Classroom Calendars
Posted by Diane Badden on 23 Jul 2010 | Posted in: Organization and Supplies
You know I’m a wonderin’ type of gal, right? Well, here’s my wonder for today. How in the world do you decide on a classroom calendar? Since I no longer use a classroom calendar, I only recently realized how many calendar choices today’s teachers have!
The selection of calendar grids is pretty remarkable! In addition to the standard year-round calendar grid (chart), I found disposable calendar grids for monthly use, magnetic calendar grids, and even pocket chart calendar grids. Who knew? There are oodles of monthly banner choices and just as many choices for calendar pieces. It all makes my head spin in a fun sort of way. I think the complete calendar sets are pretty awesome since they include the whole shebang—a year-round calendar grid and a year’s worth of monthly banners and daily calendar pieces. We actually sell a year-round classroom calendar set that’s quite spiffy and a heck of a deal. (Hey, was that a plug? It sure sounded like one!) 
Really, I’m not trying to influence your calendar purchases—scouts’ honor. I’m simply curious about how you choose a classroom calendar!
All ears!
Diane
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20 Responses to “Classroom Calendars”
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More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] Show All Comments
I use a monthly calendar that I made myself with my students. I use it to teach left-right directionality, one-to-one correspondence, counting, patterning, and the days of the week and months of the year. Calendar helper is one of our jobs which the children rotate through weekly. That child uses a pointer to guide the class in counting to the date and uses the pointer to find the day and month. Each month I change the pattern on the calendar to go with seasonal themes as well as to increase the difficulty level of the patterns - ABAB at the beginning of the year and more complicated patterns as we move on. By the end of the year we usually have two different patterns going on - for example, an ABAB pattern such as dog rabbit dog rabbit that is also an AABC pattern such as gray gray white brown.
We have a separate weekly calendar that came with our math curriculum which we use to chart each week’s weather - each Friday we look back at the week (how many windy/sunny/cloudy/rainy/snowy/partly cloudy/foggy days did we have? What did we have the most of this week?).
I have always used a calendar set- I have about three different ones that I interchange during the year. I love being able to use pieces that match the month and with so many different ones out there I can buy multiple sets and make patterns. This year I have to move classes while construction is going on, so I have to use a pocket chart style. I hope it all works out.
I boughta calender that had the headers and numbers to match. It did not all come as a set. I had to buy the calender, then the pack of headers, and the I bought the numbers to match but I was able to buy them a month at a time until I had all 12 months. I could have bought a calender set. but this was the one I liked and wanted and of course it didnt come in a set.
I use monthly calendar to teach a variety of skills patterning, finding specific dates such as the first day of the week, student birthday etc. Since there are calendar questions on all standardized tests the calendar is focus of my morning meeting.
I do a monthly calendar. The calendar has cricut made pattern numbered cards. We do days of the week, pattern, numbers, tracking, etc!
In my Kindergarten class I use the pocket chart with the different date pieces so I can do patterns on the calendar. I do have a smart board but I prefer the the hands on calendar that I can tailor to my needs (even though I’m a technology junky).
I use a weekly calendar with my pre-k students. I made it myself–didn’t buy it. I use an apple marker that I move & place above each day of the week, Monday - Friday. The students learn that they are in school for 5 days, then off on Saturday & Sunday. Besides the marker that I move daily, I have markers for specific school activities. Example: A book above Wednesday, so that students know that we go to the library on that day.
and now -in addition to the paper ones for your board- we have the interactive ones that we can use on the computer Activ Boards and Smart Boards—–that can just be downloaded …..