Are you looking for tips and tricks for working with partners in the classroom classroom? Read on to learn all the hacks!
These "quiet critters" are amazingly effective!
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Need a fun first day activity to break the ice and get students connecting? Try hexagonal identity one-pagers.
Student engagement is my number one goal in the classroom. None of the academic goals can be achieved without student engagement. It is essential! My biggest advice to you is to decrease teacher talk and the time students spend in their desks.I want to share some more specific ways that I keep my students engaged
The freebies have moved! Instead of having the freebies in a separate resource library, we have put all of our freebies in our shop. You can find the freebies by clicking right here!
"End the year with a fun art and writing activity that you and your kiddos will LOVE! I hang these in my hallway, and I can't tell you how many compliments I receive. They are SO DARN CUTE! My students loved doing them, and I loved reading them...and seeing them (of course). " Included, you will find: ★Project templates ★Detailed project instructions ★Writing prompts for both primary and intermediate kiddos
Check out some easy DIY classroom mailbox ideas for your students and for you too including ideas that you would not have thought of!
As educators, we realize the value of goal setting and are constantly encouraging our students to dream big and set goals. What we often forget is that unless
Students can travel across the globe without leaving the classroom. Check out these fun geography lessons for any grade and curriculum.
The Unfair Game is a totally unfair twist on Jeopardy that your students will LOVE to hate! Learn how to play and find sample game boards in this post.
All of these organizational printables shown on this blog post are FREE! This page contains affiliate links. Read Full Disclosure
There are a few elements to building influential student relationships. Keep on reading to find out the six keys to fostering strong connections in your classroom.
If you're tired of digging into your own pockets to find ways to motivate your students, you need to check out these FREE reward coupons. You can even use the editable option to add your own coupons.
I don’t know about you, but I can always use more classroom management tools! This was my first year back teaching after 2 years off. In some ways, I felt like I was starting over, and in some ways, I felt like a veteran teacher! Anyways, after the year was over, I knew there were […]
Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]
This activity is great for BACK TO SCHOOL! It allows YOU and the students to get to know each other by taking a walk in their shoes. It has the students think about some of their favorite things with guided categories. A blank shoe for them to design can also be used in this activity! Suggested Uses: Bulletin Board: Let everyone know how AWESOME your students are! By putting these shoes on display, everyone in the school can get to know your kids. Gallery Walk: Post your students artwork around the room. Allow your students to walk around the room and observe their classmates’ perspective of math and science! Interviewing: Allow your students to ask questions of each others’ artwork. Let them explore a deeper understanding! Presentations: Put their artwork on the projector and allow your students to explain their thinking behind each portion of it! Ice Breakers: Have the students roam around the room and then stop them and have them find a partner to do a Q & A session! Be creative! Let me know other ways that work in your classroom!
If you have been following our blog, you might have seen our post about our favorite teacher hack, earlier finisher packets! If you missed it, don’t worry, I will sum it up real quick for you. Essentially, despite teaching different grade, Emmy and I realized we were both having the same Issue. Kid
If you have an extra-chatty class, check out this post with tips for how to get your students to stop talking in just one week!
Let's say goodbye to boring book reports for good! Today, I'm sharing 7 of my favorite ways to get students to report on the books that they have read. These ideas combine creativity, rigor, and engagement so that students actually enjoy reporting out on their reading. And...there's enough variety in these activities that you'll be able to tap into a variety of learning styles all year long. 1. Doodle Book Review - Exclusive FREEBIE! Oh baby! There's nothing better than doodles to get students excited about learning. In the doodle book review, students complete planning pages before creating a doodle-themed, one-page book report. This book review is accessible and fun...and since I know your students will LOVE IT, I'm providing an exclusive FREE DOODLE BOOK REVIEW. 2. Book Report Mobile Here's a fun twist on a classic book report. It's a paper book mobile. The Clothes Hanger Book Report works with any fiction book. The highly detailed planning pages are designed so that students can work on the project in class or independently outside of school. The end result is a vivid, comprehensive book report that students love. 3. Book Talk Book talks are a wonderful way for students to demonstrate their understanding of the books they read while practicing their writing and speaking skills. The only problem is, students often don't know where to start. That's where this FREE Book Talk resource comes in. Students learn about book talks before completing a pre-write. Then, they write a final copy. After learning about how to give a book talk, they're ready to report on their present their book talks. 4. Literature Circles Looking for a fun way to get students involved in their reading? Then, you are going to love the Doodle Literature Circle roles. A literature circle is when a small group of students gather to discuss a piece of literature in depth. The discussion is guided by students’ responses to Literature Circle Role handouts. Each doodle-style handout will have students thinking critically about the text and of course, doodling to heighten their engagement and connection to their reading. The handouts are completed before the literature circle discussions. Then, during the literature circle, small groups gather and engage in critical thinking as they read, discuss and respond to texts together. 5. File Folder Book Project I love this book project because it's designed for students to complete all on their own. That means that they can create a unique file folder covered in plot details, character analysis, setting description, a personal reflection as part of an independent reading project. This project is super adaptable too. You can also use it for a class-wide novel study or even a summer reading project. And my favorite part is that the final file folders are a great addition to your classroom library. Future readers can easily reference the file folders to get a review of a book before reading the book on their own. 6. Creative Reading Response Tasks Here are 20 creative ways to get students to report out on their reading. These creative Reading Response Tasks give students an opportunity to share their thoughts and interpretations about their reading in engaging ways. The activities tap into current social media trends as well as traditional writing styles. Along with the 20 fun and educational reading response activities, you’ll also find everything you need to set up a reading response program or journal in your classroom. Let the reading (and fun!) begin! 