GREAT IDEAS!

Just wanted to share a couple GREAT ideas!

On Constitution Day we learned about the Constitution, wrote our own (as a class), signed it, and made little self portraits to display by it.  Turned out pretty cool!

I believe physical activity is so important for kids.  Research provides a very strong link between physical activity and positive academic performance...  (if you want to know more about that, I actually wrote my thesis on it last year and condensed all the most interesting parts into a short little document and added in a bunch of practical fun ways for teachers to get kids moving in the classroom HERE!). I teach half day K this year so we're only together a brief time, but I still make sure they get 15 minutes of "recess" because I have always learned "play is children's work!"  Anyway- we like to get outside if whether permits, but when we're stuck inside on rainy days, we get out the trampoline and they love bouncing away!  It's the most popular thing!  You're probably saying- I don't have a trampoline- but just tuck this idea away and keep your eyes out for one and you'll find it ... I found this one at a garage sale for $3!  THREE DOLLARS!  I let them wear their shoes (to keep it simple) and they each gets  1 minute turn to bounce their little hearts out.  

 I taught them how to use the second hand on the clock to time for 1 minute... and my para also had this slick 1 minute timer form lakeshore so we've started using that, too.  Great for teaching turn taking, timing, and most of all- getting some energy out! btw, when we're not using it, I store it sideways behind a bookcase it it's not even noticeable.  

Do you have your emergency sub plans set?  Want to get a week's worth done just in the time it takes to make some copies???  My BEST SELLER on TPT is a wonderful week's worth of sub plans... do yourself a favor and check it out!  I put all mine together last week (see the picture below for some of them, all bundled up and ready to roll) and wow- it was so simple and such a relief to know that if I have a kid get sick in the night (I have 3 little ones so it totally happens), or if I'm suddenly not well, or even if I have a planned absence and don't have time or energy to make up something fabulous,  the last thing I have to stress over is sub plans!!  I have a binder that explains the procedures and basic schedule of my room and then these plans give the sub and students plenty of quality, meaningful, fun stuff to work on!  I feel SET for the entire year!

Listen to what other teachers are saying, just in the past couple weeks about these: 
"FINALLY!!!! THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!"

"A GREAT way to work smarter not harder!!! Easiest emergency sub plans ever!!!!"

"As a parent of young kids, it is so nice to know I have amazing sub plans set up in case I need to be out. What a huge time saver. Thank you!!"

"Very thorough plans. I love that I can simply print and copy and I'm ready for a sub. I appreciate all the hard work that shines through this resource."

This zipped file will provide you with 5 entire day's worth of projects and educational activities that you can easily leave for a sub. These 5 days could be consecutive OR spread across the entire school year... it's just nice to have some activities laid out and ready to go if and when those last minute emergencies or sick days pop up. I always keep a set of Super Speedy Sub Plans in a folder on my desk all ready to go... just in case! It's a huge stress-reducer!

Plans are based around 4 popular children's books you probably have in your classroom library or you could easily find in your school library:
1. The Mitten by Jan Brett
2. Pinkalicious by Elizabeth & Victoria Kann (2 days worth!)
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr.
4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Everything is appealing, VERY clearly explained, and spans across many subjects/skills: math, reading, writing, health, listening, art, teamwork, class books, and even games just for fun!

I've personally used all of these in my all-day K classroom with subs and they've been a huge hit! I taught 1st grade for 9 years and know these would transfer well to 1st grade, too. 


Okay, one more great idea worth sharing!  I got this from some super experienced pre-school teachers who I was teaching VBS with over the summer and I thought "Wow!  I can't believe I never thought of this!"  So here ya go!  Any time kids were cutting, they put ice cream buckets in the center of the table for them to drop their scraps in!  No excuses for not cleaning up and no need to walk all around the room.  It's a LITTLE thing (like I never thought having kids simply walk to the recoiling bin was a big deal) but it's actually really convenient and saves some time!
So far, I've just been using some little plastic containers and we call them the "mini recoiling bins."  Kids love it... works like a charm!  

one of our "mini recycling bins"

The SUPER MEGA PACK of Sub Plans! 4 Awesome books, 5 Fabulous days!!

