I am one of those teachers that LOVES reading aloud to my students. I read for a multitude of reasons, but a few main reasons for reading aloud to my students is that I want to share with them books that I think they will: 1) connect with to have models and examples of various genres for their own personal writing 2) provide them the opportunity to hear fluent reading in order to build their vocabulary 3) improve their listening comprehension 4) ENJOY! If you are like me, you are always looking for a few great read-alouds to connect student learning and get those imaginations flowing on those first few days back to school. Here are a few of my favorites to share during this exciting time that I have and will be incorporating into my instruction again this school year...  This read aloud is a fun way to start your work with a brand new crew after summer break... Writing Prompt: How did you spend your summer vacation? I began last year with a Smilebox that I made of my summer trip to Disneyland with my family. The students got to know a bit about me, my family, and how we spent some time together in the summer. I plan to do the same this year to share some of the fun I had the chance to have with my family. In addition, I love to read this story about a boy who is reporting to his class about how during his summer vacation his imagination got so wild his parents sent him out west and the story goes from there. It is a story told in rhyme with excellent illustrations that will have the students laughing. My purpose for sharing is that some students take elaborate vacations and some do not. This text gives those that don't the opportunity to share what they "WISH" they had done on summer vacation if they don't have what they believe to be an exciting story to tell. A perfect writing prompt... Your older students will LOVE this silly picture book because what they infer is completely wrong...Use this fun book for... Predicting/Inferring/Ice Breaker-The reader of this book believes until the very end that the main character of the story is a little girl that is nervous about the first day of school. The reader finds out at the very end that it is in fact the teacher that is nervous to begin her first day. Students love this book because they often don't consider that a teacher is nervous. This text sparks great narrative writing topics about times when we have been nervous, but we didn't want to admit it. Here is my latest creation to go along with this perfect "First Day of School" read aloud... What read alouds are tried and true with your kiddos? Please pass along the awesome texts and ideas you utilize to grab the attention of your students from the moment they walk through your door on that first day of the new year! Happy Reading!

Find great ideas for September lesson plans for middle school ELA reading, writing, speaking, listening and media literacy.

Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!

The pencils are sharpened, your classroom is clean and the bell rings…gulp…here they come! My feelings on the first week of school are conflicted. On one hand, it’s one of the most important weeks. Explaining and practicing the class procedures and expectations sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Success is vital. On the other hand, I’m so excited to start teaching my historical content that waiting until all the expectations are explained requires a lot of patience! Every teacher has their own plan of action for that pivotal time. Here are 5 things I can’t live without during the first week of school: One: An Icebreaker. I aim to try and make kids feel comfortable in my classroom on day one. One of my favorite little activities is Fact or Fiction. Each student receives a small slip of paper and they’re instructed to write one fact and two fictions. Then each person (including myself!) introduces themselves and we all try to guess which statement is the fact! It’s a great way to quickly learn about each other. Two: Classroom Information and Expectations. This is every teacher’s staple, I know, but it had to go on the list because it’s a must-have! When you’re making your own, spell everything out – from the obvious grading procedures and late work policy to how to pass back papers and when to sharpen pencils and go to the bathroom. Trust me, leave no stone unturned. Your classroom will function much better if you set the tone from day one. (Oh, and don’t forget a seating chart!) Three: Fun and Games. On the second day of school, I love to start class with a little game. It’s a great way for the kids to start practicing our classroom procedures and expectations while getting familiar with their teacher and classmates. Here are some of my favorite games that I use during the first week of school: (P.S. Some of these activities can be found in my Back to School Activities resources! Click the grade level you’re teaching to check them out: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth) InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing fellow classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name in the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: I love skits. LOVE THEM. I like to introduce students to the idea of skits during the first week by allowing them to create their own based on our class expectations. I first divide students into small groups of 2-3. Each group then randomly receives one of our class procedures or expectations. As a group, they have to work together to create two mini skits – one showing the RIGHT way to follow the expectation, the other showing the WRONG way. They get to be silly and I get to reinforce my class expectations. After each skit I happily point out all the positive behaviors as well as each time a class policy was violated. It’s a light-hearted way to grab their attention and create a positive atmosphere all while practicing the laws of the land. Classmate Bingo: I love to play this game at the end of the first week. I give each student a blank bingo board with a large selection of personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. at the bottom. The students choose 16 off the list and create their customized board. Then, I randomly select characteristics from the list. If a student has that characteristic on their board, they have to write down a student’s name that matches the characteristic – but no cheating! They have to use what they’ve learned about others during their first week of school to try and win the game. Four: A Pre Test. After a few days of class information and fun, it’s time to start getting down to business. Each year, I make a short pre-test on the information they’ll learn about that year. It gives me a chance to see what the kids already know and gives them a feel for what subject matter they’ll be learning about in the coming weeks. FYI: Your pre-test probably won’t take the whole class period. Make sure to have plans for other activities, too, on the day you give your pre-test! Five: A Writing Activity. True fact: when I tell kids they’re going to do a writing activity, they groan every time. It’s a signal that the “real work” is about to begin. Luckily, they’re always relieved when I assure them that this activity will require very little research because it’s about a subject they’re experts in – themselves! I have a few different activities to choose from each year. Here are some suggestions: Student Survey: What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you hope to learn in this class? These are just some of the questions I ask students in the survey. The more I know about my students, the better I can help them achieve success in my class. Write Away: A staple of many: write a letter to a future you! I ask students to write goals for the year, dreams they wish to see realized, and questions they want to ask their “End of the Year” self. I tuck these letters away and revisit them during the last week of school. I’m Ready: Like every middle school history class, we do a lot of writing and students always have to back up their reasons, statements, etc. with evidence to support their claim. In this writing activity, students have to identify which class rule or expectation they believe is most important and provide evidence to support their claim. This activity both reinforces my classroom policies and secretly gives me a preview of their writing proficiency. Have I left anything out? If you have any fun plans for the first week of school, share them in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas for my classroom!

