Latest from the Blog
How to Have the Best Teaching Interview
Whether you are a recent college grad or looking for a new position, interviewing is nerve-wracking! Here are some tips on how to have the best teaching interview. I have interviewed a lot. Like, can’t count on all my fingers and toes a lot. And to be honest, I’m not
How to Use One Page Phonics Intervention
You need a simple solution to target your students’ reading needs. With One Page Phonics Intervention, students will work on their phonological awareness, encoding, and decoding. This is a helpful tool for identifying the breakdown while practicing these foundational reading skills. Let’s chat about how to use this no-prep intervention
9 Essential Steps for Teaching Telling Time
Teaching how to tell time can be a welcome break from computation. But, depending on students’ background knowledge, navigating an analog clock can prove tricky for some. Here’s 9 essential steps for teaching telling time. Pre-assessment The most successful math units begin with pre-assessing. I find this especially helpful with
5 Effortless Classroom Activities to Try Out This February
February is jam-packed with holidays and short on actual days. It can be hard to fit it all in–especially if you’re feeling low on energy. There are still plenty of effortless ways to have fun in your classroom this February. Planning fun activities does not have to be extra work.
9 FREE Student Engagement Strategies
Yawning, heads down, staring off into space. No, this isn’t just teachers in professional development. Our students struggle to stay engaged and attentive every single day. Sometimes it may feel like we have to do jumping jacks in a clown suit to keep their attention. And, even then, they will
Classroom Dismissal Routines to Decrease Chaos at the End of the Day
The end of the day during dismissal was one of my least favorite times of the school day ever. I don’t know about your school but our dismissal time is 20ish minutes. Those 20 minutes feel more like 3 hours sometimes (especially on a Friday). Problem is, I’m totally worn out from the
5 Perfect New Year’s Read Aloud Books for After Winter Break
Are you looking for some new books to read to your class when you return from winter break? These 5 stories are the perfect read alouds for the new year!
4 Tips for Planning the Most Effective Spelling Instruction
Recently, I had a friend reach out to me for help. She was concerned about her 2nd grader’s spelling. It got me thinking about what we need to consider when it comes to planning effective spelling routines and instruction in our classroom. Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video on
Fun & Easy Math Crafts for Fall Bulletin Boards
Pumpkin spice, changing leaves, flannels, corn mazes, and math crafts? Fall fun is here and if you know me, you know I love a cute math craft. Making things “cutesy” gets a bad rap. But, things that are adorable can still be engaging and effective. Here are some great ideas
15 of the Best Books for Back to School
Back-to-school season is upon us! One of the best parts of planning the first week of school is deciding on which books to read. Today, I’m sharing all of my favorites with you! Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olson Why I love this book: Shannon, the teacher behind