Classroom Jobs

I was reading over at Curls and a Smile about her job board. I believe classroom jobs are essential for a class to run smoothly. I expect students to take responsibility for their job and to do it independently.

I downloaded my jobs board from Fresher Schools website. I loved the theme and thought why reinvent the wheel! The board doesn't have the purple around it - it's just a pic from their website since I don't have a photo of mine.

 It comes with these cute bees which are editable - I just type in the names of my students and print off.

 

The jobs are on hexagonal shapes. I arrange it to look like the honeycomb cells in a beehive. They are also editable so you can add any jobs you like. I use the hook and loop sticky things to stick the names on the cell and each fortnight I just swap over the names. I randomly draw names and assign to the next job on the chart- this way the favourites aren't taken first all the time. The students are really happy with this as they think it is fair. I never have any problems with students not wanting to do a job.

Some of the jobs I have are:

• Line leader x 2
• Line ender x 2 (we walk in two lines)
  
• Sports Monitor- I have a bag of sports equipment that the monitor signs out to students who want it
• Hand Sanitizer
• Teacher Helper x2 - helps pass out papers/pick up papers and generally lend a hand
• Homework Monitor
• Floor Patrol
• Librarian 
• Seating Chart monitor (moves pegs with names down a chart to rotate the favourite seating options for reading)
• Computer Technician - checks that they are turned on and off, that they are left neat and tidy after use
• Tuckshop Monitor - takes the tuckshop box and goes and get it at lunch time.

You can download these job labels on the Fresher Schools website here.

Love your fonts? This is for you!

We all have our favourite fonts as can be seen from the huge response to the recent linky party over at Finally in First. The only problem is, I've recently downloaded some great fonts from Kevin and Amanda and Sugar Frog but HATE scrolling through trying to find a font that I like - so I tend to use the same ones.

Last night I was looking at the recent posts on TpT to see what new things I can buy and download when I happened across the first item from a new TpT contributor  (The Apple Basket Teacher) called Kevin and Amanda Free Scrapbook Font examples.

This is what you get

10 pages of all of the fonts - their name and an example sentence in size 16. I just thought WOW! I now know what all the fonts look like!!

Even better, she has done the same thing for Keven and Amandas Fonts for Peas fonts and Sugar Frog Fonts!! Yippee! Get them at her store - The Apple Basket Teacher -  for FREE here!

You can also check out her blog here. 

Engaging Weather-Themed Math and Literacy Centers for Early Learners PLUS Freebie☀️

Are you looking for hands-on, engaging activities to help your students master key math, literacy, and fine motor skills? My Weather Math, Literacy, Writing, and Fine Motor Centers pack is packed with fun, skill-building activities designed specifically for kindergarten and first-grade learners. Whether you’re teaching in a classroom or homeschooling, this resource makes learning interactive and effective!

Why Use Themed Learning Centers?

Using a weather theme for math and literacy centers is a great way to keep students engaged while reinforcing important concepts. The hands-on activities encourage participation and independent learning, making them perfect for morning tubs, small groups, or rotations.

What’s Included?

This weather-themed pack includes a total of 20 engaging centers, covering fine motor skills, writing, literacy, and math. Each center comes with I Can cards and recording sheets, making them easy to implement with minimal prep.

Literacy Centers

These hands-on literacy centers focus on phonics, rhyming, word recognition, and sentence building: 

• Rainbow Rhymes – CVCe rhyming words
• Storming for Words – ng, nk words in sound boxes
• Reading the Weather – Vowel teams in sentences
• Write It, Use It – Tense: ed, ing
• Feed the Weather – R-controlled vowels (ar/or) – 2 levels of words

Math Centers

Make math engaging with weather-themed counting, graphing, addition, subtraction, and patterning activities: 🎲 Roll and Add Pocket Dice – 3 levels: addition to 10, 15, and 20

• Roll and Subtract Pocket Dice – 3 levels: subtract from 10, 15, and 20
• Measure the Weather – Non-standard measurement
• Sunshower Subtraction – Subtraction within 10 & from 20 with ten frames
• Graphing the Weather – With manipulatives or a worksheet
• Rain Patterns – Make, continue, and name repeating patterns

Fine Motor Skills Activities

Developing strong fine motor skills is essential for young learners as they prepare for handwriting and other academic tasks. This pack includes: ✔ Scissor skills practice (7 pages)

• Push pin poke pictures (5 pages)
• Line tracing and control mazes (14 pages)
• Paper tearing crafts (3 pages)
• Weather vocabulary and picture tracing (4 pages)

Writing Activities

Help students strengthen their writing skills with these differentiated activities: 

• Sentence Building – 2 versions for different levels (8 pages total)
• Weather Writing – Picture prompt, word bank, and editing checklist (4 pages)
• Draw and Write – Follow a directed drawing and write about it (4 pages)

Why Teachers Love This Resource

✅ Differentiated Learning – Many activities include multiple levels to support diverse learners.
✅ Minimal Prep – Just print and go! Available in both color and black-and-white for easy printing.
✅ Aligned to Early Learning Standards – Perfect for kindergarten and first-grade students.
✅ Australian and US Spelling Versions Included – Choose the version that suits your classroom!

