Here are some more freebies I designed for We Are Teachers. I made one with simpler writing for younger grades and one with “cooler” writing for older kids:
To go to the free printable freebies, please visit my post on We Are Teachers.
I recently came across a well written piece called “A Letter to My Children: What it Means to be a Teacher.” The author provides some insight to her own children about teaching. It’s definitely worth the read. Here are some of my favorite lines:
“Teachers don’t see their classrooms as places where you go to make rules and assign homework.”
“Teachers worry about their students the way I worry about you.”
“Teaching doesn’t open at 8:00 in the morning and close at 5:00 at night.”
“[Teaching] creates an eternal optimist of you. It reminds you that every life matters…”
“Teachers could have chosen any profession, but instead they chose to teach you.”
“Take the lessons of teachers with you: work to discover and be your best selves, see potential in others, extend kindness, and ask tough questions.”
“We spend one week each year remembering to appreciate teachers, but I want you to spend a lifetime teaching appreciation.”
Calling all geeks! It’s May 4th, so you’ve probably already bid your friends farewell by saying “May the fourth be with you!” I probably should celebrate (or at least acknowledge) May 4th at school. I know this next idea is a little late…hindsight is 20/20. I’ll have to do this next year. (Ta-da! Now I’m prepped a year ahead!)
I just saw this free coloring page over at Homeschool Encouragement and thought of a math connection!
Print one of these for each student. Then make up a key that might look something like this (choose your own colors if you want):
This way, you’re practicing shapes while you celebrate May the Fourth! If you’re looking to be more interactive, consider having your students create the image above with tangrams.
Here are some other Star Wars themed coloring pages for you to be creative with!
But no matter what you do, may the fourth be with you! 🙂
Being a teacher is hard work. It’s nice when people recognize that! Looks like McDonald’s is giving teachers some pretty sweet perks this year! They seem to be decided by region, so I’d do an internet search for your area. For example, in Arizona, McDonald’s is giving teachers a free extra value meal (and some get keytags for free beverages) and in Nevada, teachers get a free breakfast.
Click here for another great list of perks!
If you hear of any other valuable teacher perks, please comment below! Thanks!
Check out the text features graphic organizer I made for We Are Teachers:
Click here to go to the post on We Are Teachers and download the free printable.
Looking to help kids figure out the difference between statements and questions? Check out this page:
Students should read the words, determine if it’s a statement or a question and then write in the correct ending punctuation. After that, they can create their own statement and question, along with drawing a silly picture. Enjoy!
Click here for the free printable PDF: Statements And Questions – Alligators on Scooters
I recently learned about a project launched by a Colorado teacher, Kyle Schwartz, called #WhatIWishMyTeacherKnew. The main ideas is that this third grade teacher didn’t feel like she knew them very well or how to support them. She asked her students to finish the sentence “I wish my teacher knew…”. The students’ responses were honest and highlight the struggles in their lives and the importance of truly connecting with our students. Here are some articles about the project:
How #IWishMyTeacherKnew can help teachers support students – Christian Science Monitor
Students Share What They Wish Their Teacher Knew – Huffington Post
Colorado Teacher Shares Heartbreaking Notes From Third Graders – ABC News
I think this is a great idea! It’s important to know what your students are struggling with so you can find ways/resources to help them. If you do this exercise with your class, and are comfortable sharing the results, join other teachers on Twitter by using the hashtag #whatiwishmyteacherknew. 
Use this printable to collect your answers if you’d like: I wish my teacher knew
Counting and number sequences can be tough for kids, but knowing numbers backwards and forwards is what allows them to do more complex number tasks. I saw this idea of “before, between and after” and thought it was valuable. So, here’s my take on that concept. This would be great for kindergarten or first grade, depending on your students.
Kids must write in the numbers so that the sequence is complete. Click here for the free printable PDF: Before Between After – Numbers
Squarehead Teachers 