Classroom Management and Parent-Teacher Communication Made Easy for Kindergarten

Is your parent-teacher communication on it's "A Game"?  Do you find writing notes and talking to parents about their student's academics easy breezy?  I do . . . now!

#Realtalk  There have been several times in my 24 years as an educator that I have had parent conversations that have turned uncomfortable and awkward.  I have the personality that does not do well with confrontation and I take everything to heart.  On the home front, the last nine years I have become a mom to school aged boys that struggle at school in reading.  Being on both sides of the fence is hard.  I understand the concerns some of my sons' teachers (yes...sons...because all 3 struggle)  have but at the same time I don't like turning the corner and walking the other way, every time I see one of their teachers coming my way.

Here are a few quick and easy parent communication tips that have worked for me the past several years.

TRICIA'S TIP #1
Talk to parents with understanding and empathy.
Most parents, I believe, really are trying the best they know how.  Most parents I have personally worked with, love their children and see their kids as an extension of themselves.  Some parents have had bad tough times themselves in school and already may feel negatively toward teachers.  I have sat in countless IEPs through the years where my colleagues begin talking by listing all of the improvements that students need to make.  IEP talk time can be short so some of my colleagues have come right out of the gate with negatives.  Having the unique experience of sitting on both sides of the IEP meeting table as a parent and as an educator there have been times I have said to myself, "Did they just really say that to me?  I would never speak that way to a parent.  My child is struggling and we are doing the best that we can right now."    Win your parents over with smiles, kindness and compassion!

TRICIA'S TIP #2
Make a "Sunshine Call" as the beginning of the year or as soon as you can.
The first week or two of school I slowly work my way down the class list calling my new students' parents. I tell parents I am so happy to be their child's teacher.  Then I share a quick positive I have noticed about their student.  Most parents I talk to are so surprised I took the time to call and give a compliment to their child.  They tell me the only time they hear from a teacher is when there is a negative in school.  When a make a "Sunshine Call" at the beginning of the year, it is so much easier to call later in the year to say, "Hey I know we talked a little bit ago and "Charlie" was doing great but right now I am seeing a few challenges.  I was calling to see if you could help me because I know what a great kid "Charlie" is."   I already laid a little ground work that I am not a "Negative Nelly" so most parents I have talked to are happy to help because they know I have shown that I care about their student.

TRICIA'S TIP #3
Communicate often and celebrate successes!
When I talk to parents I use "sandwich talk".  I sandwich a negative (I call them "challenges" in the classroom) between two positive statements.  For example, I start with a positive like "I care about your child and want the best for them"  (this is absolutely true...I adore my students)  Then I will slip in something their student needs to work on.  Lastly, I close the conversation with a positive about their child.  Celebrating successes leave my parents feeling inspired rather than deflated.

TRICIA'S TIP #4
Send home happy notes or quick forms that communicate how students are doing.  I have a drawer filled with these easy to use forms that communicate beginning reading, phonics and math skills for my Kindergarteners.  I highlight things students need to work on and write a few words of praise.  There is my "sandwich talk" again but this time on a written form ;)

I just add a few quick positive notes to build confidence and celebrate success.  Then I highlight challenges my students need support with at home. My parents love receiving these!

Parent Communication is like the GOLDEN RULE...Treat other parents the way you would like to be treated when you are a parent.   If you think of the Golden Rule every time you communicate with one of your families...I guarantee Parent Communication will be "easy peasy" lemon squeezy!

A Valentine's Day Not To Be Missed

It is almost Valentine's Day!  Have I got great sweet fun in store for my class this year!  You betcha!

We have been taking extra steps to practice kindness in the year of 2018. While I was strolling around Michael's one day...because what teacher can actually go in and come out with just one item...I stumbled upon this cute kit to decorate a Valentine's Shoebox.  At $3 a pop, I certainly could not afford to buy one for each of my 27 students and get a bang for my buck so I decided to buy just one for the entire classroom.  Kindness Kitty was born!

