice that I said “I can find,” not “the administrator can find.” Administrators may never ask to see your portfolio or have time to do much with it, but if you happen to be in for an interview, a portfolio can be SO helpful! You can see my dividers here, now that I have a few years of experience: Here, you can see my dividers before my last update, when I hadn’t taught in my own classroom. In the past, I just stuck in pages of things I’d done. Most were printed out worksheets, assessments, parent notes, etc. And that was okay, but this time around I decided to show a little more. One HUGE benefit of blogging is that I take lots more pictures of the things going on in my classroom. So, for instance, when I wanted to show my creative lessons, ta – da! I wanted to showcase classroom management, and again, I already had the photos. It’s a great way to not just tell what I would do, but show it. I want principals to be able to imagine me and my classroom in their school! I still kept examples of work and other things behind each section, but these pages made it look really polished. Even if you’re not going to post them on a blog, I’d recommend finding a cheap point-and-shoot camera (or even a smartphone, if you have one) to take photos of your classroom and projects you do. It really helps when a principal wants to imagine you not in a suit, sitting in the office, but in classroom working with students. What’s really great about these pages is that you can print another copy (or go to FedEx Office for more color copies if you just have way too much money) and leave a mini-portfolio at schools without having to leave your nice binder. I used these mini-portfolios when I dropped off resume’s in person, too! When you consider what to include, make sure you think about the basics (classroom management, reading, math, engaging instruction, differentiation, assessment and data, organization), but don’t forget to include a section with your credentials and any honors/ certificates/ professional development/ licenses you may have! (Page protectors will keep you from having to hole punch those important papers.) Think about what makes you unique as a teacher. When they say, “What are your strengths?,” what will you show them? Don’t be afraid to make it unique and bright! For some other professions, you might not want to add color or any element of cute, but I think as long as it looks professional, colorful works really well for standing out. If you’re new here, be sure you check out the rest of this series and my new teacher tips! Next in the On The Hunt series: How to Stand Out (Even Before a Teaching Interview) Thanks for visiting!
Anecdotal notes are such a great way to track student learning progress. Read about how & when to take effective notes and stay organized!
Whether you're fresh out of college or a veteran teaching who needs a change, it always feels good to be prepared for an upcoming interview. This list of 58 - and growing! - interview questions for special ed teachers will help you feel prepared and confident for your upcoming interview. Blog post at Mrs. D's Corner.
Check out our top ESL Listening and Speaking Activities. Lots of great ideas to get your students listening and speaking in class today!
Corkboard Connections is a blog written by Laura Candler who enjoys connecting terrific teachers with amazing resources!
I've been using the Notebook software for several years and have become somewhat of a go-to person on my staff for newer users. There are many ways to make
All those bulletin boards getting you down? Beat the bulletin board blues with these 5 easy ideas for making them POP!
T-Mail (Teacher Mail) **FREEBIE**
Every year I give my students a questionnaire to complete on the first day of school. Later that night, when I have finally recovered from the excitement of the first day, I sit down with my stack of questionnaires to read all about my new students. My students' responses are such an important piece in getting to know each and every one of them. While there is a whole list of get-to-know-you questions for students to respond to, there are five questions that I make sure to pay extra close attention to: What do you like to be called? This question might seem like an obvious one, but I speak from personal experience when I tell you that this question can make such a big difference for certain students. My name is Rebecca, but as a kid I ONLY went by Becky. Every year, when my teachers would call my name during attendance on the first day, I would simply respond with "HERE", instead of letting them know that I preferred to be called Becky. I was painfully shy as a child and too afraid to speak up. Often it was not until Back to School Night, or even conference time, when teachers would meet my parents and learn that I preferred to be called Becky. It may seem like a small thing, but it was a HUGE deal to me as a child! On this same note, it is just as important to students that we know how to PRONOUNCE their names. It is definitely worth the extra effort to make that connection with students, and make them feel valued in our classrooms. What is something that makes you feel proud? This question is the one that allows me to make connections with my students. This is where they share what they're good at in or out of school. It gives them a chance to reflect on what makes them feel good about themselves. For me, it helps me to start conversations with students, recommend books they might like, or encourage other interests or activities that may be related to what makes them proud. What is something that is challenging for you? This next one is an obvious one, but still an important one. Those things that challenge our students are the very things that might lead to anxiety or discomfort in the classroom. The responses to this question are ones that I like to keep in the back of my mind as I am preparing lessons for new and challenging content. It gives me a chance to think of ways to help students overcome those challenges, or to simply shift their mindset when it comes to challenges. What is something