I love using memory books to capture the highlights of the year students spent in my class. I prefer to create book in a half-page format because if your school is like mine, we tended to put a freeze on copy printing and were nearly out of budgeted paper supplies for the year. For a class of 34, I could print 17 pages and have 34 individual memory book pages. I know some teachers prefer the ease of using a single page per sheet, so I created memory books just for you, too. They're in my TpT store under the category, "End of Year."
At the beginning of the year, I create a file folder for each student and file them alphabetically in a hanging file folder in a plastic crate. These folders are now ready to file memory book pages of special events that we do throughout the year. Each time we go on field trips, have guest speakers, do cool projects and events, photos are taken. I use a class list and check off each student's name to be sure I've got a photo for everyone. Then, right away, I'd add each child's photo to the template for the page destined for each memory book. Each photo is captioned to be personalized for each students. Then pages are printed, cut in half and filed into each student's folder. Newest pages go a the back so the books end up in chronological order for easy assembly at the end of the year.
This is what the NEW memory books look like:
These are some photos of my daughter's memory book when she was a 4th grader in my 4/5 Blend class. You can see how I used to use lots of photos for my students' memory books. Since then, students create their own pages and we add photos to the books as well.
Whatever you do the end the year on a positive note, do it well. Your students and families will remember their year with you as a great one!
