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Back to School – Ideas for Setting Up Your Classroom

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If you LOVE being organized at back to school time then be sure to check out these fun classroom printables. There’s also a free set of printable homework logs for reading and sight words!

The following printables include some of my must have favorite classroom resources! I’ve found them to be helpful year after year.

Daily Schedule

Visual timetables are often used to support children with special needs such as autism but I find them really beneficial for young children too. Having a daily schedule is a great way to help kids prepare for the day ahead. I usually go through the daily schedule during my morning circle. As kids become familiar with it, they often love reading the labels and seeing what comes next.

Preparation – I have a Scholastic Schedule Pocket Chart for mine, but you can even create it on a whiteboard or bulletin board. If you’re creating one on a whiteboard, attach some magnetic tape to the backs of the cards. If you’re going to put it on a bulletin board, add some Velcro to the cards. I created an editable set of daily schedule labels (shown below). I love them because they help teach kids about telling time too!

You can learn more about how to set up a visual schedule here.

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You can find out more about this daily schedule here or by clicking on the picture below.

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Classroom Jobs Chart

As part of my back to school preparation, I always think about the types of jobs that I am going to have for the kids in my class. I change them each year depending on the year level I’m teaching. For example, when teaching kindergarten I know kids love jobs such as being the “Weather Watcher” or “Pack Away Bell” monitor. As the kids get a bit older I add in other jobs such as being a “Messenger” or “Lunch Monitor”.

My jobs chart is a consistent hit with kids year after year. Most kids love coming to school to discover what their job is for the day!

Preparation – A jobs chart can be made in a few different ways. My favorite way is to get a portable magnetic whiteboard and then attach magnetic tape to the backs of all the labels. I type each child’s name onto the editable labels and place one to two names per job. I try to make it so every child has a job to do.

I’ve created a very comprehensive set of job labels with editable titles, so it’s easy to customize a set of jobs to meet the needs of your classroom.

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You can find out more about this jobs chart here or by clicking on the picture below.

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Back to School – Workbook Covers

When it is back to school time I also like to think about what types of workbooks I’d like to set up for the year. Personally, I try to keep it simple. So if I’m teaching first grade for example I usually plan to have these workbooks – Writing, Math, Spelling, Science and a scrapbook containing work samples of all of the other subjects like Health, Social Studies and Art.

Preparation –  I love workbook covers that are basically ready to print and go. I love printing workbook covers on different colored paper and have a different color for each subject. I have the workbook covers printed prior to the first day back at school. Then on the first day of school I get the kids to glue their workbook covers on and write their names.

Tips – Have an organized system for returning graded work to students. For example, I used a portable document holder with one section per student – labeled with all of their names. Once I’ve graded their work, I put it into the section with that student’s name. Then at the end of the week, I give each student’s pile of work back to them to glue into their scrapbooks. If it’s subject specific, such as “Science” work then I’ll place that work in a pile on top of the Science workbooks and get one of the kids to hand them out next time we’re using our Science workbooks.

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I’ve made a very comprehensive set of editable book covers. You can check them out here or by clicking on the picture below.

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Back to School – Homework Logs

If you’re looking for some reading log printables then be sure to check out the freebie below. You can create A5 sized log books for home reading and sight words. There are a few different templates to choose from.

I usually plan a set day such as Friday to go through the logs with students and help them pick a new book for the following week. Sometimes I do this before school starts too. The following logs have spaces for the parents to write their initials once their child has completed their homework. There are also spaces for you to write comments or add rewards such as stickers and stamps.

Preparation – I usually print the log books on colored paper and then laminate them for added durability. It helps to have one color for reading and a different color for the sight words. Sometimes I make up additional sight word cards too – so the kids don’t just memorize the order of the list, or at least explain to parents to point to them in a random order. Once I’ve laminated the covers, I fold them in half and then staple the log pages inside. I print the log pages on both sides of the paper. I always do a test run on the first print, as I have had an upside down page before! Photocopiers… always fun! :)

 

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You can grab these free reading and sight word logs below. Happy teaching! :)

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