Must-Have Products to Make This the Best Year Yet

Now that August is here, I wanted to stop by and share a few resources you might not know about! These resources were created with YOU in mind and are sure to cut down on the time you spend creating materials for your class. The less time you spend creating and copying materials the more time you have for what matters…building relationships that change lives!

Editable Newsletters

If you’re like me, each time something important comes up I frantically try to write a note to send home as a reminder. After a few years of that, though, I decided to have a more stream-lined approach. These quick and editable newsletters are all you’ll need to keep parents informed about curriculum, important dates and more! Everything on the page is completely editable except for the clipart and border. Just type in your info and print! They’re ready to go! You can also save paper and send out the newsletter through email or a program like Class Dojo.

Guided Reading Survival Kit 

After student-teacher relationships, I believe guided reading is perhaps the best way we can spend our time. Unfortunately, it requires quite a bit of planning and can be overwhelming without the right tools. I love having all of my data and planning pages in one place so I don’t have to scramble around looking through multiple resources and books. I also really love being able to send notes home with my students once they master a level. HOWEVER, we don’t talk much about reading level except for during these celebrations. My students pick books they want from our library and also work with me in heterogeneous strategy and comprehension groups. But getting to move up reading levels is definitely something to celebrate and I love including parents in the conversation. I love having quick reference guides for each level as well as prompts at my fingertips so I am using consistent language.

Student Take Home Binder

I have worked with parents at every socio-economic level, speaking about 20 different languages and part of many different cultures and one thing is always the same…parents want to know how to help their child succeed. They care. They love their kids and they want to help them. But too often we don’t give parents tools they need to work with their kids at home. It’s not enough to say “read with them.” Parents aren’t sure if that means say “sound it out” over and over or if it’s okay to read chapter books together. They need direction just as we did as first year teachers. This binder provides so many helpful pages for parents and caregivers to use at home to practice sight words, reading comprehension and math facts. Having everything in one place makes it much easier for parents and students and sets students up for success with organization and responsibility.

Behavior Survival Kit 

Some years we have a class full of kiddos who self-direct, don’t need much support and are easy to motivate. Some year we are handed 6 BIPs (Behavior Intervention Plans) and told to make it work…you just never know. But no matter what, our classroom management plan should be something positive, that builds relationships and student confidence. You won’t find any clip charts in this product…just reward systems, visual cues and reflection sheets for students to use. It truly is all you need to have a well run and KIND classroom. For many students, teaching routines at the beginning of the year isn’t enough. They need more support…just like our students who need additional reading tutoring. This product will keep you from spending hours creating reward charts, reminder cards and even tracking sheets.

Classroom Posters for Morning Meeting

Every year we are bombarded with new initiatives, mission statements and mandates. It can be really hard to figure out what’s most important. Years ago, I wrote a blog post about what was most important in my classroom. People asked for me to make a product so I did and I’m so glad I did. I used them every morning during our morning meeting. At the beginning of the year, we discussed them all everyday. After a week or so when we had memorized them all, I would choose one each day to include in our morning meeting. It gave my whole class the reminders they needed about why we were there and what they could expect from me. It was a game changer and I know it will be for you too!

I couldn’t share this list of must-haves without sharing about a community I’m working to build…for YOU! So that you don’t feel isolated in your classroom, but are able to connect with other educators experiencing the same things as you. There’s nothing you can purchase or print that can replace a teacher friend. Head on over to my new Facebook group to meet teachers just like you!