Let it Go: End of the Year Teacher Tips for Staying Positive

Teachers can become overwhelmed and stressed at the end of the school year. This "Bright Ideas" blog post contains a "How To List" of teacher tips to help make your end of the school year a more positive experience.

If you are feeling the demands of the job from end of the year assessing, changing grade levels, getting reassigned, adopting a new curriculum, adjusting to ever-changing standards, or dealing with a full moon, I hope you find some strategies that will help you refocus on the positive.

But just for fun let's look at some strategies that are usually suggested to help people stay calm, happy, positive, and healthy. I'm going to apply them to teachers.

I made light of the chart above, but in all honesty, I understand why we sometimes aren't as cheery as other times. After all, the end of the school year is busy, stressful, and emotional.  Sometimes that leads us down a negative spiraling path. How do I know that?  I've "been there done that."

How to Stay Positive During High Stress Situations

My youngest daughter has Down Syndrome, Type 1 Diabetes, and Celiac Disease.  Each one of these can be stressful on its own.  Put them all together on a bad day, and it can be overwhelming and isolating.  Raising a child with special needs for 21 years has taught me to not sweat the small stuff and to always try and reframe the negative into a positive.  So let's apply these same strategies that I learned from raising a child with special needs and tweak them a little for our role as teachers. 

Tessa's life can be challenging due to the medical complications of diabetes and celiac disease, especially when we prepare for transitions to new experiences and change.  But the most important thing my family has learned is:

Surround yourself with as many positive friends that you can.  That way, when the job gets overwhelming, one can be the cheerleader for the other and continue on your journey.  We just got back from Special Olympics this week.  The planning of gluten free meals, medication, and scheduling can be exhausting.  I could complain.  I could be negative.  I could say it's not worth it.  But if I reframe it, I realize very quickly that moments like these are only possible when we believe in our hearts that they are truly worth it and keep smiling. After all, I have the greatest role model below as she never complains through it all.

We have "Tessa-isms" around our house.  We keep track of her favorite words, phrases, and quotes.  She says this one to everyone, including me.  :)  She wants everyone to be happy, and she is quick to remind us to . . . "Be nice to the people."   As you finish out your school year, remember that emotions run high when we are tired.  We can overthink things.  We have enough negativity to deal with in our teaching lives from some who have never stepped into our classrooms.  Let's stand together. Remember to breathe, laugh, smile, enjoy your last days with your students, and always, always . . . 

Thank you for visiting my blog.  If you have enjoyed today's post please consider following me on Face Book, Pinterest, or Teachers Pay Teachers for more ideas for the early childhood classroom.

The graphics in my pictures above are from Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs and Whimsy Clips.   The fonts are by Hello Literacy.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful summer!  

For more Bright Ideas, please visit the AMAZING blogs below.  

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Fun Mother's Day Gifts

Are you ready to make some cute Mother's Day gifts with your students?  I love to take pictures of my students to incorporate with their gifts.  You can dress them up or just use the props below. 

Materials needed for girl picture:

1. Large Plastic Flower Pot

I found mine at Lowe's for $9.00 but also saw them at JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels.

2. DIY No Sew Tulle Skirt - Directions at the end of post.

I purchased 2 yards of pink tulle and 2 yards of blue tulle at Hobby Lobby. It was regularly priced at 1.00 a yard.  I used a purple ribbon that I had in my junk drawer "creation station" in my office.  

3.  Butterfly Headband

Dollar Tree 

4.  Flower 

Dollar Tree 

I twisted the wire around the headband.

5.  Poster Board 

Cut into the shape of a circle.  Then cut out a circle inside the middle.  This gives the children a place to slip their hand into like a puppet.  It gives them a better grip to hold up the sun.

6.  Yellow Construction Paper

Trace around your poster board circle and glue to secure. 

7.  Clothespins 

Cut rectangle strips from left over yellow construction paper and glue on top on the clothespins.

8.  Frame Matte 

I purchased this at Hobby Lobby for $1.99.   You could make a frame out of poster board or use an existing old frame.  I chose the paper frame because it was lightweight and easy for them to hold.

9. Copies of "You are my sunshine." "Thank you for helping me grow!" Click HERE to Download.

Here is the "dressed down" version of the same picture without the tulle skirt, headband, or flower.  All that is needed is a "cutie pie" willing to be in the picture.  Love you sweet boy and your mom too!  You are so much fun!

I created a Mother's Day card packet to go along with this picture on my TpT store.  There are several versions to use depending on the age of your students.  You can click on the picture to find out more about this packet.

