Back to school Essentials FREEBIE blog hop

It's time for back to school and I am so glad to be joining my friends for another blog hop!  We have lots of ideas and some FREEBIES for you to have a great start to your school year.  These are some of my back to school essentials.  Most are items I just can't live without and some I could live without, but don't want to, so they are essential too.  Keep reading to grab a FREEBIE before you hop along to the next blog.

Please tell me I'm not the only kindergarten teacher who orders three sizes of pencils...

 I love Ticonderoga because the lead writes better, they are made in the USA, and I like having all my pencils the same color and style so that there are less issues around choosing which pencil to use for students.  Over the years, I have just learned that you get what you pay for.   Why three sizes?  My little people in kindergarten are just learning to write.  Every little hand is different and for some kiddos the big fatties are the best.  Others with tiny hands really prefer the regular ol' skinny ones.  The Laddie pencils are in between...  just right for others.  I want them to have what they need to become good writers.  So, three sizes it is!

These markers are also an essential supply for my classroom.  Not just because they are Crayola... which are the best.  But more importantly, it is necessary for kids to represent themselves and their friends as they really are.  I am always encouraging realistic drawings with lots of colors.  When it comes to people... peach and brown just don't cut it.  These are in our marker cups all year long.  I love when a child says "I need skin color"  and I hand them about 5 different choices.  Throughout the year, it always makes me happy to see pictures that have people of all colors in them.  #diversity #representationmatters.   Multicultural markers for the win! 

 

This is a VERY handy item.  I have been using these for so many years I can't even remember where I first found them.  This is a dry erase 22" by 28" poster.  I glued flat magnets to the back so it would stay up on my magnetic white board.  You could also just tape it up too.  I use this every day to write a morning message to my students.  It is an important part of our routine and it is a great way to teach and practice concepts of print, sight words, reading strategies...  lots of important literacy concepts.  It is also a GREAT way for students to practice reading in a low stress environment because we are all doing it together!  Yay!  Here is what one of mine from a few years ago looks like written out on the  board:

We were doing an ocean unit when I wrote this.  I like to draw little pictures for my kiddos when I have the time.  The known sight words are in green.  Sometimes after we read the message, I have students come up and find letters, words, chunks, or punctuation to review what we have been learning.  It's also easy to differentiate on the fly because you can ask students to circle different things depending on their level.   I get these at my local teacher supply store and they last me for 2-3 years.  You can grab one at Amazon with my affiliate link here: Trend Enterprises Notebook Paper Wipe-Off. Chart, 22" x 28" (T-1095)

And of course... BOOKS!  I am an admitted picture book addict, so I really think you can't ever have enough books in the classroom.  Here are a few of mine set up for BTS 2017! I have included an affiliate link to Amazon below so you can grab my new favorite.

You can see a mix of old classics with some new ones too.  This year, I got two new books... How to get your teacher Ready by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish...

... and  School's First Day of School.  I LOVE this book!  The newly built school tells the story about the first day and it is so sweet!  I highly recommend it.  I am going to read it on the first or second day this year.  I still haven't decided.

I also think it is important to have a few things around your classroom that make you happy!  If it's flair pens, get 'em!  Colorful classroom decor?  Do it!  We work hard teaching little learners and it's important for us to have some things that keep us positive, make us happy, and help us to love our jobs even on those tough and tired days.  These are a few goodies I got for myself this year...

 I know I'm a little late to the washi tape party, but Oh my goodness, they are so much fun!  And these sweet planner stickers make this teacher happy!  So if there are some little things you want to brighten up your life for back to school, I say go for it!  For those of you that know me, you also know that shimmering little pencil is one of my essentials too!  They are a bit more expensive, but oohhh!  I just love them soooo muuuuch...  You can grab some too: 72 Pencils Total (6 packs of 12 count pencils)Dixon Ticonderoga Black Wood-Cased Black Writing No. 2 Soft Noir Pencils ,Holographic Design

My last tip is that  taking care of ourselves is essential!  Having a drawer somewhere in your classroom for some energy bars, chocolate, and other yummy but healthy snacks will help make those days at the beginning of the year easier.  You know that time of day when you need to stay another hour but lunch is gone and you just need a little something to keep going?  Sometimes there are unhealthy things in the teacher room calling my name...  That's when a nibble of organic dark chocolate, some nuts, or a Larabar hits the spot.  When you have a snack stash, it's there for you ready to go.