First days of school can be stressful. There's an insane amount of pressure to make a great first impression. The administration wants you to go over the handbook of rules for the district. There's tons of forms that need to be filled out. You need to learn their names and it's hard because half the names don't match your class list. His name is Samuel but he goes by S.J. Her name on your roll says Mary, but she goes by Mary Beth. You want to start off the year on the right note regarding procedures and expectations, but you also want it to be a little bit fun, too. Yes, it can be complicated to plan out the first day. My first day was absolutely fantastic. Yes, I learned names. Yes, I went over the handbook. Yes, I went over forms. But we also did some quick exciting things that started us out on the right foot. In no particular order, here is what made my first day FANTASTIC. 1. I let my students collaborate on a story. I started a story on the whiteboard and each student could only add four words to the story. It ended up being hilarious and making ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE but no one cared. It was fun. They worked as a family. 2. That bring me to my next point--we don't call our classes, um, classes. Or homerooms. We call them families. So I have Mrs. Johnson's Family for my 1st period class and Mrs. Anderson's Family for my second period class. (Homeroom teacher names were changed for this post.) You get the idea. And it really does reinforce this idea that we need to work together like a family should. 3. I embraced and addressed my students' biggest fear. Each teacher has his/her students coming to the room with a big fear. Go ahead and address it. Since I'm the first year of middle school, the big fear is the locker. Will I ever get into it? Will I have enough time to get everything out of it? My students can't begin to learn procedures until we address the locker issue. Once they feel confident with their locker, they are ready to learn procedures. So, what did I do? I lined up my wonderful parents to come work with my students one-on-one the very first day of school on their locker. And it was the best thing for that first day. Address your students' fears with a solution. Don't think, "Oh I need to teach procedures! I'll help them with that later on in the week." No. Their Big Fear is ALL THEY CAN THINK ABOUT. Fix the fear, then they can face all the procedures and rules head on! 4. If you know me, you know that I ABSOLUTELY DETEST GETTING TO KNOW YOU GAMES. Why do I have to name a fact about myself that starts with a J just because my first name is Jordyn? Nothing starts with a J that I like! I hate jelly beans. I'm ok with jolly ranchers but they aren't anything special. I. HATE. GETTING. TO. KNOW. YOU. GAMES. I think I've made my point clear. Soooooo---what did I do to get to know them? I made a statement and pointed to two sides of the room. The students moved to the side of the room for their answer. Examples: 1. Team Cat or Team Dog 2. Would you rather travel every day or never leave home? 3. Team Math/Science or Team Language Arts? 4. Alabama or Auburn? (I live in Alabama, so this is a big deal around here. Feel free to change to whatever sports teams works for you. And by the way, the correct answer to me is the side of the room that was yelling WAR EAGLE!) We didn't do this as one big activity. I broke up the reading of the district handbook by doing a couple of these, then back to the handbook, then a couple more of these, then back to the handbook, a couple more of these, then going over forms. THEY LOVED THIS ACTIVITY! It didn't force the quiet kids to talk, but they did participate by moving. It let the other ones announce why they were on that side. It was just a great icebreaker for those of us who are anti-icebreaker. --->Do you need a GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITY perfect for the first few days? (And not icebreaker questions that tweens dislike---actually questions they enjoy answering!)

Name posters are an easy art project for the first day of school and also double as classroom decor!

Lesson ideas and activities for listening skills practice and monitoring with upper elementary and middle school students.

