Have you ever found yourself under a mound of papers? Do you feel as though your teacher desk is just completely covered in student work and meeting agendas and forms? I know the feeling. Here are some tips for tackling that giant pile. Letter Trays One issue I ran into was so much paperwork ... Read More
Article of the Week
One part of my Social Studies curriculum was to incorporate current events into our classroom. However, I wanted my students to have the opportunity to think about and research topics that truly interested them. We incorporated Article of the Week. For homework, students would find an ... Read More
Making Novel Studies Engaging
Novel studies are a great way to teach reading in the upper elementary grades. However, they can also make or break a reader. If you, as the teacher, build engagement and enthusiasm amongst your students, a novel study can be an amazing experience. Here are a few tips to making the ... Read More
Graduation Gift
I had a high-school graduation party to go to over the weekend. It was a special one for me. I started baby-sitting this young man about 15 years ago. Fast-forward a few years and he is now my nephew! My husband is the youngest in his family (by a lot!) so I inherited 12 ... Read More
Moving Up Grade Levels?
When I taught second grade, my previous students would always ask me if I would ever change grade levels. I would tell them no, because second graders were the only kids in the school shorter than me. Fifth graders are too tall! Totally not the reason, but they got a kick out of ... Read More
Spirit Day Ideas
It's around that time of year when everyone needs a pick-me-up! What better way to do it than with a Spirit Week at school? My students get a kick out of this every year and we try to switch it up so that we have a variety of themes. 1. Crazy Sock Day 2. Dress Like a Book Character ... Read More