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Have you ever thought about the fact that the skills that are the hardest for you to learn are often the ones you remember best? That is not a coincidence. That’s a result of productive struggle. As teachers, this is what we should want for our students. Not to challenge
Establishing a solid morning classroom routine sets the tone for your day. When routines and procedures are carefully planned, taught, and modeled, students know what is expected of them. Begin a new school year with a plan. In the book, The First Days of School, Harry Wong says, “Student achievement
One of my favorite things about having my own classroom is getting to decorate! There is just something exciting about a color-coordinated, organized, themed classroom. Students love it because your classroom is inviting and fun! Let’s take a walk on the wild side to learn 7 reasons to create a
Every teacher needs someone at work to be their “person”- their Teacher BFF. Whether you have been teaching for 15 minutes or 15 years, you need that person who will always have your back. I couldn’t have made it through some of those school years without my amazing teacher friends.
Word walls are collections of words that are displayed in classrooms. They are designed to be interactive tools that students can reference during reading and writing. Word walls help students see the patterns and relationships among words. They also provide a great teaching opportunity. After all, if we don’t use
Does your classroom have a theme? Having a themed classroom is fun for the students and a great way to build community. Choosing a theme is a great way to put your personality into your classroom. It provides an inviting atmosphere that makes kids feel excited to learn. One of
Sometimes teaching dialogue in writing can feel like you’re banging your head against a wall. You’ve done all the things. You’ve modeled good examples, practiced, and repeated the steps over and over. BUT…your students writing still isn’t where you would like it to be. Especially with their word usage. They
Have a new classroom and can’t decide on decor? Looking to freshen up an outdated theme in your room? Deciding on posters, labels, classroom library organization, and overall classroom decor can feel overwhelming. There are lots of things to consider when choosing a classroom theme. After all, you and the
Tired of receiving the same 25 projects or reading the same 25 stories every time an assignment is turned in? You’ve masterfully crafted the prompt, directions, and rubric to fit that specific learning target, but everything just comes back lacking. Now is the time to provide students choice in the
May is such a busy time in the classroom. I sometimes refer to it as May Madness because of all of the extra activities and events that take place. Everyone is super excited about summertime, but there are still things we need to cover to wrap up our school year.
Spring is here and that means standardized testing is right around the corner. As teachers, we never want to “teach to the test,” but we need to cover certain standards and review skills so that our students feel prepared for the big week. Breaking out packets of worksheets with endless
Looking to bring a little spring into your classroom? This list of my favorite spring activities will have your students engaging in meaningful reading, writing, and math activities all focused on the season! When it starts to warm up and those daffodils start poking through the dirt, you know it
