Erica's Ed-Ventures
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Hi, I'm Erica. I am a first-grade teacher from Long Island, NY. I have been an elementary school teacher since 2002! I have a bachelor's degree in Literature and Rhetoric from Binghamton University. I have a master's degree in Elementary Education. I am a certified mentor teacher and a teacher conference presenter. I love finding ways to reach the needs of all my students through..
Erica's Ed-Ventures
7M ago
As spring breathes new life into the world, it’s the perfect time to rejuvenate your classroom and spark student engagement. This blog post is your guide to easy and creative teaching strategies focused around a spring theme. We’ll explore creative, fun, and engaging teaching ideas designed to harness the energy of the season and ignite a passion for learning among your students.
My no prep Spring Themed Google Slides are a great place to start. Build your students’ schema and boost engagement with these digital slides. I have created five days worth of no prep slides, which work great for mo ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
7M ago
Are you looking for educational activities to create a fun-filled, rainbow themed week? Then look no further. I have the whole week planned out for you!
Start with these Rainbow Themed Google Slides:
The slides are no prep, engaging, great for morning meeting, build background knowledge, and help to reinforce skills! I have included 5 days worth of slides based around a different rainbow themed picture book for each day!
Here are my favorite rainbow themed picture books to read aloud to my students:
Incorporate a color of the day theme for rainbow week by having your students bring in a fru ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Are you looking for some quick and easy fall themed ideas to utilize in your classroom? Check out this blog post for fall themed classroom ideas, freebies, and more!
Start off fall with some adorable fall themed picture books…
Poll your students on their favorite fall themed activities. Use that data to create a fall themed scarecrow graphing craft.
Extend the fall fun into a fall themed banner where students write about their favorite thing to do in the fall. Then they illustrate it!
Tie in math with fall themed math centers. Students love these pumpkin number bond activities. Reinforce t ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Are you looking for some simple and easy ways to make your Meet the Teacher Night/Back to School Night a success? Well check out this blog post! I have easy to implement ideas, freebies, and more.
I organize all important materials for the parents into black folders. I label the folders with labels that say “Important 1st Grade Info” and place it on each students’ desk.
Some materials to add to the folder:
Meet the Teacher Template Sheet
Handwriting Direction Sheets
Class Directory
Class List
Blank Absence Notes & Lateness Notes
Welcome parents with a gift on the top of each desk. Wate ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Being an elementary teacher requires so much more than just teaching! You are responsible for the care and safety of small children. As a first grade teacher with many years experience, I can tell you that there is nothing more stressful than dismissal on the first day of school. We’ve all had it happen, where a kid comes up to you crying insisting that he does not take the bus, but that he is a walker. This of course happens seconds before the bus is being called and all your paperwork from school tells you that this child is a buser and you have no note from a parent stating otherwise! Or m ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Are you feeling daunted by the back-to-school preparations for your classroom? As a seasoned 20-year veteran teacher, I’m here to simplify the process for you with seven easy-to-follow steps! Whether you’re an experienced educator or a fresh face in the field, this post is guaranteed to be your ultimate guide!
As the summer break approaches, I make sure to take proactive steps to ensure a smooth and organized start to the upcoming school year. One of my top priorities before I leave for the break is to prep back-to-school letters. These are then put in large manilla envelopes and placed in t ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Crafting back-to-school lesson plans for first graders might seem like a daunting task. The early years of a child’s education lay the foundation for their academic journey, making it essential for educators to design lesson plans that are engaging, interactive, and tailored to meet the unique needs of these young minds
In this blog post, you will receive FREE lessons plans for the First Two Weeks of School! I will share creative resources to make the first days of school unforgettable. Whether you’re an experienced teacher looking to revamp your lesson ideas or a new educator seeking inspira ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
I have been teaching a long time! I am not going to say just how long but you can see an old TV/VCR combo in the image from my first classroom. Through all this time, I have been in the same school give or take a classroom one up or down the hall. I love decorating classrooms, in fact Carson-Dellosa even invited me twice for a classroom decor blogger summit. I love creating a cohesive learning environment. It calms me to be in a classroom that is well organized and visually pleasing. That does not mean that my decor picks were always the best choices for me or my students. I have learned a lo ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Are you looking for some fun end of the year activities and student gift ideas? Then this post is for you. I have included links to free end of the year gift tags, free cards from the teacher, an ice cream sundae hack, a graphing craft, and more!
Let the countdown to the last day of school begin with these adorable print and go Days Left of School Banners. Each student makes a banner and each day, a different student reads their banner and shares their favorite memory of the school year. It really is a sweet way to count down the days.
End the year with some of my favorite picture books. Cli ..read more
Erica's Ed-Ventures
1y ago
Are you looking for quick and easy hallway/classroom displays that incorporate writing and art? Check out these print and go banners. I currently have 42 different banners in my store and have bundled them all HERE. I save each students banners and compile them all together into a booklet. The banners are a great way to showcase student growth and to create a cute little student portfolio!
The cover for the banner portfolio can be grabbed for free below!
Check out some of the 42 banners included in my Ultimate Banner Bundle ..read more