you wish I knew? I used to ask the question, "What is the MOST important thing you want me to know about YOU?" While I got some great responses to this question, I would also get things like "I am really good at baseball" or "I like math". Of course these things are important, but we cover interests and favorite subjects with other questions. I want to hear the one thing (or more) that my students need me to know about them, in order for me to be the best teacher I can possibly be for them. A few years ago, a teacher named Kyle Schwartz posed this question for her students. She shared some of the responses on social media, highlighting the need for teachers everywhere to truly get to know their students and what they might need. Needless to say, this question is now asked on my questionnaire. What is something you expect from me as your teacher? We discuss so many expectations that we have for our students during the first week of school. I also think that it's important to see what our students expect from us. I am always surprised by my students responses to this question. They are often honest and specific about what they need. I have had students share that they like to have fun, but that they need structure. I have also had students share that they expect me to listen to them. Leave it to our students to remind us what it takes to make us better teachers! Believe it or not, students' responses to these questions stick out in my mind throughout the year. I always keep their responses in the back of my mind as I am interacting with my students, planning lessons, or even dealing with challenges. A student questionnaire is a great jumping off point for getting to know your students. You can download this questionnaire for FREE by clicking HERE or on the pic below. This questionnaire is just one of the get-to-know-you activities from my Back to School resource. If you're looking for more activities for those first days of school, click HERE or on the pic below to take a closer look. This resource now includes digital pages for distance learning. It's never too early to start thinking about the next school year. I hope that you will keep these questions in mind when getting to know your students this upcoming year.
Supporting kids with special needs works best when both regular education and special education staff work together. That's why it is helpful for all teachers to understand how they can modify and accommodate for students in their classrooms. For newer teachers, learning that you need to modify work
Scaffold your instruction with these teaching scaffolding strategies to help bridge readiness and mastery for your elementary students!
These FREE speech sound cue cards have a picture of a mouth producing the sound and a picture to remind your students of the sound.
This is a great sheet and activity to use with middle and high school students to help them get to know one another while you learning about them! :) The activity portion of this includes current famous people, shows, and trends to help engage students as they are matching up into pairs! This set includes: -A secondary appropriate "About Me" sheet (#mylife) -An interview sheet for the partner activity (#interview) -Directions for use -2 Lists for having students get into pairs effortlessly
Do you have a newcomer student in your classroom? Here are some strategies for supporting newcomer ELLs in their elementary classroom...
5 ideas for better activity transitions in middle and high school classes
Item description Would you like to have a collection of reading activities novel study for any novel? Is one of your goals to improve the reading skills of your students with novel studies activities? Would you be interested in exploring new and exciting perspectives of the novels while offering the flexibility of a novel study choice board? If you found something that gave you all these benefits, would you want to get started with it right away? Think about what a difference it will make when you start using this engaging novel studies choice board with novel reading tasks in your class! They include: Instructions for using the novel study choice boards for middle school Black and white novel study choice board with 50 tasks Rainbow novel study choice board – 10 color strips with 5 activities each Thematic coloring novel study choice board – 6 novel studies themes: all about the novel activities character activities speaking and listening activities vocabulary activities artistic activities extensions Choice Board rubric and assessment – with 4 levels of mastery and Teacher’s comments Sample Assignments: speaking activities like: oral report, dramatization vocabulary and riddles diaries and chronologies main character related activities Because the novel study tasks come with clear instructions, you can encourage independent work in class which means that your students will be more confident in analyzing novels. The three version of the novel study choice board are excellent for focusing on a variety of novel studies activities and approaches while you get to save a lot of time during preparation and class work. The novel study activities are varied and thorough, so you can assign them as a great final project for any novel which means your students will be able to select what will go in their solid portfolio at the end of each novel. Just imagine how you will feel when you start to get the benefits and results from this resource right in your class! Are you afraid that this novel study choice board for middle school will not match the needs of your students? I understand exactly what you feel. Don’t worry! Just try it and if you find this resource not suitable for your class, just email me at [email protected] and I’ll get you a full refund. Suzanne F. has tried the novel study activities in her class and said, “Thank you! I needed new ideas, I have had these kiddos for 2 years. This was just what I needed to give them something a little different from my menu.” Why don’t you give it a try? Click on the “Add to cart” red button and you can use it right away!
