Teaching with Jennifer Findley
Upper Elementary Teaching Blog
Learning how to infer and back up inferences with strong evidence is such an important skill for students to master. So, of course, it is not the easiest one for them to grasp (and even sometimes enjoy). When I am teaching inferences for the first time with a group of students, I keep this in mind and choose super high-interest read alouds that my students love digging … [Read more...] about Read Alouds for Teaching Inferences | Mentor Texts for Reading
When I sat down to compile my favorite read alouds for teaching story elements, my list just grew and grew. There are so many great story element mentor texts that it was even difficult to narrow down to this list. However, I wanted to include a lot of choices to cover the depth of story elements required in 4th and 5th grade. In an effort to keep the post short, I am … [Read more...] about Read Alouds for Teaching Story Elements | Mentor Texts for Reading
Writing portfolios were a game-changer for me in my classroom. Before implementing them, I remember a student asking me for a certain story that she had written that she was really proud of and wanted to share. I didn't have the story and she couldn't find it in her writing folder. At some point, she may have taken it home or it just disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle … [Read more...] about Writing Portfolios in Upper Elementary
Planning for a substitute teacher can be pretty time-consuming. Add in a negative report from a substitute and substitute days can quickly become frustrating. This post will share my top substitute tips so you can rest easy that your students (and the substitute) are having a productive day in your absence. Post expectations for how to behave for a substitute … [Read more...] about Tips for Having a Substitute Teacher (Upper Elementary)
If you are anything like me, you want writing time in your classroom to be sacred and productive. You want your students writing, writing, and writing even more daily. You also want them discussing and sharing writing. And of course, you need to teach new skills and strategies. In order to accomplish these goals, you need a strong foundation in place. In order to get this … [Read more...] about Writer’s Workshop Procedures to Teach
Have you ever given exit slips to your students only to leave them on your desk while you quickly escort your students to lunch or transition to another subject? Before you know it, they are buried under other paperwork. By the time you have a chance to look them over, it has been a few days and you have moved on from that skill. If this has ever even remotely happened to … [Read more...] about Tips for Using Exit Slips in Upper Elementary
One of the most common questions I get from teachers who want to implement guided reading is: My school doesn't have a book room. What can I use for guided reading texts? While a book room is the best possible scenario, if you don't have one, all hope is not lost. On this post, I will share six different options for texts to use for guided reading. Magazines One of … [Read more...] about Texts to Use for Guided Reading (If You Don’t Have a Bookroom)
Guided math instruction (small group teaching + math centers) is a very powerful means of instruction. But, your students need to be grouped effectively to really maximize the benefits. This post shares several tips and guidelines to consider when forming your guided math groups. How many students will you have in each group? An ideal number is 4-6 students per … [Read more...] about Forming Guided Math Groups (Upper Elementary)
At the beginning of the year, it is sometimes difficult to get a clear picture of how our students are performing in math. I know I have been fooled a time or two by test scores or class performance at the beginning of the year. I put together these one-page quick pre-assessments for math to serve two purposes: 1.) allow me to group my students effectively for math … [Read more...] about FREE Math Pre-Assessments (Grades 3-5)
Organizing math centers (or any kind of organization, really) is not my strength. I really have to work at it and find a system that works for me, trying lots of systems in the process. Through trying out these different systems (and I tried out a lot), I was finally able to come up with systems that really worked for me. On this post, I will share some ideas for … [Read more...] about Organizing Math Centers
One of the biggest reasons guided math centers fail is because students don't have a strong foundation with the procedures and expectations. Well, a few years ago, I was making one big mistake that actually enabled this. When I launched math centers, I used math centers that contained skills my students were still "soft" with: skills they had not mastered and still … [Read more...] about Launching Guided Math Centers with FREE Starter Packs
Do you want your guided math centers running smoothly from the start of the year to the end of the year? *raises hand*. Then, you need a strong launch. On this post, we will take a look at some guidelines to follow when you launch guided math centers in your classroom AND I will be linking to FREE starter packs for grades 3-5 so you will have all the math center resources … [Read more...] about How to Launch Guided Math Centers in Upper Elementary
