Calendar for Classrooms in the 21st Century

Calendar for the Classroom

Since I began teaching kindergarten and first grade in 2002, calendar time has been one of my favorite parts of the day. Classroom calendar activities are the perfect way to start the school day in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms. (I even used a classroom calendar to teach second grade!) In the 21st Century classroom it may seem like there's not enough time (or space) for a classroom calendar set or songs and activities. BUT, the daily calendar routine is vital to students' growth in math and is a great way to the school day with consistency and predictability.

Calendar for Classrooms in the 21st Century

Classroom Calendar Time Research

Research shows that students need a consistent spiral review of math skills in order to reach fluency and mastery leading to better problem solving strategies. When the basics of math come easier, then more "brain power" can be spent on the application side of things. Standards for the early primary grades are heavy on number sense. Teaching daily calendar lessons gives students consistent spiraled review, practice, and preview of basic numeracy skills IF they are planned with the standards in mind. Some research shows rote calendar activities that do not change over the course of the year to match the developmental learning process of students are less effective than other teaching strategies. BUT, when calendar lessons are planned and implemented with the intent to teach standards (rather than merely following a routine), they can be incredibly effective! My students excel on standardized math tests and easily use their numeracy mastery in application to solve higher-order math problems in large part because of our focus during calendar time. In addition, other standards can be worked into calendar time including science (weather and seasons), social studies (citizenship, holidays, customs), and literacy (morning message). 

Classroom Calendar Bulletin Board 2012

Traditional Calendar Time

As a new teacher I took pride in my classroom calendar bulletin board set. I started by buying a cute calendar and all the coordinating numbers and holidays. Very quickly, I began seeing and studying the value of calendar time. With daily math practice my students were learning many basic numeracy skills. They also loved leading the class through the songs and routines. I spent countless hours creating, printing, and laminating everything I needed for a complete classroom calendar bulletin board. At one point I filled an entire wall of my classroom with our daily calendar routine activities. Later in my career, after some years teaching reading intervention (read all about that life-changing experience HERE), I went back to the classroom to teach Kindergarten. The FIRST thing I worked on was my calendar. I could not wait to fire up the CD player, gather my friends on the carpet and revisit a part of teaching I had missed so much. BUT, I was not prepared for the reality of calendar time in the 21st century classroom... my students were not engaged, not entertained, and (worst of all) not learning... I was devastated!

Classroom Calendar Bulletin Board 2019

Calendar for Classrooms in the 21st Century

As a result, I knew my beloved calendar time had to change. I even considered abandoning it all together asking myself, "Is calendar time just a thing of the past?!" In my heart I knew the content was valuable so I decided it was the delivery that was not working. Students today are used to high-impact experiences that involve direct interaction and increased audio AND visual stimulation. Kids love YouTube videos so I began searching for ways to incorporate the thousands of videos online that teachers (just like me) were posting to improve student engagement and learning. I added videos on the Smart Board instead of songs on the CD player and things improved. Then the day came that I needed more wall space to display learning targets and standards goals and I had to take down my precious classroom calendar bulletin board. That's when it hit me... it's time for the classroom calendar to GO DIGITAL!
Finally, I found the inspiration I needed to bring old school calendar routines to life using my interactive whiteboard for calendar time!

Interactive Classroom Calendar for Kindergarten

Why an Interactive Calendar for the Classroom?

After switching to a digital classroom calendar student engagement increases exponentially. I  am able to create interactive slides for students to come to the Smart Board and manipulate the parts and pieces that we used to move around the calendar bulletin board. But now, students eagerly volunteer to answer questions and take part. On each slide I can hyperlink songs and videos from YouTube and other sites to which I have a subscription for quick clicks and transitions. Incorporating songs and videos in this way provides an opportunity for all students to participate and review vital skills. By going digital with my classroom calendar I open a world of theme and design possibilities. I can change the images and video links to coordinate with months, holidays, seasons, or thematic units. Keeping calendar time fresh gives me leverage in maintaining engagement at times when traditional classroom calendar activities become boring and flat. 
Above all, the interactive classroom calendar gives me limitless options for my curricular choices. As the year progresses, calendar activities and routines become progressively more challenging as students master standards. We go from sorting shapes by color and size in August to identifying shape attributes such as edges and vertices in December to comparing shapes based on these attributes in March. And that's just a quick geometry example! Since math skills build one on the other, spiral review and increased rigor are vital to any primary math curriculum!

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Calendar for Classrooms in the 21st Century

Back to School "BE..." Rules

Back to School Rules

Whew! It's been awhile since I sat down to share about my life as a Kentucky primary teacher and while much about life has stayed the same... professionally-speaking MUCH has changed! 

