Free Teacher Printables and Montessori-Inspired Teacher Activities

Teacher Appreciation Week and Teacher Appreciation Day are in May! With the end of the school year approaching, I thought it would be a fun time to have a teacher unit. You’ll find a combination of teacher as community helper, teacher appreciation, and even end-of-school-year-resources. You can choose one or all approaches to a teacher theme.

Here, you’ll find links to free teacher printables used to prepare hands-on activities and a new Montessori-inspired teacher pack for our free newsletter subscribers’ resource library! This unit has resources for preschool through early elementary.

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Montessori Shelves with Teacher-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired teacher-themed numbers, letters, and and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Note: The Montessori-inspired teacher pack isn’t designed as a complete teacher unit but as supplemental materials. I design the packs using realistic images that I’ve often looked for when preparing a unit study (such as font cards and phonogram cards featuring the letter and phonogram related to the theme and math cards with realistic images that fit the theme and can be adapted for math activities at a variety of levels.)

You could mix your teacher-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special teacher-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves at the beginning of our unit have a mixture of skill levels. Many of the activities can be adapted for a variety of levels. If you’re a homeschooler, just choose the activities that work for your child’s interests and ability levels. If you don’t have room for all the activities you’d like to do, simply rotate them.

Montessori Shelves with Teacher-Themed Activities and Winslow Homer Art Print

Notice the framed print The Country School (1871) by Winslow Homer. The art print is a free download from Wikimedia Commons.

For our monthly featured art print, I purchased a Li’l DAVINCI art frame that opens in the front for easily changing a free art masterpiece printable or vintage illustration to fit with the month’s theme. The frame can be switched from horizontal to vertical without changing the hanger, which is perfect!

If you’re wondering about the rugs and rug box I use, both the rugs and wooden rug holder are from Montessori Services. I love the Montessori Services rugs and rug holder! I used to use an umbrella stand something like these. I loved that for 1-3 rugs, but I needed something different when I had more grandchildren and some projects that needed more than one rug.

Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets, and More for Montessori Homeschoolers

I often get asked about the trays, baskets, etc., that I use, so I published a post with many of the items. You can find lots of helpful resources here. They’re not all essential, so don’t feel you need to have everything. Just choose what’s best for your budget and your unique family’s needs. You’ll find more ideas in the Living Montessori Now Amazon shop

Books for a Teacher Unit

Even though I have books on shelves, I’m now keeping many of my themed books in a forward-facing display after placing a plant where the themed book basket was before.

For toddlers and preschoolers, about ¾ of the books I use are typically Montessori friendly (focusing on reality without smiling or talking animals or smiling or talking vehicles).

Top Shelf of Themed Shelves:

We’ve often used the book about doctor and educator Maria Montessori (Little People, Big Dreams).
Teachers has simple, clear text and photos to help beginning readers and young children learn about teachers
Ruby Bridges: A Talk with My Teacher is an inspiring story about an important historical event and teacher told from Ruby Bridges’ perspective.

Top Shelf of Forward -Facing Display:

2nd Shelf:

3rd Shelf:

4th Shelf:

A Letter from Your Teacher on the Last Day of School
I’m Glad I Was Your Teacher
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses (Inspiration from Ms. Frizzle!)

Bottom Shelf:

On our peace table is Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler (a fun book with lots of ideas to inspire kindness)

You can see many teacher books here: Teacher Books for Kids (including books as they’re published)

Maria Montessori Book, Peg Doll, and Coloring Page

We’ve often used the book about doctor and educator Maria Montessori (Little People, Big Dreams). While she didn’t work as a teacher full-time, she was a teacher of teachers! I love having a Maria Montessori peg doll , too!

Free Printable: Maria Montessori Coloring Page from Do One Thing

Teachers Book with Community Helpers Cards and Figures for Sorting Activity

Teachers Book with Community Helpers Cards and Figures

Teachers has simple, clear text and photos to help beginning readers and young children learn about teachers.

Free Printable: Community Helpers Posters from Teaching Mama

I printed the community helpers posters four to a page to make them the size I wanted. The community helpers figures made the activity extra fun.

