Elementary Teacher Sharing Tips and Tricks
The sorting hat was the biggest point of excitement for my students. I did this in the beginning of the day after wand making – in the movies, Harry goes to Diagon Alley and gets his wand before heading to Hogwarts, so it made sense to do the wands first. How do you sort students […]
As I was planning my end of the year themed days, my students put in a request for a Harry Potter Day. I’m not going to lie to you… my gut instinct was to say no. It was for the last week of school, I had to pack my room up because I am […]
Black History month is celebrated all of February. One of my favorite ways to celebrate Black History Month is through books. Throughout the month I highlight different books about African Americans who fought against slavery, fought for civil rights, and who changed sports forever. Below are 10 of my favorite Black History Month Books for […]
With January coming to an end, it is time to prepare for Black History Month! Black History month is celebrated all of February. It was established around 1976 by President Gerald Ford. His goal was to honor the frequently overlooked or neglected accomplishments of Black women and men across America. One of my favorite ways to […]
One thing I love to do in my classroom is celebrate holidays from all around the world. At the end of January or early February we always celebrate the Lunar New Year. This holiday is the largest celebration of the year in China, so it is often referred to as the “Chinese New Year,” but […]
Have you ever taught the six syllable types? This is my first year diving into teaching the 6 syllable types whole group to my third graders and it is AMAZING! Knowing the different syllable patterns and how to split words into syllables helps students decode and spell words correctly. They can predict what sound a […]
The first day of school can cause a lot of anxiety for students and teachers. The transition from summer to back to school is tough and, essentially, you start all over. New teacher, new students, new routines, new content – it can be extremely overwhelming! Here are a few tips to help calm first day […]
Can I be honest with you about small group reading? I used to spend hours planning whole group reading, math, writing, social studies and science; then for small group reading I would fly by the seat of my pants. Who has the time to plan for five subjects AND small group reading lessons each day?! […]
The first day of school is approaching and I can already feel the butterflies flying around in my stomach and smell the freshly sharpened pencils and new crayons. I have many tips for the beginning of the school year, but I thought it would be helpful to give you all a list of free resources. […]
Sometimes it is easiest to teach a lesson by reading someone else’s words. Read alouds are a great way to teach your students rules and build a classroom community at the beginning of the school year. Here are the books I read aloud to my students during the first week of school! 1. First […]