Here is the gist...every student puts their name on a small paper heart and places it in "Kindness Kitty".  At a center during our Valentine's Day Party, students draw a random heart out of the Kitty.  My kiddos will then choose a red or pink heart card (thank you Michaels Crafts) and write a kind note to the chosen student.  Easy peasy!  

Every 2 weeks when small guided reading groups come to meet with me during Literacy Center Time, I give them a new Magic Finger Pointer to touch the words while reading.  I usually buy them in packs of 10 for $1-$2 a piece.  Some months I give Halloween Spooky Fingers.  Other months I give Gingerbread Pencils with giant themed erasers.  This week I scored these from the Target's "Dollar Bin",  My kiddos loved this week's reading pointer...hearts and gems!

These mini red Carson Dellosa Cut Outs are the greatest!  I just love them because they are adorable, sturdy and themed.  I am putting some popcorn high frequency words on a few of them to add to our Valentine's Day Sensory Bin.  On a few of the other hearts, I put glued alphabet letters for kiddos to sort and make words at our Valentine's Day Word Work Station.

Mini Heart Cut-Outs

This year I am trying something new courtesy of my friends at Kinderbrations.  I just spent the last 20 minutes kneading homemade Chocolate Playdoh and does my house smell like yummy brownies or what?  Mmmm.

Check out their blog post for the recipe Kinderbrations Valentine's Day

So all in all, it looks like my Valentine's Day Party will Be The SWEETEST!
Happy Valentine's Day Friends :)

Ideas to Spark your Thanksgiving Math for the Elementary Classroom with Some Fact Freebies

Want to keep your kids engaged during math centers during Thanksgiving Celebrations?

Here are some ideas and a few Math Fact freebies 

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my kiddos because of the great opportunities to celebrate gratitude.  I love practicing gratitude through journals.  It is also a time for turkeys, Pilgrims and Native Americans.  I love intertwining these Thanksgiving images rolling them up with some math facts practice and viola... you have yourself some Thanksgiving Math Center Fun!

 My kiddos love math color by numbers.  Addition or multiplication! They are so engaged coloring, they do not realize that are actually practicing their addition and subtraction fact families. They are usually so immersed in the practice, there is sort of a calm in the classroom. Score!

Grab this Thanksgiving Multiplication Color by Number Practice Freebie along with a few other multiplication freebies here

If you like the above Thanksgiving Multiplication Color by Number Freebie, check out this one here

The kids also love practicing their math fact practice through game form.  The only supplies needed for these Four in a Row games are 2 dice and a few game markers (or some crayons)

 Grab this Thanksgiving Addition Four in a Row Freebie here

Just one more thing before you go...I have one more Thanksgiving Math Freebie For you.

This one is a True or False Sorting Division Facts Practice.  Just simply, cut out the division number sentences, sort them under the true or false category and glue. Easy, fun and holiday themed!

 Grab this Thanksgiving Math Division True or False Sort Activity here

 Did you find some of these Thanksgiving Math Freebies helpful for your students, check out some of my other popular Thanksgiving Math Practice Activities you can click here  

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you and your kiddos have a wonderful Thanksgiving Season.

Using Themed Cut-outs in the Classroom Makes Learning Exciting

Leaf and Acorn Cut-outs

I am always looking for ways to integrate seasonal fun to the classroom.  I love these leaves and acorns giant cutouts that Carson Dellosa sent me to try out.  They are colorful, a good size and very sturdy.  I can use them for so many things in the classroom.

               Carson Dellosa Leaves Acorns Cut-Outs

Math Facts or Vocabulary Word Cards

Punch a hole in the corner of the cut-outs. Then print out and glue math facts or vocabulary words onto the cutouts.  After putting the cutouts through a binder ring, they are easy to carry around for students to practice their facts and words.

