8 catchy songs to begin a school day. These songs, chants, and rhymes are a great way to build community in the classroom and fun way to start the day.

Ok. I L.O.V.E the clip chart. I've tried several other behavior management systems and none compare. Seriously. I was first introduced to it by a good friend (and colleague) a couple years ago. She got it from a mentor teacher, who got it from... who knows. Anyway, it spread through our school like wildfire. Why? Because it works and reinforces positive behavior. The real source of the clip chart is Rick Morris. I want to kiss him for it. Click here for the eBook which gives you lots of details. For those of you new to the clip chart concept, here's a run down: Make a chart (see the various examples below) Students start out on Green each day (ready to learn) Good choice = clip up one color Bad choice = clip down one color Another bad choice? clip down Another good choice? clip up They can go up and down throughout the day. "What's that you say Ashley?" They can move up AND down. They aren't stuck on a stupid yellow or red light once they make a poor choice (don't get me started on the red, yellow, green light / 123 magic system). They also don't get three warnings before I actually make them clip down. They know the rules. If they break them, then they know the consequence. However, they have a chance to redeem themselves if they had a bad morning. I'd be towards the bottom too if I came in without my coffee. Non-verbal signals work easily with this. No more interrupting class or making a public scene. Thumbs up = clip up; Thumbs down = clip down Easy to understand and you don't have to even touch the chart. The kids can move the clips on their own and a student can have the job of moving everyone back to green at the end of the day. Parents get it and LOVE it. They appreciate that their child's day isn't ruined by being stuck on yellow at 8am and not being able to turn the day around. Easy to communicate daily behavior (you need 7 markers and some sort of recording sheet... see below). It promotes POSITIVE behavior. It's awesome. More proof of it's awesomeness: I am teaching here in Switzerland and all of my international students 'get it'. I have Swiss, Russian, Italian, French, German, Dutch, and Austrian kids. It took one day to get the hang of it. They love it and they HATE clipping down. I rarely have any behavior problems and when I do it's something minor. Want to make your own? Great! Step 1: Make a chart There are endless ways to do it. Just make sure it will be durable and the kids can easily use it. My two versions are below. The first was in my kindergarten classroom (stool next to it) and I made it from page protectors stapled/taped to the wall (so they could get the clips on) and regular sheets of paper. Here's my mobile clip chart below. It's about 2' tall and I have two different sets of names (for each class). I bought a piece of white plastic/board from the hardware store (not sure what it was for) and painted it, let it dry, then wrote the words with permanent marker (tried painting words, but it looked like I'd been drinking all day so I stuck with black marker). The clips are painted white because I'm a type A person and wanted white. I can paint over them for my next class. I'm pretty proud of myself for accomplishing this in Switzerland because everything seems like a challenge. More examples... What Happens in 2nd Grade Miss Lak's 2nd Grade Mrs. Lee's Kindergarten Finally in First Teach-A-Roo Mrs. Grant's Kinder Gators Reflections from Within Tales of a 3rd Grade Seriously cannot figure out where I found this one. Let me know if you know the source. Babbling Abby First Grade Fever Mrs. Bukovan's Class Step 2: Introduce it to your students (AND parents). They'll get it. Parents might not at first because they're not the ones using it, but they will because their kids will talk about it. Have students practice moving their clips up and down. Make a chart of good and poor choices. Use the rules you already have in class. Don't make up new ones. It's easy to integrate! Step 3: Let it be awesome You will quickly fall in love with it and you'll hardly touch the thing. It will do what it's supposed to do... as long as you're not a crazy and horrible teacher who delights in kids clipping down. Improvements & Adaptations: If a student gets to the top and they're just having an outstanding, super, amazing day, then let them clip up even more. Clip up to the teacher's shirt? What about clipping it to your hair? I know my kids went insane when one of them got to clip up to my pony tail or shirt. Crazy. If my kids got to the top (purple in my room) then they got to spin a wheel. The wheel had special 'prizes' on it: computer time, sitting at teacher's desk, reading to another class, eating lunch with a friend from another class, etc.... not candy and toys. I don't believe in rewarding good behavior with diabetes. Halloween is enough. Make one of your class jobs the "clip manager." The clip manager gets to reset all of the clips to green at the end of the day. Top of the chart = a jewel (you know those sparkly ones at craft stores?) OR you could give them a different color each time they reach the top (which is supposed to be rare). Things to be aware of: Clips will break/come apart.... at the. most. inconvenient. times. Be prepared. Have new ones handy or be ready to fix them. Really young ones (< 5) might have trouble using the clothespin. Give them a week. They'll get it. Kids will start asking you to clip up. All. the. time. Tell them "asking doesn't work." You have to catch them in the act. Once you tell one kid to clip up then you'll have 20 other students copying the behavior. It's great, but be prepared to respond to this: "You let Katie clip up and I did the same thing. That's not fair. Why can't I do it?" Some students might need their own mini clip chart at their desk. You know the ones who have severe control issues. Giving them a mini version serves as a constant reminder. They can even take it to their specials classes (art, PE, music, etc.). You know that sneaky student? They will try to clip up double spots. Beware. I made a rule that if they got caught clipping up double, then they clipped down double. It never happened again. "Piggy-back clipping" - the act of clipping your clip on the end of another clip, thus making a long ridiculous chain of clips. This WILL happen. You know what? Who cares?! Let them piggy-back clip... unless it becomes a distraction. Here's the form I sent home each day. Click it to download! This form was in each student's folder. The circle is to be filled with whatever color the student ends the day on. You need 7 colors and maybe a pen to write an explanation for 'parent contact' students. So easy. I made a ton of copies of this at the beginning of the year and replaced it at the beginning of each month. It's very visual and I even let the kids color in their circles the last quarter of the year (with supervision).... they loved it. SOOO thankful that my friend S introduced me to the clip chart. Thanks S!!! Go make a clip chart. Now. Do it. {ashley}lllllllllllllll

