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Did your ears burn yesterday? I’ve heard that’s supposed to happen when you’re being talked about, and yesterday several colleagues and I were yakkin’ about ya! Yes, indeedy. In fact, we were trying to read your teacher minds. You see, we want to know what’s on your wish list for The Mailbox. What is it that you wish The Mailbox would do for you?
Now don’t be shy! After all, how can a wish come true if no one knows what you’re wishing for? 🙂 Please take this little survey and then wish BIG! Smiles, PS: Respond before the end of the day Monday, November 8, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a free book and a surprise from me! (Look at that! One of your wishes has already come true!) |
Survey Questions
1. The teaching area I could use the most help with is
a. literacy/language arts
b. math
c. science/social studies
d. classroom management
e. _____________________
2. I mostly need activities for
a. a large group
b. small groups
c. centers/stations
d. independent practice
e. homework
3. My favorite kind of book is
a. filled with activities and patterns
b. filled with reproducible practice pages
c. filled with centers and games (and printed on laminated cardstock)
d. an e-book
e. _____________________
4. A book I wish The Mailbox would publish is…
5. I also wish…
Hooray for Ruth, our drawing winner! And thanks, everyone, for all the great comments and suggestions. 🙂
1. a. Language arts/literacy
2. b. small group
3. a filled with activities and patterns
4. A book I wish the Mailbox would publish is working with at risk students in small groups (with a focus on K-1)
5. I wish that Mailbox would put the monthly forms that are online in the back of the book. That way, I would not have to access online everytime I needed a copy.
1. C. Science/social studies (more and more, I find preschool classes are incorporating language development and thinking skills through these subjects and I certainly am always looking for more resources to support the topics more in-depth, yet on level of understanding)
2. ohhh…c OR d. I’ll go with d. Independent practice (because we work with small class sizes and set time in our weekly schedule to work independently with each child, having independent practice is very useful in helping students develop the skills they are lacking)
3. b. filled with reproducible practice pages BUT not the usual kind…since I am wanting science/social studies ideas, that is what I am thinking. For instance, we just learned about fish and I made up a worksheet with an outline drawing of a fish and the main parts labeled. (I’ve seen Mailbox do this for a seed/plant before). These are the kinds of ‘practice pages’ I could use. OTHERWISE, I’d choose C…hands down. Because having a center already colored, on cardstock, AND laminated is certainly my dream as a teacher…can NEVER get enough of that!!! LOVE THEM< LOVE THEM!!!
4. I’d like to see the Mailbox publish another Letter of the Week book, some new theme books, geography for preschool, and I have an idea for a science book composed of the type of ‘worksheets’ listed above, with coordinating activities.
5. I also wish Mailbox would publish a “Teacher’s Helper” for preschool…this would be great for independent practice, for homework sheets (our area encourages school-home connections through skill review at home/with care givers).
I would LOVE to see some books that have 15 to 20 minute lessons for small groups in reading and math and include activities to go with them.
1. A: Literacy/Language Arts especially focusing on PreK ELL Students!
2. B: Small Groups
3. A, C, and D I love all of these!
4. A book I wish The Mailbox would publish is a book based on vocabulary to teach to ELL students and their parents. I work with children from all different parts of the world and their parents, and I could really use some reproducibles of vocabulary that looks more “realistic” instead of clip arty so both the students and the parents are learning what the real item looks like—not the clip art! I also would LOVE more thematic books for Pre-K… can always get new ideas!
5. I wish that I had more access to the older editions of The Mailbox! I am a new teacher and already know the value of the books!
1. B Math.
2. B small groups
3. A
4. I would love a book on parachute play with new games that teach.
5. a social studies book at the preschool level
No matter what though Mailbox has the best of everything. We teachers could not do without you.
1. B
2. B
3. B and C
1.A. Language Arts/Literacy for grades 1-2
2.B Small group
3.A. Filled with activities and patterns
I would like more hands-on activities for both literacy and math. I want my students to practice skills in both small group and/or independently, using hands-on activities instead of paper-pencil worksheets.
4.I wish I had a book with literacy activities that go along with some of the new picture books that have been published. There are many new picture books but it is hard to find activities to go along with them.
5.I would like a book that has learning activities and games(either literacy or math),that can be differentiated to meet the needs of all the learners in a class.
1. The teaching area I could use the most help with is (A)- Literacy/language arts.
2. I mostly need activities for (b)- Small groups
3. My favorite kind of book is (A&B)- filled with activities and patterns as well as reporducible practice pages!!
4. A book I wish The Mailbox would publish is books that can cover and focuse on specific books. For example there may be a section that is based on The Little Red Hen and you could include ideas for math, since, large group, small group, cooking…etc.
5. I also wish to thank you for the wonderful ideas that you provide me with every month! I look forward to my new edition like it’s Christmas morning!!!
1. A
2. B
3. A, but with online extras that can be updated or upgraded online.
4. A book that has ideas for integrating technology with pre-K themes, schedules, classroom management, etc.
4. I wish that Mailbox would create a series of books for Pre-school teachers that provide lessons on social/emotional skills (that teach empathy skills), a book on Positive Behavioral Supports and a book on integrating technology with preschoolers.
5. I wish Mailbox would create graphics that are in a png format that teachers could use. It would be great if all the graphics they already have would be available for purchase as a download.
