Back to School Must-Haves for the Middle School Classroom

P.S. There are no affiliate links in this post. There are links to Amazon but they're just regular old links! :)

 

I LOVE shopping for new supplies for my classroom before the school year starts. It's an opportunity for me to upgrade my organizational tools, change the color scheme and work to improve the classroom environment for my new students.

Here are some of my favorite things for Back to School that won't break the bank!

1. Flair Pens - These pens are GORGEOUS and I love using them to grade papers, plan lessons and write little notes of encouragement to my kiddos.

2. Post-It Notes - My students say that I'm the "Queen of Sticky Notes"... and I totally agree with them. There are sticky notes all over my desk. The blue colors are perfect for my décor!

3. Expo Markers - I'm a little obsessed with having a colorful collection of Expo Markers for my whiteboard.

P.S. I also use mini whiteboards with my students. I always order a few boxes of the skinny markers online because they're often cheaper (unless you can snag some in a great Back to School sale!!)

4. Paper Organizer / Inbox - Stacked inboxes are a must-have in my classroom. Now if only I had a magic wand to make my papers grade themselves...


5. Astrobright Paper - I love printing labels, posters and class sets of directions on colored paper because it's easy to spot. Class sets of documents especially fall into that category since I collect them at the end of every class. The kids rarely take them home by accident because they're so bright and easy to see! I was excited to find the Astrobright paper on Amazon because it actually costs less to buy it there then at my local superstore. Score!
 

6. Ancient Civilizations Posters - 5 pack - I may have gotten a teeny bit too excited when I spotted these posters on Amazon (and the price). I love the imagery and information on the posters and I know my students will, too. 

 

7. Cascading Wall Organizer - I like that this organizer from Amazon gets papers off the desk and onto the wall, especially for those of us who have that weirdly-sized wall space behind our desks and can't figure out what to do with it.


8. Desk Calendar - Having a desk calendar is an essential tool to keep life in and outside the classroom organized. How beautiful is this one with the peacock feather design?!

9. Highlighters - I've ordered a bunch of highlighters for my students to use this year when marking up primary and secondary sources. Seeing different sections of the documents marked with certain colors help students break apart difficult text for a better understanding of the purpose of the documents.


10. Paper Trimmer - If you plan on cutting a lot of paper this year, save your hands from scissor-cramps! I love my paper trimmer and use it all the time.

I hope you all are gearing up for the start of a fantastic new school year! Happy Teaching!

Reflection Connection: August

Pencils (or keyboards) at the ready! Today begins the first entry of our year of reflection. If you’re just joining us, welcome! During the first week of each month, I’ll be posting a question that encourages you to reflect upon your experience as an educator. By answering these questions privately or in the comments, we’ll grow stronger as educators and discover more about ourselves in the process.

Entry 1: What are you most excited about this year? What makes you nervous about the start of a new classroom adventure?

My Response: Like many teachers, I always get a bit nervous to meet my new students. We’re about to embark on a year-long adventure together and I’m anxious to create positive relationships with each of them so that we can create a classroom community that encourages learning, participation and respect. Of course, while I’m a bit nervous to meet my new students, it’s also something that I’m really excited about! I look forward to getting to know each one of them over the course of the school year and helping them grow as individuals. Besides meeting my new students, something else I’m excited about is finding new ways to grow as a teacher. I’m on the hunt for new professional development opportunities that will offer effective strategies for my classroom. Let’s get this school year started!

I invite you to join us in the August reflection! If you’d like, leave a response in the comments below or write it down in a journal all your own.

~The Teacher’s Prep

TpT Back to School Sale and TWO Gift Card Giveaways

Time flies when you're having fun! The glorious days of summer are drawing to a close for teachers in many states. I've already begun to think about classroom decorations and lesson plans for the new year...all of which has become infinitely easier now that I know there is a Teachers Pay Teachers sale happening on Tuesday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 2!

 

Starting tomorrow, you can save up to 25% on resources for your classroom on TpT. I'm stocking up on clip art, growth mindset activities and some awesome back to school resources that I'll be using all too soon!

Starting TODAY, however, I'm teaming up again with one of my favorite clip artists for TWO giveaways! Enter below to win one of two Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards worth $10.00 each.

Two winners will be emailed a gift code they can enter in the "Redeem a Gift Card" box when they check out with their order on TpT. To enter, all you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter entry below. The giveaway opens on July 31 at 10:00 a.m. EST. You can complete as many entry options as you want and the giveaway will end at 12:00 a.m. EST on August 2. We'll contact the winners and send the gift codes so you can use them for your BTS shopping!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to use the promo code BTS2017 when you check out on TpT during the sale!

Back to School Secondary Giveaway

 

It's that time of year again: The Back to School Secondary Giveaway has commenced! It lasts from July 30 - August 1 and over 80 middle and high school teachers have collaborated to create some AMAZING giveaways on the Language Arts Classroom Blog. Don't let the name of the blog fool you, though. There are giveaways for several content areas:

 

Secondary Social Studies Bundle (my personal favorite) ;)

 

Any Subject: Back to School

 

Secondary Foreign Language Bundle

 

High School English Bundle

 

Middle School English Bundle

 

High School Math Bundle

 

Middle School Math Bundle

 

High School Science Bundle

 

Middle School Science Bundle

 

Click HERE to visit the blog post to enter to win the giveaway bundle of your choice. Just think of the incredible resources that will land in your email inbox if you win!

