lesson planning software. Very, very easy to use, and
it looks just like your regular gradebook. You can save your
lesson plans from year to year, also.
Learn to MOUSE's collection of lesson plan sites
& Ice Breakers
Create a search-a-word puzzle
with your students' names with PuzzleMaker
from Discovery. Students can work the puzzles while you pass
out books or do other "housekeeping" chores the first day
Short activities to fill those extra 5 minutes here and there
Getting to Know You Ideas for the first day of school
for the first days of school
More Great Activities
for the first days of school
Day of School
Activities & ideas
Classical Teaching Mistakes
Don't make these mistakes this year!
you know that some discipline problems in the classroom are teacher-caused?
Read up on them here
and don't let it happen in your classroom this year!
students and their parents, as well as yourself, sign compacts at
the beginning of the year. Take a look at this example.
up on discipline
problems and be ready to handle any behavior.
Remember, start out firm and you can always ease up later!
what's the problem with "busy
work?" Lots. Read about it here.
to decide how to place your students' desks? Seating
arrangements have a lot of influence over classroom
management. Read about it here.
Also, read pros
and cons of different seating arrangements (alphabetical,
letting them choose, etc.) here.
homework the first week. Have students write an excuse or fill
out a form for not completing homework EVERY TIME it is not
completed. Store all of these excuses
in the students' folders. You will have something to show
parents who may not believe you otherwise.
Management for the Beginning of the Year
Tips and links to sites to help you with organization, discipline
& management of your classroom
a lot more classroom management web sites here.
to School Checklist
A list of things to get ready
before the first day of school
Do You Get to School?
Chart to record which students ride the bus, walk, etc.
Print a few to have handy.
Print this multipurpose class list to use instead of your grade book
until your class roll becomes stablized.
Choose from customizable, coloring calendar, blank
calendars to fill in the dates, and more. Also, take a look at
and event calendars for August. These are great for
Print signs for classroom jobs (bookshelf keeper, chalkboard eraser,
collect papers, etc.)
Print these and label your centers -- library center, math
center, listening center, and many more
TONS of labels for your classroom, including such labels as books,
blocks, calendar, scissors, and dozens more. Helps beginning
readers recognize words for the objects.
teacher resources here
/ Classroom Decor
alphabet to print
From Jan Brett...choose traditional manuscript, modern
manuscript or cursive.
to School clipart
Also can be used as coloring pages
to School bulletin boards
to School / Fall
A list of more than 20 bulletin board ideas
bulletin board border
Print as much border as you need, then laminate for longer
Back to School
Use all year to assign and rotate classroom duties
- an extremely long list of ideas for the beginning of the year
a lot more bulletin board ideas here
First Days of School by Harry Wong at Amazon (new - $20.97
or used - starting at $10.95). Read a little about the book here.
Buy great classroom materials at Really
Good Stuff. Check out their Back
to School items.
Buy supplies at For
Teachers Only. They have a large selection of items,
such as pencils, lesson plan books, grade books, and more.