When you set up your pecial education classroom setup there are a few extra things to consider. Check out these tips for furniture, layout, and wall space to create a learning environment that supports special needs students.

Welcome to our class! I’ve changed some parts of my classroom this year and I have to say that I’m loving how everything turned out. Please note that this is my 12th year of teaching and I did not create this environment overnight. It’s taken years to accumulate and/or create everything that is in this ... Read More about Learning in Wonderland Classroom Tour

Amazing classroom decoration ideas including how to add a class fireplace, a beautiful teacher space, a classroom fridge and more!

Browse this post for 13 classroom desk arrangement ideas (Ideas for tables included, too!) with and tons of photos!

Whether you’re a grad teacher, or you’ve been in the gig for years, it’s always a great help to yourself – and your students – to start your school year on the right foot. And especially after the mess that 2020 was, I thought a little reminder, or a mindful prompt, might be just what you need! So, if you’re looking for tips for a successful school set up – you’ve come to the right place! 1. Getting (and staying) organised! It’s something that either floats your boat, or has you rolling your eyes. But deeeep in our souls, we know being organised helps everything run a little more smoothly, and just as importantly, helps us to adapt and pivot in the classroom when we need to! (…which is everyday, amiright??) 😎 When our homes are a schmozzle, our life feels a bit like one too, right? So it makes total sense that the same goes for our classrooms. It might only mean spending five or ten minutes after school ensuring that everything is in its place and ready for the next day. Better still – including student in this organisational aspect throughout the day not only helps you stay on top of things, but also teaches *them* to take pride in their classrooms! Win/win I say!! 👊🏼 As you can imagine, I’m all about good-lookin’ organisation!! And it’s probably obvious – I’m obsessed with making classroom decor that will assist teachers to create an amazing learning environment, but just as importantly, save teachers time, stress, and keep them organised!!! If all this talk about getting organised is stirring a little something in your heart, check out some of my favourite (and most helpful IMO!) resources: I love my Teacher Trolley Drawer Labels I use my Teacher Toolbox Labels in the classroom *and* my home (goodbye kids craft corner chaos!!) And also my Binder Covers and Spines which come in seven styles. 2. Rules, rules, rules! When you’re focusing on a successful school set up, the first few weeks of the school year are usually spent setting classroom routines and expectations.⁠ And then the tricky part – upholding them!⁠ I’ve found framing classroom rules in a positive way – ‘we sit on the floor nicely’, rather than ‘don’t talk on the mat’ – really helps students to remember what they are being asked to do, rather than them only knowing what they shouldn’t be doing.⁠ ⁠Creating classroom rules WITH your students helps them to feel a sense of responsibility and means they are more likely to hold themselves accountable. I’ve always found it helpful to keep rules clear, simple and not too long a list! I like to focus on kindness, safety and respect. If you’re teaching the younger years, you could always make these values as suggestions, then with your students, brainstorm what these ideas look like in action. Then together you could turn them into rules. I also like to use a phrase that can be repeated to and by the children over the course of the year. It might look something like: “We take care of ourselves, each other, our school and our world.” If in the first few weeks, you break it down with the kids, and they understand what ‘taking care’ of these important aspects of their lives looks like, it can be used later on as a gentle reminder when they might be about to make a poor choice. Just to make life a little easier, and your classroom a whole lot more beautiful, I’ve got several Editable Classroom Poster Sets available in my store (as well as in my Decor Bundles!) which you can use to display your classroom rules. 3. Kids wanna play all day! We all know how important it is, but sometimes we can get lost in the busyness of our days, and forget to include some opportunities for play in our planning. So here is a little reminder for you as to why play is just so beneficial. – Play helps reduce stress. Just because they’re smaller than us, doesn’t mean kids don’t get stressed easily. We’re all humans. Play releases feel-good hormones, putting your students in a positive, joyful mood. Positivity is contagious, so spread it around like glitter!!! – What I love most about play? Our students are still learning while they play, they just don’t realise it! Play also improves brain function and helps boost their creativity. – Play allows students to build interpersonal skills and strengthen their connections with their classmates. It allows them to practice problem solving, compromising and negotiation skills. In a sense, play at a young age is setting up our students *for life*! – Playing with your students is also a beautiful way to develop your relationship with them as their teacher. It also gives you a peek into the way their minds work. As adults, we don’t often make time for playing, so we forget how therapeutic it can be. To begin with, it can feel a little awkward, but like many things, the more you do it, the easier it gets!! And if you feel like you might forget about scheduling play? I can guarantee you, your students wont forget! 🤣 I like to plan out my days so that the students can see a visual representation of what’s on – so why not add a visual reminder for yourself! My Editable Visual Timetables include over 120 various daily classroom activities and subjects to assist you in visually displaying an outline for the school day so that your children will be able to keep track of their day. It also comes with clock faces (digital and analogue) for you to display beside each activity so that your students will know what time each activity begins and ends. 4. Get to know your kids! Of course, as teachers, we spend the entire year getting to know our students, before farewelling and entrusting them into another teacher’s hands. The first few days and weeks of school are imperative for developing strong, positive relationships with students. You have the chance to *really* get to know them. And the easiest way to do this? Find out what they love. Their favourite memory from their summer holidays. What makes them tick. And, then going forward, make a point to engage with them about the things they love. It’ll make them feel like a million dollars! And you’ll be pretty much guaranteeing yourself a successful school set up! A simple way of uncovering more about your students is with my Back to School Activities Pack. Here you’ll not only find templates for exploring each students’ strengths and goals, but also activities around your school’s values, and helping students along with their morning routines. It’s a whopping 54 pages of back to school goodness right there! 5. A little bit of self care goes a long, long way! There’s no tired like ‘Teacher Tired’, but Term 1 Teacher Tired is like no other. Having up to 20 kids in your care for hours at a time, that’ll exhaust you! Managing their varying energy levels, mixed emotions, lessons, interruptions – a day in the life of a teacher can be an absolute whirlwind. My advice? After years of learning the hard way (!) – give yourself 10 minutes in the morning to do something that calms you. Listening to a guided meditation on the Headspace app. Some cat-cow poses. Time to drink your coffee mindfully. Whatever works for you. Just make it a habit. Something that you know will fill your cup in the morning, before you start pouring out to others. As teachers, we’re great at following a plan and sticking to a schedule. So don’t forget to schedule in some time to do what you love – exercising, getting crafty and creative, socializing, bath and candles, shopping, Netflix – whatever it is that lights you up and fills your cup. Be kind to yourself, friend. Do you have any other helpful tips for a successful school set up? Feel free to comment below, I’d love to hear them!! Chantelle -XXX-