For older children, I would keep all the community cards in my hand and read the clues until the child guesses the community helper. My 7-year-old grandson Caleb spontaneously said it was fun when I did that with him.

Ruby Bridges: A Talk With My Teacher Book and Ruby Bridges Timeline Activity

Ruby Bridges – A Talk With My Teacher Book and Ruby Bridges Timeline Activity

Ruby Bridges: A Talk with My Teacher is an inspiring story about an important historical event and teacher told from Ruby Bridges’ perspective.

Free Printable: Ruby Bridges Timeline by Teaching Second Grade at TPT

Sand Tray for a Teacher Theme

Sand Writing Tray for a Teacher Theme

Free Printable /t/ for teacher font cards, so just sign up for my free newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). They come in print, D’Nealian, and cursive. .

You’ll see a variety of simple letter writing trays in my previous unit study posts. I often used the wooden tray from the Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Shapes. You can use whatever tray or container work best for you, though.

I typically now use this lovely spelling/alphabet tray from FamilyTreeWW on Etsy. I like it for writing more than one letter or spelling words. (Note: That sand tray is currently unavailable, but you’ll find lots of other options for Montessori sand trays on Etsy.) I found some colored sand in 12 colors on Amazon that I started to use instead of salt or colored salt. I love it because it’s so soft and feels great!

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

/ea/ in Read Phonogram Work

Work with Movable Alphabet and ea in Read Phonogram in Print and Cursive

Free Printable /ea/ in read phonogram cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my free newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). They come in print, D’Nealian, and cursive.

Free Printable: Chalkboard alphabet cards (part of my subscriber freebies, so just sign up for my free newsletter to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

The alphabet cards in print and cursive are easily adaptable, depending on the child’s level. They can be used for a variety of activities, such as matching letters with sandpaper letters, matching print to cursive letters, or movable alphabet word building.

I’m featuring ea in read as a phonogram for our unit. This activity just focuses on using the movable alphabet to spell “read” in print and cursive.

Free Printable: I Have Who Has: Vowel Digraphs EE/EA by The Glitzy Teacher at TPT (I also have this activity on our shelf.)

Free Printable: Long Vowel E Activities | Vowel Team EA Phonics Worksheets – NO PREP by Certainly ELementary at TPT (This is another option for ea work.)

If you check out my months and seasons unit, you’ll find another free Montessori ea printable.

Teacher and Growth Mindset Addition Activity

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is an awesome book about the brain and growth mindset.

Many great teachers focus on growth mindset in their teaching, so I included growth mindset in this addition activity. I used 50 growth mindset stickers (10 each of 5 kinds to give children a choice) placed on 1″ wooden circles.

A younger child who isn’t ready for addition could spin the spinner and just count the stickers.

A Variety of Free Teacher Printables

On the bottom right-hand corner, I placed a few different printables in the clipboard.

Free Printable: Teacher Number Puzzle from Community Helpers Pack, Part 1 by 3 Dinosaurs (Write a sentence about teacher, Part 2), Describe the teacher, Part 3, Write words that start with the same beginning sound as teacher, Part 4)

On the top is the Describe the Teacher printable from 3 Dinosaurs. I used some community helper teacher printables like the ones from 3 Dinosaurs.

If you want teacher appreciation printables, there are many available online. You could use the free creative writing printables from our Montessori-Inspired Teacher Pack. One says: “Draw a picture of your teacher. Tell about your teacher.” The other says: “Tell about your teacher. What do you love about your teacher?” These work well for children who can write on the own. They also work well for a child to dictate their sentences, which the teacher writes on the printable for the child.

Free Montessori-Inspired Teacher Pack

Montessori-Inspired Teacher Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

Teacher Appreciation Resources

Teacher Appreciation Books

Teacher Appreciation for Kids

More Community Helper Resources

Community Helpers Books for Kids

Community Helpers Toys

If you’d like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout April and May, see my April Themed Activities for Kids and my May Themed Activities for Kids.

Have a great end of the school year!

If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and YouTube. While you’re here, please check out the Living Montessori Now shop.

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