Christmas Preschool Pack (all dressed up)

CHRISTMAS! My absolute favorite time of the year. The minute Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas music comes on (though, if I'm being honest, I've been playing Christmas music since August) and the tree goes up.

To spread a little Christmas cheer, I thought I would polish up one of my favorite Christmas teaching products:

(click here to view more pages and a product description)

And what I mean when I say polish is completely demolish, reconstruct, and sprinkle with glitter.

Just look what this packet looked like before:

Bleh. Boring. And created in Microsoft Word before I knew what I was doing. (My husband might argue that I still don't know what I'm doing when it comes to computers. I would argue that he's unable to recognize pure genius when he sees it. But that's besides the point.)

For those of you who have purchased this before, good news: you get to download the new one for FREE. Just log into your Teachers Pay Teacher's account and click on this resource in your list of past purchases.

Time to go light my favorite Christmas Yankee candle (smells soooo good) and turn on some For King & Country Christmas music.

Do you get excited about Christmas too? What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

I'd like you to meet my friend, Bailey... {And a deal!}

I don't do the 'hard sell thing' very often- mostly because it makes me break out in a nervous sweat... BUT sometimes important causes call for stepping our of our comfort zone, right? So here goes nothing...

Bailey's Story

One of my son’s best friends is a silly, sweet little boy named Bailey. He loves to swim in the pool, dance to music …and play with trucks.

Bailey also has a special super power: he has autism. It gives him the ability to love unconditionally and find joy in life’s little things. Autism also presents a few challenges and we are so proud to see how hard Bailey works to overcome them.

He inspired his mama to start Bailey’s Buddies, a team for Autism Speaks that raises money to change the future for all who struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

You can find out more about Bailey's Buddies and Autism Speaks here.

And I've got a steal of a deal for YOU!

In honor of Bailey, I’ve created a truck-themed SuperPack for the little super hero in your life.

 

100% of the proceeds from this packet will go toward his mom's Walk for Autism Speaks group.

This packet is ONLY $2.99. My other preschool packs are $5, but I figured I'd make this is a win-win for everyone: you get a deal and you also get to help change the future for all who struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorder!

It would be perfect for your kids, your classroom, or to pass along to a friend with kids. 

Can you help me spread the word?

Bailey's mom always says 'it takes a village to raise a son with Autism' and I was wondering if you could be small part of that village?

I would LOVE if you would share this post or these pictures with your friends. Just one click can make a big difference to those who live every day with Autism. Thanks a million!

Cute and simple owl craft

Rachel from I Heart Crafty Things shared this fun owl craft that would be a cute compliment to any owl-themed classroom or as a follow-up activity to reading the book The Little White Owl.

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I love that they use simple supplies: paper plates, paint, and scrap paper. I even have all of that stuff at home right now. Are they not just the cutest things?! These might be popping up at my house this week ;)

Check out my list of fun ways to decorate an owl-inspired classroom.

Have you used a theme to decorate your classroom?

First Day of School Activity: Student Growth Chart

One of the best parts about our job is that 'fresh start' feeling that always comes with the beginning of a new school year. Regardless of how we ended the previous year, this is our opportunity to set a positive tone in our rooms. During the series, I will be sharing a few fun ideas to make the first day of school a success! Be sure to subscribe to my feed so you don't miss any of them!

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Long, long ago... in the early baby days of my Pinterest obsession....like, 4 years ago (it seriously seems longer- what did I do before this lovely little site?!)... I pinned this diy ruler growth chart. It sat on my board for two-and-a-half long years. Waiting. Then one day, I was hit by a rare burst of motivation and I decided that (dang it!) I was going to actually do something from Pinterest instead of just pinning things all day long!

So I made a ruler to hang on my kid's wall.

And immediately wished I had done it 2 years earlier 'cuz it turned out so stinkin' cute!

One tip: draw- or trace- the numbers on with a pencil, then fill in with a sharpie. Super simple.

So, you all are probably wondering what this has to do with a first day of school activity. Ready for the mind-blowing transition....