Tips and ideas for classroom organization and management

Back to School season will always be one of my favorite times on the calendar! One of the best parts of my MJLL community over on Instagram is seeing first-hand, the amazing boho themed classroom set-ups that teachers all over the world are creating with my modern classroom decor bundles. I try to share as many as I ca

Explore my favorite Boho classroom theme ideas. From modern neutrals to vibrant rainbows, discover organization tips, and inspiration for your new classroom.

My favorite part about getting ready for back to school is getting all of the bulletin boards set up around my classroom. Here are some of my favorite ideas.

Pass them on to your first grade teacher friends!

Get organized and set-up your classroom! Tons of back to school tips to organize teaching materials, student work, books, math supplies, and more. You won't want to miss the FREE student labels!

Discover new classroom ideas for classroom management, decor, organization, storage, desk layouts, fun ideas and more!

Over the years, I have experimented with a variety of different assessment tools and strategies for improving my students’ reading. Some worked and some didn’t. Others were extremely time consuming, some weren’t extensive enough. Eventually, after some tweaking and input from my work colleagues, I have developed a set of Guided Reading and Conferencing documents that work for me and my students. I have seen some fabulous results in the process as well – which lets face it, is the whole point behind these conferences! What is Guided Reading? The term ‘Guided Reading’ can mean multiple things to teachers, depending on your experiences and the education system to which you belong to. Essentially, Guided Reading is when you work closely with a small group of children who have similar reading abilities and therefore, reading goals. I try to limit my groups to no more than 6 children to keep it more intimate and special. The children adore this time with their teacher. It is an opportunity for them to show me what they can do and to learn in a more focused and targeted way. How do I set up Guided Reading? Create your groups Firstly, you will need to divide your grade into groups according to their reading levels. They don’t all have to be on the same reading level, however group them as closely as you can. I usually have around 5-6 groups all up. Give each group a name. This year, we studied an integrated topic on Sea Life so I decided to go for a Sea Life theme and named all my groups different sea animals. You could name them colours (Red Group, Green Group), numbers (Group, 1, 2 etc) or choose a theme of your own. Set up a Guided Reading folder, binder or book. This will be your bible for the entire year. We are all different and some things that work for some, may not work for others. For me, a bound book works because I can add pages to it if I choose. I don’t have to worry about heavy folders or plastic pockets and taking documents out and I can just get straight to it. Guided Reading Assessment Book Inside my book is the following: -Reading Groups List (Group names and their levels as well as the students in each group) –Weekly Overview Sheet (Plans and resources needed) -Guided Reading Group Observation Notes or Checklist Templates – I print lots! and double sided. Weekly Overview Cover Page I divide this book into sections for each of my groups and I have a cover page for each. Then I laminate the group cover sheet so that it works as a divider. I place the blank notes and checklist templates in behind each cover page. Group Cover Page (also used a divider) Plan your activities Next, you will need to have an idea about what you would like each group to focus on. I have such a spread of reading abilities in my class. One student is working on alphabet sounds and getting her mouth ready to sound out words. Then I have my extension group who are reading PM Benchmark level 30+ and who are essentially just working on comprehension, fluency and expression. This is why it is so important to target your teaching accordingly and I find that these sessions are the best way to do it. I use my Weekly Overview Sheets to record all this information so I can see what my week will look like at a glance. Get your resources ready