Happy teachers mean happy students. Here is a list of ways to build morale, support teacher wellbeing and have fun as a teaching team at school.
Man oh man, do teachers ever work hard. While I’m no longer in the classroom full time, I’ll never forget my classroom roots and the time, energy, and dedication that being an excellent educator demands. There’s just no end to the amount of mad props these teacher-heroes deserve. And as coaches, that’s what we’re dedicated to doing […]
Calling all educators! Dive into a treasure trove of hilarious teacher memes that perfectly encapsulate the ups and downs of teaching life.
Teacher Memes To Enjoy Over Thanksgiving Break - Funny memes that "GET IT" and want you to too. Get the latest funniest memes and keep up what is going on in the meme-o-sphere.
Calling all educators! Dive into a treasure trove of hilarious teacher memes that perfectly encapsulate the ups and downs of teaching life.
Ah, the wonderful world of Amazon! Click to check out my favorite Amazon teacher must haves that can be delivered right to your doorstep!
The Happy Learners' Club Junior Club is our highly popular kids' activity membership for busy parents with 2 to 5 years old children. *Thank you for your interest in THLC. Doors to THLC is now closed. The next enrollment is happening from 18 to 23 May 2024. **If you have children between 6 to 8...
Read the funniest math jokes that'll make parents, teachers, and students laugh. Adding humor can make learning math fun and enjoyable.
This so actually do creative and cute✨🥰🎥Credit : mrs mcgrady_1stgrade 🍎✏️ Like our page Be Happy Teachers for more teaching ideas and methods. A team of teachers sharing the highs, lows and honest...
A collection of fun and educational shape activities for preschoolers to develop their early understanding of geometry.
Flip Sticks are an amazing participation tool for calling on students at random! The idea of using name sticks is nothing new. In fact, this classroom management strategy has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, what I didn’t learn until a few years into teaching, was how to keep track of which students had […]
Every English language arts teacher needs a variety of successful, student led discussion strategies that will provide opportunities for student learning.
Prep for any absence with the substitute teacher binder! Use these editable forms to give the substitute teacher all the information needed!
This simple and easy teacher gift idea is the perfect gift for any teacher. Get your favorite teacher what they really want this year!
From creating content for students to analyze to sharing strategies for assessment and classroom collaboration, ChatGPT has the potential to save you hours of time and make your life infinitely easier. Here are 50 prompts that will help with that.
These teacher hacks are brilliant ideas for your classroom that'll make your life so much easier this year. Number nine will change your life!
How many of us have gone to work sick because it was easier than planning for a sub? We just can't afford to do that anymore, especially in the world of Covid. Years ago, I was determined to find an easier, more manageable way to plan for a substitute teacher. I am sure you know the feeling of waking up sick and not knowing how you are going to get everything ready for a sub when you feel so terrible. With that in mind, I created a Substitute Teacher Binder and Sub Tub. In this post, I will share how I prep for those surprise sick days and how I prepare for days that I know ahead of time I am going to be off. I most recently had to plan for a sub for a week, so I will share some tips and tricks for planning for those days off. At the beginning of the year, I create my Substitute Binder. I divide it into sections for easy access to different topics and parts of their day. I print the section cover pages on cardstock and laminate with 3M laminating pouches. You could also just use a clear binder if you don't want to use the rings like I did. (The discs/rings and the paper punch I use are from Happy Planner.) Choose which sections you want to include that are important for a sub to know. I then sit this by my door so that they see it when they come in. If it's a day I had already planned on being off, I put it on my desk or teacher table with everything they need for the day. As for the sub tub, I always put extra worksheets in the bottom of it throughout the year that we didn't get to. This just gives the sub something extra if they need time filler throughout the day. First, let's talk about the sub binder and what I include. All of this is very helpful for those surprise days off. I can just text a teammate and ask them to set out my binder for the day if I get sick. I always sort my worksheets and activities in daily bins, so I ask them to set that day's bin out along with the binder. It makes planning for a sub super easy for me and for my teammates. The tabs on the binder are super important to have. This lets the sub know what's important for them to know and shows them where to quickly turn if they need that section at a particular time. I always have a little WELCOME note to make them feel welcomed. You could also include any special information you need them to know first thing. I include a full page ROSTER of my class. I also print the half sheet rosters and clip them to the front of the binder. They can take attendance on these since they