Search the blog

Skip to content

Tales From a Very Busy Teacher

A Teaching Blog

Home
Subscribe
About Me
Formative Assessment Handbook
Teacher Leadership Community

Home
Subscribe
About Me
Formative Assessment Handbook
Teacher Leadership Community

Subscribe

SEARCH THE BLOG

Instagram

Your lesson plan is a plan, not a contract. 👏 And

Your lesson plan is a plan, not a contract. 👏

And the same goes for your pacing guide. A pacing guide can tell you where you’re supposed to be. It can’t tell you what the students sitting in front of you need today.

You can plan an amazing lesson and still realize halfway through that your students need something different.

Maybe they need another example. More modeling. More time to practice. A different scaffold. Or maybe they’re ready to move faster than you expected.

Changing the plan doesn’t mean you didn’t plan well. It means you’re paying attention to what your students are showing you.

Responding to your students’ needs means using the evidence in front of you to make decisions about what happens next.

Because finishing the lesson isn’t the goal. Learning is. ❤️

#teachers #teachingtips #elementaryteachers #teacherclarity #formativeassessment

In one district I worked in, we had both designate

In one district I worked in, we had both designated and integrated ELD.

There was protected time for multilingual learners to develop language at their level, and they didn’t miss new Tier 1 instruction to do it.

Later, I moved to another district where language support often happened during core instruction.

And I kept asking myself... what content are students missing while they’re learning English?

Language development absolutely matters. But language grows best in context, through meaningful, grade-level content with intentional scaffolds.

Multilingual learners deserve access to Tier 1 instruction AND structured language support.

Not one instead of the other.

When we integrate supports like clear learning goals, target responses, language function frames, and structured discourse into core instruction, we build language without removing access.

This isn’t about a specific model. It is about equity and access.

Save this for your B2S planning conversations.

#multilinguallearners #teacherclarity #elducation #tierlinstruction #instructionalcoaching

Comment SUBSCRIBE and I’II DM you the link to beco

Comment SUBSCRIBE and I’II DM you the link to become a subscriber to get your free monthly kindness calendar!✨

#teacherlife #classroomsetup #iteachtoo #classroomideas #teachingkids classroomorganization elementaryschoolteacher

✨Teacher Tip: Use crates as an organization syste

✨Teacher Tip:

Use crates as an organization system for early finisher activities, extra copies, or work for absent students.

Comment CRATE and I’ll DM you the link to find these crate labels in my shop.

#classroomsetup #classroomorganization #elementaryschool #teachertip #teachingideas

Bulletin boards have a special place in my heart.

Bulletin boards have a special place in my heart. 🥹 #classroomsetup #teachertips #elementaryteacher #bulletinboards #backtoschoolideas

The first week of school can feel like you’re tryi

The first week of school can feel like you’re trying to juggle a hundred things at once. Classroom procedures. Names. Supplies. Assessments. Curriculum. Parent communication. It’s easy to feel like you have to get everything “right.”

If I were your instructional coach, here’s what I’d want you to remember:

✨ You don’t have to teach every routine in one day. Focus on the routines that help students learn. You can build the rest over time.

✨ Clarity is important. Students don’t need a Pinterest-perfect lesson. They need to know what they’re learning, why it matters, and what success looks like.

✨ Invest in your classroom culture and instructional routines now and you’ll gain time back all year long.

✨ Start collecting evidence of learning immediately. Even a quick whiteboard response, exit ticket, or conversation can tell you more than waiting for the first big assessment.

✨ Your students don’t expect perfection. They need consistency, encouragement, and a teacher who believes they can succeed.

✨ Give yourself permission to adjust. The first week isn’t about proving you have everything figured out. It’s about learning your students so you can make great instructional decisions moving forward.

And one more thing...

Be as kind to yourself as you are to your students.

You’re building something that will last all year. ❤️

If you had an instructional coach sitting beside you this week, what’s one question you’d ask them? Let me know in the comments.

#teachingtips #instructionalcoach #formativeassessment #teachertips #teachercoach

Tightly holding onto summer (and 90s country). 💕 #

Tightly holding onto summer (and 90s country). 💕 #teachertips #classroomsetup #teachertips #teachersummer

The first day of school is just around the corner.

The first day of school is just around the corner. 😱

One of the best ways to ease the back-to-school chaos is to create a Launch Week folder.

Think about including your welcome letter, Day 1 activities, and classroom routines. These small steps now can make a big difference later.

This is not about doing everything. It is about doing a little now to save yourself time and stress in August.

Swipe through for simple Launch Week resources you can start prepping today. Comment LAUNCH and I’ll DM you the link to each of these resources.

What is one thing you always include during the first week of school? Share it in the comments.

#launchweek
#backtoschoolprep
#teacherorganization
#teacherlife
#classroomsetup

Choose a new picture book to read aloud to your cl

Choose a new picture book to read aloud to your class each day.📚 It can be something you do to finish the day together. Not only can you read a picture book to your class, but you can also find one online to have them listen to.

