A Peek at Our Week!

 I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday and a peek at our week.

We are getting used to our all day schedule.  My little ones are starting the year eating lunch in the room.  So far, so good!

My little ones also are going to special classes, another new for us.  They are doing amazingly well.  Here are some pictures from music class.

They are loving it.

Here they have finger lights on while singing and performing to 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

So much fun :)

While learning about colors, we 'colored the room'

The little learners loved walking around the room, finding, and coloring the pictures.

This activity is from my 'Colors Galore and Classroom Posters and More' pack.  You can find it HERE or by clicking on the picture.

My sweet ones are super lucky to have access to i-Pads at school.  It always amazes me at how quickly they pick up technology.  

It makes learning seem like a game!

Last Sunday I participated in 'Head for the Cure' to honor one of my students from last year who was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

This sweet boy has the most positive, uplifting spirit.

Here he is being honored for 'Keeping the Faith'.  This five year old has taught me so much about life.  Please keep him in your prayers.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Visuals for Classroom Routines!

The beginning of the year is such n important time.  It's imperative that rules and routines are taught and practiced.  This will help your year go more smoothly.  I began using visuals with my special needs students.  I originally made the classroom routine visuals to go with IEP goals, but quickly realized that all my little ones benefitted from them.  They help know what step comes next when completing a task.  It’s like step-by-step directions in pictures.  Using visuals helps students become independent, much more quickly.

I just finished my latest product and posted it on TPT.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Visual-Schedules-for-Classroom-Routines-2056187

This packet contains step-by-step instructions for the following routines:  arrival time {unpacking backpack} using the restroom, hand washing, face cleaning, and departure time {packing up to go home}.  You may choose to use all the pictures or just some of them.  More independent students usually require less prompts.  To make, simply print off the picture icons on cardstock (for durability), laminate, and cut apart.  Decide which pictures you want to use and put them in order.  You can either glue them on a sentence strip, bulletin board border, or a strip of construction paper in the sequence of the task.  You may choose to use Velcro instead to attach the pictures.  As the step is completed, the student removes the icon.  This is usually good for children who have difficulty following a sequence of events by breaking it down.  The ‘using the restroom’ routine has several pictures to choose from.  You can make it as simple as “pull pants down, sit on the toilet, pull pants up, and wash hands” or more complex with explicit instructions.  Tailor it to the needs of your little ones.  The ‘Clean Your Face” can be kept whole and displayed close to a mirror.  After snack and/or lunchtime, I usually tell my students to go check their face {especially if it’s dirty and/or I have an IEP goal for adaptive behavior} The ‘Wash Your Hands” routine can also be kept whole or cut down the steps to make it simpler.  For the “Arrival and Departure” routines, depending on the needs/level of your learner, either display it whole as a class visual near cubbies, hooks, or lockers or individualize by putting a strip on a student’s cubby, locker, etc.  If you like these and find visuals helpful, check my store soon.  I will be posting visuals for cleaning up after snack/lunch, cleaning up after centers, how to look at books, how to walk down the hall and more!  If there is an icon not in this pack, I will be more than happy to make it for you.  You can find this product in my store by clicking HERE or on the pictures above.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

First Week's Activities!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to for Five for Friday.

Whew!  I survived my first week back to school!  I liken the first day to childbirth….you forget how how hard it is until you go through it again!

I feel like this is an accurate representation of me at the end of the week.  :)

This picture is what I felt like!

I am going from a half day program to a full day.  It's definitely different, but I have to say I think I'm really going to like it.

One of the reasons I am SO very tired is I received my furniture {did I say I moved to a different school, too?} two days before school started.  This is what my room looked like on Monday.

This is what it looked like on Wednesday.

Needless to say, there was not much sleep going on in-between.

Our first day pic.

I have some serious sweethearts in my class.  L.O.V.E.

We also drew ourselves on the first day,

 which became our new bulletin board.

It's always interesting to see the different stages of my little learners.  I love seeing the growth throughout the year.

We also played "What's In My Backpack?"  We sorted things you could/should bring to school in your backpack vs. things that you wouldn't bring to school.  Afterward, the little ones colored their own backpacks and then glued on pictures of things you would bring to school.

You can pick up this freebie HERE.

One of the things I love about this age group is you can see a whole lotta learning going on in the mind of a four year old.  Their play IS learning.  Check it out…..

I have a feeling it's gonna be a good year!

Link up your week with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Classroom Visual Schedules and TPT Sale!

Visual Schedules help little ones keep track of their day, know what to do next, and make transitions MUCH smoother.  I have always used visual schedules with my SPED students, but quickly realized that all my little learners benefitted from them.  I use a visual schedule that has picture icons of our daily activities.  Velcro is used to adhere the pictures.  After an activity is completed it can be removed from the schedule.  Little ones are able to figure out how many activities are left before their day ends.  It's like magic!  Behavior improves dramatically.  I recently completed a pack of visuals that can be used to create your own classroom visual schedule.  There are icons for daily activities and specific icons to use during circle/calendar time.  Job icons are also included.  There are also detailed instructions and examples on how to implement one in your classroom.

