Hey bloggers!
I want to do a BIG giveaway...because I love my followers!
I have almost 500 followers on instagram, almost 800 on twitter, and 1200 on facebook! That is amazing! And because you are all so amazing, I want to do something amazing for you! :)
I will be giving away some free products, some gift cards, and some freebies in the mail (below)!
I would {LOVE} if some others would be willing to join in and donate some items for my giveaway as well! If you would like to be part of the giveaway, please click the link below to let me know what you would like to donate (credit will be given to you during the giveaway)!
To avoid, two posts in one day, I'm also joining a little linky party in this post!
I'm joining in with Hanging Around in Primary and Pop into Primary for a Back to School Tip link up!
1. First...don't plan too much on the first day. Seriously. My first day involves getting to know the kids and getting them comfortable in the room. We read a lot of books, label & put away supplies, explore math manipulatives, do some writing, read more books, and more books...oh, and practice routines (like lining up quietly) over and over and over.
2. Get them organized right away! I like to keep my room organized but throughout the year I will need the help of the kids to keep it that way! I start teaching them to organize their things on day 1 when we are putting away ALL of their supplies. My kids do keep some of their own supplies in their desks, but some supplies I have them keep in a group location. Each set of desks has a 3 drawer sterilite container for certain supplies. Drawer 1 is for math items (10 frames, unifex cubes, place value cubes, etc). I love keeping things here because whenever they need it, they can get it themselves! I don't have to stop what I'm doing to go grab cubes, or counters, or whatever else someone wants for math. Throughout the year things get added to this drawer as they are introduced (rulers, 20 frames, etc). Drawer 2 is for writing items (the kids' writing folders, their writing pens/pencils, individual word walls, spacer sticks).
Drawer 3 is for extra supplies. I give each child a gallon zip lock bag with their name on it on day 1 for supplies that we don't need yet (extra glue, pencils, notebooks, erasers, etc). When they run out of something, they can get in the drawer, find their baggy, and get what they need on their own. I love it!
I hope you find these helpful! You can see by my pictures that I have different colored drawers. This is how I distinguish between my "teams" (groups of desks). I have a blue team, green team, yellow team, and red team. I call them do things (come to the rug, go to the bathroom, etc) by these colored teams.
Head over to the link up to find more back to school tips!
2. Get them organized right away! I like to keep my room organized but throughout the year I will need the help of the kids to keep it that way! I start teaching them to organize their things on day 1 when we are putting away ALL of their supplies. My kids do keep some of their own supplies in their desks, but some supplies I have them keep in a group location. Each set of desks has a 3 drawer sterilite container for certain supplies. Drawer 1 is for math items (10 frames, unifex cubes, place value cubes, etc). I love keeping things here because whenever they need it, they can get it themselves! I don't have to stop what I'm doing to go grab cubes, or counters, or whatever else someone wants for math. Throughout the year things get added to this drawer as they are introduced (rulers, 20 frames, etc). Drawer 2 is for writing items (the kids' writing folders, their writing pens/pencils, individual word walls, spacer sticks).
Drawer 3 is for extra supplies. I give each child a gallon zip lock bag with their name on it on day 1 for supplies that we don't need yet (extra glue, pencils, notebooks, erasers, etc). When they run out of something, they can get in the drawer, find their baggy, and get what they need on their own. I love it!
I hope you find these helpful! You can see by my pictures that I have different colored drawers. This is how I distinguish between my "teams" (groups of desks). I have a blue team, green team, yellow team, and red team. I call them do things (come to the rug, go to the bathroom, etc) by these colored teams.
Head over to the link up to find more back to school tips!
Thank you so much and check back soon for the giveaway! :)
Yes, the routines are key, I do that too, in fact my whole school devotes the first 2 weeks to what we call culture camp and it's essentially nothing, but routines, procedures, getting to know one another and pretests; it definitely makes all the difference.
ReplyDeleteI love having each table group having a 3 drawer system, I think I may do this as the year goes one and buy 3 drawer systems as I can, or as they go on sale. I love that idea instead of having a community bin in the center.
This is a neat way to organize all your students things. I have a bin in the middle to start the year and then transition to putting things into their desk. Thanks for explaining how you use the drawers.
ReplyDeletethanks for linking up
Christina,
Hanging Around In Primary