Blog - Katie Roltgen Teaching

The Best Hands On Activities for September

September is such a big time in the world of Kindergarten. Our students are starting to settle into the school routine. All of that hard work during the first few weeks of school practicing rules and expectations is starting to pay off, and that’s exciting for everyone! Typically at some point September, my students are ready to begin learning centers and morning tubs. We always start small and ... Read More about The Best Hands On Activities for September

For Families: Eight Things to Teach Your Child Before Kindergarten

As any kindergarten teacher will tell you, one of the best parts of the kindergarten year is seeing each child's growth throughout the year. The academic growth is always exciting, but it's just as (if not more) exciting to watch kindergarteners grow in their confidence, relationships with peers, and maturity. Another thing that any kindergarten teacher will tell you is that, although we ... Read More about For Families: Eight Things to Teach Your Child Before Kindergarten

Using a Mentor Text to Teach Onomatopoeia

I was so excited when author Rolanda Hasten reached out to me about creating some companion activities for her book A Day at the Beach. The book provides great examples of onomatopoeias along with rich text about the beauty of a day at the beach. It’s a must-have for your classroom library and I'm excited to share about it! What are Mentor Texts? Mentor texts are simply text that ... Read More about Using a Mentor Text to Teach Onomatopoeia

Thank You Cards for Staff Appreciation {FREE Download!}

With the end of the year and Teacher Appreciation Week coming up quickly, it's just a really great time to express gratitude for the people in our lives, especially those at school! Simply being appreciated and being told "thank you" is often better than any physical gift you could receive. It's also a great idea to help students practice being thankful, and one way I like to do that is by ... Read More about Thank You Cards for Staff Appreciation {FREE Download!}

Starting a New Year in the Classroom {Plus a Freebie!}

2021 is drawing to a close and a new year is (finally) around the corner! A New Year in the classroom brings a new semester, the joy of looking back at how far my students have come this year, and the excitement of moving forward. It feels a bit like a fresh start without all of the back-to-school jitters! Easing back into a routine For the first few days back to school, I like to ease ... Read More about Starting a New Year in the Classroom {Plus a Freebie!}

First Day of Kindergarten Crown Freebie

Hey teachers! Nothing is cuter than a line of sweet kindergarteners walking proudly after their first day of kindergartener. I’ve always loved making crowns with my students and I wanted to share one of my absolute favorite crown templates with you! This crown template is super cute and easy to put together! Simply have students color the template. Next, attach a strip of construction ... Read More about First Day of Kindergarten Crown Freebie

27 Read-Alouds for the New School Year

No matter what grade you teach, you’re sure to have a wide variety of emotions entering your classroom this new school year. You’ll see students who are eager, excited, and ambitious, but also students who are annoyed, unmotivated, and disappointed that summer is over. Helping your students form a positive and growth mindset around school will need to be one of the very first things you establish ... Read More about 27 Read-Alouds for the New School Year

Go-To Guide to Morning Tubs: Part 6 – Promoting Independence

It’s the sixth and final part of my Morning Tubs Blog Series! (If you would like to go back and read any of the previous posts, I’ll link them below!) Today, I’m sharing about ways to promote student independence with morning tub activities. This is a really important topic and even though we’re talking about it last, it’s the glue that holds the success of morning tubs ... Read More about Go-To Guide to Morning Tubs: Part 6 – Promoting Independence

Go-To Guide to Morning Tubs: Part 5 – Assigning Tubs

Hello! Today is part five of my morning tubs summer blog series and it’s all about the topic of assigning tubs.This topic is a big one for a lot of reasons. Your decision to assign or not assign tubs might change from one year to the next. Some classes might handle choosing their own tubs really well, while others might need them assigned. It also might change throughout the year! Let’s break ... Read More about Go-To Guide to Morning Tubs: Part 5 – Assigning Tubs