for the week Once you have planned your focus for each group, you will need to get the books and resources ready that you will be using with them. Your resources will vary according to your group abilities. I have a few drawers filled with my Guided Reading resources. It contains things like: -Magnetic Letters -Magnetic mini whiteboards and whiteboard markers -Reading Goal Reminder Slips -Decoding Strategy Posters -CVC Word Cards -Reading Comprehension Posters -Initial Letter Sound Cards -Sight Words Flash Cards -Pointers -Post it notes I get all my book sets that I will be using for the week ready as well. Examples of the resources I use: Decoding Reading Strategy Posters – Rainbow Theme Decoding Reading Strategy Posters – Black Strip Theme Comprehension Strategy Posters – Black Strip Theme Comprehension Strategy Posters – Rainbow Theme Your Guided Reading Session Once the majority of your class have begun working on their Independent tasks – whether it be Independent Reading, Buddy Reading or other literacy related activities, bring your group to the mat (or Guided Reading Table). Use a Visual to ensure the other children know you are busy I like to wear my Ladybug Headband at this point as it symbolises that I am busy and working with a group of students. When I wear this headband, my students know not to interrupt me – I am invisible! Haha! These sessions give you an opportunity to listen to the children read and model good reading habits. You can choose to conduct ‘Round Robin Reading’ which is when each student has a turn to read as the group follows along, reading with their eyes – OR you can pair them up and they can read aloud to their buddy or read in their heads ‘back to back’ (with their backs touching). Most of the time, I will use class sets of levelled books in my sessions so each child has the same book. PM books are my favourites. With my Emergent Readers, I like to just look at the pictures first. We pretend we are ‘picture detectives’ and go through every page together and talk about what is happening. This is the perfect time to immerse the children in the language and the vocab of the book. It will then assist them with decoding the more challenging topic words. As the children read, I am giving lots of positive feedback and encouragement. When they Self Correct, I ALWAYS comment on how fantastic it was that they realised they made a mistake and went back to re-read. When they slip up I stop them and ask, ‘Did that make sense?’ ‘What else could go there that makes sense?’ For you more competent readers, my focus is usually on comprehension. We might be using sticky notes to ‘leave tracks’ or we might be making connections or inferences. In these sessions, we talk about the strategies (I use my comprehension posters as a visual) and then we practise using them together. While the children are reading, I am recording some notes about what they are doing and what they need to work on. Guided Reading Group Observations Notes Template Give your students a goal Once each child has had an opportunity to read, I will then give them a Reading Goal to work on. This is usually one that I have already planned for them but sometimes, it might be one that I just decided on then based on the way they read to me. (I use my Reading Goal Reminder Sips for this.) These goals are pre-printed and then stapled into their take home diaries so that they can show their parents and practise their reading goal at home as well. Reading Goal Reminder Slips Reading Goal Reminder Slips My Guided Reading Sessions usually take 10-15 minutes per group and I would only get through one (two at the most) a day. Once I have finished with one group, I usually then complete an Individual Reading Conference with a different student. Reading Assessment Forms: Guided Reading and Conference Forms I have created a pack which includes all my Guided Reading templates and checklists as well as extensive teacher notes to assist you to set up your folder. It includes 3 different ability levels to cater for differentiation in your grade and covers PM Benchmarking levels 1-25 and Fountas & Pinnell levels A-T. So if this your first journey into Guided Reading and Individual Conferences, I really hope this information has been helpful to you. Please don’t hesitate to leave a question below!

