Graduate Teacher Tips Series: 2. Classroom Essentials!

When I entered the classroom for the first time as a graduate teacher, I had no idea what necessities I should have in my room. Today social media has made it so much easier to know what others have in their rooms to guide graduates. BUT it can also be a lot of pressure to see established teachers with all of their years of resources piled high and ready to go.   Don't forget, every school has some resources (books, games, etc). Yes, some more than others. You don't need to have every...single...thing printed, laminated and ready to go for Day 1 (this is something I still have to keep reminding myself).
SO if you are heading into your very own classroom for the first time, some of my teacher friends and I have put together a list of some things that every classroom should have and we can't teach without.
Thanks to my friends for contributing:

Whether you are heading in for those first few days to start setting up your room at the start of the year or you pick up a contract after school has started, the following are absolute MUSTS. Believe me, you will need them and if you're in the primary years then you will need them daily! Make sure you set aside a designated area for the following, out of reach of little hands.

Liquid or foam pump soap (this is for you AND the students!) Dishwashing liquid Chux, sponges or microfibre cloths Hand towels (lots) Dustpan & brush Baby wipes (yep, you'd be amazed at how handy these are)  Old sheets/towels for messy projects Spare plastic bags

These are essentials for general classroom organisation for primary:

Good quality Sharpies

Laundry marker

Easel pad/butcher's paper (giant writing material)

Stickers

Stamps

Bell (or something to get the students' attention)

Whiteboard markers/chalk

Rolls of clear contact adhesive

Safety pins

A 'finished work' tray

Teacher letterbox/tray (for students to put permission slips or notes)

5-10 great picture books to start off

Welcome poster

Stop watch & Timer 

Pegs

Multiple printed class rolls

Visual timetable

Velcro dots

Stapler/staple gun

Blu tack

The last list is all about you! Those first few years of teaching are pretty full on - stressful but so exciting! It is important to remember to look after yourself, too. Preparing these few things will help you when you're too busy to remember!

Panadol

Spare water bottle

Pressed powder

Lip balm or lip stick

Mirror

Coffee, tea bags & cup

Raincoat or umbrella

Hair bands

Brush

Peppermints

Chocolate/Snack stash

Warm jacket (to leave in the room)

Ballet flats

Spare coins (for emergency coffee)

Deodorant

A spare phone charger

Click the image below to get a printable copy!

FREE Group Tin Labels

How do you organise your stationery supplies in the classroom? Are students responsible for their own equipment? Do you have group tubs, tins, boxes or caddies where resources are shared?
I am teaching Prep (Foundation/Kindergarten) again this year. I want the children to build responsibility for their equipment over their first year of schooling. In order to do this, we begin the school year with group tins where we share equipment that I supply. These tins include:
* Writing/lead pencils * Coloured pencils * Crayons * Scissors * Glue Sticks * Sometimes felt pens
I model how to use the equipment safely and appropriately. I also model how to take care of it all by putting lids back on glue sticks and putting things back where they belong. As the year goes on, we introduce their own pencil cases where the children are then responsible for their own stationery.
To help remind the children of what to do with the shared group tins, I put a label on it for them to clearly see.

I include clear visuals for students to follow and some simple words for classroom guests (or even the those ones who may already be able to read).
If you'd like a FREE copy, click on the image below.

Editable File Folder Labels

   Happy 1st day of 2018!   I'm about to go into my ninth year of teaching. It's safe to say that I have gathered my fair share of resources over those years. I started getting frustrated with being able to locate and find resources that I knew I had but could not for the life of me find.
I needed a system. Something simple and easy to use. I'm a visual person so I knew I needed pictures and colours to help me with this.
I already had a bunch of file folders that I had just thrown some resources into but there was zero method to my madness.
So, I put some method into it and came up with this:

I sorted all of my smaller laminated and printed resources (games, posters, etc) into their own file folder and attached some labels that I made. I put one large one on the front and then two small ones at either end on the top of the folders so they are easily visible. I have so many Literacy and general classroom resources that I already have to folders for both of them.   I'm super happy with my new system. Everything is so much easier to find. No more second guessing myself about a game or set of display posters that I thought I'd printed but could not find.
I have put together a set of labels for the file folders plus an editable file for teachers to customise in our TPT store.

Click the image above to see what labels are included. If you have any suggestions of labels to add, let us know!

FREE ABC Word Wall Headers

  Are you looking for an easy and simple way to display your word wall?   We have made these simple alphabet headers for display in the classroom.   The wonderful thing about them is that they can be used flexibly for children's learning.   Here are some ideas:   Alphabet word wall headers   Alphabet wall display Write the room Alphabet hunt Letter identification Alphabet ordering

There are so many uses!
Click the image below to get your FREE copy!

