How a Teddy Bear Can Save the Day! A Simple Classroom Management Strategy you can Start TODAY!

Looking for an easy to implement way to make daily routines and transitions run smoothly? Sometimes a teddy bear can save the day from chaos in the classroom!

I'm just popping in to let you know that I am have a new post at Primary Powers. It's all about how I use our friend Teddy to help with classroom management! This has been one of the BEST strategies I have EVER used because it has also improved student behavior!

Head on over to see how I use him for turn-taking in the classroom. You can get some helpful ideas for using a Teddy in your room to make other routines run more smoothly too!

Click on the picture to read all about it!  

Teacher Lesson Plan Book Makeover: From Drab to Fab!

I cringed the other day as I handed off an ugly brown school-issued plan book (the one that comes with carbon paper in the back) to my student teacher. Yes, they still exist! Personally, I prefer to have my lesson plans in an actual book I can carry around, rather than on the computer or in a binder. There are lots of reasons for this, but mainly because it is what I am used to! Plus, I can work on plans in the waiting room, outside while monitoring recess, at team meetings or wherever else my book can travel!

The format of my favorite FREEBIE plan book from Lakeshore is perfect for my planning needs! I love the layout, but the cover....not so much! This book is the focal point of my desk (when it is clean), so I'd like it to reflect my theme and style. So, I hide the cover!

A few years ago, I found some cute and FREE plan book binder covers in a variety of designs from Teaching in Flip Flops. I printed and laminated one, then rolled clear packing tape to the back and stuck it on top of the not-so-attractive cover! Now each year, when I change books, I simply remove the cover from the old book and switch it up! This is year three for my cover and it is still like new!

There are many other things in my room that I want to transform from drab to fab by adding my own cover the same way! I have some oldie but goodie resource books with worn out covers...they are next on the list! :)

I've seen other ideas similar to this for decorating student spiral notebooks and that is just super too!

If you have a great idea, I'd love to hear about it in the comments! 

Tips for Encouraging Parent Involvement in the Classroom

The key to a successful year is having the support of the parents of the children we care for and educate. We know it is just as important to build relationships with our parents as it is to do so with our kiddos! This edition of the Weekend Warriors is all about getting parents involved in their child's education.

I love that we have open house the first week of school. My evening always includes a presentation of what can be expected throughout the year. It's great that I have that chance to speak from the heart, to tell parents my philosophy on education, to ask for their assistance in working as a TEAM, to help to ease their anxieties about the unknown and all of that good stuff! The parents always leave happy, relieved and excited that the year will be a great one! I leave with tons of party helpers, classroom volunteers and co-teachers! Involvement at its best!

This is the parent night presentation that I use. 

It helps to have a format to keep on track so I don't forget what I want to say!

  These are just a few of the slides. You can read the full description and see it at my store here!

 Parent involvement beyond a classroom newsletter? There's an app for that!

Did you know that Scholastic has a great way to send information out to parents! 

It's called Class Messenger. 

All of the information and phone numbers are completely hidden. You can send out reminders, photos of your class in action, donation requests and quick notes to helpers. 

BLOOMZ is also a good app to look into. Teachers have found great success using Class Dojo too. 

Do a little research to find out which would be a good fit for you!

Happy teaching!

Sailing Theme Classroom Decor Set and Labeling Kit TPT

Are you ready to sail into a new school year with a new classroom theme?  I'm SUPER excited to share a brand new classroom decor set with you! This one has an adorable nautical and sailing theme! I love it so much I want to do a complete classroom makeover! :)

Have you been dreaming of a new classroom theme for you room too? Maybe you are setting up a brand new classroom and looking for an easy way to decorate, organize and label. Well, this kit has labels, posters and signs galore!

The great thing is that most of the printables are completely editable!

You can use these shapes and pieces any creative way you like to go labeling CRAZY!

To see more of this set and read the full description, you can view this item here!

I hope you like this set too! 

If you do, leave me some blog lovin' or Pin this set for me!

 

I'll leave you in smooth sailin' mode with one of my treasured photos.
Meet my two favorite sailors! 

This is my awesome and fun-lovin' uncle taking my buddy for a cruise down the river!
GREAT TIMES! 

