On this page you will find back to school and beginning of school tips, bulletin boards and displays, borders and door decoration, songs and poems, coloring pages, puzzles, and teacher timesavers. Use the Quick Menu to find what you are looking for.

First Day  and Beginning of Year Tips

How to Start School Successfully by Harry and Rosemary Wong. This article is on teachers.net
 

Smart Starts for the Best School Year Ever by Barbara

and Sue Gruber. This article is on teachers.net

Top Six Keys to Being A Successful Teacher from About.com

Setting Up Your Classroom for Success

Beginning of the School Year (10 Tips) Click the second topic

Top 10 Things to Do Before School Starts

First Day Checklist This checklist will help you to see if you are ready for that important first day and is from proteacher.com

Back to School Checklist from Scholastic This checklist from Scholastic is a great reminder of things that need to be done. It will help new teachers, and remind experienced teachers of things to think about before school begins

Welcome to __ Grade Bookmarks Great welcome bookmarks for grades 1-6 from busyteacherscafe.com. These are available in color or black and white

Welcoming Students Back to School A Microsoft Word template for a welcome letter and a Powerpoint template for class rules are included here along with other tips

Tips for Getting Organized Some excellent tips here that can save you some time later. This is from kimskorner4teachertalk.com

Fabulous First Day Activities This is from Scholastic

Icebreakers These ideas from Education World help you get to know your students and helps them learn each others names. There are thirteen pages of ideas

Activities for the First Day 1 Getting to know you; ideas for that important first day. This is from educationworld.com

First Day of School Activities This is from the Busy Bee Activity Page

Class Opening Activities  Most of these activities can be used for grades K -2. These activities are from Center for Innovation in Education, Saratoga, California. You can also use my Counting Caterpillar during this time

Printable Name Tags These beautiful animal name tags are from Jan Brett.

Printable School Passes from Jan Brett Print these on card stock and laminate. I would print two of the same tags and glue together before laminating. Make an extra set in case one is lost. You might want to put your room number or teacher name on the bottom

Creating a Seating Chart from Digital Photos

Seating Chart Template for PowerPoint97 or later. This template from Microsoft can be used for many different kinds of room arrangements. You could include pictures of the students also

Seating Chart from Microsoft for PowerPoint 2003

Printable Classroom Set-Up Tool Set up and print your classroom layout. This tool allows you to place desks in any formation and put student's names on a numbered list (requires Flash)

Name Review An activity to help the teacher learn names quickly

Parent Resources These are excellent handouts to give parents at open house or parent conferences. They contain ideas on how parents can help their children at home. (Scroll down to "Your First Grader", etc.)

Classroom Job Ideas If you need a fresh idea for classroom jobs, check on these ideas at A to Z Teacher Stuff

A Classroom Job for Every Child Change jobs only eight times during the year

Getting to Know Each Other Activity

Back to School Ideas A variety of useful back to school ideas from Hummingbird Educational Resources (scroll down)

Beginning of Year Ideas and Tips for Kindergarten Teachers  These ideas are from Kinderthemes.com

Also check the Classroom Management and Teacher Timesaver pages

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Back to School and Open House Bulletin Boards and Displays (Many are printable)

Free School Days Clip Art from Philip Martin Bright, cheery clip art to brighten up your classroom and newsletters.

Welcome Back This banner is 3 and a half sheets and has two Philip Martin pictures on it

Welcome Back to School Large, colorful banner (5 pages)

Welcome Sign - Large Individual Letters  w   e   l   c   o   m   e   !    in rainbow colors. Print and cut out each letter and attach to  the wall or large bulletin board. It could look something like this

Leap Into ____ Grade All parts of this bulletin board can be downloaded. All you have to do is put up a background, print and cut out the parts, write names on lily pads and put everything on the board. 

Download the 5 files below.

Frog    Banner Heading   Lily Pads

Grade Levels (1st - 4th)   Water Lilies 

Small Frogs to add to lily pads (12 per sheet) Frog Incentive Charts

Frog Name Tags  Small Frog Labels (Avery 5160) (by Audrey Smith)

_ Grade All Stars Bulletin Board Three files allstars1  allstars2 (k-3rd grade) allstars3   allstars4 (4th & 5th grade)Just cut out the parts from allstars1, choose and cut the grade level (k, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,) Run as many pages of stars (allstars3) as you have students (two to a page) Put all on a dark blue or black background. Make smaller stars to use as nametags. Or use these Star Shipping Labels.  Click on the thumbnail to see a larger picture (from A. Smith)

Spelling Stars Banner Use this banner with the stars above. Set spelling goals for the class or for individual children to reach in their weekly spelling test. Put on blue background
 

