Ninja Notes

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Classroom Community

7 Inexpensive Ways to Decorate Your Classroom

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Are you looking for ways to decorate your classroom that don't break the bank? We've put together some tried and true ideas that you can use for any age. You don't need to spend all your own money to fund your classroom, so come learn how to save and still have an engaging deor scheme.

The pressure of social media to have the “Pinterest Perfect” classroom can be a little overwhelming for any teacher, especially those on a budget. We are very fortunate in our classroom that we have a small budget for items needed, and we have full discretion on how we use it, but the last place we want to spend it is on decor. We prefer to spend any money we have on quality resources and learning materials. Check out this list of ways to decorate your classroom that don’t break the bank.

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9 Things To Do During the First Month of School

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Getting back into the school year is an exciting time, but there is can be so much to do that it can be difficult to prioritize what needs to be done first. Come read through our must-do list during the first month of school in your upper elementary classroom and we'll help you out.

As a student, I never appreciated the first month of school. It always seemed like we didn’t get too deep into the content and spent a lot of time playing games and doing art projects. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I recognized how much work teachers do during the first month of school. While we created a list with nine of the most important, there really are so many more that could be added.

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9 Spectacular Art Projects For a Pen and Paper

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If you are looking for some very simple art projects you can do in your upper elementary classroom with just a pen and paper. We've included all the instructions so you can create these beautiful but very simple art projects for elementary students. Come take a look and find the one you'll save when you need something in a pinch.

Sometimes you need a quick art project that uses a pen and paper because you either don’t have access to other art materials or the time to set up something more complicated. That’s okay! There are many different art projects you can create using just a pen and paper. These are some of our favourite art pieces we have tried over the years with our upper elementary students. We have included basic instructions for you here. Continue reading to learn more.

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15 Ways to Use Sticky Notes in the Classroom

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Are you looking for ways to use sticky notes in your classroom? We put together a list of some of the ways we use sticky notes because we love to use them. They are so easy to use, kids love them and there are endless possibilities. Come read!

Sticky notes are a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of ways to enhance classroom learning. It’s no secret that most teachers love sticky notes because they come in a variety of styles, sizes and colours. There are so many different ways to use them whether they have lines or are blank. We’ve collected our favourite ways to use sticky notes in the classroom and felt we had to share them with you.

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How to Thrive During Your Student Teaching

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Are you ready for your student teaching placement? Come read through some of our best advice to help get you started on the right foot. There are even some free resources to get you started.

Of course, you want to be a great teacher, so congratulations on getting the chance to be a teacher! Your student teaching experience is usually the first chance you’ll get to take control of the classroom. Many factors can come into play and you might have lots of “when I have my own classroom” moments, but use this time as a chance to learn and ask questions.

We’ve been lucky enough to have amazing supervising teachers when we began our careers and it was important to us to take on student teachers when we were ready for it. Passing on our knowledge is important. This is all the advice we have given to our student teachers over the years and we hope it can help you, too.

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9 Quick Games to Teach Your Students

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Quick games are a great way to help your students transition, build relationships, foster teamwork and give your students a brain break between instruction and working. We've pulled together some of our favourites. Come read the whole post.

The pressure is always on teachers to move through the curriculum and to use their learning time as wisely as possible. We agree. There are already enough interruptions to learning these days that you don’t need to create more distractions. So, why would we encourage you to place games with your students? Quick games are one way we build relationships, teach students to follow directions, teach our classroom management expectations and foster teamwork between classmates. Come read some of our favourite quick games you can use in your upper elementary classroom or with your fellow teachers.

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