Here's a peek at the pack….

Here's a sample.

Below is a list of picture icons.

List of Jobs

• Flag Helper
• Calendar Helper
• Weather Helper
• Music Helper {picks our music and movement song}
• Color Helper
• Shape Helper
• Counting Helper
• ABC Helper
• Line Leader
• Caboose
• Special Helper
• Chair Helper
• Recycler
• Gardner
• Veterinarian
• Clean Up Monitor
• Table Cleaner
• Light Monitor
• Teacher’s Helper
• Attendance Taker
• Kindness Reporter {Looks for others doing kind deeds and recognizes them}
• Board Eraser
• Lunch Helper
• Snack Helper
• Floor Sweeper
• Recess Monitor
• Librarian
• Messenger
• Journal Monitor
• Paper Monitor
• Trash Collector
• Bathroom Monitor
• Pencil Monitor
• Supply Helper
• Door Monitor
• Technology Monitor

If there is a specific job not included in this list, contact me and I will create a card for you.

Circle Time Icons

• Hello Time
• Hello Song
• Good Morning Song
• Good Afternoon Song
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Calendar
• Weather
• Music and Movement
• Colors
• Shapes
• Counting {For me, this encompasses all math activities)
• Math
• ABC’s
• Letters
• Rhyming
• Daily Note {I end my circle time with a daily note.  I write a message about our day and then as a Mo
• Game Show {If I have extra time in-between activities during the day, I will pull out some category cards, what’s missing cards, rhyming cards, etc. and call it ‘Game Show’.   My students LOVE game show!}

Daily Schedule Cards
• Morning Meeting
• Morning Work
• Journals
• Calendar
• Literacy Centers
• Math
• Writing
• Art
• Assembly
• Special Event
• Bathroom Break {I included more than one since the whole day can be displayed}
• i-Pads
• Social Studies
• Lunch
• Snack {More than one is included for a full day preschool program}
• Science
• Dismissal
• Table Time
• Circle Time
• Computers
• Snack
• Special Day
• Centers
• Group
• Story
• Books
• Brain Break
• Recess {More than one is included}
• Learning Time
• Rest Time
• Quiet Time
• Sensory Break
• Recess

A sample of job cards.

The pack is $2.00.  You can find it HERE.

And, TPT is hosting a One Day Bonus Sale this Wednesday.  Be sure to check it out!  My products will be 20% off.  Click HERE to take you to my store.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Back to School Flash Sale!

I'm sure everyone is super busy getting ready for back to school!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday to show what I'm doing to get ready and to showcase some of my "Back to School' items.  I will have them on sale throughout the weekend.  They will all be drastically discounted, so be sure to take advantage!  Click HERE to go to my store.

My new room is HUGE with lots of wall space.  I just finished my 'Colors Galore Posters and More' pack to hang in my room.  It will be on sale all weekend.

Things I love about this pack……

 

The posters are offered in both color and black and white.  Originally I thought I would offer both to save on ink, but then soon realized the black and white ones could be used for table time/morning work.  Then, it came to me that they could be colored by students and made into books.  You can also make one into a class book.  My students LOVE reading class books.  They take pride in their work and those books are the ones tattered from so much love!

 

There is a 'Color the Room' option that goes along with the posters, plus 6 options with multiple colors {17 color the room pages in all}

Plus, there are smaller size posters if you prefer.

Be sure to check it out.  It will only be $1 all weekend!

Here are other school related themes I finished this summer.

'All About Me' 

 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Retelling Pack'

 'Back to School Literacy and Math Activities Pack'

 

 'A Cat's Colorful Shoes Retelling and Extension Activities'

They are all only $1 this weekend!

 Then, there are these "oldies but goodies"…..

'If You Take a Mouse to School Retelling Pack'

'Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books' Retelling Pack

'Interactive Journal Prompts' are great for teaching the alphabet and letter sounds.

'ABC Stamp It' is great for teaching alphabet recognition.

There are more back to school related items for $1.00!  Go to my store and check them out.  Be sure to follow my store to be notified when new products, freebies, and sales are added!

Plus, everything else in my store is 20% off!

Be sure to check out the freebies, too!

I'm working on a 'Back to School Photo Booth'.  Here's what I have so far..

I put up black paper and framed it with silver border.  I am making props to hold.  Be sure to check back next week for a photo booth freebie, but in the mean time…..

I was getting coffee at a coffee shop the other day and as I was putting my cup in a sleeve, looked closely at it and waalaa….an idea came to me!

I'm going to cut the mustaches out and attach the coffee stirrer sticks with hot glue.  If you have an Einstein Brothers near you, you too can grab these!  They were super nice when I asked if it was ok.  :)

I am in the process of making new job and calendar icons for the new school year.  Here's a peek at what I have so far…..

The picture is not that great.  I wish it was more of a close up.  I will post more about the icons later.

Be sure to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)