 

Good luck!

 

P.S. Here is a preview of the teachers who are participating in the Secondary Social Studies giveaway. You can be sure I've included one of the interactive notebooks from my store in the bundle!

 

 

The Five Stages of the End of Summer Vacation

I hope all of you are in the midst of enjoying the long, beautiful days of summer! I am certainly loving the warm weather, blissful days of relaxation and plenty of time spent with family and friends.

Despite all the R and R, there's a little nagging feeling at the back of my brain...it feels like Back to Sch.... SHHH, BRAIN! We must not speak of it yet. ;)

The Five Stages of the End of Summer Vacation

1. Avoidance

It's summer! Let's take our hands off the wheel and live a little! School is far away. I can't even remember what my classroom looks like. There's plenty of time left to plan. Right now I'm scheduling a dip in the pool and planning the contents of my next delicious drink. I think it will have a little umbrella. Yup, sounds good.



Ferris Bueller's Day Off

2. Denial

What's that sign over there? Oohhh....a sale on Flair Pens and crayons! Oh, hey...what a cute little pencil case and WAIT. WHAT IS THIS? It this a Back to School sale?!?! 

Teachers on TV Land

3. Panic

Deep breaths. There's no way summer is almost over. Look at the calendar. We still have two weeks left. That's 336 hours. That's a lot of hours, right? RIGHT? I'm not panicking. If I stop shopping I won't see those Back to School sale banners. I can order groceries on Amazon and Netflix doesn't have Back to School commercials. We're good. But what about Target? MY LOVE. No. I can do this. Stay strong. I'M STILL NOT PANICKING, I SWEAR.

Beaker from The Muppets

4. Planning

Alright, LET'S DO THIS. I've got an endless supply of coffee, Pinterest open in 15 tabs, my favorite teacher blogs, old lesson plans and unlimited ideas. BRING IT ON, SCHOOL YEAR.

Bruce Almighty

5. Acceptance

Tomorrow is the first day of school and I can't wait to meet my new students! The classroom is perfectly organized and color-coordinated. Every pencil, marker and scissor is labeled and adjusted by height in adorable little table buckets. And just look at my bulletin boards. Do you think the Louvre has any open spots left? I've also taken about 50 pictures to memorialize everything because it won't look like this again for another 365 days...and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Teachers on TV Land

~The Teacher's Prep

Introducing: Reflection Connection

Deep breaths, everyone. A new school year is nearly upon us! Over the course of the 2017-2018 school year, I invite you to join me and fellow educators in participating in a monthly Reflection Connection. During the first week of every month, I’ll be posting a question that encourages you to reflect upon your experience as an educator – whether you’re just starting out or a veteran teacher. I’ll do the same and write my reflection in the post. In order to grow as teachers, I feel that it’s important to periodically reflect, question ourselves, celebrate our successes and identify our challenges. We’ll get to know ourselves better through the process and find encouragement and support through others that will join us in the journey of reflecting and connecting!

The first entry of Reflection Connection will be posted on Wednesday, August 2^nd.  I invite you to write your reflection in a journal or even in the comments below the post. See you then!

~The Teacher’s Prep

DIY: How to Create Your Own Whiteboard Magnets

Designing my classroom for the next school year is one of my favorite school-related summer activities. I love searching the internet for fun themes and inspirations to bring fresh life to my classroom walls while mixing in some of my own DIY ideas, too!

 

Today I'm excited to share how to create your own whiteboard magnets to fit any classroom theme or design! This particular DIY is easy and fun - two must-haves for this crafting beginner! (I'm staying away from power tools and glue that sticks to you for life.)

Let's get started!

Supplies:

 

1. Hot Glue

2. Package of Felt Stickers

3. Foam Board

4. Magnets

(I used ProMag Flexible Magnets - 8 pc., .75 in, 19 mm)

 

I purchased the felt stickers, foam board and magnets from Michaels for $5.61 after the Teacher Discount. (Thank you, Michaels!)

 

*The best part about this DIY is that you can choose any type of felt sticker that fits the theme of your classroom. You can even use embroidered patches if you'd like. They're a bit more expensive.*

Peel the paper off of the back of the felt sticker.

 

Carefully place the sticky side down on a piece of thin foam board. This will help to add thickness to the magnet so it's easy for you to pick up and move around your whiteboard.

 

 

Cut around the shape of your felt sticker. Try to get as close to the sticker as possible so that the foam board isn't visible from the front.

 

 

Place a dab of hot glue on the back of the future magnet and place a magnet on top of the glue. Pinch the magnet to the sticker for about 30 seconds.

 

Let your magnet sit for about 15 minutes to ensure that the hot glue has dried completely.

 

Voila! Your whiteboard never looked cuter!

 

 

 

If you try this DIY, I'd love to see your pictures! Share them with me on Facebook: The Teacher's Prep or Instagram: @teachersprep and I'll try to guess your classroom theme!

 

~The Teacher's Prep