Get This Weather-Themed Resource Today!

If you’re looking for engaging, hands-on learning centers for math, literacy, writing, and fine motor skills, this weather-themed activity pack is perfect for your students. Whether used for small group work, independent stations, or morning bins, these activities will make learning fun and meaningful!

👉 Grab this pack now in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Also, here's a Repeating Patterns Weather freebie you can dowload from my store!

Spelling ideas

I have to say that spelling is one of the things I've found difficult to teach this year. I was absolutely gobmacked when I met the kids and saw the huge difference in spelling ability (reading, math,... you get it) at the start of the year. I had some that didn't even know the sounds of the alphabet and some who were spelling at beginning 3rd grade level.

Obviously, the class has to have differentiated spelling lists. So every student in my class has their own list made up of core words (a pre-test was done to work out which they already know, highlighted off their list, and then each week they choose new words from those remaining), theme words (spelling pattern or topic area words) and personal words (words that they want to spell or are spelling incorrectly in their writing). Each week they are buddy tested, I mark, they highlight correct words and then go about choosing new words.

During the week, they do lots of different activities including

• spelling board games
• spell their words with wiki sticks, play-doh, write in sand, on whiteboards, with blocks, magnets, paint with water, trace with stencils etc
• To make sure they are practising writing their words, as soon as they come in in the morning they do LSCWC (look, say, cover, write, check), highlighting vowels and fixing up mistakes they find when they 'check' their spelling (they do this as we are waiting for everyone to arrive)
• Here's one of the sheets they work with. I copy onto colored paper, laminate and put in a plastic sleeve (they're easier to clean). They have their spelling book turned over beside them. They make the word with blocks while saying the letters. They check if they got it right, tick the box and mix up the letters and re-do twice more. They then write the word with a whiteboard marker in the last box. You can download this sheet by clicking the picture.

One way that I love to introduces spelling patterns is through poetry. Each week, I introduce a sound or spelling pattern with a poem. We make a class chart with words that we know that have that sound or pattern.

The next day, students are given a new poem that has the sound or two that I am focusing on. They highlight the pattern or sound (with different spellings) and illustrate the poem to show their understanding of it.

The next day they then go on a book search and brainstorm for other words that have the same pattern or sound and write them down. The better spellers are great at finding more difficult words.

And finally, on the last day they use the words they have collected to write their own poem or rhyme and share with the class (they love this part). 

Even better, we also use these poems for fluency practise! With some poems, we are able to add lots of actions to go with the words. Reading through our poems and doing the actions is a favourite activity to do if we have a couple of minutes to spare before going home or break. They can't get enough of it!

I'll grab some photos of one of my students poetry books when I go into school today. Remember to head on over to TBA's Super Spelling Linky Party for some great ideas! Sorry for the long post!

FREEBIE: Standards Display

Yeah, I've kept my blog going for 2 weeks! I wasn't sure how I'd go at first, but I'm addicted and try to add something every day. I can't believe I've got nearly 60 followers - you are all awesome! To say thank you, here is a new item that I've added to my TpT store - but it's FREE! Clearly display core or other standards with these three posters:

WALT - We are learning to
WILF - What I'm looking for
TIB - This is because

Just laminate or add them to a plastic sleeve to easily write and wipe off.

I got this idea from the Fresher Schools website, but updated it with these cute big eyed kids! I love them! Grab them here

Reflection Prompt sentence starters for class discussions or written reflections

I've just uploaded a new item to my TpT store. The pack consists of 36 reflection prompt starters for class discussions or written reflections. Also included is 4 blank cards to make your own (or email me and I'll add any other prompts you want).

I've attached mine with a key-ring and I ask students a new question each day (and during reading, writing and math block reflections). Students always want to share so I often use 'turn and talk' or 'think, pair, share' strategies so that everyone can have time to share their thinking. Each week, I also have students do a written reflection in their journals. I find these are helpful in getting students to internalise and use vocabulary that has been taught or used that day and to restate their goals from reading conferences etc (e.g. my strength in reading is ... but I need to work on... )


Here are some examples:

You can grab them here.

Getting Organsied

Well, I've started shopping for new things to make my classroom more colorful, cheerful and organised.

Here are some of my purchases over the past couple of days:

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes! These are smaller ones that I am using to hold my Grade 6 books and resources (the bigger boxes end up being way to heavy). Smaller food containers that I keep small games, dice, spinners etc in. All the books are from a clearance box at Target. I LOVE the poetry books. I've already got the older versions which had BW pictures throughout - these ones are in colour. They have cool names too:

• Unreal, Banana Peel
• Real Keen, Baked Bean
• Far Out, Brussel Sprout
• All Right, Vegemite
• Roll Over, Pavlova

Didn't really want to pay $5 for each, but I just had to have them! I love using poetry for teaching blends, digraphs and word families, rhyming words etc etc so these will definitely come in handy.

 I got these at the local $2 shop (we don't have 'dollar stores' here!). The most expensive item I saw in this shop was $750!! Not so cheap! I've got some pencil holders, little trays to hold things and these stands that I thought would help give me some more room by being able to put stuff underneath.

I also bought a couple of bigger boxes to add the resources from my theme units.

Gotta go! There's more shopping to be had!