Starting Bucket Filling? Here's What Actually Works

Have you ever tried something in your classroom that you wanted to be amazing, but it just... wasn’t? That was me the first time I tried teaching my first graders about bucket filling.

I loved the concept, encouraging kindness and helping students recognize the good in others  Actually implementing it with my first graders was rough  My students struggled with the writing component, the buckets were underused, and the idea fizzled out within weeks.

But I didn’t give up—and I’m so glad I didn’t  Let me walk you through how I turned things around and implemented a bucket filler routine that made bucket filling a meaningful, year-long part of our classroom community.

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The Best Home-School Communication Folder System for K–3 Teachers

Let’s be real: sending things home and getting them back in one piece is practically an Olympic sport for K–3 teachers. Whether it’s crumpled permission slips or mystery money floating around in the depths of a backpack, home-school communication can feel like a daily scavenger hunt.

After years of testing and failing, I finally found a communication system that actually works. Spoiler: It’s affordable and easy to implement, and I’m giving you a free set of editable labels to make setting it up easy.

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Want the Most Joyful Start to Every School Day? Try Morning Tubs!

Have you heard about Morning Tubs? How you start the day often sets the tone for the rest of your day. I've recently changed my thinking, begun to embrace a more relaxed, soft start to the day, and transitioned to using morning tubs or soft-start bins in my first-grade classroom. It's definitely made the start of the day more joyful for my students and me!

Looking for hands-on math ideas?  Check out this complete guide: Hands-On Math Activities for Primary Students

Read on to find out what the beginning of the day looks like with my first graders and how it got them excited about learning.

In my classroom, we are now starting most days with Morning Tubs.

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3 Tips to Ensure a Smooth Transition after a School Break

Going back to school after a break is always hard, but it is especially hard after a longer break like Christmas Break or Winter Break.  If you approach the first day back with the right attitude, you will find that you and your students are ready to get back on track.  Here are a few tips to ensure that that smooth transition happens in your classroom.

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5 Meaningful Ways to Fill 5 Minutes in the Classroom

It happens every day.  We all have 5 minutes here and there during our day in the classroom that we need to fill, and we want to find meaningful ways to fill that 5 minutes. We want to make the most of those minutes, so it is important to find activities that are both educational and quick.  I am here to help!

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How to Make a DIY Schedule Board for your Classroom

Staying organized is a must in the classroom.  I like to be able to see what is happening for the week at a glance.  Sometimes my plans are buried under all the "stuff" that accumulates on my desk (OK, most of the time, if I am being honest) and I have to dig around to check my schedule for upcoming items.  This DIY schedule solves the problem of my messy desk!   

What you will need: 

~Dollar Store frame
~Scrapbook papers
~Letter stickers or vinyl and a Silhouette cutting machine

I found this picture frame at my local Dollar Store for $3.00.  I wanted the inserts to match the colours in my room so I headed to Michaels to find matching scrapbook paper.  My final step was to cut out the vinyl letters for each of the days of the week using my Silhouette Cameo.  For under $5.00 I created a functional and attractive schedule board.  

Now each week I use a dry erase marker to jot down important events.  I also have a code for my duties.  That is what the R and L indicates.  We are on a rotating day system as well, so I can glance at my schedule to remind myself what "day" it is.  

Pin this picture to help you remember and consider making yourself one over the summer!  Check out some other great teacher tips over at Mrs. Beattie's Classroom.  I am linking up with her this week and sharing this little project.  

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4 Ways to Use Drawer Organizers in Your Classroom

Do you struggle to stay organized in your classroom throughout the week with your copies and lesson materials?  If so then I may have just the organizational solution for you!

I am linking up with Erin at Mrs. Beattie's Classroom again this week.  This time I am sharing how I use drawers to organize various things in my classroom.  

I love drawer organizers. The first one I found and made for my classroom has truly been a lifesaver. You have probably seen similar ones on Pinterest. 

Sometimes it was a struggle to keep everything together for my lessons so when I saw this idea I was excited.  It has truly helped me stay organized.  These drawers are slightly larger than the conventional paper sized drawer, which is great for adding books and other things for your lessons. This is 2 sets of 3 drawers stacked together.  I believe they are made by Sterlite.  I added the lettering using my Silhouette Cameo, but you could easily use peel and stick letters, too.  

I don't know about you but there are always pens, pencils, highlighters etc floating around on my desk or collected in various cups.  I started looking for a way to collect all of those supplies into one place.  Pinterest to the rescue again!  I found this hardware cabinet at Lowe's and repurposed it using labels I found on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Voila!  A functional storage system for all the desktop paraphernalia.  Substitute teachers love it too because they can always find what they are looking for. 

My first graders seem to lose their crayons ALL...THE...TIME.  They were always coming to me looking for missing colours.  I solved that problem with, you guessed it, another drawer organizer! This one was thrown together hastily, so there is no pretty labels on it.  I had planned to rectify that but as you can see, it hasn't happened.  There is always next year, :).  My students put crayons there that they find on the floor and go there when they are missing a colour.  When I give students a new box of crayons I often go through their table baskets and move some of those crayons to the extras.   

My last drawer organizer is a favourite with teachers from Staples. I have seen it used for many different things but I use mine to store all my additional supplies.  Again, my substitute teachers love it as they can quickly find extras for students when they lose things.  It is amazing how much gets "lost" when I happen to be away.  

Do you use drawer organizers in your classroom?  If so how do you use them?  I am always looking for new ideas.  You can never have too many drawer organizers!  :)

Looking for more organization ideas?  Check out my Classroom Organization Pinterest Board for more ideas.  

Until next time,

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A Simple Classroom Management Strategy for Lining Up

Do your students struggle at line up time?  Do they have a problem leaving enough space for others or crowd together so that everyone ends up pushing and shoving?   This group of firsties has been particularly challenged with lining up.

I am linking up with my good friend Erin at Mrs. Beattie's Classroom for a new weekly blog series.

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