Do Your Students Know You’re Proud of Them?

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

I saw this cute idea in an elementary school classroom a few months ago. It’s super easy to make, and sends a great message to your kids.

Buy a dollar store picture frame (8″ x 10″ is best)
On a piece of cute, light color paper, write “I am proud because.” Add stickers, etc if you want. Cut the paper to 8″ x 10″ and put it in the frame.
Use a ribbon attached to the hook on the back, attach the frame to your file cabinet or a nail on the wall.
Write with a Visa-Vis pen (or other overhead marker) what makes you proud.
Write a small note in your planner every few days to remind you to update the frame. In addition, you may want to attach a class list to the back of the frame so you can keep track of who you’ve featured on the frame and who you still need to acknowledge.

Displaying Student Work

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

There’s nothing like seeing your project displayed on a wall. That sense of pride and accomplishment; that sense of knowing someone values your work… priceless! So how do you do it without going overboard? How do you display student work in a way that fits the theme/feeling of your room?

This way is by far the easiest I’ve ever done or seen. We hung sheet protectors on push pins below the whiteboard (anywhere low where students can reach easily will work). Each sheet protector was numbered according to class number and each kid was responsible for swapping out their project on display. Each table had a day of the week during a specific time when they could swap out their work (for example, during seat work time). Sometimes we all swapped out work at the same time, usually after an especially cool project, before open house, etc.

We laminated the construction paper first and used plenty of staples to attach them to the wall.

Here are some other ideas I’ve seen:

Another teacher lets kids pin projects to the fabric covering her shelves so more student work can be on display.

One teacher used sharpies and stickers on overhead transparencies to make impromptu frames to pin over student projects.

Bulletin board for farm themed room.

Another farm-themed bulletin board.

These laminated paper pencils have slits in them where the teacher stuck paper clips, so it would be super fast to swap out work.

Click here for more ideas on displaying student work.

Easy Fluency Bulletin Board

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Squarehead Teachers

Here’s one way a teacher I know helps kids stay motivated with fluency. She’d got a bulletin board (not huge) with a star for every student. Each star has the student’s classroom number on it (not their name- for privacy reasons, and so she can use it the following year). All the start are laminated after she writes the number on it. About once or twice a month, she updates each kid’s star to show their current words per minute rate. She’s noticed that this really motivates some kids and it’s an easy way to show her class that fluency is important.

This idea could easily be adapted for home school kids. Laminate a shape and put it on your fridge. I guess there’s no real way to keep it anonymous, since your kids can probably figure out whose star is whose… But it’s still a good way to show that you as the parent value fluency.

Lesson Objectives Signs (free signs!)

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

I saw a great idea I thought I’d copy. The teacher laminated signs and used whiteboard markers to write the lesson objectives each day. They were posted at the front of the room.

So here are my copy-cat signs… one for math, one for reading and two blanks for whatever you need. They’re made to fit on a regular 8.5 x 11″ piece of printer paper. Make sure you laminate them before you write on them so you can re-use them! Enjoy!

Too crowded at the Classroom Mailboxes? SOLUTION!!!

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

Here’s a genius idea that’s so simple I’m embarrassed that I didn’t think of it on my own. The teacher put a strip of masking tape a few feet away from the mailboxes to help her 2nd graders not crowd around the mailboxes at the end of the day. Her classroom rule is that only 2 students can be in front of the mailboxes at any one time (the rest have to form a line behind the line) and they can’t bring their backpacks to the mailboxes (they should be open on your desk before you go empty your mailbox). AWESOME idea!

Snarky Poster for Your Classroom UPDATED

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

I loved this phrase, and I love chevron, so why not put them together into a fun poster for your classroom! Free printable poster is formatted to print on a regular 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. Click here for the free printable PDF: Study Maybe snarky poster

Effective Vocab Bulletin Board

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

Teaching vocabulary is only good for students if they actually LEARN the words. Here’s one way a teacher uses a bulletin board to increase students’ vocabulary:

Make sure to post:

1. the vocab word (big enough to see from every desk)

2. a simple definition

3. a simple picture to help explain the definition

4. a list of previously learned vocab words

This teacher introduces the words (10 each week) on Monday and then reviews all the words every morning (only takes a few minutes on Tues-Friday). The class also comes up with a gesture for each word. I’ve seen her class do these vocab activities, and let me tell ya, these kids really learn the words!

Alliteration Monsters Writing Project

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Squarehead Teachers

I’m always looking to incorporate goofy or holiday things into my lessons. So when I saw this, I just had to snap a photo! One teacher paired Halloween monsters with writing and art to teach alliteration. Each student first chose a letter and used only words starting with that letter to describe a monster they had made of construction paper. I’m not exaggerating when I say this was one of the most fun bulletin boards I’ve ever seen… not to mention it’s a way fun Halloween writing project!