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
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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
Writer’s Workshop Procedures to Teach
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
FREE Math Pre-Assessments (Grades 3-5)
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
How to Launch Guided Math Centers in Upper Elementary
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
Math Bulletin Boards for Upper Elementary
Pinterest is full of well-designed and authentic bulletin boards for literacy, but very few for math. In fact, when I am planning my classroom, my mind goes straight to literacy instead of math. Once I realized I was doing that, I actively worked to change and add in more relevant and meaningful math bulletin boards in my classroom. This post shares SIX low prep, but ... Read More
Guided Math Procedures
Guided math instruction (whole group instruction + small group instruction + math centers) is a super powerful way of reaching all of your students. But, things can go south quickly. Just like any other aspect of school, students need to be taught procedures and expectations for guided math. In this post, we will take a detailed look at the must teach procedures to ... Read More
Scheduling Your Guided Math Block
One of the biggest questions I get about math instruction is "How do I fit everything in?" Many teachers email me because they want to do a guided math approach and incorporate small groups and math centers, but they are not sure how to fit it all in with their limited time or their large class sizes. If this sounds a bit like you, you are in the right place. Let's ... Read More
