I know some of you are already 'back to school' and some of us are starting soon!
The girls and guy of 'The Pack' have come together to bring you a hop filled with fabulous tips, awesome freebies and incredible giveaways!
How It Works!
Our hop is a 3…2…1… BACK TO SCHOOL BASH because each member of The Primary Pack will be giving you 3 teacher tips, 2 giveaways (one on each of our blogs and one BIG one on the Primary Pack), and 1 freebie!
To enter our BIG giveaway, you need to head over to THE PRIMARY PACK first! As you "hop" through each of our blogs, you will collect a letter from each of us… 28 total. Those letters spell out a secret code that you need to enter our BIG giveaway! You will use the secret code to enter the rafflecoptor on The Primary Pack at the end of the hop.
You need to collect the letters from us IN ORDER, so please make sure that you start from the beginning of our hop. Click on the button below to head over to THE PRIMARY PACK and start our BACK TO SCHOOL BASH!!
If you have already visited the first 9 stops along the hop, you are ready for stop 10 from me!
I print about 6-8 sets of the labels.
(You'll see there are duplicates- I do that to not waste labels! The next page had duplicates of row 2 so it evens out! I also leave some blank to fill in names of new students that are added to my roster last minute!)
They come in handy for:
1. Labeling folders/books/crayon boxes, etc. that come in unlabeled- just slap it on there as they take it out of their bags!
2. To label a child's work that cannot write their name yet.
3. Name tag for when going to a special area teacher.
I have also used them to stick on a paper for a child to copy for name writing and/or when using magnetic letters to build names!
I have also printed the list on regular paper (not labels) to use for check-offs for assessments, projects, etc.!
Use your 'scraps' for sensory bins/buckets!
If you use scrapbook paper to make things for your classroom (you can read how I use it to make 'backs' for my games here) and have scraps don't throw them away!
Instead, throw them through your shredder!
It makes a great mix that is perfect for sensory bins/buckets!
You can even use your junk mail shreds!
Throw some magnetic letters in there and have kids search for letters in their names!
Throw some manipulatives in there and have kids search for items of certain color or shape!
Throw some objects from around your room in there and have them search for items that begin with a particular letter!
You can see how I used these shreds here.
You can even make 'seasonal bins' by using particular color papers to make shreds!
The shreds can be stored in ziploc bags for use again next year or tossed into a recycling bin!
Make play dough with your students!
I use an EASY recipe I got from The Imagination Tree that is no-cook and lasts for 6 months!
We start our year with this magic play dough:
(you can download the tag for free here)
And each month we make another batch that we use in centers and they replace their play dough 'cups' with the new flavor of the month! They get so excited to take the 'old' dough home too!
We have made:
Apple Pie Playdough
Candy Corn Playdough
Licorice Playdough
Pumpkin Pie Playdough
Peppermint Playdough
Gingerbread Playdough
Snow Dough
Sugar Cookie Playdough
Chocolate Playdough
Glow-In-The-Dark Playdough
Coconut Playdough
Watermelon Playdough
You can find many variations and ideas on The Imagination Tree too!
I usually ask parents for flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil donations throughout the year.
They are usually eager to donate after they see how excited their kids are for the different doughs they bring home!
In kindergarten we work on names for the first month (maybe longer)!
This summer I purchased letter beads to use in my classroom for names and sight word building!
I made this EDITABLE freebie for working on names:
After download, you just click in the text boxes to change the letters to the letters of your students' names!
Here are some pictures of my soon-to-be-kindergartner practicing it:
I put the paper in a re-useable sleeve and used dry erase crayons, but it can be completed without the sleeve and other writing instruments!
If you don't have letter beads, so worries!
You can have students use magnetic letters, letter tiles, letter cubes, etc!
(You can even put the paper on a cookie tray so that the letters 'stick')
After we master our names, we will move onto building sight words:
Now to the giveaways!
The 'packers' have collected funds to purchase a Silhouette Cameo to giveaway!
If you don't have one...you will certainly WANT ONE!
