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! …
Printing Posters Made Easy!
Hey guys! I’m so excited because school is almost here and my room is almost ready to show you! The last few weeks I’ve become OBSESSED with making my own posters! I take everything that is usually one…
Back-2-School Prep: Getting a Head Start!
Oh my! I blinked and July was over! Does anyone else ever feel like July is so short compared to June? My school’s “Open House” night is coming up soon! We always have it 2 days before the…
DIY Scratch-Off Reward Cards!
Hello everyone! I know I’m not the most consistent blogger– so thank you for sticking with me! Today I’m going to share a fun DIY I found on Pinterest: Scratch-Off Reward Cards! The steps were very simple– and…
Motivational Ways to Prep for Standardized Testing!
Hello friends! It’s that time of year again– cue the scary music– time for end-of-the-year testing! This year I’ve been trying some new strategies to keep my kids engaged in our review! Check them out below: This first…
Springing Into Learning (Fun Ideas & Freebie)
Hello everyone! I’m so excited today to be joining up with my friend and fellow blogger– Kim Solis from Elementary Antics! Today I wanted to share a fun, new project you can use this spring to help prepare…
Office Makeover and DIY Gallery Wall
A few months ago I decided I better get serious about my work outside of school– and what better way than an office makeover? My office originally started out with hand-me-down items and mishmash (is that a word?)…
Valentine’s Day & Adjectives (Plus a Freebie)
I decided it was finally time to take down my snowman bulletin board in the hallway, and since Valentine’s Day is looming around the corner– I knew it would make a great bulletin board! This week we studied…
Fun, Motivational Test Prep Ideas
I know it’s only January– but I feel it’s never too early to start gathering ideas and valuable materials for the dreaded test prep days! Here are some of my favorites! Check out these informational articles from my…
I’m Done… Now What? (Freebie)
It’s the question every teacher dreads… “I’m done, what do I do?” If I had a dollar for each time my students asked me this question, I would be rich– probably a millionaire! At the beginning of each…
Thanksgiving in the Classroom
One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! If I were rich, I’d probably spend all my money on cute turkeys and Thanksgiving decorations! Do you struggle with creating engaging lesson plans during this hectic time? Sometimes this week…
Multiplication (Multiple Ways)
We have officially started learning our multiplication facts in class! We started with our easy ones (0-2, 5, and 10)– but starting this week I plan to move on to 3’s, 4’s, and 11’s. I was getting tired…
Monthly Organization
In my classroom I have 2 large black filing cabinets. One cabinet has a drawer specifically for monthly themed files. In those files are a wide variety of objects (practice sheets, coloring pages, bulletin board ideas, etc.) I…
Follower Freebie– Editable Bookmarks!
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a follower freebie! So my newest freebie is an editable bookmark that you can use in your classroom. You can give them as gifts to students– or you can use them as…
Brownie Points (A Cheap Behavior Management Strategy)
Last year I noticed something about my 3rd graders– when they were in my room, they were behaved wonderfully. But then they would go to PE, Art, or Music– and return with a report that we “weren’t listening”…
Brag Tags: How to Use, Store, and Manage Your Tags
This is the first year I’m going to try “Brag Tags”. I know a lot of people aren’t a fan of the name– since we usually give the word “brag” a bad connotation (especially in school)– but I…
Birthday Tub Fun!
Today I was sitting in my classroom making birthday goodie bags– I don’t do candy for birthdays– instead I usually give them something like a special pencil, bookmark, and birthday brag tag! Anyway, I realized I needed a…
Using Class Dojo as a Classroom Economy!
Good morning! Have you ever used Class Dojo? If you haven’t, you definitely need to go to their FREE site and watch some of their promotional videos. I’ve been using it for about 4 years– and every year my…
Word Work: Is it too much work for you?
I love using Daily 5 in the classroom! If you haven’t read that book— I highly recommend it! One of my favorite aspects of Daily 5 (other than “Read to Self”– who doesn’t love the sound of children…
Paper Problems: How Do You Stay On Top of It All??
Some days after school I just sit at my desk and look around at the stacks of papers. I have some to grade– some to send home– some to keep and file– and then some! So my question…