Sensory Table High Frequency Words

Since we just opened our sensory table this week, I had another idea that the students ended up really loving.  I believe it is so important to integrate fine motor skills into lessons. Strengthening the muscles in the hand and fingers can help students cut with scissors, hold a pencil correctly, button in self-care and improve handwriting.

I printed out and glued this week's two high frequency words onto the cut-outs.  Then I filled our sensory table with shredded paper (actually from my own paper shredder - a win-win)

Students used plastic tweezers and chip clips to pick up the words they recognized.

Students then graphed how many words they could recognize and say.

Sight Word Graphing

The children loved going to the sensory table.  I can not wait to change these Carson Dellosa fall cutouts to other seasons!

TPT Flock 17 A Teachers Pay Teachers Meetup

TPT Flock 17 Learning, Collaborating and Networking 

What happens when you get 190 Educators from 28 States and 4 Canadian Provinces spending the weekend together?      Awesomeness! 

http://www.tptflock.com

Welcome to TPT Flock Western New York TPT Team Organizers of the NortheasternTeacher Pay Teachers Meetup April 8, 2017

This weekend we had a phenomenal time together getting to know each other better, sharing educational tips and social media tips as well as just plain enjoying each others' companies and taking some time for ourselves.

Your Planning Team

Sherri from Literary Sherri, Marybeth from Brain Waves Instruction, Rachael from The Classroom Nook, Selma from Selma Dawani , Erica from Miss Vs Kinder Kraziness, Stephanie from Double Dose Of Learning, Kelly from Double Dose Of Learning, Donna from Worth A Thousand Words Photosand Tricia from Tricia's Terrific Teaching Trinkets/Count On Tricia.

The Woodcliff Hotel and Spa

Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport, New York was a wonderful venue for us. It is a beautiful resort with a gorgeous ballroom, delicious food and a gracious staff.

Keynote Speaker

Our keynote address was by Jenny Knappenberger of Art with Jenny K. who specializes in art-infused learning resources and promoting the importance of creativity in the learning process. Jenny’s presentation was both inspirational and motivational, but best of all it was hands-on and interactive! Jenny led us in making a large mosaic piece of art boldly featuring TPT’s Amy, Adam, and Paul and which showcased the importance of us as individuals as well as demonstrating the great things that we can achieve collectively when we flock together.

Sessions

Yup...just like the TPT Annual Conference, we had sessions too! Our excited educators attended 2 panels and 4 different session ranging from Instagram Tips, Pinterest Tips, Cover Design, Blogging, Project Nucleus, SmartPhone Marketing, Organizing Time and Being Productive.

Many thanks to all of the presenters including Greg, Nancy, Tabitha and Jodi and so many more

Teachers Pay Teachers

The TPT Staff that attended our event were so incredibly gracious and kind.  We are forever grateful. We especially enjoyed their yummy breakfast. Thank you TPT!

We love Amy the "Director of Seller's Happiness"

Dr. Robyn McMaster

We honored our friend Robyn who joined us and help planned our first three meet-ups, worked with Dr. Ellen Weber of Brain-Based Tasks for Growth Mindset and was passionate about using brain based approaches to engage students' individual interests and abilities.  We raised funds to establish the Dr. Robyn McMaster Scholarship to keep Robyn's work alive at the Mita International Brain Center

Giveaways

We had so many incredible sponsors and donors for this TPT Flock Event.  These generous contributions made it possible for the day to take place. 

Every attendee received adorable file folders from Oriental Trading

More Generous Gifts that our attendees.
Especially loved the ring of clipart gift cards. Thanks you Sherri and Donna for putting this together.
Huge Shoutout to Teachers Pay Teachers Astrobrights, Skinny Pop Popcorn,  Erin Condren Tieks Miss Squirrels Shop

So many new and old friends

We had the greatest time celebrating education, making a difference in children's lives, friendship and creativity.
What was your favorite part of the Flock? Would you like to join us for Flock 2018?