These are some products I have made to make my life easier for back to school.  These save my time and sanity during the first month of school, and I hope they help you too!  So learning letters and sounds is the first order of business in kindergarten.  There are many learning activities to help with this, but here are a few of my essentials:

These ABC Letter-Sound Picture cards help my students learn letter sounds and support us with many other learning activities.  We love to use these for games and sorting pictures by beginning sound.  They are also really helpful for making these little books:

This little book is so helpful for learning letters, sounds, and beginning reading strategies like pointing as you read.  Yay!  You can find it here: ABC Book!  Student made Emergent Reader.   Each day we learn a new letter and then students make a page for the book as a center activity.   Students can choose to draw a picture of something that they already know begins with the letter.  This reinforces a strong letter-sound association for him/her.  On letters that aren't yet known, the cards above come in handy for ideas to go in the book.  I have adults write the words so they are neat and legible.  This is the first book that goes into our book boxes and my little kinder students feel so successful reading it!

This is how I teach the letters to my students.   Each day we add to this Kinesthetic Alphabet chant with a new letter and then students make a page in their books for that letter.  The book above comes with a version to match this alphabet chant where kids can just color in the picture.  But, for kinder students I recommend giving them the choice about what to draw (for reasons above) as long as it begins with the right letter.


So... doing a kinesthetic alphabet chant is nothing new.  I have been doing my own version of this in one way or another since my very first year of teaching...  um...  20 years ago. (yikes!)  But, I have tweaked it over time and continue to teach letters this way because it WORKS!  It is visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.  It takes less than ten minutes to do the whole chant once it has been learned.  I also have a visual reference with these same letter characters on my wall, and on my alphabet charts that are always out for students when we are writing.  I also use these charts in my guided reading groups to review letters and sounds as needed.  They are ESSENTIAL!  and FREE!

You can grab them in my TpT store right here:  Alphabet Chart for Students  It also comes with a bonus blends and digraph chart too!

I copy them on colored paper and laminate them.  I put a word wall chart on the back with high frequency words needed for writing.  I hope these are a big help to you this year!

Hop on over to my friend Cristina Mc Crone over at Primary Besties:  Back to School Essentials #kinderfriends

Thanks so much for stopping by!

2017-18 Calendars are here!

Are you starting to think about next school year yet?  I hope not!  If you are a teacher, I hope that is the last thing on your mind.  But, honestly, this is the time when we reflect about went well, what we want to do better, and new things we might try next year...  or maybe you are thinking about vacation, baseball, and beating the heat. 

These calendars are the first thing I do each summer for back to school because I have so many teachers who depend on me to make calendars for their students each year.  We all use these for kids to learn and practice writing numbers to 30 in our classrooms.  This is an activity teachers have been doing for years and it is one of the few things I have NOT kicked to the curb since common core came along.

When CCSS came along, there were so many new activities to try, new curriculum to implement, and I felt like there was not enough time for everything...  especially in a partial day kindergarten.  There were so many old activities that just had to go.  But this activity is still my go to for monthly number writing.   There are so many concepts we work on each time we do this...  of course the actual handwriting of numbers, which is TRICKY for little learners.  And of course there is the rote counting and remembering the number order.  We also do a lot of work on the order of numerals in the two digit numbers.  We look at patterns that can help us remember.  Kids also learn to use tools in the classroom to help themselves.  Many students work on perseverance, focus, and time management as well.

Even though I really do like my adopted math curriculum, it doesn't give the kiddos as much practice with number writing as they need.  So this is an important area to supplement.  If I don't send them to first grade knowing this, then I have failed.  My friend next door teaching first grade still does this in her room every year too.   The kids benefit from fine motor practice and double digit number practice.  Did I mention that the families LOVE getting these at home each month?  I have parents comment on them all the time.  I even have kids tell me where they put the calendar in their homes.

OK, so... clearly this is a tried and true learning activity.  Are you doing these in your classroom?  If not, why?

Is it because you don't have time to think up an art project each month?  I've got you covered!  My calendar product comes with art ideas for the entire year with details about how we did the project.  I update it each year with new projects.  It also has links to my Pinterest boards so you can search for new ideas.  Is it because you don't want to have to buy a new download each year?  Got you covered there too!  My calendar product is perpetual, so you automatically get a new download each year.  Just go into My Purchases on TpT, find the calendar product and download again!  Easy Peasy!

