classroom decor Archives - Teacher's Brain

How To Create A Positive Affirmations Station in Your Classroom

February 17, 2023 teachersbrain Classroom Decor, education

As elementary teachers, we all know how important it is to create a positive and nurturing environment in our classrooms. We all strive to build strong relationships with our students and help them develop the skills they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom. One of my favorite tools to achieve that is positive affirmations!

Positive affirmations for kids are short, powerful statements that are used to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with more positive and empowering beliefs. It’s powerful to teach them the vocabulary that they need to have a positive mindset!

Do positive affirmations work for kids?

Yes! When used in the classroom, they can help students develop a more positive self-image, build self-confidence, and improve their overall mental health and wellbeing.

How do you teach positive affirmations for kids?

Start by explaining what positive affirmations are and why they are important. You can help your students understand that these are short, positive statements that they can use to remind themselves of how amazing they are!

Here are a few tips for teaching affirmations:

Create a list of affirmations. Together with your students, create a list of affirmations that they can use in their daily lives. Encourage them to think about their strengths, accomplishments, and qualities, and to come up with affirmations that feel right to them and make them feel good.
Use visualization. Visualization is a powerful tool that can help students to internalize their affirmations. Encourage your students to close their eyes and imagine how they will feel when they reach a goal.
Practice daily in a designated space. These are most effective when they are used regularly! Place affirmations around a mirror or create an affirmation station by setting aside a space in your classroom just for positive affirmation work. You can place a mirror here or just create a board with many positive affirmation cards displayed that students can use to remind themselves of how amazing they are.
Celebrate successes. Finally, be sure to celebrate your students’ successes as they begin to use positive affirmations in their daily lives. Acknowledge their efforts and encourage them to continue using affirmations to build self-confidence and develop a positive mindset.

If you’re looking for a list of positive affirmations for kids or a positive affirmations resource that you can use to create your own Affirmation Station, I have you covered!

I created these Positive Affirmation Cards that you can display on a mirror or elsewhere in your classroom.

In this resource, you’ll find pre-made cards and editable cards full of positive affirmations that you can place around a mirror in your classroom or at an affirmation station.

Included in this download:

Black and White Themed Editable PowerPoint:

24 Pre-made Affirmation Cards (4 per page)
4 different types of Titles Cards
2 Worksheets (To help students understand how to turn a negative thought into a positive thought.)
2 Blank editable pages for you to easily add your own affirmations and titles.
Directions with Suggestions
A Definition Affirmation Poster

If you want to add a pop of color, consider adding construction paper to the back for a border.

This is a wonderful and easy way to incorporate the power of affirmations into your classroom and help your students develop the positive mindset that they need to thrive.

Are you using affirmations in your classroom? Let me know in the comments! For more classroom management resources, check out my post here!

5 Reasons To Have Beach Themed Decor

July 8, 2022 teachersbrain Classroom Decor

Looking for classroom theme ideas for your elementary classroom that will get your students excited to come to class? You’re in the right place! Classroom decorating themes make it fun to come to school, especially at the beginning of the year when students are likely to be a little more nervous than usual.

There are so many fun options to choose from. You can do characters, animals, rainbows, books, etc. These are all amazing but my favorite is definitely beach themed classroom decor! It’s simply timeless and loved by all.

Here are 5 reasons you should have beach themed decor in your classroom

It’s an easy theme. It’s easy because there are tons of affordable decoration options available. Watch for supplies in ocean colors like blue, white, light green, and tan. You can check out the dollar store for tons of beachy things like leis, inflatables, sunglasses, or even some seashells in the craft supplies section!
It’s relaxing. As mentioned above, many students feel some nervousness prior to starting a new school year with a new teacher. The beachy vibes and calming blue colors will provide a welcoming environment that will hopefully help calm those nerves a little.
Students love it. Who doesn’t love a beach vacation? Beach classroom decor brings that summer fun feeling to school.
It gives the perfect setup for beach themed days. These themed days are classic and for a good reason! We all have a memory of going to school in Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses. Your beach decor will set the perfect scene. Just put on some ocean white noise or a video of the ocean and you’re ready to go!
You can connect it to your science lessons. Sharks, dolphins, whales, sea turtles, etc. Students love these animals and will be so engaged in their lessons when they are in a beachy environment.

Love the Beach classroom theme? Here’s the perfect resource to help you set up.

