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Celebrating Birthdays in School
OK, so you probably didn't have a hard time falling asleep last night, but if it's a student's birthday today, they did and they are going to be excited. And the worst thing you can do? Not be ready. And by ready, I mean saying 'Happy Birthday, Susan!' as soon as they enter the room, at the very least. I always told my students they looked taller, asked about their morning, and gave them a hug.
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Why Your Bulletin Boards Should Be Filled With Student Work
Take a look around your classroom. What percentage of the walls are covered by store-bought posters or things that you have created and what percentage of the walls or wall space available is covered with student work? When teachers decorate their classrooms with pretty store-bought artifacts it says a lot about what they think about their classroom, about their classroom theme, and a lot about what they like, but it doesn’t really say anything about the students. In recent years classroom bulletin boards have become less and less about sharing student work and more an expression of the teacher. Inspirational words, angel wings, quotes and cricut designs all look very…
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All About Me Back to School Activity
If you are tired of your usual back to school poster or writing assignment, then check out this craft activity. Engage them from day one with this craft activity where students make a 'mini-me' and fill in a book cover about themselves!
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5 Amazon Bulletin Board Accessories to make your classroom POP!
If you are lucky enough to receive a classroom budget, then these items from Amazon are totally worth the investment, and if stored carefully should last you for years! (Disclosure: Some of links below are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Bulletin Board Paper Hopefully your school already provides some primary colored backing paper for your bulletin boards. But this stuff is amazing. I bought some last year and backed both my own board and one in my husband’s classroom, and I have fallen in love with it. Not only does it…
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Field Trip Checklist
It only takes one disaster on a field trip to make you rethink every future field trip. Every teacher has a story, and mine involved a bus going the wrong way, making a too-fast u-turn in a funeral parlor parking lot and going under an awning that was too low. It skimmed the top of the bus, debris fell into the bus and a new sunroof was born. The funeral parlor owner kindly invited us to wait inside until the police arrived. We politely declined. It’s funny now. It wasn’t that day. (Disclosure: Some of links below are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I…
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The Best Easter Egg Hunt EVER!
After about 75 seconds of a whirling, screaming dervish, two kids had bumped heads going for the same egg. Billy had found 107 eggs. Jasmine had found one. Billy did not want to share the eggs he found. Jasmine was crying. Mallory whined that she was tired. Lilly wanted an animal egg that Jared had found. Jared wasn't giving it up.
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Thinking About Flexible Seating in Your Classroom?
Some considerations before you decide It’s no secret that children need to move. A traditional classroom set up has children sitting at one desk for most of the day. It’s no wonder that they fidget, get antsy, bored and tired. And in recent years doctors have been warning us about sitting for too long in offices and at home. Our children are also sitting for the majority of the day. (Disclosure: Some of links below are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.) I first heard about flexible seating about five years ago,…
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7 Phrases That Actually Have Meaning
Stop for a moment and think about your school day. How many times do your find yourself praising students? “Great job!”, “You’re so smart!”, “You got an A – well done!” We do that with the best intentions – we think we are building up a child’s self-esteem, giving them something to be proud about, making them feel good. But what if what we were really doing was sending them subliminal messages that actually harmed their desire for self-improvement and growth? (Disclosure: Some of links below are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a…
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Crafts in the Elementary Classroom
"These documents are not an attempt to demonstrate everything that a student should learn; rather, we have focused on two areas – English-language Arts and Mathematics. The standards have incorporated 21st century skills where possible. They are not inclusive of all the skills students need for success in the 21st Century, but many of these skills will be required across disciplines." (From the Introduction to the Common Core State Standards, June 9 2010)
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A Brain Break Game That Gets Your Kids MOVING
Here’s a quick brain break that gets your students up and moving in a fun game. It’s basically human connect four – the aim of the game is to make a connection of four people, in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal straight line. I have played this successfully with second through fifth grades. The more often you play it, the quicker the students are at setting up and breaking down afterwards. It is great to play if you have 15 minutes to spare and you are able to find or create a space. Human Connect Four You will need: a grid of chairs, either 4 x 5 or 5 x…