So, if you own my Calendars for Number Writing ~Perpetual~  go download it and grab your new calendars.  If you don't have it yet, you might want to consider investing in it.  I have a commitment to make these calendars through 2028, and will probably make them well after that.  The price will be going up when the school year begins, so I hope you get it this summer to save.

Let's look at some adorable seasonal art and then I will show you the new calendar set for 2017-2018.

This apple is adorable!  We did an apple unit that year and we talked about the variations in colors even on apples from the same variety.  I thought it came out beautiful!

This baby jack-o-lantern is so cute.  This little guy didn't want to do lots of cutting, but I thought he was really creative with how he did the eyes and the tiny vampire tooth.  You can find more fun and funky jack-o-lanterns on this blog post: It's Pumpkin time!

This was a fun project for November!  We just did a construction paper collage on cut paper plates for the pie.  The napkin is construction paper too.  We glued on a fort to make it complete!

This is one of my favorite projects for December.  I always have several colors of paper available so kids can make candles any color they like.  That way we honor any family celebrations or lack thereof.  The greens are just ripped paper glued on in two shades of green.  You can do ripped red paper for berries, or glitter berries too.  The flame is gold glitter.

This is my new favorite winter art project.  We did these last year for December and they all came our just beautiful.  This was a two part project.  First, kids make a tissue paper collage on card stock using a glue-water mixture.  After this dried, they cut out triangle shaped trees and glued them on the dark background paper.  Lastly, they dotted on white tempera paint using cotton swabs to make snow.  Each one came out as unique as the child that made it, but they were all lovely. 

This project was a water color resist using white oil pastels on white paper.  Kids cold draw trees, houses, snow people, snowflakes, etc.  It was an open ended winter drawing.  Then they painted over the drawing with winter sky colors like blue, purple, etc.  It is always an experiment doing water color resist with young kids.  They have to press hard with the pastels.  I just loved the way this one came out.  I like the colors and how it isn't "perfect".  It is beautiful.

I just adore these love bugs!  They made great art for our calendars a few years ago.  I used Ellison die cuts for the hearts and circles.  I cut some of the circles in half for the wings.  We had lots of different colors available for our little artists.  We also used googly eyes and oil pastels for details.

This spring calendar was also done with Ellison die cuts.  We have the flower die at school.  I made lots of those in yellow and white and the kids used tissue to make the little centers for the flowers.  They are supposed to look like daffodils... even though they aren't really accurate, they are still pretty flowers for March.

OK, this is the last one...  Earth Day art for April!  This earth template and the little Everyday is Earth Day sign are FREE in my TpT store.  They are part of an Earth Day writing activity  You can grab them right here: Earth Day FREEBIE!

Oh my goodness... that is a lot of art!  So even if you don't use my calendars in your classroom, I hope you found some ideas that you can use!  Here are my Calendars for Number Writing 2017-2018:

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy teaching!

Back in the swing of things... with #kinderfriends

I am so happy to be doing a blog hop with the #kinderfriends!  We are giving you tips for a successful school year.  We are also having a SALE!  My tips are about staying balanced, healthy, and happy.  Taking care of yourself is crucial to having a great year.  Happy, healthy, teacher = good teacher!

1.  Breathe.
     Just sit and breathe.

Taking a few minutes out of your day to just simply sit and focus on your breath can make a huge difference in your life.  It helps get rid of the mental "clutter" and can make for more  peaceful and productive time with your students.  We practice mindfulness at our school.  When I say we I mean teachers AND students.   It is a secular practice that research has shown helps reduce stress and increases mental focus.  It also helps reduce conflicts naturally because it helps students (and grown ups) regulate emotions and impulses better.  It's good for us!  (I used the Buddha photo because I have been wanting to use it for something ever since I took this in SF at the Japanese Tea Garden two years ago.)  Again, mindfulness practice at our school is NOT related to any religion.

2.  Take your supplements!

Germs abound in the early childhood classroom!  Oh my goodness, we have students that are still learning how to blow their noses.  It is just a part of the job... we are constantly bombarded with pathogens!  Our immune systems need as much support as they can get!  These are my two must have supplements.  Those vitamins are AWESOME!  They help my energy levels!  

