Teacher's Pay Teachers Archives - Page 28 of 61

Mother’s Day Celebration Ideas

April 30, 2021 teachersbrain Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers

I have always loved celebrating Mother’s Day in my classroom, and students do too! Mothers (or other primary caregivers) are without a doubt a huge and important part of a student’s life. They have unlimited amounts of love and guidance for their children, so students love to celebrate them!

One of my favorite ways to do this is to have Mother’s Day Tea.

This is a special day where we show moms how much we care by having cookies and tea with them.

Before the party you can have the students decorate the cookies especially for their moms using premade sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. You can go around and take pictures of students with their moms to give to them at the end of the year.

To go along with tea time, students create these sweet Mother’s Day lapbooks.

With this craft, they can color and decorate a special gift for their mom. They can write a letter to mom, draw a picture of the two of them, give them tea, share what they love about her, create Mother’s Day coupons, and more. This gift is sure to be a hit with all moms!

Mother’s Day Tea may be a little more challenging this year because of the pandemic. Some classes are in person again, but some students are still learning from home. If you aren’t able to bring moms into the classroom, you can send these gifts home with students as well.

If you are distance learning, and need something kids can gift virtually, they can create these digital Mother’s Day cards.

This resource comes with 10 Google Slides. Just use the edit boxes to add your own text, add an image of mom and print to give to mom or their caregiver.

It may be a little different this year but students can still spoil their moms and show appreciation for all they do with these fun resources.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate Mother’s Day with your students? Let me know in the comments!

Virtual Field Trips For End Of The Year Celebrations

April 23, 2021 teachersbrain Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

The school year is wrapping up! It was definitely a different year than anything we have experienced before. Many students had a hybrid learning experience and some did distance learning all year long. Teachers definitely had to adapt and find new ways to stay connected with students from afar.

Another thing that wasn’t possible this year was field trips! I always loved going on field trips with my students. It is so refreshing to get out of the classroom for a new kind of learning experience.

If you are missing field trips and looking for something exciting and new that you can do from the safety of your classroom (or home for those who are distance learning), you definitely need to a try virtual field trip!

There are so many options out there for virtual field trips. A quick Google search will show tons of ideas! You can take a virtual field trip to the zoo, an aquarium, museums, science centers, farms, national parks, and more! Don’t see a virtual field trip idea that calls to you? You can also use Google Slides to give students a virtual tour of your chosen location.

Of all of the virtual field trip options, my favorite is a virtual field trip to the BEACH.

I created this virtual field trip beach day for elementary students! To start, students will “take a flight” to the beach, then, once they arrive, the learning starts. Students will learn about beach safety, ocean life, what to do at the beach, and more!

Then, students can participate in some learning activities including labeling, counting, and writing.

Included in this resource you’ll get 8 Google Slides with titles, edit text boxes, directions, and movable parts along with:

KWL chart
Packing a suitcase for the beach activity
1 minute take off flight video
7 minute beach field trip video (beach safety tips, car ride to the beach, animals at the beach, people swimming, and interview questions of what people like or don’t like of the beach)
Sequencing events, 2 writing prompts, counting objects (under 10), labeling parts, beach song, and comprehension questions
One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson.

Since this is a virtual activity, it can easily be done in the classroom or while distance learning. It makes a great end of the school year activity!

I hope you and your students love these virtual field trip ideas!

Looking for more end of the year activities to do with your students? Check out my post here on memory books!

Why You Should Create Memory Books With Your Students

April 16, 2021 teachersbrain education, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

As the school year winds down, are you looking for ways to help your students reflect on the year? I love to find ways to help students remember all of their amazing accomplishments. Showing them how far they have come during the year is a great way to make them feel proud of their hard work!

Memory books are a fun way for students to both review the year and connect the classroom with families.

Creating memory books with students is also a great way for you as a teacher to learn what parts of the school year were most successful, what students enjoyed, and what you might want to change in the future!

The classic memory books used in many classrooms are pre-printed with questions and forms for students to fill out with their own ideas. Students can add drawings and color to pages. They can take the books home to share with their families in review of the school year. Topics included might be friends, favorite things, or vacation plans. By having this keepsake at home, your students can revisit their thoughts from previous years and see how much they’ve grown.

As you plan for end-of-year activities, creating a memory book for your students might seem daunting. Not to worry- I have one available for you here that is digital, easily editable and lots of fun for your students!

The Google slides have text boxes for kids to fill in, and images can be added to make the memory book completely personalized.

Topics covered in the memory book include:

favorites
family
friends
summer goals
things I want to learn
and more!

An autograph page is also included so students can share signatures and notes with their classroom friends.

The Digital Memory Book can also be printed in color or black-and-white if you prefer a paper version. Grab it today and help your students create lasting memories of their year!

Looking for more classroom resources? Check out my post here on classroom management strategies!

What are your favorite end-of-the-year activities? Let me know in the comments!

Sight Word Center Ideas That Students Will Actually Love

March 26, 2021 teachersbrain kindergarten survival, Reading, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

All teachers of early elementary students can tell you that sight words are a huge part of their reading curriculum. What exactly are they? Sight words are words that children should be able to recognize instantly without sounding them out. They are common words found in many texts, and students become very familiar with them. However, they can often be tricky to read and spell since many do not follow common patterns.

Sights words are essential for learning to read with fluency and confidence. Flashcards are a common way to practice sight words, but fortunately, there are other (more fun!) ways as well.

Centers are a perfect way for students to practice skills in the elementary classroom. Children benefit from working in small groups, as they learn how to collaborate and solve problems as a team. Teachers also benefit from the opportunity to work with small groups or individual students while the rest of the class is engaged in centers. Younger students can move between different activities during centers, keeping them engaged as they learn. Sight words centers are an ideal tool to increase your student’s knowledge of sight words!

There are hundreds of centers you can create to practice sight words, and many are very simple. For example, rainbow words are a fun way to practice writing their words. You can use many different mediums, such as watercolors, markers, or colored pencils. Students write each of the words in different colors. For the youngest students, they can use different colors to trace the words.

Another option for a center is using magnets to build sight words. A simple cookie sheet provides a tray for students to work on, and they can manipulate the letters to make their words. For a little more sensory play, you can have students create their words with play-doh, then read them to each other. This activity also builds finger strength, which is great for handwriting skills.

Looking for some no-prep sight word center activities to add to your rotation? I’ve got you!

These Sight Word Worksheets are perfect for kindergarten students to complete independently during sight word centers.

The bundle includes 40 pages of sight word practice that can be used in clear pouches for dry-erase activities, or printed for pencil and paperwork.

Another sight word center option is the Reading Comprehension Passages and Questions resource.

This digital learning bundle includes over 90 pages of sight word practice as students find the words, answer questions, and more. The activities are completed in Google Drive, making it a perfect fit for a computer center or as a distance learning activity.

Love these center ideas? Check out these math center ideas!

I hope your students love these center ideas! What is your favorite way to work on sight words? Let me know in the comments!