After 3 years as a reading interventionist, I was asked by my principal to take a position back in the classroom. It was a bit of a two-edged sword. While I missed the relationships from working with a team and the sense of magic and community a classroom brings, I knew that going back to the classroom would mean more work after hours... taking time away from my own children.

Well, in a crazy turn-of-events I offered to teach second grade for the first time in my seventeen-year career. It was heartbreaking in a way I hadn't anticipated, because I feel such a true passion for teaching Kindergarten - I take the responsibility of being a child's first teacher very seriously. I take pride in making the effort to create the most positive and joy-filled first-school experience possible for my students and their families. I'm a Kindergarten mom for the third (and final) time this year... it MEANS something to me personally and it's still a bit gut-wrenching that I chose the greater good over my own professional passions and desires...

BUT... after teaching second grade for only 8 DAYS, I can say with certainty that things are going to be just fine. My 20 sweet students have already taught me more than they will ever know. 

Back to School Rules

As a part of my back to school routine each year I work with my students to develop our own class rules after reading Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. Typically we keep it simple with only 3-4 rules that sort of "cover it all." This year's session on rules turned out a little differently as my students suggested rule after rule that began with the word "DON'T." 

"Don't stand on the tables."

"Don't run."

"Don't yell out without raising your hand."

"Don't hit."

I dutifully listed all of their rules on the board and could tell my students were quite proud of themselves, but their faces fell when I said, 

"We can't use any of these. They don't make me feel positive inside. With so many rules to worry about we will have to spend all our time making sure that none of them are broken and we will be overwhelmed with rules, just like Officer Buckle!" 

After a few moments of silence I said, "Is there one rule that would take care of any running, pushing, climbing in the classroom? Let's start with the word BE..." 

and I erased the board.

And then something beautiful happened...

20 hands shot into the air and I was hit with an onslaught of all the things that we should "BE..." in our class. We couldn't keep it to just 3 or 4 words because they just kept flowing and the words just kept getting better and better. Finally, when I thought we had them all, a quiet girl in the back raised her hand and offered, 

"Be Yourself." 

I felt a little teary as I added it to the list. I needed to hear that! I needed to BE MYSELF... my play-loving, project-starting, non-conforming, easy-going, question-asking, task-mastering, standards-based teacher-self... and that's just what I plan to do!

Back to School Rules

If you want to create a "BE..." Rules display, sign for for newsletters and access to this exclusive FREEBIE!! It includes the list of 20 words my students generated. I printed them and cut them apart then each student colored one to add to the display. I love that we can continue to add words as we grow together over the course of the school year, too!

Back to School Rules

Bust the BTS Blues with a New Bulletin Board!

I can't believe it's already BTS time! This summer has flown by and I'm ready to get the school year underway! So, I thought I would revive an old post about my Kindergarten classroom and share my classroom bulletin boards. Nothing snaps me out of that BTS-FUNK like a fresh bulletin board display!

I strive to run an organized and efficient Kindergarten classroom. (With room for play and fun, of course!)  This summer I added a few things to my management system that have made a big difference!

1. My whiteboard is the hub of communication and information in my classroom (aside from the Smart Board). My "CHAMP" icons and schedule cards are on magnets so that I can easily adjust them each day or each learning block.  My Daily 5 posters are kinder-friendly and easy to understand.  (Grab them for free here!)  I also have a set of mini posters just for me, "The 7 C's of Teaching," to remind me of my responsibilities to these 21st Century kiddos!  (Grab them for free here.)  The small red pocket chart is used to spotlight our learning targets as they change throughout the day.

2. I also have a bulletin board that runs the length of the room.  The largest section is for learning targets.  Small pocket charts hold the target/standard cards for the week (or unit) so that I can readily access and display them as we transition throughout the day.  Beyond the word wall and birthday displays is the job chart.  I have 24 students and 24 jobs.  (Sounds crazy, I know!)  Students have one job per week and we rotate throughout the year.  Giving each student a job has had such an impact on our classroom community!  Some jobs are small and others are more popular, but when all students have ownership over the way the classroom runs they learn to work together and take responsibility for the good of the group!

  3. My favorite bulletin board is the one next to my desk!  I created this tree a couple of years ago and have added to it each year.  It serves as a place to post important information, student gifts and drawings, and words of inspiration about education. 

Plus, it's super cute (if I do say so myself)!

Missing anything?

Wondering where my calendar board is?

WELL... I DON'T HAVE ONE ANYMORE!

When I realized my Kinders weren't engaging like I had hoped and my day was starting off BLAH instead of WOW, I knew I needed to make a change. I tossed my traditional calendar and created monthly interactive calendars for the SMART Board! Read more about that here!

Check them out at TpT!

Don't teach Kinders?

Then check out these first everyday calendars for any primary grade!

Not ready to invest?

Then download this FREE version... test it with your SMART system and try it with your students... I PROMISE THEY WILL LOVE IT!

(And you will, too!)