Tag Archives: school

Please Stay Awhile

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peekingGirl

Hello everyone.  Hard to believe, but the summer months are drawing to a close.  September is right around the corner and a new school year is about to commence.  For us, teachers, it is that time again – setting up, organizing, preparing and planning for the year ahead.  As we get ready to open our doors and our hearts to the newest treasures, I would like to share a poem I wrote, welcoming everyone on this great journey together.  Feel free to download a copy of the poem and use it in your classroom – just click on the image below.

PleaseStayAwhile!

One of the things I like to set up at this time of year is individual student portfolios.  I designate a specific area in the classroom for showcasing each child’s work in a bulletin format.  Throughout the year I make sure to add new writing pieces to each child’s portfolio, highlighting their growth and changes over the course of the year.  It is always fascinating to see their progress, however big or small their steps may be.

boyPeekingAs an extension to the poem, Please Stay Awhile, I prepared an initial portfolio assignment.  Toward the end of the first week of school, students will be invited (in small groups) to sketch a picture of themselves and write their name.  Please note that this is not an assessment piece.  It merely gives me an indication of where my students are at – a point of reference for each child’s starting point.  It is also a great way for me to see what my returning SK students retained from the previous year.  Perhaps the best use of this task is that it allows me to plan my program in a way to address whole-group as well as individual needs.  Feel free to download a copy of the template by clicking on the image below.

GoodNews

Happy Start-of-the-Year everyone.  As always, your comments and feedback are most welcome.

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Thank you,

Lora

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Please Stay Awhile by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Three Lessons My First Year in Teaching Taught Me

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GravatarA young woman walks into a school, dressed in a tailored suit, just loose enough to mask her anxious composure. In one hand she holds a resume, in the other a leather portfolio.

“You can do this. You can do this,” she chants to herself, while quickening her steps, fighting an impulse to run back to her car. She heads straight to the office, looking for the principal. Minutes later, a tall bearded man steps out of the adjacent office and extends his arm.

“Hi, I’m Craig,” he begins and the young woman’s shoulders relax as she looks into his warm eyes. Phew, she can breathe again. “Yes, I received your resume this morning,” he explains. “We’ve actually just finished interviewing for all the positions we have available.” The young woman’s spirit sinks; but is reignited as he continues. “I have to say, though, I love your assertiveness and determination. How would you like to stay for an interview?” A smile breaks on the young woman’s face as the principal proceeds to call in other staff members to join in on the interview.

So began my journey as a primary grade school teacher. Continue reading →

This is Not Goodbye!

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f4939b9d9b4f5f90c8240245691056faGet out those lawn chairs, dust off the patio, find those sun hats you thought you’d never see.  Summer is finally here!  For us, teachers, this warm welcome is also accompanied by a departure, as we bid farewell to our cherished students.

In that honor, I would like to share a poem I wrote for my students marking this time of year.  If you read my last post, you know that for some students saying goodbye is not an easy task.  Well, this is not goodbye.

This is Not Goodbye!

TeacherFinalImage

As I send you on your way,
There’s something I want to say –

Throughout the year I watched you grow,
Blossom into the gem we all know.
We learned, we played, we laughed a lot,
We built a castle where once stood a dot.

As you spread your wings and begin to fly,
Always remember it began with a try.
‘I can’t’, ‘I won’t’, was not permitted,
Fear and doubt should be omitted.

Be your best and try your hardest,
Read a lot to go the farthest.
Come and visit and say ‘Hi’,
See you later – this is Not goodbye!

Feel free to download a copy of the poem by clicking on the link below.

This is Not Goodbye !
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Thank you and happy Summer everyone!

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This is Not Goodbye by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Every Ending is a New Beginning

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cute-flower-girl-summer-sun-Favim.com-281317As the school year draws to a close, so does another year’s journey in both teachers’ and students’ lives.  For some children, this sudden abandon from all they have grown accustomed to (and love) is not an easy transition.

I recall, several years ago, when one of my beloved students had a very hard time ending the year.  Any time there was any reference made to the summer holidays, this otherwise happy-go-lucky girl, would break down into tears.  It completely took me by surprise (and melted my heart) when she confessed to being sad about not having me as her teacher anymore (she had been with me for both JK and SK). I consoled her as best as I could and we came up with a plan – she would come in to help me pack for the rest of the week and also be my special helper during recess the following school year.  It wasn’t an ending.  It was a new beginning.

It has been two years since, and this precious child still comes in every single day to help me.  I appreciate her dedication and support, but more than anything else I value the lesson she has taught me and continues to remind me of each day.  Regardless of age, background, title, position, etc., there is a beautiful bond that exists between people, if we just recognize it and let it flourish.

With that thought, I’d like to share a poem I wrote.  As I often do with my students (and family and friends alike), I would love to hear your interpretations of it.

