2024 CALENDARS for PARENT GIFTS

One of my favorite ways to use these calendars is as a parent, or other important person, gift. I know how important those personalized gifts are for the adults in our students’ lives. I also love that a calendar can be a great reminder all year long!

The gift version of my 2024 calendars includes bubbled letters for the month so students can decorate each month. Students also decorate the cover, and then include a personally created image for the back of each month that gets displayed while hanging. I love the affordability of this parent Christmas gift- I print on white cardstock, and bind using the machine at school. I usually get these set up for students to work on all throughout the last week of school before break. As students have a few minutes, they can work on decorating their calendars. So many of my students are so artistic, and love drawing, and they love these gifts. I give specific holidays to hand-write and we talk about what might be a good picture to create on the back of each one.

Click here to download the specific file for the 2024 Calendars for Parent Gifts. Looking for other idea for parent gifts from students? My Art Inspired Christmas Parent Gifts and December in our Classroom posts have other ideas!

IDEAS FOR USING PRINTABLE CALENDARS

There are so many different ways you can use printable calendars in the classroom. This is by no means a comprehensive list of calendar ideas, but these are some ways to start using these simple printable calendars.

READING LOG

Reading logs can result in mixed feelings. Some students need some sort  of accountability for their independent reading. The printable calendar allows me to have students record their reading in a quick and easy way: they write the pages that were read. It’s a great way for me to check in with them and have a conversation about accountability during reading time. Because the dates are given, they just write the name of their book the first time they’re reading it and so filling it out literally takes 30 seconds most days.

INTERVENTION & PROGRESS MONITORING

I’m often pulling quick reteaching and intervention groups for 5-10 minute mini sessions. It can be difficult to keep track of the frequency or specific student supports due to absences. I like to keep several copies of these calendars for for recording individual student supports. I write the student’s name, what we worked on and for how long, and any necessary progress monitoring data based on that group work. I keep each student’s calendar in a binder at my small group table and then I have it available for recording our official interventions. It takes me 30 seconds per student and then just a few minutes to compile the specifics for our formal intervention meeting. I also love that I can have a quick visual on which students I’ve met with each week and which ones I need to meet with next. I can glance and see who has empty spaces that week to help me prioritize my time. They’re definitely not the most formal of tracking tools, but calendars are easy enough to access and use that it helps me stick with it.

GOAL TRACKING

These printable calendars are perfect for individual goal tracking as they’re open ended and students can record any goal you agree upon. Student goal setting can build motivation and investment, and these calendars are easy for any classroom goal with students. Students can use the note space to write out what they want to work on and then use the daily space to record anything they’ve done to work on that specific goal. Some ideas for goals to track would be independent reading, practicing math facts, and working on a computerized tier 2 program. These are great for older students who can be responsible for their own goal monitoring.

PARENT COMMUNICATION TOOL

These simple calendars are also a great way to keep parents apprised of what is going on at school. Just print, record the applicable dates, and copy to send home. This is great for dress up days, events, mystery reader or special guest schedules, and anything else you want to share.

You can download my 2024 Printable Calendars to use them right away. I hope you find them useful in your classroom! I’d love to hear in the comments how you plan to use them!

The post 2024 Calendars for the Classroom: Free Printables appeared first on Tales from Outside the Classroom.

Over the last several years, I’ve become a pretty regular Amazon shopper. While there are certainly reasons I don’t love that, it’s made such a difference for me while clothing shopping. I tend to do large orders, knowing I’ll end up making a large return. I wait until everything arrives, decide what I’m keeping and what I’m not, and drop off my returns at the local UPS Store or Kohl’s. That also helps me keep from making as many smaller purchases. Finding clothing can be so tough- no matter your size. I love that I can buy a few different sizes or styles, find what works for me, and send back what doesn’t.

Because it can be so hard to find items on Amazon, and products often move around, I wanted to share some of my favorite short dresses that I’ve found over the last couple years. Each of these dresses I’ve tried and loved personally. These aren’t ones I searched and picked blindly. Unfortunately, some dresses I’ve tried and loved are no longer available from that specific seller, and so finding consistent products can be tough on Amazon. I try and update posts periodically with links as stores change their listings and offerings. If you’ve shopped on Amazon at any time you know how product listings can change and vary. These product listings are accurate as of June 2023, but may change over time.

With each dress I’ve included detailed information on what I like best about it, or what may be problematic for you. I’m midsize and hold my weight in my middle, so all of the dresses fit me and my body type. Obviously you may have different feelings about them based on how they fit you. I’ve included the specific dress from the specific seller I purchased from. The same item is often replicated throughout stores while quality and material doesn’t stay consistent. All of these dresses run true to size in my experience. Look at the size charts in the images or product descriptions (not Amazon’s size charts) just to make sure what you buy should fit you.

Looking for some other dresses too? I share my favorite Maxi Dresses for Teachers in a separate post.