Create a student growth chart.

On the first day of school, I would measure each of my students on a chart on the wall. Then, on the last day, we'd check to see how tall they had grown. It was simple, quick, and fun- the perfect first day of school activity to break the ice.

Not only was it a great lesson in measurement, but it was just plain fun to see their excitement over having grown a few inches that year. 

You could even take it one step further and teach a lesson on graphing and charting with each student's height. I didn't. Something to do with having 153 first day things to do in 6 hours , but ya know...you could ;)

Your growth chart doesn't have to be a wooden one like the one above (though wouldn't that be SO cool?!) 

There are a bunch of fun classroom-friendly ones here and here and here you could use instead. I just ended up using sentence strips to make mine and put up a new one each year for the incoming class. I'd usually leave last year's up with my current year because kids always came back to visit those first few years and loved seeing how much they grown since they were 'little.' So funny!

More First Day of School Activities:

The Teacher Test Game
Paper Bag Show-and-Tell (& Writing Project)
Before & After Pictures
Monster Adjectives
Make Birthday Posters

What's your favorite first day of school activity?

DIY Seat Sacks

So, you all know all about my Pinterest obsession, right? Well apparently, I'm not the only one :)  It seems that teachers are blowing up their boards this month getting read for the school year to start and they've been pinning some really creative ideas. Here's one I saw this week:

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Amy shared this idea at Confessions of a Nerdy Teacher. She got aprons from her local home improvement shop (though you could use something like this or this too) and turned them into book organizers for her desks.

Why I love this idea:

• It's a cheap way to create the more expensive Seat Sacks.

• You can do what one teacher did and cut the seam out of the middle. Then you could fit folders instead of just small books.

• It uses space that is normally unused. Check and check.

Here are some other creative, low-cost ideas for organizing your room.

What are your tips for organizing student materials in your room?

Photo Timeline Hallway Display

I ran across this idea on Pinterest and thought it would make a creative, but low maintenance hallway display:

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Mrs. T shared this idea at Mrs. T's First Grade Class. She sets up the timeline strip (with monthly labels) at the beginning of the year and just adds pictures as the year goes along.

Why I love this idea:

• It creates a unique-to-your-class display.

• It's constantly changing through the year without you having to rip a display down and put a new one up.

• It allows parents and administrators to see what you've been doing all year when they visit

I just LOVE the idea of low maintenance year-round displays, don't you? Check out this list for more year-round bulletin boards and displays. 

What fun ideas do you have for creating hallway displays?

Display Student Family Photos

I ran across this idea on Pinterest yesterday and absolutely LOVED it. It's just so simple...and yet a great way to personalize your room.

This idea came from Prepare To Play. The owner of that blog asks each student to bring in a framed family photo at the beginning of the year and then displays them on a shelf in their classroom:

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Why I love this idea:

• It instantly gives your kids ownership of their new room.

• For younger kids, having their family photo close by could be a source of comfort as they transition to a new classroom.

• It's a great conversation starter with kids and with parents.

• It would give you a way to remember which parent went with which kid. This would be especially helpful to me....the inside joke among my friends is "What was that guy's name again...oh wait, don't ask Kaitlin, she won't have a clue!" Ha.... Ha.... Ha. (But oh so true!!)

How do you personalize your classroom? 

RAK: Cafeteria Worker Thank You Cards

During my first few years of teaching, I read a book by Ron Clark called The Essential 55. Besides being an extremely entertaining story, Ron talks about 55 'life rules' that he imparted to his students each year. 

The one rule that really stood out to me was Rule 11: "Surprise others by performing random acts of kindness. Go out of your way to do something surprisingly kind and generous for someone at least once a month. " My students and I decided that we would brainstorm and do a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) each month at our school and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable parts of our year. While not technically *random,* these act were a great way to teach my students the value of being kind to others.

Want to join the club? Each month, we are going to highlight a different RAK that you can do with your class. You can choose to do this or any RAK of your choosing. Don't forget to come back and share with us how it went! 


