Dr. Seuss Week - Read Across America Day

Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? Actually as a child, I didn't. They were not my favorite books, many without a storyline. However, as a teacher, I have discovered a love for them and have a week-long Dr. Seuss extravaganza in my classroom that culminates in Read Across America Day.

At the beginning of the week, I send home this note attached to a paper sack. The kids enjoy getting up in front of the class to have their peers guess what is in their bag.

Here's an easy craft we make to decorate our room-The Cat in the Hat. There are many hats you can download online. Then we use a paper plate and tear black construction paper to make his fur. I hand them from the clothespins on fishing line that I have hanging from the ceiling.  

Of course the most important part of Dr. Seuss week is the BOOKS! I have a bit of a book addiction. I've never counted how many I have but I know it is in the 1000s. 

My Dr. Seuss collection is no exception. I have multiples of some of the books so that I can use them in small groups and so that I can loan them to my team. Every year I try to add a couple to my collection!

Wacky Wednesday is always fun! One thing I do is put my message upside down! 

My 1st Grade team does a rotation during the Friday of that week as a culmination of our Dr. Seuss activities. Each classroom takes a different book and reads it and has an activity to go along with the book. My book is Green Eggs and Ham. I can read it really fast so that makes it fun for the kids. 

After I read it, we make a book page for a class book. I bind the pages and give it to the classroom teacher for their library. Here is the activity. I don't know where I got it and it doesn't give credit to anyone.

Here is a picture of my first grade team. I'm the 3rd from the left.

What do you do for Dr. Seuss' Read Across America Day?

Hundreds Chart to 120 Mystery Pictures 1st Grade Math Centers and a FREEBIE!

Do you need an easy and engaging math center for your first graders? I've got one for you. These interactive hundreds chart to 120 Mystery Pictures are a great way for students to practice number recognition and counting to 120 as well as how a 100s Chart works-the cornerstone of our base 10 math system! Each one contains a blank hundreds chart printable and number cards. 

My first grade students never get tired of coloring, and this makes it meaningful and fun! They love discovering what the picture makes. They will even do the same one over again the next time they visit the math center! Just print, laminate, and hole-punch the cards. For differentiation, you can put them in order to make it easier or mix them up to make it more challenging. Students find the number on the blank hundreds chart and color it the color of the border on the card. Here are my Hundreds Chart Mystery Pictures: 

This is a fun hundreds chart activity for a December math center. We do a Grinch Day so this is a great way to lead into that the week prior. 

We also do a Dr. Seuss Day and a whole week of activities before it. Perfect for a March math center. 

This tree hundreds chart is nice for April. I use it for an Earth Day math center but it can be used anytime! 

Whether Easter is in March or April, kids love this Easter Bunny math center. To differentiate for less-capable students, you can leave out the brown cards to make a white bunny. For higher learners, put the brown cards in. Either way it is adorable! 

I love making math centers engaging for my first grade students. Click to see them in my store:

100s Chart Mystery Picture Math Centers.

Get your FREEBIE by clicking here: 

Headfirst 120 Chart. 

100th Day Idea & Activity for 1st & 2nd graders and Kindergarten - 100th Day of School Book

How does your school celebrate the 100th Day of School? At my school, the first-grade classes rotate to each classroom and each teacher does a 100th Day activity in her room. This is my activity! 

Students gather on my carpet and we have a discussion about how much 100 is. We read some books from old classes to get ideas and we also brainstorm our own ideas for each page of the 100th Day Book. Here is what each page of the book looks like. 

Cover:

1st Page:

2nd & 3rd Pages:

4th Page: 

Here they are with their $100! Is it real Mrs. Bates?

This is my all-time favorite response! 

Watch the Video Preview! 

If you like this 100th Day Activity, you can purchase it on my TpT store by clicking here: 100th Day Book.

How to Get and Keep Your Classroom Organized

I am known for my organization skills. I have had a few tell me that they are jealous of how organized I am. I come from a long line of organized women so I guess it is in my genes. If you have a messy classroom and are fine with it, that's great! Everyone has their own tolerance levels of things. My tolerance level of noise is quite high! But if you'd like to learn some ways to clean up your act, I have some organizing tips for you!

⭐️ Scan papers instead of filing paper copies, then name the file something searchable. Wherever you store your files, put them in folders so you can find them easily. Here is an example of this. You can also put folders inside of the folders. 

Name files things that you would search for. I have so many files that it is easier for me to type what the file is named in the search bar to find the file. These are my professional development certificates. This way I don't lose them!

⭐️ Recycle extra worksheets immediately-don’t save them for next year. I have some guilt about saving the trees, but I just don't have the storage to keep extra copies of worksheets. 

⭐️ Store things vertically: file cabinets with hanging folders or expandable files can hold more than just papers. 

⭐️ Rolling wire mesh shelves hold a lot and are easily movable. My school clears everything out each summer to clean so these make it easy. 

⭐️ Have a place for everything and teach the kids where those places are.

⭐️ Put things away right away or at the end of the day or the end of the week. I have a paper tray that kids put extra worksheets in. When it’s full, I put away/throw away whatever is in it. I have the kids help me with daily clean up as much as possible and I just stay at school until it’s done. As you can see, it is time to clean this out!

⭐️ Don't buy things because they are cute if they are not useful. I have a lot of stuff in my classroom. However, everything has a purpose or I put it away or get rid of it. I feel like kids have enough distractions without a bunch of decorations or posters that don't help them learn and end up distracting them. Some of those "Instagram classrooms" are way over-decorated. Remember, the classroom is for the kids, not to show off your decorating skills. Save that for home. 

⭐️ Get rid of stuff. Teachers are so afraid of getting rid of something they might need. If it is something for a different grade level, put it in a box, label it, and take it home to store. For other things, if you didn’t use it within a year, get rid of it or give it away. Having stuff doesn’t make you a better teacher. I have found some great treasures at the Target Dollar Spot but I have also bought a lot of junk that I just don't need!

⭐️ Make lists of materials, centers, supplies, etc. and where they are that you can refer to when you’re planning so you don’t forget to use things that are in the back of a cupboard or at the top of a shelf. 

⭐️ Organize your books by month. If you always study frogs in April, put those books on the April shelf. When a teacher needs a book, they come to me for it not only because I have a lot of books but because I can find it right away. Write your name in your books to ensure you'll get them back and if people don't return them, keep a list of who borrows and ask for them back. Give books you have multiple copies of to new teachers who are building their classroom libraries. 

⭐️ Keep like things together. All my math manipulatives are on one shelf.

My language arts materials are on a different shelf. 

⭐️ I have a missing pieces basket and when I find random cards or materials I collect them here and take time to put them away at some point. 

⭐️ Have a new student file. I can get the desk, folder, parent info, etc. ready quickly this way. 

⭐️ Store teaching materials by month or theme. I have 3 tubs for each month in which I keep the centers I will use and any other materials that are specific to that time period. In the summer I go through them and make sure all the pieces got put back and get rid of things I don't need anymore. I also make up any mini-books for the themes I'm teaching and have them ready. This saves me precious weekend time during the school year. 

⭐️ Clean out at the end of the year. You’re tired and ready for a break but you’re going to have a ton to do when August comes around and purging will go by the wayside. It is better to get it done while what you used is fresh in your mind. If you have to pack everything up, put all the things in an area of your classroom in the same box so unpacking will be easier (ex. all your small group materials in the same box, all your desk supplies in another box). 

Hopefully, some of these tips will help you on your organizational journey. Good luck!