Flying Into A New Year (banner) or Soaring in a New Year  (banner) Make a bulletin board or door decoration using the banner and balloons as follows Large hot-air balloons 1  2    3   4  Small balloons for students names

Small balloons in black and white for students to color   Click on the thumbnail to see a larger picture of the bulletin board  Hot Air Balloon Nametags These can be printed on shipping labels (from A. Smith)

Run the Race with Perseverence Bulletin Board- View finished board
Banner - "...and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1b KJV   Same banner NIV    Running Shoes    Running Nameplates  Use on bulletin board or on desks  Picture of a Group of Runners (Click thumbnail to see a large view of the board - design - A. Smith)

Welcome To Our School Door Decoration or Bulletin Board -  Banner (3 sheets)  Fish1   Fish2  The fish can also be used as nametags. Cover door or bulletin board with blue paper. Print, trim, and assemble banner. Print fish on various colored sheets - as many as you need for your class or print on white and have children decorate them. Cut them out. Write students names on fish and attach to blue paper on the door or bulletin board. Add tan package wrapping paper on the bottom of board for sand, and then add other sea creatures You also might want to use these Fish Tank Reward Charts in keeping with the theme. Scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page (Board design from A. Smith)

Welcome To Our Hive Door Decoration or Bulletin Board Print out the large bees,  nameplates and banner . Enlarge  hive pattern (use an overhead projector) If using for a bulletin board, keep hive in one piece. If using for a door, cut as in example here.  Words to add to door  Bee Nametags These can be printed on shipping labels

Look Who Is Popping Into Our Class Door Decoration or Bulletin Board  print out the banner,  popcorn machine (one page) Write student's names on the popcorn.  small popcorn (four to a page - tape two together if needed for names) and bowl of popcorn.
 

Sharp Students in Room An easy to make back to school board. Here is a large pencil  (new banner - 3 sheets) to use on a board like this. Instead of Room, I would put the grade level. You can use these.  In Gr.1 - 5 black               In Gr.1 - 4 blue  or  Gr.1-3    Gr.4-5  The idea is from teachnet.com
 

Keys To A Great Year Bulletin Board The banner for this board is here. The keys are here - Keys 1   Keys 2     Keys 3 (There are 2 keys to a sheet  - Listen, Work Hard, Respect Others, Follow Directions, and Do Your Best) Back to School Picture Put other pictures or photos of children listening, working, etc. Click on board for a larger picture
 

Go for the Gold Bulletin Board (from A. Smith) - Banner  -    Incentive Cards  
You can also use gold medals and ribbons next to student names for a beginning of the year board

Large Gold Medal This is for a bulletin board

Small medals  Gold    Silver     Bronze    Ribbons for the medals

Make a Counting Caterpillar Instructions and downloadable files to make a Counting Caterpillar. Count by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's. Use to teach evenand odd numerals

A Great Line-Up Use this shirt - A large one page t-shirt pattern      A small t-shirt pattern is at this location (two on each page)This board idea is from Alachua County Public Schools website
 

Let's Get Acquainted (Crossword Puzzle Board) You could have a clue for each name. You might use a crossword puzzle maker to make a small puzzle first with your student's names. You can find one here. Choose Criss-cross puzzle. Twenty two inch squares are here! Print on card stock. Lay out large squares in the shape of your puzzle. Tape them together and attach to the board. Have a clue sheet with across clues and down clues. Tell something about each person in the clues.This is a great board idea for grades 4 - 8 and is from Alachua County Public Schools website

Healthy Habits for a New School Year (banner) Labels (eat right, exercise, get enough rest, and just say no) Photos to go with labels. This would be a good beginning of year board for the school nurse or for the P.E. or classroom teacher teaching a health unit

Grow in Grace Board - Banner(3 Peter 3:18a) You will also need the labels and pictures that go with the banner - grow 2   grow3   grow4

 

We All Fit Together -  Each child decorates a piece of the puzzle. Blow up this puzzle(30 pieces) with an overhead projector and outline the pieces on posterboard. Cut out the pieces and have students decorate and sign them. Put the puzzle together for open house.   16 piece template   24 piece template    35 piece template  Hint: Number the pieces for easy completion. You can use a larger number of pieces than students. Use the empty pieces as filler. Here is a door with the same idea

We All Fit Together Banner Use with the above bulletin board

Clock Minute Display Teach children to tell time by the hour and minute  using this apple display. Just print out and cut the apples. Attach them to the wall around your classroom clock.