Please let us know if you enjoy our content by pressing  Like button
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Thank you,

Lora

We Made a Pact

runningWe made a pact, he and I.
He’d come out and I’d join too.

We made a pact, not long ago.
He’d bring the warmth and I’d rejoice.

We made a pact, this much is true.
He’d light the sky and I’d lead the way.

We made a pact, but he bailed out.
Just like that, got up and left.

I searched for him as night crept in,
across the field,
between the clouds,
over the hills.

No sign of him.

I called to him but silence followed.
I grunted, frowned – I was not pleased.

I won’t forgive him.
I won’t. I won’t.

And now, because of his shenanigans,
Mommy said to go inside.

bedI ate my dinner but I was mad.
I brushed my teeth but I was livid.

I lay in bed, covered in heaps.
I won’t forgive this – we had a pact.

I tossed and turned and missed him so.
Perhaps I should forgive him.

I closed my eyes as sleep crept in.
Maybe, just maybe, I thought,
I’ll give him one last chance tomorrow.

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We Made a Pact by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Alphabet Bingo

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Alphabet BingoALPHABET BINGO is a fun game to play with young children as they learn the letters of the alphabet! Created with Primary students in mind, this unique game is designed to help kids recognize both uppercase and lowercase letters, while reinforcing basic shapes and colours.

Played like most bingo games, children use a cover-up bingo chip to cover letters as they are named by a “caller” (teacher, parent, student). Alphabet Bingo can also be played with a focus on sounds. For example, instead of calling out lower case b, emphasize a sound (i.e., This is a letter that makes the sound bbb, as in ball).  In this variation, both uppercase and lowercase b will be covered up.

The download includes 48 bingo cards, a set of 52 Upper case and Lower case Letters to call out and an instruction sheet.

Click HERE to get all you need.
Let us know if you enjoy this Teacher Content by clicking Like button
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Happy Playing!

Lora

Alphabet Bingo by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Mother’s Day

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“Your hands surround me like a wall,
And wait to catch me if I fall.
Your hands feed me when I hunger
A mother’s hands are like no other.”



Happy Sunday everyone.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and with that begins our search for fresh craft ideas for the classroom (for us teachers, that is).  I’d like to share a poem that I wrote, along with a craft idea.  Feel free to download a copy of the poem and the card templates to use in your classrooms.  I included various cover and greeting options.  Feel free to mix and match.  The flower craft requires a bit of judgement depending on your students’ age group, so you may want to use it as an extra or as a standalone craft.

Here are 2 cover options and 2 inner card options:

Mother's Day 1

Card Cover

Mother's Day 4

Card Cover Option 2

Mother's Day 3 - blank

Blank for inside card

Mother's Day 2

Inside Card Poem

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some photos of the completed Mother’s Day Craft:

Flower Sample

Sample of Flower craft

Card Open

Inside the card

Final Product

Front cover

Here is a poem I wrote for Mother’s Day:

ICON Poem

Here is another card option. Simply print, fold in half, fold in half again and voila:

ICON Card

Happy Crafting! Have a wonderful week everyone!

I would love it if you shared your finished products with us.

Creative Commons License
My Mother’s Hands by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sight Words BINGO!

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Bingo GameSight Words Bingo

Sight word acquisition is an important building block in the construction of a child’s ability to read. Once she is able to read these words, she has access to up to 75% of what is printed in almost any piece of children’s literature. How exactly do teachers and parents help children develop their stores of sight words? There are several proven techniques that any adult can use to teach sight words.

Children do not learn new words by being exposed to them only once. Repetition is key to sight word acquisition. Young readers should be given opportunities to read and write a new sight word multiple times. Repetitive reading of texts featuring certain sight words is one strategy for helping children commit these words to memory.

Once children have had the opportunity to study new sight words, games are a fun, hands on way to help strengthen their retention. These games are easy to create at home or at school and can be modified based on the particular sight words a child is learning at the time. We designed a game based on an all-time favourite, BINGO. The incentive to find a word coupled with the urge to complete a card, creates an active environment for memorizing these essential words.

The download includes 48 Sun-Moon-Star-Earth bingo cards as well as a set of 40 sight words to call out. All you need is lots of bingo chips and eager players, and you are ready to go.

Just click here to download the package.

Enjoy!

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

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knuffle2bbunnyKnuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Published by Walker & Company

Despite their good intentions, sometimes Dad’s don’t always do things right. Little Trixie finds this out the hard way when she accompanies her Dad to the Laundromat. Without knowing it, he throws her favorite stuffed bunny in the washing machine. Her baby talk doesn’t mean a whole lot to her Dad, but when they get home a perceptive mother is able to tell what is wrong instantly. With wonderfully odd illustrations this humorous book is bound to get laughs from both children and adults.