Creating your own homeschool ID cards can be fun and save you money on educational items. Most companies offer discounts to educators. Below are a few different websites that you can create and download an ID card. Some retailers don't offer a discount so it's best if you call first. Strictly speaking, these are educator discounts, not homeschool discounts. It's best to ask ask "Do you offer a teacher discount?" and if they have one you will usually get it. Some companies will ask to see proof
Vision boards are a great tool to keep students motivated and determined to meet their goals. They are also great for promoting growth mindset.
Do you loathe making bulletin boards? Get ready for a game changer! Simple Visual Crafts makes for the easiest bulletin board hack for special ed teachers!
Looking for a new way to decorate the hallway outside your classroom? These can also be used to decorate bulletin boards. Do you have cork strips in the hallway outside your classroom? These were always a challenge to me because I couldn’t decorate them like I could with a traditional bulletin board with all the background, border, and other things that add color to hallway. I finally figured out a way to add color, show my students’ work, and it ended up having some unexpected fringe benefits. ****Please download the preview file.***** This packet includes: --Teacher tips --Parent note (asking for help) --Student templates blacklines include: 5 templates using Melonheadz clipart (shown in picture) 4 templates using the faces of stick figures (see preview file) 6 templates with Christmas elf design (see preview file) 10 templates boys and girls - add the face (see preview file) The student templates are EDITABLE in Powerpoint so you can add your students' names. --4 Portfolio covers --1 Portfolio reflection page --2 Hallway signs which are EDITABLE in Powerpoint. Looking for classroom management and behavior management packets? Work Time flipbook Clip Chart Behavior Forms Sub Plans Resource - EDITABLE Monkey Business Star Student - EDITABLE TERMS OF USE: Purchase is for your use at home and in the classroom. Please do not share or redistribute these materials with others. Materials may not be resold, put on a website, blog, or school server.
This writing craftivity is perfect for the end of the year AND the beginning of the school year! Your kiddos will show you that their future is BRIGHT for many reasons. This packet includes: 1. All templates to make these adorable kids: head, hair, hands and sunglasses with pictures 2. Five different writing prompt pages 3. Bulletin board letters to display projects: Our Future Is So Bright! ***If you would like additional bulletin board letters, please check out my Rainbow Chevron Bulletin Board Letters *** *************************************************** If you would like to get updates on NEW & CURRENT resources... Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers! Follow Bright Concepts 4 Teachers Blog! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Instagram! **************************************************
We all know and love Kahoot, right? If you do not know about Kahoot then we have a few blog posts with tips and ideas to get you up to sp...
Give students a visual to assist them in advocating for themselves while self-assessing, and keeping students engaged in their learning.
EVERY ACTIVITY included! These activities are very time consuming to create...now all you have to do is edit and you are done! These are some of the student council assignments my 4th and 5th graders do throughout the school year. I have been running Student Council for two years now- and this is...
Creating word art is a creative way for students to closely analyze a character and select a symbol representative of the character's traits. You'll be surprised with the creativity of your students and even "non-artistic" students will enjoy this activity on characterization and symbolism.
10 inexpensive rewards to use in your middle school class.
Tips for Classroom management! Behavior is the most important aspect of a strong classroom. Learn how to get control of your new class- even the tough ones!
Say goodbye to those teacher blues! Boost the morale in your school with this list of ideas that are sure to bring some smiles!
We all have students who struggle and require differentiated activities to access grade-level concepts, but how many of you put the same attention into
These 8 pictures are perfect for a picture dictation activity. I have used them a lot this past course! Students get in pairs or small groups and while one of the students is describing the picture the others draw what their partner is saying on a board or piece of paper. Students can also use these pictures to write descriptive essays. ================================================================== If you use this product, I’d love to hear from you! Any feedback is so appreciated♥️ Instagram: The Teachers Land TPT: Follow my store and be the first to know about new products!
Here you will find 4 free pages containing social inferencing, figurative language, social problem solving, social prediction activities targeting older students and teens.These worksheets are part of a larger packet that contains a wider scope of social inferences for our older students.Social infe...
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
Self-reflection is one of the most powerful practices to improve teaching. When you practice self-reflection regularly, it will completely transform your classroom and instruction. Furthermore, self-reflection can take you from being a good teacher to being a great teacher. Are you ready to begin the transformation?
