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The BEST way to attach Name Tags to Student Desks!



Do your student name tags make you crazy?  

Mine always have! I laminate the name tags and attach them to the desk with heavy tape. The name tag looks great until that "one" student starts to pick at the tape, and then everyone else at the table notices and then before you know it, everyone's name tag is falling off their desk. Teacher nightmare!!!

Use velcro to attach name tags to desks

I have tried ALL.THE.WAYS to attach my name tags:  

  • double-sided tape
  • packing tape
  • sticky tack

None of these methods has lasted long term. The kids picked at them, or the custodians had issues with them. I finally tried Velcro strips instead.  

BOOM! That was the answer I was looking for.  I found the best way to attach name tags to desks! 



Use velcro strips to easily attach name tags to desks.  Lift to clean underneath


One of my biggest worries was that students would play with them, and that sound would drive me crazy! I have a few students who do that all.the.time on the carpet with their velcro shoes. Initially, it was fun for some of the students, but the interest quickly wore off, and kids stopped playing with them. 

Another worry I had was how the custodial staff would deal with it. Well, it turns out that wasn't a problem at all. You can easily pull the name tag up and clean the desk under the tag. At the end of the year, you catch the velcro edge on the desk, and it pulls right up. The solutions they use to clean the desks take off the residue.  

NO more commercial nametags! It's only custom nametags from now on! 

I created my own name tags out of necessity when our only teacher supply store closed. I designed exactly what I wanted and am so much happier with it.  

Some of the perks of a digital file name tag:

  • When a name tag looks ratty, you can easily print a new one.
  • Do you often get a new student mid-year? No problem! Just print out a name tag for the student.
  • Write your students' names or type them into the editable file. 

Click Here to Send me a request to customize a name tag for you.  



editable name tags


I hope you found this classroom hack helpful.  

Until next time, 






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How to Tame the Classroom Chaos on Valentines Day

Valentine's Day in the classroom.  It's a chaotic day filled with cards, candy and chaos if you let it.  What if you could have the fun but keep things under control too?  That is my kind of classroom celebration.  Keep reading to find some EASY and FUN activities for Valentine's Day.

3 ways to have fun on valentines day without a lot of chaos in your classroom

My secret to a day of celebration:  KEEP YOUR ROUTINES INTACT! 

There, I said it.  I firmly believe that small children thrive best in routine, and when you throw out all of the regular routines in favour of a day of activities that are totally out of the norm, you will have problems.  That's not to say that you can't sprinkle fun activities throughout the day but do so within your regular routine.

The Card Exchange


The card exchange is the highlight of the day for the children.  I want to ensure that they actually take the time to check out their valentines rather than just counting up the candy and sticker treats they receive.  That is why I created this FREE activity, and it has been a hit with my students year after year.  You can get it for yourself by clicking on the cover below.




After the students have opened all of their cards, they get a copy of the graphing sheet and take a close look at each card to determine which category it fits into the create the tally chart and then the graph.  Believe me when I say that everyone is engaged during this task.  I love to watch them look over their cards.  Afterwards, we create a class graph to see what type of card was the most received.


Valentines Crafts


Crafts are a fun and creative part of any day of celebration.  We create our own Valentine's bag or folder before the card exchange.  Making heart animals has become a new favourite, and I have found lots of inspiration on Pinterest.  My students use heart tracers to create the parts of the animal and then glue it onto a folded piece of construction paper or paper bag, as pictured below.  I love that no two are exactly the same.

create unique valentine bags with heart animals


Fun and Games


I always continue with my regular math and language centers, although the centers are Valentine-themed, if possible.  The one math center that has always been a hit is measuring with candy: conversation heart and cinnamon hearts. 

You can check the centers out by clicking on the image below.


Even though I remind them that the candy has been on the floor and handled by many, many children I always have some who can't resist it and eat it.  #YUCK

integrate measurement with valentine's day with these non-standard measurement centers


Minute To Win It games are also a fun addition to the day.  I usually save these to the end of the day. Two of my favourites are Stack it up! and Target Practice.

Stack it up! 


The challenge is to stack the conversation hearts to make the tallest tower.

minute to win it game stack up candy hearts

 Target Practice!


