Bathroom Breaks

Do your students constantly ask you to go to the bathroom? I think this happens to both regular classroom teachers and substitute teachers. Well, I have found a dynamite solution! I was subbing in a third grade classroom when I found this, so I'm not claiming this idea, only sharing. I noticed the students putting a green piece of paper in a basket every time they went to the bathroom. Finally, I asked one of them what they were doing. This is the good part: At the beginning of each week, every student gets seven slips of paper. Their names are written on each slip and each slip is good for one trip to the bathroom. Each time they want to leave the room to go to the bathroom they have to turn in one slip to the teacher's basket. I absolutely loved this teacher's idea. What a great way to teach the kids responsibility and to keep the bathroom trips down to a minimum. 

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

I have been having a blast subbing! I have been in a bunch of different grades and have had so many different experiences. I know the school year has only just begun, so I'm looking forward to what the rest of the school year has to bring. (Hopefully a job!!) Even though I love just about everything I have been teaching, my favorite part so far has been calendar time. I remember loving this as a kid and I still love it as an adult. I have thought of different ways to do it and have even made and bought some materials for my own future classroom. I have decided to share one of them. Here are arrows for the yesterday, today, tomorrow part of calendar. If they are used as arrows you can point them right to the specific day. Enjoy!