And if you do have one, you could be someone's forever best friend and gift it to them for back to school!
I finally broke out my Silhouette Cameo last June and am wondering why I waited so long!
Here are just a few things I have done with it this summer to prep for back to school...
These are cut-outs from Dollar Tree! I used the cameo to cut our letter and number 'stickers' to make center matching games!
This is thanks to fellow 'packer' Kourtney Payton!
She made these templates and sent it to me so I could add it to my Dollar Tree garbage can!
These images were freebies from Teaching in the Tongass stuck to Target Dollar Spot cans!
And my most recent...a little 'Back To School' gift for my boys' teachers!
I still need to add the tag 'I am 'tickled pink' to be in your class this year!'
Target Dollar Spot can with some pink $1-ish goodies tucked inside!
Here is the letter you need from my blog to complete the secret code:
GOOD LUCK!
But that is not it...
I am also giving away $10 toward items from my TpT Store!
I added a lot of sight word resources this summer you may want to check out!
So let's do a little check-list before you move on..
All set and ready to hop along?
And read about Laura's tips, freebie and giveaway!
Wishing you a wonderful 2015-2016 School Year!
AND...
Next time you visit my blog, don't be surprised if it looks a tad different!
Alexis from Laugh Eat Learn has me next on her list for a new blog design!
Until next post,
I love your tips especially the scrap paper for the sensory bin. My back to school tip is to write the student's name on the table with a sharpie. They won't have any name tag to fiddle with and the sharpie will come off by tracing it with a dry erase. Thanks for all your great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love your tips especially the scrap paper for the sensory bin. My back to school tip is to write the student's name on the table with a sharpie. They won't have any name tag to fiddle with and the sharpie will come off by tracing it with a dry erase. Thanks for all your great ideas.
ReplyDeleteLabel as many things as you can before the end of the school year, so that when you come back in the fall, a lot is already done for you!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting blog hop!! My back to school tip would be to have "Scrap Baskets" at your tables. This way when the kids are doing cutting activities, the scraps of paper don't go all over the floor or the table. It's like a mini garbage can for the table where the kids put all of their cutting scraps into. Then my table captain (the person responsible for the table supplies and collecting papers for the table) will empty out the basket at the end of the activity and put the basket away. Happy back to school time everyone:-)
ReplyDeletePUt things up after you use them....if you don't you will have a pile and that takes much more time!
ReplyDeleteI label everything! Such a useful tip
ReplyDeleteLove your playdoh idea. I can't wait to use this in my resource room. I am excited to add it to my sensory area. This is something new that I am trying this year. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any tips because I'm a brand new teacher this year, but I've loved reading all these tips! I'm starting to feel more and more better about my first day tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteOver plan for the first day -- any left over activities can be used over the next couple of days.
ReplyDeleteLove the letter bead ideas.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to try the playdough.
ReplyDeleteprep as much as you can in June!
ReplyDeleteOver plan for the first 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI go in the week before preplanning to get a head start on my classroom set-up. Makes preplanning go so much more smoothly!
ReplyDeleteI use hand signals to cut down on interruptions!
ReplyDeleteI zip tie my desks to keep them where I first set them up!
ReplyDeleteI make name labels too! Helps so much!
ReplyDeleteDrill those routines! Keep in mind that they're little and sometimes you're their first experience with a school setting!
ReplyDeleteLabel and organize all resources.
ReplyDeleteI am loving the wonderful tips and my favorite has to be the Letter Bead Name practice sheet. Thank you for sharing some amazing tips!
ReplyDeleteBe flexible!
ReplyDeleteMake sure procedures and routines are down before teaching small groups.
ReplyDeletelove the paper shreds idea11
ReplyDeleteGet plenty of sleep!
ReplyDeleteTeacher Hack: Have made ahead of time "New Student" baggies. Getting a new student can really throw your game off for the day, so having it already set up helps a lot! Then all the needed forms and information can be sent their families way asap. :)
ReplyDeleteLove your ideas! Fun, simple, doable with a crazy schedule!
ReplyDeleteTake time for self.
ReplyDelete