Prep your children with all essential back to school supplies.
Time to inspire and motivate your students with these 4 fun bulletin board ideas that are perfect for schools, classrooms, or libraries!
**This post was written for a friend who lives in Indiana. Requirements and resources vary by state.** Homeschooling is no easy task, and beginning your homeschool journey in high school is especially difficult. BUT it is not impossible. This post will take you through transcripts, curriculum, and SATs. Getting Started Find out how many credits […]
Dwell Beautiful rounds up 15 clever ways to organize your life for the school year - keep parents and kids organized with these genius ideas and tips!
Tell us what you do to get the best notes possible!
This list of classroom storage ideas and hacks for teachers could be just what you need to help you feel more organized. The Teach Starter teacher team is here to help you save you the time it takes to set up your classroom before students arrive for the first day of school with some simple, cheap and clever storage ideas for the classroom.
The New Hampshire 11th-graders sung lyrics such as "KKK, KKK, let's kill all the blacks" after being assigned to create a jingle based on Reconstruction.
15 exit ticket ideas for any subject or grade level!
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.
Stay simple. Check out these office supplies with minimal design. It's all about functions and elegance.
These 40+ free STEM websites: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are for grades 6-12; middle school and high school. Hands on science
Check out these 9 first week of school activities for your students. They help to forge those lasting bonds for a successful year!
Warm and inviting decor matters beyond elementary school!
Fun and engaging ideas to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year. Build a strong classroom community with these free resources.
Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!
Because I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.
If you're in the mood to create a green themed bullet journal layout, all of the spreads posted below feature the color green.
Amazing classroom decoration ideas including how to add a class fireplace, a beautiful teacher space, a classroom fridge and more!
Is your alma mater the most beautiful high school in your state?
Free Printable I Spy Back to School Activity. Classroom themed activity or game idea for the first day of school for students.
Download and customize forms, letters, and more used by other school PTO and PTA leaders or created by PTO Today specifically for school parent groups.
From mint tins to cereal boxes to "wanted" posters.
Every once in a while, an idea pops into my head out of necessity for something better. Years and years ago, I was actually teaching 3rd grade at the time, I became fed up with the lack of repetition in my math program. There just wasn't enough review built in for the kids to grasp anything. I would teach a concept once and move on. Done and done. The problem was, the kids just didn't get it. After scouring the internet, reading tons of books, and using my own bag of tricks, Calendar was born. And, if you follow my blog, you know I LOVE Calendar. But it just wasn't enough. The kids needed more practice then even Calendar could provide. Word problems, higher level computation.... So I decided that their homework was what needed to change. I took a complete departure from everyone at my school and created a spiral homework. It was 10 problems a day, not of what we just learned, but of EVERYTHING that we learned. The kids were constantly seeing the same style problem over and over and over. Their skills were always being refreshed....and it worked like MAGIC! So when I moved to 4th, and then to 5th, I took this style homework with me. And every year I create sheets like this, my students math scores soar. Because nothing is being forgotten, the kids are always practicing those basic skills they need. I can honestly say that because of this homework (and Calendar) if I don't get to a lesson in math that day...I STILL FEEL OK! I know all of the standards are covered and I simply DO NOT EVER stress about math. Ever. Doing homework this way has the added bonus of freeing up some time to do all of those concept lessons that I like to do. I get the kids thinking about math processes, instead of always worrying about the rote memory of it all. It really is amazing what one little 10 problem page can do. However, doing the work isn't enough. The key to this is that every.single.day, without fail, we go over the homework. I have it worked into my math block (just 10 minutes) to go over the problems. I don't teach during this time, I just show the students how to do the work, with their help at times, on the ELMO and then they take it home to study for later. This review of the problems is what makes this homework better than anything I have done before. If they kids didn't get it at home the night before, they get it when we go over it. Then, when they see a similar problem on a homework that week (or the next or the next) they *do* get it. Another thing I add into my week are weekly spiral quizzes. These are where I get my data for small groups, intervention, and mastery from. Here is the form I use to break all the information down...and the post explaining it. It is also test prep (and you all know how I love test prep). I really just love this whole part of my classroom. I think...KNOW it works and it helps me room to run so smoothly. I know at this point you are probably sold (I seriously love this...it is my favorite thing I have ever created. Ever. Simply because of the value it holds in my classroom.) If you are interested in having it in your own room, I have sets for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. I realize this isn't super cheap, but it is worth every.single.penny that you spend. I honestly and truly believe that. It will help you to run your math block smoothly and keep you on target. (oh and it comes with an answer key too :) So there you have it....my sales pitch ;) How do you structure your math homework?
Use these quick tips to create a productive study space. Online students don't have the convenience of walking to the library on campus to find a dedicated study space. You are fitting your studies in between work and other family commitments, which makes your study space even more important.
I've used the Cornell note method for years. Today I'm sharing my method for taking Cornell notes, plus a free worksheet that you can use to take them, too!
This list of Bullet Journal collections is the BEST! Whether you want to keep track of your health, your reading habits, or your household chores you'll find the tracker you need right here! These ideas will help you to take your BUJO to the next level in 2022!
Ok but how come even when I type something out it ends up being ugly?
Cooking, card games, coloring, and chores!
If you want to change your theme for the month, you need to check out these colorful sunflower bullet journal spreads for inspiration! #BuJo #BulletJournal #Sunflower
Have you started a bullet journal? Here are 14 Simple Bullet Journal Title Ideas for you to copy. Create cute bujo headings with only a pen and highlighters!
Use this all about me free printable for a birthday interview, or first day of school questions for students
Starting a new month in your bullet journal and need some theme ideas?! Check out these adorable April mood tracker examples for inspiration!
Hey hey, teacher friend!! Oh MY, congratulations on landing a teaching job! I’m so INCREDIBLY stoked for you. I remember that feeling and it’s so SO good. Whether it’s your first classroom or maybe you’re going back after being away for a bit, either way that’s super exciting and I know you’re goi
