Being proactive vs reactive can be the difference between being miserable in the classroom on a daily basis, or looking at the big picture and taking steps that will take you into the long term feeling a greater sense of job satisfaction for the future. Is this you most days? Do any of these happen […]
Proactive Teachers vs Reactive Teachers
Thinking Spring Bulletin Board
Thinking spring yet? Spring bulletin boards for classroom teachers (or even libraries or in church) are always a figurative breath of fresh air – even if the temperature hasn’t quite warmed up yet. Cute bulletin board idea themes for spring might include gardens, flowers, pinwheels, bunnies, pictures of baby chicks, spring showers, and definitely a […]
Crazy Fast QR Codes
By now, many of you are probably familiar with QR Codes. They’re everywhere. EVERYWHERE. QR Codes, Quick Response Codes, are simply bar codes within which you can embed media, links, text, songs, videos, and more. Using a QR Scanner (there are hundreds of these apps available on both Android and iOS platforms), one can scan […]
Teaching With Chrysanthemum
Yesterday I posted that I love the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, and when over 40 people also agreed, I knew that it was a pretty popular book! Many noted on the Facebook Fan Page what they used the book for at the beginning of the year, and I wanted to make sure that everyone […]
Fact Family Funhouse
Teaching a fact family lesson is one of my favorite topics! I love watching students light up when they realize how they can easily figure out how to subtract without using fingers. Like any other math concept for young students, you will want to start by using concrete models and then eventually moving to […]
DIY Choose Your Adventure Stories
As a child that was drawn to books and to the library more than anywhere else, I LOVED the Choose Your Own Adventure series books! They bring back so many memories. So many times after I had finished a book, I tried to flip through the pages and figure out just how the author(s) […]
Create Your Class Website for FREE!
I am bringing back the weekly feature: Classroom Tech in 3 Minutes or Less! Whoo hoo! Today’s topic is how to create a classroom website using Shutterfly. I have heard of Shutterfly, but had no idea you could actually create a private website that you could customize for a classroom! Parents have to be invited […]
15 Fabulous Equivalent Fractions Teaching Tools
Teaching equivalent fractions is either something you love or you hate. I find very few teachers who are meh about it. Me? I personally love teaching students how to solve equivalent fractions. Once students realize it’s like a game to find matching pairs or “twins,” they tend to be way more interested in the challenge. […]
Color the World for Earth Day and 29 Other Awesome Ideas!
It is standardized testing week. We also have benchmarking assessments due. Students are off-the-wall because the first hints of warmer Spring weather have arrived. And I just remembered that I need some celebrate Earth Day activities for April 22 as it is now Wednesday and I’m almost out of time. Do you think I can […]
Free Polygon Math File!
I don’t know about everyone else, but it sure its hard getting all the subject areas in during the day sometimes! I like to integrate my subjects as much as possible by incorporating literature into all the other core subjects as well. In this way, students can begin to see that even in math, reading […]
Quiet Dice in Action
I’m back with another cheap and easy idea for another one of those pesky classroom problems! I love using dice in my classroom! We play dice games, we have dice centers and math tubs! They are cheap and fun tools. But they are so NOISY! That noise is one of things that […]
Keeping Tabs on your PD Materials
Hey teaching friends! So, I was looking for a PD resource book the other day for an idea and I realized that I had loaned the book to a friend and it still has not yet been returned! While the person who borrowed it, did not mean to have forgotten about it, it is still […]
Zip Tie It Up!
Do you go insane when the desks in your room are all out of place and sitting like crazy all over your room? Well, if so, I have a couple of suggestions. First, if you haven’t checked out my other video, “Classroom Desk Arrangement Straightening Tip,” you might want to head over there as well. […]
Serving Up Place Value with Straws
Teaching place value is certainly a building block of math instruction and using items such as place value charts, simple manipulatives, and printables can help to create a deeper understanding so that when decimals are introduced in later grades, students can easily add their prior knowledge. What is place value and how do you teach […]
Simile Fun!
Similes are a fun lesson when teaching about different types of figurative language. I love teaching about similes with third grade. They are old enough to understand the abstract thought and can appreciate the humor in the double meanings. An epic way to describe a funny situation when taken literally, there are many examples of […]
Ideas For Using Student Whiteboards
This is Mrs. Harris and I’m so excited to be back at the Organized Classroom with Charity. I find whiteboards to be a budget-friendly and versatile tool in my classroom. I often use whiteboards daily. Each day I like to utilize whiteboards for a different reason to keep things fresh. When I ask a question […]
Simple Story Starters for Kids
Story starters for any grade level are a great way to practice writing skills. I remember being in 4th grade, and loving creative writing lessons with my teacher. I would be transported to space, the desert, or a fancy castle. It was a chance to show my creative side in a “quiet” manner. Being a […]
Feeling Lucky?
St. Patrick’s Day bulletin boards are fun not only for the students, but with all the kelly green, leprechauns, and rainbows, it really brightens up your classroom for the transition month of March. As you can see in the examples (and freebie printable) below, classroom decor or theme ideas don’t have to take up a […]
Easy Classroom Jobs Rotations!
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 […]
Elephants in School?
I finally had a few minutes to break and create some new files to match a read aloud book and am just now getting time to sit down and share them with you! I was sorting through some of my books on my bookshelves at home to look for something I might use for a […]