1. C – science/social studies (I have researched based programs that I teach from for both reading and math. When it comes to science and social studies, I’m on my own to plan lessons and find activities.
2. B – small groups (My students are placed in leveled small groups from the beginning of the school year. I need activities to meet each of their needs.)
3. A – activities/patterns (I want my students to participate in a variety of activities. It’s very important to me that all of the patterns are included with an activity. I don’t have a lot of extra time to hunt through other resources to find the patterns that I need.
4. A book for kindergarten that has sight word activities and reproducibles, printable emergent readers, and sentence building activities. More and more we are expected to have our students reading at higher levels by the end of kindergarten. I need more resources to help me accomplish this goal.
5. I also wish that your website would allow me to view materials for the grades above and below me. Right now, I have one account to view your preschool resources and another account to view your kindergarten resources. It would be so much easier if I could have one account and view all the resources for preschool, kindergarten and first grade. I always have a wide range of abilities and I need a wide range of resources to meet each student’s needs.
1. b- math
2. b-small groups
3. a, b, and c- I like them all!
4. I wish The Mailbox would publish a Choose and Do math activities book for grades 4-6 and a book on math activities for small groups and intervention students.
5. I also wish that The Mailbox would publish a magazine specifically for math (like Bookbag is for literacy). This would be awesome!
1. Math center games that reinforce 1st grade concepts while I run intervention groups.
2. B and C
3. C
4. I would like a book on Reader’s Theatre
5. Anything!! I LOVE your books!!
Science Activities and Math Center activities.
Small Group and Centers.
Filled with activities and patterns.
Ideas on Small group activities that help with math and language arts reading.
I wish that the patterns I get on the email would be in the monthly magazines.
1. D. I am in constant need of classroom management techniques that work with behavior. I work in a title I school and this is my most challenging area.
2. C and D – I am always looking for centers/stations where students can work independently (with answer sheets please). I could also use independent activities that are ability grouped, especially ones for gifted students.
3. A and B – I take the activities and usually adapt them to how I need them for my students. But I also like just reproducible pages that go along with what I am teaching to reinforce the concepts.
4. I like theme based books, but it seems like it is the same old things. It would be cool to see some of the rare things that are announced on “Chase’s Calendar of Events” such as PI day, Talk Like a Pirate, Blueberry Pie Day, etc.
5. My district is doing a new math curriculum called Go Math which is heavily problem solving based. The students and parents find this quite challenging. It would be great if you could come up with some that enhances this curriculum.
1. c. science/social studies
2. a. large groups
3. a., b., & c.!
4. I wish that The Mailbox would publish books to help early childhood students who are having difficulty (at-risk students).
5. Everything you do is wonderful. Keep up the excellent work!
1. The teaching area I could use the most help with is organizing my clutter!
I need activities for centers!
My favorite kind of book is filled with centers and games and printed on laminated cardstock.
I wish The Mailbox would publish a book with activities with words the kids can read early in the year, just cvc words, and later in the year, cvc and cvvc and cvce words.
I wish for ideas for centers! But not just busy work, something the kids learn from and reinforce new knowledge with.
1.Area: Science/social studies
2.Would love to see center activities ready to use! but I also like the reproducibles as I use them in homework packets too.
3.I love any book with ready to use ideas for centers, games, large group activities…
4. differentiation ideas-not philosophy-ideas that work
5. ideas for differentiating instruction
Would it ever be possible to view ideas pages for level above and level below kindergarten?
1. E – theme activities for pre/k that incorporate as many skills as possible.
2. C, but if you had an “all of the above” that would have been my first choice.
3. E – all of the above
4. a book for preschool teachers who have students at various levels including circle time activities, center activities, art projects, etc.
5. I also wish the Mailbox would have a “Save” button for all reproducibles, just as you previously did with PDF files. In addition, I wish that the Mailbox would allow magazine subscribers to have access to online reproducibles for an unlimited time since they have already paid for the magazine. If I print out the reproducible once, that doesn’t mean that I will have it for always since it could get lost, especially since I have other staff members digging into my file cabinet. To be charging us continuously for access to something that we have already paid for seems excessive.
1.A. and C.
2.A. and B.
3.A.
4. I would also like to see a book that helps integrate technology with primary thematic units.
5.I would like to see a book that incorporates songs, movement activities, and cheers with curriculum ares.
1. Art ideas for various curriculum topics. Something fresh and new for preschool
2. b. small groups
3. e. a book filled with ideas and patterns for those ideas
4. I wish Mailbox would publish a book about making class books with children. Easy ideas to take and run with
5. I also wish to thank you for the ideas I have gotten from Mailbox over the years. My fellow teachers think I am so smart even when I tell them the idea is from The Mailbox.
1. c- science/social studies
2. c- centers/stations(I a always looking for new ideas)
3. a- filled with activities and patterns
4. A book I wish The Mailbox would publish is a parachute game book…I use a parachute quite a bit in my classroom and am always looking for fun ideas/games.
5. I also wish that I would be able to access the Preschool level ideas…I teach PreK and my kiddos are at various levels. I have a subscription to the Kindergarten due to many of students being at that level but, I still have some that are not as advanced. I like to have a balanced learning experience.
Isn’t it fun to wish? And who knows? Maybe some of your wishes will come true! Thanks so much for sharing. The winner of the giveaway will be contacted shortly. Be sure to check your email!
Smiles,
Diane