Kindergarten - Our Garden of Children (banner - 3 sheets) Use this banner to make a kindergarten bulletin board. Print off these yellow flowers (3 to a page). Take a digital picture of each child and place in the center of each flower. (Pink flowers here)

What a "Grape" Bunch of Kids Templates are included on this DLTK page as well as a printout of John 15:5

School is a Bushel of Fun from dltk-teach.com

Ode to Fifth Grade This is a clever and nice looking board with the students' names on the beginning notes of "Ode to Joy"

A Special Bunch from theteacherscorner.net

Flip Over School

Bulletin Board, Halls, Walls, and Door Decorating Ideas from Garden of Praise (with photos)

I am Special Each child tells something about themselves and decorates a shape. This could be a board for Open House. A shape pattern is here

Who Am I Lesson This is from Scholastic and could be used with the bulletin board above or with a bulletin board entitled "Who Am I"

Classroom Decor Ideas

*Also check the Bulletin Board page

*More Fall bulletin boards are here

Custom Search

Printable Birthday Boards and Displays

Happy Birthday Banner

Birthday Balloons Use these balloons with the happy birthday banner above for a birthday board. Run off a balloon for each child in your class. Write their name on it and attach a piece of yarn.

Birthday Chart  August - January (4 sheets)    February - July (4 sheets) Trim sheets and glue or tape together.   Borders for Names (10 to a sheet) Write names in borders and attach for each month. Write the date of the birthday in the date column. Assembling Directions

Ideas for Birthday Boards from everything preschool.com

Birthday Cakes for Each Month of the Year Print out a birthday cake for each month and put the children's names on the candles. This is from Enchanted Learning

Free Birthday Clip Art from Philip Martin Use this clip art on cards, certificates, or bulletin boards

Some months to use on your birthday board are here These are from Jan Brett's web site

Birthday Chart from Jan Brett A printable birthday chart for each season. There is room for thirty names on each chart. From janbrett.com

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Back-to-school at Christianbook

Bulletin Boards  at Christianbook
 

Printable Miscellaneous Room Decoration

Helping Hands Job Chart (with jobs)(22 X 17 - 4 sheets) and Name Plates for the chart. Lay out sheets in order. Trim the left edge of the two sheets on the right. Trim the top edge of the two bottom sheets. Line up the letters and glue the top sheets together. Glue the bottom sheets together. Now glue the top and bottom sheets together. Print enough name plates for your student. Write their names on them. Tape (or use velcro on both surfaces) the names on the chart. Change according to your schedule. Chart without jobs (write in your own jobs)  If you have more than 6 jobs, just print sheets 3 and 4 again              Assembling Directions

Days of the Week Poster 8.5 X 11 inches
 

Classroom Job Chart (pdf)(8.5X11in.)Write their name on the left and the job title on the right

Walking in Hallway Rules with Pictures

Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag Poster

Pledge to the Christian Flag Poster

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Borders and Trimmers

Bulletin Board Borders to Print I put these in a graphic program and resize them. These are from preschoolprintables.com

Borders to Print Three pages of borders to print. You will probably need to resize them from Printable Pre-K

Some printable borders (or trimmers) I made:

Scalloped Border Template (pdf) Print or copy on any color paper or card stock
Back to School Border (pdf) Apples and teacher at a desk
Suggestion - Print on light green or yellow cardstock
Back to School Border (pdf) Apples and books
Suggestion - Print on light green or yellow cardstock
Book and Pencil Border (pdf)
Fall Leaves Border (pdf)
Smiley Face Border (pdf)
Colorful Triangle Border (pdf)
Leaf Border (pdf)
Pastel Flower Border (pdf)
Outer Space Border (pdf)
Patriotic Border (pdf)
Scalloped Border Template (pdf) Print or copy on any color paper or card stock

Backgrounds and Borders Some ideas for using things other than paper for backgrounds and borders

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January, February, March, and April,
May and June, July, and August,
September, October, November, and December,
There are 12 months in all.
©2009Audrey Smith

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Back to School Crafts

Make a Back to School Book Have students make this book near the beginning of school. In this book the students write about themselves, their families, and their favorite things. If you want students to make the book later in the year, have them make their own cover (from enchantedlearning.com)

Back to School Craft Ideas from DLTK

Back to School Craft Ideas from Familyfun

Preschool Activities and Crafts from first-school.ws

Back to School Bus Craft A cut and paste activity from first-school.ws

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"Go fo the Gold" Olympic theme incentive chart.  Use with Go for the Gold Banner  or Hebrews 12:1b banner (NIV)

 or Hebrews 12:1b (KJV)

All Purpose Sticker Charts These incentive charts can be used for a variety of purposes. Print these on cardstock and use stars or other small chart stickers (pdf) Two charts to a page

More All Purpose Sticker Charts

Back to School Sticker Charts (two to a page)

More Back to School Sticker Charts (two to a page)

DLTK Back to School Printables  DLTk has a large number of back to school printables, such as coloring pages, doorknob hangers, treat bags, and worksheets.

