LOVE looking back over the last school year and reflecting on things that WORKED and we LOVED. Under each specific picture I linked everything I could find! Let me know if there’s something you want to know more about!
This white board contact paper makes small groups SO much more fun. I replace each summer, but it is SO worth it to me. Much cheaper than buying a whole new dry erase table. Snag the paper I use HERE.
Creating pet magnets is SO much easier than you think. I buy the dry erase paper on Amazon. I simply upload the pictures to remove.bg and remove the background. Then I print on the magnetic paper. Paper is thin enough to cut with regular scissors. So EASY. My kids love seeing their pets! I have their parents email me a picture of their pet during the first week of school. If they don't have a pet, they get to pick their dream pet! Snag the paper HERE.
SO many questions about the Drink Bar. This was a major hit this year and the kiddos requested it for ANY reward. I used it primarily as a reward for above and beyond readers, but you could use for anything. Students got a cup, they got to choose a sticker, we added a fun straw - and on some occasions - we added candy to the top!
These Walmart rechargable lamps are SO good and come in several fun colors.
Instead of just showing my students a slideshow about me, I like to give my students bags of items that represent be that they make inferences about. This puts a spin on the typical "get to know your teacher" activity and gets kids really thinking! As a reading teacher, I want to start teaching reading skills on day one and I love starting with inferences. Snag the TPT product HERE.
Rock of the Week was a new addition to our classroom this year and it was a game changer as far as student motivation. ROCK of the Week" is an honor for one student each week who is steady, strong, and dependable - just like a “rock”. Students strived to be one each week! It was not given to every student in class. I wrote them a notecard with specific incredible things they did and they got a rock and a sticker.
This book is a FAVORITE of mine to get students excited about reading and thinker deeper about what it means to read. We always read this book during the first week of school and then watch the short film.
Grab the FREEBIE that goes with the book.
I always start the year with a book tasting. It exposes kiddos to SO many different books and genres and teaches kiddos that reading can be fun. I am all about finding books kiddos enjoy reading!
Grab the Resource from Head Over Heals for Teaching
On every kiddos birthday or half birthday they get a straw and a Sprite. It is SO easy. I prep these over the summer and keep a container of straws and I stock my fridge with sprites. I love having something I don't have to think about always on GO.
Grab the straws on Amazon.
Grab the Smiley sign on TPT.
I use half notebooks for our weekly grammar and it is a novelty that the kids love and NEVER lose. I buy whole notebooks and my dad cuts them in half with a chain saw. If you don't have access to a saw, I've heard local hardware stores will cut them for you or you can pay for half notebooks.
Classroom transformations are SO much fun! I highly recommend finding things your kids are excited about and creating somethingn around that. I typically do a glow day, a basketball day, and something for halloween as well!
Morning meetings are a game changer for classroom community. We start each day with a share time, a question of the day, and 99% of the time we play some sort of quick game.
Morning Meeting Team Building Activities
I love having clear acrylic containers so that you can easily see what inside. My students grab these containers of crayons and supplies and take them back to their tables. I also have acrylic paper sorters that I love. Snag the items on amazon HERE.
If I missed anything, let me know! I am SO happy to help!
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