I feel like I’ve tried it all when it comes to classroom jobs! At one point I had different individual jobs for each and every student that I had to remember to change everyday (exhausting!). With all the little, and big, things teachers have to do, classroom jobs should be at the very least of […]
Charity Preston
Character Day Ideas
Teacher Halloween costumes are usually either allowed per school policy or not. From asking my audience, I have found that the majority of schools still do allow costumes every fall. I looooooove fall. Even when it’s rainy like today and I’m under the blanket. And don’t even get me started on the candy. But – […]
Falling Into Classroom Management
I know you have probably seen those “you’ve been booed” signs around in different neighborhoods around town. They are fun and definitely festive! I actually don’t live in a neighborhood, but rather set way far back off a busy road. We have neighbors, but not really close by. And their kids are all grown […]
5 Days to Parent Involvement!
Oh yeah! I know a lot of you LOVE my PD in your PJs Workshops and I have a NEW one for you that is sent purely all email and not a video training! This one is called 5 Days to Parent Involvement and it is presented a little differently than some of […]
Spooktacular Jokes for Kids!
I know a principal once who would tell jokes for kids every morning on the announcements. It was a great way to start the day, even though we would hear groans from the students and staff from the corny riddles he shared. Students would then start to bring in their own funny jokes for kids […]
Research Resources
Today I wanted to show you a really fun research tools website that perhaps some of you already know about but this was completely new to me and I figured if it’s new to me, there’s probably someone else that may or may not have heard about it before. The reason I actually stumbled across […]
Managing Bathroom Breaks
Do bathroom breaks in the middle of your lessons drive you bonkers? It seemed for me that every time Janelle needed to use the restroom, it started a chain reaction. First Janelle went, then it was Ayisha, then Jacqui. I’m fairly certain they were plotting the end of the world on the back of a […]
Pumpkin Puzzle Game
Hey teaching friends! Who else loves fall? I adore the cooler weather, leaves falling, heading to see th Friday Night lights at our local high school football game, hayrides, cornmazes… And don’t even get me started on the food! Cinnamon donuts, apple cider, pumpkin chocolate chip drop cookies, pumpkin rolls, hot chocolate, apple fritters, peanut […]
Telling Time Rollers!
Do you ever use dice as a math learning tool? How do you do it without dice flying all over the room and splitting your ear drums? One quick tip I learned from a fabulous math coach was always to give students 60 seconds with the manipulative you would be working with just to “play.” […]
Singapore Math Games
Finding simple, but effective math games for elementary classrooms usually means pulling out all sorts of manipulatives, but a you will see from the guest post below, it doesn’t have to include a ton of resources. Sometimes simple really is better. Keep reading! High Energy Math If you step into my classroom, you’ll notice that […]
Some DIY Love For Your Centers!
Are you looking for a new idea – or 2 for your learning centers? Need something a little more novel than the standards you have always used? Have you ever been in the restaurants where they place paper on the tables? I have noticed at those places that kids are busy drawing, playing games, and […]
Character Traits Take on Behavior Management
Character traits are a great way to combine both literature skills and real life social skills into one fun real world lesson. Using fictional events, you can have students being more mindful of the choices they are making in every day life too. As I was teaching a lesson, Kevin jumped up and blurted out […]
Cup Management
Hi all! Today, I have a quick video that shows you an idea that I adapted from one I saw being used during cafeteria duty. Just change it up a bit, and use the same idea in your classroom when having small group work time! Save your voice and allow the students to have a […]
Teachers Go School Shopping Too!
I remember when I was a child and my Mom took me school shopping the week before school started. There was never anything quite like picking out a new bookbag, lunchbox, and school clothes (which we were strictly instructed were not to be used until school started). I don’t even need to explain the awesomeness […]
Cubby Clips!
Do you use sticker labels every year to label your student cubby mailboxes? Don’t you hate when they either leave residue on your materials, or don’t come off all the way? I have found sometimes it is just easier to lay another label over the top so it looks clean, but then after a few […]
