When I was in the classroom I always liked celebrating fun and random national days with my students. I always made sure to keep the activities standards-aligned, while also being creative and unique so my students could have fun while…
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Using anchor charts is a great way to get students engaged in their learning and keep essential skills anchored in the classroom throughout the year. Some anchor charts are best made together with students and other anchor charts can be…
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When I was in the classroom, I loved planning for Read Across America Week. It was a great way to get the whole school involved in reading and really cultivated a positive school culture. We did this by having themed…
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Getting students to take a part in their learning is teacher clarity. One way to increase teacher clarity and empower your students to become more independent readers and thinkers is through reciprocal teaching. What is Reciprocal Teaching? Reciprocal Teaching was…
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Managing classroom behaviors is probably one of the toughest parts of being a teacher. I have tried almost every strategy in my classroom and what I have found that works best is being consistent, logical, and understanding with my students…
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Coming back to school after holiday breaks always creates a time to review simple routines and expectations. It’s also an opportunity for a fresh start. Here are five of my favorite things to do when returning from breaks! Talk about…
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Plan out your first week of 2023 before 2022 comes to an end. These three activities will get your students engaged and excited to be back in school in January. Goals for 2023 Complete this writing lesson and craft the…
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Classroom management and strong teaching go hand in hand. In order to have an effective lesson go off without a hitch, you need to make sure your classroom management is intact. I learned that the hard way when I started…
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Educational researcher, John Hattie, found that the tipping point of a .4 effect size was the point at which student performance surpasses the expectation of one year’s growth in one year’s time. He says that the vast majority of what…
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One of the best things I ever taught my students was that it’s okay to struggle. Struggling develops grit and perseverance and leads to success. The way I taught this to my students was by introducing the “Learning Pit.” I…
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