7. Task Cards and Doodle Poster What happens when a great book, creative task cards and engaging doodle notes combine? A Doodle and Do resource, of course! I've created Doodle and Do resources for Freak the Mighty, Walk Two Moons, Wonder, and Tuck Everlasting. In each of these resources, students will respond to 12 fun task cards with 2 pages of doodle notes. The task cards require students to write, chat, swap, and draw in response to specific questions about the book. Then, students add their responses to fun doodle notes for the novels. I hope you have found some fresh ideas for book reports! Here are the links... 1. FREE - Doodle Book Review 2. Clothes Hanger Book Report 3. FREE Book Talk 4. Doodle Literature Circle Roles 5. File Folder Book Project 6. 20 Creative Reading Response Tasks 7. Task Cards and Doodle Poster - Freak the Mighty, Walk Two Moon, Wonder, and Tuck Everlasting Don't forget to grab the FREE Doodle Book Review! Thanks for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. Click here for even more reading resources!
Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :
Trashketball is a student approved review game. With very little preparation, you can keep students motivated and angaged during review time.
Have you tried using Collaborative Posters in the Classroom? Collaborative posters are a fantastic way to build a culture of teamwork and unity in your
Geometric Art
Getting to know your students' interests is crucial! Learn more on how to build students' interest in this post plus a lot of freebies & downloads!!
I posted about these songs about a year ago on my Instagram feed and so many of you asked if I would be putting these in my TPT shop to sell. At the time, we had only written three, and I just didn't feel like that was enough to make a whole resource with. Since then, I have been working on writing new transition songs that are sung to some of our kids' favorite tunes! Singing CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SONGS AND CHANTS during transitions makes moving from one thing or place to another almost seamless. Songs and chants keep students engaged, focused, and excited to learn, which in turn will save valuable instruction time. It also helps eliminate unwanted behaviors by giving your students the structure, consistency, and support they need. Most of the songs included are parodies of popular songs most kids will know. The words have been changed to help students transition in a positive manner. I printed the songs on cardstock and laminated them. I used a binder ring to attach the set together to hang on my board for easy access. There are also three different color options included. :) Let's go through a little breakdown of when and why we sing each of these songs: The Carpet: We sing this when it's time to transition to the carpet. I start they song, they join in. They have to be on the carpet in their assigned spots by the end of the song. Works like a charm every single time! I even added in some little hand motions that end the song with their hands in their laps. All I Do Is Freeze: We mostly use this when students are working in groups or with a partner. Sometimes, I need them to stop what they are doing, so that I can give them a direction or clear something up. It's a great way to get their attention! Clean Up Chant: This one is pretty self-explanatory. I do not instruct them when it's time to clean up; I just start the chant. You may want to add a timer to it afterwards if you need them cleaned up in a certain amount of time. Let's Line Up: Will kids ever get over Frozen? Probably not. If yours are still obsessed, too, they will love this line up chant. It gets them lined up quickly and without distractions, which saves so much time! Back to My Seat: We sing this when we transition from the carpet to their seats. We usually sing it a couple of times to give them plenty of time to make it to their seats. It's a really quick song! Partner Up: This song probably takes the most practice. Anytime you need students to get with their partner, you can sing this song. It also reminds them what to do when they are with their partner. Learning Math is Awesome: Sing this song to signal that it's time to begin math. I can guarantee it will get stuck in your head afterwards. Sorry. We Can't Stop Reading: This song can be used to kick off your reading block each day. It gets them excited about books and where those stories will take them! Quiet Time: I may or may not have sung this one the most. It works so well! I sing it in a calm, quiet voice, in which students will mirror. It immediately calms the room. Sing it a couple of times if needed! See!: I had to incorporate some Taylor Swift in these songs. We want students to be proud to share their thinking and comfortable talking with a partner. We also want their partners to be respectful and value what they are saying. This song is great to sing before students share with a partner or to close out a lesson by sharing what they learned or took away from the lesson. I just added some NEW songs!!! Like It Was: This is another clean up song. You could sing this one at the end of centers. It's really good about reminding students to put everything back in its place. Good For You: This is a song that you can sing as a class to celebrate someone! Maybe someone had a really great idea or accomplished something amazing, you can sing this to pump them up! We're Amazing: I am all about incorporating mindfulness into our day, so I knew I needed to create a song that encompassed that. This is another one that is going to take some practice to get down, but you can always display it as you sing. Some of the songs might take lots of practice to get down! But don't give up! After you sing it over and over, you will eventually get it. You will sing them to the tune of the chorus from the songs. I have added links to the actual songs in the PDFs. You just click the blue arrow at the bottom of the page. Always check these first NOT in the presence of students. I have gone through them to make sure they are safe, but you never know when things can change. A few of these parodies are straight from my students. I asked them what songs they wanted me to write transition songs for, and these are what we came up with. This group in particular had difficulty this year with transitions because they were all best of friends and LOVED to talk, which in turn got them distracted. I LOVED that about them, but we were losing valuable time trying to get refocused. Once I introduced a song or chant for them to do while transitioning, the difference was crazy! It keeps your learning environment positive, too, which is super important. You can check out the resource by clicking HERE or on any of the images in the post. Let me know how your students do with these songs or if you need another song added! I love your feedback! Happy transitioning!
