Back To School With Guess Who? Tessa from Tales Outside the Classroom

Please welcome my pal Tessa Maguire (with a name like that what’s not to love huh?) from Tales Outside the Classroom for today’s Back to School with Guess Who? 

She is a super star blogger with TONS of fabulous ideas.  So please make sure you check out her blog when you’re done.  You won’t be sorry.  I promise.

When Marsha and I talked about me guest blogging for her as part of her Back to School with Guess Who promotions, I was stumped with what I was going to share with you.  For starters, I’m so impressed with Marsha, her blog, and the posts she regularly comes up with.  Also, I have to keep kindergarteners in mind.  Let’s face it.  They are a special kind of student.  And then my idea hit me!  They are a special kind of student and that’s what I should honor about them!  So, I created a book to chronicle their year!

               

On the first day of school, students draw a self-portrait and write their name.  You can use these pages as a display in your classroom or hallway, or you can just save them.  Students also fill out a questionnaire where they write their name, age, what they want to be when they grow up, their favorite food, their favorite book, and their favorite tv show.  Now, I realize that it’s kindergarten and they can’t write so well yet.  But that’s part of the charm.  You do the same questionnaire at the end of the school year and the students are able to write so much better!  They will be impressed with their growth and won’t be able to believe how much they’ve grown!

There are pages for every month of the year.  That way, if you are one of those unlucky people who start while it’s still July, you are still able to do it on the first day of school.  Because there is a page for each month, you can have students draw their self-portrait and write their name monthly.  If you would prefer to only do it a few months out of the year, that’s fine too!  You really can make it work for you and your schedule.

I also created a sample cover.  I put a blank page in the packet that only includes the page border.  That way, students can hand-write their name, their school, the school year, and their teacher.  They can also decorate it to what fits them best!  If you want to use a colored cover, I’ve seen those turn out cute too!  I did not put a grade level on the cover so any grade can use it!

As you are getting ready for the new school year and are planning keepsakes you want to do throughout the year, I hope this year book is something you can add to the collection.  You can download it for free here.  What keepsakes do you do with your students that they can bring home at the end of the year?

Tessa Maguire is a former reading teacher, administrator, and differentiated instruction coach.  She currently is the Curriculum Coordinator at her school.  She spends her days helping her teachers find what works best for them and their students.  She blogs about the resources she finds and creates and she shares tips and strategies for effective instruction.  You can find out more information on her blog Tales from Outside the Classroom: http://talesfromoutsidetheclassroom.blogspot.com/