A few years ago I began Genius Hour on Fridays to incorporate STEM into our classroom. STEM (which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is an engaging, hands on way to get students to communicate, collaborate, be creative, think critically, and exercise compassion. These are all important skills for life and even your littlest students can do it. This summer…
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Summer is winding down, Target’s shelves are fully stocked with school supplies, and we all know what that means…back to school is right around the corner. I hate to see summer go, not because I actually get to sit down and eat a meal or go to the bathroom whenever I’d like or anything. In all seriousness, I have thoroughly…
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I love the new year! It is a time to wipe the slates clean and start anew. Who doesn’t love a fresh start? I have lots of activities to help you ease back to teaching and remind students why we are in school that I am so excited to share with you! My original New Year’s product is still going…
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I wrapped up my 22nd year of teaching on Friday! YIPPEE!!!!!!! The children are the #1 reason I teach and summer break is the #2 reason. Although I have ten weeks off, I changed classrooms, and will be spending a lot of time in my new room this summer. This blog post is all about activities we did to help…
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Happy 2017! It’s out with the old and in with the new. While I don’t make resolutions, I do look at ways to improve. We can always be better {well, at least I know I can}. I came up with some new ways to celebrate the New Year in your classroom. These goal setting banners come with color and black…
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My teammate found this adorable elf at Target. We decided to have a Kindness Elf instead of the Elf on a Shelf this year as our district mandates not to celebrate specific holidays unless we celebrate them all. He doesn’t need to be moved everyday (something I often forgot to do) and the kids can touch him. He gives students…
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Wondering what phonemic awareness looks like or how to teach it in the classroom. This video takes one of my lessons from my Phonemic Awareness – Explicit, Systematic Instruction Bundle and shows you how it is done. Students learn how to manipulate sounds without the letters attached to help them become better readers, writers, and spellers. The best part is…
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We are 17 days into school and I finally feel as if I can catch my breath! There are so many procedures to teach, model, practice, give feedback, re-teach, model, practice . . . WHEW! I feel like we are finally getting it. Start of the Day Procedures -How to enter the school -What to do if you…
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Getting ready for a new school year? Well, I am here to help you decide what are some of your MUSTS for math. There are so many resources for math that it is hard to decide what you really need. Let me help you! 1. DiceA classroom must is DICE. We use them every day. Most math games require dice. …
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I always schedule reading right after lunch. I love this time of the day. The students settle in from recess and lunch and just enjoy a book. What a great way to set the tone for the afternoon. Sometimes we read picture books and other times we read chapter books. I read all kinds of books during read aloud….
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Let’s face it: We spend a lot of time at school. Some days I feel like I spend more time at school than at home. Many of us bring school home as well. When you think about school, our students, our job, do you smile? Are you happy with what you’ve created in your classroom? Do you look forward to…
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It is that time of year again! Some of us love conference week while others of us dread it. Either way, it is stressful.We put in more hours during parent teacher conferences and need to be prepared.I will share some of my tips for a successful conference week. #1. Use Sign up Genius to schedule conferences. This is such an…
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Do you have students who can tap out each sound in a word but cannot put it all together to make a word? Do you have students who sound out words when writing but miss sounds and put the sounds in the wrong order? What about children who only hear the beginning and final sound? Every year I am surprised…
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It’s almost that time of year again. The stores are filled with notebooks, binders, pens, markers, backpacks, rulers, glue, crayons, lunch boxes, folders – everything you need for school. I love the excitement of a new beginning with so many possibilities. I adore checking out all of the new merchandise. They did not make chevron binders, glitter notebooks, smelly markers,…
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