Having students color in posters with their names is a great first day activity that provides yearlong decoration for the classroom!

In Acts 2, we read about the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost, where God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. Free printable Bible pack for preschool kids at home or at church. Worksheets, crafts, coloring pages and more.

Use this fun ice cream themed activity to have student introduce themselves to the class, create a back to school bulletin board, or as an end of the year reflection. What's Included: - How to print as a poster - Ideas for use - Here's the Scoop on Our Class base (black/white and color) - Ice cream scoop (two versions plus colored scoop options) - Here's the Scoop On... (1-page printable w/ 6 scoops) - Here's the Scoop On... (1-page printable w/ 10 scoops)

5 creative ways students can get to know their teacher.

As we embark on a new academic journey, there’s no better time than the start of the school year to introduce and master the art of implementing stations in your classroom.

Giving students an easy, independent activity to start as soon as they arrive on the first day of school is a great way to calm their nerves. It also allows you to focus on greeting new students and getting supplies organized and put away. Here is a great first day of school printable that students ... Read More about Read & Find – First Day of School Printable

We had our first day of school with students Wednesday and I forgot how utterly exhausting and mind blowing that first day is! We did lots of rules, routines, and procedures but also made time for some fun first week things. Here is what we have been up to! You can purchase these Scholastic Order Form activities from Clutter Free Classroom HERE! I also introduced the students to the Activ Expressions! They were literally asking me about them ALL week long and so Friday, we took a Multiple Intelligence Survey using the device! I adapted this activity from Laura Candler's printable survey which you can download free HERE! You can download the flipchart by clicking the image below. Important Note: You must have Promethean Activ Inspire software installed on your computer to OPEN and use this file! Please do not download otherwise! I also made some labels to go on my Activ Expression bins. You can download those by clicking the button below! I have also decided to implement brain breaks into my classroom this year! We needed a little wake me up on Friday morning so we watched this HILARIOUS parody of I'm Sexy and I Know It, called I'm Elmo and I Know It! I am definitely adding this to my brain break file! I plan on making some brain breaks sometime this week. Stay tuned to find out how I plan on incorporating this bad boy into my brain breaks! I absolutely can't wait for it to get here!!

Does the first week of Kindergarten have you shaking in your boots? You are not alone! I've been at this for a little while now so you would think it would get easier with time but I am here to tell you it does not! I still get anxious right before school starts. What will they be like? Will I remember what to do at line up time? What if I don't set things up right and I mess up the whole rest of the year? (sounds dramatic but that is really what goes through my head!) I sat down as soon as school got out and wrote down my first week of lesson plans to put my mind at ease. It has really helped with my worry so far! I wrote down the first five days, plans and procedures I need to introduce, brain breaks, classroom community building activities, easy morning work to get started with and even got my welcome back gifts ready. My mind is officially at ease. I want to make sure I have a lot of fun and a LOT of books planned for the first week too. Here are a couple of fun crafts to go with the books I have planned. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. You can't skip this book the first week of school! Our focus will be all about names the first week (or more!). I put together all of my favorite books with some crafts to help teach all of those back to school procedures like cutting, gluing, and of course following directions. The Wheels on the Bus This one is fun for a little first sound fun. The students change the words to match the first sound in their name. A My Name is Alice by Jane Bayer Alphabet books are the best the first few weeks of school. A My Name is Alice Jane Bayer is the best! This is a fun activity to do after we read the book and they will make really cute self portraits to hang in the hallway the first week of school. Not only did I plan out the activities for these books but for lots of other favorites like Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, Rosie Takes a Walk by Pat Hutchins, No David by David Shannon, and Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. So now I don't have to feel guilty when I am floating in the pool this summer (just kidding, I never feel guilty doing that!) But honestly, I can relax knowing all I have to do is hit print when I get back to school. These plans can work for you too! Click here to see them in my store! Or if you are not ready to think about school yet pin this for later! P.S. Get a FREE ALPHABET ACTIVITY when you sign up for my newsletter HERE!