Easy & Effective Ways to Communicate with Parents and Families

Parents and families are our best allies but finding time to communicate with them can be timely and redundant. Yet we all know that communicating with parents and families can set the tone for your entire school year. So how can we personalize our communication while making it quick and easy? I've got you covered ... with these easy and effective ways to communicate with parents and families. 

Newsletters

I know what you’re thinking…. “ain’t nobody got time for that!”  I get it….but they don’t have to be fancy. Make them bulleted. Keep it short and sweet. Remember - you aren’t submitting lesson plans, you are just giving them a general idea of what you are doing each week or bi-weekly in your classroom.


You can even take it a step further and include regular communication about student growth and needs. Send a quick note home about needing work on basic addition facts, make a phone call saying little Sue rocked her spelling test, or communicate with these pre-made Kindergarten communication sheets. 

Reading Conferences 

Reading one to one with a student or even in a small group can be a great opportunity to collect important documentation and data that can later be shared with parents and families.  

When I was teaching First and Second Grade, I would conference with my students individually. During this reading conference, I would write as fast as I could on my notepad to gather notes for parent teacher conferences, RTI data and report card assessments.  When I was done, I could hardly read my own disorganized writing.  There had to be a better way I thought. So I created an organized easy to read checklist listing all of our reading strategies. 

This invaluable resource I cannot live without during conference time.  It is such a quick and easy way to communicate with families. As I read with students, I just highlight and/or comment what strategies readers need to practice at home. Then when I sit down with parents I am well prepared to discuss students’ strengths and weaknesses.  Additionally, I can then also take those same notes and use them in reporting out on report cards. Now if a parent ever questioned a mark or comment their child was given I have the data to back it up.

Math Data

Having a clear and concise assessment form for mathematics is just as valuable as having the same data available to parents for reading. When parents are readily informed, they can support you and their child’s progress both in and out of the classroom. 

Parent Communication Bundle

A quick and easy assessment form that will consistently allow me to document data across trimesters in an efficient way that is not incredibly time intensive to prep has been a lifesaver! The Math Assessment Communication Resource updates parents with a documentable checklist for first and second grade math standards.  I just love the ease of use of a checklist! 

  

Test Taking 

Unfortunately we do quite a bit of testing on the computer in the early elementary grades of first, second, third and fourth grade.  Taking an important test can be hard for the kiddos so I teach my students strategies on how to take a test. 

Implementing strategies during test taking can help students break the test into smaller, more manageable parts and help students be more successful rather than randomly guessing at answers. Having a toolbox of strategies at hand can really help those who struggle with testing anxiety. 

Just before testing time, I send home the Test Taking Strategies Parent Communication Forms. I have found that parents really want to help support their children through testing time but really don’t know what they can do beyond a healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep. By letting parents know the language we are using in class that I have reviewed with their child they can continue that conversation at home and support their child and also help to relieve any anxiety their child may have.

Volunteering

Invite parents into the classroom so they can see what your classroom is all about. Once a month you can plan a themed activity day where parents can sign up (I highly recommend signup.com) and run a center or themed station.  Reading to students is another invaluable use of time. You can keep a binder on hand with student names and have parents check off names, the date, and title read.  This is a great way to fit in reading with as many kiddos as you can in a day! 

We also have parent volunteers come in to help support Motor Moms weekly.  My favorite parent opportunity is Mystery Guest Reader during the month of March.

Instagram or Other Technology

A picture is worth a thousand words. You can set up a class account and take photos of what you are doing and parents can get a peak into your classroom. Make sure to have them fill out a permission slip if you plan to do so and decide whether you want to include student faces or not. You can easily accomplish this without faces and just picture projects, bulletin boards, writing samples, and more!

This year I used the app Bloomz.  Through this app I am able to share what is going on daily or weekly in the classroom through photos or writing a brief newsletter.  I take pictures throughout the week on my iPhone and them can easily upload them to the Bloomz app.  Parent can like, comment or ask questions.  There is also a private messaging system where I write parents privately.  I have even linked Sign up Genius for classroom volunteer and party signups.  Word of Wisdom...turn off the parent posting feature.  Some of my parents have posted questions to the entire class that I was not prepared to answer at that time. 

