Why I Keep the Same Bulletin Board Up Every Year (And I’m So Glad I Do)

Confession: I used to stress about bulletin boards. I'd spend way too much time trying to make the layout work, only to realize the board was in a weird, hard-to-reach spot where nothing ever looked quite right. I’d try to divide it. Make it “seasonal.” Rotate displays. It never really worked.

Then I stopped.

A few years ago, I created a board with one simple, powerful message: "The Power of Yet." Bright colors. Big, bold letters. It looked great, and more importantly, it meant something.

At the start of the year, I use it to teach a lesson about growth mindset and the “magical yet.” You can’t read… yet. You don't know how to use a number line… yet. We talk about how our brains grow, and the board becomes a visual reminder of that all year long. I use this book before introducing the board:

And here’s the best part: I leave it up all year. I even leave it up over the summer. (I didn't ask...just did it!)

No more climbing on chairs to staple borders. No more second-guessing a theme. No more back-to-school panic about decorations.

It’s become one of the best classroom decisions I’ve made. Time-saving? Yes. Meaningful? Absolutely. And honestly, the message never gets old.

So if you’ve been thinking about simplifying your bulletin boards, this is your sign. Pick a message that matters—and let it shine all year long.

Affirmation Station

I'm a big believer in Positivity over Negativity! And there is such an easy way to help foster a positive classroom: an Affirmation Station!

  

What Are Affirmations?

• They are short phrases that are positive and empowering.
• They boost a child's self-esteem, confidence, and foster a can-do attitude. A great way to introduce Growth Mindset!
• When you say affirmations often enough, they shape your reality.
• You can say them anywhere and it only takes a few minutes a day to feel the positive effects.

How to Use My Affirmation Station

• Set up an area in your room where you have affirmations visible for the kids to read. I use a mirror but a bulletin board or simply a wall works fine.
• I tape affirmations around a mirror for the kids to say when they want. Some kids stop by daily. When I introduced the affirmations, we said them together after lunch for a month straight before kids could do so independently. 
• You can print out cards and give to kids so they can say them at desks or some where more private if needed.
• Print out and send home a few a day to have kids share with families. 
• By request, I printed out extra sets for some of my students who said them each morning at their desks after arrival AND I had two requests from parents last year to send home so they could create their own at home. (I'm fine with you sharing this with families. I encourage you to!) 
• Although I continued to say as a class each day, there were days I would include them in Do-Nows or in center rotations.
• This resource includes editable affirmations so I did switch out when an opportunity presented itself. For example, after reading the wonderful book The Thing Lou Couldn't Do, we switched out one for the included "I am determined" and typed up one that said, "I have grit."

These also come in black and white so you can print on any color paper you'd like to match your classroom. There is also a separate EDITABLE file so you can add specific affirmations you may want for your students.

Affirmations Included: 

✿ I am smart.
✿ I am clever.
✿ I am brave.
✿ I am loved.
✿ I am positive.
✿ I am talented.
✿ I am confident.
✿ I am amazing.
✿ I am persistent.
✿ I am caring.
✿ I am polite.
✿ I am unique.
✿ I am wise.
✿ I am friendly.
✿ I am fun.
✿ I am empathetic.
✿ I am responsible.
✿ I am respectful.
✿ I am assertive.
✿ I am flexible.
✿ I am honest.
✿ I am grateful.
✿ I am present.
✿ I am helpful.
✿ I am cheerful.
✿ I am inspiring.
✿ I am generous.
✿ I am creative.
✿ I am focused.
✿ I am eager.
✿ I am patient.
✿ I am interesting.
✿ I am reliable.
✿ I am independent.
✿ I am happy.
✿ I am nice.
✿ I am determined.
✿ I am successful.
✿ I am awesome.
✿ I am in control.

Between my Affirmation Station and My Power Of Yet Bulletin Board, I feel like I'm starting off the year ready to jump in and amp up not only my students' confidence in tackling new situations but the belief that they WILL succeed.  

Have a great day!

Using Crowns and Headbands In My Classroom

I'm a crown and headband kind of girl!  Always have been! When I was little, it wasn't really dress-up without a tiara or two on my head! My love of headbands and crowns has extended to the classroom. I use them monthly and invite other optional opportunities for kids to make and bring home.

Why Use Crowns and Headbands In Your Classroom?

