Back-to-school is the worst of times. It’s so stressful and exhausting (seriously it’s so, so tiring!). But it’s also the best of times! The feeling of a new beginning is absolutely exhilarating. I love that fresh start, where everything is possible and I haven’t screwed up…yet! I may be in the minority (okay, I’m definitely…
Back to School
One Word Theme for the School Year
Agree or Disagree? September is the new January! For me, this is definitely TRUE. I always feel energized and inspired to start fresh come September, even in the years when I haven’t been teaching. It just feels like a fresh start, a perfect time to set goals and make changes. In many ways, I find I’m…
Back-to-School: Guided Discovery
Do you know The First Six Weeks of School by Paula Denton and Roxann Kriete? I love this book! I got it early in my teaching career and it’s one of the few books that I pulled out to reference EVERY YEAR! The main philosophy of this book is that taking time to shape the…
Getting to Know You
Do you have a “Student of the Week” in your classroom? It’s a tried and true activity for letting each of your students feel special. It’s fun for each student to share about themselves and it’s a great way to build a feeling of classroom community. The trouble can be remembering to send home a…
Back to School Bingo Gets A Facelift!
One of the very first products we made when we started Second Story Window in 2008 was Back to School Bingo. It has been a popular item every year at this time but I finally got a chance to give it a much-needed face lift! If you have purchased it on Teachers Pay Teachers previously,…