Love ya UJJ!

 

Behavior Management Resources for the Elementary Classroom

Every year,  it's pretty much a guarantee that we will have at least one special student in our room that demands more of our time and attention because of difficulties with classroom behavior.

I've tried many different systems and plans for behavior management over the years. Whatever was "in" or popular, I used.  Each had it strengths and weaknesses. None were just right for me, my kiddos or for my parents. 

So I combined my counseling expertise with years of trial and error experiences in the classroom, mixed it all up and created my own system. It has been absolutely perfect. 

It's simple, easy to implement, and parents get it!

I'm Lovin' it! 

Maybe you will too.

It's a little bit like a clip chart. It's also somewhat like the traffic light system. It has only four steps and is heavy on rewarding the positive and reflecting on making good choices. 

The hives shown below come in black and white so you can create your display using any colored paper you like to match your room decor. I don't have a bee theme in my room, but the management system is a theme all its own so it works!

My favorite part of this system is the way it encourages clear communication between home and school.

 I keep a stack of the weekly reports in a drawer. At the end of the day, the students color in their bee hive. 

My kiddos are so proud to take home a happy note and sticker on their chart when it is earned. 

I like to copy my awards on bright paper.

The bees are hung with magnets on my whiteboard so they are easy to move.

Happy bees from Melonheadz = a happy teacher!

You can find a detailed description and the item here.

Buzz on over to see what else my blogging buddies have available today and take advantage of some savings!

 "Bee" sure to tell your friends about the sales too! :)

Bright Concepts 4 Teachers	Sailing Into Second	Primarily Speaking	A Burst of First
Crayons and Whimsy	Second Grade Perks	Lucky To Be In First	The Tutu Teacher
Hippo Hooray for Second Grade	Saddle Up Second Grade	My Second Sense	Creative Lesson Cafe
A Sunny Day In First Grade	First Grade Smiles

InLinkz.com

Time Savers, Hints and Creative Learning Activities

I don't have eight arms, but I sure can juggle a lot on a daily basis!  How do I work in all the "icing on the cake" activities and those little fun extras and all of our creative lessons into a very demanding schedule in a rigorous curriculum while still maintaining my sanity? Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it! I know you get where I'm coming from!

Here's my helpful hint, which in turn is a time-saver and allows me to be able to seek out creative activities that provide meaningful learning opportunities: 

I have learned to be the master of delegation. I try to enlist the help of volunteers as much as possible. If the task at hand does not require an educated professional to do it, I pass it along to a number of others so happy and willing to assist! I choose to spend my time (and training) seeking out and creating new ways to engage my students in the learning process! 

I routinely schedule parents who love to help both at home and in school. I have a copy mom, project parents, computer lab volunteers, craft parents, room parents and MY OWN PARENT (love ya mom!) who help with prep work. I have a high school cadet in the afternoons and mentor student teachers because it truly is a job for two people! When I mentor, this is lesson number one! Work efficiently! 

I get my editable parent volunteer calendars from The Busy Teachers Cafe

 (Love the name!)

Do I really need to cut laminated items like this out? Nope. I think of it, I make it, I plan it, I send it off!

Items like this get sent with a student in "the homework bag". This is for parent volunteers who signed up at open house to help from home because they work but still want to help out. I just jot a note about the task, let them know when I need it back and include any supplies they may not have handy. 

This cute bag is available at Zazzle! 

As far as activities, we all work smarter, not harder! If there is no educational value in a task, I am OK with letting others help the students. If my goal is not fine motor development, then students cutting project patterns out takes away time they could be spending on some other type of learning. With my firsties and my second graders at the start of the year, they will do lots of cutting because they need to LEARN to cut smoothly and stay on the lines!

 For our interactive math journals, for example, the tabs have been cut and paperclipped together by parents. My high school cadet is working with the students to show them how to glue the tabs. I do have the students do this part themselves because it helps them take ownership and they need to see how the journals will be organized. We even talked fractions as we divided the notebook in halves and then fourths to split the pages evenly.

It's time-savers like this that help us make the most of the instructional time!

We are about half way done getting these assembled and I'm so excited to start using them! There are so many great activities out there like this one. I am thankful I have the time to find them thanks to my many helping hands!