• a quick, easy, yet meaningful "hat" that highlights a specific day or holiday to celebrate
• an activity that promotes classroom community and school spirit
• perfect for a quick Do-Now as kids arrive in the morning
• reinforce curriculum
• helps kids practice fine motor skills with coloring and cutting
• sparks conversations in class and at home which strengthens the home-school connection

How To Make Crowns and Headbands

• print out the crown you want 
• use crayons or markers to color in the crown
• cut out
• glue onto a sentence strip and size to head
• staple it

I use 2-3 crowns a month BUT I often out out the ones I didn't use during centers that kids can make and take home if they want. For example, we celebrated coding in September in school and I did a lesson on it but I didn't offer a crown to make. Some kids picked it during centers and brought it home to make while a few decided to make it in school.  

I've packed lots of crowns into each monthly packet. The best part? Many of them can be used ANY time of the year! Gotta love that!

Packing Up My Classroom

This is what my class looked like on Friday. Depressing!  Notice that I left up a bulletin board and I didn't cover my bookcases with paper.  That's such a waste of paper!  (My custodian approved.) And anything high on walls stays up too.  Are you allowed to keep some things up? Saves so much time in August when I go to set up my room.

I love that bulletin board! It's the first time I had the same one up all year (without student work! Eek) and will keep it for next year. It's a great message and I referred to it all of the time. Another reason I left it up: I can't access all of that board and could NEVER get it to look right last year.

Here is a close up:

Check out the books I use to teach about Growth Mindset and Perseverance at the beginning of the year.

Do you have any books to recommend for me that touch upon those topics?  Let me know in the comments.

The Power of Yet Bulletin Board

I finally made a bulletin board to go with my "The Power of Yet" Growth Mindset theme! 

Creating a Growth Mindset culture and community isn't hard to do. Growth Mindset describes a way of viewing challenges and setbacks. When your students understand that their abilities, skills and talents can be nurtured and their goals achieved with hard work, grit and determination, they’ll begin to see their “failures” as a small detour and an opportunity for continued learning. 

I start off the year reading these books:

Here's another way I use The Magical Yet to work on Setting Goals with my class.

Then we have a morning meeting share following this prompt:

Here are the answers I got this year:

1. Ride a two-wheeler.

2. Make toast for my grandmom.

3. Read Piggie and Elephant by myself.

4. Wash my own hair.

5. Go to sleep away camp.

6. Play in my backyard without my big sister there to bug me.

7. Blow my nose.

8. Fly to Arizona by myself to meet Auntie Kim.

9. Make a Fortune Teller.

10. Tie my shoes. 

11. Take off my training wheels. (7 kids said this!)

12. Put the bait on the hook.

It was a long share but so worth it!  The discussion was great as to WHY they could now do these things. Words learned:

GRIT, PERSEVERANCE, DETERMINATION

By the end of September, I no longer hear frustrated students saying," I can't do it" but instead, "I can't do it YET."  I feel like my First Graders are ready to tackle anything and everything with a new sense of determination.

If you are interested in this Bulletin Board display, you can find it in my store. Click on pic if interested.

Do you know of any other books you could recommend to me on The Power of Yet theme? I'm always looking for new books. Drop me a title or two below if you can. Thanks!

Itty-Bitty Kitty Corn Picture Book Review (And a FREEBIE for Blog Readers!)

I found a fantastic picture book at Barnes & Noble back in April: Itty-Bitty Kitty Corn, written by Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.  The second I saw it, I knew I had to have it.

It's such a fun book to read and has so many great themes: Finding one's identity, self-love, acceptance, confidence, kindness, empathy, friendship, seeing others and being seen for who you are. Whew! That's a lot! I'm sure there are even more!

Kitty is so confident. Brave. Bold. Spunky. I fell in love instantly!

There are always some naysayers in life, aren't there?  It's so hard to be put down or not believed or valued or accepted for who we know we are.  As a parent and teacher, I'm always looking for ways and words to use to instill this same confidence in my kids/students.

Yes, this is a fantastically adorable book BUT there is so much goodness-on-every-level going on here.

Your kids will take a deep breath and gulp here...

The beginning of a beatiful fiendship! Unicorn could make or break Kitty Corn here... I simply love the next few spreads that amplify acceptance. I wish I could show all of them but you'll have to buy or check out the book at the library.

"I see you" are such powerful words. Isn't that what life is all about?  Should be all about? Being seen...

This makes a terrific read aloud during the first few weeks of school.

