Truth: I have a secret teacher fear that I will forget a child's birthday.
By the time you finally get your class list (Doesn't it feel like it takes forever?!) birthdays are the last thing on your mind! You're scrambling to label popsicle sticks, job boards, folders, cubbies, coatroom hangers, mail boxes, desks, and basically anything else that will sit still. #mustlabelallthethings
![The birthday committee! A super simple strategy to put students in charge of birthday celebrations. Get The BIrthday Committee started in your classroom and never fear forgetting a childs birthday again!]( "The birthday committee! A super simple strategy to put students in charge of birthday celebrations. Get The BIrthday Committee started in your classroom and never fear forgetting a childs birthday again!")
While you're fretting about fonts, creating curriculum calendars, and sweating bullets about Back to School Night bulletin boards, there's always one or two cuties with August birthdays that are just ready to sneak up and make you feel like an absolutely awful human!
No more worrying I say! The birthday committee is here to save the day!
Getting your birthday box ready for the birthday committee is one super easy way to feel productive this summer! You can get everything you need during a grocery trip to Target or from your couch on Amazon.
![The birthday committee! A super simple strategy to put students in charge of birthday celebrations. Get The BIrthday Committee started in your classroom and never fear forgetting a childs birthday again!]( "The birthday committee! A super simple strategy to put students in charge of birthday celebrations. Get The BIrthday Committee started in your classroom and never fear forgetting a childs birthday again!")
Here's all you need to do on your next shopping outing:
1. Buy some streamers, balloons, markers, stickers, and birthday pencils and put them in a plastic bin. This bin is now the treasured birthday box.
2. When school starts add a "humanitarian" job to your classroom job board. (That way if there are no birthdays during their job week the humanitarian can engage in other types of classroom kindness.)
3. When students come for open house before school begins, have them sign their name andbirthday on a piece of paper organized by month (12 boxes work great), so you can keep track ofevery child's birthday in a simple way. Keep a copy of this page for yourself and in the birthday box.
4. Once school begins, It's the humanitarian's job to make a card, get a sticker/pencil, and decorate the desk of any birthday boys or gals. They can do this on their own or ask a few friends (the "birthday committee") to help.
Birthdays for the year - DONE! The kids LOVE being the gift givers/desk decorators and you don't have to worry about missing a student's birthday ever again!
![The birthday committee! A super simple strategy to put students in charge of birthday celebrations. Get The BIrthday Committee started in your classroom and never fear forgetting a childs birthday again!]( "The birthday committee! A super simple strategy to put students in charge of birthday celebrations. Get The BIrthday Committee started in your classroom and never fear forgetting a childs birthday again!")
This week when you're at the store, look for crepe paper streamers, a bag or two of balloons, and possibly a few party hats (as an extra touch it can be pretty fun to put party hats on any classroom stuffed animals). Then when school begins, grab some masking tape and construction paper from the teacher work room. Voila! Your birthday committee is complete!
Any other ideas for the birthday box or committee? Share them in the comments!
If you're interested in more of the Summer Stuff Series, focused on simple items to make or think about implementing in your classroom next year, check out these posts:
Summer Stuff #2 - The Service Station Freebie
Summer Stuff #3 - The Tooth Fairy
Summer Stuff #4 - Freebie Sanitizer Bathroom Passes
Summer Stuff #5 - Books for Back to School
Summer Stuff #6 - Award Awesome Students with The C.H.I.P. Award
Summer Stuff #7 - Crazy Easy Differentiation Folders
Summer Stuff #8 - Collecting Mentor Texts for Writing
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By the time you finally get your class list (Doesn't it feel like it takes forever?!) birthdays are the last thing on your mind! You're scrambling to label popsicle sticks, job boards, folders, cubbies, coatroom hangers, mail boxes, desks, and basically anything else that will sit still. #mustlabelallthethings
No more worrying I say! The birthday committee is here to save the day!
Getting your birthday box ready for the birthday committee is one super easy way to feel productive this summer! You can get everything you need during a grocery trip to Target or from your couch on Amazon.
1. Buy some streamers, balloons, markers, stickers, and birthday pencils and put them in a plastic bin. This bin is now the treasured birthday box.
2. When school starts add a "humanitarian" job to your classroom job board. (That way if there are no birthdays during their job week the humanitarian can engage in other types of classroom kindness.)
3. When students come for open house before school begins, have them sign their name andbirthday on a piece of paper organized by month (12 boxes work great), so you can keep track ofevery child's birthday in a simple way. Keep a copy of this page for yourself and in the birthday box.
4. Once school begins, It's the humanitarian's job to make a card, get a sticker/pencil, and decorate the desk of any birthday boys or gals. They can do this on their own or ask a few friends (the "birthday committee") to help.
Birthdays for the year - DONE! The kids LOVE being the gift givers/desk decorators and you don't have to worry about missing a student's birthday ever again!
Any other ideas for the birthday box or committee? Share them in the comments!
Summer Stuff #2 - The Service Station Freebie
Summer Stuff #3 - The Tooth Fairy
Summer Stuff #4 - Freebie Sanitizer Bathroom Passes
Summer Stuff #5 - Books for Back to School
Summer Stuff #6 - Award Awesome Students with The C.H.I.P. Award
Summer Stuff #7 - Crazy Easy Differentiation Folders
Summer Stuff #8 - Collecting Mentor Texts for Writing
If you would like to have Super Teacher ideas delivered right to your inbox, please sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive freebies, and practical classroom tips and tricks to save you time and make learning fun!
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