New Writing Offices

I just made new Kindergarten writing offices for next year and I thought I'd share them with you all. I really tried to include words that kindergarteners both need and want on these printables. Every word has an icon to go with it. Additionally, you will find a blank alphabet sheet so that you can add your own word wall sheet to your offices. Two of the pages are meant to be rotated by semester so that your students will have more seasonal and age appropriate words. I slip them into page protectors and put them in cardboard partitioners. My students love writing in their cubicles. Pictures will follow! You can can find them on my TPT store.

Here's the Link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Writing-Offices-1289996

Here's a sample of what you'll find:

My Students Have a Bad Case of Spring Fever and the Only Prescription is More Cowbell, Bells and Whistles!

      So today I thought I'd show you this substitute's best friend in the classroom . . . . .my cowbell! First off I wanted to let you know that I did not list this bell as important because of my Nebraskan roots! Contrary to popular belief, not all Nebraskans live on farms or grow corn. I would be lying to you if I said I wasn't tempted by the clever pun and SNL theme idea. However, this teacher loves her cowbell because it is a great attention getter! Every elementary classroom seems to have it's own class chants and cheers to focus the class. I think I'm preaching to the choir when I say that I, like many subs, have been known to get a little sick of the age old comment, "But my teacher says _______" or he or she does _________. If you are a substitute you are a substitute you probably find yourself struggling with the fact that you don't know how Mr. Super Teacher or Ms. Wonder Teacher does it! Instead, you know that you want to do things your own way!

      In my opinion, the answer to your problems is indeed the cowbell! I have found the cowbell to be a fantastic classroom management tool for a substitute. The best part about it is its versatility! 

      First off, the cowbell is great because as soon as you ring it, human nature is to turn your head and look to see where that annoying noise is coming from. The beauty of it is that ringing it gives you the kids' immediate attention without you having to learn a class chant, turn off the lights or teach the kids your own.
      Other times I use my cowbell to signal that the noise level is way to loud. When I use it that way, I typically mark what noise level I think our class needs to be at on the "Noise-O-Meter I created (featured below). I walk into any classroom I'm in and tape it up on the board right away as a sub. I talk about my expectations for the volume level before each activity on the board. I then mark where I think we as a class need to be throughout the day with a magnet. I move the magnet up if it is getting louder as a warning to the kids. If they don't cause it to go back down I ring my cowbell symbolizing that they need to try it again. I take one of the brownie points I talked about earlier in my blog down if I have to ring my bell or in some cases I take a point for me in my teacher versus class tally on the board.
       Now that I have been using my bell for a while, I've modified my system a bit. A friend of mine gave me this wonderful apple teacher bell that has a much more discrete ding if you will. If I have high expectation for no noise or something I'll ring that for transitions and so forth. I tell them that if you can't hear my bell, you are too loud! By now you have probably realized that I often times sub in open classrooms that make you much more aware of noise. You never want to be the sub with the loud wild class that the teacher next door could hear.
        Finally, I know you are all anxiously wondering what on earth I do with a train whistle. Honestly, I do whatever I feel like I want to do with it. You can never have to many bells! I have used it to signal transitions from centers, lining up or signaling time is up. Most importantly, it catches the kids off guard and makes them stop what they are doing and turn their eyes to me in emergency situations when a big disruption occurs or something. No one expects a sub to carry a train whistle. Also, it blows at different volumes so I don't have to blast it haha. Anyway, whatever you do, I encourage you to get some bells and whistles to jazz up your classroom. You always need more bells, whistles, drums and most importantly cowbell in my opinion! ( :

The products I mentioned are featured below!

Organized Indoor Recess: Ice Age Style!

      In addition to teaching school, I am a YMCA children's dance teacher. I have been using the song "The Sid Shuffle" from Ice Age's the Continental drift as a reward for my dancers for quite sometime. It just occurred to me that this dance craze would be an excellent brain break or indoor recess activity to do at school as well! I would highly recommend checking it out on Youtube and working it into your indoor recess time! It's physically active, but also kid friendly and somewhat organized from a teacher's perspective. Most of all it's fun and appropriate for kids! The dance is similar to electric slide so most of your kids will catch on whether you teach it to them or not! Have fun with it, I know I do!

Teacher's Pay Teachers

      I hate to be a self-promoter, but I have some excellent products available on Teachers Pay Teachers right now including my "Literature Circle Worksheets" which are geared for 2-5th grade and were previously mentioned. I also have my "Seat Sheet" posted which is supposed to help you get kids to stay in their seats or quit rocking on their chair throughout the day. I also posted my "Blurt Book" which cuts down on classroom blurting. I'd highly recommend that you check out my page at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teaching-With-Class-1

Having Trouble Getting Your Kids to Get in Line?

I have to admit the best thing I have ever seen put into action as a substitute teacher is the "Five Finger Line Up." I attached a document I made that tells the kids what they need to do when you hold 5 fingers up, 4, 3, 2 etc. I would highly recommend teaching it to your kiddos. It works wonders!



For a little variety I would also recommend using Shawn Brown's Super Fun Transitions song, "Get in Line" which you can find on iTunes! The kids will love it, I would just make sure you train the kids to still quietly line up to it because they will want to sing! ( :

The Answer to an Organized Classroom Library (providing you have access to an iPad or iPhone)

Check out this website when you are trying to organize your classroom library. You simply scan in all your books and it creates a checkout system that is teacher and student friendly! It even finds the reading level and AR level for most books! As a substitute I've been working on scanning in my books as I acquire them! Add the Classroom Organizer app to your iPhone or iPad today! I'll be posting about my organizational system for my future classroom in the next few days!

Secrets of a Substitute Teacher

      I thought I'd share of of my sub tub tricks for you all. I use these little pompom "Quiet Critters" as a behavior management tool for classrooms I sub in. I put a post it on each student's desk with their name written on it. I tell the kids a story about how my "Quiet Critters" are nocturnal meaning they sleep during the day and are awake at night. I go on about the fact that I store them in a sound proof container because noise wakes them. I tell them that once in a while I sit them on students desks that have shown me that they can work quietly and be on task for long periods of time. I also tell them that if our class fills up a pan of brownie points (previously mentioned) then our class will get to do a fun activity at the end of the day. However, to individually participate students will need to have a critter on their desk. I go around and stamp post its when I find great independent workers. The critters have to stay on the stamp. Students who touch their critter, talk about them or let them be a distraction get them taken away.
       Once in a while, if the class is loosing enthusiasm for them, if I see a student who has the "best day ever" I'll let them earn two critters. Students who earn two critters can turn in one to do our activity and take one home. Usually all of the primary grade students love to work for these. Sometimes I even tell students that if I can't hear my music it isn't quiet enough and the class will lose a brownie point. The class always wants to work hard for the mystery activity. I also tell students that the harder I see the class working and the more students earn quiet critters, the more time we'll have at the end of the day. I also make sure to tell them that the more time we have, the better the activity I can select. I usually do some sort of a fun drawing activity, I spy or find the difference type activity so we can do it as a class or send it home if we don't have time. It really helps you gain control in any classroom because it is something different for the kids which is great!