Picture students sitting across from each other on the carpet.  In between each pair is a cup.  One student tries to toss as many conversation hearts as he/she can in one minute while his/her partner retrieves the misses and tosses them back so the game can continue.  It is pure chaos, but the kids have a blast.


At the end of the day, you will go home exhausted but less frustrated if you enjoy the day within your regular routines.  I hope you have a great Valentine's Day with your students!




Until next time, 
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Celebrating the 100th Day of School!

The 100th Day of School is such a fun day in a primary classroom.  It's an excellent opportunity to incorporate lots of math skills in a fun and playful way.  Here are just a few of the things I have done with my first graders on the 100th Day! 



Our 100th day usually falls around Valentine's, so it is always a week of celebration and excitement.  Some times I have even rolled the two days together for one big day of chaos.  Lesson learned!  It may sound good, but in reality, it is TOO MUCH!  It is far better to give each day its own day of celebration and start fresh the following week!  


Here are a few of my go-to activities:


1. Collections



Students arrived excited and eager to share their 100-day collections.  The first task is to ensure that the collection does, in fact, contain 100 things!  Students use a counting mat to count their collection into groups of 10.  


You can grab this free one to use if you don't have one.  




2. 100th Day Hats


What celebration is complete without a fancy hat.  My students make these hats/crowns right after counting out their collections.  They are part of my 100th Day of School Pack.  



 3. Measuring Collections

I always ensure that we have either completed or are in the middle of our linear measurement unit around this time of the year.  Measuring collections is the perfect authentic task to see how students do with measuring with non-standard and standard units.  This is an excellent opportunity for some assessment for you!  You can find this booklet that provides lots of opportunities to measure and compare with non-standard units in my 100th Day of School Pack. 







Don't forget to incorporate mass too.  I have had students use balance scales to compare the weight of their collection to mine or other students.  It is a perfect opportunity to introduce mass and capacity if you haven't discussed it yet.  I had a collection of mini cubes (centicubes), and the students first had to predict if their collection was heavier/lighter or the same weight as mine, and then they used the scales to find out exactly how their collection measured up. 

 4. Exploring What 100 Looks Like.


The 100th day is a great day to see what 100 looks like and to be creative with showing 100.  I set out bins with 100 of an item all around my classroom and have students visit different stations and think about what they can do with the 100 items.  Some of our favourites are pattern blocks, popsicle sticks, glass gems, plastic cups, mini erasers and more.  The love to create pictures with them or group them and count. 



5. Scavenger Hunt!

Last year I hid 100 candy hearts around the room, and the kids had to find them and then put them in the right pocket of our pocket chart.  It was fun for them to search for them and a good exercise to find all of the numbers in the 100's chart.  




I have also heard about putting number stickers on the bottom of Hershey's kisses or directly on a letter tile.  These are also great ideas.  


6. Dress Up Like You are 100 Years Old

I have never done this with my class, but our Kindergarten team did one year, and the kids were super cute with their wigs, powdered hair and canes!  


7. Read and Write 100

There are so many great pictures books to read on the 100th Day.  Click below to be taken to a great collection of books.




You can also incorporate writing and have your students write 100 words.  This is probably best done collaboratively with younger students.  Each team of 4 each is tasked with finding 25 words.  Doing it this way is much more fun and manageable.  


8. Exercise!

Can you do 100 jumping jacks? 100 toe touches?  GoNoodle has some great videos that get kids moving and counting to 100.  Check them out below.  




9. 100th Day Crafts

What's a celebration without a craft!  I have pinned some great crafts.  You can find them on this Pinterest board: 





10. A 100's Day Snack

End your celebration with a snack.  100s Day trail mix is a great option.  I ask families to provide 1 food item out of a list of 10 choices. Some families send in a baggie of the item and others send in a whole box or container.  Some of the things I ask for are:

  • mini marshmallows
  • pretzel sticks
  • raisins
  • cheerios
  • goldfish crackers
  • square crackers
  • M&Ms or Smarties
  • chocolate chips
  • popcorn
  • another brand of cereal
Be sure to check on your school's policies regarding serving food in your classroom as well as being fully aware of any food allergies your students may have. 

There you have it!  10 ways to celebrate your 100th day of school!  Enjoy


Are you looking for a bit more inspiration?  Check out this related post.




Until next time,


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