CALMING MORNING ROUTINES FOR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS

I like to start my school day how I like to start any day: calm, cool, and collected. When I'm home, this means drinking a morning cup of coffee on my couch in peace and quiet. But what about at school with 20+ kindergarteners who are full of energy and ready to socialize?

Regardless of what grade level you teach, you know that school arrival has potential to be hectic. If you're like me, you want to minimize the crazy and maximize the calm. Today I'm sharing a few things you can do to set the mood for the day from the minute your students walk into your classroom.

How do you feel when you play music? Do you get energized with upbeat songs? Do you relax with the soothing acoustic ones? It's the same with kids. Put on relaxing, instrumental music when you get settled in your classroom. Why start it when you get there? Believe it or not, it might relax you too. I've been doing this for the past 5 years now, and it always sets the stage for a calm classroom environment (and a calm teacher). Use a CD or my favorite: YouTube. Some of the videos have kid-friendly images that play. You can display that video or minimize your browser to display anything else you need to.

Here are a few of my favorite instrumental music options from YouTube:

• Happy Relaxing Guitar Music by OCB Relax Music
• Morning Relaxing Music by OCB Relax Music
• Be Calm and Focused by KidZen
• Positive Music with Dinosaurs by KidZen

I have found that using visuals in the classroom is helpful for both students and teachers. Visuals show students what they need to be doing, which increases their independence. They also minimizing the amount of talking that you, as the teacher, need to do. The first morning visual I use is a "Good Morning" Procedure slide. I add my specific morning arrival and unpacking routines using words and pictures. Students see this displayed on the board and are reminded of what they need to do without me having to say anything. 

If I see a child that has begun their morning activities, but hasn't followed all of the arrival procedures, I point to the visual and ask: "Have you done these things?". They go down the list and typically realize within seconds what they still need to do. After a few days of using this poster, I don't even need to say anything to my students. I simply show them the poster and it's a nonverbal reminder of what they need to do. 

Want these themed slides for your classroom? You can find them as part of my Morning Meeting Slides resource. 

Another visual I use is this Unpacking Poster. I format it to match the slide above and hold it as students walk in. It's their first nonverbal reminder of what they need to do before going to their tables. You can find the editable poster for free here. 

In addition to music and visuals, I also have morning tubs set out and ready to go. I always prep these on the Friday before the new week to make sure that I'm not scrambling on Monday morning. At the beginning of the year, I also set the bins out on tables either in the afternoon before I leave (as long as I remember) or first thing in the morning when I arrive. If you're scrambling and feeling frazzled, then your kids will be too. Once my students have their arrival routines down solid, I leave the tubs on labeled spots where they can retrieve them and put them away - but that's for another blog post in the future :) 

Finally, I always make a conscious effort to greet all of my students at the door. I hold my unpacking poster (and my coffee) while greeting them with a "Good Morning" and a wave, high five, or a hug. Greeting students at the door has always minimized the morning crazy. We all have so much that we need to get done, and it can be tempting to be working while your students are coming in (especially as they get more independent). However, I have always found that being present when they first arrive starts their day on a happy, positive note, while also reminding them that you're there to ensure they do what they need to as soon as they walk in your classroom. 

I hope that these simple tips help keep morning arrival calm and positive in your classroom this year!

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TEACHER TIMESAVER: HOW TO MAKE LESSON PLANNING EASIER (plus a freebie)

I am always looking for ways to save myself time in my teacher life. One thing that consistently feels like it takes forever is lesson planning. Every week, my team sits down to plan for the upcoming week. For awhile, this became a 2 (or more) hour meeting. Ugh. I love my team, but I don't love making us sit down and lesson plan for that long. Why? Because after we weekly plan, we still have to input our own plans into our teacher planners. Talk about a long process. There had to be a more efficient way.

That's why we started to long-term lesson plan. The time it took us to plan weekly went from several hours to under 1!!  Yes, this does take some time up front. But it's worth it when you think about the time you'll save in the long run.

So, are you ready to start saving time?! Here's how: 

Start by setting up a template that works for you. You'll need a monthly header and a table with the subjects you teach or want to plan for, and the weeks in each month. Not sure how to do this yourself? These monthly planning templates are all ready to go for you with options for 4-8 subjects to plan for OR you can try a printable version of the September Planning Template for free (available at the bottom of this post). 

Now that you have your template set up, you can start inputting your plans for each month. When my team and I are doing this, we put in a general overview for each subject. The overview includes the topic and/or standard we'll be teaching with resources we know we'll be using. We do not include a breakdown for each day of the week in our monthly plans. We save the breakdown for our weekly meetings. 

Once your plans are in your monthly template, you can print or keep it digital for your reference. Every week when my team meets, we refer to our monthly plans. Having this framework helps us hash out each day quickly. It also allows us to come to our meetings prepared with resources we might need for the following week. In addition to coming to meetings prepared, we can also start prepping weeks ahead of time. 

I know that this summer I'll be able to prep for August and September thanks to my Monthly Planning Calendars! 

Want to try Monthly Planning for one month FREE? Grab a printable version of the September Planning Template by clicking the pink button at the bottom of this post. 

Need to come back later? Make sure to pin so you can find it when you need it :) 

Have teacher timesaver tips? Feel free to leave them in the comments below :)

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3 FREE AND SIMPLE WAYS FOR TEACHERS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE

Hello busy teacher friend,

Self- care is a popular topic among teachers recently. That's probably because as educators, we're constantly giving all of ourselves to the amazing little people around us daily that when we do have down time, we don't know how to use it! Let's face it, as amazing as our job is, it can also be completely exhausting. Because I am so passionate about being a teacher, it can sometimes be difficult to step away and find the time I need for myself. Yes, there are always items on all of our to-do lists, but what good are you to family, friends, or your students if all you ever do is focus on work and you never take time for you?

As I began winter break in December, one of my resolutions was to be more intentional about self-care. Here are 3 totally free self-care activities I put in my planner weekly.

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TEACHING IN DECEMBER: MAKING IT MAGICAL AND MEANINGFUL {plus some freebies}

Happy December, teacher friends!

I know that December can be a very busy time, not just at home, but also at school. But can I just state something... I love teaching in December. Yes, our students might be a tad chatty. Yes, we have deadlines to meet and prepping to get done for when we get back from break. So yes... this month can be stressful. Until I take a step back and think about those sweet little ones we are so blessed to teach every single day.

This time of the year is incredibly magical to them. We truly are fortunate to get to teach during this special time. We have an opportunity. We get to create an environment that incorporates the magic of  the holiday season and academic skills. And that's exactly what I strive to do during December. Here's how:

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ORGANIZING CENTERS TO MAXIMIZE STUDENT INDEPENDENCE

Hey Teacher Friends!

There are so many amazing ways to organize centers, but it's important to find a system that works for you. True Teacher Confession Time: When I first started centers in my classroom (as a first year teacher) I was so lost. The idea of my students rotating around the room, where to store centers, how students would get them ... I just couldn't wrap my head around it all! As a result, my centers definitely were not as efficient and effective as they could have been.
Looking back, I'm glad I had this experience, because it allowed me to develop a system that really works for me and my students. Today I'm going to share how my center system increases student independence in my classroom .... and I teach Kindergarten, by the way.
Just because they're my favorite... I'm going to show you my Math Centers in this post (but my Literacy Centers work exactly the same).

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