August 25, 2013
Monday Made It | Treat Labels + Class Jobs
*Edited and updated June 2018
Open House Blow Pops
At my previous school we hosted Back to School Night for parents and invited students to Open House before school started. It gives the families a chance to meet the teacher, learn about the curriculum and year ahead, and allow students a chance to see their desk and become familiar with the classroom and find their seats before the first day of school.
One way that I love to connect with my new students is giving them a little treat on their way out, thanking them for coming. It's just a fun little touch and so easy to prep! Simply print and cut out these treat labels and tape them to your favorite brand of lollipops. I place each one on my student's desks and for years they've always been a hit!
Pick up these labels for only $1!
I love having a designated area in the classroom where I display the classroom jobs. I change them up every week but know of teachers who change the class jobs every day or even assign them months at a time. Another fun thing I've seen teacher friends do is accept 'applications' for certain jobs! Whichever way you organize your jobs, these job cards will be sure to help students know what their responsibilities are.
This resource did get a update a couple of years ago, but I did make sure to include both the old version (see below) and the new circular job cards! I've also added a number of new jobs to help cover all the needs of any classroom.
Class Jobs
I love having a designated area in the classroom where I display the classroom jobs. I change them up every week but know of teachers who change the class jobs every day or even assign them months at a time. Another fun thing I've seen teacher friends do is accept 'applications' for certain jobs! Whichever way you organize your jobs, these job cards will be sure to help students know what their responsibilities are.
This resource did get a update a couple of years ago, but I did make sure to include both the old version (see below) and the new circular job cards! I've also added a number of new jobs to help cover all the needs of any classroom.
Job descriptions are now available in this download and are great for including in your parent info packets at the beginning of the year. It also gives kids a chance to read and see what jobs are available in the classroom. Use as many or as little as you need!
I hope you enjoy these new resources now available in the shop!
August 15, 2013
Teacher Week '13: Taming the Wild!
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I'm back and linking up (finally!) with Blog Hoppin' once again for Thursday's topic: Taming the Wild! These past couple days have been so busy since I was able to get into my room on Wednesday....I was bummed I couldn't snap any cute photos of my room since it's not in that stage yet...but I am super close! However, I have enjoyed peeking inside the rooms of everyone else!
Anyways, today I wanted to share with you the few things I do in my room and a couple new things I'm looking forward to trying out (photos coming later!).
#1 Clip Chart
I swear by this thing. I first started using the clip chart last year and wasn't quite sure how it was going to go. Then, out of nowhere...everyone was using it so it must have been worth it! But over the course of the year it was amazing to see how well this system worked with the kids (I mean, I've never seen children care so much about a clip before). At this point I'm sure everyone knows how it works but for those who don't, it's essentially a behavior management system that incorporates moving of student's clips up and down depending on certain behaviors. If you don't have one, I definitely recommend trying it this year!
To keep my kids accountable and an easy way to track behavior, especially for those parents who want a daily update about their kid, I made a 'Clip Slip' that goes home each day. As a part of their dismissal routine, my kids have to color in where they ended the day on and I check it before they get their things. Parents have to initial each night so I know they saw it. Worked perfectly last year :)
#2 Money Management
Another good tool for behavior management: money. This one was a little difficult for me to keep track of, personally, so I'm looking into how I can be more organized with it. How it works: students earn coins and dollars based on work/effort performance, positive behavior, etc. Money can also be taken away as a consequence for poor behavior, missing homework routinely, etc. The money earned throughout the month can be used in purchasing "rewards" at the class store. I typically have a parent volunteer run the store so I can be busy doing other things around the room.
One thing I am trying new this year is relying less on store items bought/donated by parents. The year started off great but then parents didn't want to donate as cool of toys the rest of the year (I can't really blame them). So, this year I am going to use rewards in the classroom as prize items they can purchase.
#3 Compliment!
