Beginning of school year activities

One of my favorite things about back to school, is knowing that I get to meet and love on a brand new bunch of kids for the school year. I’m sure you feel the same way, and have your lesson planner packed to the max with different “get-to-know-you activities.” I want to share with you […]

Today I'm sharing one of my favourite tasks for building community in the classroom. Students are able to share an important aspect of themselves (the story of their name) with the class and with me, their teacher. Through this task we are also working on important skills, like reading comprehension, writing, and reflection. Day 1 To begin, I asked my students to write any name they wish they had on a sticky note. They then placed it in a mason jar. I read my class the story "The Name Jar"…

Nearly 400 teachers weighed in on their favorite back-to-school activities and ice breakers - and here are their top picks! The most popular, practical, and unique back-to-school activities loved by teachers around the world!

Between teaching routines, testing, testing and more testing, it is also important to have fun and get to know your new students! Because I start the school year with students of all levels, including ELLs,

30 back to school bingo boards to print for free. Use this class set to play a fun back to school bingo game and celebrate the start of school.

Please note: this curriculum has been updated as of September 2024 - please visit the updated blog post "Reading Comprehension with a Purpose" for updated information. Have you struggled with guided reading in your classroom? Do you teach whole group, small group, or a combination of both? I have been teaching for 20 years and I finally feel comfortable with all forms of guided reading. Believe me, I have been around the block with too many programs to name them all. For 2 years I have been…

Are you looking for some fun ways to get to know your students better? Here are three great getting to know you activities for back to school! I use them at the beginning of the year, when we get a new student and/or change groups. Click here to get your freebie!

We read Chrysanthemum at the beginning of each school year. Not only is the topic a good one for talking about healthy and respectful classroom communities, but because her name is sooo long, the story lends itself well to fun name activities on the first day of school. In this post, I share an activity that's perfect for 2nd grade children who have experience collecting and graphing data (math skills they likely learned the year before) and a differentiated version for new firsties. Come…