Explore my favorite Boho classroom theme ideas. From modern neutrals to vibrant rainbows, discover organization tips, and inspiration for your new classroom.

Time to get creative!

Let's talk about classroom library organization using book spine labels! These labels with transform how you organize your classroom library!

How You Can Bring Hygge to Your Classroom this year. A calming space is so important for students, especially during this uncertain season.

The best ideas in classroom organization including organizing bookshelves, creating a teacher cart, plus create the perfect teacher space!

3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.

Browse this post for 13 classroom desk arrangement ideas (Ideas for tables included, too!) with and tons of photos!

Goal Setting - This 4th grade teacher uses post it notes to remind children of their goals upon entering the classroom. I love that her method to this has

Actionable tips on setting up student groups, choosing literacy centers, and effectively organizing materials and classroom space!

Take a look at the calendar math reference wall and have students working with data, number sense, and computation. Create a rich math

Do you use Kaboom! in your classroom? It has been my go-to center for the past few years, whether I'm teaching Firsties, or now third graders. If Kaboom! is new to you, or it is something you haven't yet tried in your classroom, here are some great reasons to give it a try:

If you are a new teacher, it can feel overwhelming to walk into your first classroom. These tips will help you stay focused as you prepare for back to school. Plus grab the free first year teacher checklist to help you get started.

Choosing a classroom decor theme? Create a wild jungle safari classroom with jungle theme classroom ideas ft. the all new Modern Jungle collection.

Teachers post great ideas on Instagram for everything from keeping your room clean to getting kids moving. We’ve collected a few, plus hashtags you should follow.

Add these classroom supplies from Ikea to your shopping list! Get your classroom organized/decorated for this school year with this list.

Back to School Tips including seating arrangements, teacher must haves, and what I wish I knew from the begining of my teaching career.

Step by step guide to setting up a classroom for a first year teacher. Practical tips on organizing and time management to create a warm & welcoming class.

