10 significant reasons to read aloud to students on a
Spending the first week of school teaching classroom expectations and procedures is essential for a successful year. Glue is a tricky school supply for many little learners and there definitely needs to be instruction dedicated to teaching learners how to use this tool.Glue BottlesWhen learners are not taught how to use their glue correctly things
How to hold scissors: Cute method to teach a child how to hold scissors: Thumbs Up Alligator!
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!
These printable cutting practice strips are an easy way to help your young learners work on their fine motor and cutting skills. Find more Cutting Practice Packs HERE. *The free download button can be found at the END of this post. Printable Cutting Practice Strips You’ll find horizontal lines, vertical lines, zigzag lines, and ... Read More about Printable Cutting Practice Strips
I have always assigned nightly reading. Why? I don't assign nightly reading because I want to give students "reading homework." I don't assign nightly reading
Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR NAME It is so exciting when children become curious about how to write their name. I believe teaching them to write their name should be the first word they learn how to spell . It is personal, concrete and helps them realize that putting letters together in writing has me
Upper elementary blog with practical, rigorous, classroom tested ideas to implement with your students.
I am so excited to launch my first "series" of blog posts! It's making me feel all grown-up and blogger-like :)My first series is going to be on increasing student engagement in the classroom. Over
How to Read a Knitting Chart for Absolute Beginners with Video Tutorial by Studio Knit
Crossing the midline activities for kids. What on earth are those? Sometimes in the educational world we start speaking a slightly different language than 'normal' people. Not that teachers aren't normal ... though ... you do need to be a little insane to work with small children all day long, don't you? Anyways. I had
Vocabulary instruction is so critical in today’s classroom! A vast vocabulary will help students to become better readers and writers. Vocabulary is also essential to their performance on standardized tests. Helping kids to develop their vocabulary is time that is well spent in a busy classroom. I have developed a routine to teach new vocabulary
When I start the new school year, I pick a book of the day for the first two weeks. I create a variety of activities to go with each book. I use a lot of books that focus on social and emotional learning, including kindness, friendship, and respect. But, I also add in some fun ... Read More about 8 Books for Back to School
First Week Watercolor Portraits 7 comments Back to School, Bulletin Boards, Self Portraits, Tutorials Every year, my second graders paint a watercolor self-portrait. It is truly my most favorite first week activity of all time. After sharing this picture of this year's portraits on Facebook, a sweet reader asked if I had a blog post about them. Well, it dawned on me that while I have shared my annual self-portraits many times, I've never really shared them exclusively in a post. So, here goes! Every year, I have my students paint a self-portrait during the first week of school (an idea I learned while student teaching many moons ago). I hang these portraits in the room, for the entire year. They really brighten up our space and they are such a joy to look at (this is a picture of my students' portraits from last year). I am not an art teacher and I believe that kids should be encouraged to take risks, so when I task my students with painting their portraits, I pretty much let them "have at it." Don't worry, it isn't a total free for all. I do model the process and I also share examples from years past, like the ones shown below. I just make it very clear that I don't expect their paintings to look like an actual photograph. ;) I always begin by pointing out how much of their body/self they will be painting. I tell them to think about the pictures they see in their yearbooks and how those pictures only show people's heads and shoulders. I explain that they will include only their head and shoulders in their paintings. I then show them examples from previous years (sometimes students move and they get left behind, so I have a few on hand). Once the students understand what it is that they will be including in their portrait, I model the drawing process on the board. I discuss how large the head should be in relation to the paper and show them what this looks like. From there, I show them how I draw a neck and shoulders, hair, and facial features. I apologize that I don't have a photo of this, but essentially, I model and narrate the process, one step at a time. And, then...it's the students' turn. I give each student a piece of white card stock (8x10 inches) to work with. Card stock is brighter and thicker than construction paper, and it just seems to hold the paint better, in my opinion. Then, they start their drawing. Sometimes, I have them draw the outline of their pictures with a black crayon (see below). When I do this, there is NO pencil involved. This helps them to really slow down and visualize before they draw because they know that they can't erase. However, this