Throughout the post are Amazon affiliate links so I earn a small portion from sales from clicks from this post, at no cost to you.  All of the opinions are my true opinions on each of the products, as I already have returned anything that I don’t like or that doesn’t fit for my body type.

Zattcas Flutter Sleeve Swiss Dot Babydoll Mini Dress

This is one of my new favorite dresses! The A-line fit is super flattering on my body and I received so many compliments at work when I wore it. The ruffle sleeves and hem bring some airiness into the dress. The bust area has stretches to fit your body and helps the rest of the dress flow. If you are large busted, the dress may not fit you well due to this. The polyester lining and fabric may be a bit too clingy and warm on a hot day, but for those first few spring days or the transitioning days of fall, I think this knee length dress is perfect! I will likely be at least one more color option, likely a lighter color, to make this perfect for spring!

I first found the Zattcas store several years back when I was searching for some maxi dresses. I’ve enjoyed several things I’ve gotten from them over the last 5 years or so, but know that their listings and stock seem to be very seasonal and change each year. What you find once, you likely won’t be able to continue to find.

VIISHOW Ruffle Sleeve Swing Sundress

This dress has the feel of the VIISHOW maxi dress and I love it! This simple dress is a comfortable fabric that flows nicely away from the body. It’s very soft, with a bit of stretch, and it feels great even in hot weather. The ruffle hem on the sleeves give it just a little bit of an “oomph”. It’s available in both solid colors and different patterns and it would go perfectly paired with a jean jacket. It’s perfect for spring, summer, or fall! This dress is my go-to teacher dress. It’s simple, yet dressy, and most importantly, it’s comfortable!

levaca Summer Ruffle Loose Swing Dress

The style of this knee length dress is very similar to the one above, just without the ruffle sleeves. While it’s hard to see in the image here due to the dark color and the floral pattern, this dress is tiered. The fabric is light and airy, and the a line style is flattering. There are many different patterns, and even some with long sleeves. Each one is priced differently so pay close attention as you shop- but that also means you can get some great deals!

OUGES Halter Neck Floral Sundress

I think my favorite Amazon store for dresses is OUGES. I first found them many years back and bought this wrap maxi dress. I’ve worn it to school, weddings, and events. I continue to add to my collection, and most recently I bought this halter sundress. Continuing with my navy and floral theme (apparently), this dress is fun and flowy. Because it’s a halter, I always wear it with a cardigan or jacket, and I think that also helps dress it down just a bit. The empire banding on this one hits just a bit too low for my body type, right above the hip, so it’s not the most flattering on my figure, but would be ideal for those that are looking to accentuate your hips.

SE MIU 3/4 Sleeve Boho Swing Dress

This knee length dress is unlike most of the others on this list, but I still love it! With 3/4 sleeves, this dress is perfect for fall, especially paired with tall boots. This swing dress hangs away from the body, making it flattering for many body types. The empire waist banding fits right underneath my bust, but if you’re larger chested, you may need to size up.

I will continue adding more knee length dresses to this post as I buy, try, keep, and love them from Amazon.  I continue to share my favorite clothing finds from Amazon, favorites for both in and out of the classroom, on my Amazon storefront.

The post My Favorite Casual Knee Length Dresses for Teachers from Amazon appeared first on Tales from Outside the Classroom.

IDEAS FOR USING THESE PRINTABLE 2023 CALENDARS

There are so many different ways you can use printable calendars in the classroom. These simple, open-ended calendars are perfect for both teachers and students. I’ve used these in a variety of ways over the years. You can download my 2023 Printable Calendars and keep reading to see how I use them in the classroom!

READING LOG

There are so many mixed feelings on reading logs. In my experience, many of my students need some sort of accountability for their independent reading during the day.  These calendars are perfect for what I need because they’re simple and don’t ask a lot of the kids. I have them leave the printable calendar in their daily binder so it’s easy to access each day. I then have students record the page numbers as we wrap up reading time. I have intermediate students, many of which are reading chapter books. So, I don’t ask them to record the title each day if they’re continuing to read the same book. I don’t check into these frequently- just when I’m noticing a student doesn’t seem to be progressing with their books. It’s very little stress but gives students some semblance of ownership and accountability. Of course, it could also be sent home as a reading log for students to track their evening reading. Use these monthly however would work best for you and your students.

INTERVENTION & PROGRESS MONITORING

It can be difficult to track classroom interventions, especially when they’re fluid groups. I’m often pulling quick groups for 5-10 minute small group lessons on specific skills. Especially with my math reteaching groups, my groups meet infrequently and are always changing.  It can be difficult to record which students received the intervention on specific days due to absences and other schedule interruptions. I like to keep several copies of these calendars at my small group table so I’m able to quickly record that we met. I use these calendars to record the students’ name, what we worked on and for how long, and any necessary progress monitoring data based on that group work. It takes me 30 seconds per student and then just a few minutes to compile the specifics if I need to talk about those interventions. It makes it easy to also see which students or groups I need to prioritize my time with because I can see at a quick glance the frequency of our past meetings.