Description Eye-catching and fun, my latest Spotty Brights Classroom decor bundle will add a stylish & vibrant flair to your Classroom! Made with a mix of B&W spots and a trendy neon rainbow color palette, this pack is bright yet minimalistic, making it perfect for all year levels and seasons! This polka dot and rainbow decor bundle includes everything you need to set up an amazing educational space for you and your students! Most of the elements are EDITABLE which means you can easily customize them to cater for the needs of your students and the requirements of your school. Furthermore, I have ensured that this pack is BILINGUAL FRIENDLY which easily allows teachers to edit the text and type in Spanish or French – just as an example. Transform your classroom from drab to fab, with Miss Jacobs Little Learners’ modern classroom decor! This SPOTTY BRIGHTS Classroom Decor Bundle includes: DOWNLOAD SPOTTY BRIGHTS PREVIEW HERE Affirmation Station (PDF & Editable) Alphabet Posters (PDF & Editable) 3 Versions, with alphabet images and without - Fonts Include: Standard Primary Font, Cursive Font, Australian State Fonts - VIC, QLD, NSW, SA for teachers in Australia  Version 1: Minimalistic Spotty Brights design with alphabet associated images Version 2: Spotty Color Strip with alphabet associated images Version 3: Minimalistic Spotty Brights design with no images - Square ASL (American Sign Language) Alphabet Posters with or without spots (PDF & Editable PPT) Auslan Alphabet Posters (Fonts include Standard Primary and Australian School Fonts: Victorian Modern Cursive, NSW Foundation, SA Beginners, QLD Beginners and Sassoon Fonts.) (PDF & Editable PPT) Alphabet Word Wall Headers (Editable) standard primary font and Aussie fonts. Binder Covers and Spines - (Editable) + Spines in 3 sizes, styled to match Birthday Display - (PDF & Editable) Bulletin Board Borders (PDF) Bulletin Board Bunting and Banners - 38 designs (Editable) Classroom Calendar and Weather Display - (PDF & Editable) 2 Versions - Pocket Chart Size and Standard Size Pocket Chart Size Standard Page Size Weather chart Classroom Jobs with Header - (PDF & Editable) Classroom Rules Posters (PDF & Editable) Clock Numbers Classroom Labels - small, medium, large tub, round, square, Magazine & Tolsby (Editable)  Labels are all editable for you to organize your teaching resources but also create things like your own Classroom Affirmation Station or Library Bin Labels Classroom Posters in Portrait and Landscape - EDITABLE (Type in your own classroom rules or values, motivational quotes and signs etc) Color Posters (editable) Days and Months of the Year Flashcards (PDF & Editable) Days at School Tally (PDF & Editable) Door Display - 4 designs to choose from (Editable) Flip Calendar (editable) Hand Signal Posters - (PDF & Editable) Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, WALT, WALF (PDF & Editable Meet the Teacher Templates (Editable) Newsletters (PDF & Editable) Number Posters - 0-30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 (PDF & Editable) Shape Posters (PDF & Editable) Slides (over 50 various editable Google Slides and PowerPoint templates) Student Goal Mats (Editable) Teacher Toolbox Labels - multiple designs (Editable) Teacher Trolley / 10 Drawer Cart Labels - 2 styles (Editable) Visual Timetable with Clocks (PDF & Editable) Voice Levels Display (PDF & Editable) Welcome Posters (PDF & Editable) Add a touch of Spotty Brights flair to your classroom today!

Friday letters are a great way to connect with students in your classroom and build a solid classroom community. Get tips to implement today!