year, I let them draw with pencil first and then they traced over their pencil lines with a Sharpie. Why did I do that? I have no idea, it was just what I decided to do when I was prepping the materials, but the end result was still fab! Once the students draw the outline of their portrait, they get to paint! Using watercolor is a tricky thing for many second graders. They have a hard time always gauging how much water to use, so a discussion about this (and a little modeling) ahead of time is a good idea. Tip: No matter how much explaining and modeling you do, you'll still have a student or two that uses too much water. Let them use a tissue to blot their paper if you notice this happening. I lay the portraits to dry on the floor, in an out of the way spot. They dry within minutes here in the desert. Once they are dry, I flatten them by stacking heavy teacher manuals on them overnight. I could iron them, but my iron and I do not get along. At all. The next morning, I hang them up and admire the sight before me...all year long. :) At the end of the year, it's always fun to repeat this process. You will be amazed at how much growth your students show. Here are a few examples from last year. Amazing, right? We always get lots of compliments on our portrait display, and the kids are always very proud of them. They love seeing if their parents can guess which one is theirs, and it's fun to see how many parents get it right! At the end of the school year, I send the portraits home as a keepsake. Many parents have commented how much they love them, and they are the perfect size for framing! First week self-portraits are a great way to encourage students to take risks, have fun, and learn to use materials. Beyond that, the students take great pride in their creations and enjoy them just as much as I do, and we have something truly magnificent (that they created!) to look at all year long. :) Share It:
Using movies, short films or animations in the classroom is extremely engaging for students. I use short films from Pixar Studios to teach a variety of skills
Reading the Bible will help you find God nearer, closer, and more available. Find five steps for how to read the bible for beginners here.
Geometric Art
Find out how to make flawless chalkboard lettering with basic skills. Try this tutorial to make chalkboards for weddings, birthdays, baby showers, and more!
I want to try all of these.
FREE personalized name tracing sheet for preschool and kindergarten. Can be edited to include any child's name. Great for kids learning to write their name, as well as kids who need more handwriting practice.
This totally free Preschool Assessment Printable is exactly what you need to assess your preschooler's abilities. This set is a great starting point for kids starting at the age of three.
ALL ABOUT FRIENDSHIP Friendship and conflict solving skills are so important to teach our kiddos. Our job is to teach them important social skills. They need these tools to ensure successful relationships with their peers and adults. It is tricky, but it can be done! I am sharing some
After I bought Marie Kondo's book, I was surprised by some of the things her decluttering list. This post simplifies the list and has a free printable I can use at home!
Open when letters for boyfriend / girlfriend / wife / husband, for your best friend, for your child, mom or dad, for ANYONE! PLUS an example letter that you can use as inspiration.
Get ready to put a chore chart system in place that will teach your kids responsibility, fight entitlement and allow them to get a taste of how the real world works!
Kids learn about the alphabet from a young age! Whether they are singing the ABC's or identifying letters of their name, it is one of the first things kids learn about! Including fine motor and
Do sewing pattern symbols and lines look overwhelming? Are measurement guides confusing? Learn how to read sewing patterns with this ultimate
Aura's zien. Als je aura's kunt zien, worden de mogelijkheden van wat je kunt zien ineens eindeloos. Het leren begrijpen van je eigen aura en het beschermen daarvan is belangrijk voor je fysieke, emotionele, en spirituele gezondheid. Je...
Are you teaching goal setting to elementary students? These goal setting picture book stories and activities will help you set goals with your students this back to school season. Freebies included!
Even if you have only 3 days in Tuscany, you'll be able to feel that there's a certain magic to this region that can't be found anywhere else in the world...
Learn about Children Around the World with these FREE printable Around the World worksheets for kids K-6th grade to complete.
If you are doing Montessori at home, this free Montessori curriculum download will be a God-send! Come and take a look!
We're sharing 10 things NOT to do on the first day of school. If you're a teacher wanting a smooth start to the school year, look no further. This post will show you what mistakes to avoid so that you have the best classroom management practices in place from the beginning!
Trying to find a meaningful vocabulary teaching approach? Find fresh, powerful, and inspiring ideas to revolutionize the way you teach words!
Amazing things can happen with just one dot.
Thinking about implementing a Daily Three reading structure for reading rotations? Check out this post for details and example activities for each roation.