Find great ideas for September lesson plans for middle school ELA reading, writing, speaking, listening and media literacy.

Here are a few of my favorite books to use as first day read alouds for middle grade students...

Things I have read as of late… “Ground Zero” by Alan Gratz recently published, made it to number one on the New York Times Bestselling list in its first week.This year we are coming up on the…

Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!

Through the years I have had many questions about and requests for more information on the writing offices shown here: Sorry for ...

Learn five great reasons to use versatile reading logs in upper elementary or middle school grades and discover the multiple benefits to your classroom.

I can’t say I’m a big fan of icebreakers myself, at least the get-to-know-you type. Students may be grouped in a different way from the previous year, and there are always new students to the schoo…

Buying portfolios can really add up, but if you make them yourself it's much easier on the budget. Plus, you can often recruit parent volunteers to help with this sort of thing! Here is a simple portfolio that I like to start out the school year with...

This is the first project that the 5th graders do at the beginning of the year after reviewing the elements of art. We talk about using objects to create the illusion of letters. A candy cane for a "J" or a lower case "r" for example. We also took a look at some photographers that do this same thing with cropped images. Students had a minimum of 5 letters to work with...a first name, last name, nick-name. We also talked about light and how we can use it to help create a 3-d illusion on a flat surface. Here are some examples:

Do you hate to teach poetry? Do you want your students to learn and enjoy poetry? Try these simple ways to learn how to teach poetry...

Take your school programing to the next level with this approach to intentional identity building!

With so many of my BIG KIDS struggling with fluency, I worked to make it a part of my daily work with students, a Tier 1 intervention that the majority of the class could benefit from. Reading fluency incorporates three main components: speed, accuracy, and prosody, which directly impact comprehension. While I have shared a great deal about incorporating 6-Minute Solutions, here are a few other ways I worked to make fluency fun for my 6th graders.

Analyzing writing curriculums, planning writing workshop and teaching writing lessons can be overwhelming. You might think, how am I going to fit everything in and produce successful writers? Where d

Click and learn Figurative Language Round Up in this post!

This is one of my favorite activities for beginning the school year! However, it can be used at any time to reinforce the importance of giv...

Time sure does fly when you’re having fun! At The Primary Peach we’re having a blast! SO much fun, that it’s been a WHOLE YEAR since we first started! We’re so excited, that we’re celebrating! What better way to celebrate with a GIVEAWAY!!! But first…a FREEBIE! (You’re going to want to head over to The ... Read more

I'm always on the hunt for a first week activity that lets me know a little bit about my students without putting them on the spot. Because what's more intimidating than having to come up with something interesting about yourself on the spot in front of a whole class, right?!?! I gave each student a paper divided into eight sections with a circle in the middle. They were directed to put their name in the center circle and then through numbers tell me a little bit about themselves. Here's the example paper I made about myself... When explaining the assignment I showed them the blank page and then walked them through the one I made about myself... which not only made my expectations and the goals of the assignment clear, but also gave me an opportunity to introduce myself and kind of break the ice by talking a little bit about me. I assigned this assignment to my students last Tuesday (we spent Monday going over the syllabus, I laid out basic expectations, etc.) and it was due on Friday for a quiz grade. I wanted them to have plenty of time to work on it and put thought and effort into it. I went through their papers this weekend and had so much fun learning more about each of them. They shared much more than they would have in a typical "tell the class something about you" type of discussion and I learned some really neat things about the kids in my classes. NOTE: The candle lid in the pictures below is covering student names :) I learned about hobbies, pets, siblings, travel, sports, academic accomplishments and a lot of random info as well :) I had some super colorful papers, some with stickers, some with printed photos and one covered in glitter. I also got a little insight into their personalities... the jokesters, artists, introverts, etc. I wrote little notes on the backs of their papers referencing a couple of things that I found funny, interesting or things that I related to and telling them I was excited to have them in class this year. It was a labor of love but totally worth it. I picked a few to put up around my room and am hoping that a few kids who may not think they have much in common will realize that they do! I can't say enough great things about this little assignment - it could easily be altered to be "by the letters" instead of "by the numbers" or could be more open-ended. You could give a class period or a couple of designated times to work on it the first day(s) and could allow students an opportunity to share theirs if they wanted to. They could have to make it all about their summer, or you could have eight different questions they had to answer in pictures. The possibilities are really endless! You can find my blank page and brief little assignment description HERE. Next Tuesday is a Show and Tell week, but the Tuesday AFTER I'm going to host a linkup of classroom tours! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 5th and get ready to show us your rooms! Happy Tuesday, friends!!!

Here’s a few classroom procedures that have worked well for me – and a couple awesome ideas I’ve run across since I’ve stepped out of the classroom...

