Kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers, are you ready? Two new editions of The Mailbox magazine are coming! That’s right: we are splitting the Kindergarten–Grade 1 edition of The Mailbox into two separate magazines—one for Kindergarten only and one for Grade 1 only. These new magazines will be in the mail the first week of October and the online pages will be posted at two new Mailbox Companion levels on October 8. That’s less than 3 weeks away!

Although the magazines are new, the managing editors are some familiar faces.

Sharon Murphy Kindergarten Edition Sharon Murphy is the managing editor of the new Kindergarten edition. She is a former elementary school teacher who has worked at The Mailbox for 12 years. During that time, she has worked on The Mailbox Primary edition, several editions of Teacher’s Helper, dozens of books for early childhood and primary teachers, and The Mailbox Companion.

With grade-specific editions of The Mailbox, each issue will be packed with ideas and activities for the skills you need when you need them. Plus, we’ve included more ready-to-go materials to save you time. The table of contents page and sample pages for each magazine are linked below for you to get a sneak peek.

I can’t wait to hear what YOU think of these two new editions!

Subscribe Today!

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We put a teacher poll on our Web site earlier this year that asked, “What inspired you to become a teacher?” Half of all respondents mentioned that another teacher inspired them to become teachers. Another quarter of teachers who responded were inspired by a personal school experience. What an amazing role teachers play! As tough as some days may be in the classroom, just think that there are a few students in your classroom today who may grow up to be a teacher because of YOU!

I wondered how common these inspirations were among teachers I know. I asked a few of our editors what their inspirations were. This is what they said.

My team of fifth grade teachers inspired me to become a teacher. They all made learning so much fun! We did so many cool activities that I will always remember. I decided that someday I wanted to be a “cool” teacher like they were! —Kelly Robertson

I LOVED my sixth-grade teacher because she made learning so much fun. She inspired me to follow in her footsteps. —Peggy Hambright

My sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. McNulty, was my inspiration! She was impressively fabulous in every way! Each day at school, I was certain to be challenged and would learn something new. Even then, without having the words to express it, I was impressed with her classroom management skills,which kept us all (including me!) on task—and there were oh-so-many tasks planned for each school day! Excellence was expected, and I welcomed the opportunity to get there! I still do! —Lynn Drolet

Do you have a similar story? What inspired you to go into teaching?

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Well, you did it! You set up your classroom, planned your lessons, met your new students, and probably have at least one week of school already under your belt. You are well on your way to a successful school year. Congratulations!

Isn’t it amazing that no matter how many years you’ve been teaching, each new school year presents its own unique challenges? That is what makes teaching such an amazing, never dull, and incredibly rewarding career. So, now that you’ve had a glimpse into your school year, what do you think will be your greatest challenge? Is it getting comfortable with a new curriculum? A large class size? Differentiating for a diverse group of students? Getting parents involved? Classroom management? Something else?

Looking forward to hearing your comments!

Debra

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I remember a coworker attempting to give me some helpful classroom management advice before I stepped in front of my first class. She said, “Don’t smile until Thanksgiving!” Of course, I did not take her advice literally, but it did send me the message that I should plan each day with structure, follow a set classroom routine, and put an effective positive-discipline policy in place. I pulled a few classroom management ideas together to help you do just that. I hope these ideas from The MAILBOX editors help you get this new school year off to a smooth start!

Stamps of Approval

Use an individualized progress card to motivate each student to work on a specific area of improvement while reinforcing her strengths. Meet with each student to discuss both strong points and areas that need to be improved. Write a goal for each student on an index card that she can keep at his desk. At the end of each day, stamp the card with a motivational stamp if progress has been made toward the goal. After a predetermined number of stamps, reward the student with a special treat or privilege.

Behavior Puzzle

Use a cardboard puzzle to piece together a reward for good behavior! Select a puzzle with an age-appropriate picture and a minimal number of pieces (12-15). Then, on the back of each puzzle piece, write a class reward (popcorn party, free center time, etc.) and attach a small piece of magnetic tape. Store the pieces in a basket on your desk. Each time the class displays positive behavior, place one puzzle piece on a designated area of the board. When all of the pieces have been assembled, randomly turn over one piece to reveal the reward the class earned. Afterward, return the pieces to the basket and start all over again!

Quiet As a Mouse

Encourage students to work quietly with this soft and fuzzy incentive. Collect a supply of small stuffed animals, or invite students to bring them from home. When it’s time for students to work quietly at their desks, allow each child to place one of these silent, stuffed friends on his desktop. The stuffed animal may stay on the desk as long as the student remains quiet and on task. When the assignment is complete, the student returns the animal to the shelf until needed again.

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