This month's RAK:

Make "Thank You" cards and banners for the cafeteria workers. 

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HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR DOING THIS RAK: 

• Use large sheets of poster board or bulletin board paper if making a sign.

• See if your principle will give you permission to go into the cafeteria after the last worker has left for the day and tape your banner or cards up as a special surprise in the morning.
• Include some sort of item when you say thank you (maybe a basket of small candies)
• Have your students brainstorm some fun ways to say thank you. You'd be surprised what creative ideas little minds can come up with!

Here was a great idea that someone posted to Pinterest (photographer not credited in the original pin):

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Click here to find past RAK ideas.

It's your turn now! Go brainstorm a RAK with your class or use the one found here. Then come back and tell us how it went! 

Do you have a good RAK idea? I'd love to hear them! You never know...they might just be featured on YTA in the future :) 

Fun Classroom Party Game: Plastic Candy Ball

Shauna at Seminary At 6 AM shared a fun game that would be perfect for any class party or end-of-year celebration. 

She took one small peice of candy and wrapped it in plastic wrap. After adding a few more sheets of plastic wrap to the ball, she put another piece of candy on it. She repeated this until she had more than 70 small candies wrapped up into one huge ball.

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Then came the fun part!

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The students sat in a circle and took turns taking off sheets of plastic wrap as fast as they could. The person right after them rolled the dice until they got a double, which meant that the ball was passed to them. If they unwrapped a piece of candy, they got to keep it!

A few tips: They used heavy duty plastic wrap {like this kind} since the regular Saran Wrap is too thin. Also, if you have younger kids, you could skip the dice rolling part and just have each kid take off one sheet of plastic before passing it to the next person.

Visit Shauna's site to see detailed instructions and more pictures.

What are some fun games you've used for classroom parties?

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

Adding Machine

The Polka-Dotted Teacher hit up the hardware store in search of something she could use to make an adding machine. What she ended up using was a P trap with a clean out spout. Ingenious!

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This would make a great math center or station....or just a fun visual aid when teaching a whole-group lesson. I love that it's hands on, super durable, and cheap!

With all the renovations we've done to our house over the years, it's a bit amazing that the plumbing department is one aisle of Home Depot I don't know inside out. That's about to change, my teach-peeps! This is going on the 'things to buy for my son' list. Watch out Home Depot....Mama needs a P Trap! (Heehee. Pee Trap.) ....(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Do you have a fun idea you've used for teaching addition?

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

5 End Of Year Student Gift Ideas

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The end of the year is right around the corner (or, at least, right around the corner that right after that corner...or something like that!). Here are 5 creative ideas for end-of-the-year student gifts:

1. BEACH BALL SIGNATURES

I love this idea- in part for it's frugality (hey- gotta make those teacher salaries stretch, right?!), but mostly for how it is so personalized! This teacher gave an inflatable beach ball to each of her students. They took time on the last day of school to sign each other's beach balls with sharpies (here's some great metallic ones that would be fun to use!) 

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Here are some free Have a Ball tags you can use, courtesy of A Sunny Day In First Grade (Thanks!)

2. PERSONALIZED WORD ART

The Polka-Dotted Teacher (aka- Jessica) made a thoughtful-- and budget-conscious-- gift to give her students at the end of the year using Wordle and black frames:

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Read more about this idea here.

3. DVD OF PICTURES

The lovely owner of the blog Tenth Avenue South shared this fun idea: Simply burn all the pictures you've taken throughout the year onto a recordable DVD, pop it in a case and give to each student. Take it one step further and set it to music using imovie (mac) or Movie Maker (PC). 

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Oooh! I just got a picture in my head of a fun last-day-of-school viewing party where you can pop popcorn and watch all the fun moments you and your kids experienced this year. Love!

Here's the poem on the front in case you can't see it well on your screen: 

I'm glad I was our teacher,

I've come to love you so.

I can't believe the end is here,

I'm sad to see you go.

Remember all the fun we had

In all the things we did,

But most of all remember--

You're a very special kid.

