Teaching with Jennifer Findley
Upper Elementary Teaching Blog
Though I have never been a "textbook teacher", I can definitely see the benefit of using a common text with the students, particularly in science and social studies. I typically use only a textbook or common text for social studies, occasionally for science, and never for ELA or math because my district does not have a mandated textbook for either of these subjects. … [Read more...] about Textbook Reading Tips {How to Make Textbooks Engaging and Comprehensible!}
Teaching students to justify their answer in math can be difficult, but thankfully it doesn't have to be. I want to share with you some ideas for teaching students how to justify answers in math, as well as some of my favorite resources for providing much needed practice with math tasks and word problems. 1. Create an anchor chart with clear examples and your … [Read more...] about Teaching Students How to Justify Answers in Math
Valentine's Day is one of my favorite classroom holidays. I love promoting kindness even more than usual this month through the class party, read alouds, and discussions. In addition to promoting kindness in the month of February, I love having my students complete Valentine's Day themed activities. Today I want to share some of my favorite Valentine's Day activities for … [Read more...] about Valentine’s Day Activities for Upper Elementary
A few months ago, I was introduced to Flocabulary, a web-based learning program for all grades and subjects. The program uses engaging educational hip-hop music videos to teach and review academic concepts. The videos are standards based and include activities and printables that align with and support the videos. After spending some time trying out this online resource, … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Use Flocabulary to Enhance Test Prep Review
Do you ever get into such a stressful rut that you feel like leaving teaching? Grading papers, creating lesson plans, a mountain of paperwork, and the pressure from high stakes testing are enough to drive anyone into another profession. Then, factor in the stress from your personal life, and how do we all not lose our minds? For those of you that know me on a more … [Read more...] about Why I Went Back to Teaching
Groundhog Day isn’t the first holiday I generally think of when the month of February rolls around. However, I welcome any chance I can get to engage my students and spice up my classroom activities to give my students a break from our day-to-day routine (especially in the winter months). Whether or not Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, these free Groundhog Day … [Read more...] about Free Groundhog Day Activities {Printable and Digital}
It has been a while since I have shared a writing idea, so I thought I would write about one of my favorite ways to get some super authentic writing topics for your students. This post is all about generating writing topics using lists in a writer's notebook. To read about generating writing topics using heart maps, click here. To read another method for generating … [Read more...] about Generating Writing Topics Using Lists {Writing Workshop Ideas}
I have a love/hate relationship with field trips. Some years they are great, and some I just want to sleep for twelve hours after the field trip and never speak of it again (surely I am not the only one, right?). Field trips can fun and super educational, though. It is nice to take the students out into the "real world," to expose them to new experiences, and teach them … [Read more...] about Field Trip Activities {Free Field Trip Resources}
I have received a lot of questions since posting about how I use math centers in a Guided Math format in my classroom. Click here to read that post that gives a peek into my guided math centers I thought I would take some time to write another post specifying more about the two types of math groups I use in my classroom to maximize instruction and differentiate … [Read more...] about Math Groups (Two Ways I Use Math Groups in my Classroom)
As an upper elementary teacher, I always struggled with finding word study activities that are appropriate for my students. This post shares one of my favorite go-to word study activities for upper elementary students that I have used for the past five years. This word study activity can be completed during centers or even as a whole group activity. About the Word … [Read more...] about Free Word Study Activity for Upper Elementary
Winter time in the classroom, specifically December to March, can be quite stressful as upper elementary teachers finish pacing guides, start test prep, and some even administer state tests this early. It is CRAZY! However, I always like to bring some winter fun into my classroom through seasonal activities that are specifically for 4th and 5th grade students. I want to … [Read more...] about Winter Activities for Upper Elementary
One of my biggest struggles as a teacher has always been students helping students all the skills they are learning in all the subjects. I have to be very purposeful about spiraling skills consistently so the students don't forget what was learned at the beginning of the year. Read more details about how I use spiral review in all subjects (and not just morning work) … [Read more...] about Engaging Ways to Review