Students will be performing rigid transformations: reflections, rotations, and translations. There are 3 activities: (1) Students will determine the type of transformation that was performed and color the hearts according to the color key code, (2) capture the lovebugs by performing transformations, and (3) a harder version of capturing the lovebugs by performing transformations.
This is the third year that my students have completed my Transformation Summative Assessment Project. See my previous posts Here, yea...
Need to help your students get more hands on practice for their vocabulary words? I've got 5 fun vocabulary games you can use right away!
Brag tags transform the culture of your classroom. Read on for 7 tips to get this classroom management system up and running successfully.
Explore the perfect blend of pride and aesthetics with our Amazing Work Displays. More than just bulletin boards, these student work displays are intentional spaces crafted to recognize and honor the unique accomplishments and efforts of each student. From eye-catching designs to interactive elements, our collection offers a variety of options to transform your classroom into a dynamic exhibition of student achievement. Make every piece of student work a masterpiece with our Amazing Work Displays. Whether it's showcasing artwork, written assignments, or collaborative projects, these displays contribute to a positive and affirming classroom culture where every student's contribution is valued and celebrated. File Type: PDF Page Count: 2 What's Included: Amazing work coming soon sheets, Large pencil cutout, & binder clip cutouts! Sold as: UPRINT ~ digital PDF and/or PPT file sent to your email Welcome to UPRINT, the printable classroom decor category at Schoolgirl Style. Our UPRINT collection is a treasure trove of creativity, offering educators the power to customize and personalize their learning spaces with ease. Elevate your classroom aesthetics with the convenience of printable decor that brings style, organization, and a touch of magic to every corner of your educational haven. Introducing "Saved by the Pastel," the charming 2024 classroom decor collection by Schoolgirl Style. Inspired by 90's nostalgia of school supplies, pastels, and checkerboards, this collection brings a playful twist to the classroom. Dive into a world adorned with happy smiley faces, iconic apples, pencils, Stanley cups, and delicate pastel bows. Immerse your space in the beauty of gradient pastel rainbows paired with a 90's aesthetic, creating an atmosphere that's both reminiscent of pop culture and fond memories of the bright pastel trend! At Schoolgirl Style, we understand that when it comes to classroom decor, every detail matters. Shop in STYLE with our diverse selection of Classroom Decor, Bulletin Board Borders, Classroom Rugs, Bulletin Board Paper, and Printable Classroom Decor, personally curated by Melanie Ralbusky, Founder and Creative Director. Whether you're in search of Teacher Resources, Seasonal inspiration, or delightful Teacher lifestyle additions, Schoolgirl Style stands as your one stop Teacher Shop.
Early finishers need activities so you are not scrambling to find something meaningful for students to work on when they complete work.
One of the best ways to get to know your new students is through an interest inventory. I love to collect as much information as I can about my students at the start of the school year. I want to know about their likes, their dislikes, their learning style, and so much more. The Purpose ... Read More about Grab this Interest Inventory!
Have your students demonstrate their understanding of many different math concepts while designing a map of their own town! This hands-on math activity is a project that will definitely engage your students. File Type PDF
Are you challenging gifted students in the classroom? Check out these daily challenge tasks that will help your gifted students thrive!
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!
Track student behavior the quick, efficient way: use a checklist. Free, editable trackers can be used to document and graph behaviors.
10 inexpensive rewards to use in your middle school class.
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!
PDF Spanish conjugation chart: Having a good Spanish conjugation chart is the key to learn to conjugate your verbs fast and efficiently.
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!
