Friday, August 11, 2017

THREE ways to make students feel SPECIAL before they meet you!

I'm sure all of your are in the back-to-school rush and have either already started school or will be in just a few short weeks. Here in Connecticut, we start the last week of August. So while my kids are finishing up their last day of camp today, I am sitting in Starbucks, crossing a bunch off my to-do list. Unfortunately, I cannot get into my classroom this week because the floors are being waxed, but I know early next week students and parents will be wandering around eager to take a peek at where they will be learning for the next year. So I am going to explain some tricks I have to make me look supper prepared because let's face it, are we ever ready for the year to start?

#1. Send home a welcome letter. This year I have a new partner teacher who I am excited to work with. I wanted to send something home to our new classes to introduce ourselves. I made this letter quickly in Power Point and added pictures from our personal Facebook pages (don't worry, my partner sent me some he approved of). I'm just going to print these (thank you insta-ink) and mail them home. The kids will surely get a kick out of seeing their teachers "in real life" as well as receiving snail mail! (Don't worry, I only made it blurry here for privacy reasons, it printed out crisp and clear.)

#2. The Classroom Door! I haven't completed my door yet, but it is on my to-do list. I've seen such amazing designs floating around on social media, but since the door normally the first part of the room seen, it should be a great reflection of your classroom. It would be extra special if you had student names on it, welcoming your new students. A little hint is to go on Instagram and search the hashtag #classroomdoor - there are some great ideas to spark your creativity. The hard part is picking out which one you want to create!  

#3. My favorite classroom trick is really special. Since my school allows parents and children to walk around and look at classrooms during the summer, I like to leave my room presentable. One of the first things I do is make a personalized birthday lollipop bouquet. When students see these jumbo rainbow lollipops with their names on them, they seriously get excited. Little do they know they will not get one until their birthday, but they still look awesome all year long. Since these lollipops are so large, I love sticking them in a tall vase. If you think it will fall over, try adding some of the green foam you stick flowers in. I even had thank you notes from parents with pictures of their child enjoying the giant pop! What I like about these pops is that they are packaged carefully and never arrive broken. Plus they are at a price on Oriental Trading, that even a teacher can afford. To make them personal, I just create a circle in Power Point and decorate it with clip art and color. I then print, cut, and tape to the pop. If lollipops don't interest you, check out the other assortment of candy on Oriental Trading, it will surely arrive in great shape and is at a price you can afford. This will be a great focal point in your classroom, and even if the rest of the room is a mess, eyes will surely be drawn this vibrant display of yumminess! 

Best of luck on setting up your room. If you want to make the lollipop labels and cannot figure out how, email me and I will gladly send you my template! 




2 comments:

  1. Please may I have the birthday template for the lollipops? Much appreciated, Linzi Foreman

    ReplyDelete
  2. You design beautiful birthday wishing cards. This is the best way of students wishing.
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    ReplyDelete

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