In honor of Itty-Bitty Kitty Corn, who you just know must do daily affirmations, I'd like to offer my blog readers my Affirmation Station for free today and tomorrow ONLY. (September 7/8) Drop me your email below or email me and I'll send to you.

Happy reading!

Henry at Home Picture Book Review

Henry at Home is such a fantastic Back-to-School book. Truly a lovely, realistic story that will resonate with a lot of little ones. (I highly recommend for K-2.)

Henry, at first, has a hard time adjusting and is angry that Liza went on to Kindergarten without him. How will he swing with no one to push him? But he does manage to pump his feet and discovers his own independence.

I love how the author, Megan Maynor, keeps it real. After Henry adjusts to the change, he still misses Liza BUT also sometimes wishes she could go away and leave him alone.

The illustrations, by Alea Marley,  are adorable and they capture this sweet sibling relationship perfectly. It's a terrific read-aloud and perfect for not only Back-to-School, but for Family (transitions) and Friendship units.

This will be a must-read first day of school book for me.  I predict this is going to be a major player in the book world.  It should be! 

Can I share two fun products I just posted in my store?  I was so excited to make this Affirmation Station last week and hang it up in my classroom. 

I've used my Rock the Rug rules for years in my classroom.  Although we have our Responsive Classroom rules, I find carpet rules to be a must for my First Graders.  Take a peek!

Be Strong Picture Book Review

The picture book, BE STRONG, is another winner from Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill! I'm going to be reading it to my students sometime during the first few weeks of school for sure.

It's a perfect read-aloud to support units on Kindness, Empathy, Grit and Perseverance, Family and all of C.A.R.E.S.

Our school theme this year is BETTER TOGETHER and this fits the bill...beautifully!

This is the same team who brought you

Read more about BE KIND here.   I am such a huge fan of the book!

To read other books I think are great for Back-to-School, click on links.

Playing Possum

Don't Hug Doug

The Belonging Tree

I'll be posting more tomorrow!

Happy reading!

Goal Setting With Students

Do your students set goals for themselves?  

In my classroom, we have weekly class goals. After we had a student trip over a chair that wasn't pushed in, we made our goal, "Let's push our chairs in every time we get up."

By having the whole class involved, this goal was easy to reach. I'd see kids motion for a friend to push in their chair or see them get up and push in a chair when needed.

A small goal but it solved a safety problem.

I find that my kids love these weekly goals as long as I circle back to them daily and they're purposeful. They need that auditory reminder as well as the visual Weekly Class Goal board. When we revisit their goals frequently- just for a minute or two a day, I find the goals tend to be reached. 

Now I have my class make monthly goals for themselves...in First Grade!  Yep. They can do it! I like to make it into a small "book" and hang up (WITHIN REACH!) so it's a visual reminder and one they can reread and revisit.

Book on Goal Setting

I start off by reading them some books involving goal setting.  Here are a few I like a lot:

Realistic vs. Unrealistic or Not Yet Goals

Next, we talk about REALISTIC goals and what they look like.  I make a chart of goals I set and reached in the past year.  

Then I share some silly UNREALISTIC goals I made in the past.  Often these are silly goals BUT can also be NOT YET goals.

Before we make individual goals, I spend two weeks making class goals.  JUST TWO GOALS...one for each week.  We brainstorm the problems we're having and decide (vote) on the one goal we want to set.

I write it on the board and refer back to it several times throughout the week.  Each day, I reread it with the kids during Morning Meeting.  Then, I refer back to it when I see/notice our class working toward that goal.  "I noticed everyone at this table pushed in their chairs when we lined up for art. I'm so relieved no one tripped over a chair and got hurt. I'm so glad we picked that goal. (Then I'll motion toward the goal ot actually read it)

Making Our Own Goals

Then we make this simple booklet to display in the classroom.  Here's a peek at a sample:

Note: These two videos might not load on mobile.

Revisiting Goals Daily

Then, each day, I'll ask the kids to close their eyes and think about their goals they made for the month.

"Are you getting closer to reaching the goal?" "Is there something I can do to help you reach your goal?" "Is there a problem your having that surprises you?" "Did you reach your goal?" 

Then I have the kids share out sometimes with a friend, deskmate, or the whole class.  This takes 3-5 minutes a day but is essential to staying FOCUSED on the goal and keeping it in sight.

This year, I'm making the books a bit more "formal" like above so they can double as a room decoration! Why not?

It's been a goal of mine over the last year! :)

Happy goal making!