Zaner-Bloser

How will you organize and decorate your classroom this year? We’ve gathered some of our favorite teacher-submitted photos to inspire your plans. We love seeing the details that have big impact in your classrooms!

Looking to create a welcoming environment for summer or extended learning? Download our Joyful Beginnings PDF from Mindscapes authors Pam Allyn and Dr. Ernest Morrell! Five accessible activities based in joy, positivity, and community set the stage for successful learning grounded in SEL. https://bit.ly/469HpbH

Greetings Nashville . . . are you feeling UNITED? Head on over to Zaner-Bloser Booth #1032 to say hello! Check out our literacy, math, and SEL programs for elementary schools and be sure to ask about research and efficacy studies. We’ll be here through the end of the conference today.

Express your “why” with a personal mission statement, and keep it top of mind when work days get hectic. Psychologists say your personal mission statement can help you maintain calm, improve decision-making, and give you stability amid change. Check out examples and then download a free worksheet for help creating your own! https://bit.ly/3RYpAGC

Good morning, Nashville! Stop by Booth #1032 to talk efficacy for handwriting and number sense intervention, resources for inspiring "aha" moments, and more!

NAESP Members: Are you heading to Nashville for UNITED? Stop by Booth #1032 to say hello! Be sure to ask about our research & efficacy studies.

Happy Birthday, Malala: Noble Peace Prize winner and proponent for the power of education! Malala is a reminder that students can inspire educator “aha” moments, too. How has a student in your class made you feel optimistic about the future?

Spread kindness and inspire readers with a free downloadable poster to hang in your classroom when school starts. Print it at the full 11x17 size for high classroom visibility, or reduce to letter size and tuck it into a small reading or gathering area as a gentle reminder to students: https://bit.ly/3VSvoTd

Check out this *Teacher's Edition* Summer Reading Bingo card and get your game on, teachers! Can you read 📖 on a boat? . . . on the porch? . . . in a tent? Have you read a nonfiction book? . . . a magazine? . . . a classic? See if you can “Bingo!” before summer vacation ends! Feel free to share your completed card in a story post and tag us! 🏆😉 https://bit.ly/4cvaZdM

What do you see? Share this Hidden Pictures activity for a little July 4th fun, courtesy of our friends at Highlights for Children! 🎆

🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸

How many hidden objects can you find? Fire up your find-it skills and search independently 😉 or unite with a friend!

🎨 Neil Numberman

What's the best thing you ever thrifted at a yard sale and repurposed for your classroom? Mrs. Johnson, a teacher in Beech Grove, Indiana, shared two favorites: a garage organizer she transformed to keep classroom supplies handy and a bed frame a class parent found, reimagined, and gifted for the reading nook! We ❤️ seeing your new uses for old things—share your favorite finds in the comments! ⬇️

Summer is for self-care, not just professional learning and planning. Take time to nurture yourself and re-energize your body, mind, and spirit! Get started by saving our Self-Care Summer Bucket List—how many activities can you check off before summer ends?

Spelling Connections author and learning expert J. Richard Gentry, PhD digs into the research linking systematic handwriting instruction to strong literacy skills in his blog for Psychology Today. Great article, Dr. Gentry!

Why Schools Should Teach Handwriting in a Digital World Recent studies advocate not ditching handwriting for keyboarding. Find out the important benefits of handwriting, not only for children of all ages but also for you.

NCTE-NCTM attendees: Are you feeling optimistic, hopeful, and forward-thinking this morning? Visit the Zaner-Bloser Suite in Strand 7 between 8–11 AM for a mindful exercise to put you in a Sunrise state of mind. Enjoy a light breakfast, some delightful conversation, and take home a free Sunrise poster for your classroom!

Are you heading to NOLA for NCTE-NCTM? We're so excited to be attending the first joint conference, too! Stop by Booth #100 for reading and math resources, plus a chance to win a Mindscapes strengths-based SEL classroom package.

Teaching summer school or leading a camp? Help students start conversations and find shared interests with a game of Find a Friend Bingo! "I can whistle. Who likes pizza?" https://bit.ly/3Xg52N0

💡 Teacher Tip: A few tweaks to directions can turn any board game into an opportunity to practice key skills. Examples: Correctly spell the word your partner reads to earn a turn, see how many ways you can make 10 with the dice you roll, or decode a word before you move those extra spaces!

Research proves it: Relationships are key to workplace innovation, enjoyment, and retention—especially for teachers! Tag your teacher besties below to say thanks on this ! ❤️

Already thinking about what went well this year and what changes you want to make for next year? Why not try journaling or chatting with a colleague? It can help keep your reflections focused and productive. Here are some questions to get you started.

Handmade = heartfelt! ❤️ Hands-on activities work fine motor skills while creating unique opportunities to say “thank you” to school staff. Don’t forget to include bus drivers, crossing guards, volunteers, office aides—everyone who makes your learning community shine.

Researchers have known about the connections between handwriting and literacy skills for many years. Now the science is expanding to explore *why* handwriting has these and other cognitive benefits—not just for children but adults, too. Check out this article from NPR.

Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning Researchers are learning that handwriting engages the brain in ways typing can't match, raising questions about the costs of ditching this age-old practice, especially for kids.

Where did your actions have the most impact this year? Our Impact/Effort template can help you analyze how you’re allocating the most precious resource in your classroom…you! Download to help organize thoughts for year-end review, then keep it handy for planning next year’s goals. https://bit.ly/3wt2tw2

Spring is buzzing with opportunities to look closely and record your observations. What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Foster mom Kellan Fitzgerald, a Zaner-Bloser employee, shared some insight about her experience advocating for a child in her care:

"Foster parents typically do not have the ability to make educational decisions for the child in their care unless/until they receive permission from the biological parent or the court. Finding creative solutions (outside of traditional IEPs or 504s) that foster parents can agree to or advocate for while awaiting permissions can go far in supporting that student and cementing the partnership with their foster parent," she said.

Looking for ways to celebrate with your classroom community or reward individual students for their perseverance and growth? Before you reach for the candy jar, check out this big list of non-food treats!https://media.zaner-bloser.com/pdfs/Supplemental_UltimateListHealthyClassCelebrations_C3557.pdf

Send a little love home with your students during the last days of school with this adorable printable.
Download the free What I ❤️ About Being Your Teacher printable here: https://bit.ly/3Wo2YlB