Hey, friends! I wrote this post on The Primary Chalkboard a while back and thought it was worth another post. If it's summer vacation for you, enjoy! If not, live each day to the fullest and smile because it happened! I'm here today to talk about getting your classroom ready for a makeover. Now, this is NOT a classroom reveal. Today is all about getting ready to set up your room! Let me preface this by saying, I'm not trying to pressure anyone into decoration madness, but I do believe a happy classroom is one that functions efficiently; and is well organized and attractive. This summer I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Marie is a proponent of getting your house in order and keeping it in order. She suggests keeping only the items in your home that bring you joy and letting go of the rest. I think we can apply the same principle to the classroom. Keep what sparks joy in you and let go of the rest. ARE YOU READY TO SEE MY MESS? Here you go! Want more? The good news is...it doesn't look that this anymore! So, are you ready to get your classroom in order? Great! But, remember this is not a one day job. I like to think of it as ten days. Already started school? Take one task a week for the first ten weeks. Day 1) Clean out your children's literature. Keep only the books that bring you and your kiddos joy! I know. I LOVE children's books, too, but let's face it. Not all books are created equally. It's okay to let go of a book. DON'T THROW IT OUT. Pass it on to someone who will find joy in it. You'll be amazed at how much room this gives you AND you'll know what you have when you need something. Day 2) Clean out your Math manipulatives! You don't need 6 bins of pattern blocks or 48 Judy clocks. Keep what you need and pass the rest on to someone else. It's okay. Day 3) Clean out your art supplies. If you haven't used those foam Easter bunnies in the last 3 years, get rid of them. Pass on the joy to someone else! No hoarding! Day 4) Clean out your office supplies. Look at each one. If no joy comes from having them and they serve no purpose, pass them on to someone else or donate them. It's a good feeling! Day 5) Clean out board games, puzzles, and other activities. If you don't use them, someone else can. If Czechoslovakia is still on your globe...you get it. Share your treasures. Day 6) Do I dare say it...Clean out your paper. Oh, it's tough! I know it is. I've done it. But the feeling is just so great! If you haven't used it or it turns your fingers purple...you don't need it. Recycle that paper! Day 7) Decide how you will store supplies. Once you decide what manipulatives and supplies you are going to keep, choose how you are going to store them. Then label your supplies. Labeling makes supplies easier to find for students and other adults who may visit. NOW- The next two may not be popular, but I'm going with them. Day 8) Get rid of your filing cabinet OR scale down to a smaller one. The more room you have for stuff, the more stuff you'll acquire. If there's nowhere to put the stuff, you won't be as likely to hold onto it. Day 9) Get rid of your teacher desk OR scale down to a smaller one. You can do it! I did and I had a lot of stuff in mine, too. I never sat there (not even after school), and it took up a great deal of space. Now, that space is used by my first graders, and I don't miss my desk one bit! I use an over-the-door shoe organizer for my office supplies. Space saver! Day 10) Plan your classroom design. Once the clutter is removed and you are ready to set up your room, go online and play around with a classroom set-up tool. You can design your whole room as many times as you like. You'll need your room measurements for this. Here are a few good ones: Floorplanner.com Classroom Architect at classroom.4teachers.org Lakeshore Learning Classroom Designer This is the one I use. And, to show you what a difference organizing makes, the pic below was taken on Valentine's Day, months after I purged and organized. I cleaned out some more baskets and placed them on top of my bins, but other than that, the closet stayed pretty tidy. If I can do it, you can do it! Having a plan makes all the difference!! Good luck!!

Don't let papers take over your classroom.

After having a long holiday, some students may be a little bit lazy to go back to school. They prefer to enjoy themselves at home and play with their friends. Turning back their mood toward studying and learning at school, needs more effort since they usually enjoy their free time. One thing that we can do as a teacher is design the classroom by applying a new concept or decoration. So that it can steal the students’ attention and surely boost their mood contact teachers looking for NYC Teaching Jobs. In upgrading a classroom, we have to consider some things. […]

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Visual boundaries are a vital part of classroom setup. Let me show you how I utilize these visual boundaries in classroom!

The best classroom setup ideas to get your class ready for back to school including the best classroom layout and desk arrangements.

