teachers

Holiday Teacher Gift 2013

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teacher rubber stamp

After completing a thorough search for the perfect holiday teacher gift, I finally selected this year’s sirsee for my children’s homeroom teachers. This is a big decision for me. I contribute to a group gift for the teachers, but I always want to add a little extra from our family. This year, I ordered personalized rubber stamps and will be giving the stamp along with some blank notecards.

a note from teacher stamp

There are several reasons a personalized stamp makes a good teacher gift. Teachers need to add their name to all kinds of items throughout the day. We write notes to a variety of people for hand delivery (even if it is just to the school office), and we need an identifier on it. You might think we could just use e-mail, but it is pretty difficult for a teacher to send and receive e-mails (or get to the computer) during the day and handwritten notes sent by “student post” often work better.

this belongs to stamp

We have all kinds of classroom supplies that need to be labeled. Pretty much anything in my classroom is fair game for student hands. If I don’t stamp my name on it, there is a good chance it is walking out the door. My classroom library alone requires constant monitoring. Even if a student doesn’t walk away with my classroom supplies, I loan materials to other classrooms all the time. Without my name stamped all over, I would not get the materials back.

this book belongs to

I considered several rubber stamp options, and I think all of them would make a great teacher gift any time of the year. I ended up choosing a Paperwink rubber stamp with a checkbox option. I personalized the stamps with my children’s teachers’ names and checkboxes for desk, class, and library. I received a proof within 24 hours of ordering. Delivery did take a full two weeks after approving the proof, so if you use Paperwink, order early– like today.

checkbox rubber stamp

What teacher gifts are you considering this holiday season? If you need additional ideas, take a look at my Good Teacher Gifts Pinterest board. I also started a Crappy Teacher Gifts Pinterest board as a public service to parents. Pretty much any scented candle, lotion, or apple related item is out (in my opinion). Punny notes are bad too.

As a final note, holiday teacher gifts are not required, and we really do appreciate anything a student and/or student family might choose to give. But, there are definitely gift ideas that work better than others, and remember, a student can always write a thoughtful note that will be more meaningful than gift cards and chocolate.

Other Teacher Gift Links:

Middle School Teacher Giveaway

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Middle School Giveaway

I donated a literature unit to a middle school giveaway for teachers. If any of my teacher followers are interested in some new teaching resources, please click the links below to enter. I contributed my In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson literature unit, but if you win the ELA product pack, you can choose any literature unit from my teacher store.

Thanks to Krystal from Lessons From The Middle and Kate from Kate’s Classroom Cafe for organizing this giveaway just for middle school teachers.

middle school giveawayA Rafflecopter Giveaway

Middle School Giveaway A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Middle School GiveawayA Rafflecopter Giveaway

Middle School Giveaway A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Middle School GiveawayA Rafflecopter Giveaway

Middle School Giveaway A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Middle School GiveawayA Rafflecopter Giveaway

Teacher Tip

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sample workbooks

Teachers receive many booklets with reproducible student pages inside. It is easy to recognize this type of teacher material because it looks just like a student workbook but may have 3 holes punched in it. The idea is to have the teacher remove the pages when needed, make copies for students, then start a materials binder that will hold the student worksheet until the teacher needs to copy it again.

Teachers rarely remove the pages because the pages do not pull out easily. The pages tear. The pages get mangled when a person tries to oh-so-carefully remove them along the handy perforation the book publisher provides. Instead, TheRoomMom teachers will push the entire book flat on the copy machine while the copy machine (who think it is smarter than you are) reorients the page, so it copies landscape rather than portrait, and you get a copy of a half a page and a good shot of your arm and watchband.

workbook pages separated

I found a solution. An instructor at a professional development class I attended this summer told me to put the book that you want to separate in the freezer for several hours. When you pull the book out of the freezer, bend the pages back, and the glue will crack. Voila. You can separate all pages and reassemble in a binder.

workbook pages in binder

I apologize to my non-educator followers who might not find today’s post useful. On the other hand, if you have been desperate to find a way to cleanly remove pages from the heavy glue binding in a book, this might just be the tip that will change your world.

cover of workbook in binder

Relax with a Magazine

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cricket magazine

Sometimes, no matter what great books we try to coax children into reading, they just can’t get through a chapter book. Struggling readers can be overwhelmed by the length of longer reading selections, and they need materials that can be completed in one session. Picture books work but may give the impression that they are intended for little kids. Magazine subscriptions are a great alternative for school aged kids who are reluctant or struggling readers.

