One of my new favorite obsessions is using Jenga in the classroom to review and spiral concepts. Over the past year or so, I have been creating several games that are perfect if you want to incorporate Jenga in your classroom and they are all free! On this post, I will share brief descriptions and links to each one. Amazon affiliate links provided if you wish to ... Read More
Alternatives to Teaching Whole Group Math (That Are Not Math Centers)
Even though I love using guided math centers and use that as my mode of instruction two to three times a week (read more about that here) to meet the needs of my learners, I recognize that there are some teaching styles and classroom setups that may need something different. Today, I want to share with you two alternatives for math instruction that are not traditional ... Read More
How to Get Upper Elementary Students Excited to Read
If you have ever taught 4th or 5th grade, you know that by this grade, students start to form strong opinions about certain school subjects. One of those subjects is reading. Some students love it, some openly resist it, and some are just meh about it. Our job as teachers is to turn those resisters and students who are meh about it into avid readers before they leave us. ... Read More
Reading Notebooks in 4th and 5th Grade
One of the things I do every year that really makes a difference in my students' learning is having them use notebooks to store notes, examples, work, and basically house all of the learning they have done that year. Having these notebooks makes it so easy to spiral content because the students have a ready-made resource to refer back to. On this post, I will share how I ... Read More
Must-Have Guided Math Materials for Upper Elementary
I remember my first year teaching being completely overwhelmed by all of the math stuff shoved in my cabinets. I didn't know what would I would use the most and what I would rarely or never use. I am sure that my first year teaching I did a terrible job utilizing the math resources available to me. To keep that from happening to you, I will share on this post what I ... Read More
Parent-Teacher Conference Tips : Supporting 4th and 5th Graders with Math
Some students certainly have strong opinions about math the older they get, and by the time students are in 4th and 5th grade, you will find such a wide range of ability levels in one classroom. I get asked a lot about how parents can help 4th and 5th graders with math at home, because it is one of those subjects that not only challenges students but may be taught in ... Read More
Parent-Teacher Conference Tips : Supporting 4th and 5th Grade Readers at Home
I'll never forget one of the very first parent-teacher conferences I held. I had just gotten done explaining that the student, this couple's daughter, was struggling with comprehension. Her mother nodded and said, "Okay. How can we support her reading at home?" In that moment, I was both ecstatic that they wanted to support their 5th grade reader at home, and panicked, ... Read More
Close Reading in Math for Upper Elementary
Close reading is all the rage in ELA classrooms, but it can definitely work in math, too. Students often struggle with word problems because they don't fully understand what the problem is telling them or asking them to do. By using close reading in math, you can help eliminate some of this struggle. Keep reading to read how I implement close reading with tricky word ... Read More
Write About Reading Ideas for Upper Elementary
Having students write about what they are reading is a great way to help students dive into analyzing a story, help make comprehension visible to the teacher, allow students to share their reading easily, and hold students accountable for reading. Whew, there is a lot of benefits for sure! However, sometimes as a teacher I found that I needed fresh ideas to keep my ... Read More
Getting To Know You Activity with Jenga
Playing Jenga in the classroom is my new favorite way to review and practice math and language skills. But, it doesn't have to end there! You can also use Jenga as a fun back to school activity. On this post, I will share a getting to know you activity using Jenga with options to play this in small groups or as a whole class activity. Amazon affiliate links provided ... Read More
Free Guided Math Binder for Upper Elementary
Organization is honestly not my strength as a teacher, but I still try every day to be better at it. One area that I do feel that I have pretty well-organized is my guided math binder. In the past, I have shared some of the forms that I use in my guided math binder on separate posts but I am finally compiling them (and a few others) into one post and one convenient (and ... Read More
Free Word Problem of the Day Starter Pack
Confession: It was my first year teaching and one month before the state test, I realized that I had failed to expose my students to enough word problems for them to be successful and confident with them. I was so caught up in the pacing guide and using the math textbook that I failed to make the math real world and situational for my students. Big mistake on my part and ... Read More