This Beach Themed Classroom Decor Bundle is just what you need.

This is a Hawaiian Beach Themed Classroom Decor Editable bundle with pineapples and palm trees! It has 6 Resources bundled using Hawaii photographs and watercolor clip art.

What is included?

Welcome Banners

Tropical Word Wall

Growth Mindset Posters

Labels

Table Numbers

Center Posters

Hawaii Photo Alphabet Lines (cursive and print)

Name Tags

Classroom Jobs (editable)

Number Posters

Where Are We Signs

How I Get Home Sign

Calendar Set with watercolors

SO MUCH MORE!

The best part is it comes with editable Powerpoints, so you can personalize it to meet your needs!

Looking for more beachy classroom fun? Check out this Beach Themed Day Activities Resource, Beach Party Escape Room, and this Beach Day Virtual Field Trip! Also, check out this blog post to learn about my favorite ways to bring the beach to the classroom.

What are your favorite beach themed classroom decorations? Let me know in the comments!

Calendar Time in Primary is a Beach!

June 11, 2021 teachersbrain Classroom Decor, Teaching Tips

I always loved calendar time when I was in the classroom. In fact, it was the most enjoyable time of the day! If you don’t do Calendar Time in your classroom, you may be wondering what exactly it is.

Calendar time is a time during the day to come together as a class by the calendar. It is a great way to start the day or transition from one activity to the other. It also helps students because it is part of the daily routine and they know what to expect.

Some of my favorite activities for Calendar Time include:

Singing a song or two. This is such a fun way to let your students show their personality and have some fun. Add in dancing for extra physical activity!
Listen to others. Sharing stories or other important information is a great time to practice our listening skills.
Reviewing days and months. Use your calendar to review the days of the week and the current month. Repetition will have your students reciting it on their own in no time.
Review math skills. Reviewing during Calendar Time feels more fun and less like work. Take this time to review some essential skills you have been working on.
Talk about the weather to help students understand the daily weather and what it means.
Read a story. Select a book that relates to what you are working on that week and read it during Calendar Time while students are gathered close and can easily see the pictures.

If you are wanting to get it set up for your classroom, I have you covered! My Beachy Calendar Time Resource has everything you need!

This beach-themed decor bundle comes with matching decorations for your set up. It has six resources bundled in one using Hawaii photographs and watercolor clip art. How amazing does that sound?

Included you’ll get welcome banners, tropical word wall decor, growth mindset posters, labels, table numbers, center posters, Hawaii photo alphabet lines, name tags, editable classroom jobs, number posters, Where Are We signs, How I Get Home sign, and your calendar set with watercolors and so much more!

Looking for tips for decorating your classroom? Check out my post here!

The Best Father’s Day Party Ideas

May 14, 2021 teachersbrain Teaching Tips

Looking for great ways to celebrate the amazing parents of your students? Father’s Day may be during summer vacation but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate it in your classroom!

You can either celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day separately (check out this amazing Mother’s Day celebration idea here!) or you can combine them both into a super fun Parent’s Day. Not only do you get to bundle it all together, but this is a little more inclusive for kids who don’t have a mom, dad, or traditional caregivers at home. Parent’s Day parties can be for anyone who cares for them!

Here are some fun ways to celebrate Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, OR Parent’s Day.

Invite parents to the school! Doing this in the late afternoon or just the second half of the day will make it easier for parents to leave work if necessary and make it in.
Have a picnic. A simple picnic with chips, sandwiches, and juice is fun for everyone. At the end of the year the weather is usually nice so take it outside and get some sunshine. Just make sure to have a backup plan if it gets rainy! You can request food and supplies from parents ahead of time to save yourself from spending too much on food.
Play some games! Get some frisbees (you can usually find some in the Target Dollar Spot or the Dollar Store this time of year) and let students play with their parents. You can also get some footballs-which would be a hit for Father’s Day!
Take a tour of the decorated classroom. After the picnic and games, invite parents to tour the classroom. You can decorate with students’ artwork or crafts they made for their parents!

This Bulletin Board Decoration set is perfect for classroom decoration during Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or a Parent’s Day party. It also makes a great gift that they can take home and give to their parents.

This download includes different pull waffle books, a pocket to hold coupons, and blank waffle books to create your own story! Just add a bow and a folded lunch bag to create a keepsake for students to give to others or use on the bulletin board.

What is your favorite way to celebrate parents? Let me know in the comments!