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Get Ready for Back to School in the Summer
Summer is about more than just hanging out at the beach and drinking tasty cocktails. You’ll get more done when you take your drink to the computer with you! That’s how you can get better results with your summer – or at least be more prepared for the school year. But as
Fun Test Prep- 5 Easy Ideas
Fun test prep that is rigorous can sometimes be difficult to find. Is this the way your students look at you when you start your test review? OH NO! This is not what you want to deal with for the next several weeks of reviewing for the state test. I want to
Camp Write Along
It’s that time of the year! Writing test time. Ugh! In Texas the 4th graders have to take the Writing STAAR test. So now it is time to start reviewing for the test. One of the traditions at our school is Camp Write Along. The kids that have been at
DIY Classroom Decor
I’m always looking for some easy DIY classroom decor. Quill has come up with easy ways to “Jazz Up” your classroom. Easy DIY Classroom decor 1. Below you will learn how to make almost anything in your class a chalkboard with chalkboard paint. 2. Maybe you want some easy ideas
Plan a Christmas Vacation- Math Project
It’s Christmas time and you still need to teach the math standards but your students aren’t focused on learning. All they can think about are the presents they want for the holidays. What can you do to keep your students engaged with math? Let them plan their Christmas Vacation! Math
5 Creative Ways to Use Task Cards in the Classroom
Task Cards are a great way to review concepts in your classroom. There are so many ways you can use task cards other than putting them in a work stations. I want to share with you 5 creative ways you can use task cards in your room that your students are
Back to School Tips
It’s back to school time! There’s so much going on that sometimes I don’t even know where to start. It feels like I’m being pulled in all directions. Well I need to remind myself that I’m not Superwoman and I need to stop and take a deep breath. I will do what
Sub Plans- Ready for an emergency
Your alarm goes off at 5:30 am. You’ve been up all night with your 3-year-old daughter because she has been throwing up all night. You are worn out and your daughter is lying on top of you in your bed because you haven’t changed her sheets yet. She can’t go
Classroom Cleaning Hacks
I really like my classroom to look nice and clean. We all know that after about 2 weeks into the school year, things start to look dingy. The white boards are no longer white, they are kind of grayish, yellowish color. I’m really not sure what color that is. They
Five Things to do in the summer before school starts
It’s summertime! We made it through another school year. So now what should we do? Do you picture yourself sitting on the beach sipping a yummy drink? Let’s be honest, most of us don’t really do that. The beach is fun but, you usually leave burnt and sand in places
Guided Reading- What do I do with fluent readers?
Guided reading has been around for over 15 years. One of my graduate classes was on Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading. It worked great in the younger grades for teaching small group. I used it with my 1st graders for a couple of years and started using it in 2nd grade. It was
Teaching Place Value
Teaching place value is one of the hardest concepts to teach to your upper elementary kids and we always have to teach it at the beginning of the year. The kids have just had several months off and are just getting back into a school routine. You don’t know what
