Parent Communication Log

Hello to anyone still checking in with me! I hope to post more often. We'll see how much that happens because I am starting a certificate program for an endorsement in administration and supervision in two weeks! I am very, very excited. It is difficult to find blogs specifically geared towards fifth grade teachers. I feel like it is my duty to post for you. So, without further ado, I am posting a parent communication log cover sheet for a binder and a template for the inside. This was inspired by two other teachers' logs that I saw on Pinterest.

I have a place for you to include the student's name, their student ID number, and then the number you use in your own classroom to organize them. There is a place to record their allergies as well. In the next section it says M/F/G. Circle the M for Mother, F for Father, or the G for Guardian. Include their name and contact information. The rest should be pretty straight forward. This will be the first year that I really try to record all the contact I have with parents in such a neat and organized manner. I am excited to test it out this year. If you have any feedback, let me know.

Parent Communication cover

Parent Communication log sheet

I'm Not Going to Argue....

With myself this year! I am just getting my room set up without agonizing over the major details this year. This totally goes against my previous nine summers, but I know what I want to do and what it requires to get it done. In 30 minutes I did the background and border on the front two bulletin boards in my room, set up the bins for turning in work, rolled my extra paper organizer in place, moved the recycling bins into place, stacked the marker/crayons/colored pencil bins (I will be making cute labels for those!) It doesn't sound like much, but it feels good not to debate things with myself. I hope that you don't think that I have just given up because I haven't. I'm just looking to do the finer details of the beginning of the school year. Anybody else in this boat? 

Board when you enter - holds HW & field trip forms, etc.

School-wide behavior board - I am going to make cute foam sparkly letters

Bins l - r: Pick up (morning work), writing, sci/ss, reading, math

Class before pic

So, I will be doing a few things to make the room special: sparkly foam letters, a cute door decoration that I saw on pinterest, new coat rack labels, a fun open house gift for the kids (also from pinterest!).

I'll be sure to post "after" pics!

Door inspired by a pin on pinterest

What do you all think? Good door idea for fifth graders? I tend to shy away from the cutesy stuff with them. They like to feel mature and grown up. They thanked me - thanked me!- for not using a color behavior system (green= good, yellow=warning, etc.) last year. That made a huge impression on me. Love those kiddos. I am going to miss them. I digress. Seriously though, let me know about the door!

One and Done

I love the Best of Mailbox books. I get the best ideas from them. One idea I gained that transformed - I'm talking transformed, how student jobs get assigned was the One and Done job chart. It was contributed by Emily Starr of DeWitt, IA in The Best of Mailbox: Grades 4 -6. 

One and Done Chart Download

Emily suggests creating a yearlong chart. All you have to do is write the class jobs across the top and the dates in the far left column. For the first week, the fill the rows by listing each child once and repeat the process until the chart is complete. Make sure that you do not repeat any names in a given week. I hope this at least inspires you to try this method. It may be easier to create your own chart, but at least Emily and I gave you an idea. :)