The letters of compliment are spelled out on the board and each time the class gets a compliment from other teachers, positive behavior as a class at specials, etc. a letter is flipped over. The class votes on what reward they're working towards (adds the extra incentive) and when all the letters spell compliment they get their class reward. Works very well...
...aaaaand possibly in place of compliment this year I am considering on another idea I found from Pinterest. This incorporates the same concept as compliment but instead of spelling out the word, rewards are already printed and laminated and each time a compliment is earned, a student can color in the tile of a letter from whichever reward they want. The first reward completely spelled out is what the students earned.
...but I'm also trying something new this year. I saw a pin over the summer in which the teacher uses NOISE to control the voice level. NOISE is spelled on the board and each time the voice level gets too loud a letter is taken away. If all the letters are taken, then students have to work silently for the rest of the period, day, etc.
August 11, 2013
Teacher Week '13: Let's Talk About Me!
This week I will be linking up with the ladies over at Blog Hoppin' for their newest linky party, Teacher Week '13! Each day of the week will have a different theme and teacher bloggers get to share their ideas through the linky. I think this is so much fun and all you have to do is link up your page with the fun button above over at Blog Hoppin'
Today's theme is Let's Talk About Me: Meet the Teacher! 10 little things about me...
1. I am a native to Northern Virginia and have lived here my whole life. It's been great but I'm definitely ready to change things up a bit and try living in a new city...in a new state...preferably where the weather is about 75 degrees all year round ;)
3. I am the youngest of five siblings and my mom for a while was a stay-at-home mom who babysat the children of the neighborhood. Growing up I've always loved being around kids and in high school I started my childhood studies courses and eventually went to college for my teaching degree. In 2011 I finally graduated with my masters!
4. I am going into my third year teaching and second year teaching 2nd grade. My first year I taught kindergarten and that was a great experience. However, when I moved up I really found my niche and absolutely adore everything about 2nd grade!
5. I have the most amazing boyfriend ever! I met Philip...in Old Town! He's a captain in the Air Force and it's funny because growing up I always thought military boys were trouble. I'm OK with breaking my rule a little bit because he's the best thing to ever happen to me!
6. I LOVE to travel and so does Philip, which is another thing that makes us work so well. We are always looking for opportunities to visit some place new and have new adventures. This summer he whisked me away to Turks & Caicos right after school was out...like, three days after my last day in the classroom! It was amazing! I've always wanted to see a beach with white sand and crystal blue water and he brought me there!
7. I love to watch practically anything that airs on Bravo. One of my biggest guilty pleasures is the Real Housewives series...I can't get enough of it. And of course Philip puts up with it without any rolling of the eyes (another reason he's amazing, haha)!
8. My boyfriend has turned me into a foodie. He's a lover of all things food and drink and it was fun to meet someone who appreciated the different approaches to different food (but I'm not sure my waistline did!). My mind has been blown from all the various restaurants he's taken me to here in DC...it's amazing what some chefs do and I can definitely understand how cooking truly is an art form. Nowadays, I watch Top Chef and Master Chef a little differently...so talented groups of people!
9. I'm a little obsessed with Apple products...especially my iPad. I was a bit resistant to the idea of a tablet since I already had a laptop and didn't quite understand how I could use it. Also, it took me a while to get on board with the Nook app since I've always loved the feeling of holding an actual book and turning the pages. But, eventually I went a little outside my comfort zone and tried it and it's been amazing ever since. I love that my whole library is at my fingertips and I use my iPad more than my laptop for most things!
10. I'm really looking forward to moving and getting a puppy! We haven't gotten one yet so I'm not sure if I can put this as my #10 but both Philip and I are lovers of dogs and are really excited for when we can get one. He loves Dachshunds and I love small dogs so we already have in mind this is the kind of puppy we want. Our plan is to get him/her in the summertime when I'm off of work so I can spend time with them and help with training (yaaaaaay....not). They're so adorable! :)
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