Build up your teacher toolbox with these must-have resources for new upper elementary teachers!
It’s those weeks, months, or days leading up to that first day when you’ll take over your first classroom that are the hardest.
The list of to-dos seems so long, and you haven’t yet learned how to prioritize the items on the list.
How creative do you really need to be with that bulletin board that is over in the corner of your new room?
When are you supposed to complete your mandatory training AND start actually planning for the first few days of school?
Who are you supposed to contact when your badge doesn’t work with the copier?
You have so many things on the list, and when you finally report to school, you’ll have even more things added to your list that you didn’t know to expect.
You can’t save it all for the last minute, and you also don’t know how long things are going to take, so deep down, you know that taking some time to prepare during summer break or in the weeks leading up to your first day is the only way you’ll truly get it all done.
As a new teacher, decorating, organizing, and setting up were the fun parts, so that was the part I wanted to do. The hard part was the lesson planning and being prepared for the different schedules I’d have to deal with in the first month of school.
That is why we highly suggest that new teachers get their hands on grade-level appropriate, standards-focused activities that they can use throughout the year to create procedures around. These are the resources that will quickly become the cornerstone lessons of your weeks (or even your days).
Picking product lines that play nicely together is important when you are looking through the must-have resources for new elementary teachers. By picking a product line from a business that was created by teachers who teach the subject you’re going to be teaching lets you know that these are tried and true resources that will actually work with your students.
Let’s review some of those must-have resources for new upper elementary teachers now.
Must-Have Products Lines for New Upper Elementary Teachers
When you select product lines from the same creator, you know that many of the skills and types of questions and content students are working with will align; therefore, you can plan by grouping like skills together across many types of products. The product lines listed below all have similar skills you can use to bundle the skills you plan to practice together.
Game Shows
These game shows can be used to pre-assess students on new concepts, work through them in small groups or during centers, or play as a whole group for review and practice. You can also deconstruct the game shows and use the examples for daily check-ins or exit tickets.
Digital Puzzles
Our digital puzzles cover many of the same skills that are found in our other product lines, but they are done 100% on the computer and can be shared with a simple link.
These puzzles allow students to practice and review concepts in a safe, self-checking environment and are a great addition to centers or stations.
U-KNOW Decks
U-KNOW decks come in various skills and standards, and they can be played by following the instructions, or you can play some typical card games with them.
The cards are really nice for passing out to the class and doing a quick check-in on a skill. They can also be used during transition or as a lead-in to a lesson.
We have written many posts about using U-KNOW to play some classic card games, including U-KNOW War and Spoons (or Markers)!
This post includes several interesting ideas for using U-KNOW decks with students.
Close Reads with Mystery Pictures
These are some of my favorite ELA resources for new upper elementary teachers because they are robust and have so many to choose from.
Each Close Read with Mystery Picture is differentiated for easy use and includes 3 passages on a related topic. This saves teachers time and gives them some flexibility in how they use the close reads in their classrooms.
These resources were created specifically for upper elementary teachers and are must-haves for new upper elementary teachers because each product line offers so many different themes and skills to choose from.
By picking some resources around which to build your class structure and processes, you’ll be a lot less stressed when you get into your classroom and start with the fun stuff, like decorating and organizing!