For information about using magazines to encourage struggling readers and improve comprehension, visit my guest blog post at EasyReadSystem. The article also includes a list of children’s magazine subscriptions and links for ordering.

egypt kids discover

And, a little grandparent tip– my parents give each of my children a magazine subscription every year for Christmas. My kids love (1) getting mail and (2) getting new “stories” every month.

Click here to read the full article and get names of magazine titles and ordering information.

Class Notes

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class handbook

Parents receive and/or complete a ton of paperwork from their child’s school the first week or two of school. Most of the materials are distributed in some sort of class orientation with the teacher. A lot of information about math fact tests, spelling test days, and reading requirements is thrown at you in a short amount of time.

As a parent, I jam the papers in a folder near the school directory and do not really look at it again. As a teacher, I am silently fuming when parents ask me repeatedly about my extra help days or my monthly reading due date. Isn’t anyone referring to the FAQ sheet I gave at the beginning of the year, which CLEARLY outlined my policies and procedures? No, they are not because it is sitting in that dusty folder next to the school directory.

This year, I am taking care of the problem. I created a flip chart with all of the information I want parents to have for the school year. I attached magnets to the back, so parents can stick this handbook to the refrigerator. For parents who will not be receiving TheRoomMom’s amazing 4th grade handbook, create your own “Class Cliffs Notes” that you can post in a central location at your house.

Below is my suggested list of helpful class information to have on hand. What other school information do you need throughout the year but forget after the first week of school?

  • Teacher Contact Information– Note the best way to contact the teacher and the amount of time it will take for the teacher to reply. Have the e-mail address and cell phone number (or school phone number) in a place that is easy for you to find. In most cases, it is easiest to contact a teacher by e-mail rather than by phone since we can’t answer the phone during the school day. If you would like to speak with the teacher, send an e-mail listing several times that you are available to have a phone conversation (or conference) to avoid playing phone tag. Let the teacher call you.

class handbook extra help

  • Extra Help Times– Be aware of any weekly extra help the teacher offers. I have a weekly drop-in time every Tuesday after school for 45 minutes. Parents may also e-mail me or send a written note if a student needs one-on-one help. If your child’s teacher provides some form of extra help, know how/when it works.
  • Late Work Policies– If students are sick, make note of how to get make up work and how long a student has to complete make up work. If a student does not do homework or other assignments, ask about any deductions to the final grade or other consequences for incomplete work.
  • Reading Requirement– Most classrooms have a nightly reading requirement that may not show up in the assignment book. Find out if your child is expected to complete work independently each evening that is above and beyond assigned daily work.

class handbook math facts tips

  • Study Tips and General Test Schedule– Many teachers have a weekly test schedule for areas like math fact tests and weekly spelling lessons. For example, my teammate gives math fact tests every Wednesday and Friday. I alternate spelling and vocabulary tests every Thursday. If there is a reliable test schedule, add it to your family calendar. If the teacher gives any study advice, write it down, so your child can study efficiently for these weekly tests. My teammate and I shared math facts study tips and vocabulary study tips in our handbook.

class handbook vocabulary tips

  • Daily Schedule– Know which days students have PE, art, or other classes that may require special clothing. My children need to know PE days, so they will wear sneakers. I like to know which day is art day, so my kids won’t wear the white uniform shirt. If students can have visitors at lunch, note lunch times. If you can actually have the entire weekly schedule for your child posted on the refrigerator, that is helpful for the whole family.

class handbook schedule

I found the flip book idea on Pinterest (of course). First Grade Fairy Tales has the step-by-step directions and template for making the flip book. My new plan is to use the template to make a babysitter/dogsitter flip chart to compile all of the notes that I need to give to our sitters. I want to include emergency contact information, pediatrician names and numbers, basic dog care, and other information I always need to write down for the babysitter. If I finish, I will post some photos.