Want something to send home to your parents in the beginning of the year?? I store this in my communication folder in a plastic sleeve and store all the notes I get from parents behind this…. Come on over HERE to snag a copy. Would you like to have your printables ... Read More about Parent Survey for Beginning of Year

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson will forever be one of my favorite picture books to read to student's the first week of school.

A David Goes to School Printable that is perfect for the beginning of the school year in the Pre-K, Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.

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.

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STEM challenges are the best way to begin building classroom community and teamwork at the beginning of the year. They are also a great way to introduce problem-solving skills and get students thinking creatively and outside the box. The best part is students LOVE them, and they don't eve

The first week of school generally consists of getting to know one another, in addition to discussion and practice of classroom procedures and routines. We also got our creative juices flowing by creating summer reflection writing pieces, squiggle stories, and "All About Me" mini-posters. Students are getting to know one another and me, and we are learning to work together to build a successful and positive classroom environment. On Wednesday, I wrote out six questions, all having to do with how to make our classroom and ourselves function to the highest level, on six pieces of chart paper. Students, in groups of three, spent two minutes at each chart, collaborating and responding to each question on a sticky note. After all groups visited each chart paper station, I hung all of the charts up and we discussed each answer and noticed some very interesting trends. Here's the finished product, which you can click on to enlarge: Inspired by Life in 4B To tie into the previous activity, I was inspired by my wonderful teammates, Mrs. Fadden and Ms. Mattox, to develop at class pledge with my students. We reviewed our responses to the above questions, and then we put all of the ideas together to form a cohesive paragraph that we have all agreed will help us to remember why we are here at school and what our common goal is. Below is the rough draft of our class pledge (which I will type up, make pretty, and have all of my students sign): Since we were able to develop a class goal (to achieve success in third grade), I also had each student determine an individual goal after reading the story Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni. I displayed our "Hopes and Dreams" for third grade near the classroom door, so that we can refer to, and revisit, them throughout the year. Lots of students are interested in learning how to sharpen their cursive skills, multiplication and division skills. I was very impressed by the number of students ready to take on our 40 book challenge! More on that later! Here's our class display of our hopes and dreams for third grade: Lastly, I read a book called Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The premise is that everyone carries an invisible bucket everywhere they go. When your bucket is "filled" you feel happy.When your bucket is "empty" you feel sad or upset. People can fill buckets by lending a helping hand, smiling, being kind, including others in games, and more. People can empty buckets by teasing, being ungrateful, acting disrespectfully, and more. I encourage my students to recognize the actions of bucket-fillers by writing them quick note and sticking it in their bucket display. This helps make everyone feel good. When we feel good, we want others to feel good. Therefore, kindess is passed from person to person. This is our bucket-filling display, complete with ways we can fill buckets and ways we can empty buckets: I look forward to more of these types of meaningful activities that promote teamwork, kindness, and achievement with your child!

Looking for the perfect birthday gift for the best dad ever? Look no further! Our personalized T-shirt is made with comfort colors for ultimate comfort. Order now for fast delivery and show your dad how much you appreciate him. Messages: Treat your dad to something special with our "Best Dad Ever" T-shirt! Show him how much you care with this heartfelt gift featuring a charming cartoon and a personalized message. The perfect way to celebrate Father's Day or any special occasion. Instruction: Step 1: Begin by exploring and selecting from all the provided customization options. Ensure you complete all fields marked with an asterisk (*) for a seamless process.;Customize to your liking with color schemes, signatures, font styles, and other personalized details. Double-check your choices for accuracy, otherwise you can't proceed to checkout stage Step 2: Click "Preview" to see your custom clipart. You have the flexibility to alter any customization options at this point until your artwork meets your expectations. Note: Always use standard English for text inputs and avoid using any special characters or emojis to ensure the best results. Features: T-Shirt Made with 100% ringspun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)) All shirts feature a pearlized, tear-away label for total wearing comfort Fabric blends: Heather colors 35% ring-spun cotton, 65% polyester *Sport Grey - 90% cotton, 10% polyester Sweater 80% ringspun cotton, 20% polyester Medium-heavy fabric (9.5 oz /yd² (322.1 g/m²)) Relaxed fit Sewn-in twill label OEKO-TEX-certified low-impact dyes Hoodie Classic fit Runs true to size Medium-heavy fabric (8.0 oz/yd² (271 g/m²)) Tear-away label Materials: 50% cotton, 50% polyester (fiber content may vary for different colors)

Children wonder, "What is Labor Day?" Teach the history and purpose of the holiday with these Labor Day books for kids. They're perfect for..

