Back to School is here! As teachers, we all know the first few days and weeks of school are the most important times of the year. They will be jam-packed with classroom management, routines, and procedures as we set the foundation for our classrooms. By doing that, students will understand your expectations, develop a sense of independence, and you’ll be able to maximize your teaching and learning time effectively throughout the year. Today I am going to talk about 5 classroom tools that you can implement in your classroom for a smooth and easy school year.

1) Positive Behavior Clip Chart

Use a Positive Behavior Clip Chart in your classroom to promote intrinsic motivation and good self-reflection for your students. Instead of just focusing on the students who are making good choices, let's turn our focus on the students who are having a hard time in class as well. The "bad colors" as students like to refer to aren't actually bad colors with the Positive Behavior Clip Chart. Instead of saying "warning", "time out", or "parent phone call", I turned those into positive words. Yellow is quoted as "I will make better choices." Orange is quoted as "I know I can improve my behavior." Red is quoted as "I will talk about my behavior and try again!". These positive words are meant to encourage students to think about their choices, take responsibility for their own actions, and make better choices throughout the day. The Positive Behavior Clip Chart was designed so students have many opportunities to clip up throughout the day and build a sense of responsibility for their own character and choices.

Click HERE to purchase the Positive Behavior Clip Chart from my TPT shop.

The full kit comes with the behavior clip chart, parent letter, and monthly calendars.

2) Golden Sub Tickets

If you plan to be out this year, utilize these FREE Golden Sub Tickets to help with your classroom management on day(s) you are absent. Print, cut, and place them inside your sub folder. Inform the sub to pass out these Golden Sub Tickets to students who are demonstrating role model traits without your presence. When you return, have the students turn in those Golden Sub Tickets to you for a prize!!

3) Star of the Week

I learned about Star of the Week and how to implement it in my classroom from my student teaching practicum ages ago! Yesss, I have taught for almost that long so please don’t judge. ;) Star of the Week is one week in the school year where a student from your class is celebrated. The student gets to share interesting and new things about himself/herself to the class. On Friday, each student writes a letter to the Star Student and those letters turn into a book so the Star Student can have it as a keepsake. At the end of every week, the class will feel more connected and appreciated about one another.

Click HERE to purchase the Star of the Week Kit from my TPT shop.

The full kit comes with various letter-writing templates, student award, All About Me Poster, parent letter, and picture sign.

4) Good Morning Slides

Greet your students every morning in style with my monthly editable “Good Morning” slides. Use the “Good Morning” slides daily to provide quick reminders and updates as your students unpack for the day. It's a great way to start every morning with your class! Included are 11 monthly templates compatible with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint. To use with Microsoft PowerPoint, simply download the Google Slides as PowerPoint. :)

*To get these "Good Morning" Slides, you will need to be a Classroom Shenanigans Member and have access to our CS Community Library.

5) Role Model Punch Cards

These Role Model punch cards were created to make our students see their own growth and full potential as a positive individual/role model. It is a great way to promote positivity, instill values, and create a positive classroom environment where students can learn and flourish. These punch cards will help minimize behavioral issues and promote more positive behaviors with rewards.

Click HERE to grab the FREE Role Model Punch Cards and read more about it from this blog post.

I hope you take one of these classroom management tools to help with your classroom. Wishing you the best school year!

Back to School: Classroom Management!

Sunday, August 22

Valentine's Day is one of the most exciting holidays of the year (aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas). Not only do I love celebrating Valentine's Day, but my students do as well in the classroom. Besides planning the annual classroom Valentine's Day Party and passing out cards, I love creating Valentine's Day resources that are content driven + standard aligned. I also love using them in my own personal classroom because my First Graders enjoy them a lot!! Soooooooo, I am here today to round up some of my FAVORITE February/Valentine's Day resources that are content driven + standard aligned.

First off is this new February Literacy and Math Packet (1st grade).

There are over 40+ pages of NO PREP literacy and math worksheets you can in the classroom for the entire month of February. Each worksheet is standard aligned to a 1st grade standard whether you use Common Core or Texas TEKS.

Next is my new February Valentine's Day Reading Comprehension Passages designed with my little face-to-face and virtual learners in mind.

There are 10 Valentine themed reading passages with 3 comprehension questions. Whether you are teaching face-to-face, online, or both (like me), this reading resource will fit your instructional method of teaching. I have the reading comprehension passages available digitally via Google Slides and SeeSaw, and as print.