Black and White Calendar(month) from Carson Dellosa.

Printable Calendars There are a variety of calendars that you can print at this site.

Calendar Numbers These beautiful calendar numbers are from play2learnprintables.com. Click on apples to see what the numbers are like

Apple Calendar Numbers These are very nice and are from thevirtualvine.com

Gradebook Based on Averages A Microsoft template. It requires Excel 97 or later

Gradebook Based on Percentages A Microsoft template. It requires Excel 97 or later

Gradebook Based on Points A Microsoft template. It requires Excel 97 or later

Check the Teacher Timesaver Page for more Center Signs, Templates, Forms Printables, and other Timesavers. Also check the Classroom Management page

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Word Searches and Puzzles and things to do when work is completed

Back to School Excitement Jigsaw Puzzle (20 pieces)

Back to School Excitement Jigsaw Puzzle (56 pieces)

A Basket of Apples Jigsaw Puzzle (80 pieces)

School Word Search click on school

What's wrong in the Picture? Find 11 things wrong in the picture

Brain Binders These are challenging activities involving folding a sheet of paper to match a finished picture. Choose two, three, four, or five folds

Brain Boosters These are great activities to use when students finish their work, or as a daily challenge, or even as a group challenge

School Daze An online word search puzzle (requires flash)

Printable Fact-filled Bookmarks Choose from reading, math, science or social studies. These are for upper elementary or middle school students

Quizinator for Teachers  a free online application to help teachers and instructors create, store, and print their worksheets, and exams

Also check my Puzzles and Games page for many more ideas for printable board games and more

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Miscellaneous Back to School Activities

Back to School Activities (look for the yellow free samples sign)

Time for School Mini-Book  This mini-book is from DLTK and is for K-2

Make Class Yearbooks (elementary)Use this template for Microsoft Publisher to make and assemble class yearbooks at the beginning of the year. Students can add pictures and information as the year progresses

Back to School Ideas These ideas are from other teachers

Back to School Theme from Kinderkorner

Back to School Resources for Teachers A collection of articles, ideas, and activities for the start of school from atozteacherstuff.com

Back to School Activities A large selection of back to school activities from abcteach.com

Back to School Safety  Four pages on bus and bike safety for grades 3-5 (this file is in PDF format so you need the free Adobe Acrobat to read and print it

Fall Friends Paperdolls to dress in their new school clothes from Makingfriends.com. This site also includes other school related crafts

Tools and Templates from Education World Award certificates, back to school templates, and forms, assignment sheets, and more

Make Your Own Whiteboard Make individual whiteboards for students. I used  individual chalkboards for guided practice in math. These could be used for small group activities for a nice change of pace. You will need window cleaner for cleaning them and old socks or pieces of felt for erasing. There are links to whiteboard activities here as well

Write On, Rub Off Boards With Foam Frame

Parent Involvement  If you want to get parents involved, check out this page for all kinds of ideas

"Back to School" from the electronic library classroom.  A series of instructional sessions designed specifically for librarians and library staff who have had little or no experience with the Internet. 

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Back to School Templates and PowerPoint Presentations

Back to School PowerPoint Presentation A colorful presentation with 17 possible slides. You will need PowerPoint 97 or later

K-3 Class Rules A PowerPoint presentation. Requires PowerPoint 2000 or later

Welcome Back - An Editable PowerPoint Presentaion You will need PowerPoint 97 or later

Classroom Newsletter Template You need Word 97 or later

True or False Test Template You need Word 97 or later

Brochure Template This brochure template could be used for a variety of reasons. You could hand it out at Open House with classroom rules and procedures in it. Change the graphics and insert your own text. You need Word 97 or later

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Open House and Other Communication with Parents

Countdown to Open House There's some good information here as well as some open house activities

Suggestions for Preparing for Open House

Planning a Successful Open House All the tools you need to make your open house a success. This is from Microsoft

Open House Invitation Just write in the date, time, and room number

Back to School Night Invitation Write in the date, time, and room number

Colorful Open House Invitations (four to a page)

Welcome Parents A Microsoft template. Requires PowerPoint 97 or later

Classroom Newsletter Template Requires Word 97 or later

Conference Record Use this template from Microsoft to record parent conferences. Requires Word 2003

Open House Tips (bottom of page)

Open House: When First Impressions Matter

Parent Night Ideas from Other Teachers from teachingheart.net

Parent Resources Excellent handouts to give parents at open house or parent conferences. They contain ideas on how parents can help their children at home

Reward Charts for Parents to use at Home  Help reinforce positive behaviors by having parents use these at home

Also check Teacher Timesavers

© 1997-2010 Audrey Smith. All rights reserved.