I Scream for Hopes and Dreams

It's Labor Day, which is usually the telltale sign that Summer Break is officially over here in Jersey. This year is different for me. For the first time in roughly 27 years, I am not heading into a classroom as a student or a teacher (some years, I was both!). I'm on Maternity Leave to start this year! Could you blame me for wanting to stay home with this guy?

Photo Credit: Janet Lanza Photography

However, once a teacher, always a teacher! I cannot help but reflect on Back to School seasons of years past. My school is rooted in the ideals of Responsive Classroom and in nearly every classroom, you can find Hopes and Dreams for the students, teachers, and sometimes even parents posted year round as goals for students to develop and work on all year.

As many of my lessons as a Kindergarten teacher begin, I love kicking off Hopes and Dreams with a book. My kiddos LOVE Leo the Lightning Bug!

Have you read this one before? It's the darling story of Leo the Lightning Bug and his challenges and struggles to make his own bright light like the other lightning bugs. I have found it to be a great tangible connection for students to create their own hopes and dreams for the year. It doesn't have to be the same as their friends and it could even be something their friends are able to do well that they aren't able to.. YET! It's a story about resilience and never giving up. It's a great way to begin the thought process on what their own personal hopes and dreams would be for the school year.

Hopes and Dreams in my room are shared and posted ALL. YEAR. LONG. On days when we need a mood lift or a reminder of why we are in school and what we are working for all year, we refer back to our Hopes and Dreams. For something to be posted for the entirety of the year, I needed something I was willing to see all year. And so came, I Scream for Hopes and Dreams!

This adorable craftivity can be found in my TPT store here!

Best Part? It's a dollar deal!

That's right, ONE dollar for a meaningful and estetically pleasing lesson. Because who needs any more stress during Back to School season?

Enjoy this deal or pin it to save for next year!

Keep your head in the clouds!

Thinking Ahead: Open House!

Open House. Back to School Night. Meet the Teacher. No matter what you call it, bringing in families of students can be a bit nerve wracking! All those extra eyes scoping out the room. You want to make sure you've dotted all i's and crossed all t's. Well you're in luck! I've made a bunch of resources to make your Open House night a success (and adorable, if I might add!)

And so, I bring you.. Cooking Up A Great Year!

Adorable AND Editable! Can you believe it?
Comes in three variations: Back to School Night, Open House, and Meet the Teacher.

There's even this adorable Student Activity to have on display:

And get this- first five people to retweet me will get this whole set FOR FREE! Retweet and follow my blog and you've got yourself an automatic free pack, regardless of which number retweet you are! Happy tweeting!

Chirp, chirp!

Keep your head in the clouds!