At the beginning of the year I was getting the above question about a million times a day. I had explained to my students that they always had the option of reading, finishing morning work or practicing their spelling words. Well, those options worked for a while but then the question came back and I knew something needed to change. I took to good ol' Pinterest to get some ideas on brain breaks or activities for fast finishers. After I found a few great things, I used a combination of those ideas and came up with my own system. Introducing the "Sticks Center" Now, when my students are finished and are sitting there with nothing to do, they have the option to read, finish their morning work or "do the sticks." Simple system that works like this. 1. Draw a stick 2. Do what it says Simple right? :) Here is a closer look at the sticks in the can: These are all of their options. The rule I have is they can't look when they draw a stick and whatever they get, they have to do or they go back to their seat and read.("If you're gonna do the sticks, you do 'em right" I say that a lot) If they draw the same stick in a day they don't have to do it twice, they can redraw. Been doing this for about four months and it has been great so far, they enjoy it and are great at completing the activities. Very little work on my part and they don't ask me the dreaded question anymore! Here are short explanations of each stick. Flash Cards: There are two sets of multiplication flashcards (about 20 cards each) they take them back to their seat and go through the cards twice. Word Problems: The students gets to be the teacher and they write me two word problems. I have to solve it by the end of the day. The only rule is, they have to know the answer to the problem! Sometimes I solve it wrong to see if they can catch my mistake... they have no idea and get so proud of themselves when they catch my mistake! Spelling ABC Order: Write that week's spelling words in alphabetical order. Wrap-Ups: Subtraction and multiplication manipulatives. Buy here. Spin Multiplication: Fun interactive multiplication flashcards. Thanks to the teacher who had my room before me! Random Worksheet: This folder is full of random challenging worksheets. They have to draw a random one without looking. There are all kinds of things in there like crosswords, riddles, math challenges, word searches. Book Report: Students get a piece of notebook paper and write a short summary of a book they read recently. Just for Fun Book: I have a tub full of lower-level children's books. I still think those are fun to read so why wouldn't fourth graders? Spelling Story: Students write a story containing all of their spelling words. Rhyming Words: Students pick a word and write as many words that rhyme with it as possible. Write a Short Story: Students write a story no longer that a page about anything they want! Math Challenge Number: I created a worksheet with a different number at the top. They pick one and each worksheet has them adding 15 to the number, subtracting 25, writing the number with words, dividing by 3, and multiplying by 13. Really makes them think! Write Cursive Letters: I don't make my students write in cursive very often but they still need to practice. For this stick they simply have to write their cursive alphabet. Spelling Pictures: Students draw a picture to go along with each spelling word. Spelling 2x Whiteboard: Students grab a whiteboard and write their spelling words two times each. Dictionary Hunt: I love this one! Students use a dictionary to find 3 words they don't know. They write the word, the definition and draw a picture to go with it. Write 20 Verbs: Pretty self explanatory. Write 20 adjectives: Ditto! Alphabet List: Students write their alphabet, then try to come up with a word for each letter. Bonus if they use past vocab or spelling words. Boggle: My kids are OBSESSED with this one right now. I printed out some pre-made boggle lists with 20 letters. They are all trying to beat each other for who can come up with the most words. One of my students has a list of 112 going right now.. she won't quit! I LOVE it! ABC Order Challenge: In one of the trays I have multiple worksheets that have lists of words that start with the same letter and need to be put in alphabetical order. They are tricky and my kiddos like the challenge. Addition Challenge has been replaced with Division Challenge: A large sheet of division problems with remainders. My kids love to do these and see if they can get them all right in one try! This truly has been great for my classroom! It makes my kiddos use their brains all day long, no sitting doing nothing and a lot less getting into trouble in between activities! Try it, you'll like it!

Come check out these classroom lighting ideas to reduce headaches and even spark creativity in learning. The lighting in your room should match the task!

It’s no secret that I am a MAJOR fan of class jobs – I mean…many hands make light work, right? Aside from having 20 or so helpers around the classroom, there’s a whole bunch of other reasons I think class jobs are super important: Helps build a sense of community…this is OUR classroom Gives students ... Read more