Meet the Teacher

I absolutely love the "back-to-school" excitement. I am not necessarily saying that I'm ready for it just yet, but I love the thrill of it all. It is exciting to experience it as both a mama and a teacher.

As a teacher, I love to see these timid, tan faces come to my room, arms full of supplies, hopeful for a little buddy to sit next to. They are too shy to talk to to me, but that never lasts long. I try to create a welcome and warm environment for both students and parents. Because as a mama, it can be a bit unsettling to watch your child walk away into the arms of someone, who is often, a complete stranger. During my first year of teaching, an amazing administrator told me, "The two most important things in an adult's life are their kids and their money. You have one of those for eight hours a day." I want parents to know that I will do everything in my power to love their children as my own. I'm big on first impressions. For my teacher friends, I am sharing a few of the things I use to welcome parents and students alike. Although I wish I could take the credit, none of these are my own ideas. Sharing is caring, right?

I am using these stations to guide my parents and students around my classroom. The great thing about these stations is they are totally editable!

I have these cute little FREE tags tied to water bottles for parents. These came from Erica's Ed-Ventures.

For the students, I give out a "Back to School Snack Mix" with a sweet little poem. This came from Elementary Shenenigans

As a mama, school feels different. My stomach is in knots as I let my little ones walk into the care of someone else for so many hours a day. My mind wanders with the "what ifs" and I just pray that they feel safe and secure. Because I know first hand the work and care that goes into loving on little ones, I want to give my kids' teachers something that lets them know that I appreciate them and all that they do for my personal children. I snagged this idea from the fabulous Cara Carroll. I didn't do the fancy pots, I just picked up some cute plastic crates from Target. Almost all of the goodies can be found in the travel section at Target. You can print the cute "First Day Survival" list from her blog. :)

Happy Back to School! :)