Elementary Helping Hand

In class we read the book "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes. Students explored their name and how many letters it had. They were then tasked to find out more about their fellow classmates The handout also features the poem, "Every Body Has a Name" by Jean Warren. The unit was at the beginning of the year, so was an ideal way for students to get to know more information about each other. This is part of my Back to School Bundle.

I used this form during a Unit of Inquiry focused on Identity - "Personal identity is shaped by family and our experiences". There was a class discussion as to what each section was, and then students had a chance to draw their ideas, and a small space for writing why they felt this was the case.

This bundle includes some of my favourite back to school activities that I often complete with my students (K-3 over the years) to help develop classroom community. Being more caring at school- encouraging others to being more caring towards each other Chrysanthemum Name Activity- learning about classmates (younger students) Making the Moose out of Grade...- taking risks in a new grade Small Actions can make a Big Difference- how we can all help out to make a difference Student information sheet

This is a great activity to help grow discussions about taking responsibility at school and at home. You can review with the students different ways they can take responsibility of jobs in the classroom and helping out at home. Students will: - complete a drawing and note for class activity - complete a drawing and note for home activity This activity pairs with "I'll Do It!": Taking Responsibility by Brian MosesThis can also be used as a Back to School activity to talk about helping out aroun

This activity encourages students to think how their actions with each other can make a big difference, no matter how big or small. After reading the students Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, students can reflect on how they would have helped her out during the story. - How did the students treat Chrysanthemum? - What action would you have taken to help solve the problem? I have used this activity as part of a Back to School exercise and also in building classroom community units. This is part of

This activity encourages students to think about their behaviour at school and how they can be more caring to each other and the school in general. It involves the reading of two books: - The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig - being more caring for students - What if Everybody did that? by Ellen Javernick - being more caring at school Students can draw a picture and create sentences explaining what they could do for both aspects. I have used this activity as part of both back

This is a simple tool to help get more details out of your writers! The centre bubble can be the topic or title, while the outside squares answer: - what? - where? - why? - when? - who? K-1 students - simply draw pictures and simple words 2-3 students - write in short sentences with pictures to help add more detail I used use this tool with students that receive additional language support. They find it very helpful when it comes to the paragraph writing. I sometimes scribe for them also so ther

Use this convenient one-pager to track each student's progress throughout the year! This page can be updated for any recurring assessments that you do to ensure you can see how your students are doing. It also includes place to show how their UOI are also tracking. You could include - reading assessment scores - reading comprehension assessment scores - writing levels - spelling levels - math scores - UOI achievements This sheet is also a convenient way to hand on to the student's teacher for th

I created this product to help track some student's behaviour who were struggling to focus in class. This contract and chart definitely needs to include parent involvement - make sure you have their support :) I printed these pages off and glued them into an exercise book. The first page includes a summary of the contract - I will make the following changes - rewards (that were usually given at home) - length of time - signatures from student, teacher and parent. Each page can be updated to incl

This is a great activity to complete with students at the beginning of the year. Discuss with your students taking risks, and the importance of trying new things to help us learn. This activity pairs with the book, "Making the Moose out of Life" written by Nicholas Oldland.If you have time/remember, have the students reflect on this activity at the end of the year, and see if they completed what they set out to achieve. Just simply update the grade level and your school name. This is part of m

This is a helpful tool to include in portfolios at the end of a Unit of Inquiry for younger JK-3 students. The form is updatable for you to change the essential elements that you covered in the unit. What's great is that you can use this at the end of each unit, and the kids get used to doing them, and they can become great REFLECTORS!

I created this creative writing rubric for my Grade 1-3 students (mainly used with Grade 2). This is in a bundle with my Elementary Story Writing Graphic Organiser. This is a single point rubric designed to help provide specific feedback for the students: - areas to work on - criteria - exceeding expectations Criteria are taken from the learning that happened during the course of the unit: - meaning and language - story elements - conventions

We read the book "The Name Jar" by Yangsook Choi. We had class discussions as to what it would feel like going to a new school, in a new country, where you knew very little about what was going on. Students were to add in the Learner Profile and Attitude focus for the unit of Inquiry (Open-minded and Empathy). Students completed an emoji or drawing of what they think they would feel like on a first day.

During our Unit of Inquiry based around identity - "Personal Identity is shaped by family and experience" we completed a multiple intelligence survey. The unit was at the beginning of the year, so was an ideal way for students to get to know more information about each other. UOI focus on open-minded, respect and empathy. Using a free download from Laura Candler (http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/multipleintelligences.php) my grade 1 class completed a multiple intelligences survey. As a ch

I used this sheet as a way for the students to explore their similarities and differences (on an initial superficial level) during our Unit of Inquiry based around identity - "Personal Identity is shaped by family and experience". The unit was at the beginning of the year, so was an ideal way for students to get to know more information about each other. UOI focus on open-minded, respect and empathy.

This is a fun activity to do with your new students. It gives them an ideal way to find out where things are kept in the class, along with some class expectations as they go through it. This was a grade 1 resource, but you could use it JK-2. I had the kids complete it with their parents also for those that need an extra helping hand. The PPT is updatable so you can update your list as you wish!

This is a great way to get to know your new students at the start of the year! Currently it is set with an IB skew talking about the Learner Profile. But you can simply update the file to talk about any character traits that relate to either your school or the students. Information on the sheet: - name, age - favourite subject, activity, sport - space to include a photo from you - character trait that best describes them - subject they need help with/could help the new teacher with - character t

During our Unit of Inquiry based around identity - "Personal Identity is shaped by family and experience" students had an opportunity to present information about themselves and their families. This helpful resource is a letter that was sent home to parents outlining requirements and expectations. There is space at the top to include any school headers or footers as required. The unit was at the beginning of the year, so was an ideal way for students to get to know more information about each

This bundle includes two of my behaviour monitoring tools for students that are struggling to be successful in the classroom. The 2 products are outlined and linked below :) Behaviour Tracking Chart and ContractI created this product to help track some student's behaviour who were struggling to focus in class. This contract and chart definitely needs to include parent involvement - make sure you have their support :) I printed these pages off and glued them into an exercise book. The first page

This chart was used for students that outgrew my other behaviour tracking chart. It is a simpler version and includes a section to track their own behaviour. Each tally represents a time the behaviour was seen or noticed by the teacher throughout the day, compared with the student reflection. The goal of course is to see a reduction in the occurring behaviours. Simply update the behaviours you want to include. Try to include some positive behaviours in there also! This chart was reviewed at the