Teacher’s Brain

Author: teachersbrain

Educator

Back to School Teacher Giveaway

Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR TEACHERS

The crucial role by teachers is magnified during these uncertain times. YOU are the unsung heroes! We have teamed up with other amazing teacher-authors to show you how much we appreciate and respect your hard work and dedications to students!
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❤️3 $200 TpTGift Cards using the Raffle Link
❤️1 Rolling Storage Cart with a SECRET Gift
What NEW resources will you buy if you win?

Enter the raffle HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Raffle Ends at 11:59 PM EST 07/30/2020. The winners will be announced by 08/01/2020.
?You must be an educator to win. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, or Teachers Pay Teachers. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this page and not to Facebook , Instagram, or Teachers Pay Teachers. No Purchase Required.

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Engaging Students In The Five Senses

Science, Teaching Tips

Teaching your kindergarten or first grade students about the five senses and how they use them to understand the world around them can be such a fun unit! There are so many ways you can get creative and hands-on in the classroom on this one. The best way to really engage your students in learning about the five senses is- you guessed it, letting them use them! Really let them smell, taste, feel, see, and hear during the activities.  

There are an enormous amount of activities out there that you could use to teach this. It can be overwhelming to decide what lesson plans to go with. You want something fun, age appropriate, and engaging, but that is also based on standards. 

With that in mind, I created an awesome, extensive five week long 5 senses activities unit! 

This resource includes 5 full weeks of lessons, a journal (a great way to integrate literacy and writing in your lessons), 5 mini books, posters, inquiry lessons, detailed plans and more! 

  • Week one, your students will explore and learn all about the sense of touch. 
  • Week two explore the sense of sight
  • Week three learn all about smell
  • Week four explore hearing
  • Week five explore taste

Additional Tips For Teaching The Five Senses

  1. Read books about the five senses. This helps give visuals and incorporate vocabulary into your science lessons.
  2. Get hands-on! Students love when they can get their hands dirty and really dive into an activity. Don’t shy away from it. There are so many cool ways to teach the senses. 
  3. Use the scientific method in your lessons. Check out my post on teaching the scientific method here! 

five senses

 

five senses

 

What is your favorite way to teach the five senses? Let me know in the comments.

 

Back to School Checklist and Tools for Teachers with Social Distancing in Mind

Back to School, Distance Learning, Teaching Tips

Back to School Checklist

This year is going to be different than any year we have ever taught before thanks to Covid-19.  The best thing you can do now is get a jump start on classroom organization.  I like to have checklists and a lot of teaching tools at my fingertips before I begin the school year in order for my days to go as smooth as possible.  The best advice someone gave me once was to always plan and if the plan doesn’t work in teaching, change the plan.

Checklists for Teachers

Here is a list of things you can add to your own checklist for this school year.  I have a free social distancing checklist download on TpT you can use if you don’t want to make your own.

  • Gather and organize classroom materials and supplies. (Include safety supplies, masks and hand sanitizer)
  • Distance seats from each student.
  • Make it a rule that kids need their own water bottle to keep kids out of the water fountain.
  • Create individualized bins for each student for supplies.
  • Prepare student name tags and/or student desk labels.
  • Organize your files.
  • Label all furniture in the classroom.
  • Create an emergency substitute folder.
  • Label textbooks, workbooks, and supplies.
  • Set up your grade book.
  • Make the first day of lesson plans very detailed.
  • Have rules for the NEW social distancing guidelines if you are in person.
  • If you are doing virtual or a blended version of both, create those rules.
  • Decorate your room to help students remember new safety guidelines.
  • Plan icebreakers for each day the first week of school.
  • Have a classroom calendar and schedule in the classroom.

Teacher Toolkit

In order to help you with all the new social distance guidelines and distance learning, I got together with some of my favorite teacher authors to bring you some teaching tools you can use in this Back to School Tools for Teachers! This is exciting because some of these are resources are way too time consuming for teachers to create.  There are a few freebies in the mix too.

Here are the resources for your Distance Learning Teaching Toolkit:

All About Me Google Slides | Star Student     Virtual Meet the Teacher | OPEN HOUSE | Google Slides

Social Distancing Greetings | Posters | Craft | Mini Books   Social Distancing Posters | Mini Book

Back to School Getting to Know You Project for Distance Learning   Social Distancing Coloring Book EDITABLE | Classroom Rules Coloring Book

Math and ELA Toolbox Distance Learning   Pen Pal Packet for Distance Learning

Back to School Distance Learning Activity - Reading Interest Inventory Survey   1/2 PRICE! Covid 19 Safety Posters and EDITABLE Desk Name Plates

Distance Learning Coronavirus | How to Talk to Young Children About the Virus  Teacher Planning Tool for Digital Organization

Distance Learning Animal Adaptations for Google Classroom  Emergent Readers | Back to School Staying Safe School Rules Booklet

Virtual Learning Behavior Expectations Posters| Distance Learning| Google Slides  Home School Calendar Toolkit

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Teacher Tips for Returning Back to School Safely

Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

Returning back to school safely is going to take teachers a lot of patience, tips and tricks this year! There are so many unknowns but I know for sure that being organized and clean are going to be play a big role in our Back to School routine.

Here are some ideas for you to think about this school year while planning!

Tips for Teachers Returning Back to School Safely

1. This hand sanitizer holder is pretty neat to place outside of the door.  Students use their foot to squirt their hands.  I have seen some great motion detected dispensers on Amazon too.

(Photo: Stephanie Deal)

2. This teacher is using individual yoga mats, plastic serving trays and individual bins for supplies to keep her students learning at a distance from each other.

(Photo: Kaycie Huffman)

3. Individual book bins are a MUST this year. Plan on using paper printable books or after a week, place the books on quarantine for a couple weeks before rotating them to the next student.

 

(Photo: Teaching Little Leaders)

4. If you are meeting students in person this year, teaching Distant Greetings are going to be important to teach that first week back to school.  Make a poster or sign to hang at the door for students to easily remember and choose their greeting and goodbye each day from a distance.

(Photo: Teacher’s Brain – Cindy Martin)

5. I love this idea! These are pillowcases turned inside out with individual supply bins inside.

(Photo: Mrs. Classroom Craziness)

6. If you are teaching virtual or in person this year, a virtual Meet the Teacher or Open House will make it easier for you to introduce yourself, the classroom and to get students to get to know each other virtually. Google Slides are perfect for personalizing and sharing with families.

7. Social Distance Posters are perfect for in the classroom to remind students of the new safety rules and procedures for the school year.

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