12 Must Have Printables from a veteran teacher

1. Observation Sheet!

No joke this is essential! As a part time kindergarten teacher I need to get to know my students as quickly as possible so I could get helping them develop in all the ways needed to be as successful as I could get them. ❤️ Use this sheet to record all your observations. A simple marking system of your choice is all you need to quickly get to know the individual’s capabilities and motor skill development. Download it on TPT.

I made it a half sheet bc I just can’t handle too much to look at. I split it by girls and boys so I can easily stay focused in a smaller list.

Download this version on Observation Tracker on TPT! This version is free!

If you’re interested in my other observation pages and larger size sheets, those are available to purchase on TPT here.

I love my mini clipboard for carrying around. I got my sets from Amazon!

Hear me tell you more about how I use this in my short reel.

2. Behavior Sheets!

Keep things simple for the student, parent and you!

I created mine with visuals because I created them for kindergarten. I have used them in preschool, but I do feel they would work for older grades as well.

I made a variety of these to use for the behaviors of the expectations not being met. It’s a great reminder during the day as well as a great reflection at the end of the day. Triple awesome because it’s a communication page for parents. 🙌🏼

Download these Behavior Sheets on TPT!

Listen to my short reel sharing how I use these to help my students become successful in class.

Side tip: Work with parents to set up a success plan. If they go home with smiley faces, what could be the reward. I am not an extrinsic reward person, but sometimes it really helps! This is the time I would encourage small rewards like dessert that evening or picking a candy they like. It can even be playing games with mom/dad.

3. Parent emails!

If you don’t have a system that sends automatic emails from your district, then adding in email addresses takes forever. Plus you have to double and triple check you typed it in wrong- then if they wrote it wrong you have to re- ask for it. Baaaaaa no way.

Simply asks parents to email you FIRST then click to add the contact info into your school email contact list. Done! No checking or asking for it again. Save yourself sometime. 😊 Then if you have to add emails you can just do the ones you need. 🙌🏼

Download this Back to School printable on TPT.

Extra tip: Create a parent list, so you just have to type in “parents” instead of clicking all the parents emails.

Extra safety tip: Use BBC to send emails, so no one else sees other people’s emails.

4. Thank you notes!

Showing appreciate is important (in my opinion). BUT ITS SO HARD when you’re busy! So to try to prevent me from forgetting to get them done, I started having Thank you notes ready to go.

You can either order some and have in your classroom or you can do the cheaper out like I did and just print them and have them ready.

I think bitMoji’s are super fun, so I made those, but you can also just download any thank you card template!

If you want to conserve time, you can buy the perforated paper so you just have to fold them into the smaller cards. I printed a variety just saw it fit the different reason why I was saying thank you and because I think they are all fun. 🤣

If you want an easy, quick printable, download the Thank You Notes on TPT!

When a gift is given to me, I instantly pull out a thank you card and start it SO I remember which one was theirs. Just write a little clue on the bottom of the card if you don’t have time to open it. Sometimes parents forget to write which kids it’s from, so this helps get those kids a thank you note as well.

5. Sorry Notes!

Teaching respect is important to me and for a kind classroom. Helping kids realize when they aren’t being respectful will help them change their behaviors (some need more time 😉).

My students write sorry notes to me, each other or other adults.

There’s no need to have students do a way too long writing apology or missing an entire activity. All the kid will remember with a huge punishments is how they felt not that they were disrespectful. Personal opinion here. I share more about this in my video here!

Download these small and simple Sorry notes here and watch my video about them here.

6. Scholastic Club Book Notes

I have loved Scholastic Book Club ordering since I was a kid, so naturally I have offered it as a teacher! Plus I can benefit my classroom and students by participating! More info in my Scholastic Book Club post.

I have some basic notes I send home with my students. I usually just staple to their paper order forms.

Now that they are more digital base, I still send a note and tell them to check their email for a clickable link. I feel the paper may be noticed.

I created a first letter, throughout the year letter and last end of the year sumner is coming letter!

Download and use these Scholastic letters from TPT to benefit your classroom and students! Use this link to set up your Scholastic Book Club account!

7. Birthday Postcards

Birthdays are a wonderful time to show a person you care about them! And sad to say there are some students that don’t get their birthdays celebrated at home. 😳😢😡

I am not the greatest at going all out with gifts because frankly I just don’t have the funds to! I had a full class that was part time kindergarten, so the state/district gave me only 1/2 of the funds of other teachers. 😳😫 Makes no sense, I know. But I can give them something small AND give time in my class to have the kids write birthday postcards to the birthday kid!

I print these ready for the year! When it’s birthday time, I lay them out and let the kids choose which one to color for the birthday kid! (Ps- this is an easy way to incorporate choice into the classroom.)

We color (older kids can write a kind note) and then the birthday kid comes up front. Each kid takes turn wishing them a Happy Birthday. I’d you know you cannot make the time to do this, DON’T! You can have them drop the card off at the kids’ desk during transition time or you can collect and put them in an envelope!

Download these Birthday Postcards to use in your celebration! 🙌🏼

Listen to my quick explanation here.

8. Numbers Writing Rhyme

This may be geared more for younger grades, but if you’re like me who wants numbers eligible in older grades, you can use this resources too! And the next one!

When I started in kindergarten, I didn’t like anything I found for number writing cues, so these are the ones I felt were best for my students.

Even my preschoolers learn these rhymes. It cues them in their number formation that makes sense.

Download Number Writing Rhymes from TPT here!

9. Number Writing Practice Mini Pages

As a kindergarten teacher, I kept my classroom going at a fast pace because we were half day to get everything mastered! Sometimes fast pace doesn’t work for all students. I had a designated number writing intervention time. Details about this process here! IT IS REALLY GREAT. 😉

Use them however you need! Download this Number Writing resource in TPT!

10. Mini Substitute Plan Ready!

I am sharing a simple lesson plan I created years ago and have on TPT for a book I was given by an author.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have gotten a full Book Unit sent before I changed it to cost money. Make sure to follow because I do try to help teachers with some good Book Units when I can.

Print out and have ready this mini Book Unit to add to your sub plan folder along with the book! This isn’t a book you will need through the year, so just keep it safe with the plans!

Follow along as I share tips for setting up your sub plans, so you don’t have to stress it when you or your children are sick.

11. Parent Volunteer Tracking

As a teacher, I could use parent volunteers, but I needed a good way to track things I sent home. I learned that sometimes it doesn’t come back. 😫 If you have a way to track and be able to keep in touch with the parent volunteer, it goes smoother! (Not always, but should help.)

I hope this helps make your life easier relying on parent volunteers! ❤️ Download the Volunteer Tracker on TPT.

12. Allergy Notes to send home!

This might not seem like a big deal, but if you consider you as the parent of a child with a severe allergy, you will see the child’s safety IS A BIG DEAL! Often times, kids with allergies get left out. Work with the parents to address how to handle severe allergies because I wouldn’t tell a kid don’t bring cupcakes because another kid can’t eat gluten. It’s so hard to accommodate that allergy, so I worked with the parent to have a treat already saved in the classroom for the child.

Download the various allergy notes from TPT!