GOAL TRACKING

These printable monthly calendars are perfect for individual goal tracking. Student goal setting can build motivation and investment, and these calendars are easy for any classroom goal with students. Some ideas for goals to track would be independent reading, practicing math facts, and working on a computerized tier 2 program. Students can take ownership of their own calendar and record any data. This helps them track and see their own progress. These 2023 calendars are great for students to see progress on a specific skill across a month as they watch their numbers increase.

PARENT COMMUNICATION TOOL

If you have a lot of events at your school, or have a different focus each week (like a preschool or thematic learning), these calendars would be helpful to give parents a look at what’s coming up.  Just print, add info, and copy and send home! These are great for hanging on the fridge!

You can download my 2023 Monthly Calendars to use them right away. Or head to my newest post to download my 2024 Calendars. I would love to hear how you use these each year to help me keep making them!

The post 2023 Calendars: Printables and 4 Easy Ideas appeared first on Tales from Outside the Classroom.

I like to start our rock cycle unit with a video. While we focus on one specific type of rock per lesson, I find a video helps walk students through the cycle and how each rock connects to others. I like this video from Peekaboo Kidz.

1. Igneous Rocks

The first type of rock we study is igneous rocks. I reinforce that igneous rocks are formed from cooled lava and connect to students’ background knowledge on volcanoes. I also like to demonstrate a volcanic eruption using some red food coloring, baking soda, vinegar, and an old coffee creamer bottle wrapped with brown construction paper.

Now’s the even better part- modeling igneous rocks with food!

I give each student a bowl of vanilla ice cream as their “earth”. I use Magic Shell to pour some “lava” on each student’s “earth”. Students have to wait to touch their lava until it cools since igneous rocks are formed after time. After the last student has their topping, and we’ve waited a minute or so longer, I tell students to use their spoon to tap on their lava.

Students are so surprised that what they thought was chocolate syrup has actually hardened in just a minute or two! While many students are familiar with “dip” on cones, they aren’t as familiar with it coming in bottle forms so it tends to be a great surprise with the kids each year!

2. Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are formed over time, with heat and pressure, and result in rocks forming with layers. Rice Krispie treats are a great way to create “sedimentary rocks”. I bring my Crock Pot in, add layers of butter, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies, and we let it sit. Detailed instructions are included in my Rock Cycle Food Activities handout. Pay close attention- they will burn quickly and really don’t need to be in the Crock Pot too long.

Once things are melted, I take it out and let it sit in a pan for more time. I also make another pan the night before at home and bring that out to start cutting as the newly formed ones cool.

The Rice Krispies and their crumbs help reinforce the concept of sediments. And having to sit and wait to enjoy their rocks helps students remember time and heat are crucial in sedimentary rock formation.

3. Metamorphic Rocks

The last rocks we create, metamorphic rocks, connect with the others. During our metamorphic rocks lesson I talk about how metamorphic rocks are formed by other rocks changing over time due to heat and pressure. Of all of the rocks we create, this is often the most memorable for students. The secret?

the Teachers’ Lounge

Often, the teachers’ lounge has an oven or a toaster oven that can be used to create our metamorphic rocks- s’mores! Getting to spend a half hour in the lounge is so exciting for kids. It allows allows us to use the oven to melt our chocolate and marshmallows. While we’re waiting we talk about how the oven gives the time and heat we need, and that students create their rocks when they add pressure and add the top.

We connect the components to what we’ve already studied: the marshmallows and chocolate are similar to the ice cream and Magic Shell from our igneous rocks; and graham crackers represent sedimentary rocks with their crumbs.

You can download a handy shopping list and instructions for slow cooker Rice Krispie treats in my Rock Cycle Activities handout. Looking for other ideas for incorporating food in the classroom? You may be interested in my Introducing Multiplication, an Introduction to Division, and Testing Treats posts.

The post 3 Awesome Rock Cycle Activities with Food appeared first on Tales from Outside the Classroom.

Distributive Property Trees

These Distributive Property Trees, or Distribu-trees as I called them, have 3 different parts: the trunk to show the expression to be solved, the body to show the decomposition of the expression into smaller parts, and the star for the product. Because we’re still very much practicing this concept, I had students do their work on dry erase boards first. This way, I could do any on-the-spot reteaching I needed.

I gave students several choices. They chose the expression they were going to solve within parameters. They also were able to decide how many components would be in their equations. In the future, I would remove that choice for students. That was where my students had the most difficulty. It’s too complex of a skill, that they have not yet mastered, to add that variable. Next time, I’ll stick with 3 parts as that’s what I have for the blacklines.

Though, despite some of that difficulty, I absolutely love the way the trees turned out in the end. It was easy to scaffold for those students that needed additional supports. I also love that it was super meaningful for what we’re studying right now, and provided a way to practice what we’ve learned while bringing in some fun and Christmas decorations.

If you’re looking for your own Christmas Distributive Property craftivity or project, you can download my Distribu-trees project by filling out the form below. It will be emailed to you immediately after email confirmation. It’s a fun math Christmas project for December!

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