Monthly Thoughts: September

Thank you so much for your positive feedback to this new monthly project of mine I like to call "Monthly Thoughts". As I enter my fourth year of teacher-blogging, I'm realizing that the posts and ideas I have are so scattered across my blog and TpT Store, it's sometimes hard to find information. You can find August's Thoughts HERE and today I'm continuing with September.

Just like last month, there are twenty images that link you to a post, resource, freebie, quote, etc. from my blog or store. Each month will be a new collection of ideas, both old and new, and I hope it will help make the school year's planning easier to navigate.

Be sure to download the calendar page from my TpT Store HERE each month when it's released. It's a clickable PDF, so you will be redirected to my blog, TpT Store, or another website for all of the information when you click the small image.

While I have themed many of the months around holiday items, there are also plenty of ideas geared towards other academic areas, like nonfiction, getting ready for state tests, and more. And if these don't align with your own scope and sequence, hopefully a few can add to your bag of tricks when you do cover those topics in your own classroom.

I'm continuing with the September calendar today, which you can find in my TpT Store HERE.

Monthly Thoughts: September

Click the link to be taken to the free download on TpT

Once August is behind us, I love setting up routines and procedures in writing and reading that will set the stage for a successful year. See how we set up our Writer's Notebook and Book Bins to make them feel personalized from the start.

Classroom ambiance is important during independent work time and you can see some of my ideas for music HERE. I also love to get myself set up with my Teacher Time Bin and Google Forms to start my year off on an organized foot.

I love having fun with unexpected twists in the day, and my Monster Partner Cards are a creative way to group kids, especially during this important getting-to-know you time. We also love reading the many Did You Know? Facts that I hang near the door to the classroom and switch out each day.

Transitions are also made easier with our Word of the Day, allowing us to utilize vocabulary from across the curriculum throughout the day.

Anchor charts also go up around the room, like Just Right books and Soda vs. Water Reactions to help students remember all year long about these important conversations.

Autumn starts here in Colorado, so our Word Work, Writing Prompts, and Math Centers all center on the changing leaves and cooler temperatures.

There's plenty more, so take your pick and click away to find more information on any and all of the images you see.

Download HERE and enjoy! I hope these ideas will get you excited for the school year ahead!