The other supplement is an amazing Chinese herbal formula to increase chi (energy) and mental clarity.  It is made up of several adaptogenic herbs that fight fatigue, build immunity, and increase mental function.  I just love the name "Vibrant".  My husband says every teacher should take it.  He is an acupuncturist.  You can only get that Evergreen Chinese formula from licensed acupuncturists.  I take these every day I teach and I sure notice the difference if I forget.

What supplements do you take to stay healthy during the school year?

3. Prep ahead!

I like to leave on Friday with my next week completely ready to go.  This tub has two weeks worth of big envelopes that hold my prep for each day.  Each afternoon, I prep for the same day the following week.  It keeps my stress levels down and allows me time to prepare and enlist help for big prep intensive activities. 

4.  My best tip for a successful school year is...

go to Teachers Pay Teachers and grab some resources to make your life easier!  Just search the hashtag #kinderfriends for some great deals on back to school essentials.  We all have items on sale right now.  My most popular back to school resource is Print and Go! Back to School Math and Literacy.  It has loads of  pages perfect for the beginning of the year in kindergarten.  But this is what's new in my store for back to school...

Writing prompts and pages perfect for September in kindergarten or first grade.  I will be making one of these for every month of the school year.  There are loads of pages in here that you can use for writer's workshop, your writing center, assessments, and just for fun during your writing period.  My kids love to write when the pages look FUN!  You can find it right here: Writing Activities ~ Pretty Papers and Prompts SEPTEMBER  It will be 20% off through Thursday September 15th.  Make sure you search the hashtag #kinderfriends on TpT for more great deals from all the fabulous bloggers in the hop.

Keep hopping along and go see my friend Cristina over at The Primary Besties for more great tips.  You can click on the link below her logo.

The Primary Besties ~ Back in the Swing of Things

Hope you are back in the swing of things and have the best year ever!
Happy teaching!

Mrs. Byrd's Classroom 2016

 

I did some work in my classroom this summer because, let's be honest, there is a lot of pressure out there to have an adorable, perfect, Pinterest ready classroom.  After seeing all the gorgeous classrooms on Pinterest and Instagram, I was feeling a bit embarrassed about mine.  I teach in a VERY old building.  I have been in this classroom for over 12 years.  I am STILL throwing out things left from previous teachers.  So, before I tell you about my favorite spaces in my room, lets get a little perspective...

This is what my classroom looked like the day I walked in to get it ready for school.  The "deep cleaning" had been done.  Which really means that the carpets and rugs were shampooed, the tops of the shelves, and the windows were cleaned.  That's it.  There were still cobwebs.  There was still dust in all the shelves, and the old tattered boxes for storage were looking a bit sad.

It's funny because the one compliment I get from parents more than any other is that I am very organized.  But, I don't think you would have known it by looking at my classroom.  It didn't scream organized.  It screamed old and tattered, but she can find everything quickly.  It needed some love and attention. I had a teacher desk that collected piles. Something had to be done...

So, I did a "deep cleaning" of my own.  I was really hoping I could reduce the paper storage in my room to the point where I could get rid of the huge metal filing cabinet.  It takes up so much space and there really isn't a natural spot for it in the room.  I filled three huge recycle cans with old worksheets, thematic printables, outdated workbooks, and other stuff that just didn't need to be there.  I ended up keeping the file cabinet.  But I emptied two others that I was able to use in my...

Maker Space!!!  I am really excited about this new addition to my classroom.  It is in the space where my old teacher desk used to be.  I think it was a good trade.  My sweet hubby installed the shelf that all the bins are sitting on.  The drawers in the old file cabinets are for cardboard, plastic, paper, and odds & ends.  The space isn't finished in this photo.  I still need two small containers for trash and recycle below the maker space sign.  I also need to finish filling the bins.  I have tape, yarn, straws, craft sticks, and paper shapes in there.  I will be adding more and just need an afternoon where I can go though all my craft supplies to find goodies for STEAM.  This space is meant to be an open ended creative building space using easy to acquire recyclables and craft materials.  I am hoping to fund this with the donations I get from parents for classroom supplies along with donations of "stuff".  I will keep you posted on how this is going.  It will be an adventure and I KNOW management will be the key to its success.  You can read more about how I set up the Maker Space and get ideas for some great projects with your class here: Maker Space in Kindergarten

You can see the big file cabinet in the corner of this photo.  It is tucked away behind my calendar divider in the classroom.  I made these cute shape posters because I like to have these up all year as a reference.  I wanted them to go with any color scheme in the future, so they are really simple.  If you want them for you classroom, you can grab them right here: Shape Posters 

This is the new big book cart my sweet husband made for me.  It has wheels on the bottom, but two of them lock so it's safe for kiddos.  This is tucked between the big file cabinet and shelving that holds guided reading books right below the shapes bulletin board.  It is part of the "reading space" in my classroom.  Kids are allowed to read big books every day as a choice in my room.   More on the reading space later...

