Sneak-a-Peek at my Open House Routines

Open house is a such an exciting time for all! Teachers are meeting their sweet kids for the first time, kids are seeing the room that will be their "home away from home" for the next year, and parents are meeting the person who they'll trust this child with for 8 hours a day. Here are some things I love to have set up and ready to go to make everyone feel welcome & to ensure things flow smoothly.

1) Treat- I also love to have a little gift for kiddos when they come in. Last year I did popcorn with cute tags that said, "Welcome! Thanks for popping in!"

2) Welcome Paperwork- I always put these into a folder. One side contains the "complete now" paperwork and the other side is reading material for parents to take home. It's a handy place for them to keep everything and refer back to when needed.

 

I also make these cute stickers to go inside the folder so parents can easily see what needs to be done now vs. later. These are made on 1.5 x 1.5 inch Avery sticker labels. I used the Bitmoji Chrome extension to save the images I wanted. These are also fun to make & apply to student work throughout the year. 

*purchase the labels here*

If you need to grab some folders for your back to school paperwork, Target is having a SALE for TEACHERS! Sign up for your coupon here.

3) Wish List- Parents spend lots of money in the beginning of the school year to buy supplies. I try to be considerate of everyone's financial situations. I often say these are the 3 most important items for your child & these are 3 items we don't need as much because we have a lot left over. However, some families are able to give a little extra so I always set out a wish list. Parents can choose an apple to take home with them and send in the item when it's convenient or affordable for them. 

Grab this FREEBIE from TeachCreateMotivate!

Best of luck with open house, sneak a peek, or meet the teacher!
You've got this!

Edible Opinion Writing- Yum to the Last Crumb!

When it's time to teach opinion writing, my favorite way to do it is with COOKIES! I teach my kids all about the OREO method to opinion writing. 

O- STATE YOUR OPINION

R- GIVE REASONS

E- PROVIDE EXAMPLES

O- RESTATE YOUR  OPINION

GRAB THIS AS A FREEBIE HERE!

Many thanks to FIRSTGRADEWOW for creating and sharing this!

This packet is amazing for teaching the OREO opinion writing method. It provides examples, anchor charts, several types of writing paper, and blue ribbons for the cookie & the writer that tops the rest!

Once we've learned the OREO method, we sample three types of cookies and give reasons to support our opinion on the best cookie ever. I chose to include Nilla Waffers, Oreos, and Teddy Grahams because I had students with nut and food dye allergies. Here's how I prepped the activity... cupcake liners are my go to for having everything sorted, counted, and awaiting excited kiddos.

 

My students thought this was the most fun writing activity of the year and the opinion writing they produced was REALLY wonderful. I was so proud of them. I helped facilitate it in a couple ways.

 We went through the steps of OREO together one and a time. After students wrote their first sentence stating their opinion, they exchanged papers with a classmate. Their classmate helped spell check and ensure that they had followed directions. This was a teaching opportunity too because we practiced complimenting our classmates and making polite suggestions. We did this for each reason, example, and the conclusion. It made such a difference with the quality of their writing.

 I also showed my students the anchor charts with suggested wording and sentence starts for each section as we completed them. This helped them turn their opinions and reasons into complete sentences. Be sure to go grab this excellent product from FIRSTGRADEWOW! If you try this with your kids, let me know how it goes. We thought it was "Yum to the Last Crumb" just as Nancy Vandenburge called it!

School Gardens

Gardening with my students is one of my all time favorite things to do! Its an academic experience, but it's also good for our souls! Here's why I think school gardens are so beneficial.

1) It requires following directions & teamwork.

2) Gardening teaches us patience and diligence. 

3) We learn about life cycles and plant needs.

4) It gets us outdoors when we might feel a little stir crazy.

5)) It's fun to eat fresh food from our garden & teaches sustainability.

6) We can share our excess veggies & herbs with others!

Simple seeds aren't too pricey but when you start thinking about soil, watering cans, shoves/spades, gloves, and pots or beds, the costs can add up. Here are some ways I've made gardening possible with the help of others:

1) Write a Donors Choose project!

In my school garden project, I requested an adult shovel, adult rake, seeds for salsa fixings, class set of kid gloves, kid shovels, hose and nozzle, pruning sheers, and a set of knives and cutting boards for harvesting and sampling! I know there are some schools that don't allow teachers to use Donors Choose. In that situation, I would suggest you write a school garden grant. There are several big businesses that offer them- including Walmart.

2) Hit up the Dollar Tree!

I know I've mentioned this before, but Dollar Tree is such an affordable way of making experiences possible for your kiddos. This past spring they were selling little plastic pots that were three for $1. They also sell watering cans and seeds! What more could you need to make your school garden project come to life?

3) Ask for donations! 

The parents in my room have been generous enough to send in seeds & soil.  But, if you work at a school with families who may not be able to afford that, check with Home Depot, Lowes, or Pikes Nursery. Home Depot donated 6 bags of potting soil to me and all I had to do was ASK!

4) Check with your Science or STEM lab teacher!

These adorable watering cans came from our science lab supplies. I was able to use a few during the spring and then return them when I was done! The science lab was also able to give me pebbles for the bottom of our pots so we didn't lose all of our soil when we watered our plants. If you can't swing a garden on your own, reach out to your garden club, science lab teacher, or PTA and inquire about how to make a school garden as a group!  

Check out all the fun & success we've had. I should also say I DO NOT HAVE A GREEN THUMB! I'm notorious for killing my own house plants. However, if I can produce enough to make gardening a fun, memorable, and educational experience for my students... you can too! Can't wait to see your school gardening projects coming to life!

We planted our marigolds inside and left them on a couple lap desks by the window. It worked great. Sometimes I'd put them outside over the weekend to get them some extra sunshine and rain!