Big news!  It's finally here!


HOT! Looking for some time-saving, efficient, hassle-free, 4-star, best-selling sub plans? You've come to the perfect place!! 

This zipped file will provide you with 5 entire day's worth of projects and educational activities that you can easily leave for a sub. These 5 days could be consecutive OR spread across the entire school year... it's just nice to have some activities laid out and ready to go if and when those last minute emergencies or sick days pop up. I always keep a set of Super Speedy Sub Plans in a folder on my desk all ready to go... just in case! It's a huge stress-reducer!

Plans are based around 4 popular children's books you probably have in your classroom library or you could easily find in your school library:
1. The Mitten by Jan Brett
2. Pinkalicious by Elizabeth & Victoria Kann (2 days worth!)
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr.
4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

 

Everything is appealing, VERY clearly explained, and spans across many subjects/skills: math, reading, writing, health, listening, art, teamwork, class books, and even games just for fun!

I've personally used all of these in my all-day K classroom with subs and they've been a huge hit! I taught 1st grade for 9 years and know these would transfer well to 1st grade, too.

There’s so much to choose from here that once you add this to your usual routine (morning meeting, specials, recess, lunch, etc.), you’ll certainly have several “leftovers" that you could use yourself when you get back to make your transition back to school a little less crazy! I've never had a sub get through a day's worth of plans in one day (which is GOOD because you don't want them to run out of things to do!).

Being sick is hard enough-- don’t stress about being gone, don’t stress about coming back. :)

So there are 2 ways to do this: Can’t make it to school all of the sudden? Just email this file to a teacher friend who can print a copy for you and hand it to your sub.
Or if you’re planning ahead, pop this baby in your “emergency sub folder” and it’ll be there when you need it. You or the sub will need to make a few photocopies (black and white is fine), but that’s all. No other materials (besides the book and basics like scissors and crayons) are required. It’s really simple and super fun!

Read the awesome reviews of the mega pack here!

This SUPER MEGA PACK saves you the most money and gives you access to every set of 4-star plans I've created so far. I think it's a great way to "stock up" for the school year, but these plans are also available for individual sale in my store if you're just looking for 1-2 days worth. There's also a "MEGA PACK" for sale that includes everything except the 2 days of Pinkalicious (but I think Pinkalicious is some of my best work- just sayin! So once again, this pack here is really the BEST deal, but you have options!). :)
So just sit back & relax… Super Speedy Sub Plans has everything under control.

Super Speedy Sub Plans: Peace of mind in the midst of flu season! PLUS a GIVEAWAY and tip #1 for staying healthy!!

Hey, teacher friends!

Okay, has this flu season been the WORST already or what!?  Oh my word!  So many sick people!

I'm a busy Kindergarten-teaching mama to three babies at home and I feel like I just NEVER know when someone is about to throw up in the middle of the night (happened too many time to count this winter already- for real, like I'm really good at knowing when to grab a bucket or whisk them to the bathroom- ha!)... or the babysitter comes down with a fever at 4 am and I'm left without anyone to watch the babes (happened just yesterday!) or maybe I am even the sick one (been there, done that!) and I'm just too out of it to even THINK about school.  I know you know what I mean... we just never know when something like that might come up, especially this time of year!

Last minute sub plans are miserable, but I finally got smart this fall and whipped up my "Super Speedy Sub Plans" and a binder of sub info that is generic, yet detailed enough to guide a sub through any day.

Here is a pic of my binder, which I always just keep on the corner of my desk:
outside:


(Thanks to whoever created this CUTIE binder cover... found it somewhere on Pinterest, I did NOT make this myself, but I love it!)

inside:


And here is a pic of how I keep my Super Speedy Sub Plans:
outside:


inside:

I have 3 sets of plans created so far and each one is at LEAST 3-4 hours of activities to go along with a classic kid's book that you surely have already in your class library or could easily borrow from the school library or teacher next door:  :)

• The Mitten by Jan Brett (my most popular!)
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr.