It is possible to find easy and effective ways to communicate with parents and families. You have to determine which type of communication fit best with your teaching style and school guidelines or rules. Experiment with a few different methods, try my various communication resources, and go with it! You may change things up year to year, but that's totally ok. 

What effective ways to communicate with parents do you use? Let me know in the comments! 

Low Tech Assistive Technology Tools

Not only am I a 23 year educator (wow...has it been that long?), I am a mother of 3 young (energetic) boys.   My sons, although adorable loving and gifted in their own ways, each struggle in school...and each in a different way.  All 3 boys are on IEPs to help accommodate their needs and support their learning success.  My oldest son has ADHD.  Focusing, organizing, and comprehension can be a challenge at times.  My second son has cerebral palsy.  He has a whole team of specialists in and outside of the school setting to help support him physically, academically and socially. As far as the youngest...well the verdict is still out on him.

So...what does my background have to do with teaching...everything!  My eyes have opened and I finally "get it". My boys have not only shaped me into being a mother who advocates for them but their challenges have really changed who I have become as an educator in the classroom.  I have great understanding now of challenges that students have.  Helping ALL kids is on my radar all day... every day.

I recently attended a low tech assistive technology conference and found some easy inexpensive tools that I can bring into my classroom to help and support my students for success.

So let's start out with "What is Assistive Technology (AT)"?
AT is something that is used to increase a student's capabilities, participation and independence in the classroom.  Assistive Technology can be a range of things...electronic spelling dictionaries, weighted vest, lap pads, slant boards, iPads, fidgets, adaptive paper and the list goes on.  When my son with CP was struggling to keep up with writing his work because of his left-sided weakness, he received an iPad from our AT Department.  An iPad because of its cost would be considered high tech but this was my first experience hearing about the possibilities of assistive technology.
Take a look at a few of my favorite low tech tools...

Fidgets

I love them!  My boys love them!  My students love them!  I have tons of them...no joke.  When I see a student picking at their fingers or tapping loudly to stimulate themselves, I hand them a bucket of fidgets to choose one from.  The fidgets seem to help my students with calming and focus.  My fidgets come in all shapes, sizes, textures and colors.  I believe that movement (even in small amounts), kinesthetic learning and sensory input are very important for many learners' success.

Quiet Kit

A Quiet Kit can be full of anything!  This one in the picture has putty, fidgets, mini plastic puzzle pieces (love these...remind me of Legos which my boys adore), bendy animals and sensory balls. This concept was something new for me.  I love organizing and putting things in darling containers but although obvious, I haven't thought of putting together a small tub of sensory kinesthetic tools.  Brilliant!  A student is having difficulty focusing on your lesson....no worries... go sit at the Quiet Kit desk and fidget while you listen. Thumbs up for this trick!

Adaptive Scissors

There are tons of different types of scissors.  Left handed scissors , right handed scissors, scissors that slide, scissors with different grips, scissors with magnets and scissors with springs.  Here are a few that we have used in classroom.

Visual Timers

I have used hour glasses and Time Timers but the timer on the right side is my favorite.  It is magnetic and is perfect on a white board!

Bumpy Seats and Flexible Seating

I love bumpy seats. The red bumpy seat to the left is the typical one we have in our school.  The green bumpy seat is actually one that was purchased at IKEA.  It is more of a foam cushion rather than the typical inflated ones but definitely a cost saver.

So where can you purchase Low Tech AT tools at a reasonable price?
All over really.
Michael's and Joannes, LakeShore Learning and the Therapy Shoppe (if you do not know this website, it is beyond amazing!)

I love incorporating low tech AT in my classroom.  I think it can be very helpful for some students.
What do you think?
What special things do you use in the classroom or at home to help kids?
I'd love to hear your success story below in the comments :)