My top 20 Teachers Notebook/TPT Units

I love reading all the "Teacher Week Posts" from Blog Hoppin' and seeing all the "Fresh~Done~Ready-To-Go" Classrooms.  (((Mine is getting there...YEAH!)))  I would like to say THANKS for sharing and inspiring me!  I cannot wait to share my classroom pictures with you....Hopefully on Monday.

Here are 20 of my Teachers Notebook/Teachers Pay Teachers "MUST HAVES" for the beginning of the school year...in no particular order.  Check them out!  I think you will LOVE them, too!

What a great way to teach how to treat each other NICELY and with RESPECT!  {Click here to grab it!}

What kiddo doesn't like to play games!?!  {Click here to grab it!}



I know what my Foster Grandparents  (((Love them))) will be working on with my students.  {Click here to grab it!}

I cannot express how excited I am to use this packet with my students.  The charts look great in my classroom, and they are also a nice visual reminder for the students.  Can't wait to buy 2 & 3!  {Click here to grab it!}

What a fun FLUENCY packet.  {Click here to grab it!}

What a great way to engage the kids...with their own names!  {Click here to grab it!}

Let's just say this is Deanna Jump's BEST SELLER!  {Click here to grab it!}

Great activities and I love the phonemic awareness emergent book to use with the students!  {Click here to grab it!}

I bought September and I WISH I would have bought them all!  {Click here to grab it!}

My kiddos LOVE the overhead!  What awesome academic ideas to use with it!  {Click here to grab it!}

Last year, I use this for my morning work.  It is a great way to work on building sentences correctly.  {Click here to grab it!}



Ha...I was going to create something like this for my classroom this summer.
 Don't you love when you find it already made? I do...more play time for me! {Click here to grab it!} 



Simple...but FUN Alphabet book.  I love the cutting practice for the kiddos! {Click here to grab it!}

What a great resource for ME and my KIDDOS.  I think it is my favorite buy of the summer!  I love my new word wall and cannot wait to share it with you!  {Click here to grab it!}

All I am going to say is....Jitter Juice!  {Click here to grab it!}



She sells each pack separately...but I bought all three to help differentiate my teaching.  {Click here to grab it!}




Fine motor and literacy work all in one.  I love it!  {Click here to grab it!}



This packet will help keep you more organized during guided math lessons.  I love the timed tests!  {Click here to grab it!}

I just love OWLS!  What a fun unit to use in the fall!  {Click here to grab it!}

I will be using this unit during the beginning of the school year.  Can I just say I LOVE IT...when it is my own!?!  I am excited to use the little reader book, Buddy Bear, with the students.  It explains to the students how to use the supplies in his/her school box respectfully. {Click here to grab it!}  

I do want to say....There are so many great teaching resources on the web right now.  I wish I could give a great big "SHOUT OUT" to them all.  I do not like leaving anyone out!  I really hope you enjoyed this post and found more things for your wish lists!  Amber 

Special Helper of the Day...and freebie!

Classroom Jobs ~ Special Helper
Most teachers have enough jobs for each student in the classroom and model what they expect for each job in the beginning of the year.  One great part about a classroom job system is that it takes about one minute to announce the new jobs for the day.  Easy…right?  This past year I have tried something even easier and my students loved it.  Keep on reading!

Here is how it works...I have a “Special Helper” of the day.  Each day it is a new student.  When it is their snack day…it is their day to be the “Special Helper”.  Can I just say they love being your little side kick for the day!  The night before their big day he/she will bring home the “What’s in the Bag?” (read about below).  This helps the students remember that they need to bring snack the next day to school, too!  Rarely my students are left snack~less!    

We all take very good care of our classroom during the day and with this “Special Helper” technique I still believe my students have a sense of ownership and responsibility in our classroom each day. 

What’s in the Bag
By using the interactive “What’s in the Bag?” in your classroom your students will use descriptive language in authentic and purposeful ways to communicate in large-group settings.  This will help your students develop speaking and listening skills. 

• First discuss the importance of descriptive language, as well as speaking and listening skills, with your students!

How does “What’s in the Bag?” work…
One Idea:
The special helper of the day will bring in the bag with an object inside from home.  The students will take turns reaching into the bag to describe the hidden object, using only their sense of touch. After three clues are given, the other students try to guess what is in the bag, based on the descriptive language used by their classmates. Finally, after the hidden object is guessed or revealed, students discuss additional ways to describe the object. 

Second Idea:
The special helper will bring an object from home and think of three clues with their parents about the object.  The parents or the students will write the clues down on a piece of paper to share with the class.  The special helper will read all three clues out loud to the class.  Then the students will try to guess what is inside the bag by the clues.  

Click {here}  for a copy of our “What’s in the Bag?" response sheet.  I have made 3 different choices for you to choose from.  

I will post pictures next week of my "What's in the Bag?" and my classroom.  Enjoy!
  

Bear~y Cute Teddy Bear Unit

We developed this Teddy Bear Unit to use in the beginning of the school year.  Our goal was to create a fun way to introduce reading and math to the students.  We also aligned the unit to the common core standards for your convenience!  You're "bear~y" welcome! 

{Click here} to go to our Teachers Notebook Shop!

Bear Necessities...
In our unit we wrote an emergent reader that you can use to introduce your students to their school box of school supplies.  Here is an example of a couple of the pages.

I can "BEAR~LY" wait to use these thematic centers....
We are going to use the math and literacy activities in our Teddy Bear themed centers.  Here are several pictures of some of the activities you will find in our Teddy Bear Unit.  There are many more in the unit! 

The students will match the bears (upper~case) and honey jars (lower~case).  Then the students will write the correct upper and lower~case letters on their record sheet.  We have 3 different record sheets to choose from. 

The student will spin the spinner.  Looking at the 5 frame, name the number.  Write the number in the correct row on the number sheet.  Continue until one row is filled and answer the questions on the right hand side.

The student will place the record sheet on a clipboard.  Search the room for teddy bears.  Write the appropriate word on the record sheet after finding each sight word written in blue, green, and red,

The student will choose a pair of bears (different patterns that are pre~made by the teacher) and color the bears on the record sheet.  Color the boxes to continue the pattern in each row.

The student will match the bear (beginning sound letter) and animal buddy (beginning sound) cards.  Then draw a line to match the bear with the animal buddy on the record sheet.

Everything in life I will share, except my teddy bear...
Our students can make their own colorful teddy bear in the free choice art center.  The students can choose all of the same colored pieces for their teddy or a different color for each piece. 

When the students are finished, they can name an item that begins with the same letter as their name (ex: Amber likes apples) or an items that begins with the same letter as Teddy (ex: Teddy likes toys). 

{Click here} for the freebie of the teddy bear pattern! 

You are a "bear~y" special friend if you check out our unit!  We think you will love it! 

Amber & LuAnn