You can click on the titles to see links to the plans and more pictures of what is included!

When I have had to use the sub plans, no one has needed to use everything that's included-- I've found it to be MORE than enough (and I teach all-day K).  The kids take home most of the stuff they work on so I don't have pictures of that, but every packet does include a class book to create and I have those to show you-- so cute!

This is from Brown Bear, of course:

cover

do you LOVE Kindergarten art or what?!

so sweet

 

And these are from The Mitten packet... each child designs two matching mittens and glues only one onto their page. The rest of the mittens are left separate for matching up with the pages of the book. I'm going to add a tiny piece of velcro to the backs of the lost mittens... kids LOVE this!

look at all these adorable, creative mittens?

 

Because I teach Kindergarten, these are really geared toward K-1 but could probably also work a little higher or lower than that as well. You can buy them individually on my TpT store or even go wild, save money and grab all three bundled together at a discount and be set for the entire year!

There are 2 ways to handle the sub plans and I've personally done both:

1. Get things set up ahead of time (like I've done above with the blue folder, copies made, book popped inside- btw, you just need one copy of the book) or
2. If it's too late and you're not going to make it back to school before you can do #1, just email the file to a friendly teacher next door and ask him/her to pretty please print and hand to your sub.  They'd need a few minutes to make some black and white copies and scrounge up the book, but that's all simple and then they're set!  It works, I promise!

Seriously, y'all.  This concept has changed my LIFE!  No more stress or spending HOURS trying to think of what in the world my poor sub can do and how I can type to describe where she needs to look to find everything.  AND not to mention how much better it is for the sub and the kids, too.  It's just a really, really good thing!

I'm pretty new to the teacher blogging world and I love sharing ideas and trying to make life easier for other teachers.... SOOOO this calls for a giveaway!!!!  Woo-hoooo!  Here's the deal:

I would love to give away a Super Speedy Sub Plan to one, ah why not make it TWO lucky winners!!  

There are lots of ways to enter- you get one entry for each thing you do!  Just leave me a comment to say which sub plan you'd like if you win and tell me how many times you entered!  Here are the choices:

1. Follow me on TpT and leave a comment here to tell me you're a new follower AND tell me which sub plan you'd like! (you can link to my TpT store on the sidebar here)
2. Do you have a blog?  Link to this giveaway and spread the news!
3. Follow this blog by email and again, leave a comment to let me know and tell me which book you'd choose sub plans for!

The lucky winners will be chosen on Friday, January 18.  Best of luck to everyone!!  I will email the winners with the file they have requested!  Thanks for stopping by and have a GREAT weekend!!

p.s.  One more thing!  Like I said, I really just like to share ideas so since we're talking about being healthy, I'm going to tag on my first little quick STAY HEALTHY tip of the season (I'll add more throughout the month)!  This one is tried and true, ladies and gentlemen!  Ready?  Here goes:

If YOU have been exposed to the stomach bug, as in "the throw ups" as we call it at my house, RUN to the store and grab yourself a couple jugs of 100% grape juice!  Hopefully you like grape juice because if you drink a glass 3 xs/day, it is actually powerful enough to alter the pH of your tummy and keep those nasty bugs from setting up shop in your gut.  For real!  I've tried it five times and it worked every single time!!
And then there was that one time when I started trying it, decided I should be even healthier and have less sugar in my life, dropped the grape juice and told myself I'd be FINE... well, I wasn't.  Like the next day, it hit me. and I needed those super speedy sub plans STAT!  :)  So needless to say I really believe in this one.
I even consulted my nutritionist expert about it (knowing she would shame me for all that nasty sugar) but she admitted that YES, it 100% makes sense that the grape juice trick works.  She did give me another, even better, more sugar-free tip... but I'll save that for next time!  Stay tuned!

btw, if you already have the throw-ups, sorry... outta luck, too late... but keep this little idea in mind next time BEFORE you get em and you might be just fine!

Stay healthy, friends!!!