don't have access to our online attendance. Be sure to include a note about that on your lesson plans so they know where to put attendance. The next sections I like to make are STUDENT INFO and IMPORTANT INFO. These are the sections where you will include important health information, such as allergies or other medical conditions they need to know about. I also include emergency procedures, pull outs, seating charts, a class schedule, and any other helpful information about students or special situations that could arise. For RELATED ARTS, I include our rotations. If I know I am going to be out, I include the exact one that we go to that day in my lesson plans. If not, they can just ask another teacher what day we are on. I put my classroom management strategies and classroom rules in the PROCEDURES section. I let them know the specifics of expectations, consequences, and incentives that they can use. I also include another pull out list here, just in case. The ARRIVAL section gives important details about expectations during the first part of the morning. This is where you tell them what students do when they first come in, details about announcements, and how to complete attendance. The LESSON PLAN section includes a basic class schedule in the first part of the section. I then include very detailed plans for our day. For the lesson plans you put in the binder or planner, you can give a general run down of what they do during each part of the day. This will help your sub so much if you are out unexpectedly. I tell them how the lesson generally goes and they can grab the practice from the daily tub. I also tell them where they go and how to do lunch, recess, and all of the other parts of our day. By including these detailed break down of your day, you can ensure that instruction continues as if you are there. I don't like to plan something totally different from the pacing guide, because it throws everything completely off. I include dismissal procedures in the detailed lessons plans, but I also add it to the DISMISSAL section. Be very specific about how students go home, how they pack up and clean up, and what the sub's responsibility is during dismissal. The TRANSPORTATION section includes how each student goes home. I also put a note in there telling them that students have to go home that way, unless they receive a change of transportation note from the office. I like using this box sheet for each student. I normally have that all typed in here but I used a blank one here for confidentiality purposes. The CLASS section is where each student has a box. They can use this to tell me about any students who were absent or any behavior issues they had that day. The BEST DAY EVER section is where I ask them to leave a note about their day. I have found that this helps to end the day on a positive note. Always let them know how thankful you are for them filling in. Being a substitute teacher is not an easy job. I want them to know that they are appreciated. Finally, I just include a NOTES section, in case they need somewhere to take notes throughout the day. Now let's talk planned days off. The only things I do differently are change the lesson plans and lay everything out for the day. I recently was out for a whole week, so I will show you how I planned for those days off. I color coded everything! First I used the lesson plan section I had already made, but I added more details about each specific lesson, as well as what related arts we went to each day. Just copy and paste the lesson plans pages. I also put the day of the week at the bottom of each packet. I did not put these in the binder. I decided to staple each day's plans printed on different colors of paper. For the sheets that were needed for each day, I used the same color sticky notes to label each day's activities. You could even put the time that they will need each activity. I also lay everything out in order for the day. I just spread it all out across the table for the sub, and it keeps everything organized and the expectations clear. If they needed a teacher edition for that lesson, I also marked the pages with those same color sticky notes and put them in the stacks. I hope seeing how I plan for a substitute teacher helps you plan for yours. So many subs have thanked me for having everything prepped for them, and they love coming back to my class. I have had other teachers request for me to share how to properly plan for a sub, particularly how to put together a proper Substitute Teacher Binder. Often times, teachers do not leave detailed plans, which makes the day difficult not only for the sub, but for the other teachers on your team. You want your sub to feel prepared and to want to come back. It's so hard to find a sub these days, so we want to do everything we can to support them. You might even want to include a little treat for them. We know that chocolate makes everything better! You can grab this free tag by clicking on the photo below. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email or reach out on Instagram. What tips do you have for planning for a substitute teacher?
Learn how to make a pom pom shooter. This fun craft doubles as a STEM activity for kids. Kids will love learning physics with this fun toy.
Teachers are such an essential part of society and humanity as a whole that they are without a doubt up there along with doctors, policemen, firefighters, and, undoubtedly, mothers.
