5 Days of Practical Ideas and Make & Take Mini-Lessons for 2nd & 3rd Grade Teachers


who want to start the year with a little less stress and a little more sanity 

At the end of the five day challenge you'll have:

  • A digital first week plan
  • Three literacy centers you can use on the first weeks of school
  • A customized printable learning contract
  • A customized printable learning menu
  • A customized digital "Meet the Teacher" activity

Let's Start on the Journey to Sanity TOGETHER Super Teacher!

No matter how many years you've been teaching, you know how it feels like your job is never done?


Teaching is a cycle, and every year we get a new group of kiddos and a new set of surprises. New grade level? New admin? New programs? New assessments? New team? Sound familiar?


Being 100% sane 100% of the time is close to impossible with our job expectations, but we can spend our time on tasks that will actually help us on the road to sanity, rather than wallowing in the Super Survivor space. 


That's what this challenge is all about!


Let's move from being a Super Survivor to Super Planners and Customizers by working on some simple tasks that will save us precious time and sanity later.


It's all about planning, customizing the materials for our students as much as possible, and then reflecting and collaborating after we teach. 


The road to sanity is long and filled with unexpected bumps along the way, but at least we'll be moving in the right direction TOGETHER Super Teacher!

During these 5 days we will be spending time on two areas of the Super Teacher Journey to Sanity Cycle so you'll be ready to use these resources to do some "Super Teaching" when the school year begins.

Join the Challenge and Get:

  • A video mini-lesson for each day of the challenge
  • An editable resource template you can customize for each day of the challenge
  • Answers to your questions through your challenge dashboard, and in our Facebook group 
  • An opportunity to collaborate with other teachers in our Facebook group to provide support and help as you work through the challenge
  • Access to all challenge materials through the end of August

Day by Day Details:

Let's get our first week planned in 15 minutes or less! On Day 1 we'll talk about a visual strategy for planning your first week, plus how to break it down into five areas. You'll receive a pre-filled Trello board template that you can customize to get that first week planned in a snap.

On Day 2 we'll chat about ideas for practical centers. Low-maintenance is key! You'll get three literacy centers (with student-friendly direction pages) ready to go so you can hit the ground running during those first weeks. No cutting, laminating, or little-box buying needed!

Day 3 is all about learning contracts. These are perfect for advanced kiddos or for those who always finish early. Plus they're a great way to impress parents at your first conferences! We'll talk about how to customize these for a variety of subjects and practical ways to use them in your classroom.

On Day 4 we'll look at how to use learning menus to add choice to a variety of subjects. Then you'll customize one of the templates, so you can have learning menus ready to go as soon as you need them after that first day of school.

No copier line for you Super Teacher! On Day 5 we'll wrap up the challenge by creating a paperless "Meet the Teacher" activity. We'll talk all about how to play "Ready, Set, Show!" and you'll personalize an editable game template with fun facts about YOU to use on that first week of school.

Your Challenge Host

Katie Smith

a.k.a. i want to be a super teacher

If you're a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom teacher who wants to save yourself time, stress, and get support when you need it most, you're in the right place.


I have fourteen years of classroom teaching experience in grades 2-3, and am passionate about helping teachers engage every learner and personalize instruction.


My specialties are providing choice within structure, creating engaging advanced options for high-flying students, and using workshop models and conferencing to meet the needs of every learner.


Being able to contribute an idea or resource that saves you time and sanity makes my day, so let's get started with this challenge and give you a jump-start on your school year Super Teacher!  


Ready to get started Super Teacher?

Come join the Jump-Start Your School Year Challenge and get started on the journey to Super Teacher sanity. 


Let's do it TOGETHER!


I'll be there, along with a group of fellow Super Teachers, as we plan and customize practical items to make back to school time a little less stressful and a little more sane.

Frequently Asked Questions

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© 2023, I Want to be a Super Teacher