Here are my newest DIGITAL and INTERACTIVE Valentine’s Day activities designed with FUN and 100% ENGAGEMENT in mind, while still providing instruction content for your students. The 3 digital and interactive games are: 3D Shapes Google Slides Game, Addition to 10/20 Google Slide Game, and CVCe Word Work for Google Slides + SeeSaw.

I have used all 3 activities in my 1st grade classroom already and my students (face-to-face and virtual) loooooved them!! I used the 3D Shapes and Addition games as a digital math center by sharing the google link in presentation mode via SeeSaw. I used the CVCe Word Work during a digital literacy center directly on SeeSaw.

This next February resource is my all-time favorite because I use it every morning before starting my main ELAR lesson.

If you have not yet purchased this month’s ELA Reading Skills Review, I must convince you to do it NOW!! My students enjoy doing these monthly ELA Reading Skills review because we get to have a full on, academic conversation about what we think the answer is and why. It is also a great way for my ELL’s to work on their oral language expression. This is a win-win for me too because my students get to review skills they have already been exposed to. You can read more about the ELA Reading Skills Review HERE.

Lastly, if you need additional February/Valentine’s Day themed activities, here are a few of my older resources.

If you'd like to implement any of these resources in your class, you can grab them in my shop!

February and Valentine's Day Round UP!

Sunday, February 7

Are you tired of teaching a reading skill to your students that they won't recall learning because it's only being taught once in your reading curriculum? Or that it will be one month later before your students see the reading skill again? If so, then this MONTHLY ELA READING SKILLS REVIEW resource is what you'll need!

What exactly is the MONTHLY ELA READING SKILLS resource?

As we all know, reading skills are so important in the elementary classrooms, especially K-2 because we build the foundations for our students to be successful in the upper elementary grades (think state testing!). This Monthly Reading Skills Review resource is a spiral review that focuses on 12 reading skills. Each daily reading skill is designed to be review quickly and efficiently with brief waiting time for student responses. The daily reading skill review should not take longer than 5 minutes. It can also be easily implemented into your class schedule: during morning meeting, as an introductory review to your main reading lesson, or as an end of the day reflection activity.

For a more in-depth detail of the Monthly ELA Reading Skills Review resource, I made a video just for you!

You can now purchase the Monthly ELA Reading Skills Review from my TPT store below by clicking the images. They are currently 20% off.

September

October

The GROWING Bundle

Or try one week FREE by clicking the image below:

September ELA Reading SkillS Review FREE [1 Week]

Happy Teaching!

Monthly ELA Reading Skills Review

Friday, June 19

Ahhh!! HELP!! It's Wednesday night and instead of sleeping you're mostly likely, scrolling through Pinterest, screaming at your computer (or phone) screen for last minute Christmas Activities tonight. Am I 99% right? LOL! *giving you a high five*

I've had my fair share of scrambling for hours to find the perfect last minute activities that I'm writing this blog post to save you Time, Sanity, and Sleep. You can thank me later ;)

Without further ado, here are a few last minute Christmas Activities for your classroom:

1) Sight Word BANG!: HO HO HO! CHRISTMAS Edition {Editable} | FREE

This HOHOHO Christmas edition is a version of the famous Sight Word BANG! game. It's a quick and easy game that allows students to practice reading their sight words. Just type your own sight words, print, cut, and start playing. Super easy! Click HERE to get this activity.

2) Christmas Story Flipbook Activities | FREE

There a 6 different NO PREP flipbook activities for 5 Christmas stories. Use the flipbook as a FUN and ENGAGING follow up comprehension activity after reading the story. The stories are not included, but you can purchase the books or find a read aloud version on YouTube. Click HERE to get this activity.

3) Merry Christmas: Guess Who? Craftivity | FREE

This is a super cute and fun Guess Who craft. Students draw a picture of themselves hiding behind the Christmas tree and write clues to describe who they are. **Sign up to join the Classroom Shenanigans Community and get this Craftivity for FREE. By becoming a CS Community member, you get access to this Guess Who? craftivity and other FREE resources in our VIP FREEBIES Library. :) Click HERE to sign up and get this activity.

4) December Writing Craftivities | $4.00

Celebrate the month of December with these cute writing craftivities that your students will LOVE!! Use the writing craftivities for Writing Extension, Read Aloud Extension, Christmas Celebration, and even Bulletin Board Display! Click HERE to get this activity.

5) December Literacy & Math Packet | $6.50

This December Literacy & Math Packet is filled with engaging and fun printables that cover various 1st grade core skills in math and literacy! Use these printables in small groups, centers, group work, intervention, or as homework. Just print and go!! Click HERE to get this activity.