Are you a new teacher trying to figure out how you are going to thrive in the teaching profession? Or, are you a seasoned teacher who’s ready to make a change that helps you last, put yourself and your family FIRST, have balance, AND enjoy teaching more because of it? Today I'm sharing some of the
I so remember my first year as a new teacher! I wondered why I was even hired! (Did they not know that I didn't have a clue how to do ‘this teacher thing'?!) Yes, I had graduated with a degree, a teaching certificate, and had an idealistic philosophy of education (that had no basis in research […]
Flip Sticks are an amazing participation tool for calling on students at random! The idea of using name sticks is nothing new. In fact, this classroom management strategy has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, what I didn’t learn until a few years into teaching, was how to keep track of which students had […]
Valentine Gifts for Teachers & Funny Teacher Quotes. This post is all about teachers and for teachers! Find some amazing (and hilarious) teacher gifts and quotes that teachers will LOVE and identify with!
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
1. You can't do it all the first year. Seriously. You will find so many great ideas and be inspired by so many awesome teachers that you cannot possibly find the time to implement every great idea. That's why Pinterest was invented. Simmer down and pace yourself. Summer does not come nearly fast enough. 2. Veteran teachers are watching you. That's right, and they sometimes laugh and shake their heads at you and your big, cheesy enthusiasm. It's not like you think it is though. We were all new teachers once, and we remember feeling and acting like you are acting right now, crazy as you are. I clearly remember silently judging my master teachers because they didn't do this or that according to what I learned in my methods classes. However, you quickly learn that the classroom isn't a laboratory where you can control all the variables. Some of the best learning you will do as a new teacher is by trial and error. It's honest to goodness on the job training that never stops. You think I'm kidding, I know. I'm standing back here smiling and shaking my head as I think to myself "you'll see." You must understand though, I do it as a parent would watch their child. We can help you, and we can mentor you, and we can share our knowledge, but ultimately you have to figure out what works for you. We are watching you, but we want you to succeed and we want to help you. 3. You will never master teaching. When I say this, I don't mean to discourage you, just to warn you that although you will teach and touch many lives in your career, your students will also teach you and touch your life more than you can imagine. I've never really been an emotionally sappy person, but I have found myself on many occasions overcome with emotions so strong that I experience this strange mushy, tingly feeling all over my body. It's a wee bit creepy, but nice, in a warm, fuzzy, caterpillar kind of way. 4. Summer does not come nearly fast enough. At times you will feel like you're in a never ending tunnel in which they have turned off the light at the end of the tunnel due to budget cuts, and then the next thing you know you're on the front lawn of the school, waving to the buses as the students are carried away, and dancing and singing at the top of your lungs "School's Out for SUMMER!" You can't even begin to understand what a surreal experience it is to be caught up in the party and then you realize, "OMG, I survived my first year of teaching! When did that happen? How did I get here?!!!" There is no other feeling quite like that last day of school when you've earned your first year survival badge, and you have your whole summer stretched out in front of you. 5. There is no one ideal teaching style. You have to do what works with your personality and what feels right to you. I remember being incredibly worried when a professor told my education class that we should never use sarcasm in the classroom. For me, that was like telling me I had to grow gills because I was going to have to learn how to breath under water. 6. Education is Synonymous with Change. You will realize this at least by your fifth year, sooner if you are more alert than myself. Even before you realize this, you will find yourself leaving every faculty meeting and PLC meeting muttering "Really? One more thing I have to implement that I don't have time for?" 7. The Next Great Thing in Education is a Cyclical Process. Refer to number six above. Every year an amazing new idea will be presented in your PLC that is going to change everything. It will come with new buzz words and everybody will use them ad nauseam in educational conversations. Then next year it will be replaced by something else, and so on, and so forth, until you start seeing the same tired old ideas again, but with new buzz words attached to them. That being said, some of it is good, and you should strive to keep an open mind lest you become cynical and rigid. The bottom line is that there is a delicate balance between implementing new ideas and feeling overwhelmed. Give yourself permission to take a reasonable amount of time to implement new things. 