Back to School season has always been a favorite of mine. As a student, as a teacher, and as a mom I have just always been excited about all the NEW. I love fresh starts. I love starting a routine. I love the shiny supplies. Basically I just love it all. My husband has never understood this about me, but after 16 years he now just goes along with it. Today I am going to share 5 things that can help get you ready for Back to School.
It’s no secret that I love a cute bulletin board. It’s an even bigger bonus if I can print it myself and choose the colors and sizes I want to work with. This “Poppin into ___ Grade” bulletin board is easy to prep and comes with a student activity. Students make themselves blowing a bubble to display. It’s bright, bold, and just perfect for back to school.
Find the bulletin board set HERE!
Next up, classroom prep! I’ve set up 11 of my own classrooms, and helped with a handful of friends’ rooms as well. One thing I always try to do is incorporate as much math and reading into the classroom decor. These number word pennants not only serve as a cute banner or bulletin board set-up, they also provide number words for the kids to see on a daily basis. Often times students are asked to write the number word on their assignments, and these help out tremendously!
Find the Number Pennants HERE!
This next tip may just be my favorite. I did this for several years and it was always a hit with my class. And I can’t tell you how many teachers I’ve helped do this with their students since. On the first day of school, as kids walk into the room, they find a nameplate on their desk. BUT, it isn’t a normal nameplate. It’s their name printed in block letters on plain white paper. They get to totally customize it by coloring it however they want. Now their locker or desk tag completely represents them! I think things like this help to welcome students AND give them ownership over their classroom.
Here’s how to customize those for your class:
Setting up stations can sometimes be a bit of a pain. What stations do I need? What will I put in them? So many things to consider. Well, one thing I can take off of your plate is a piece of your Word Work/Sight Word/Spelling station. These 20 Word Work Task Cards can be placed into a station with some magnets, stencils, playdough, etc. and you will be good to go. Students simply choose a task, the materials they need, and get to work practicing those words! These cards can be used with the word wall, spelling words, or vocabulary words. Plus, this is a FREEBIE for you. I’ll share it in just a bit!
Last but certainly not least is an activity for the first week of school. This Shape School is the perfect way to review shapes AND get a cute sample of student work to display! Students analyze the attributes of the shapes they are using to build their Shape School. The best part? This activity is digital and printable. You can find that HERE!
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Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
Sample a day of Rooted in Reading with these lesson plans and activities for Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Grammar!