Enjoy & Happy Teaching! I know you CAN do it!! Winter Break is right around the corner.

Last Minute Christmas Activities!!

Wednesday, December 18

Hey y’all! It’s that time of the year AGAIN!! You know that time of the year when the kids and we scramble to get through the last 2 weeks before Winter Break LOL! They’re tired, we’re tired. They’re loud, we’re louder. HAHAHA! ;) They’re wild and we’re just simply ready. #letsbehonest

As we get closer to Dec. 20^th or earlier for some of you (how lucky!!), I only have one advice for you: Keep Calm and DANCE ON!! Yessssssss, DANCE ON!!! Dance on to as many Christmas Brain Break videos as your students can get through the next 1.5 weeks. Your students need a brain break, you need a brain break, we ALL need a brain break! So why not?! LOL!

To get your students moving and dancing, I have compiled a list of my students’ favorite Christmas Brain Break videos to share with you all. They are fun and upbeat dances perfect for elementary students.

Scroll below for my class’ top 6 Christmas Brain Break videos. A video for each brain break is included to get your students dancing and moving right away!

If You're a Kid (Christmas Remix) by Harry Kindergarten Music

Crazy Santa Dance

Cookie Boogie by Go Noodle

Up on the Housetop by The Learning Station

Christmas Freeze Dance by The Kiboomers

Just Dance Kids 2 Jingle Bells

I hope your students enjoy these fun and groovy Christmas Brain Break videos. Comment below if your students have any Christmas favorites that I can try with my 1st Graders :)

6 FUN Christmas Brain Break Videos

Wednesday, December 11

Well hellur! If you're looking for ideas on how to use folders effectively in your classroom you've come to the right place! I have gathered 5 teacher must have folders I found on Amazon to help you. I hope you will find this post helpful!

1. Plastic Poly Envelopes (with label pocket & snap button)

Need a cheap alternative to book bags? Tired of using Ziploc bags that rip every few months? Use these plastic poly envelopes as book bags for the new school year!! They are more durable compared to Ziploc bags and cheaper than the book bags from Lakeshore Learning. They come in 5 bright colors with a label pocket on the front where you can quickly write the student names. They hold leveled reader books perfectly and fits easily into a backpack. Say hello to your NEW book bags!

2. Clear Document Folder Pockets (transparent color)

These folder pockets are the NEW and COOL thing on my teacher Amazon list!! Why? Because I am tired of being responsible for my students’ class folder. “Ms. Lee, I can’t find my work in my folder!”

This year I will be getting rid of the two-pocket folder (which just allows more space to store class work that never gets done….lol) and use this one folder pocket to store all the class work. Students can easily slide their class work in the folder because it only has ONE pocket. It will also help students stay organized and find their unfinished assignments quicker than scrambling through the two-pocket folder. Hallelujah!

3. Clear Plastic Poly Envelopes (with snap button)

Do you use manila folders or filing cabinets to store your math/literacy centers? If so, do you tend to find missing pieces? Up your organization game by using these clear plastic poly envelopes to efficiently store your literacy and math centers. They come with a snap button, so you’ll never have to worry about missing center pieces. On top of that you can label the envelopes with a permanent marker. If you decide to reuse the envelope for something else, you can always erase the label with an expo marker. Say goodbye to manila folders and missing pieces!!

4. Accordion File Box with Expandable Cover

Create a Sub Tub using an accordion file box without spending a ton of money on a crate, hanging file folders, and manila folders. This accordion file box is portable, can stand on its own, and has 12 colorful expandable pockets to hold all your sub plans. You can use each folder to organize your sub plans by the hour, subject, or for an entire week of plans. The best thing about this accordion file Sub Tub is that it has an expandable cover to protect your work.

5. Multi-Color Accordion File Folder Organizer (24 pockets – no expandable cover)

If you’re in need of a student data binder may I suggest a data file box instead? Unlike a data binder, where you must open and close the binder rings to add documents, this multi-color accordion file organizer lets you easily slip in documents. The organizer also stands on its own, so you can keep it anywhere in the classroom or close to you for quick documenting (ex: under your teacher table during guided reading). Now you don’t have to worry about dedicating a slot in your bookcase ;)

Whether this is your first-year teaching, moving grade levels, or you’re just looking to add new ideas to your teacher toolbox, I hope these 5 folder ideas can help you get a little more organized in your classroom!

Happy Teaching!

5 Amazon Must Have Folders for Your Classroom

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