This is perfect for primary or upper elementary. No matter the age, students love being read to!🥰

Comment “180” and I’ll DM you a list of book suggestions for each day!🎉

#classroomideas #teachingtips #upperelementary #teachergram #backtoschool

Recent Pins

Shop My Resources

Facebook

Subscribe & Follow

Popular topics

Academic Vocabulary
1
Art
4
Assessment
1
Back to School
14
Bulletin Board
10

×

Recent

Helping Students Thrive the First Week of School
July 27, 2026

Popular Topics

Academic Vocabulary Art Assessment Back to School Bulletin Board Career Classroom Management Classroom Organization Design Direct Instruction End of Year English Language Arts Fashion Featured Growth Mindset Intervention Lesson Plans PBIS Social Emotional Learning Teacher Clarity Teacher Mom Teaching Ideas Uncategorized Visible Learning Writing

Search the blog

Your lesson plan is a plan, not a contract. 👏 And

Your lesson plan is a plan, not a contract. 👏

And the same goes for your pacing guide. A pacing guide can tell you where you’re supposed to be. It can’t tell you what the students sitting in front of you need today.

You can plan an amazing lesson and still realize halfway through that your students need something different.

Maybe they need another example. More modeling. More time to practice. A different scaffold. Or maybe they’re ready to move faster than you expected.

Changing the plan doesn’t mean you didn’t plan well. It means you’re paying attention to what your students are showing you.

Responding to your students’ needs means using the evidence in front of you to make decisions about what happens next.

Because finishing the lesson isn’t the goal. Learning is. ❤️

#teachers #teachingtips #elementaryteachers #teacherclarity #formativeassessment

In one district I worked in, we had both designate

In one district I worked in, we had both designated and integrated ELD.

There was protected time for multilingual learners to develop language at their level, and they didn’t miss new Tier 1 instruction to do it.

Later, I moved to another district where language support often happened during core instruction.

And I kept asking myself... what content are students missing while they’re learning English?

Language development absolutely matters. But language grows best in context, through meaningful, grade-level content with intentional scaffolds.

Multilingual learners deserve access to Tier 1 instruction AND structured language support.

Not one instead of the other.

When we integrate supports like clear learning goals, target responses, language function frames, and structured discourse into core instruction, we build language without removing access.

This isn’t about a specific model. It is about equity and access.

Save this for your B2S planning conversations.

#multilinguallearners #teacherclarity #elducation #tierlinstruction #instructionalcoaching

Comment SUBSCRIBE and I’II DM you the link to beco

Comment SUBSCRIBE and I’II DM you the link to become a subscriber to get your free monthly kindness calendar!✨

#teacherlife #classroomsetup #iteachtoo #classroomideas #teachingkids classroomorganization elementaryschoolteacher

✨Teacher Tip: Use crates as an organization syste

✨Teacher Tip:

Use crates as an organization system for early finisher activities, extra copies, or work for absent students.

Comment CRATE and I’ll DM you the link to find these crate labels in my shop.

#classroomsetup #classroomorganization #elementaryschool #teachertip #teachingideas

Bulletin boards have a special place in my heart.

Bulletin boards have a special place in my heart. 🥹 #classroomsetup #teachertips #elementaryteacher #bulletinboards #backtoschoolideas

The first week of school can feel like you’re tryi

The first week of school can feel like you’re trying to juggle a hundred things at once. Classroom procedures. Names. Supplies. Assessments. Curriculum. Parent communication. It’s easy to feel like you have to get everything “right.”

If I were your instructional coach, here’s what I’d want you to remember:

✨ You don’t have to teach every routine in one day. Focus on the routines that help students learn. You can build the rest over time.

✨ Clarity is important. Students don’t need a Pinterest-perfect lesson. They need to know what they’re learning, why it matters, and what success looks like.

✨ Invest in your classroom culture and instructional routines now and you’ll gain time back all year long.

✨ Start collecting evidence of learning immediately. Even a quick whiteboard response, exit ticket, or conversation can tell you more than waiting for the first big assessment.

✨ Your students don’t expect perfection. They need consistency, encouragement, and a teacher who believes they can succeed.

✨ Give yourself permission to adjust. The first week isn’t about proving you have everything figured out. It’s about learning your students so you can make great instructional decisions moving forward.

And one more thing...

Be as kind to yourself as you are to your students.

You’re building something that will last all year. ❤️

If you had an instructional coach sitting beside you this week, what’s one question you’d ask them? Let me know in the comments.

#teachingtips #instructionalcoach #formativeassessment #teachertips #teachercoach

Tightly holding onto summer (and 90s country). 💕 #

Tightly holding onto summer (and 90s country). 💕 #teachertips #classroomsetup #teachertips #teachersummer

The first day of school is just around the corner.

The first day of school is just around the corner. 😱

One of the best ways to ease the back-to-school chaos is to create a Launch Week folder.

Think about including your welcome letter, Day 1 activities, and classroom routines. These small steps now can make a big difference later.

This is not about doing everything. It is about doing a little now to save yourself time and stress in August.

Swipe through for simple Launch Week resources you can start prepping today. Comment LAUNCH and I’ll DM you the link to each of these resources.

What is one thing you always include during the first week of school? Share it in the comments.

#launchweek
#backtoschoolprep
#teacherorganization
#teacherlife
#classroomsetup

facebook instagram pinterest shop email

Design by Laugh Eat Learn // Theme by Georgia Lou Studios

Go to mobile version