Graduate Teacher Tips Series: 1. Getting Work

2017! It's here!   This can be a very anxious time for graduate teachers. Some have been given permanent positions, some have been given contracts and some have not been offered anything at all. This was me when I graduated. I was heartbroken. However, I had my cry and then got straight into getting my name out there! Within a year I had gone from having no work to having done relief work, short contracts, long contracts with my own class and then was lucky enough to be offered a permanent position.   If you haven't been given a class yet - don't give up! I wasn't given a position straight out of University either and had to work very hard to secure a contract :)  

Here are some tips: Do up a clear, professional CV that has been proofed by as many eyes as you can get. Poor grammar and spelling does not make for a great first impression. Include some of your hobbies or interests, as they may be a part of the school community that you aren't aware of.
Call schools before students go back. Staff will be there the week before students return. Make some phone calls to local schools and ask to speak to whoever is in charge of employment. Don't forget to mention your name! After you've made some calls, dress professionally and physically go to your local schools and hand in a hard copy of your CV. Mention your name again (hopefully they remember from your phone call). It's scary and will push you out of your comfort zone but it shows initiative and puts a face and name out there.  Now that you've put your name and CV out there, it's time to get back in contact with some of those people you connected with over your practical experiences. Email and/or call them! I was offered by a school to return to do some training on PM benchmarks, as I hadn't had any experience at that stage. I decided to do just that and while I was there the principal put my name down for relief straight away.
Do you have family or friends who are also teachers? Speak to them and see if you can volunteer at the school.  Make sure your name is down with a relief pool or company. Don't assume you won't get work during the first week of school. I got plenty of single days that turned into short contracts.
Say YES! Try not to turn down any work. If you visit a school and make a good impression, they will ask to have you back again!
HUGE tip: If you take a relief class, PLEASE write a short note about how the day went and what work you did/did not complete. It is very much appreciated - trust me!

 Dress professional. Speak professional. Be professional. Yes, you might see other teachers in schools you visit wearing short shorts and thongs and joking with their colleagues. However, don't assume that means you can/should. Remember, first impressions count. Be polite to anyone you come in contact with (including librarians, cleaners, other teachers, parents, families and students) and thank them for any assistance they provide.

There is no such thing as too many questions. Don't be proud. ASK. Always ask.

The stamp that changed my life

Hi friends!   I need to share something with all of you that I feel as fellow teacher-friends you will all appreciate and love as much as I do.   I am a part of an amazing collaborative group for Queensland Prep teachers on Facebook and one of my wonderful friends posted a picture of a stamp that she was getting made up through a company called Family Tree Fine Crafts.
Crazy good ideas like this pop up in this group all the time but this one I NEEDED to have. Take a look and I feel you will see why...

LOVE! (No, this is not a paid post. I actually love this stamp!)
I use this stamp two ways:   1. For my own reference. I tick what the students have used and I like to asterisk the things they need to work on. It is quick and easy for me to look at, when I flick through their books.   2. It's fabulous feedback for students. I have Prep (Kindergarten) students and, yes, it absolutely works a treat for even the young ones. The visuals match perfectly as a reference for them. I have even blown up a big version of the stamp on my whiteboard for whole class modelling. I usually go through the check list with them during conferencing.

Now, it hasn't been the cheapest teaching resource investment that I've made but golly gosh it's one that I use daily and will continue to be able to use for the remainder of my teaching career. It has hands down been one of the best things I've ever bought for teaching and worth every cent.   They have created a range of stamps that target different age groups, too. Check out their Facebook page to see more. Oh, AND they don't just do teacher stamps. They also do other incredibly beautiful hand-crafted wooden creations, too.
The lovely company Family Tree Fine Crafts are 100% Australian owned and operated (which I love). I spoke to them before I wrote this post and they have been generous enough to offer a deal for Classroom Chit Chat followers.   If you mention 'Classroom Chit Chat' when you make an order of $100 or more, they will throw in a free ink pad. Early Christmas presents, perhaps..?   At the very least, make sure you go and visit their Facebook page to see what I'm talking about.

Some new looks!

I thought it was about time some of my products had some touching up. After all, it has been about 4 years since I've created some of my resources.   Click on any image to visit them in my TPT store!   First up is my very popular Super Summer writing craftivity. Use this any time of year, if you have a super hero theme :)

 

 I also jazzed up my title pages. There are a selection of simple and cute title pages for a range of subject areas. If you need something different, just email me!

 Lastly, I touched up my George's Marvellous Medicine novel study. It was a little out-dated so I spruced it up with some new borders and a revised craft.

Enjoy!