Classroom Decor (Creating Cohesion)
I know it can be a hot debate, “Does a classroom need a theme to be great?” Of course, we all know the answer is “no”. You don’t need a theme to thrive. But I, personally, have always…
Meet the Teacher Night (Made Easy)
Back to school night– meet the teacher night– open house night– Whatever you call it, it can be a source of stress! But it doesn’t have to be! Here are some simple ideas to help you figure out…
Class Dojo Debit Cards
Hello friends! I’ve had many questions over the last few months about how I use my “Class Dojo Debit Cards” in my classroom– so here we go! First, you will want THIS product (it’s what I created/use…
Easy Earth Day Craft
Hello my lovely teacher friends! Today I wanted to share a quick Earth Day craft I make with my students every year! Here are the supplies I use: *Washable markers (blue and green– dark blue works best) *Coffee…
Creating Student Name Sticks
This quick DIY project will help you create student name sticks that last all year long! If you’re like me and teach multiple classes– you can use the various colors for different groups of kids! Here is the…
Easy Classroom Incentives
It’s that time of year that leaves teachers scraping the bottom of the barrel for classroom incentive ideas! Personally, I love gleaning ideas from other teachers around me– as well as places like Facebook and Instagram! Here are…
The BEST Pencil Sharpener (Plus a Giveaway!)
Hello teacher friends! Today I am sharing with you my ALL TIME favorite pencil sharpener! I know some people are all about the electric sharpeners– but I was always so bummed when I purchased one and it burned…
Bulletin Board Tips & Tricks
I have a love/hate relationship with my bulletin boards! Some years they seem to come together nicely– and other years they seem a disaster! Last year was tough because I only had 2 boards– so I had to…
DIY Tire Seats
This summer project has taken me awhile– but I’m very happy with how it turned out! Here is the quick guide to how I made my tire seats (which I plan to use in my classroom as a…
DIY Paper Succulents
Hey everyone! So as I’ve been prepping for my classroom this summer– I’ve absolutely fallen in love with succulents! Not the cacti type– but the fat, round, and colorful type. As a result every piece of decor I’ve…
How to Make Birthday Cups
This idea has been around for awhile– so it’s totally not my original idea– but I thought I’d share what I bought and how I assembled my “birthday cups” last summer! Especially because I plan on making more…
How to Manage Student Rewards
Hello everyone! I don’t know about you– but I LOVE rewarding students for good behavior, positive attitudes, effort, and other fine qualities all teachers admire! Today I want to share some ideas for managing the rewards you give…
Student Gift Idea (Perfect for End of Year!)
Isn’t it amazing how quickly the school year always flies by? I am already planning the last few weeks of school! One thing I love to do during the last week is give my students a small gift…
The Teacher’s Assistant
This blog post is short and sweet! Sometimes you just need 5 minutes to finish grading tests or work with struggling students– but it’s hard to find time when your other 25 students are constantly coming up to…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 8 (Kindness Day)
I think today was one of my favorite days so far! We had a great day discussing how we could show kindness to others in school, at home, and in our community! First we read this book: It’s…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 7 (Stocking Day)
Today was stocking day– and we started by reading a picture book. This one was hard to come by, so I actually purchased it for the Kindle on the Amazon website– and then just projected it on the…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 6 (Santa Day)
Tuesday was Santa day in our 12 days of Christmas! If you missed my other posts and want to start back at the beginning– click here. We began our morning by reading the book “How to Catch Santa”….
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 5 (Snow Day)
Monday was snow day in our classroom! My kids were pretty excited because we have yet to have any real “wintry” weather this year! We started out by reading the book “Snowmen at Christmas”– there is also “Snowmen…
Welcoming the New Year in Your Classroom!
I don’t know about you, but I have always loved planning Christmas and New Year activities for my classroom! The last few weeks before break usually fly by– they include posting grades, making ornaments, planning a class…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 4 (Gingerbread Day)
In case you’ve missed the first couple of posts about the 12 Days of Christmas celebration in my classroom– click here to start on Day 1! As you read through my daily plans you can also get some…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 3 (Elf Day)
Today was the 3rd day of Christmas! We started out Elf Day by reading this adorable picture book: If you’ve never heard of it– I think it’s often overlooked! However, my kids were totally into the story– and…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 (Candy Canes)
Today was candy cane day in our classroom! The kids were so excited! First, we read a silly picture book involving candy canes and filled out a graphic organizer: Next, I found this wonderful post on Pinterest! We…
The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 1 (Trees)
I am so excited for these last couple weeks before Christmas break (I know, I must be crazy!). But it’s such a fun time when teachers can do so much with their students! I plan to do a…
Teaching the “Right” Time to Ask a Question!
Perhaps I’m the only teacher with this struggle: It seems as though I wear a student magnet to school– because the way my students flock to me (and to my desk)– it sure does seem that way! …