8. Your work is never done. No matter how hard you work, you will never be completely caught up and there will always be things left undone. Accept it and prioritize. You will have to decide how much is good enough and then leave the rest for tomorrow. It's okay to push away from your desk at the end of the day and say "I've done enough," and go home. 9. You will be wrong and you will try stupid things. We tell our students over and over again that they have to make mistakes in order to learn. The same is true for us. Learn how to admit when you are wrong and your ideas don't work out. You will be surprised at how resilient your students are. 10. Eat lunch in the faculty lounge. You need to get out of your classroom and talk to adults. Talking and laughing with your colleagues is the best stress relief you will find in your school day. Take advantage of it. 11. Make time for yourself. I feel like a hypocrite even writing this, but I know deep down in my heart that it is necessary and so, so important. Try. I beg you. 12. You won't always like your students. It's true, but don't ever, ever let them see it. Fake it until you make it. Sometimes your most annoying students turn out to be the ones that you find a very special place in your heart for. Make an effort to get to know them, and find something that you like about them. 13. Your students won't always like you. Teaching is not a popularity contest. You are not their friend. Being a teacher is a lot like being a parent. You are there to teach them and to help mold them into well-rounded, compassionate, problem solving adults. 14. Teaching is the hardest job on the planet. You won't believe how hard you will work. Pace yourself and get plenty of sleep. You will need it to maintain quick reflexes. 15. Ask for help. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Ask other teachers for lessons and materials. Most good teachers love to share. I have learned more from other teachers I've worked with than all of my college classes and the Internet combined. Veteran teachers especially are like gold. 16. At times you will have to breath polluted air rich with the stench of body odor. Suck it up, Princess, and stock up on the Scentsy. This is your life now. Trust me, as a teacher in a middle school I always have two Scentsys going at a time. They work. 17. You will laugh every day. Clean air isn't the most important thing. Laughter really is the best medicine, and your students will make you laugh until you wet yourself. I promise. 18. You will spend more money than you thought possible on school supplies. At times you will feel like you are hemorrhaging money. 19. Sometimes you have to say no. Your Administrators will ask you to head committees and do all sorts of things because they know they can depend on you. And you absolutely should do some of those things, but know your limits and don't take on too much. 20. Never pass up an opportunity to use the restroom. If you are walking by a restroom, whether you have to go or not, go in and try. It may be your last chance for the next six hours. 21. Choose your battles. You will experience all types of personalities in your teaching career and not every child, nor adult for that matter, can be dealt with in the same way. Some students absolutely cannot be pushed and you need to know when to step back and give them choices. Decide what is important and what is worth fighting for. 22. If it isn't documented it didn't happen. Document, document, document. You will have to prove which interventions you have used on students, what behavior you have witnessed, what was or wasn't turned in, etc., etc. Find a system that works for you and document everything. Ask other teachers in your school how they document and you will save yourself hours upon hours of time. Refer to number fifteen above. 23. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Sometimes it's a good thing and sometimes it isn't, but it is one of the most enjoyable parts of Parent-Teacher conferences. 24. Despite federal legislation, some students choose to be left behind. You can lead a child to knowledge, but you cannot make them think. 25. Helicopter parents are alive and well. Although they can be bothersome, at least they are involved and you have to give them credit for that. Depending on the demographics of the school where you teach, you may find that uninvolved parents are a much bigger problem. 26. You will not make enough money to live on. Marry well. A large number of teachers have second jobs. Frankly, I don't know how they do it. Referring back to number eight, I can't even finish this job, let alone keep another one on the side. I am fortunate to have married well. 27. Sometimes your students are smarter than you. They don't have to know that though. Fake it until you make it. What works for me are exclamations such as: "Tell me more about that!" "What were you thinking when you got that answer?" "Explain your thought process" or a simple, but genuine "Amazing!" can work wonders. Also, make sure you pay attention and take notes. Don't let anyone see though. Rely on Siri. 28. You will not be able to teach everything your students need to know before they take their standardized tests. Do not panic, stress out, or freak out. Your students will smell your fear and react accordingly. Teach them what you can in a calm, organized manner and let the rest go. Stress doesn't help anyone perform better on tests. 28. Sometimes you just have to smile, walk into your classroom, close the door, and teach what you know you should be teaching. No one has to know you just deep sixed that PLC binder you just received in the faculty meeting. Although in reality you probably shouldn't do that. I mean you will want to do that, but more than likely you will need to access it at some point, so cover your butt and hang onto it. Once you give yourself an attitude adjustment, you can come back to it.
Are you wondering how to prepare to be a substitute teacher? Follow my tips for what to do and what to bring with you!
