Linky Party

Good Afternoon! In order to meet more teachers I am joining a linky party. Mrs. Crouse at 6th Grade All-stars wants to know how teachers prepare for the first days of school! I am very interested to see what others have said, but my answers are below. A great resource for preparing your classroom management system is a book called The First Days of School, written by Harry Wong. It is also an easy read.

- What grade do you teach?

I will be teaching sixth grade Social Studies. U.S. History from the very beginnings to 1865. I am also the collaborative teacher this year.

- What is the greatest advice you received during your 1st year of teaching?

Technically, this is my first year teaching.. My grad advisor always said that you can only teach the subject matter after teaching classroom management. She said you need to have a procedure for everything, because if something can go wrong it will. She said spend at least two weeks teaching your classroom management system, and if the students ever need a reminder, teach the procedures again

- Do you have a checklist that you follow when preparing your classroom (include the checklist)?

No. But I would love to see some!

- What are some must haves in your classroom that you cannot live without (ex. items, books, posters, management strategies)?

I have a THINK poster, that I saw on Pinterest. It says before you speak THINK: T-is it true? H-is it helpful? I-is it inspiring? N-is it necessary? K-is it kind?

I love that poster because 6^th graders can be bullies, I do not want anyone feeling inferior in my classroom. I want them to share opinions openly without fear of rejection.

- What is something that all teachers should have in their classroom?

Tissues and pencils. Students always need tissues and it can be a huge distraction for someone to have to run and get a roll of toilet paper. Pencils is a given…they need pencils to complete work. I also want a spray bottle and paper towels nearby, just in case I need to clean something.