As if it were yesterday, I remember my college days of spending long hours writing huge, detailed 10-15 page lessons for each lesson that I taught (or even just planned!). Then I got my first teaching job and quickly realized that was not going to be possible in the real world of teaching. However, there are still clear steps that I take when I plan a math lesson (many, … [Read more...] about How to Plan a Math Lesson (Whole Group)
Archives for September 2016
Read Alouds in Upper Elementary
One of my favorite times of the day is sharing a read aloud with my students. In today's post, I want to share some reasons why upper elementary students should still be read to, what you can read to them, tips for managing read alouds, and how to use read alouds in upper elementary classrooms to help the students master the standards. Why are read alouds in upper … [Read more...] about Read Alouds in Upper Elementary
Classroom Management Tips for Upper Elementary
Over the years of teaching 3rd through 7th grade, I have learned a few classroom management tips that were life savers for my management and classroom. I spent the first four years of my teaching career in an inner city, urban school. Teaching in that type of environment really allowed me to fine tune my management. Now, I would not be honest if I said I never had … [Read more...] about Classroom Management Tips for Upper Elementary
September 11th Lesson Idea (Free Printables to Use with Paired Read Alouds)
September 11th is quickly becoming a forgotten tragedy in many students' minds. The students we teach in elementary schools today were not even alive on this day in 2001. However, I still spend September 11th (or the week after if it falls on a Sunday) remembering the day. I like to focus heavily on the heroes of the day and how people came together, instead of the … [Read more...] about September 11th Lesson Idea (Free Printables to Use with Paired Read Alouds)
Reviewing Basic Multiplication and Division with 5th Graders {Freebies}
Many of my students in the past have come to me lacking conceptual understanding of basic math concepts that were introduced as early as 2nd and 3rd grade. The most important part of my math instruction is fostering a conceptual understanding and this is really important as fifth grade moves into more abstract math concepts. With that in mind, this is the first concept … [Read more...] about Reviewing Basic Multiplication and Division with 5th Graders {Freebies}