BTS Blog Hop

Did you know that there is a pretty cool link up happening right now? It's all about teachers sharing their favorite back to school tips and tricks! This link up is hosted by Tammy from The Owl Teacher!

Teaching kindergarten, the first few weeks seem to fly by in such a blur. Those first five or six weeks are so hectic and crazy-busy, trying to get a room full of five-year-olds to acclimate to school and classroom life.
I have a few things I do each year to make those first few weeks go by a little smoother. One of the most important things I do is to get as organized as I possibly can!

Before the year officially begins, I set up my student data folders. I keep data folders for each of my kiddos. Each Dragon gets their own hanging file folder, and inside that folder are several color-coded file folders.

Each of the folders contains information on students that I might need to contact a guardian or to bring to a parent/teacher conference or 504/IEP meeting. 

I type up the labels for each file-folder on sticky labels. The only part of the file that gets a student name is the stick-up tab on the hanging file folder. Since I'm not putting student names on the folders I use, I can use them year after year after year!

My folders are labeled Student Info., Assessments, Behavior, Parent contact, and Work Samples. I do not collect every single piece of paper, but I do keep pieces that show student ability throughout the year. Students who I feel may need RTI or other intervention services, I keep more work sample papers for them.

At our school, grades 1-12 start three days before preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten. This is so we can use this time to have parent/teacher meetings as well as getting to meet the students who will be in our class.

Since there is always so many forms and information that need to be given during those beginning of the year entry conferences, I have found that color-coding your papers is a huge help!

I try to make as many different colored copies as I can. This way I can check at a glance to see if the family has all of the forms they need, as well as making it easier for families to differentiate between all that paper work. I also make sure to have a journal or notebook with me so I can jot down anything the parents tell me about their child. I make sure to have a schedule of meetings right on the table, both so I can keep myself on track as well as to remind me which Dragon I'm about to meet!

Finally, once school starts, I like to get started with our guided group work as soon as possible. We have guided reading as well as guided math, and during the beginning of the year these are great times to do informal or formal assessments of your students' abilities. This is also a great time to introduce to them different activities they will get to use during different center times. I enjoy getting to introduce center activities as a small group as opposed to the whole class. This way I can assist with any issues that crop up and students will have prior exposure to the center activity rules and procedures, which will allow them to better handle working in centers independently.

This is a freebie I made that I love using during those beginning of the year guided math groups. Students roll a shape cube, find it on their recording sheet, and trace it.

Both the cube and the recording sheet are included in the freebie, which you can find here!

I hope that I have given you a tip or two to help you with the craziness of Back to School! I hope that you have a wonderful start to the new school year!

Don't forget to continue this awesome Back to School Blog Hop!

It's not too late for you to link up for Spotlight Saturday! This is a Teacher's Show and Tell link up where you can share all about your favorite products, activities, ideas, resources, lessons, tips, tricks, ideas, and anything else that makes classroom life easier or more awesome!