4. PLAY DOUGH MAKING KIT

This simple summer-days kit includes flour, salt, and a Kool-Aid packet. Just combine them all with water and a bit of oil and wala! Instant play dough!

Read more here to find out how Rochelle made these cute packs.

Your student's parents will be sure to thank you for this sometime around July when they are trying to find something fun to do to keep their kiddos from catching a case of the dreaded Whine-itis ;)

5. BUBBLES (OR BUBBLE GUM!)

What a simple idea {but cute} idea.... and I love that it comes with a positive message too! Just attach this cute tag to a bottle of bubbles (or a bag of bubble gum for those of you teaching older kids). This would also make a fun gift to give right before you have a bubble blowing contest on the last day of school!

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*Sigh* Reading all of these cute ideas is making me get the itch to get back in the classroom...but then my almost-2-year-old gives me 'big squeezes' and I'm content to be where I am again. So I will just have to live vicariously through all of you and your classrooms. Have fun planning all of your end of the year festivities!!

Do you have a fun idea for end-of-year student gifts?

Super Teacher Tip #9: Grabbing Students' Attention

Sing a simple song to get students' attention without raising your voice. In the past, I've shared a post about how to get the attention of your class without raising your voice. By far, the the most enjoyable way for me to do this was by using a short song.

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When I student taught, my supervising teacher always sang a 'good morning' song after the announcements were done. The kids would sing the song with her and wait for her to tap them on the head. (The head tap only happened if their desk was cleared of morning work and they were sitting nicely in their seats.) Once their head was tapped, they would keep singing while they walked over to the carpet. By the time the song was done, everyone was calmly sitting, watching the teacher and waiting for the lesson to start. This simple start to the day showed me the power of using simple songs to capture the attention of the entire class and to create smooth transitions.

A simple two-line song would do the trick for grabbing the attention of your class in a matter of seconds. Something like:

Teacher: "What is it time for?"
Students answer: "Time to stop and listen"

With an approach like this, students have two opportunities to hear that they are supposed to stop and listen. The first is when the teacher sings his or her line. The second is when the students around them respond. This helps eliminate a few of the "Johnny, I already asked you to be quiet once!" moments that happen every day.

Another version of this that I especially liked using was to clap a special clap and have the students clap it back to me. I could do this two or three times if the room was especially noisy or if we were outside on the playground without having to yell above the noise.

One bonus with these two strategies is that the kids feel like they are pretty special for knowing the special clap or song, especially when they are around other classes or their parents. This makes it even easier to get their attention when on a field trip or during a special event at school.

Here are a few other great ways to use music in the classroom:

#1: Start the day off in a calm way
#2: Clean your room in 3 minutes
#3: As a free and easy reward
#4: To lower your stress
#5: To keep the room quiet
#6: To Teach a set of facts
#7: Create smooth transitions
#8: Grab students' attention without yelling

And don't forget to check out other easy ways to grab your kids' attention.

What's your trick for getting your students' attention?

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What's a"Super Teacher?" Any teacher that's trying his or her very best to create effective teaching moments and provide a positive classroom environment.  We Super Teachers aren't perfect teachers by a long-shot, but we are always striving to become better teachers. Read more Super Teacher Tips here!

Want to share some of your own Super Teacher Tips? Just leave a comment below.

Mini Books

Nancy over at Can't Stop Smiling in Second Grade shared this fun and simple (and money-saving!) idea that could work for almost every subject area. She takes skinny composition folders- 20 pages or less- and cuts them in half using a paper cutter. Then, they can be used to make mini books about whatever subject they are currently working on. The sky is the limit on what you could have your kiddos put in each one! I may be wrong, but I feel like I've seen these skinnier notebooks at the dollar store. Has anyone else found a place to get them?

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

Crayon Classroom Organization

Amanda over at Mrs. Terhune's First Grade found an easy solution to the stray crayon on the floor problem that seems to haunt all elementary classrooms. Her students just know that if they find an orphaned crayon, they can put it in this cute little 3-drawer organizer:

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And the inside is just as lurvely:

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Then, when a student is missing a color while doing an activity, they can just quietly get up and open the correct drawer to find a replacement....all without bothering their neighbor to borrow a crayon.

