Tips and Tricks - Teacher Week 2013

Drink lots of coffee!

 

Okay, that may not work for everyone.

Here are a few tips/tricks that you may

find useful in your classroom.

 

#1:  Get a good joke book.

At random times during the week,

tell your kids a joke.

It gets everyone laughing

and is a nice little break.

 

#2:  Play Rock, Paper, Scissors.

This idea was a brain break

that I've seen shared in a few places.

I play teacher against the whole class.

I'll stand at the front of the room facing my class

and away we go.

My kids LOVE this!

Do some of them change their choice

so they can beat me?

Sure, but it's just for fun.

WARNING:  It can get loud!

 

#3:  Have students give a 2-word summary

about their weekend.

I use this activity on Monday and Friday.

The students get a chance to give a 2-word summary

about what they did/plan to do on the weekend.

I actually read about this as a way

to work on main idea.

We discuss that we need to be able

to figure out the activity from the two words.

 

Good example:  Grandma's house or birthday party

Bad example:  had fun or did stuff.

 

What are some tips you can share with us?

Be sure to link up so we can hear them!

 

Also, be sure to come back on Saturday for my link up:

It's A Sale!

I'm sure you have heard

that TpT is having their big

Back to School Sale!

 August 18-19

You can save up to 28%

on your purchases.

 

I can't wait to start shopping!

We don't start school until Wednesday,

so I'll have some time to organize

my new items.

 

In the meantime,

I'm linking up to share

some wish-list items.

 

You get to share the top 2 wishlisted items in your store.

Then tell us 1 of your personal wishlisted items.

 

 



 

50 Printables for Early Finishers and Enrichment

Created by SunnyDays

I can't wait to see your list

so then I can add more to mine!

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Classroom Management - Taming the Wild

I love that title:

Taming the Wild!

It makes me laugh.

How many times have you heard,

"I don't know how you control that many kids!"

 

I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin'

to share some classroom management strategies.

 

#1:  Have your students line up in number order.

I tried this method last year and it worked great.

No one needs to run in order to get to the front

of the line and no one can always try

to be at the back.

Kids usually are not standing by their friends

so there is less talking in the halls.

 

I still have a line leader

and the numbers continue from that person.

 

For example: Student #5 is the line leader.

#6-25 come next.

Then #1-4 follow them.

 

The kids didn't always like this, but oh well!

 

#2:  Put magnets on the student name tags.

Then you can place the name tags on the front

or side of a desk.

Also, if a student goes to the washroom,

they can put their nametag on the board.

You will always know who is out of the room.

 

#3:  Make a checklist of names for turning in work.

This is what mine looked like last year.

I was able to cut the lists apart

and write the assignment at the top.

As a student turned in that work,

they checked off their name.

 

The list always stayed at the top of the paper pile.

It was great because I could quickly

glance at the list and see who needed to turn in their work.

 

Have you tried something similar in your classroom?

Be sure to link up and share your ideas!



Win, Loss and a Thing of Cost - Back to School Edition

It's Wednesday again!

I hope you will join Matt at Digital: Divide and Conquer

and myself for another edition of...

WIN:

One of my teammates will be on maternity leave

for the first 8 weeks of school.

Yesterday we found out who the sub will be.

Even though we will miss our friend,

we are really excited about the sub that was hired.

 

LOSS:

This is my last Wednesday on vacation.

No need to explain.

 

THING OF COST: 

I've made three different sets of task cards

for you to use at the beginning of the year.

 

Get to Know Your Students

Get to Know Your Teacher

Get to Know Your School

 

Here I am showing you the full bundle,

but I'm also selling each set on their own.

 

You can place the cards around the room

and let the students fill in their responses on the sheet provided.

Another option is to have a card of the day.

You can also use the cards as time fillers

the first few weeks of school.

 

Right now, the cards are 25% off at my Teacher's Notebook store.

The sale ends on the 8/18.

The cards can also be found at my TpT store.

 

 

I'd love to give the bundle away for free to one of my followers.

Comment below and I will pick a winner on Thursday morning.

 

Tell me the name of a song that you turn up

loud when you hear it, but would not

admit to others that you love the song.

 

I'll share first...

Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

 

Ready...Go!

Congrats Ursula!  Check your email for my task cards.

 

Don't forget to link up with your

Win, Loss and Thing of Cost.

Huge Sale at Teacher's Notebook

It's back to school time!

Everywhere we look,

there is another sale.

Teacher's Notebook has joined in on the fun!

 

They have a Build-A-Bundle promotion going on right now.

Over 3400 items are listed at 50% off

when you purchase at least $20 worth of items.

That would be $40 at regular price.

 

You can search by grade level, subject, etc.

Then you get to build your own bundle.

 

I will go ahead a promote a few of my items if I may.

 

If a whole bundle doesn't work for you,

be sure to check out my store.

Everything is 25% off.

 

Enjoy your Tuesday!



Back to School Blog Hop and Giveaway!

I'm a little bit excited about this post

because I've never participated in a blog hop before.

I think you will really enjoy visiting each blog.

We are all sharing a Back to School tip.

We'll also give a preview of the product we

donated to the giveaway.

Some of us are also offering you a FREEBIE!

 

So be sure to "HOP" on over to the other blogs

and be sure to enter the giveaway.

 

BACK TO SCHOOL TIP:

Give your students dough to play with on the first day.

The kids can be so nervous that day

and dough is so familiar to them.

I got this idea from Clutter Free Classroom

last year and it really worked.

My third graders were laughing and talking to each other.

It was a very fun to watch.

 

MY BACK TO SCHOOL PRODUCT DONATION:

 

 

 

My students loved foldables last year

and so I'm starting this year with some.

I created this to be used two different ways.

1.  Make a lapbook about the beginning of the year only.

2.  Make a lapbook.  

Half of the book can be about the beginning of the year.

Save it and add the other foldables at the end of the year.

 

Of course, any of these can be used in a writing notebook

at the beginning of the year.

They are a nice way to prompt your students

and let them write about a familiar topic - themselves!

 

FREEBIE:

I am sharing a freebie with you also.

 

 This is an activity to help review classroom rules and procedures.

Five categories are in the boxes:

Fire Drill

Tornado Drill

Hallway

Snacks and Drinks

Washroom

 

Your kids cut out the rules and place

them in the correct category box.

For example:

Stop working immediately and line up

would go in the fire drill box.

 

I've included a blank rules sheet so you

can customize it for your classroom.

 

Well, I hop you enjoy the rest of the blog hop

and again, don't forget the enter the giveaway!

 

 

Duck Tape ID Tag and a Giveaway

Are you required to wear an id badge at school?

We are and we also have two keys

and a class list.

 

I've gone through at least five different holders

because they end of breaking or don't fit well.

 

I was so excited when I saw an id holder

made of Duck Tape at Joann Fabrics.

 

Here is what you need.

Both products were at Joann Fabrics,

but I'm sure you can get them elsewhere.

 

Figure out how long you want the holder

and cut the tape.

Then fold in one of the sides. 

 

Do the same to the other side.

Try to make them overlap a little bit.

Then put the folded tape through the loop. 

 

Bring the two ends together

and wrap a piece of tape around them.

There you go! 

 

I love this idea because it is super cheap

and there are so many designs/colors of Duck Tape.

I tried it on and it is comfortable.

There's a good chance I'm going to make a few more.

 

I wanted to let you know about a huge giveaway

that is going on right now.

There are six prize packs and therefore 6 winners!

Click on the button above to enter.

 

Have a great Sunday!