What Do I Need to Order?!

Shout out to my first year teachers! I remember back to the last couple of weeks before beginning my first year and trying to wrap my mind around what I needed to order for the classroom. I didn't know where to begin. The school that I was hired at was brand new, which meant that there would be zero  supplies. It was very overwhelming to think about. I conferred with several of my new team members to help out. Talking with someone helped me out tremendously, especially since I didn't even know where to begin. For my second year teaching, I felt much more prepared. I had my supply list ready to order.

If you have not done so already, you need to begin thinking about what supplies you will need to purchase to help make your classroom run for the year. I would suggest making up a list for what you need to purchase with your school money, and a list of what parents can volunteer to bring by choosing a specific item that you have posted (look out for a post with a print out for parent supplies).

*** If you can, see what the teacher before you left in the classroom. Also, check with your school to see what they will provide. You may need to add or take away items from the list.  

Teacher Supply Order

- Planner: It is VERY important to have a planner to help you keep up with everything that is going on during the day/week. I prefer to have a very simple planner, where I can see the whole week, but also able to put in meeting times.
- Construction Paper: Red, pink, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, white, black and brown. I would get the 18"x24". Last year I ordered this size by mistake, but in the end, reordered the same size. You can cut this size paper into fourths to make it go for longer, and it's pretty close in price to the regular size paper.
- Paint: Red, blue, yellow, white and black. I would keep it simple. You can mix the colors together to get the color that you want. If you have money to spare, of course get all of the main colors that you cannot live without.
- Chart Paper: Great for anchor charts and for sharing writing examples.
- Expo Markers: I like the colorful markers.
- Thin Expo Markers: If you are in Kindergarten, these things dry out fast! And they are expensive.
- Hanging File Folders: These will come in handy when you are organizing students work, and I even use them to organize centers.
- Storage boxes that can hold hanging file folders: I use these to organize my centers.
- Cardstock Paper: You are going to be printing out a ton of centers, and card stock paper will help the centers last for several years.
- Boarder: Figure out what your theme is for your classroom, and purchase boarders to go along. You may also want to purchase boarders for each season.
- Manipulative Calendar: Every Early Childhood class has to have one of these!

- Decoration posters from your theme to hang around the classroom. 

- Baskets to organize tables: You can use these for community crayons/pencils, writing folders, workbooks, etc. 

- Masking tape: We love Frog Tape. It sticks to the concert walls! 

- Regular tape: K students love to use tape.
- Grown-Up Scissors: Make sure to get scissors that are comfortable to use.

I have tried to include everything that I purchases for my classroom for the first year. I would advise not spending all of your money, just in case you need extra supplies throughout the year. Enjoy shopping for your classroom; it's going to look great. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, and don't forget to follow Mrs. Peay's Kindergarten Adventures! 

T-Minus One Month

Summer is flying by, and the school year is getting closer and closer. Before I get into the summer planning, I want to remind you that summer is still here, which means that you need to continue relaxing and enjoying your time with family. All of the things that are running through your head will get done, I promise!

If you are like I was and this is your first year teaching, you may be thinking, "Where do I even begin?!?!".  Since it is still summer, there are a few things that you can get done when you are looking for something to do to help you get prepared. These simple tasks will make the beginning of the year a tad easier and hopefully run smoother.

Make a Pinterest Board

If you have not already done so, go ahead and create a Pinterest for your classroom. Here you can start figuring out the theme for you classroom, saving centers that will work for your grade, and tips from other teachers for how to have a successful classroom. I am continuously pinning ideas to my board that can help me out. The first thing that you should begin looking for are ideas for possible decorations. I chose an owl theme because it is gender neutral and easy to find decorations. If you are crafty, go ahead and start working on some decorations that can be done at home. I loved having pompoms hanging from the ceiling, and they are super easy to make. When you are looking for decorations, whether it be on Pinterest or in the store, remember that your room doesn't have to have every wall filled; I think the less cluttered, the better.

Look for Beginning of the Year Centers 

From the very first day with students, you are going to need a few centers for the students to begin practicing the routines that you would like for you classroom, as well as for you to get a quick view of what the students already know. For Kindergarten ELA, I would suggest finding a few ABC centers (for ABC order and recognizing upper and lower case), beginning sound centers, sequencing centers, and several rhyming centers. There is a chance that the students may not know how to do any of the centers, but you are teaching them rules and procedures for center time.  I learned very quickly that teaching the rules and procedures during center time is very important!! When searching for centers, I usually go to Teachers Pay Teachers, and go straight to the free section. You may have to do a little digging, but there are great centers for teachers. Another great website to use for free resources is The Measured Mom; I would recommend creating a tab on your browser for this cite. Anna has shared centers, guided reading books, and ideas that are great to use in the classroom. I would suggest finding around seven centers that you can use for the first couple of weeks. If need be, the students can work with a partner to complete the center.

Create a GoNoodle

GoNoodle is such a great resource and so easy to use. The kids will love singing and dancing along to the popular and fun songs that they have. I use GoNoodle as a brain break or for when we have indoor recess. For the first day of school, I definitely recommend using this resource to loosen up the students. And like I have said, it is so easy to sign up and one less thing that you have to do during the planning days. 

Don't forget to continue enjoying your summer and DO NOT stress about the beginning of the year. If you go ahead and follow these tips during your free time, it will help your transition into your first year less stressful.

Also, teacher friends, if you have any other ideas about how to get better prepared for the school year, comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Welcome to the Blog!

Welcome to Mrs. Peay's Kindergarten Adventures! I am so excited to begin this journey of blogging and sharing ideas that you can use in your classroom, whether you are a first year teacher, or more experienced. My ultimate goal is to be able to share tips that I have experienced that have worked, or maybe needed some adjusting. 

Of course, I am sure you want to know more about me. My name is Anna Peay; my Kinders call me Mrs. Peay. I am going into my third year teaching at River Ridge Academy, and this will be my third year in Kindergarten. I have been married for two years to an incredible man, Austin. Austin is a 7th Grade Science Teacher. We live in Bluffton, South Carolina and couldn't be more in love with the Lowcountry living. We have a fun-loving Airedale Terrier, Molly. She definitely brings excitement to our little family with all of her energy. 

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a teacher and follow in my mom's footsteps; she has taught for over 30 years. However, since my mother was a teacher, I was able to see the pros and cons of a teacher's life. With the pros outweighing the cons, I decided to pursue my Early Childhood Education Degree at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, GA. I loved all of my classes, and practicum experiences. I was able to student teach with an amazing Third Grade Teacher, Mrs. Corn, who taught me so much. 

When I heard I was hired for a position in Kindergarten, I was ecstatic. I could not wait to begin. Little did I know, teaching Kindergarten is nothing like student teaching in Third Grade. The first day of Kindergarten was a shock, with figuring out that 5 year olds do not know rules and procedures like Third Graders. It took me a while to adjust, and I wasn't quiet sold that Kindergarten was where I needed to be. By the end of the year, I loved everything about Kindergarten; the students are so eager to learn, sweet, funny, and loving. I am a little bias, but this is by far the most rewarding job! 

I hope that this blog helps you in your adventure of teaching, especially for the first year teachers. I want to help make this exciting transition as easy as possible.