These colors posters are an essential reference in the classroom.  I wanted these to be simple as well.  I want them to work in any classroom with any decor or theme.  You can find them right here: Color Posters.  I actually improved them for my TpT store, so those are even better.

The color bulletin board is on the other side of my classroom across from the shapes bulletin board.  This is part of a counter where my printer and colored copy paper live.  The white drawers next to it hold craft supplies.  My laptop sits on top of there most days charging when I am not using it.  So far, the classroom space is working just fine without a teacher desk.  I have gone back and forth on having a desk and not having one.  I am glad to be back to NOT having a teacher desk.  My classroom is small, so I really want every inch devoted to kid space.  When I need to work or plan in the classroom, I just spread out on the big back table right next to this area.  It works well and then I don't have a flat surface (my old desk) collecting piles.  It forces me to keep only the essential documents and get rid of the other paper that comes in the classroom. 

OK, so I LOVE my new orange clock.  It replaced the old original clock that was wired into some whole school clock system that had NEVER worked.  I had covered it with this old funky papier mache rainbow smiley face that I made in an art for teachers class when I was getting my credential.  It was old and dusty and  it just had to go.  This is such a major improvement!  This was another little project handled by my sweet husband.  He even picked out the clock.  Makes me happy to look at it.

Since I was going through everything, it was time to get my organization looking more uniform.  I really needed to use available resources, because I didn't want to spend too much money.  These were containers I already had just sitting around.  The tops on them were trashed, but the tubs were still good.  They are my new reading book containers.  I made labels for EVERYTHING like this so it all looks uniform.  I don't have matching containers in a color scheme all over my classroom.  I just try to make choices that are neutral so it all "goes".

This was another DIY project by Duane.  It has been in need of love for a long time.  It is the back of two shelving units that hold toys and wooden blocks.  Now it is a cute chalkboard surface and creates a sweet entry space in the classroom.  Those little banners have kiddos' names on them.

This is my favorite place in the room.  I expanded my library and reading space by removing some furniture and enough "stuff" to not need it.  I also got rid of books.  I know that sounds awful.  But I needed the space!  I am lucky to have so many books in my room that I get to insist on having ONLY  quality literature in the classroom.  I said goodbye to Clifford, Franklin, Disney and other cartoon related books.  Books that were falling apart had to go.  One of my criteria for keeping books was if it had won an award like the Caldecott Medal.  Those made the cut.  It took me half a day to go through all the books.  I did it quickly and was ruthless.  I still have tons of books!  These don't include the shelves of all my thematic books that I store separately out of reach from little hands.  We are truly blessed.  Books are EVERYWHERE!!!

Since that is the case, we needed a more comfortable place for reading.  This is a choice after academics every day in my classroom.  How cute are those marquee letters?  I just had to get some after seeing them in other teachers' rooms on Instagram.  The white dish washing tubs work great for book storage.  This space is being used just as I hoped it would.  I saw three sweeties on the cushions with a big book across their laps.  Adorable!  I am so glad my sweet students have a comfy, cozy space to enjoy books.  The kiddos love it when the lights are on too!  Yay!

This is what it looked like the day before school started.  I know it's not really Pinterest worthy, but it is a significant improvement.  It's the best I can do right now with the resources I have available.  I wish so much that I could get new tables and chairs... not happening.  I wish I could replace every storage container in my room so they are all color coordinated.  I just didn't have the time or money to take it that far.  The classroom is more open than it used to be, it has spaces that are functional and "kid centered", and it is tidy and organized to start the year.  Now we just have to keep it that way.

 So, that's it... just a few highlights from my classroom this year.  We are off to a good start.  Hope you are already having or about to begin your #bestyearever in your #bestclassroomever!
Happy teaching!