Back when I was a new teacher I was looking for great art ideas to start the school year. I was really fortunate to teach at an awesome school (shout out to Denlow P.S. in North York) with some awesome teachers (shout out to Gail, Susan and Pat). I can honestly say these teachers gave me more skills and knowledge in the four years I was with them than I have acquired in the past twenty since leaving that school! Anyhow, one of these great teachers (sorry gals, I don't remember which of you it was) showed me an idea to do with my grade 4/5 class. The teacher gave their students strips of cartridge paper (approx. 10 cm by 10 cm) and asked them to trace school supplies to cover the entire piece of paper. After this students then added line designs to the school supplies and covered all the white space in the background with dots. All these years later, I still have the sample I made my first year of teaching on my bulletin board at school. The kids love to see that Ms.McKay also created her own art project.(It also freaks them out that the sample is over 20 years old!) After I left that school and moved on, I ended up working in a school where the student desks were in really bad shape. I wanted to come up with a way of covering the desks that would look good and involve the students artistic talents. The idea I had "borrowed" in my first year came back to me, but this time I added my own twist. This is how I have the students create personalized "desk mats". The kids love them once I laminate them, and the caretakers love that the desks are protected each year. I love that the students permanently have their "name" on the top of their desks. Step 1: I give each student a large piece of white cartridge paper, and have them draw a 10 cm by 10 cm border around the outside. Step 2: Students then trace a variety of school supplies in pencil all around the border. Step 3: Students outline all the objects traced using a fine line marker. Step 4: Students add patterns and lines using a combination of BLACK fine line and Crayola thick markers. Using a ruler or meter stick the students create a 10 cm by 10 cm border on white cartridge paper. Students do the initial outlines in pencil and then go over the whole design with a combination of fine line and thick markers. Love this design...it reminds me of a heart monitor. Make sure the student also goes over the "border" lines with a ruler and black fine line marker. Adding creative patterns to the outlines. Try to emphasize a combination of thick and thin lines. Also contrast of light and dark. You can see the realistic details blend with the creative pattens. This student is using a variety of "dots" in different sizes to add pattern to his mat. Step 5: Once the students have finished the black and white border they are allowed to do anything in the "middle" section of the desk mat. The only thing they MUST include is their name. I encourage them to use LOTS of colour and a variety of media. Some students bring in pictures from home, some draw their favourite objects, some print images from the computer. They often use a combination of pencil crayon and marker for this part of the project. Step 6: After students have finished the inside design and the outside patterns, they go back to the border section. Here they use a fine line marker to fill all the "white" space in the background with dots. This can be tedious for some students but the finished effect is worth it. Some days it sounds like there are woodpeckers in the classroom as several students are making their dots at the same time. Step 7: I laminate all the desk mats. I know this is not considered very environmentally friendly, BUT it prevents a lot of messy desks, which prevent the use of chemicals and cleaning products. The desks remain pristine and therefore last longer. The students are also very PROUD of their work, and most keep the mats for years and years to come. I can honestly say this is my all time favourite activity for back to school and to start teaching art. What is your favourite go to activity?

Memory wheels are a great end of school year activity for upper elementary and middle school students. Learn about memory wheel templates.

Y'all have probably seen this floating around the bloggy world and wondering, "What the heck?" Well guess what, I have something to tell you - this Common Core State Standards: First Grade Workbook has been released! According to the website, here's the description: "This First Grade Common Core Workbook is the largest collection of resources for teaching the Common Core State Standards. This workbook includes over 550 pages of Worksheets, Activity Centers, and Posters that teach all the First Grade English Language Arts Common Core Standards and all the First Grade Mathematics Common Core Standards!" Boy, are they NOT kidding! This book is filled, and I mean FILLED, with worksheets, activities, centers, posters, and so forth that help teach BOTH English Language Arts standards and the Mathematics standards in first grade. If you are running out of ideas, this book is there to help. If you need extra work for those students that breeze through everything else, this book is there! First Grade Common Core standards have made their way into the classroom, so make sure YOU are prepared! Have a good day, y'all :)

Crow: The Legend is a phenomenal animated short film. It features an all-star cast, is beautiful, is perfect for teaching students about diversity.

A blog about art making and art education explorations in a humble art room for adults and kids of all ages.

Getting a new student after the beginning of the school year can happen for a number of reasons. Maybe a family has made a move because of work. Or perhaps things didn't work out at a different school. Possibly your new student is a foster child who has recently been placed with a new family....

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A blog dedicated to the students of Apex Elementary School located in Apex, NC.

There are a lot of activities for middle school students that are engaging during the fall season. I used apples with my middle school students.