Happy November, teacher friends! I love this season so much in the classroom! You can really feel that the breaks are so close and Christmas is in the air! Sometimes, along with that comes the need for more redirection because students can sense it, too. That's when I pull out a classroom behavior management game to get us back on track. The goal of these games is to take students from being extrinsically motivated to intrinsically motivated. I want them to make the right choice because it's the right thing to do and not just for a prize. How you, as the teacher, approach that makes all the difference and sets the tone. They need a good amount of positive feedback when playing these games for them to be successful, such as, "I noticed how quickly and quietly you transitioned from the carpet to your seat." You can then ask a student to add a game piece to the board. If you have strong routines and a classroom management system in place, I promise that you will see a noticeable difference in the way your classroom runs with my Classroom Management Games. I wanted to make the prizes simple and free, so I always post this list as a reminder for me. I will pick maybe three and have students vote on what they want to work towards. This gives them a goal to strive for. We also go over expectations for the game and the specific ways they can earn a game piece. Each game will focus on a specific behavior. Once we get that behavior or routine down, we move onto a different game. Transitions are something I am always working on, so I made this one, Transitions are as Easy as Pie. When students exhibit a quick, quiet, and smooth transition, they get to add a piece of pie to the game board. Once the pie is built, they earn the reward. Some groups tattle more than others, so it's up to you on whether or not you use this game. The group from this year tattled fairly frequently, so I would have definitely used this game! Students can earn a piece by effectively solving problems amongst themselves. I earn a piece for tic tac toe if someone tattles. Be sure to go over what is a tattle and what needs to be brought to the teacher. Good manners is so important to me. I want my students to display good manners throughout the building and to be models for others. When they get a compliment for having good manners, such as in the cafeteria, they earn a dish for the Thanksgiving table. This game really gets them thinking about how they act inside and outside of the classroom. Your definition of goodness might be different than mine, but for me, I am looking for students showing acts of kindness to other students and to adults at school. When they are caught showing goodness or kindness, they get to add a piece to the BUMP board. If they are exhibiting a less desirable behavior, I get to add a piece. You can bump each other's piece off the board; I don't bump them but they do bump me quite frequently. The goal is to get four in a row. I also let students tell me if someone is kind to them for a piece for the class. The turkey challenge is just a classic game of students vs. teacher. Choose the focus you need for your class, such as raising their hand or being engaged. Students are the turkeys and are trying to earn pieces for their side. If they are not exhibiting the desired behavior, the teacher earns a piece. Whoever has the most at the end of the lesson or day wins. I print each of these games on cardstock and laminate them. I use round Velcro dots from Amazon to attach the pieces to the game board. I display the game at the front of the room, so that students can have that visual of what they are working on and for. You can even ask your students what they think the class needs to work on to give them more ownership over the game. You can find the link to the games HERE or by clicking on any of the photos. An update to the December games is on the way, so be on the lookout for that! Thanks for stopping by!
Too Tired to Teach? It happens to the best of us. We all have those days where we stay up too late grading papers, planning fun lessons for the next day, organizing materials for science experiments (or binge watching your favorite show on Netflix). Then you pay for it the next day when you have […]
Here are some great grammar games, ideas, and activities that will help early/middle elementary aged kids enjoy grammar just a bit.
Keep your classroom organized, your sanity intact, and your social media channels popping.
Write with a fidget spinner activity, lesson, or summer learning activity that kids actually want to do in class or at home!
These teacher hacks are brilliant ideas for your classroom that'll make your life so much easier this year. Number nine will change your life!
Teacher tip ✨EVERY TEACHER✨ should know about!! Teacher problem: Random ads that pop up during videos and disrupt the class! Here’s my teacher solution!💖🫶🏼 We don’t gatekeep here! #teachertips...
A Letter From Your Teacher: On the Last Day of School (The Classroom Community Collection) [Olsen, Shannon, Sonke, Sandie] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Letter From Your Teacher: On the Last Day of School (The Classroom Community Collection)
Happy teachers mean happy students. Here is a list of ways to build morale, support teacher wellbeing and have fun as a teaching team at school.
These 25 quick and easy tips for new teachers will help you create a positive, engaging, and effective learning environment for your students.
