Are You Ready for School?

Many teachers have already returned to school and some even have their kiddos back.  I return this morning for a week of preparation and meetings.  Since we had to pack up are room as if we were moving, due to painting, I have already been in 3 days to not only set up my room,  but also prep some fabulous activities for the upcoming weeks of school.  I figured I better grab the copies while they aren’t busy!

I just wanted to give you a sneak peek of what I have begun to prepare for a successful start to the year in case you want to grab these at the HUGE Back to School Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers August 18th and 19th.  Everything in my store will be 28% off!

The first thing I prepped was part of my Fall Themed Morning Work!

I plan on using the week of Back to School Morning Work the second week of school.  The first week of school we will just be getting into the routines

In addition to getting the Back to School week ready, I also prepped the Fall week as well.  I plan on using this toward the end of September. 

To see this pack in my store click on any of the pictures above!

The next thing I prepped is my Take a Walk in their Shoes supplemental pack that can develop, teach, or review your own classroom’s rules and procedures.  It also includes a set of community building scenarios as well.  I plan on using this during the first few weeks of school.  Sometimes we will discuss the scenarios as a whole group, in small groups, or partners.  Your kiddos will love to talk a walk in the characters’ shoes!

I printed, laminated, cut, and hole-punched the scenario cards and put them on a ring.  I copied a few recording sheets and extension activities.  I don’t always plan on using these, probably when students work in partners or small groups so they don’t forget what they discussed when we return to whole group.

To see this pack in my store click on any of the pictures above!

You probably all have seen my recent post on my Buddy Binders.  These do take time to put together but let me just tell you- I am pumped about these babies!  I have had so many interested teachers and compliments from coworkers stopping into my room this week.  I plan on introducing each math game throughout the first few weeks of school as a whole group when we have a few extra minutes here or there.  That way, students will know how to play when they finish early or earn a buddy activity for working hard!

These are available in my store bundled, as well as separate ELA and Math.

So what is a buddy binder?
It's a binder filled with fun and engaging activities for any pair in your class. This pack is jam-packed with 28 ELA and Math buddy activities.
The pack is designed to be assembled and stored in two binders for easy organization. Assembly instructions and a shopping list is included!
Once assembled these binders can be used throughout the entire year. If laminated, these binders could be used year to year without have to reprint and relaminate.
**No Math activities require student copies. 8 of the ELA activities require copies. I plan on copying a few for each of those activities to start the year, but then use the Buddy Binder Sign-In Sheets (included in binder) to gauge which activities need more.

Ideal for:
- Early finishers
- Students who need improvement on social skills
- Reward for great choices/behavior
- Classmates who need to learn to work together

To see these packs in my store, use the links below!

Buddy Binder {Math & ELA}

Buddy Binder ELA

Buddy Binder Math

The next pack I have prepped is the first two months of my Cleaning Up Writing Pack.  These are great activities to use for morning work, centers, may dos, must dos, etc.

Each month these activities are provided:

Is it a Sentence? (Students must decide if the sentences provided are complete sentences or fragments.)
Punctuation Practice (Students must determine the correct punctuation and recopy the sentence with the correct punctuation.)
Make a Sentence (Students must rearrange the words to create a sentence using punctuation and capital letters as clues, in addition to what they know about sentence formation.)
Is It a Proper Noun? (Students must determine which words on the list are proper nouns and which are not.)
Fix the Letter (Students must find the errors in the letter and then copy the letter correctly.)

Then, each month includes a different center activity.

To see this pack in my store click on any of the pictures above!

The next pack I prepped was my Laugh Out Loud Math Practice pack.

Since this year my math group will be heterogeneous, I feel that these will be perfect for extension activities or extra practice!  Who doesn’t love to laugh while practicing skills?

I tested these out with my class last year and my kiddos begged for more!  They LOVED them!  The kids would spend 15-30 minutes on each activity depending on the difficulty of the skill practiced!

To see this pack in my store click on any of the pictures above!

The last pack that I have had time to prep for the year is my Insta-Organizer pack.

This pack was designed to utilize the millions of pictures on the Internet, Instagram, or even your camera!

I created it with the intention of using Instagram in my classroom because it is so easy to find and access photographs.  But you do not have to have access to Instagram.  You can use any photograph you select from the internet as well, or magazine, or book for that matter!  It is a great way for students to think outside of the box with a photograph.  The can practice important reading skills, not with a book, but the photograph.  I prepped a few of the more basic activities to have for the start of the year!

I definitely have more to prep, but I just thought I would share with you what I have done thus far in case you want to add anything to your TPT shopping cart!

So stock that cart up and get yourself ready for the school year!