I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to buil…

A convenient, easy-to-use Violin Practice chart for your child or for your students to keep track of hours each month. Consider adding a start under each day practiced, along with the total time practiced in minutes! Make it a goal to practice at least 3 times a week! This is perfect for beginning Suzuki Violin Students. The Instant Download PDF can be printed once downloaded.

Are you searching for a way to kick off the school year with a fun and engaging activity that promotes acceptance and celebrates individuality? Look no further than our The Day You Begin book companion unit! This comprehensive unit is designed to help students get to know each other, find common ground, and embrace their unique qualities. With activities ranging from "all about me" posters and alike-but-different partner exercises to favorite thing about me writing and drawing prompts, find-a-friend searches, and icebreaker games like two truths and a lie, introduce a new friend, this or that slides, and heads up seven up, this unit has everything you need to build a strong sense of community in your classroom. Plus, with an original poem and bracelet-making activity, students will have a tangible reminder of the importance of celebrating differences and accepting one another. Focus: Celebrating our Differences and Similarities, Learning to Appreciate and Respect Each Other's Unique Qualities, All About Me Included in this unit: Notes to the Teacher Lesson Plans Overview Activity #1 – Read Aloud Link + Question Guide Activity #2 – All About Me Poster Activity #3 – We’re Alike but Different! Activity #4 – My Favorite Thing About Myself Writing Activity #5 – Sharing our Similarities and Celebrating our Differences Original Poem and Bracelets EXTRA – New Friend Search EXTRA – Ice Breaker Activities and Recording Sheets (Two Truths and a Lie, Introduce a Friend, This or That, Heads up, Seven Up) EXTRA – Short Vowels Color-by-Code 10 This or That PowerPoint Slides

Are you looking for the perfect Mother's or Father's Day gift from kids that is simple enough for your little ones to make at school?! Try these adorable DIY tile coasters!

Introducing a back-to-school read about staying true to yourself and sharing your story, featured in the MaiStoryBook Library Collection: “The Day You Begin” by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez …

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!

By the end of the school year, we have our classrooms running like well-oiled machines. The students know what to do, when to do it, and what to expect from

Students circulate through the classroom and meet new friends! Here's a great team building activity I like to have on hand for the first week of school! Use "Find a Friend" for a quick structure to allow for student interaction, to model classroom expectations for movement in the room, and to review and practice classroom manners. With the recording sheet in hand, students circulate through the room to pair up with a new friend. Students greet each other and take turns to ask a question related to the grid. For example, student A will say say to student B, "Do you like to read?" Student B will reply, "Yes, I do like to read." Student B will then sign his name in the corresponding box on Student A's paper. (If the student replies with a "no", I encourage my first graders to try again and to ask about something else on the paper. After all, we have different likes and dislikes.) Before rotating, students thank each other. Students mix and pair again with a new partner to complete the grid as time allows. I do remind the children that they may only sign someone's paper one time. These activities promote positive interaction, movement, and community. It also allows for me to model (...again) how to stand up and carry the paper/pencil, how to find a partner quietly (by making eye contact), how to say "please" and "thank you", and how to speak using an inside voice. Click here to download this "Find a Friend" activity. link Here's One for Color Words. Click on the image below to download this "Find a Friend" activity. (Some children may need to have support with recognizing and reading the words.) Like Those? Here's one for number words, too! Click on the image below to download this "Find a Friend" activity. Happy Holiday Weekend!

Fine Motor Activities for kindergarten: Create a rainbow fish and rainbow name to develop fine motor skills with young students

Incorporating STEM challenges in your back-to-school plans provides students with hands-on, structured learning time and develops important mindset skills.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson encourages children to appreciate their differences and connect with others even when they feel alone.

Jenny Jones here. For the beginning of summer lessons, I wanted a fresh way to motivate my students to practice. Most were already in the habit of practicing everyday, though not always effectively. I felt like they were feeling in a rut, and I was feeling like I had lots of extra time on my

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Set a friendly tone in your classroom with these 30 "Get to Know You" games perfect for back to school or when welcoming a new student.

Discover hands-on beginning of the year science activities that will excite your students and build the foundation for future science lessons!

Celebrate a successful first day of Kindergarten or first grade with these FREE first day of school crowns!

Pre-K & Preschool activities for the first days of school. Find more Beginning of School Activities for Pre-K In the beginning of the year, we spend a

Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.

A couple of weeks ago I saw an activity like this one on Pinterest which gave me the inspiration to do my own version. So here it is. Totally FREE 🙂 If you are searching for a back to school activity, you are gonna love this one! You know what, our 4th graders loved this activity. […]