One of the best parts about the beginning of the school year is having the time to get to know our students and their interests, including their interests in different subjects. I love using activities that allow me to get to know my students' interests as well as their math skills. This post shares my favorite back to school math activities for grades 4-5 (free download ... Read More
Browse the archives below for even more great ideas
Tips and Activities for Teaching Procedures
How you start your year off can really make a difference in the success of your year. Teaching procedures effectively those first few weeks of school is so important (second only to building relationships and setting high expectations for behavior). On this post, I will share lots of tips and activities to help you create and teach your classroom procedures, including ... Read More
Amazon Prime Day Deals for Teachers
Amazon Prime Day is over for 2019 but will be back in 2020! If you are a teacher and love Amazon shopping, keep reading because I have taken the top 10 best selling items during the sale and listed them below. I love seeing what other teachers are buying for their classrooms. And you never know, they may go on sale again throughout the year. This post contains ... Read More
Free Back to School Activities for Grades 3-5
Each year, I like to incorporate a few new back to school activities during those first few days of school. However, I do have some tried and true favorites that I pull out year to year (or have on standby if we have extra time). On this post, I will share some of my favorite printable back to school activities (with a link to download them for free!). I "Mustache" ... Read More
Free Back to School Reflection Activity
My favorite back-to-school activities are the ones that get students up and moving and/or have them talking and sharing with others. This post will share a free back-to-school reflection activity that has both of those qualities (depending on how you use it). About the Back to School Reflection Questions This free back to school reflection activity (available to ... Read More
First Day of School Activities for Morning Work (Free Printables)
The first day of school is always an exciting time (and sometimes scary time ;) ). My first principal would always say that we couldn't leave the day before the first day until we had that first day of school activity ready and waiting on the desks for the students. I still remember and follow this advice after ten years of teaching. Having a task for students to do right ... 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
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
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
Promoting and Teaching Growth Mindset All Year Through Portfolios
Growth mindset is such an important mindset for teachers, students, and parents to know and understand. When I researched mindsets, I realized how much work I needed to do on myself before teaching growth mindset to my students and my own children. Once I realized the importance of introducing growth mindset to my students, I knew I need a purposeful plan to continue ... Read More
Tips for Having a Substitute Teacher (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 substitute ... Read More