See more of Amanda's classroom! 

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

Easy Ways to Use Baskets for Storage

The creator of Kindertrips came up with a great solution for desks that didn't have any storage.  She just drilled holes in the bottom of the baskets and zip-tied them to the chairs. Genius! I also love how she used baskets as a 'group station' on each set of desks. They can hold the pencils, scissors, crayons, etc that the entire group shares. 

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Vanessa over at Kindergarten Schmindergarten showed us this simple fix for adding storage in an unexpected place. She simply used rings to attach baskets to the side of the crates. 

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Jessica from Crayons & Lesson Plans made a calming caddy that would be perfect for young students to work out their wiggles and calm down their emotions. 

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How have you used baskets in your room?

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

Toys That Get Kids Thinking!

As a teacher, I'd often get asked about certain 'kid products' and whether or not they had any educational value. Now that I'm also a parent, I am always on the search for a fun toy or gift that will help my children develop healthy bodies and minds. 

I decided to put together a list of toys that encourage kids to learn, grow, and explore the world around them (and boy, did I have fun choosing my top ones!). 

Each week, I will share one of these lists:

Toys That Get Kids Outside!

Toys That Get Kids Moving!
Toys That Get Kids Thinking!

Toys That Get Kids Creating!
Toys That Get Kids Reading!
Toys That Get Kids Imagining!
Toys That Get Kids Exploring!

Be sure and subscribe to my feed so you won't miss any of these goodies! :)

*** Click on the links to see current prices and customer reviews.

1. Learn To Dress Monkey- We have this little guy at our house and he has been dressed and undressed more times than I can count! With zippers, snaps, buttons, shoelaces, and more, this monkey is a great way for young children to learn how to dress themselves.

2. Blokus- I have spent countless hours playing this totally fun intellectually stimulating game with my cousins at every Christmas family gathering. We start with just the four players and by the end of the game, almost every kid (and adult) in the room had gravitated over to lend their strategizing advice. The goal is to use as many of your tiles on the board as you can, while trying to block anyone else from using theirs. This will be a family favorite!

3. Magna-Tiles- These magnetic tiles can be configured to make anything your imagination can conjure up! Promotes problem-solving, logical thinking, and math reasoning.

4. Rush Hour Jr.- Kids have to use problem-solving skills and strategy to steer their ice cream truck through the traffic jam. Perfect for solo play or for a group to work together to solve the puzzle.

5. Tin Can Robot- Budding scientists can create a robot using this kit that actually moves! This is a great activity for the family to do together as adult help will most likely be needed.

6. Bath Foam Ball Run- Kids can build water runs, ball runs, water falls and more in the bath with these foam ball runs. This toy has received the Oppenheim Gold Award. 

7. Cash Register- This cash register really works! It can provide hours of pretend play while slipping in a few math skills on the side.

8. Tangrams- This classic puzzle is still around and still just as effective in teaching problem-solving and spacial skills. For some fun, new shapes to try to create, check online for free tangram patterns.

9. Colorku (Sudoku with color)- I may or may not be addicted to Sudoku. It's more like a once-I-start-I-can't-stop-playing kind of addition. I love that this board would allow me to pass on my addiction love for all things Sudoku.

10. Rack-O- I have played this game for as long as I can remember. I loved it when I was a child and I love it just as much today! For those who haven't heard of Rack-O, the goal of the game is to get ten cards in numerical order. It's a great family game that teaches problem-solving skills and number order.

Check out the rest of this series for more great toy and gift ideas that are teacher recommended:

Toys That Get Kids Outside!
Toys That Get Kids Moving!
Toys That Get Kids Thinking!
Toys That Get Kids Creating!
Toys That Get Kids Reading!
Toys That Get Kids Imagining!
Toys That Get Kids Exploring!

Many of you are teachers or parents...do you have a toy you'd recommend that encourages thinking and problem-solving?