DIY Tulle Skirt

This one is easy, easy, easy.  If you know me, I do not sew.  I glue gun material.  Seriously.  However, I thought I would take this one on without a glue gun :)  

1.  Fold your material into half.

2.  Cut into long strips about 3-4 inches wide.  They do not have to be perfect.

3.  Lay your ribbon out on the floor.

4.  Tie the strips around the ribbons and make a knot leaving the same amount on each side.  Once again, it does not have to be perfect.  

5.  To make it more secure, tie it in a knot again.  

6.  Continue adding strips until you have the desired amount of material on the skirt.

7.  Fluff the skirt.

I used two different colors to give it a more textured springy look.  

After I experimented with making this skirt, I googled DIY children's tulle skirt.  There are many tutorials on YouTube and on Pinterest to show different versions of how to do this.  Some use a loop method.  Me:  I just tied it in a knot!  I chose a ribbon.  You can use elastic and sew the end pieces together.  Since I am not a a sewer, I chose the ribbon and tied it around the girls' waists.  Easy, cheap, and fun.  They also sell tulle skirts at Michaels and Hobby Lobby for around $12.00-$20.00, but I made mine for $4.00 and had left over scraps to use in a science project - to be posted on later!

Want a chance to win the "Mother's Day Card Fun Art and Writing Printable" for your classroom?  Leave a comment below, and I will choose a winner on Sunday, April 27, 2014. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Movers and Shakers: Science in Action

I am joining in on the Bright Ideas Blog Hop just in time for Earth Day.  I always do a "Movers and Shakers" week where we use different materials to make things move and shake.  Today's post is about making a marble run out of recyclable materials to create this open-ended science experiment.

Materials Needed:

1.  Presentation Board - I recycled one from a  previous center.
2.  Toilet Tissue Rolls
3.  Paper Towel Rolls
4.  Kleenex Box
5.  Brads
6.  Hole-Punch

I used a phillips screw driver to poke holes all over the the board.  By doing this the students are able to manipulate and move their parts to create different angles to their creation using inquiry.  They can make adjustments to their predictions or add on to their existing runs.  The sky is the limit.  The presentation board helps it to be stable while the students do their experiments.

Here is a quick video of a successful run.  Keep in mind it took many attempts to be successful.  The students can work independently, but they really enjoy collaborating together.

 

I will be posting more ideas for using science in the classroom along with other ideas for the early childhood classroom. Please consider following my blog on Bloglovin,  Face Book, and Pinterest.

 Looking for some more "Bright Ideas" for your classroom? Check out these awesome blog posts!

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Spring, Plants, and Garden Bulletin Board

I love this time of year.  I walked outside today and saw a few blades of green peeking through the yellow and brown grass.  It's that time of year to start talking about the life cycle of plants, flowers, and gardens.

One of my favorite bulletin boards that I like to do with my students is our "How Does Your Garden Grow" board.  We read the book Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens along with informational text about plants and gardens.  Then we make a T-chart to list the different plants we would find in a garden.  You can see a picture example at end of this blog post for the T-chart explanation. After creating the chart, we are then ready to use art to show what we have learned.

How to make this bulletin board:

1.  The blue back ground is actually material that I purchased.  I use material for my bulletin board as it holds up better by not wrinkling, tearing, or fading.  I try to choose material that will complement the different themes that I do throughout the year.  This material actually has clouds on it which lets me use it for many different bulletin boards.  Plus the soft colors make the other colors pop.

2.  The bottom part is plain white butcher paper.  I tear off a long sheet that is the length of one of my long tables.  The children use brown finger paint to create the soil.  My students LOVE this part and it is a great sensory activity that promotes cooperative learning too (staying in your space).  One suggestion is to have them wear old paint shirts because they tend to lean over on the table.

3.  I use card stock to cut out the patterns for the vegetables.  The children paint the shapes then stick color tissue paper  on top of the wet paint.  This gives it a textured look. You don't have to glue the tissue paper down because it will stick as it dries.

4.  For the corn, I purchase green raffia ribbon from a local craft store such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  It usually lasts me two years.  I untwist the ribbon and let the children glue it to the back of the corn patterns.  The yellow part is actually dry corn from a local feed store - Atwoods.  This part is great fine motor practice as they pick up the kernels and glue them to the paper.  I set out large cardboard lids (copy machine paper lids) so the vegetables can dry.

Here is a picture of our T-Chart.

Did you notice I used real photographs in the chart above? I use real photographs when creating informational charts because it helps young children connect the picture to the vocabulary word. Clip art is fun, but using the "real photograph" will help your students with comprehension. Of course, bringing in the actual items that are on the chart is an added bonus. One of my favorite places to get open domain - copyright free images is www.morguefile.com.  Enter the photo you are looking for in the search box, then download to your computer.  I create separate folders by theme, so I have real photographs readily available.  

