Check out my newest idea: Block Learning! It’s pretty simple really, just grab some blocks of wood and some stickers – that’s it! Now, I have to tell you I went to the craft store to grab my blocks of wood, and THOUGHT I was getting a deal. Turns out they cost WAY more than […]
Teaching Tips
Need some general classroom inspiration? Check out the posts below to find something new-to-you to use in your classroom routine.
Lateral Classroom Calendars
Do you teach littles or special education and find that calendar time with a traditional calendar format is just very confusing? If so, I have a good option to perhaps change things up: a lateral classroom calendar! It is a nice way to bridge the gap between no calendar skills and a standard calendar format. […]
Author’s Purpose eBook Freebie!
Freebie Friday is here! Whoo hoo! I don’t know about you, but I have had a whirlwind of a week! At times, it seemed as though it would never end, and at others, I didn’t have enough time in the day to get it all done! I hope your weekend ahead is filled with relaxation […]
Order Up Some Spelling
Hey teacher friends! Hope everyone is fantastic today! I was doing some updating yesterday and wanted to freshen up a super popular freebie: my Differentiated Spelling Homework Menu! I used this menu in third grade (though it could be adapted easily by other grade levels as well), and the students, parents, and administrators loved it! […]
Easy Center Sign Holders
Centers are pretty much a given in most elementary classrooms, and I even think upper level classrooms should also be able to implement centers if done in a “non-babyish” way. Centers are wonderful for allowing small group time to work with students on a specific skill, they teach students how to time-manage and work semi-independently, […]
Slider Baggie Counting
Need something new (and concrete) for those students that are struggling with math counting? Having something physical to see the adding and subtracting of items as they move the manipulative can really assist in children’s understanding of basic math skills. How about a fun video idea? I recorded a little something new today for you. […]
My Teacher’s Summer Break Book
Hey teacher friends! Hopefully this year is wrapping up quickly (and quietly) for you! I know it is a crazy time of year to say the least! While you may already have finished up – or even have the rest of the year planned, if you are someone who still has some time left to […]
DIY Printed Classroom Posters
Do you love the look and functionality of classroom posters, but dislike the fact all your big company manufactured posters are mix-and-match and don’t really gel with your current classroom theme? I have always felt that way and for years, I always ONLY purchased classroom decor items that were solid primary colors so that way […]
9 Ideas For Organizing Differentiated Instruction
Do you WANT to differentiate, but are completely frozen in fear just thinking about all the chaos that COULD ensue in your classroom if you tried it? I am here to help with 9 tips that might get you moving in the right direction towards DI instead of away from it! 1. Prepare lessons with […]
Rolling with the Borders
Today I have a tip that shows you how to organize those pesky bulletin board borders. Many have used a cardboard box that you can find from the teacher supply store, or perhaps you just have them placed in the middle of chart paper or a tri-fold board. If you are looking for a more […]
Proactive Teachers vs Reactive Teachers
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 […]
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 […]
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) […]
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. […]
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 […]