If I didn't find ways to delegate and ask for help, I'm not sure that I would be able to accomplish it all. I want the best for my students and that means I need to have time to research and seek out great resources, plan and implement meaningful lessons and use best practices for instruction.

Creative hands-on activities are so powerful! They are my favorites and are so worth the time and effort!

 

 

So, my friends, ask for a hand!

 It is time well-spent to invest a little time to find ways to maximize your teaching time and student learning time.

 Hope you followed that! :)

So that was my three-days-rolled-into-one time-saving blog post! Please link up at Blog Hoppin and share yours too!

Back to School Freebies

The first day of school is exciting, but can be a little chaotic to say the least. My kiddos come in with mountains of school supplies and the first thing they want to know is what to do with their stuff! It is always a challenge to get them organized and donations like Kleenex boxes put away quickly so we can get on with our learning activities. It's always helpful to have something fun for them to work on while you take care of that sort of business. I made a first day of school coloring page for my students to work on.

It's a freebie at my TPT store and Teachers Notebook shop. Click on the picture to download a copy! Hope you can use it! 

The end of the day can be equally as chaotic especially for kiddos who take the bus. Remembering their bus number and finding their bus at dismissal takes some practice. Here are some editable bus tags. I always tape one label in the folder and be sure there is a bus number on their backpack in case another adult has to help them get to the right bus! 

The picture can take you to this free download!

I'll be on vacation for the next week! Yay! I can't wait to tell you all about my trip to Chicago!

Head over to TBA and see what other great freebies are out there! 

Daily 5~Keeping It Simple! Daily 5 Freebies!

 Wow!It's Wednesday already and time to do a little reflecting as we get ready to make improvements and start planning for our new year with new kiddos!

Why didn't I think of that sooner? We've all said it! 

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones! Over the years I have had a  literacy center-based classroom, a hands-on science classroom, a  Debbie Diller workstation classroom and a Daily 5 classroom. In order to successfully manage kids up and moving about and all trying to get to their favorite of the choices without squabbling, it takes some creative planning. 

What Didn't Work? 

Too much to do! When the responsibility falls on the teacher to assign, track and manage rotations of any kind, it takes away from time better spent on something else like finding or making engaging materials for my word work and writing rotations. Sometimes the organization required was mind-boggling especially with nine daily workstation rotations.  I have happily passed that job off to my students!

What Works?

Meet Turn-Taking Teddy!

source

This is how Teddy helps. Before beginning Daily 5 rotations, my students have to have all the things they need on top of their desk, so there is no rattling of pencil boxes, or digging in desks to get supplies out when the groups are called back. 

I call out "READY TEDDY?" and hand him off to one student all organized, still and quiet. (I try to choose a different student every day). With Teddy in hand, that student looks for someone near them who is also 'ready' and passes him off. We talk about being fair, so they don't always pass him on to a friend.

After handing off Teddy, the student gets to go to the rotation of their choice. My students know that on most days, we will get through all of them. If we don't, we work on dealing with disappointments in an appropriate way. 

Once Teddy is up and moving, I am free to go to the reading table and get ready for the students that I will be working with.

The Rule of FIVE during Daily 5

Because Teddy takes his time (usually about 3 minutes) making his way through the room, this eliminates the rush of children trying to be first to get to a rotation. The class knows the rule of five. When there are five at a rotation, the station is full so they need to make another choice. It works. They do it without complaint. This is how the real world works too. If I can't get close to see a display, I wait or go somewhere else for a while. If a line at the store is too long, we do the same, right?

Try it and you may never go back to any other way! Thanks Teddy for helping us learn to take turns!

Will you Join us?

This kind of reflection and sharing of ideas can help another teacher to find the solution they have been searching for. It can also help to make our demanding work a little easier too!I'd love to know what works and what didn't for you. Link up with me on Wednesdays! Just save the image and use it in your post! Leave a comment below if you like letting us know where to find you and we will visit you too! :)

 In case you missed them in my last post, here is a link to some freebie Daily 5 items:

Cafe Poster Set

Daily Five Poster Set

Choice Chart

Have a wonderful Wednesday!