Here are some of my favorite books from Amazon.

Thanks for stopping by!

It's All About Spring

Who is ready for spring?  Me!!! And my house is too! The last 8 months have been an emotional roller coaster for me and cleaning my house has not been a priority.  If you follow my blog, then you know I lost my mother to cancer a few days before Christmas.  And two weeks ago, my first granddaughter was born.  Talk about a wide range of emotions to experience in a short time.  My Mom loved angels, and she would have loved the newest little addition to our family. I am sure she had the best view from heaven the day this little angel was born.

OK focus Nana K. Back to my neglected house.  My husband surprised me with a day of cleaning help.  But I needed to clean my house in order for someone to clean my house.  Does that make sense?  I had to move the junk get things in order, so the floor could be vacuumed and the furniture could be dusted.  My husband had to reschedule 3 times for me to be ready. He seriously did not understand this whole process.  But in my defense, I was a little sidetracked from holding my precious new granddaughter.  

Now that my house is clean, I have two more challenges:  Get my computer files in order and clean out my wish list on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Do you put things on your wish list?  I do.  In fact, I may have a big little hoarding problem :)  I didn't realize how many things I had put on that list until some fellow "TpT'ers" suggested we have a "clean out your wish list" party.  Surely I didn't have that many things on mine.  Guilty.  

If you are like me, then my solution/plan might help you too. 

#1.  Leave feedback on all of your purchases.  Yes!  You get TpT credits for every single feedback comment/rating that you leave, and they add up quickly.  Only about 25% of buyers leave feedback. If you are one of the ones that doesn't,  visit your "My Purchases" page. If the feedback link is blinking, click on it and fill it out. You can check your balance after each one.  I get really excited watching it build. It will be like Christmas in March!

#2.  Go through your wish list and start cleaning.  Add those items you really want/need to your cart and use your TpT credits to purchase them.  Then clean out the ones that maybe don't fit your needs anymore. Some of you may have changed grade levels.  Some things may have been on there for over a year.  My goal is to have it cleaned out by Sunday.

#3.  Check and see if the items you are purchasing are on sale. GEORGIA GROWN KIDDOS is having a Linky Party for sellers who are participating in the Spring Cleaning Sale.  Scroll on down to the bottom to see if your favorite sellers are having a sale and maybe find some "new favorites" to follow too.

In celebration of the arrival of spring and my first granddaughter, I'm joining in the party  - 20% off of everything at my store.  I will be loading my Flip the 5 and 10 Frames April pack on Saturday, possibly sooner.  Stay tuned!

An InLinkz Link-up

Favorite Fairytales on YouTube

How many of you have seen the YouTube videos from "Ms. Booksy?"  I LOVE them and so will your students.  What a great way to discuss the art of storytelling using pictures and props!  I could go on forever and ever about why you will love these stories, but I will just let you check them out yourself.  Have fun!  And thanks Cool School.  While you are there, subscribe to their channel.  You'll be glad you did.

These cute Golilocks and the 3 Bear graphics are from Scappin Doodles.

And there are so many more.  Subscribe to their channel so you don't miss any new ones :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Number Sense with 10 Frames

I just love teaching with 5 and 10 frames.  But sometimes I do not love all of the pieces that come with them.  That's actually how I originally designed these handy little Flip the Frames when I looked around my classroom  and found apples, pumpkins, footballs, etc.  all over my room as I was preparing math stations.

I just loaded my new set for March and am excited about them! Here are all of the choices that come with this set.  You also have a black and white option if you need to save the ink.  I laminate 5 sets and place velcro in between the individual frames.  This helps them latch to each other.  I use these for small group instruction.  They take up little space which is wonderful in the early childhood classroom.

Sample Frames for March

If you want to see how these frames work, I've given you a FREE sneak peek.  You can download my Flip the 5 and 10 Frames Button Set and let the fun begin.  There are more games and activities along with some story problems in the original sets, but the FREE Button Set will give you a chance to work and play with frames and do many of the activities.  I use the black and white option for whole group, math centers, and as homework.  Your families will are then able to see how math frames are used in the classroom.

Have fun with this FREEBIE.  Click on the picture to get your FREE download.

Use can teach counting, quantity recognition, addition, subtraction, and even place value with these frames.  The bottom right square was a 1st grade addition problem of 16 + 13.  We built both numbers with the frames, then added them together.  We grouped the tens together and then added the ones.  It's a concrete way to learn an abstract concept.

Click on the pictures to see the other Flip the 5 and 10 Frames available for your classroom.

Thanks for stopping by!