Hi Reader,

Well, I am officially two weeks away from being back in school, and this year I'm changing positions AND rooms! So yesterday, I dragged my sweet family to the school, and we spent the entire day moving everything from one room to another. It was a MESS (and honestly, it still is) since we didn't really pack anything, but I'm relieved the bulk of the move is done. Now the real fun begins!

As I was prepping my classroom, I started thinking about some of the traditions I've built in my classroom over the last 17 years. These are things that none of the other teachers in my building do (but I sure wouldn't mind if they did, of course) but that I LOVE! They all align with some of my core beliefs about teaching:

• Students should own their accomplishments.
• Relationships are a prerequisite to academics.
• Build traditions, not just routines.
• Reflection should happen constantly.
• Learning should feel joyful.
• Kids should leave my classroom with stories they'll remember.

Here are a few of my favorite classroom traditions... I would also absolutely love to hear yours! What's one little thing you do in your classroom that is just YOU? Let's crowdsource and spread the love by sharing your ideas.

Click any of the colored link buttons below to learn a TON more about each tradition.

Mary

❤️ Letter Writing I learned this when I was student teaching, and it has been a staple in my classroom ever since. Here's the gist: I write a letter to my students EVERY week, and the only homework they have is to write back! It's totally amazing for building relationships AND writing skills. 🔗 Weekly Letter Writing 🔗 Letter Templates

❤️ Book Beads

These have QUICKLY become a favorite tradition of mine! My students earn book beads throughout the year as a celebration of their reading. You can read ALL the details on my site! 🔗 More about Book Beads

❤️ One Word Goals

I talked about this in depth last week, but it's definitely one of those things that I just LOVE and that really helps me develop important relationships with my students.

❤️ Accomplishment Animals

Recently, a colleague of mine asked if I would mind if she started doing accomplishment animals, and I was SO excited! Of course, my answer was that I would NOT mind at all -- the more kids learning to celebrate their progress, the better! 🔗 Accomplishment Animals 🔗 My Favorite Animals

❤️ Worry Stones as Fidgets

A few years ago, I added worry stones to my basket of fidget options, and they have been a HUGE hit. My students absolutely LOVE using them, they are super quiet, and they don't distract kids more than they help! 🔗 Worry Stones as Fidgets Amazon Affilaiae Link

NEW RELEASE! Morphology Skill of the Day I don't want to let you miss this stellar deal! I just released the newest addition to my Skill of the Day curriculum, and it's a Morphology Version! The first 10 weeks are currently included, with all 40 coming soon. Right now, it's deeply discounted until it's completed. 🔗 Morphology Skill of the Day

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