Hello everyone!
It's finally here!
Laura from Where the Magic Happens, Krista from Teaching Momster, and Lisa from PAWsitively Teaching are hosting an amazing Labor Day giveaway! I'm excited to be a part of it!
All of us have been thinking about ways to treat our readers and followers. We thought long and hard! Really, really hard… and we decided that we can treat you to our best ideas to work smarter rather than harder… at school and home!
I know what it takes to be a great teacher; the stress, the time, the energy… I could go on and on! I also know that we crave time to ourselves and our families.
So here I go!
Every year I solicit volunteer help in the classroom. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, neighbors of students- I will allow any of them to help! In past years, I have only used them to work with students. This year, I decided I needed to begin working smarter, not harder. Instead of having one volunteer a day to work with students, I have invited two, sometimes three, to come at different times of the day to work one on one with students and to help me to manage my workload as well.
I love interactive notebooks, but they take forever to prep! I have my back counter prepped with papers to cut and staple. I have rolls of things I have laminated ready to cut out. I leave my parents a set of books to cover for durability. I always leave the volunteers a note and a sample of how I want things done so I can keep teaching when they come in.
Homework packets are sitting on the back counter waiting to be stapled. By setting everything out with a note on it, the parents can step in and get right to work, and I don't waste any valuable teaching time.
I have a Friday Mom who goes through my students' homework folders and assigns credit. She places the new homework packet inside the folders and they are ready to go on Monday. This saves me so much time- I would be at work late on Friday if it wasn't for her!
My volunteers correct students' tests and call them back to correct mistakes. The students are able to get immediate feedback, and I know almost instantly who isn't understanding the concepts.
Here's my volunteer binder that I have ready for parents each morning. In addition to helping me with my workload, my volunteers work one-on-one with my students. I have them pull students back who need additional help with spelling, math facts, reading, and writing. I have lists of students to work with, and all materials and directions are included. Having all of this prepped ahead of time makes things run seamlessly!
Spelling folders are ready to go for students to practice their weekly list. Some students don't have parent help at home, so a few minutes of practice each day is so important for them their success!
I'm going to be honest here...I need some help in this area! Like you, I don't have much relaxation time...between my kids' soccer games and practice, piano, and other responsibilities, I don't have much relaxation time. My favorite way to relax at home is with my laptop! I love creating for my classroom or planning fun and engaging lessons for them. I probably need a hobby besides one that's tied to my job, but for now, this works for me!
My students are loving their Kiddo Cash and Class Passes. I was surprised how quickly my students get to work when I walk around with a stack on money! They are really loving the Class Passes too. I have a very chatty, active group this year. They have become motivated by Kiddo Cash and Class Passes. I have tied this into my classroom management, and if a student has to clip down on the clip chart, he/she can't go shopping that day! This pack is definitely helping to make my life easier!
I keep my Kiddo Cash and extra passes in this container I purchased at Amazon. You can click on the picture below to see the container.
I keep the passes I'm currently using in this acrylic case from The Container Store. There tons of passes to choose from, so I rotate the passes to give the students new choices and make it more manageable.
I have a variety of passes for the students. Some passes are for things I've purchased, such as granola bars, chips, stickers, and pencils. Some passes don't cost me a thing, such as sharing, tech time, and bring a stuffed animal.
Here's my price list. I have it posted near my "store" and students can decide what they would like to purchase. I make a math lesson out of it too, and have them tell me how much change they should be getting back. As far as pricing goes, I just charge what I think is fair.
I thought my snack box would be their favorite, but surprisingly it isn't! It is the most expensive pass for them to purchase, and I think many of the students are mindful of spending their money and making it go as far as possible!
This is one of their favorites! The scented marker pass is one I sell out of daily. They love choosing a pack of scented markers for the day! I purchased a few different packs, and they get to keep the pack in their desk for the day.
You can click on the picture above to see a preview of the entire file.
And now on to the giveaway! Here are the prizes you could win!
A $100 gift card to Amazon
A $50 gift card to TpT
2 $25 gift cards to TpT
1 $10 gift card to TpT
Thank you for visiting! Good luck to you!
a Rafflecopter giveaway